Bones (35 page)

Wallenburg said, “Travis, you had absolutely noth—”

“I could’ve stopped it. I don’t deserve to live.” He bared his wrists, ready for shackles. Debora Wallenburg pushed one hand down. Huck grew rigid.

I said, “When did you know?”

“I — there’s no beginning,” said Huck. “It was just in here. Here. Here. Hereherehere.” Slapping his head, his cheek, his chest, his gut. Increasing the force with each blow.

“You sensed violence was coming.”

“Kelvin,” he said. Lowering his head, he mumbled to leather. “I took him on walks. We didn’t talk much, Kelvin’s quiet. We saw deer, lizards, eagles, coyote. Kelvin likes listening to the ocean, says the ocean’s a ground bass, the universe hums like a Gregorian chant.”

I said, “And Kelvin is…”

Huck stared at me.

I said, “The family’s dead.”

Huck sobbed raggedly. A mustache of snot formed over his crooked lips. Debora Wallenburg offered him a tissue and when he didn’t take it, she wiped him.

I said, “How do you know?”

“Where are they?” he wailed.

“You have no idea where they are?”

“I thought she
loved
them, I thought she was
capable
of love.” One hand opened, as if panhandling. His palm was scrubbed clean, his nails gnawed stubby. When the fingers rotated, I saw scars on his knuckles — glossy, white, what appeared to be old burns.

I said, “By ‘she’ you mean…”

No answer.

“Who, Travis?”

He mouthed the word. Sound followed an instant later, as if digitally delayed. “Simone.”

Moe Reed’s eyes narrowed. Milo’s were shut and his hands rested on his belly. To the casual observer, sleeping. I knew better; no snoring.

I said, “You’re saying Simone killed the Vanders.”

Each word made Huck shudder.

“That’s your theory, Travis? Or do you know it for a fact?”

“It’s not — I know — from what she — I thought she was vulnerable, not — because she hurt
herself.
”

“Hurt herself how?”

“Wounds you can’t see unless… it’s a secret game.”

“Simone cuts herself.”

Nod. “She tastes her own blood.”

“When we met her, we saw no visible wounds—”

“She chooses the secret places.” Licking his lips.

“You know that because…”

His head lurched forward. A cold, raw sound made its way past clenched lips.

I said, “You and Simone were intimate.”

Strangled laughter. He supported himself on the desktop, again. “Stupid dream. She had other ideas.”

Wallenburg prompted: “Tell them exactly what you told me about her, Travis.”

Silence.

“Tell them how she
seduced
you, Travis.”

Huck shook his head furiously. “That makes it sound romantic. It wasn’t romantic, it was a… a… a…”

“
Tell
them or
I
will.”

Huck pleaded,
“Debora.”

“I told them you’d give them facts, Travis. They won’t believe you unless you give them facts.”

Several moments passed. Huck said, “I — it — she came over. To the big house. No one was home. I’d been watching her. Because she’s beautiful. Physically. Talking to her was out of the question, she’s the daughter, I’m hired help. But
she
talked to
me.
It was like she knew my brain from the inside out. Being with her was like opening a window.”

I said, “Easy for her.”

Nod. “She made herself small, we stared at the ocean. She came into my room. Rested her head on my… she showed me her wounds. Cried into my shirt. It was a revelation. The geography of flesh. Holding her as she cried.” He rubbed glossy knuckles.

“You knew about the geography of flesh.”

He stared at leather.

I said, “For her it’s blades, for you it’s fire.”

Crooked smile. “I used to need punishment.”

“In jail?”

“After.” Waiting for Wallenburg to scold him.

She said nothing.

“I’m sorry, Debora. Being free brought back pictures of Jeffrey… I didn’t want to worry you.” To me: “I needed to feel
something.
”

I said, “What exactly does Simone use?”

“Everything. Razors, kitchen knives, a box cutter. She has guns, gifts from Simon. When he married Nadine, Nadine said please, no guns in the house. Simone holds them, talks about them, expensive guns, she puts the barrels in her mouth, makes believe… she put her hands down her throat to vomit. Sometimes she gives herself a sore throat, coughs blood. She loves her own taste.”

Reed exhaled silently.

Milo continued to slump, barrel chest heaving. Wallenburg looked at him, then at me.

