He shook his head. “Stupid.”
Milo said, “Jordan was Peterson’s father?”
“Perhaps that was what motivated her to get her tubes tied. Or perhaps it was just a convenience. Given her new occupation.”
“Porn.”
“Aha,” said Bedard. “You know about all that. Have you ever seen Mary’s work?”
“No, sir.”
“High-quality, Lieutenant. For what it is.”
“If she didn’t want kids, why didn’t she abort?”
“She considered it,” said Bedard. “Told me so-pillow talk and all that. Her reason for not doing so was that she was dating a wealthy old man at the time. A wealthy generous old man, whom she thought she might be able to con into thinking the baby was his. Unfortunately, the plan backfired.”
“Sugar Daddy wasn’t overjoyed,” said Milo.
“Sugar Daddy demanded a paternity test and when she procrastinated, he kicked her somewhat enlarged butt out into the street. By the time it happened, she was too far along to feel comfortable aborting.”
“Scruples.”
“I suppose she has a few. Poor Mary. She’s blessed with vaginal muscles from heaven but her judgment sometimes falls short of the mark. She had the baby but from what I could tell, didn’t do much in the way of raising it. In that way, she’s not unlike my ex-wife.” To me: “No, my seeing her was not an example of neurotic pattern. In crucial ways, there were differences between Mary and Iona.”
Playing with his glass. “One hears about maternal instincts but I’ve run into quite a few women who seem to lack it.”
“When’s the last time you saw Mary?”
“I thought I answered that.”
“You said she was too old.”
“And has been for at least a decade. That’s why I was surprised when Kyle pulled up in front of her place and started humming. I do my best to forget old acquaintances.”
“Unpleasant memories?”
“Not at all, Doctor. I believe in moving on.”
“So you met Mary through Lester Jordan.”
“Ah, Lester,” he said. “Lester was a cancer on my married life-rock-filled baggage that I was willing to tolerate when I still had feelings for Iona. But I never liked giving him money because I knew where it was going. I met Mary, when I came by to give Lester yet another check and she was there. The sight of a woman who looked like that associated with a dried-up scrotum like Lester caught my attention.”
“Why was she there?”
“The two of them were having some kind of spat. Lester’s mood didn’t concern me but a beautiful woman so upset?” Touching a blue silk breast. “She ran out, I handed Lester his dole and went after her, gave her a shoulder to cry on.” Adjusting his glasses. “One thing led to another.”
“Why was she crying?”
“She wanted Lester to see Pete. Pete always asked to see his father but Lester rarely agreed. Par for the course.”
“His being an addict,” said Milo.
“Addiction’s all about self-indulgence, right? That’s what Patty told me. My sense was she was happy to be rid of him. That would be any rational person’s reaction to Lester.”
“Except his son’s.”
Bedard removed his glasses. “Sons can be like that.”
“Attached,” I said.
“Beyond the point of reason. I’m sure being rejected inflicted wounds on the kid’s psyche, but believe me, Pete was better off not being exposed to Lester. The man was dirt.”
“And you had to support him.”
“Like I said, baggage.”
“Your ex thinks you killed him.”
Bedard pulled out a foot of ascot and wiped his lenses. “That tells you about her judgment. I’ve been in Europe for two months.”
“She says you wouldn’t do it yourself, you’d hire someone.”
“I’m sure I would. If killing Lester was my aim. Unfortunately for Iona, Lester had been out of my life for years. Why the hell would I waste money-not to mention put myself in jeopardy-to squash a roach in someone else’s kitchen?”
I said, “What else did Patty tell you about Lester?”
“Nothing, he wasn’t a topic of frequent conversation. Patty concentrated on caring for Father. And did a damn fine job of it. Iona was incensed when I took her from Lester. In her twisted view, Patty was obligated to stay with Lester forever and I was obligated to pay for it. By the time he’d flunked his third rehab, Iona and I were talking through lawyers. When we settled, she got less than she wanted and more than I wanted to give.”
Big smile. “Marriage is all about compromise, right?”
I said, “She got the building on Cherokee. And Lester.”
“That alone,” said Bedard, “was worth the cost of the damn divorce.” He yawned. “I haven’t slept in two days. Will you be kind enough to see yourselves out?”
“Kyle will show us out,” said Milo.
“Let the boy be.”
“He’s the one who drove by Tanya’s.”
“I told you. He’s got a crush on the girl.”
“That doesn’t explain driving by Mary Whitbread’s.”
Bedard struggled to his feet, swayed, grabbed a side table for support. “I suppose it doesn’t. I’m going to have a nightcap and then I’ll be in dreamland. I’m sure you’ll find Kyle in the library. Good night, gents. Tell my son I love him.”
CHAPTER 32
Kyle Bedard sat on the library floor, ringed by piles of loose paper. Laptop at his fingertips, cell phone in hand.
He put the phone away. “Did Dad regale you with his sexual triumphs?”
I said, “He said to tell you he loves you.”
“He gets that way when he drinks.”
“Affectionate?”
“Mawkish.”
“He drink often?”
“More than often.”
Milo settled on a Chippendale chair too puny for his bulk. I got down beside Kyle and pointed to his phone. “Able to reach her?”
He started to say, “Who?” Cut it off before the vowel sound. “She’s okay.”
“Back home?”
“She just got in.”
“Late-night study group,” I said.
He flinched. “What do you need from me?”
I said, “It’s okay to care about her.”
He said, “I don’t hear a question in there.”
“How about this: What bothers you about Peterson Whitbread?”
“I haven’t seen him in-since I was a kid.”
“I don’t hear an answer in there.”
His left index finger tickled the keyboard of his laptop. The Einstein screensaver dissolved to an engraved portrait of a long-haired, mustachioed man. Frank Zappa look-alike.
I said, “Descartes. Smart guy but wrong about a few things.”
“Such as?”
“The split between emotion and reason.”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“It means you can have your feelings and still be smart. We know your father took you along when he visited Mary Whitbread. You hung out with Peterson Whitbread. He did something that bothered you. Enough for you to ask to stop going. Now you’re worried Peterson had something to do with your uncle Lester’s murder. But what really scares you is he could’ve been involved in what bothered Patty Bigelow.”
Tap tap tap. Descartes gave way to Aristotle.
I said, “Your father’s convinced you’re a genius. Maybe you are. In the current context, being smart means quelling the instinct to mindlessly buck authority.”
Rapid eyeblink. “Why would I know anything about what bothered Patty Bigelow?”
“Because Tanya told you everything. Even though she’d been asked not to.”
“I wouldn’t hurt her. Ever.”
Milo grunted.
“You don’t believe me?”
“We might, son, if you cut the bullshit and answered our questions.”