12 Stalker by Faye Kellerman

Author:Faye Kellerman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Oliver tried to appear casual. But sweat dotted his upper lip. “I was here with you and Marge a couple of nights ago asking her questions—”

“Oliver—”

“Once before that,” Oliver broke in. “I took her home from Bellini’s. You familiar with the place?”

“Should I be?”

“It’s a cops’ bar in Hollywood. When I went out to meet with Osmondson—to get Hollywood’s carjacking files—I saw her there. She was piling on the beers pretty heavily. When she got up to leave, she looked unsteady. I didn’t want her driving, so I drove her home. You can guess why I didn’t tell about it.”

Cindy had asked him not to. Decker kept calm. “She was drunk?”

“Actually, she was more sick than anything else.”

“That’s not like her.” Although Decker realized that he knew little about his daughter’s personal life. “Was she upset about something?”

Oliver shrugged. “She’s the new kid on the block and Hollywood’s a tough division…very established in the old school. Hard place to break in. I’m sure she was upset about lots of things.”

“Was she getting flak from someone?”

“She’s young, she’s female, she’s smart, and she has a big mouth. I’m sure she’s getting lots of flak. Did she give me any specifics? No. I was simply the taxicab that night.”

Decker said, “Did she call you to come by tonight?”

“No, I just…happened to be in the area. I’d thought I’d stop by.”

No one spoke. The seconds dragged on, the silence more accusing than words. Oliver bumbled on.

“Marge called me around twelve-thirty. She told me about you three going out and investigating a Camry that went over a mountain cliff in Angeles Crest. Apparently, Cindy was tailing it and lost it somewhere up there.” He looked at Decker for confirmation.

“And?” Decker asked.

“Marge wanted us…meaning her and me…to go out there tomorrow. Which is technically today. Since I dropped my date off around ten minutes from here, I thought I’d ask your daughter a couple of questions—”

“At one-thirty in the morning,” Decker said flatly.

“I saw the light on in her place. I figured she was up.” Oliver stuck his gloved hands in his pockets. “What are you asking me? Did I come here with designs? No, I didn’t. But even if I did, that isn’t any of your business.”

“On the contrary, my daughter’s welfare is very much my goddamn business—”

“I didn’t say goddamn—”

“It was implied.” Decker felt his fingers tighten into fists; an involuntary action because Scott was right. Cindy’s personal life was hers to mess up as she saw fit. As for Oliver, he wasn’t exactly a stand-up guy, but he’d always been out front. And he was here, in Cindy’s apartment, helping her out, sorting through the muck when he could have jumped ship using any one of a variety of excuses. Still, Decker couldn’t let go, his voice ripe with anger. “You know anything about this?”

“Not a clue,” Scott shot back. “Why the hell would I know anything?”

Decker could barely refrain from punching him. “Stop being defensive. I just thought maybe she told you something she hasn’t told me.

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