The Golem of Hollywood by Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman

Author:Jonathan Kellerman & Jesse Kellerman
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780399162367
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2014-09-16T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The Czechs knew their beer. The pub met and exceeded Jacob’s standards: a cavernous, low-ceilinged, centuries-old room with mahogany accents and stone walls. Fried meat and quality pilsner were brought by a poker-faced waiter who materialized with a fresh glass whenever the one on the table dipped below fifteen percent. While it was still too early for serious partiers, a raucous atmosphere prevailed.

The only thing missing was Jan.

The hacking cough and the feral brood had led Jacob to picture a man in his late forties. Loose jowls, yellow teeth, bad skin. Nobody fit that description, so he began making eye contact with every male who walked in, receiving in return a series of irritated not gay stares.

He drummed his fingers on the manila envelope containing the crime scene photos from Castle Court. He called Jan’s number, then the second number. He sent texts to both. He checked with the waiter that there wasn’t another establishment that went by the same name.

“Hello!”

The girl didn’t wait for an invitation, sliding in next to him. “British? American?”

“American,” he said. “I’m waiting for a friend.”

She laughed. “Yes, me too! You are my friend. My name is Tatjana.”

He stifled a smile. “Jacob.”

“Nice to meet you, friend Jacob.” Sweet and blond and plump, she put out a dimpled hand. “How is your beer?”

“Killer,” he said.

“Hah?”

“It’s very good.”

“One for me?”

“You don’t look old enough to drink.”

Tatjana socked him in the shoulder. “I am nineteen.”

“In America it’s twenty-one.”

“Then I will stay here.” She raised her thumb to a passing waiter. “Jacob America, where do you come from?”

“Los Angeles.”

“Hollywood? Movie stars?”

“Drug dealers. Prostitutes.”

No reaction; he decided she probably wasn’t a hooker.

“We have these, too,” she said.

“So I hear.” He consulted his phone. Nothing from Jan, now a full forty minutes late.

“You have been before in Prague?”

“First time.”

“Yes? And how do you like?”

“I haven’t seen much yet. But so far it seems very pretty.”

Tatjana grinned broadly.

Whoops.

“The architecture is amazing,” he added.

“Hah?”

“The buildings.”

“I think you must go to see the castle. This is the most beautiful place in Prague.”

He checked his phone. Sent another text. “I’m on a tight schedule.”

“You are a businessman?”

“Of a sort.”

The waiter brought her beer.

She raised her glass. “Na zdraví.”

“Back atcha.” They clinked and drank.

“What business?”

Jacob wiped foam from his upper lip. “I’m a cop.”

“Hah?”

“A policeman.”

Tatjana blinked. “Ah, yes?”

Maybe a hooker, after all.

Still, she didn’t leave, yammering in his ear as he sent text after text. Neighboring tables emptied and were wiped down and filled up again. At one point she broke off her monologue, and Jacob followed her stare to a group of simian toughs sporting chunky gold chains.

“Friends of yours?” he asked.

She snorted. “Russians.”

“How can you tell?”

“These ugly necklaces.”

One of the men smiled sourly and raised his glass at Jacob.

“This makes me angry,” Tatjana said. “We get rid of them, they come back, they are shit on everything.”

“You can’t possibly remember those days,” he said.

“No. I was not born. But my father was dissident.” Then, sensing that she had steered the mood awry, she smiled.

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