Now and then - By Robert B. Parker Page 0,13

The names on the doorbell downstairs were Lyndon Holt and Sheila Schwartz. Vinnie told me that Jordan had gone straight home and stayed there.

“Not enough to crack the case,” I said.

“You wanted us to crack it?” Hawk said.

“Be nice,” I said.

“Shoulda said so before,” Hawk said. “We thought you the detective.”

“Hard to tell sometimes,” I said. “Hawk, you stay on Alderson. Vinnie, stick with Jordan.”

“What’re you gonna do?” Vinnie said.

“I’m coordinating the investigation,” I said.

“Try not to hyperventilate,” Hawk said.

15 .

Jordan richmond strode into my office right after nine a.m., her heels decisive on the oak floor. I was standing in my window bay drinking coffee and watching the career women hurrying to work along Berkeley Street. I turned when I heard her heels.

“You’re Spenser,” she said.

“Accept no other,” I said.

“Don’t be frivolous,” she said. “Did you give those tapes to my husband?”

“Those which captured the sounds of your indiscretion?” I said.

“Don’t be evasive,” she said. “Of course those tapes.”

“So he played them for you,” I said.

“Yes. Did you make them?”

“I did,” I said.

“You had no right to make them,” she said.

“But I did,” I said.

“And I may very well sue you,” she said.

“Let me know what you decide,” I said. “Would you like some coffee?”

“Don’t you realize you may have destroyed my marriage?” she said.

“Shoot the messenger,” I said.

“What? . . . Oh, you’re saying I destroyed my marriage.”

“I’d guess that depends to some extent on how you and your husband feel about monogamy,” I said.

She looked good: blue suit with a skirt that ended above the knee. High black boots, a white turtle. Her makeup was good, her hair was in place, everything was swell, except that she looked tired. Given the length and vigor of her evenings, I might have looked a little tired, too.

“I want those tapes,” she said.

“Nope.”

“All of them,” she said.

“Nope.”

“How much do you want?”

I was still in my window bay. I looked down and saw Vinnie across the street. He too was observing the career women, while he waited for Jordan to come out. He looked up at my window. He had probably guessed where she was. He saw me. I saw him. Neither of us had any reaction, but I smiled to myself.

“I asked, how much money do you want?” she said.

“I won’t sell them,” I said.

“They’re mine. You have invaded my privacy. I am determined to retrieve it.”

“Might be sort of like retrieving virginity,” I said.

“I want those tapes,” she said.

“Why?” I said. “The cat’s already out of the bag.”

She sat suddenly in one of my client chairs. It was as if her backside had collapsed and taken the rest of her with it.

“I have to have them,” she said.

“What else is on there you don’t want known?” I said. She began, quite forcefully, to cry.

“Is this good?” she said as she cried. “You like to see women cry?”

I didn’t see any light at the end of that tunnel so I didn’t say anything.

“It will ruin my life if you won’t give them to me.”

I shook my head.

“Stop it,” I said. “You’re embarrassing us both to no avail. If you want to talk about how your life will be ruined, maybe I can help you avoid it. But this is pointless.”

“What,” she said. “If it’s not money, what? Sex? Is it sex?

You can have sex if you want. Just give me the tapes.”

“I’m certainly fl attered,” I said. “But no thanks.”

“I do want to have sex with you,” she said around the sobbing.

“You’re very desirable. Really, just give me the tapes, honestly, I would enjoy it.”

“Stop it,” I said.

“I’m very good. I know how to do everything.”

“Stop it,” I said again. Harder.

She took a deep breath and I was afraid for a moment that she was going to run down a catalogue of what she was good at. But she didn’t. She stared at me with the tears running down her face and her chest heaving and let the breath out without speaking, and dropped her head. We sat for a minute. Then she stood up abruptly and headed for the door, with her head still down.

“I’ll get them,” she said without looking up. “Goddamn you, I will get them.”

She left without closing the door. I stood in the window looking down until I saw her come out of the building. Across the street Vinnie took a look at her and glanced up at me. I turned my palms up and shrugged. Vinnie strolled after her as she headed up Boylston