Robert B. Parker's Angel Eyes by Ace Atkins

Author:Ace Atkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Oldcastle Books
Published: 2019-12-03T14:11:50+00:00

28

‘You made a real mess,’ Gabby said.

‘I’ll pay for dry cleaning on the guard’s T-shirt,’ I said. ‘Can’t do anything about a broken ego.’

‘I mean all of this,’ she said. ‘This is a private event. An incredibly special night.’

‘Your mother is more than worried,’ I said.

‘My mother worries too much,’ she said. ‘So dramatic.’

‘She thought you might be dead.’

We were sitting on the steps behind the mansion facing a long rectangular reflecting pool. Blue and red flowers, miniature trees, and climbing plants filled several concrete pots. People walked past us, down the steps and around the pool. They chatted and laughed. None of them even gave us a sideways glance as we spoke. Jem Yoon stood nearby, speaking with an older woman with white hair. The older woman had on a floor-length white satin dress. Lotus blossoms floated in the pool alongside lit candles.

‘So you’re OK?’ I said.

‘Of course I’m OK,’ she said. ‘My mom sent you all the way out here from Boston? That’s so much like her. So hysterical and wanting to be involved in my every move. Did she tell you that she never wanted me to leave? She wanted me to come work in her little dress store in Harvard Square. That silly little boutique. She can’t stand that I’m doing so well.’

‘But are you?’

Gabby Leggett took in a long breath and touched her temples. Up close her eyes seemed an even brighter green against the pale skin. Her hands shook as she held a bottle of water in her hands. ‘God. This is all so crazy. So embarrassing. Did you say the police were looking for me, too?’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘And they suspect your ex-boyfriend might’ve had something to do with your disappearance.’

‘Who?’ she said.

‘Eric.’

‘God,’ she said. ‘Oh, God. Eric. Why Eric? We haven’t been together for more than a year. He’s my goddamn agent. How in the hell will that look to everyone? I’m still out there trying to get jobs.’

I noticed her black jacket still had the maker’s tag stitched on one of the sleeves. She held the coat over her, shivering and cold. It was nearly eighty degrees. Her white skin looked a little pink, not a trace of makeup, and the blonde hair showed dark roots.

‘I think this goes without saying,’ I said, ‘but perhaps you should call your mother.’

She shivered again and drank some more water. ‘Of course I will,’ she said. ‘I have a lot to tell her. She can’t keep on trying to control my goddamn life.’

‘The police will want to speak with you, too,’ I said. ‘To make sure you’re all right.’

‘I’m all right,’ she said. ‘Why don’t you just tell them? Don’t I look fucking all right? I went on a retreat. Can’t someone go on one goddamn retreat without notifying the world? Leave the world behind. Isn’t that the whole damn point? This is so embarrassing.’

‘To you?’ I said. ‘Or to Joseph Haldorn?’

‘Dr Haldorn is a very important man,’ she said. ‘He doesn’t need this mess.

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