I exited the courthouse parking lot and took Rexford Drive through the Beverly Hills municipalcomplex. The light at Santa Monica was longenough for me to leave a message on Milo’scell.
Driving home, I wondered about the affair between Meserve and Nora. Partnersin the worst kind of crime or just another May-December romance?
Wouldn’t it be nice if Reynold Peaty got caught doing something nasty,confessed to multiple murder, and we could all move on.
I realized I was driving too fast and slowed down. Switching on a CD, Ilistened to Mindy Smith’s clear, sweet soprano. Waiting for her man to arriveon the next train.
The only thing waiting for me was mail and an unread newspaper. Maybe it wastime to get another dog.
As I turned off Sunset, a brown Audi Quattro parked on the east side ofBeverly Glen pulled behind me and stayed close. I sped up and so did the Audi,as it rode my tail close enough for a rear-view of bird dirt on the four-ringgrille. A tinted1 windshield prevented further clarity. I swung to the right.Instead of passing, the Audi downshifted, drove alongside to my left for asecond, then sped off in nasal acceleration3. I made out a driver, nopassengers. A rear bumper4 sticker sported red letters on a white background.Too brief for me to read the whole message but I thought I’d seen the word“therapy.”
When I reached the bridle5 path that leads to my street, I looked for thecar. Nowhere.
Just another friendly day on the roads of L.A. I’d been an obstruction6 and he’d feltcompelled to tell me.
The phone was ringing as I walked into the house.
Robin7 said, “Sorry I missed your call.”
That threw me for a second. Then I remembered I’d called her this morning,hadn’t left a message.
She understood the pause, said, “Caller I.D. What’s up?”
“I was just saying hi.”
“Want to get together? Just to talk?”
“Sure.”
“How about talk and eat?” she said. “Nothing too intense, name the place.”
Long time since she’d been in the house that she’d designed. I said, “Icould make something here.”
“If you don’t mind, I’d rather go out.”
“When should I pick you up?”
“How about seven—seven thirty? I’ll wait outside.”
Meaning don’t come in? Or did she crave8 fresh air after hours of sawdust andvarnish?
Did it matter?
Rose Avenuesported a few more boutiques and cute cafés tucked among the laundromats andfast food stands. The ocean air that blew through windows was sour but notunpleasant for that. The night sky was a swirl9 of gray and indigo10, textured11 likepigments mixed haphazardly12 on a palette. Soon the cute cafés would beoverflowing, pretty people fortified13 by margaritas and possibilities spillingout to the curb14.
Robin lived minutes from that scene. Did she ever participate?
Did that matter?
--- oOo ---
Her block on Rennie was quiet and inconsistently lit, lined with neatlytended little houses and side-by-side duplexes. I spotted15 the flower beds she’dplanted out front before I saw her step out of the shadows.
Her hair bounced as she beelined to the car. Nighttime turned auburn rosy16.Her curls reminded me, as they always did, of grapes on the vine.
She wore a second-skin top in some dark shade, form-fitted light jeans,boots with nasty looking heels that clump-clumped. As she opened the door thedome light told all: chocolate brown tank top, textured silk, one shade lighterthan her almond eyes. The jeans were cream, the boots mocha. Silvery pink glossripened her lips. Blush on her cheekbones created something feline17.
Those curves.
She flashed a wide, ambiguous smile and put on her seat belt. The strap18 cutdiagonally between her breasts.
“Where to?” she said.
I’d taken her at her word about “nothing intense.” Haute cuisine19 meantritual and high expectations and we could do with neither.
Allison liked haute. Loved rolling the stem of a wineglass between manicuredfingers as she engaged in earnest discussion of an elegant menu with snootywaiters, her toes trailing up my trousers…
I mentioned a seafood20 joint21 in the Marinathat Robin and I had patronized back before the Ice Age. Spacious22, dockside,no-sweat parking, nice view of a harbor full of big white boats, most of whichseemed never to go anywhere.
She said, “That place. Sure.”
We got a table outdoors, near the glass wall that keeps the wind out. Thenight had turned cool and butane heaters were switched on. The sports bar upfront was packed but it was still early for the Marina dinner crowd and more than half thetables were empty. A chirpy waitress who looked around twelve took our drinkorder and brought Robin’s wine and my Chivas before we had a chance to getawkward.
Drinking and gazing at the yachts postponed23 that a while longer.
