Chapter 48

I drove over the hill thinking about what family had meant to the Dowd kids.
Boundaries were to be blurred¹, people were to be used, performance was all.
Brad had been abandoned, taken in reluctantly, exploited, expelled. Broughtback to be pressed into service by a woman who resented him and lusted² for him.
Years later, after her death, he’d wormed his way back into the family and attained³ the power role. Knowing he’d never belonged, never would.
By that time, he’d murdered Juliet Dutchey. Maybe other women yet to be discovered.
Reserving his boyhood hobby for three victims.
Back when Milo and I had been theorizing, he’d wondered out loud about Cathy and Andy Gaidelas being parental⁴ symbols.
You guys still believe in the Oedipal thing?
More than I did a few weeks ago.
Why Meserve?
The only time I’d seen Brad express overt⁵ anger was when he talked about Meserve.
Young, slick manipulator.
Brad seeing himself two decades younger?
Despite the smooth manner, the clothes, the cars—the image—did it all boil down to self-hatred?
A body hanging in a jail cell said maybe.
Used and discarded…it didn’t explain the extent of the horror. It never does. I wondered why I kept trying.
I reached Mulholland, coasted down past dream houses and other encumbrances⁶, unable to let go.
Brad had been the ultimate actor. Protecting Billy and Nora, bedding her, stealing from both of them.
Pressing his own cousin into murderous service, then setting him up to be executed.
Coming on to another cousin—a female cop—at the same time he was being investigated by her colleagues in a showgirl’s disappearance⁷.
Why not? Why would blood ties mean anything to him?
Marcia Peaty had no problem seeing Brad as evil but she was certain Cousin Reynold had just been a penny-ante loser.
Ex-cop, but way off. She’d be dealing⁸ with that for a long time. If she were my patient, I’d work at getting her to see she was human, nothing less, nothing more.
When you got down to it, rules and exceptions were hard to separate.
Church deacons sneak⁹ into dark houses and strangle families. Diplomats¹⁰ and CEOs and other respectable types embark¹¹ on sex tours of Thailand.
Anyone can be fooled.
But for arrogance¹², Brad and Nora might’ve plied¹³ their hobby for years.
How long would it have taken before he looted the trust fund completely and decided¹⁴ Nora was no longer useful?
The jet card and the island off Belize said not long.
Did Nora—numbed, callous¹⁵, perpetually stoned—have any idea her life had been saved?
What kind of life lay ahead for her? Initial severe depression, for sure, once the reality of prison life set in. If she was deep enough to suffer. If she coped and set up a prison theater, things could get rosier¹⁶. Casting, directing. Experiencing. A few years down the line, she might even merit one ofthose rehab-miracle puff-pieces in the Times.
Or maybe I had too much faith in the system and Nora would never see the inside of a penitentiary¹⁷ cell.
Back on McCadden Place, walking her stuffed dog.
Stavros Menas was wasting no opportunity to shout that she was just another of Brad’s victims.
Milo and I had heard her joking about Meserve’s head but both of us could be made to look foolish on the stand and L.A. juries distrusted cops and shrinks. The disks showed her having consensual sex with Brad and Meserve but nothing more. No forensic¹⁸ evidence tied her directly to the killings¹⁹ and nowadays juries expected nifty science.
Menas would rack up billable hours trying to get everything ruled inadmissible. Maybe he’d put Nora on the stand and she’d finally get a starring role.
One way or the other, he’d earn his million.
The lawyers vying²⁰ for stewardship²¹ of Billy Dowd’s diminished life would also do fine.
Still no callback from the judge who’d warehoused Billy and sentenced him to eating soft food with plastic utensils²².
The time I’d visited, he’d called me his friend, put his head on my shoulder, and wet my shirt with his tears.
What use is a child with no meaning?
Amelia Dowd had no idea what crop she’d cultivated.
I wondered what Captain William Dowd Junior had known as he’d ambled²³ abroad on grand tours.
Both of them perishing in a car crash. Big Cadillac veering²⁴ off the road and over a cliff on Route 1, on the way to the Pebble²⁵ Beach auto²⁶ show.
No suspicion it hadn’t been an accident.
But Brad had been in town the week they’d set out and Brad knew cars. Milo had raised that with the D.A. The prosecutors²⁷ agreed it was interesting theoretically but the evidence was long gone, Brad was dead, time to concentrate on building a case against a living defendant²⁸.
Time for me to…?
 