I said, “What else are you going to tell us about Simone?”

Huck said, “The first time she showed me fresh… stigmata, that’s what she called them — the first time, I held her. Then we… she shaved my head, told me I was her priest, my bones were beautiful. I thought… the dream was thinking I could help her.”

“How long did the two of you have a relationship?”

His eyes rolled back. Snapped back into place like slot-machine cherries. “An eternity.”

I said, “Give us something more concrete.”

Debora Wallenburg said, “Two months. It ended around six months ago.”

“That true, Travis?”

Nod.

“How did you learn Simone wasn’t the person you thought she was?”

“I stalked her.”

Reed’s shoulders bunched.

Milo didn’t budge.

Wallenburg said, “Poor choice of words. Just give them the facts, Travis.”

Huck said, “I
stalked
her, Debora.”

“You had concerns so you began watching her.”

I said, “You followed Simone.”

“I called for a week but she didn’t answer. I was confused. The last time we were together, she said… kind things. Then all of a sudden, nothing? I started to worry she was hurt. Then I thought, maybe she’s
waiting
for me. To do something spontaneous. She told me spontaneous turned her on, I needed to loosen up. I was afraid to… improvise. Surprises aren’t… I don’t like them. Simone knew I didn’t like to leave the script. So it would be a surprise.”

“You made a spontaneous visit to her house?”

“Just once.”

“When?”

“Three months ago,” said Wallenburg.

Huck said, “Simon and Nadine and Kelvin were in Ojai for the weekend, they went because Kelvin wanted to meet Nikrugsky — the composer. The house was quiet, Simone wasn’t calling back. The quiet turned into… old desires came back.”

“For heat and pain.”

“I found matches. Lit them but didn’t broil myself. I called a sponsor. We talked, but not about what was really in my head. The quiet kept getting louder. I said go, go, go, be
spontaneous.
Drove to Malibu Canyon and picked flowers, made a bouquet, tied it up with grocery twine, poured grape juice into a wine bottle, wrapped it with a ribbon — black, her favorite color. I took water biscuits from the pantry. Two boxes. Havershams, from England, licensed to the royal family, Simone doesn’t eat much more than water biscuits but when she does… I’ve seen her go through two boxes. Later she… expels them. Her throat bleeds, it looks like strawberry porridge.”

I said, “You went over to her house.”

“I wanted a loving surprise. She didn’t answer my knock. I went out in back, Simone likes to be outside. All kinds of weather, she takes off her clothes… outside is where she bleeds herself. There are stains on her furniture. Teak furniture. It’s a tiny backyard, overgrown, steep hillside in back, a little gazebo where she sleeps. Before I got there I heard it. Simone and someone. My brain understood but my legs kept moving. I found a stalker spot. Watched. There was no reason, I already knew what was…”

Catching his breath, he studied the ceiling.

I said, “What did you see?”

“Licking each other. Cats. Grooming, licking, licking, grooming.” Moistening his own lips. “Licking, growling. Laughing, talking brutality.”

“Simone and…”

Long silence.

“Who was with her, Travis?”

“The wig.”

“Give us a name.”

“Him,” said Huck. “The-wig-the-smile-Weir-the-lawyer. A nightmare. She told me she hated him, he was corrupt, stealing from Simon, she was going to tell Simon, I shouldn’t do it, she would do it, shit would hit the fan, teach those scumbags a lesson, then we’d be free…”

“But in the backyard…”

“Licking. No hatred. Except what they shared.”

I said, “They shared hatred.”

Silence.

“Hatred of who, Travis?”

Huck’s breathing quickened. His eyes jumped.

“Who, Travis?”

“Licking laughing, that disgusting word.”

“What word?”

“Gook.”

“Nadine?” I said. “Because she’s Asian?”

“They spewed it out like vomit gook-lover gook-sucker gook-fucker gook bitch slant-eyed gook scum-spawn.” Clenched fists turned burn scars into pearls. “My head — hearing it, I wanted to burn myself up. Went home, found more matches. Soaked them in water. Called another sponsor.”

Tears filled his eyes. “I never told Simon.”

“Simone hates her family.”

“More than hatred,” said Huck. “It — she — there’s no word for it.”

“Had Simone ever shown resentment about Simon remarrying?”

