Like I said, I come from trailer trash,” said Marcia Peaty. “No shame inthat, my father, Dr. James Peaty, pulled himself up, it’s even more to hiscredit.”
“Unlike his brother,” I said.
“Brothers plural,” she said. “And sister. Reyn’s dad, Roald, was theyoungest, in and out of prison his whole life, later shot himself. Next up wasMillard and between him and my dad was Bernadine. She died after being put away.”
“Put away for what?” said Milo.
“Alcohol-induced craziness. She was a good-looking woman but she used herlooks in not the best way.” She pushed her plate away. “I know all this from mymother who hated Dad’s family, so she may have heaped it on a bit. But overallI think she was accurate because Dad never denied it. Mom used to hold upBernadine as a negative example for me—don’t do what that ‘immoral1 wench’ did.”
“What’d Bernadine do?” said Milo.
“Left home at seventeen and went down to Oceanside with a friend, another wild girlnamed Amelia Stultz. The two of them worked the sailor trade and God knows whatelse. Bernadine got pregnant by some guy on shore leave who she never sawagain. Had a baby boy.”
“Brad,” I said.
She nodded. “That’s how Brad came into this world. When Bernadine got putaway he was three or four, got sent to Californiato live with Amelia Stultz, who’d done a whole lot better, married a navycaptain with family money.”
Milo said, “Amelia was an immoral wench butshe raised someone else’s kid?”
“The way my mother told it, my uncle Millard blackmailed2 her, said he’d tellher rich husband about her past if she didn’t ‘take the brat3.’”
“Conniving fellow, your besotted uncle,” I said. “Did he ask anything forhimself?”
“Maybe money changed hands, I don’t know.” Marcia Peaty frowned. “I’m awarethat this lays responsibility on everyone but my father. I’ve wondered aboutthat, could Dad have been that calculated.” A cheek muscle jumped. “Even ifhe’d wanted to help Brad, no way my mother would have agreed to take him in.”
“The rich captain was Bill Dowd Junior.”
“Hancock Park,” she said. “On the surface, Bradlucked out. The problem was Amelia had no interest in raising her own kids, letalone one she’d been stuck with. She’d always fancied herself a dancer and anactress. A performer, Mom called it. Which meant stripping in some of those Tijuana clubs and maybeworse.”
“How’d Amelia snag Captain Dowd?”
“She was great-looking,” said Marcia Peaty. “Blond bombshell, when she wasyoung. Maybe it was like that country song, guys going for women on the trashyside.”
Or family tradition. Albert Beamish had said Bill Dowd Junior married a“woman with no class” just like his mother.
Milo said, “Amelia took Brad in but didn’tcare to raise him? We talking abuse or just neglect?”
“I never heard about abuse, more like she ignored him completely. But shedid that with her own kids, too. Both of whom had problems. Have you met Noraand Billy Three?”
“Yup.”
“I haven’t seen them since we were kids. What’re they like?”
Milo ignored the question. “How’d youhappen to see them as kids?”
“Dad must’ve felt guilty because he tried to make contact with Brad when Iwas around five. We drove into L.A.and visited. Amelia Dowd liked my dad and started inviting4 us to birthdayparties. Mom griped about it but down deep she didn’t mind going to a fancyaffair in a big house. She did warn me away from Bill Three. Said he wasretarded, couldn’t be counted on to control himself.”
“He ever act scary?”
She shook her head. “He just seemed quiet and shy. Obviously he wasn’tnormal but he never bothered me. Nora was a space cadet, walked around talkingto herself. Mom said, ‘Look at Amelia, marrying rich, living the good life, butshe ends up with defective5 kids.’ I don’t want to make it sound like Mom was ahateful person, she just had no use for Dad’s family and anyone associated withthem. His whole life Uncle Millard did nothing but sponge off us, and Roald wasno picnic either before he died. Also, when Mom talked like that it was alwayspart of complimenting me. ‘Money’s nothing, honey. Your children are yourlegacy and that makes me a wealthy woman.’”