--- oOo ---
 
Robin²⁹’s truck was parked in front of the house. I expected to find her in aback room, drawing or reading or napping. She was waiting for me in the livingroom, sitting on the big couch with her legs tucked under her. A sleeveless, sky-colored dress set off her hair. Her eyes were clear and her feet were bare.
“Learn anything?” she said.
“That maybe I should’ve taken up accounting³⁰.”
She got up, took me by the hand, led me toward the kitchen.
“Sorry, not hungry,” I said.
“I wouldn’t expect you to be.” We continued into the service porch.
A plastic pet crate³¹ sat in front of the washer-dryer. Not Spike³²’s crate,she’d junked that. Not in the spot Spike’s crate had occupied. Off slightly to the left.
Robin kneeled, unlatched the grate, drew out a wrinkly fawn-colored thing.
Flat face, rabbit ears, moist black nose. Huge brown eyes met Robin’s, thenaimed at me.
“You can name her,” she said.
“Her?”
“I figure you deserved that. No more macho competition. She’s from achampionship line with great disposition³³.”
She rubbed the puppy’s belly³⁴, handed her over.
Warm as toast, almost small enough to fit in one hand. I tickled³⁵ a fuzzy, blunt chin. A pink tongue shot out and the puppy craned the way bulldogs do. One of the rabbit ears flopped³⁶ over.
“It’ll take a couple of weeks before they stay up,” said Robin.
Spike had been a lead-boned package of muscle and grit³⁷. This one was buttery-soft.
“How old?” I said.
“Ten weeks.”
“Runt of the litter?”
“The breeder promises she’ll fill in.”
The puppy began licking my fingers. I brought her closer to my face and she tongue-bathed my chin. She smelled of dog shampoo and that innate³⁸ perfume that helps puppies get nurtured³⁹.
I scratched her chin again. She jutted⁴⁰ her mandible in response. Licked my fingers some more, made a throaty sound closer to feline⁴¹ than canine⁴².
“Love at first sight,” said Robin. She petted the puppy but the puppy pressed closer to me.
Robin laughed. “I’m really in for it.”
“That so?” I asked the puppy. “Or is it just infatuation?”
The puppy stared at me, followed every syllable⁴³ with those huge brown eyes.
Lowering her head, she nuzzled my cheek, purred some more, butted⁴⁴ until her knobby little cranium was buried under my chin. Squirming, she finally found a position she liked.
Closed her eyes, fell asleep. Snored softly.
“Mellow,” I said.
“We could use a bit of that, don’t you think?”
“We could,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Sure,” she said, tousling my hair. “Now, who’s getting up tonight for housebreaking?”

1 blurred   

v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离

参考例句：

• She suffered from dizziness and blurred vision. 她饱受头晕目眩之苦。
• Their lazy, blurred voices fell pleasantly on his ears. 他们那种慢吞吞、含糊不清的声音在他听起来却很悦耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 lusted   

贪求（lust的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He had even lusted for Halina, already woven a net in readiness to ensnare her. 他甚至贪恋海莉娜，已经编织了一个罗网，在引诱她落进去。
• Men feared him and women lusted after the handsome warrior. 男人们害怕他，女人们纷纷追求这个英俊的勇士。

3 attained   

（通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况）

参考例句：

• She has attained the degree of Master of Arts. 她已获得文学硕士学位。
• Lu Hsun attained a high position in the republic of letters. 鲁迅在文坛上获得崇高的地位。

4 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

5 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

6 encumbrances   

n.负担( encumbrance的名词复数 )；累赘；妨碍；阻碍

参考例句：

• All encumbrances were cleared out for dancing. 为了跳舞，所有碍手碍脚的东西都被清理出去了。 来自辞典例句
• If he wanted to get away, he had better leave these encumbrances behind. 他要打算逃命，还是得放弃这几个累赘。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

7 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

12 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

13 plied   

v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意

参考例句：

• They plied me with questions about my visit to England. 他们不断地询问我的英国之行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They plied us with tea and cakes. 他们一个劲儿地让我们喝茶、吃糕饼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

15 callous   

adj.无情的，冷淡的，硬结的，起老茧的

参考例句：

• He is callous about the safety of his workers.他对他工人的安全毫不关心。
• She was selfish,arrogant and often callous.她自私傲慢，而且往往冷酷无情。

