Melancholy Baby

Author:Robert B. Parker [Parker, Robert B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780425204214
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2004-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

34

Dr. Silverman was wearing a black suit and a white silk top. She had pearls around her neck and quiet pearl earrings. As usual, she wore no rings. Many married women, of course, didn't wear wedding rings. I hadn't worn one much when I was married. Richie had. He wore his like an amulet or something. I wondered if that was meaningful.

"Here's what happened on my trip to New York," I said.

Dr. Silverman raised her eyebrows a little to let me know that she was fascinated.

"You know the case I'm working on, Sarah Markham's real parents and such?"

Dr. Silverman nodded. Did she really remember or was she just encouraging me?

"Well, after Spike and I had the confrontation with the two guys in the woods . . ."

I looked at her to make sure she remembered. I knew she had many patients. I knew she didn't take notes. I couldn't believe she recorded the sessions without my knowledge. So I was dependent on her memory.

"Spike is a useful friend," she said.

Apparently, she remembered. Though she was so nondirective, as she always was, that I couldn't be sure. I gave it up.

"Anyway," I said. "They gave me a name, a lawyer named Ike Rosen, and I went to New York and Ike gave me a name, a lawyer named Peter Franklin, and I talked with Franklin, and he turns out to represent Lolly Drake, the talk-show lady?"

Dr Silverman nodded.

"And Lolly Drake started her career at the same station, at the same time, that George Markham was there."

"It could be a coincidence," Dr. Silverman said.

"It could be," I said. "But deciding that it is leads me nowhere . . . deciding that it isn't presents an opportunity."

"That's true," Dr. Silverman said.

Her hands looked strong. Her nails were perfectly manicured with a clear polish that made them gleam quietly. It was hard to figure how old she was. Older than I.

"The thing is," I said. "Sex reared its ugly head."

"Ugly," Dr. Silverman said.

"It's just, you know, a phrase," I said.

Dr. Silverman nodded.

"Tell me about it," she said.

So I told her about letting Rosen think I'd sleep with him, and I told her about sleeping with Franklin.

"I took some pictures of him," I said. "I'll show them to Karp and see if Franklin is the man who hired him."

"And if he is?"

"I've been sleeping with the enemy."

"A possibility you knew about when you chose to," Dr. Silverman said.

"Yes."

Dr. Silverman was quiet.

"I feel kind of dirty," I said.

"How so?"

"Well, pretending I'd, ah, come across for poor, fat Ike Rosen, just so I could get him to tell me what I needed to know."

"You're in a tough business," Dr. Silverman said. "There's no reason not to use whatever advantages you have."

"I suppose."

"Do you feel dirty about Franklin?" Dr. Silverman said.

"No. Isn't that odd."

"Odd?"

"Yes. I mean, he may be a very bad man, and I knew he might be, and I hopped right into bed with him."

"His faults may be his charm," Dr. Silverman said.

"What's that mean?" I said.

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