Robin put her glass down. “You look fit.”
“You look gorgeous.”
She studied the water. Black and sleek24 and still, under a sky streaked25 withamethyst. “Must’ve been a great sunset.”
“We had a few of those,” I said. “That summer we lived at the beach.”
The year we’d rebuilt the house. Robin had served as the contractor26. Did shemiss the place?
She said, “We had some spectacular ones at Big Sur. That crazy Zen place that wassupposed to be luxurious27, then they stuck us with chemical toilets and thatterrible smell?”
“Rustic living.” I wondered if the place had been on the resort list Milo and I had just run down. “What was it called?”
“The Great Mandala Lodge28. Closed down last year.” She looked away and I knewwhy. She’d gone back. With him.
She drank wine and said, “Even with the smell and the mosquitoes and thatsplinter in my toe from that stupid pinecone, it was fun. Who knew a pineconecould be lethal29.”
“You’re forgetting my splinters,” I said.
Oversized incisors flashed. “I didn’t forget, I chose not to remind you.”Her hand made circular motions in the air. “Rubbing that ointment30 into yourcute butt31. How could we know that other couple would be watching? All thatother stuff they could see from their cabin.”
“Should’ve charged them tuition,” I said. “Crash course in Sex Ed for thehoneymooners.”
“They did seem pretty inept32. All that tension at breakfast. Think themarriage lasted?”
I shrugged33.
Robin’s eyes turned down a bit. “The place deserved to tank. Charge thatkind of money and smell like a cesspool.”
More alcohol for both of us.
I said, “Nice to be with you.”
“Just before you called this morning, I was thinking.” Brief smile. “Alwaysa risky34 thing, no?”
“Thinking about what?”
“The challenge of relationships. Not you and me. Me and him.”
My gut35 twinged. I drained my scotch36. Looked around for the baby-facedwaitress.
Robin said, “Me and him as in What Was I Thinking.”
“That’s rarely useful.”
“You don’t engage in self-doubt?”
“Sure I do.”
“I find it good for the soul,” she said. “That old Catholic girlresurfacing. All I could come up with was he convinced himself that he loved meand his intensity37 half convinced me. I was the one who broke it off, you know.He took it really hard—but that’s not your problem. Sorry for bringing it up.”
“He’s not a bad guy.”
“You never liked him.”
“Couldn’t stand him. Where is he?”
“You care?”
“I’d like him to be far.”
“Then you got your wish. London,teaching voice at the Royal Academy of Drama. His daughter’s living withhim—she’s twelve, wanted the switch.” She tugged38 at her curls. “It was rude,bringing him up.”
“He’s a twit,” I said. “But the problem wasn’t you and him, it was you and notme. ”
“I don’t know what it was,” she said. “All this time and I still can’tfigure it out. Just like the first time.”
Breakup number one, years ago. Neither of us had wasted time finding new bedpartners.
I said, “Maybe that’s the way it has to be with us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Eons together, centuries apart.”
Somewhere out in the open water a ship’s horn sounded.
She said, “It was mutual39 but for some reason I feel I should ask yourforgiveness.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“How’s Allison?”
“Doing her thing.”
Soft voice: “You two are really kaput?”
“That would be my bet.”
“You’re making it sound like you have no control,” she said.
“In my limited experience,” I said, “it’s rarely been necessary to make aformal announcement.”
“Sorry,” she said.
I drank.
“You really see it as mutual, Alex, and not my fault?”
“I do. And I don’t understand it any more than you do.” Ditto for the breakwith Allison. Maybe with any other woman I’d find…
“You know I was never untrue to you. Didn’t touch him until you and I wereliving apart.”
“You don’t owe me any explanation.”
“Everything we’ve been through,” she said, “I can’t figure out what I oweyou.”
Footsteps approaching the table rescued me from having to answer. I lookedup, expecting Ms. Chirpy. More than ready for another drink.
A man loomed40 over us.
Big-bellied, ruddy, balding, fifty or so. Black-framed eyeglasses slightlyaskew, sweaty forehead. He wore a maroon41 V-neck over a white polo shirt, grayslacks, brown loafers. Florid jowls settled over the shirt’s soft collar.
Swaying, he placed broad, hairless hands on our table. Sausage digits42, somekind of class ring on his left index ring finger.
He leaned down and his weight made the table rock. Bleary eyes behind thespecs stared down at us. He gave off a beery odor.
