Sirens, p.29
Sirens, page 29
exceptionally narrow minded when it comes to things like that. They
thought my move was quite traitorous.' ' did you move?' ' came after a
woman.' They went across the darkening sand towards the wandering high
tide mark that was, at this time of day, as black as a tar pit. ' met
her at a party in the Presidio and fell in love instantly! He put his
hands in his pockets and she was reminded of the pose he had struck the
first time she had met him. ' course, she wasn't interested. She was
from here and when she flew back, I followed her.' ' happened?' '
pursued her until she finally broke down and married me.' Far out on the
horizon a dark shape loomed. Daina, squinting into the dimness, could
not tell whether it was an oil tanker or a whale breaching the surface
of the sea. ',' Bonesteel said, ' can't wait until we're divorced.
She owns Numans of Beverley Hills,' he added as if by that fact Daina
would come to understand his need to be rid of her. He laughed harshly.
"Now you know I wasn't kidding about being kept.' She was seeing a new
aspect of him she would have dismissed as impossible several days ago.
He seemed vulnerable now, a little boy, as if his fierce desire for
separation from his wife was only a cover-up for his abiding love for
her. She saw no 254 in this, rather an endearing quality that served to
g him closer to her. She did not want to push him, knowing t there was a
lot for her to learn about what had happened Maggie. But one of the
Heartbeats? Surely he was mistaken that. ' doesn't matter,' she said and
instantly knew she had de a mistake. His head whipped around.
"Matter?' he said. ' course matters. It's why we're getting divorced."
The sea, spinning N, ts wheels, somnolent, trickled up to their shoe
tips, faded ck with hardly a gurgle to mark its passing. He looked out
--to where a plane skidded across the horizon. A blue light on wing tip
glowed on and off as if signalling them. ' thought, ce, that I had a
good reason for marrying her. Perhaps she , me of someone or something I
could never quite tave. But' - he paused and turned back to her - ' was
@@,another reason. I don't know why but I get the feeling that if show
it to you, you'll understand.' The outskirts of what passed for the city
slipped past them in a braid of pastel ribbons.
The whispered call of the palms ,@was interrupted only intermittently by
the hysterical blatting ' car radios, music exploding like
flares,'rhythm-heavy and full of anger. The ornate fagades of the banks
and the procession of usedtar lots, coloured pennants bleached in the
harsh buzzing arc lights, were their daily companions. The streets were
oddly ,-!,deserted and when he turned on to Sunset the Strip seemed
still and forlorn, lying straight as an arfow between enormous
billboards advertising Robert Redford's new film and Donna Summer's
latest album. It was a film set awaiting actors for ,,the next day's
shoot. LA never seemed more two-dimensional. They whipped into the
hills, hurtling onward until the light smear of Hollywood was a low
phosphorescent surf, silent and immobile behind them, an ancient
snapshot of some faraway reality. He turned right on to Benedict Canyon
Drive and even Ahose lights vanished into the dark trees, leaving them
with the soft fog-shrouded sky. They were alone in the night. Well into
the canyon he slowed, turning in beside a large, rambling redwood house.
It was set into the rising slope of 255 the western wall and, in rather
spectacular fashion, was surrounded by lush foliage as dense and dark as
a forest. It was a place, Daina thought, that Rubens would despise.
"Karin's house,' Bonesteel said. '.' He cut the engine and abruptly the
chittering of the countryside stole in on them. ' I hate this place.' '
think it's quite beautiful,' she said, looking at the profusion of
camellia and lilac, mountain laurel and columbine that cloaked both
sides of the stairway. ' house is nothing,' he said. ' means nothing,
stands for nothing! ' obviously went to a lot of trouble to landscape
the grounds.' ' must've hired a fine hand,' he said as if he truly had
no idea of what went on here. ' on.' He opened the door and got out.
Daina came around the front end of the car.
The air was thick with the perfumes of the flowers. She heard some
animal moving in the underbrush at her approach. Bonesteel took her
inside. The hallway was dominated by a black hardwood sidetable, quite
obviously an English antique. It was highly polished. On it was a
spotless white linen doily on which sat a plum-coloured fluted-glass
vase filled with long sprays of Hawaiian red hibiscus. Above this rather
perfect decorator's display hung an oval wall mirror. On the floor was a
narrow Indian runner in dark reds and golds. The hallway gave way to the
living room, which rose up breathtakingly two storeys to a cathedral
ceiling cunningly spotlit from below to add even greater height. Windows
on each side, rising nearly to the vaulted ceiling, made it appear as if
they were living within the heart of the canyon's thick foliage. The
rear third of the room was overhung by a balcony on which, Bonesteel
told her, was the master bedroom. To the left was the kitchen and dining
room. Daina walked around the living room. The walls were a light blue,
the deep pile rug under the main furniture grouping the palest lavender.