“No, no, no, no, just the opposite. She
loved
Nadine, Nadine was smart, stylish, beautiful, not like
her
mother. I know Kelly, Kelly’s good people, but she wasn’t there for Simone, okay, I understand that, we all understand that, but…”

“Simone claimed she loved Nadine.”

“She said she wished Nadine had
raised
her. They hugged, they kissed, Nadine treated Simone like a sister. When Simone came to the house, she played with Kelvin’s hair. Beautiful hair, she always said. She kissed his cheeks. So
cute,
Travis. I
love
him, Travis. A
genius,
I
love
him, Travis. Hands of
gold,
I
love
him, Travis.”

“Hands of gold.”

“Gold, diamond, platinum,
magic
hands. She said his music was pure love and his hands went straight to his soul.”

“No love that day in the backyard.”

“My world flamed,” said Huck. “I crawled back in my cage.”

Wallenburg said, “You didn’t say anything to the Vanders because you had no proof. Why would anyone believe you?”

Huck smiled. “Objection overruled.”

“Travis—”

“I didn’t say anything because I’m a coward.”

“That’s ridiculous, Travis. You have more courage than most.”

I said, “She may be right.”

Moe Reed arched a brow. Milo still didn’t stir.

I said, “It
was
a tough choice, Travis. Lance the boil and hope you can dodge the pus stream, or pray that it stays at the verbal level.”

“Excuses,” said Huck. “Average German.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Travis,” said Wallenburg. “We’re not here to be cosmic and philosophical, these are legal matters. There was absolutely no way for you to know what they had planned and you had absolutely no obligation to divulge what you heard.”

One of Milo’s eyes opened. “Unless he was involved.”

Wallenburg said, “Oh, please. Have you been
awake
for the last ten minutes?”

“Oh, yeah. Heard a good story.”

Travis Huck said, “It’s logical, Debora. I killed someone, I pay for sex—”

“Be quiet, Travis!”

I said, “Let’s talk about the other victims.”

Huck said, “Three women.”

“Sheralyn Dawkins. Lurlene Chenoweth. DeMaura Montouthe.”

No flicker of recognition. No tell, whatsoever.

Huck said, “I heard about them on the television. That’s when I ran.”

“Why then?”

“What they did for a living. I go to women like them. I started to feel I
knew
them. Maybe I
did
do something.”

“Did you?”

“Sometimes it’s hard to know what I do.”

I repeated the names.

He said, “No. I don’t think so.”

Wallenburg’s teeth clenched. “Travis. That is
not.
What
you.
Told
me.
”

“Deb—”

Reed fished out three mug shots.

Huck studied them for a long time. Shook his head.

Wallenburg said, “He had nothing to do with it. He panicked and fled.”

I said, “Have you ever picked up women near the airport?”

“No.”

“Where do you cruise for them?”

“Sunset Strip.”

“Why not the airport?”

“I have to stay close to home, in case Simon and Nadine need me.”

“Need you for what?”

“Errands, takeout from all-night places — sometimes Nadine gets hungry late at night. Sometimes I get a CD for Kelvin at Tower Records on Sunset. Used to. It closed, now I go to Virgin.”

Both stores were minutes from where Reed had found prostitutes who knew Huck.

“Twenty-four seven availability,” I said.

“It’s my job.”

“Did Simone know you frequented prostitutes?”

Tiny smile, hard to decipher.

“Something funny?” said Reed.

Huck gave a start. “No — it wasn’t
frequent.
I… I… occasioned.”

I said, “Did Simone know?”

“I confessed to her.”

“Why?”

“We were talking. Filling in dark spaces.”

“Sharing secrets.”

“Yes.”

“What dark spaces did Simone fill?”

“Tasting her blood. Needing to feel. Wanting the perfect body, always feeling huge, hating the mirror, seeing lumps.”

“What did you tell her about prostitutes?”

“I said before her there were
only
women like that. I said being with her was like landing on the moon.”

“New life.”

“New universe.”

“So discovering her with Weir was—”

Huck clapped his hands together. “Crash-down.”

I glanced at Milo. Back in shut-eyed repose.

“Travis, tell us about Silford Duboff.”

Clouded eyes. “Who?”

“The guy who takes care of the Bird Marsh.”

“I’ve never been to the Bird Marsh.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

I repeated Duboff’s name.