Lisa's story had affected Betsy deeply. The thought of Darius treating his wife like an animal disgusted her and Lisa's description made Betsy physically ill. But it did not mean Darius was a murderer, and she was still his attorney.
"Why did you come to me, Lisa?"
"I don't know. I'm so confused by everything. You seemed so understanding at the house and I knew how hard you fought for Andrea Hammermill and the Peterson woman. I hoped you could tell me what to do."
"Do you plan to tell the district attorney what you've told me or to give him this book?"
Lisa looked startled. "No. Why would I do that?"
"To hurt Martin."
"No. I don't want to… I still love him. Or, I… Mrs.
Tannenbaum, if Martin did those things… if he tortured and killed those women, I have to know."
Betsy leaned forward and looked directly into Lisa's moist green eyes.
"I'm Martin's lawyer, Lisa. My professional loyalty lies with him, even if he is guilty."
Lisa looked shocked. "You'd continue to defend him, even if he did that?"
Betsy nodded. "But he may not have, Lisa, and what you've told me could be very important. If Oberhurst was following Martin on a date when one of those women disappeared, he could provide Martin with an alibi. Page is going to argue that the same man did all three women, and he probably did. All I have to do is show Martin didn't kill one of the victims and the d.a's case disappears."
"I hadn't thought of that."
"When is the last time you talked to Oberhurst?"
"A few weeks ago. I left a few messages on his machine, but he didn't return my calls."
"I'll have my investigator contact Oberhurst. Can I hold on to the scrapbook?"
Lisa nodded. Betsy walked around the desk and laid a hand on Lisa's shoulder.
"Thank you for confiding in me. I know how hard it must have been."
"I had to tell someone," Lisa whispered. "I've kept it in so long."
"I have a friend who might help you. Alice Knowland. She's very nice and very compassionate. I've sent other women with similar problems to her and she's helped some of them."
"What is she, a doctor?"
"A psychiatrist. But don't let that scare you off. Psychiatrist is just a fancy title for a good listener with experience in helping troubled people. She might be good for you. You could go to her a few times, then stop if she isn't helping. Think it over and give me a call."
"I will," Lisa said, standing. "And thank you for listening."
"You're not alone, Lisa. Remember that."
Betsy put her arms around Lisa and hugged her.
"Martin will be home late tonight. Will you stay with him?" Betsy asked.
"I can't. I'm living with my father until I decide what to do."
"Okay."
"Don't tell Martin I came, please."
I won't if I can help it. He is my client, but I don't want to hurt you."
Lisa wiped her eyes and left. Betsy was drained. She pictured Lisa, hungry and terrified, cowering in the closet in the dark with the smell of her own urine and feces.
Betsy's stomach rolled. She walked out of the office and down the hall to the rest room and ran some cold water in the sink. She splashed her face with the running water, then cupped her hands and drank.
She remembered the questions Nora and the reporters had asked. How could she sleep if she saved Martin Darius, knowing what she knew about him?
What would a man who treated his wife like a dog do to a woman he did not know, if she fell his power' Would he do what the rose killer had done to his victims? Was Martin the killer?
Betsy remembered the scrapbook and dried her face, then returned to her office. She was halfway through the scrapbook when Reggie Stewart walked in.
"Congratulations on the bail hearing."
"Pull a chair next to me. I've got something that might break Martin's case."
"Excellent."
"Lisa Darius was just here. She suspected Martin might be cheating on her, so she hired an investigator to tail him. Have you heard of a p.i. named Sam Oberhurst?"
Stewart thought for a moment, then shook his head. "The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I'm sure we've never met."
"Here's his phone number and a release from Lisa.
Oberhurst has an answering machine. If you can't get through to him, try a divorce attorney named Gary Tel ford. Lisa got the name from one of his clients. Tell Gary you're working for me. We know each other. Find out if Oberhurst was tailing Darius on a date when any of the women disappeared. He could be Martin's alibi."
"I'll get right on it."
Betsy pointed to the scrapbook. "Lisa found this in Martin's things when she was looking for evidence of the affair. It's filled with clippings from the Hunter's Point case."
Stewart looked over Betsy's shoulder as Betsy turned the pages. Most of the stories concerned the disappearances. There were several stories about Lake. A section was devoted to Sandra and Melody to the discovery of the disemboweled body of Patricia Cross in Henry Waters's basement and Waters's death. Betsy turned to the final section of the scrapbook and stopped cold.
"My God, there were survivors."
"what? I thought all the women were murdered."
"No. Look here. It says Gloria Escalante, Samantha Reardon and Anne Hazelton were found alive in an old farmhouse."
"Where?"
"It doesn't give any other information. Wait a minute. No, there's nothing else. According to the article, the women declined to be interviewed."
"I don't get it. Didn't Darius tell you about this?"
"Not a word."
"Page?"
"He always referred to them as if they were dead."
"Maybe Page doesn't know," Stewart said.
"How is that possible?"
"What if Gordon didn't tell him?"
"Why wouldn't she? And why wouldn't Martin tell me? Something's not right, Reg. None of this makes sense. Gordon and Martin don't mention the survivors.
The Hunter's Point files have disappeared. I don't like it."
"I know you love a mystery, Betsy, but I see this as our big break. The survivors will know who kidnapped and tortured them. If it wasn't Darius, we're home free."
"Maybe Martin didn't mention the survivors because he knew they'd identify him."
"There's only one way to find out," Stewart said.
"Have Ann book me on an early flight to Hunter's Point." I want you to go to Albany, New York, first. Frank Grimsbo, one of the other detectives on the task force, is head of security at Marlin Steel. His office is in Albany."
"You got it."
Betsy buzzed Ann and told her what to do. When she got off the intercom, Stewart asked;
"What about the p.i.?"
"I'll run down Oberhurst. I want you on that flight, first thing.
There's something weird about this case, Reg, and I'm betting that the answers we need are in Hunter's Point."
Alan Page left the courtroom in a daze. He barely heard the reporters' questions and answered them mechanically. Randy Highsmith told him not to take the loss personally, and assured him that it wasn't his fault that they couldn't find Nancy Gordon, but Highsmith and Barrow had warned him that he was making a mistake by rushing to arrest Darius.
Even after they learned about the incident at the Hacienda Motel, the detective and the deputy district attorney wanted to move slowly. Page had overruled them. Now he was paying the price.
Page left work as soon as he could. There was an elevator in the rear of the district attorney's office that went to the basement. He took it and dodged across the street to the parking garage, hoping no one would see him and ask him about his public humiliation.
Page poured his first scotch as soon as he took off his raincoat. He drank it quickly, refilled his glass and carried it into the bedroom.
Why was he screwing up like this? He hadn't been thinking straight since Tina left him.