Milo said, “Could we talk to your mom?”
“She’s gone. Four years ago, cancer. She was one of the ladies you see atthe slots. Wheelchair-bound, smoking, and feeding nickels.”
I said, “Brad goes by ‘Dowd.’ Was he adopted legally?”
“Don’t know. Maybe Amelia let him use the name to avoid uncomfortablequestions.”
“Or,” said Milo, “she wasn’t such a witch.”
“I guess,” said Marcia Peaty. “Mom could be intolerant.”
I said, “Captain Dowd didn’t mind another child?”
“Captain Dowd wasn’t a real tough guy. Just the opposite. Anything Ameliawanted, she got.”
“Did your mother ever say anything about how Brad fared psychologically?”
“Her name for him was ‘the Troublemaker’ and she warned me away from him,too. She said unlike Billy he was smart, but always lying and stealing. Ameliasent him away several times to boarding schools and military academies.”
Persimmons and more. Alfred Beamish had pegged6 Brad’s behavior but neveruncovered the boy’s origins.
Mansions7, country clubs, rented elephants at birthday parties. A mother whoreally wasn’t. Who fancied herself a performer.
I said, “How did Amelia Dowd channel her interest in acting8?”
“What do you mean?”
“All those performance dreams that never came to pass. Sometimes people livethrough their kids.”
“Was she a stage-door mom? Brad did tell me she tried to get the kids on TV.As a group—singing and dancing. He said he could carry a tune9 but the otherswere tone-deaf.”
The photo-covered wall of the PlayHouse theater floated into my head. Amongthe famous faces, a band I hadn’t recognized.
Kiddy quartet of mop-haired youngsters…the Kolor Krew. “What was the name ofthe group?”
“He never said.”
“When did all this take place?”
“Let’s see…Brad was about fourteen when he told me, so it must’ve been rightaround then. He laughed about it but he sounded bitter. Said Amelia draggedthem to talent agents, made them sit for photos, bought them guitars and drumsthey never learned to play, gave them voice lessons that were useless. Evenbefore that she’d tried to get Nora and Billy Three jobs as actors.”
“Not Brad?”
“He told me Amelia only included him in the band because the other two werehopeless.”
“He call her that?” I said. “Amelia?”
She thought. “I never heard him call her ‘Mom.’”
“Nora and Billy have any success at all, individually?”
“I think Nora got some dinky modeling jobs, department store stuff, kiddyclothing. Bill Three got nothing. He wasn’t smart enough.”
“Brad told you all this,” said Milo. “Youand he talk often?”
“Just during those parties.”
“What about as adults?”
“Except for one face-to-face twelve years ago, it’s been the phone and notoften. Maybe once every couple of years.”
“Who calls who?”
“He calls me. Christmas greetings, that kind of thing. Mostly showing offhow rich he is, telling me about some new car he bought.”
“Twelve years ago,” I said. “That’s pretty precise.”
Marcia Peaty fooled with her napkin. “There’s a reason for that and it mightbe important to you guys. Twelve years ago Brad got questioned on a Vegas case.I was doing hot cars, a D from headquarters calls me, says a person of interestis tossing my name around, claiming we’re kissing cousins. I find out who itis, call Brad. It’s been a while since we’ve talked but he turns on the charmlike it’s yesterday, great to hear from you, cuz. He insists on taking me to abig dinner at Caesars. Turns out he’d been living in Vegas for a year, doingsome kind of real estate investment, never thought to get in touch. And once hedidn’t need me I didn’t hear from him for seven more years—Christmas, to brag10.”
“About what?”
“Being back in L.A.,living well and running the family real estate business. He invited me tovisit, said he’d give me a spin in one of his cars. As in he has a lot ofthem.”
“Platonic11 invitation?” I said.
“Hard to say with Brad. I chose to take it as platonic.”
Milo said, “What kind of case was he questionedon?”
“Missing girl, dancer at the Dunes12, never found. Brad had dated her, was thelast person to see her.”
“He ever go beyond person of interest?”
