The Wedding Guest (Alex Delaware) by Jonathan Kellerman

Author:Jonathan Kellerman [Kellerman, Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2019-02-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

21

Memo paper torn from an ACADEMO, INC., pad.

The logo a Greek Revival building fit for the Ivy League, below that: We house the leaders of tomorrow.

Below that, clumsy block lettering in red ballpoint.

An address on Corner Avenue.

Then: aura 8–10 Sat pm.

I said, “Lotz’s handwriting?”

Milo said, “Matches his DMV signature and the ink’s the same as an Academo pen in one of his drawers.”

He shook the paper, green eyes incandescent. “You still feeling cautious? What this look like to you?”

“A game plan.”

He crossed himself. “Hell, yeah. Unless Lotz was on the invite list, he was a very bad boy. And he doesn’t sound like some homicidal mastermind. More like the type who could be bought. Maybe by a resident who does have a high IQ.”

“Amanda commissioned a hit on Red Dress?”

“She’d have the opportunity to know Lotz. Yeah, she’s young, but she’s also a brain with abnormal emotions, so why not? It makes other stuff fall into place. Like Garrett’s squirrelly look when we mentioned Poland. That coulda been him knowing something nasty about baby sis. Or he’s involved more directly. As in Red Dress is a girl from his past who threatened to embarrass him on his big day. For all his Joe Nerd thing, maybe he’s got some bigger secrets than his wife’s Vegas fling.”

He took the paper back. “I got sidetracked to the Rapfogels because Denny’s a dog and Corinne pointed me toward him. But looks like it’s the wholesome Burdettes I need to focus on. As in back to Pa Walton and his farm animals. Because vets use fentanyl, easy enough for Amanda to waltz into a barn, lift what she needs, and pass it along to Lotz. Maybe he kept some for himself and that’s how he ended up dead. Or she hot-shotted him to clear her tracks.”

He took a breath, flapped the paper against his thigh. “I’m not making sense?”

“You’re making a lot of sense.”

“But?”

“No buts.”

“This is a game changer, Alex. I find out any of the Burdettes visited Warsaw—hell, if they like to polka I’m on them.”

“Anything else come up in Lotz’s room?”

“His wallet had an expired Discover card and I found five fifties behind a bunch of underwear.”

“Lots of cash for a junkie to keep around.”

“Exactly, money’s like water to them. So it had to be a recent cash infusion. Everything else I found is: stash of baggies, two dozen disposable hypos, another scorched spoon, collection of disposable lighters, more candy and cookies, also with his skivvies. All I’ve got left is pawing under the bed, then looking at the bathroom. I find a guitar string, I’m Nirvana-bound.”

“Good luck.”

“You’re not coming?”

“For what?”

“You don’t mind getting dusty, you can do the bed. Bathroom’s too gross, I’ll do that.”

“All is forgiven?”

“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

“Slip of the tongue.” As we returned to Lotz’s hole, I told him about calling Lopatinski.

He said, “Great idea!”

That level of glee, I kept one thought to myself: Still no I.D. on the victim.

I followed his lope back to the room.

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