16 rosier   

Rosieresite

参考例句：

• Rosier for an instant forgot the delicacy of his position. 罗齐尔一时间忘记了他的微妙处境。
• A meeting had immediately taken place between the Countess and Mr. Rosier. 伯爵夫人和罗齐尔先生已经搭讪上了。

17 penitentiary   

n.感化院；监狱

参考例句：

• He worked as a warden at the state penitentiary.他在这所州监狱任看守长。
• While he was in the penitentiary her father died and the family broke up.他坐牢的时候，她的父亲死了，家庭就拆散了。

18 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

19 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

20 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

21 stewardship   

n. n. 管理工作；管事人的职位及职责

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Last, but certainly not least, are the issues of stewardship and ethics. 最后，但当然不是微不足道的，是工作和道德规范的问题。

22 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

23 ambled   

v.（马）缓行( amble的过去式和过去分词 )；从容地走，漫步

参考例句：

• We ambled down to the beach. 我们漫步向海滩走去。
• The old man ambled home through the garden every evening. 那位老人每天晚上经过花园漫步回家。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 veering   

n.改变的；犹豫的；顺时针方向转向；特指使船尾转向上风来改变航向v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的现在分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• Anyone veering too close to the convoys risks being shot. 任何人改变方向，过于接近车队就有遭枪击的风险。 来自互联网
• The little boat kept veering from its course in such a turbulent river. 小船在这湍急的河中总是改变方向。 来自互联网

25 pebble   

n.卵石，小圆石

参考例句：

• The bird mistook the pebble for egg and tried to hatch it.这只鸟错把卵石当蛋，想去孵它。
• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。

26 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

27 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

28 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

29 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

30 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

31 crate   

vt.(up)把…装入箱中；n.板条箱，装货箱

参考例句：

• We broke open the crate with a blow from the chopper.我们用斧头一敲就打开了板条箱。
• The workers tightly packed the goods in the crate.工人们把货物严紧地包装在箱子里。

32 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

33 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

34 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

35 tickled   

（使）发痒( tickle的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）愉快，逗乐

参考例句：

• We were tickled pink to see our friends on television. 在电视中看到我们的一些朋友，我们高兴极了。
• I tickled the baby's feet and made her laugh. 我胳肢孩子的脚，使她发笑。

36 flopped   

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

参考例句：

• Exhausted, he flopped down into a chair. 他筋疲力尽，一屁股坐到椅子上。
• It was a surprise to us when his play flopped. 他那出戏一败涂地，出乎我们的预料。 来自《简明英汉词典》

37 grit   

n.沙粒，决心，勇气；v.下定决心，咬紧牙关

参考例句：

• The soldiers showed that they had plenty of grit. 士兵们表现得很有勇气。
• I've got some grit in my shoe.我的鞋子里弄进了一些砂子。

38 innate   

adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的

参考例句：

• You obviously have an innate talent for music.你显然有天生的音乐才能。
• Correct ideas are not innate in the mind.人的正确思想不是自己头脑中固有的。

39 nurtured   

养育( nurture的过去式和过去分词 )； 培育； 滋长； 助长

参考例句：

• She is looking fondly at the plants he had nurtured. 她深情地看着他培育的植物。
• Any latter-day Einstein would still be spotted and nurtured. 任何一个未来的爱因斯坦都会被发现并受到培养。

40 jutted   

v.（使）突出( jut的过去式和过去分词 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出

参考例句：

• A row of small windows jutted out from the roof. 有一排小窗户从房顶上突出来。
• His jaw jutted stubbornly forward; he would not be denied. 他固执地扬起下巴，一副不肯罢休的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

41 feline   

adj.猫科的

参考例句：

• As a result,humans have learned to respect feline independence.结果是人们已经学会尊重猫的独立性。
• The awakening was almost feline in its stealthiness.这种醒觉，简直和猫的脚步一样地轻悄。

42 canine   

adj.犬的，犬科的

参考例句：

• The fox is a canine animal.狐狸是犬科动物。
• Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth,or none.食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。

43 syllable   

n.音节；vt.分音节

参考例句：

• You put too much emphasis on the last syllable.你把最后一个音节读得太重。
• The stress on the last syllable is light.最后一个音节是轻音节。

44 butted   

对接的

参考例句：

• Two goats butted each other. 两只山羊用角顶架。
• He butted against a tree in the dark. 他黑暗中撞上了一棵树。