“Nope. No evidence of a crime was ever uncovered. Brad said she told him shewanted to try for something better and left for L.A. That happens a lot in our town.”
I said, “Something better as in breaking into acting?”
Marcia Peaty smiled. “What else is new?”
“Remember this girl’s name?” said Milo.
“Julie something, I can get it for you—or you can call yourself. The primaryD was Harold Fordebrand, he retired13 but he’s still in Vegas, listed in thebook.”
“I used to work with an Ed Fordebrand.”
“Harold said he had a brother who did L.A. Homicide.”
“No evidence of a crime,” said Milo, “butwhat did Harold think about Brad?”
“Didn’t like him. Too slick. Called him ‘Mr. Hollywood.’ Brad wouldn’t takea polygraph but there’s no crime against that.”
“What was his reason?”
“Just didn’t want to.”
“He get lawyered up?”
“Nope,” she said. “Cooperated fully14, real relaxed.”
“Mr. Hollywood,” I said. “Maybe some of Amelia’s aspirations15 rubbed off.”
“He actually learned how to act?” she said. “I never thought of it that way,but maybe. Bradley can definitely tell you what you want to hear.”
I said, “Those birthday parties Amelia threw. Were any of them for him?”
“Nope, just for Billy Three and Nora. That had to suck but he never showedany anger. They were great parties, rich kid parties, I always looked forwardto them. We’d drive up from Downeywith my mother complaining about ‘those people’ being vulgar and my fathergiving that little smile of his when he knew better than to argue.”
“Brad showed no resentment16 at all?”
“Just the opposite, he was always smiling and joking, would take me aroundthat huge house, show me his hobbies, making wiseass comments about how lamethe party was. He is a few years older than me, was cute in that blond surferway. To be honest, back then I had a crush on him.”
“He ridiculed17 the parties,” I said.
“Mostly he poked18 fun at Amelia, how everything was a big production withher. She was always trying to time stuff precisely19, like a stage show. She didtend to go over the top.”
“Rented elephant,” I said.
“That was something,” she said. “How’d you hear about it?”
“A neighbor told us.”
“The grumpy old guy?” She laughed. “Yeah, I can see why it would stick inhis mind, the smell alone. It was for Billy Three’s thirteenth. I rememberthinking this is baby stuff, he’s way too old for this. Except he was youngermentally and seemed to be digging it. All the kids were digging it, too,because the elephant was messing the street big time, we’re whooping20 andpointing at pounds of stuff coming out, holding our noses, you know? Meanwhile,Amelia’s looking ready to faint. Doing the whole Marilyn Monroe platinum-blondthing, tight silk dress, tons of makeup21, running after the animal trainer onthese gigantic spike22 heels, everyone’s waiting for her to step in elephant doo.Real tight dress, busting23 out of it. She was about twenty pounds past herprime.”
Milo took out the photos, showed herMichaela and Tori Giacomo’s head-shots.
“Nice-looking girls,” she said. “They still that cute or are we talking badnews?”
“Any resemblance to Amelia?”
“Maybe the blondeness. Amelia was more…constructed. Fuller in the face andshe looked like she took all morning putting herself together.”
“What about Julie the Missing Showgirl, see any similarities?”
She peered closely. “I only saw one picture of her and it was twelve yearsago…she was blond, too, so there’s that. She did make the Dunes stage so we’renot talking a toad…yeah, I guess, in a general way.”
“What about these people?” Flashing the MP shots of Cathy and Andy Gaidelas.
Marcia Peaty’s mouth opened and closed. “This could be Amelia Dowd, she’sheavy around the jaw24 and the cheeks in the exact same way. The guy’s not adead-ringer for Bill Dowd Junior but he isn’t that different, either…similararound the eyes—the crags, the whole Gregory Peck thing.”
“Dowd looked like Peck?”
“My mom said Amelia bragged25 about it all the time. I guess there was sometruth to it, except Captain Dowd was about five five. Mom used to say, ‘He’sGregory Peck on the morning after an earthquake and a tornado26 and a flood,minus the charisma27 and sawed off at the knees.”