Some joker who’d wandered over from the sports bar.
Keep it friendly. My smile was wary43.
He tried to straighten up, lost balance, and slapped a hand back on thetable, hard enough to slosh water out of our glasses. Robin’s arm shot outbefore her wine toppled.
The drunk looked at her and sneered44.
I said, “Hey, friend—”
“I. Am. Not. Your. Friend.”
Hoarse45 voice. I looked around for Ms. Perky. Anyone. Spotted a busboy up aways, wiping tables. I arched my eyebrows46. He continued wiping. The nearestcouple, two tables down, was engaged in an eye-tango.
I told the drunk, “The bar’s back in there.”
He leaned in closer. “You. Don’t. Know. Who. I. Am?”
I shook my head.
Robin had room to back away. I motioned her to leave. When she started toget up, the drunk roared, “Sit. Slut!”
My brain fired.
Conflicting messages from the prefrontal cortex: rowdy young guys shouting: “We’repumped, dude! Pound him to shit!” A reedy old man’s voice whispering: “Careful.The consequences.”
Robin sank back.
I wondered how much karate47 I remembered.
The drunk demanded, “Who. Am. I?”
“I don’t know.” My tone said the old man was losing out to the prefrontalbad boys. Robin gave me a tiny head shake.
The drunk said, “What. Did. You. Say?”
“I don’t know who you are and I’d appreciate—”
“I. Am. Doctor. Hauser. Doctor. Hauser. And. You. Are.A. Fucking Liar48. ”
The old man whispered:” Self-control. It’s all about control.”
Hauser drew back his fist.
The old man whispered,” Scratch all that.”
I caught him by the wrist, twisted hard and followed up with a heel-jabunder his nose. Hard enough to stun49 him, well short of driving bone into hisbrain.
As he tumbled back I sprang up and took hold of his shirt, breaking his fallto give him a soft landing.
My reward was a face full of beery spittle. I let go just before his ass2 hitthe deck. Tomorrow, his tailbone would hurt like hell.
He sat up for a moment, frothing at the mouth and rubbing his nose. The spotwhere I’d hit him was pink and just a little bit swollen50. He worked his mouthto gather more spit, closed his eyes and flopped51 down and rolled over andstarted to snore.
A perky voice said, “Wow. What happened?”
A nasal voice said, “That dude tried to hit the other dude and the otherdude protected his lady.”
The busboy, standing52 next to the waitress. I caught his eye and he smileduneasily. He’d been watching all along.
“You were righteous, man. I gonna tell the cops.”
The cops showed up eleven long minutes later.
收听单词发音 |
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tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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ass
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| n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人 | |
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acceleration
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| n.加速，加速度 | |
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bumper
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| n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的 | |
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bridle
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| n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒 | |
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obstruction
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| n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物 | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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swirl
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| v.(使)打漩，(使)涡卷；n.漩涡，螺旋形 | |
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indigo
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| n.靛青，靛蓝 | |
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textured
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| adj.手摸时有感觉的, 有织纹的 | |
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haphazardly
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| adv.偶然地，随意地，杂乱地 | |
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fortified
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| adj. 加强的 | |
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curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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rosy
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| adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的 | |
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feline
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| adj.猫科的 | |
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strap
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| n.皮带，带子；v.用带扣住，束牢；用绷带包扎 | |
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cuisine
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| n.烹调，烹饪法 | |
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seafood
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| n.海产食品，海味，海鲜 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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spacious
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| adj.广阔的，宽敞的 | |
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postponed
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| vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发） | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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streaked
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| adj.有条斑纹的，不安的v.快速移动( streak的过去式和过去分词 )；使布满条纹 | |
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contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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lethal
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| adj.致死的；毁灭性的 | |
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ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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inept
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| adj.不恰当的，荒谬的，拙劣的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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gut
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| n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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mutual
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| adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的 | |
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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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maroon
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| v.困住，使（人）处于孤独无助之境；n.逃亡黑奴；孤立的人；酱紫色，褐红色；adj.酱紫色的，褐红色的 | |
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digits
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| n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾 | |
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wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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sneered
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| 讥笑，冷笑( sneer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hoarse
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| adj.嘶哑的，沙哑的 | |
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eyebrows
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| 眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 ) | |
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karate
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| n.空手道(日本的一种徒手武术) | |
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liar
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| n.说谎的人 | |
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stun
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| vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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