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casements.Vigorously grained, quarter-sawn wood milled a century ago, mellowed
the colorof old bourbon and held together by mortise and tenon joints. Darker
wood blackwalnut had been used for the pegs. Fringed brown velvet drapes
covered some ofthe windows.
Others had been left clear, revealing stained glass insets. Flowers andfruit
and greenery, high-quality work, maybe Tiffany.
Not much natural light flowed in. The house was dim, silent, smaller than
itappeared from the street with a modest entry hall centering two front
rooms.What had once been the dining room was set up with old overstuffed
thrift-shopchairs, vinyl beanbags, rolled up futons, rubber exercise pads. An
open doorwayoffered a glimpse of a white kitchen.
A stage had been constructed at the rear of the former parlor. Raggedplywood
affair on raw fir joists made even cruder by its contrast to theprecision
joinery and gleaming surfaces everywhere else. Three rows of foldingchairs for
the audience. Photos taped to the outer wall, many of themblack-and-white.
What looked to be stills from old movies.
Brad Dowd said, Everything looks normal. His eyes shifted to an open
door,stage right. Did you check in back?
Milo nodded. Yup, but feel free.
Dowd went in there and I followed. A short, dark hallway led to two smallrooms
with an old lav between them. Once-upon-a-time bedrooms paneled with beadboard
below the chair rail, painted pea green above. One chamber was vacant,the
other stored additional folding chairs and was decorated with more
moviestills. Both closets were empty.
Brad Dowd moved in and out quickly. The aging-surfer insouciance I d seen
athis house had given way to gamecock jumpiness.
Nothing like family to shake you up.
He left. I lingered and glanced at the photos. Mae West, Harold Lloyd,
JohnBarrymore. Doris Day and James Cagney in Love Me or Leave Me. Veronica
Lakeand Alan Ladd in The Blue Dahlia. Voight and Hoffman in Midnight
Cowboy.Black-and-white faces I didn t recognize. A section devoted to youth
acts. TheLennon Sisters. The Brady Bunch. The Partridge Family. The Cowsills.
A quartetof grinning kids in bell-bottoms called the Kolor Krew.
I returned to the front room. Milo and BradDowd sat at the edge of the stage.
Dowd s head was down. Milowas saying, You can help by trying to remember
where your sister goes when shetravels.
She wouldn t let that thing in the garage and just go off somewhere.
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Covering bases, Mr. Dowd.
Traveling& okay, she flies to Parisevery year. Later in the year, mid-April.
She stays at the Crillon, costs afortune. Sometimes she goes on to the south,
rents a little chateau. Thelongest she s been away is a month.
Anywhere else?
She used to go everywhere England,Italy, Germany but France is the only place
she reallylikes. She speaks high school French, never had any of those
problems you hearabout.
What about here in the States?
She s been to a health spa in Mexico a few times, said Dowd. Down in Tecate.
I think she also goes to a place in Ojai. Or Santa Barbara, somewhere in that
vicinity.She likes the whole spa thing you think that could be it? She just
wanted to bepampered and I m worrying about nothing? Hell, maybe Meserve did
learn thecombination and stashed that piece of shit and Nora knows nothing
about it andis getting a mud pack or whatever.
His fingers drummed his knees. I ll get on the horn, call every damn spa
inthe state.
We ll do that, sir.
I want to do something.
Help me by thinking back, said Milo. DidNora mention anything about
traveling recently?
Definitely not. Brad bounded up. I m going to check on Billy, then it sover
to Nora s house, Lieutenant. She doesn t like me using my key but what ifshe
fell and needs help?
Milo said, When s the last time youremember seeing her with Meserve?
After Meserve pulled that stunt and she assured me it was over.
Milo said nothing.
Dowd s laugh was bitter. So what s his damn car doing here, right? Youthink
I m clueless.
Your sister s an adult.
So to speak, said Brad Dowd softly.
It s tough being in charge, I said.
Yeah, it s a day at the beach.
Milo said, So you have a key to Nora shouse.
In my safe at the office but I ve never used it. She gave it to me
yearsago same reason I gave her the combination to the garage. If she s not
home,maybe I ll look around just a little. See if I can find her passport. I m
notsure where she keeps it but I can try. Though I guess you could find
outfaster just call the airlines.
After Nine-Eleven, it s a little complicated, said Milo.
Bureaucratic bullshit?
Yes, sir. I can t even go into your sister s house with you, unless
sheexplicitly gave you permission to bring in guests.
Guests, said Brad Dowd. Like we re having a goddamn party no, she neverdid
that. Truth is, I ve never gone in there myself without Nora. Never thoughtI d
need to.
He brushed invisible dust from his sweater. I m firing Reynold.
Please don t, said Milo.
But
There s no evidence against him, Mr. Dowd, and I don t want to alert him.
He s a goddamn pervert, said Brad Dowd. What if he does something on
thejob? Who gets sued for liability? What else haven t you told me?
Nothing, sir.
Dowd stared at Milo. Lieutenant, I m sorryif it messes up your case, but I am
going to fire him. Once I ve talked to mylawyer and my accountant, make sure
everything s by the book. It s myprerogative to handle my business any
We re watching Peaty, said Milo, so thelikelihood of his stepping out of
line is next to nil. I d strongly prefer youto hold off.
You d prefer, said Dowd. I d prefer not having to deal with everyoneelse s
shit.
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He left us, passed the rows of folding chairs. Kicked a metal leg. Cursedunder
his breath.
Milo remained on the stage, chin in hand.
One-man show. The Sad Detective.
Brad Dowd made it to the entry hall and looked back. You planning onsleeping
here? C mon, I need to lock up.
CHAPTER 23
Milo toed the curb and watched as theCorvette sped off.
I said, You wanted Brad to take Peaty more seriously.
He reached behind and slapped his rear. C.Y.A. time. If it turns outsomething
bad happened to Nora, he ll be looking for someone to blame.
You didn t tell him Nora left Friday night.
There are limits to my honesty. First of all, Beamish never saw who was inthe
car. Second, there s no law keeping her inside her house. She coulda beengoing
out for drinks. Or she did have travel plans. Or she got abducted byaliens.
If Meserve snatched her, why would he leave his wheels at her school
andbroadcast the fact? And if the snow globe s some kind of trophy, he d take
itwith him.
If? he said. What else could it be?
Maybe a defiant message to Brad from Dylan and Nora: We re stilltogether.
That also fits with planting the Toyota in one of Brother s Treasured
Spaces.Is there some reason you don t trust Brad?
Because I didn t tell him everything? No, I just don t know enough to
besharing. Why, does he bug you?
No, but I think his value as a source of data is limited. He
clearlyoverestimates his authority with Nora.
Not so take-charge sib.
He assumed the caretaker role because Billy and Nora aren t competent.
Thatallowed them to remain adult children. Nora s more of a
perpetualadolescent self-centered, casually sexual, smokes up. And what do
rebelliousteens do when they re cornered? They resist passively or fight back.
When Bradinsisted she break off with Meserve, Nora chose passive.
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