I said, “This guy’s been compared to Dennis Quaid.”
“I can see that…not as cute.” She studied the pictures some more, returnedthem. “You guys are dealing28 with serious bad, aren’t you?”
“You said Captain Dowd was no tough guy,” I said. “What else can you sayabout him?”
“Quiet, inoffensive, never seemed to do much.”
“Masculine?”
“What do you mean?”
“Manly man?”
“Hardly,” she said. “Just the opposite. Mom was convinced he was gay. Or asshe put it, a homo. I can’t say I saw that, but I was too young to be thinkingin those terms.”
“Your father have any opinions about it?” said Milo.
“Dad kept his opinions to himself.”
“But your mom was definite about it.”
“Mom was always definite. Why’s it important? Amelia and the captain havebeen dead for years.”
“How many years?”
“It was between the time Brad got called in for questioning and the nexttime I heard from him, which was five years later…I’m thinking ten years ago.”
“They died at the same time?”
“Car crash,” said Marcia Peaty. “Driving up to San Francisco. I think the captain fellasleep at the wheel.”
“You think,” said Milo.
“That’s what Mom said, but she was big into blame. Maybe he had a heartattack, I can’t say for sure.”
“At the birthday parties,” I said, “when Brad took you around the house andshowed you his hobbies, what kinds of things was he interested in?”
“Typical boy stuff,” she said. “Stamp collection, coin collection, sportscards, he had a knife collection—is that what you’re getting at?”
“It’s just a general question. Anything else?”
“Anything else…let’s see…he flew kites, had some nice ones. Lots of littlemetal cars—he was always into cars. There was an insect collection—butterfliespinned to a board. Stuffed animals—not the girly kind, trophies29 he’d stuffedhimself.”
“Taxidermy?”
“Yeah. Birds, a raccoon, this real weird30 horned lizard31 that sat on his desk.He told me he’d learned how to do it at summer camp. Was pretty good at it. Hadthese boxes—fishing tackle boxes with compartments32 full of glass eyes, needlesand thread, glue, all kinds of tools. I thought it was cool, asked him to showme how he did it. He said, ‘Soon as I get something to fix.’ He never did. Ithink I went to maybe one more party and by that time I had a boyfriend, wasn’tthinking about much else.”
“Let’s talk about your other cousin,” said Milo.“Any idea how Reynold came to work for the Dowds?”
“That was me,” she said. “That bragging33 call from Brad five years ago.Christmas, there was lots of background noise, like he was doing some heavypartying. This was after Reyn’s trouble in Reno. I told Brad, ‘Seeing as you’re some bigreal estate honcho, how about helping34 out a country cousin?’ He didn’t want tohear about it. He and Reyn didn’t know each other, I don’t think they’d seeneach other since they were kids. But I was in an obnoxious35 mood and keptworking on him—working on his pride, you know? ‘Guess your business isn’t sobig you’d need outside help,’ that kind of thing. Finally, he said, ‘Have himcall me but if he fucks up once, that’s it.’ Next thing I know Reynold’scalling me from L.A.,telling me Brad’s gonna hire him to manage some apartments.”
“Brad hired him to mop and sweep.”
“So I’ve learned,” said Marcia Peaty. “Real sweet, huh?”
“Reynold accepted it.”
“Reynold didn’t have too many options. Brad ever let on to anyone thatReynold was family?”
“Nope,” said Milo. “Would Billy and Nora beaware of the connection?”
“Not unless Brad told them. There’s no blood tie there.”
“Or Reynold told them. We’ve heard he and Billy hung out.”
“That so?” she said. “Hung out how?”
“Reynold dropped by Billy’s apartment, allegedly to drop off lost objects.”
“Allegedly?”
“Brad denies sending him on errands.”
“You believe him?”
Milo smiled. “They’re both your cousins butyou’d prefer we focus on Brad, not Reynold. That why you came down to L.A.?”
