Sleeping Beauty by Ross Macdonald

Author:Ross Macdonald [Macdonald, Ross]
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2010-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

"What was his last previous address?"

"He was living someplace in Long Beach—I never actually knew where. I think he was living with a woman."

"How do you know?"

"His attitude toward me changes," she said. "He always becomes so much more independent. But then it never lasts."

"Did he ever talk about the woman?"

"No."

"Where would he go to have his wound looked after?"

"I don't really know."

"Does he have a personal doctor?"

"He did have. I directed him to send his bills to me. They were very reasonable. His name was Dr. Lawrence Brokaw." She stood up in sudden decision. "Ill see if I can find his address for you."

Mrs. Sherry came back after a while carrying a sheet of notepaper, blue and deckle-edged, on which she had written Dr. Lawrence Brokaw's office address in Long Beach.

Her handwriting was small and elegant She stood nervously beside me as I read it.

"You won't have to tell Dr. Brokaw about this?"

"About what?"

"The kidnapping—the supposed kidnapping. After all, I'm sure it was Laurel's idea. There's no reason why my son's name should be dragged in the dirt again."

She was trying to smile, but had become so tense she was virtually chattering. I folded her sheet of notepaper and put it in my pocket

"A crime has been committed, perhaps a capital crime. A young woman is missing. Your son has collected ransom money for her, and he's been shot But all you're worried about is bad publicity."

"I'm worried about a lot more than that. But I know what bad publicity can do to a boy and his family—I've seen it happen. Harold has never been the same, and neither have I."

"What happened to Harold's father?"

"He worked as an engineer for the Lennox company. Naturally he lost his job, and he had a hard time getting another. The last I heard of Roger, he was living in Texas, somewhere on the Gulf Coast With another woman," she added bitterly.

"Are you divorced?"

"Yes, I divorced Roger. He turned against his own son." She was silent for a time. "Roger must be quite old by now. He's quite a few years older than I am. And I'm not young."

"We're all getting older. When I saw Harold in Pacific Point last night, he was with a little old man in a tweed suit. The man had lost most of his hair. It looked as if it had been burned off, and he had burn scars on his face and scalp."

She made a face. "He sounds horrible."

"He isn't, really. He was just a little old man who had seen his best days. Have you ever seen him, with Harold?"

"No."

"Or have any idea who he might have been?"

"I have no idea. He wasn't Harold's father, if that's what you're thinking. Roger's a big man with a lot of hair, and no scars of any kind. Anyway, he wouldn't be caught dead in public with Harold."

Before I left, I asked her to give me Harold's picture, expecting that she would refuse. But she let me take it.

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