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He remembered that moment well。 How he had wanted more than anything else to wave some magic wand and resurrect her。 Not for himself。 Just for her。 In death she was only a human being and therefore far more than she ever had been as a cover girl for Vogue and Cosmopolitan； where she had been drenched in two…dimensional unreality。
In one sense that seemed a very little thing to set him on this long； torturous quest。 A tiny thing over which to lose one's own life。 But when one thought of it another way； it was the only truly honorable thing to do。 And Lew Croaker had learned about the importance of honor from his best friend； Nicholas Linnear。
Now Alix opened the door to the steamy bathroom and emerged with a thick towel wrapped around her； another； smaller one wrapped as a turban around her hair。
Croaker's eyes snapped open and for a moment he saw not her but Angela Didion and he found renewed determination not to let Alix Logan die； which she surely would if the Blue Monster ever caught wind of their whereabouts。
〃You're next；〃 she said； giving him that direct； disconcerting look that seemed to penetrate his skull。 〃You look like death warmed over。〃
Croaker grunted and finished off his drink。 〃Funny。 I feel worse than that。〃
She sat down on one of the double beds； her hands in her lap。 〃Why are you doing this？ That's what I'd like to know。 They'll kill you if they catch you。 You know that； don't you。〃
〃It's because of Angela。〃
〃You didn't even know her；〃 Alix said。 〃You were in love with that face just like everyone else。〃
〃You don't get it at all；〃 he said； shifting in his seat。
〃And I never will；〃 she said archly； 〃unless you explain it to me。〃
〃She died on my turf。〃 He swirled the ice around the empty glass； staring at the cubes but looking at nothing at all。 〃Someone did her in； I want to find out who。 Because she was a person just like anyone else。 She deserved that much； at least。〃
Alix gave a short laugh。 〃I'm in a better position to know what she deserved。〃 She paused for a moment as if gathering herself。 〃She was a bitch； Lew。 She was mean； vindictive； insanely jealous； and absolutely venal。〃
Croaker looked up at her。 〃None of that matters。 To me she was no better or worse than anyone else。〃
Alix poured herself a drink from the bottle of Old Grand…Dad。 〃You should've spent some time with her；〃 she said； taking a swallow neat。 〃A couple've days； that's all it would've taken。〃
Croaker took the glass out of her hand； finished what she had in there。 〃Were you in love with her？〃
〃That's none of your goddamned business！〃 she flared at him。
Her hands clenched into whitened fists and her lips pressed into a thin unattractive line。 Then her face began to break apart a small piece at a time。
〃Just because you saved my life； what makes you think you can expect answers like that out of me？〃 By then she was weeping； her sun…baked shoulders heaving； her hands covering her face。
Croaker watched her for a time； suppressing the urge to reach out for her and fort her； he knew her well enough now to know she would pull back from such a gesture。
After a while her hands came down and she wiped at her eyes。 She seemed a great deal calmer。 〃The truth is；〃 she said softly； 〃Angela was in love with me。〃 She ran long fingers through her wet hair after unwinding the towel。 She began to rub it through her hair。 〃I could never remember my mother； and Angela was strong。 I guess there was a lot of the male in her。 Not that she was masculine。 It wasn't that at all。 I'm talking about something inside。 Her personality or whatever。
〃She caught me。 I honestly don't know how else to put it。 I knew she was a bitch from working with her。 And I knew she was into drugs： opium and coke。 Nice bo； huh？ But I thought。。。 Oh； I don't know what I thought。 I suppose I blinded myself to all those things because I needed a mother； someone to show me the ropes and protect me。〃
Alix stopped fussing with her hair； sat again with her hands in her lap； so that she appeared very young； almost a little girl； innocent； made of spun pink candy。 〃We fought all the time。 In many ways she made my life hell。〃
〃You could have walked out；〃 Croaker pointed out。
But Alix was already shaking her head。 〃Like I said； you didn't know Angela。 What she wanted； she kept until she was tired of it。 She would have ruined me professionally if I'd tried to leave。 She could have done it easily； she was quite the expert at it。 I saw her do it once to a young model ing up who said the wrong thing to her one day。 Angela made one phone call and no one in the business even spoke that girl's name again。 Angela had the power of a pharaoh。〃
Her head came down so far that Croaker could see the soft bit of light down at the nape of her neck。 〃But the truth is； I didn't have the strength to leave her。 She。。。 frightened me and； oddly I suppose； within the power of her manipulation I felt more secure than I had outside on my own in the world。〃
There was a silence that stretched itself； filling the room with an odd kind of chill。
〃Then what happened？〃 Croaker prompted。
〃Then everything changed；〃 Alix said； her voice so soft Croaker had to lean forward to hear her properly。 〃Angela met Raphael Tomkin。〃
Jesse James had picked up the bastard's name； Tex Bristol； from the harbormaster at the Key West marina when the man and several others who had been on the dock at the time had noticed his boat leaving its slip just after Alix Logan's had。
James did not know who the bastard really was； but he promised himself he would soon find out。 He had asked for Bristol by name at the front desk； figuring the bastard wouldn't see any reason to change the alias at this stage； but he had been wrong。 He had been told that no Bristol with the first name of Tex or with any other first name had registered that day。
The Blue Monster had launched into explanation C； going the full route； showing a badge。 He was a private detective； a case of adultery； here are the descriptions of the pair； nothing to get het up about； just serving divorce papers； et cetera。 He got their room number。 One room。 Very cosy； James thought。 What does this bastard have that I don't？ He took the elevator up。
The doors opened and Jesse James emerged onto the third floor of the hotel。
Croaker had just e out of the shower。 He felt thirty years better。 Toweling himself dry； he put on the lightweight slacks； dark blue T…shirt with 〃KEY WEST IS BEST〃 stenciled in green across the chest； and his tattered topsiders that he had brought with him into the bathroom。
Alix wore a pair of cutoff jeans and a pink cap…sleeve silk shirt。 Her bare toes curled on the bedspread。 She was sitting up； her back against a pair of pillows； reading a paperback book she had picked up at the place along the highway where they had stopped for lunch。
〃This thing's as bad as the food we had this afternoon；〃 she said； throwing the book away from her。 〃Vampire's in the bayous。 Who's kidding who？〃
That was when the door to the hall burst open with a crack like a rifle shot。
Sato found his guest in the garden。 In the rain。
〃My dear friend；〃 he called from the dry sanctuary of his stu