“I came down because Reynold’s dead and no one else is going to bury him.He’s all I’ve got left in terms of family.”
“Except Brad.”
“Brad’s your concern, not mine.”
“You don’t like him.”
“He was raised in another family,” she said.
Silence.
Finally, she said, “Julie the dancer. That bothered me big time. Now you’reshowing me photos of other blond girls. Reynold was dumb and sloppy36 and a drunkbut he was never cruel.”
“So far you haven’t told us anything Brad did that was cruel.”
“No, I haven’t,” said Marcia Peaty. “And I guess I can’t because, like Isaid, he and I haven’t exactly been hanging out.”
“But…”
“You know, guys,” she said, “this is real weird and I don’t think I likeit.”
“Like what?”
“Being on the receiving end of what I used to dish out.”
“It’s for a good cause, Marcia,” said Milo.“In terms of Julie the Showgirl, did Harold Fordebrand’s gut37 say anything moreabout Brad than he was slick?”
“You’d have to ask Harold. Once he found out Brad was my cousin he kept meout of the loop.”
“How about your gut…”
“Brad’s demeanor38 bothered me. Like he was enjoying some private joke. Youguys know what I mean.”
“Despite that, you got Reyn a job with him.”
“And now Reyn’s gone,” she said. Her face crumpled39 and she turned to hide itfrom us. When she faced us again, her voice was small. “You’re saying I screwedup big time.”
“No,” said Milo. “I’m not trying toguilt-trip you, far from it. All this stuff you’re telling us is beyondhelpful. We’re just groping around here.”
“No case yet.”
“Not hardly.”
“I was hoping I was wrong,” she said.
“About what?”
“Brad being somehow involved with Reynold’s death.”
“No indication he is.”
“I know, an altercation40. You’re saying that’s all there was to it?”
“So far.”
“The old stonewall,” said Marcia Peaty. “I’ve laid a few bricks myself. Letme ask you this: The way Brad treated Reyn, giving him scut work, the Dowdsowning all those properties, and they stick Reyn in a hovel. That add up to themilk of human kindness? These people are just what Mom always said they were.”
“What’s that?”
“Poison palming itself off as perfume.”
收听单词发音 |
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immoral
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| adj.不道德的，淫荡的，荒淫的，有伤风化的 | |
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blackmailed
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的过去式 ) | |
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brat
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| n.孩子；顽童 | |
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inviting
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| adj.诱人的，引人注目的 | |
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defective
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| adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的 | |
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pegged
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| v.用夹子或钉子固定( peg的过去式和过去分词 )；使固定在某水平 | |
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mansions
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| n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 ) | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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brag
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| v./n.吹牛，自夸；adj.第一流的 | |
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platonic
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| adj.精神的；柏拉图（哲学）的 | |
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dunes
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| 沙丘( dune的名词复数 ) | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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aspirations
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| 强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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ridiculed
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| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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poked
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| v.伸出( poke的过去式和过去分词 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交 | |
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precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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whooping
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| 发嗬嗬声的，发咳声的 | |
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makeup
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| n.组织；性格；化装品 | |
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spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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busting
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| 打破，打碎( bust的现在分词 )； 突击搜查（或搜捕）； （使）降级，降低军阶 | |
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jaw
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| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
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bragged
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tornado
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| n.飓风，龙卷风 | |
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charisma
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| n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力 | |
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dealing
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| n.经商方法，待人态度 | |
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trophies
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| n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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lizard
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| n.蜥蜴，壁虎 | |
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compartments
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| n.间隔( compartment的名词复数 )；（列车车厢的）隔间；（家具或设备等的）分隔间；隔层 | |
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bragging
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| v.自夸，吹嘘( brag的现在分词 )；大话 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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obnoxious
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| adj.极恼人的，讨人厌的，可憎的 | |
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sloppy
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| adj.邋遢的，不整洁的 | |
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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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demeanor
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| n.行为；风度 | |
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crumpled
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| adj. 弯扭的, 变皱的 动词crumple的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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