The long modular couch and the matching chairs were eggshell. Tall
plants were scattered about the room and, past a screen of fems and the
like, a Steinway baby grand sat in the right-hand comer beneath the
balcony in 256 The music stand along its top was up and Daina saw sheet
music: a Vivaldi violin concerto, transcribed for rd. he turned to him.
"Who plays?' 7he does.' Bonesteel pointed. o her right, atop the piano,
Daina saw a colour photograph , rather ornate Mexican silver frame. A
face gazed out at a girl already growing into a woman. She had dark,
eyes, the hint of a smile about her generous mouth. It she saw,
Bonesteel's mouth. Her hair, too, was dark, led back severely from her
face by a pair of diamond es. She had high cheekbones, which, when she
lost the der of her baby fat, would certainly be devastating, and odd,
slightly crooked nose that saved her face from cold ection, left an
enduring impression that was more Mg. I used to play a long time ago,"
Bonesteel said, coming up Me her. But he was looking at the photo in
Daina's hand. VPlayed well as a child but I stopped too soon. I was at a
ebellious age. Now I'm sorry I did because it's far too late. ,,can
still sight read but my fingers are too set in their ways.' e stroked
the piano's sleek flank. ' bought this for Sarah and I started her
early.' He gged. ' don't know. I guess I wanted her to have the ance I
threw away so unknowingly.' ' Sarah live here now?' ' no.' He smiled,
gently replaced the photograph on the -iano. ''s in Paris. At a music
cdnservatory, studying. )s quite something. At seventeen, she plays,
well He ft her, went across the room, inserted a cassette into a deck. '
sends us these recordings of her performances from time time! He punched
a button and the music began almost mediately. It was Mozart, showering
over them like a scade of silver dust. She watched him while she
listened to the superb playing - arah not only had technique, she played
with passion. The ft half smile colouring his lips was the ghost of his
daughter's pression in the photo. Daina was reminded of Henry and ane
Fonda, separated by sex and a generation, yet at some ments and at
certain angles, their faces one and the same. 257 And yet thei,@. was
pain in that smile, a certain admission. After a time, its painful
intensity was too much for her and she turned away from him before the
music had concluded. His words came back to her: How I hate this place.
Of . he would. There was nothing of himself here, save the photograph of
Sarah and perhaps the piano on which it stood. It was a cold, almost
bleak house, as if a team of surgeons had marched in one day to
decorate. If the interior accurately reflected his wife's personality
Daina wondered what he had ever seen in her. Something unattainable, he
had said. Isn't that what all men fell in love with in their women, the
mystery of flesh and mind?
The silence washed over her. ' plays beautifully, Bobby.' She saw that
he was crying and his sorrow tugged at her. She went to him, put her
hand on his arm. She could feel the welter of muscle there. ''m sorry,'
she whispered. ''m sorry.' Knowing they were words without meaning,
merely sounds to soothe a beaten heart. ',' he said, pulling away from
her. ' pure stupidity. I should never've put it on.' He meant the music.
''m glad you did,' she said. ' like that is meant to be heard.' '
doesn't understand it,' he said so softly she had to lean closer to him
in order to hear. ' thinks Sarah ought to be off skiing or ice-skating.
Something that'll toughen her up.' ' discipline toughens you mentally,'
Daina said. He looked at her, his slate-grey eyes blinking, and again
she had the sensation that he was seeing her for the first time. '
know,' he said, ''re not at all how I thought you'd be.' ''m not
rotten.' She smiled and he laughed. ', right. Not rotten at all.' He
turned away as if remembering something important. ' still have to show
you the reason - the other reason - I married Karin.' He crossed the
living room to where a desk sat, prim and proper and glossy, in one
comer, shadowed by a tall dieffenbachia. From the lowest left-hand
drawer he produced a thick sheaf of white paper. Long before he put it
in her hands, she knew what it was. 258 While she read he went quietly
into the kitchen, made ect linguine carbonara, and arrugula salad with
slices of da onion and ripe love tomatoes. He called her to the le as he
opened a bottle of white wine but he served only er. They drank wine
together. ' manuscript is very good, Bobby,' she said. ' has an ger and
energy. It's' - and she was quite struck by this - ery much the way
Sarah plays. It has passion.' ' Karin was my ticket,' he said. ' loved
her and she had ney. How perfect, I thought. I'll have all the time I
need write. But writing's not going to be a nine-to-five job every y.'
He poured them both more wine. ' who's not a iter just doesn't
understand and Karin, who understands ing but her own business,
certainly didn't. She wanted to ,"know why I couldn't synchronize my
work time with hers. "And weekends! They had to be free for her social
engagets., Daina pushed her plate away. ' other words you were in a d
cage. But to become a cop.
How did that happen?' He shrugged. ' family tradition is in the
military. It d a natural choice.' Something in his eyes seemed to go. d
I found I enjoyed the work.' ' murders?' ' people to justice.' The flat
of his hand hit the ble with a startling smack.
