Mystery Girl: A Novel by Gordon David

Author:Gordon, David [Gordon, David]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: New Harvest
Published: 2013-07-16T07:00:00+00:00

46

BACK ON THE ROAD, my euphoria dissipated as I joined the endless creep of cars, their owners staring out at each other like captives sealed in glass. I checked my phone and found an urgent summons from my still current employer. So I rushed, very slowly, to the Lonsky headquarters, mentally composing what I figured would be my final report. Bucky’s job was almost as odd as Lonsky’s, but I had to consider seriously an eccentric billionaire who won Oscars over an eccentric hermit who lost competency hearings.

I arrived to find the big man in an agitated state. Where had I been? A roast was in the oven, and he was worried my traffic problems might delay feeding time. I apologized and, without explaining, dove into my review of Succubi! He sank in his chair, low like a hippo in muddy water, eyes shut. The giant hands were chapeled before his lips, propping up the flying buttress of his nose. Then I told him about Mona’s appearance at my window that morning. As I began reasoning aloud, “I know what you’re thinking, horror movie plus beef jerky after midnight equals bad dream,” he raised a hand.

“I find little profit in wondering over that small difference,” he said.

“Life and death? It’s a big difference,” I said.

“A very important one yes, but perhaps not so big. In any case, what I intended to say is that there is no way for us to objectively establish the fact here and now, since you were the sleeper. Let’s say it was a dream? What of it? It is often in dreams that we perceive the truth. She will come again, I suspect, and then you can ask. Please continue.” His eyes slid shut.

I told him about Kevin. He remained impassive until I was done. Then his chins lifted, one by one, and his eyes opened on me. “One thing is certain. It was shortsighted of you not to take the tapes. You will have to return and obtain them.”

“What? How?”

“There are any number of ways. Perhaps if you disguise yourself as a census taker or, better yet, a worker from the public utilities company come to investigate a gas leak. I have a nice collection of mustaches and eyebrows…”

“Huh…” I tried to change the subject by mentioning Doctor Parker’s sad demise, but he was even more vexed. He sat almost nearly upright.

“You should have called me immediately as soon as you found out he’d been killed.”

“I didn’t think it was urgent. It was an accident.”

“When will you learn, Kornberg? There are no accidents. In The Case of Dora, Freud’s patient spurns an amorous advance from a young man. Distraught, the fellow dashes into the street without looking and is nearly run down by a carriage. Freud interprets this as an unconscious suicide attempt. Genius!”

“Yes, well, the cops say Dr. Parker had a blowout. Your unconscious can’t burst a tire, can it? On the other hand, Mona, who everyone says did commit suicide, you interpret as murder.

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