按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
e was called Patrick； and watched him。 He made a point to look at the checkout clerk； and when he realized she was a different one； he loitered around the store until he stopped in the language and travel section。 He picked out the same language course； slid to the counter； paid for it in cash； and left quickly。 Almost three hundred bucks。 Erin watched him leave。 He never saw her； or if he did； he didn't recognize her。〃
〃So what's the language？〃
〃That； of course； was the big question。 Three weeks later Erin saw in the paper where Patrick Lanigan was killed in a terrible auto accident； and she recognized his picture。 Then； six weeks later the story broke about the stolen money from his old firm； the same picture was in the papers； and Erin saw it again。〃
〃Did the bookstore have security cameras？〃
〃No。 We checked。〃
〃So what was the language？〃
〃Lauziere wouldn't tell us。 At least at first he wouldn't。 We were offering a hundred thousand dollars for solid information about Lanigan's whereabouts。 He； and his client； quite naturally wanted all of the money for the name of the language。 We negotiated for three days。 He wouldn't budge。 He allowed us to interrogate Erin。 We spent six hours with her； and every aspect of her story checked out； so we agreed to pay the hundred grand。〃
〃Brazilian Portuguese？〃
〃Yes。 The world suddenly shrunk。〃
LIKE EVERY LAWYER； J。 Murray Riddleton had been through it many times before； unfortunately。 The airtight case suddenly springs leaks。 The tables get turned in the blink of an eye。
Just for the fun of it； and with no small measure of enjoyment； he allowed Trudy to puff and posture for a bit before he lowered the ax。
〃Adultery！〃 she gasped； with all the self…righteousness of a Puritan virgin。 Even Lance pulled off a look of shock。 He reached across and took her hand。
〃I know； I know；〃 J。 Murray said； playing along。 〃Happens in almost every divorce。 These things do get nasty。〃
〃I'll kill him；〃 Lance grunted。
〃We'll get to that later；〃 J。 Murray said。
〃With whom？〃 she demanded。
〃With Lance here。 They claim the two of you were getting it on before； during； and after the marriage。 In fact； they claim it goes all the way back to high school。〃
Ninth grade； actually。 〃He's an idiot；〃 Lance said without conviction。
Trudy nodded and agreed with Lance。 Preposterous。 Then she asked nervously； 〃What proof does he claim to have？〃
〃Do you deny it？〃 J。 Murray asked； pleting the setup。
〃Absolutely；〃 she snapped。
〃Of course；〃 added Lance。 〃The man is a living lie。〃
J。 Murray reached into a deep drawer and withdrew one of the reports Sandy had given him。 〃Seems Patrick was suspicious throughout most of the marriage。 He hired investigators to snoop around。 This is a report from one of them。〃
Trudy and Lance looked at each other for a second； then realized they had been caught。 Suddenly； it was difficult to deny a relationship that was now more than twenty years old。 They both became smug at the same instant。 So what？ Big deal。
〃I'll just summarize it；〃 J。 Murray said； then clicked off dates； times； and places。 They weren't ashamed of their activities； but it was disforting to know that things were so well documented。
〃Still deny it？〃 J。 Murray asked when he finished。
〃Anybody can write that stuff；〃 Lance said。 Trudy was silent。
J。 Murray pulled out another report； this one cover…
ing the seven months prior to Patrick's disappearance。 Dates； times； places。 Patrick left town； bam； Lance moved in。 Every time。
〃Can these investigators testify in court？〃 Lance asked when J。 Murray finished。
〃We're not going to court；〃 J。 Murray said。
〃Why not？〃 Trudy asked。
〃Because of these。〃 J。 Murray slid the eight…by…ten color glossies across his desk。 Trudy grabbed one and gasped at the sight of herself lounging by the pool； naked； her stud next to her。 Lance was shocked too； but managed a tiny grin。 He sort of liked them。
They swapped the photos back and forth without a word。 J。 Murray relished the moment； then said； 〃You guys got too careless。〃
〃Skip the lecture；〃 Lance said。
Predictably； Trudy started to cry。 Her eyes watered； her lip quivered； her nose sniffled； and then she cried。 J。 Murray had seen it a thousand times。 They always cried； not for what they had done； but for the wages of their sins。
〃He's not getting my daughter；〃 she said angrily through the tears。 She lost it； and they listened to her bawl for a while。 Lance； ever vigilant； pawed at her and tried to console。
〃I'm sorry；〃 she finally said； wiping tears。
〃Relax；〃 J。 Murray said without the slightest trace of passion。 〃He doesn't want the kid。〃
〃Why not？〃 she asked； the tear ducts shutting down instantly。
〃He's not the father。〃
They squinted； thought hard； tried to assemble things。
J。 Murray reached for yet another report。 〃He took a blood sample from the child when she was fourteen months old； and had a DNA test run on it。 No way he's the father。〃
〃Then who 。。。〃 Lance started to ask； but couldn't plete the thought。
〃Depends on who else was around；〃 J。 Murray said helpfully。
〃No one else was around；〃 she said； mocking him angrily。
〃Except me；〃 Lance volunteered； then slowly closed his eyes。 Fatherhood descended heavily upon his shoulders。 Lance despised children。 He tolerated Ashley Nicole only because she belonged to Trudy。
〃Congratulations；〃 J。 Murray said。 He reached into a drawer； pulled out a cheap cigar and tossed it to Lance。 〃It's a girl；〃 he said； and laughed loudly。
Trudy fumed and Lance toyed with the cigar。 When J。 Murray finished humoring himself； she asked； 〃So where are we？〃
〃It's simple。 You waive any right to his assets； whatever they may be； and he gives you the divorce； the kid； everything else you want。〃
〃What are his assets？〃 she asked。
〃His lawyer is not sure right now。 We may never know。 The man is headed for death row； and the cash might stay buried forever。〃
〃But I'm about to lose everything；〃 she said。 〃Look at what he's done to me。 I got two and a half million when he died； now the insurance pany is ready to bankrupt me。〃
〃She deserves a helluva lot of money；〃 Lance piped in on cue。
〃Can I sue him for mental distress； or fraud； or something like that？〃 she pleaded。
〃No。 Look； it's very simple。 You get the divorce and the kid； and Patrick keeps whatever money is out there。 And everything is kept quiet。 Otherwise； he'll leak all this to the press。〃 J。 Murray tapped the reports and the photos when he said this。 〃And you'll be humiliated。 You've gone public with your dirty laundry； he's quite anxious to return the favor。〃
〃Where do I sign？〃 she said。
J。 MURRAY fixed them all a vodka； and before too long he was mixing another round。 He finally brought up the subject of those silly rumors about Lance looking for a hit man。 The denials came fast and furious； and J。 Murray confessed that he really didn't believe the trash anyway。
There were so many rumors racing up and down the Coast。
Twenty…two
THEY BEGAN TRACKING Sandy McDermott as he left New Orleans at 8 A。M。 and worked his way through the traffic on Interstate 10。 He was followed until the congestion thinned near Lake Pont