"The law must be obeyed. Those o transgress must be punished. People
walk around this any city - committing crimes as if they have impunity
ore the law. They have no regard - no, respect - for human e. They're
callous and their indifference to their own acts violence is the worst
kind of evil.' Daina was taken by surprise. From his usual sleepy tone,
onesteel's voice had changed timbre, raised in volume as if were
preaching a fiery sermon from the pulpit. There was a silence for a
time. Bonesteel looked away from r as if abruptly abashed at his
outburst. At length he cleared s throat. ' found a lotta dope at Chris'
house: coke, uaaludes, skag.' He saw the look in her eyes. ', I don't
give damn. You expect that from these musicians. Some of '& e shrugged -
' on the stuff.' He finished off his wine. ou'd be surprised how much
abuse the human body can 259 I. take before it gives out.' ' not like
Maggie,' Daina said. ', she blew somee coke once in a while.' A white
lie could not hurt her now. ' heroin'.
Daina shook her head. ' would've known about that.' He looked
thoughtful, tapping his unused fork on the side of his empty glass,
setting up an overlapping ringing sound. ''re saying she wasn't familiar
with heroin.' '.' She watched the peculiar look in his eyes.
"What are you thinking about?' ' ME's report.' His eyes focused on her.
' died hard. For one thing she had been shot full of horse." "'Had been
"P She echoed his words. ' mean you don't believe she shot up herself F
', I don't.' ''s a relief. But you said you found heroin in the house.'
He nodded. ' had it run through the lab. Choice quality staff.' His
words were again setting off intimations inside her.
"What did the report show?' Bonesteel sighed. ' junk shot into Maggie
Mcdonell was cut with strychnine.' ' hot shot.' It was out before she
could think. ', well, well.' He cocked his head. ' kind of nasty
literature have you been reading?' She felt slilyhtlv relieved that he
had made the wrong guess. He went on. ', you'd be right. But what she
was given was something a bit more diabolical than a pure hot shot. You
see, there wasn't enough strychnine to jolt her immediately.
It took some time ... and it couldn't've been pleasant.' He put his hand
over hers. ''m sorry.' It didn't mean any more to her than when she had
said it to him. ' Almighty,' she breathed. ' don't understand any of
this.' He held on to her. ' shot her up. Then she was sexually
assaulted, beaten unmercifully.' ' assaulted?' She felt as if her blood
had turned to ice. She shivered. ' happened?' ', I don't think it's
necessary to ' I dop she said fiercely. Her eyes burned into his. ' 260
to know it all now.' watched her for a moment, then nodded resignedly. '
it as succinctly as possible, the ME found traces of blood semen in her
vagina and in her rectum.' ', my God." She had begun to tremble. He held
on to her tightly as if willing his strength to flow oher. lie said
nothing. The ornate antique French clock the rosewood sideboard chimed
in its gold-and-glass case. When it had stopped, he said softly, ''s
more.' Her eyes were glassy. '?
More?' Her voice was thick. K' . hat more could there possibly be?" um%
' speaking, over ninety percent of solved murder -taws turn out to be
committed by someone with very close ties the deceased: family member,
close friend or neighbour. f"' Someone with a strong personal motive.' '
I just can't think why anyone would want to kill her.' T@ @Bonesteel
closed his eyes for a moment. His grip upon her ased and when his eyes
snapped open, she was certain -colour had drained from his face. ' told
you there was re,' he said in a whisper. ' you know your friend was and
a half months pregnant?' For a long time after that she stared at him
without really ing him. She was seeing a broken bundle of flesh and
bones ripped skin beneath which had lain ... At last her lips J ved and
he had to struggle to catch what she said: ' d, Maggie, what did you get
yourself into?' ou're certain you want to go through with this?' His
eyes were deep in shadow and she found herself thinking t without their
guidance it was impossible to tell what he feeling. Then she remembered
how good he was at keeping emotions hidden.
Yet he had cried to hear Sarah playing ozart on a cassette made nine
thousand miles away. She stared at Bonesteel in the half light. When he
had first d her what he wanted her to do, she had been unsure. But n she
had been in shock from what he had told her about aggie. Now she was
certain. ' want to find out who killed Maggie as much as you do.' r
voice sounded hard even to her own ears. She kept thinking the baby, so
frail and ... innocent. She knew Maggie, too. 261 At She never would've
had an abortion. It was partly unbringing, partly how Maggie felt about
life on her own. She could never knowingly take another life. No, the
baby would've lived had Maggie not been ... Hot tears flooded her eyes
and she turned away from him, clamping her lids down with grim
determination. Hadn't she said she was all cried out? But the unborn
baby hung in her mind as if slung in a shining web. My God, how she
wanted to see justice done. She thought now she understood a little of
how Bonesteel felt. How had he put it? An indifference to their own acts
of violence. The gross disregard of human life sickened her and she knew
