From down the hall came the chuffing of Baby Moe's initial wake-up cries.
Time for his snack.
Maddy left the kitchen, freeing her left breast.
CHAPTER 7
Instead of heading for the parking lot, Moe began walking toward Santa Monica Boulevard.
Aaron said, “We're hiking to the Peninsula?”
“Forget the Peninsula.”
“Too rich for your blood?”
Moe picked up his pace.
“Okay, I bite. Where we going?”
“Suzy Q's.”
“That dump?”
“Too cop for your blood?” said Moe.
“Bacon on sausage on lard on trans fat with a side of LDL cholesterol? Suit yourself, bro.”
A flush spread from Moe's pecs up to his face. His father-the man whose name Aaron had never taken-had dropped dead of a heart attack at thirty-nine. Last year, Moe had finally dug up the death report.
The deceased had fallen off a bar stool, probably cold before he hit the floor.
Moe ate a lot of skinless chicken breasts.
“Suzy's too much for you to handle? Let's do Indian.”
Aaron said, “That place where they worship Sturgis?”
“That a problem for you?”
“Life is beautiful, I've got no problems.” Four steps later: “You like working with Sturgis?”
“Why wouldn't I?”
“No reason. So tell me what you've done on Frostig.”
Moe sped up to a near jog.
Aaron said, “Aerobics and chutney in the a.m. I'm always open to new experiences.”
The bespectacled woman who ran Café Moghul recognized Aaron the moment he pushed the door open. She flashed him a neon smile, brighter than her aqua-blue sari.
Moe thought: A whole different greeting from the first time. Aaron had walked in on a marsh-murder sitdown and the woman had reacted to a black face with instinctive anxiety. Despite Aaron's custom suit, the easygoing grin, the deliberately unthreatening posture.
All those strategies his brother used to put people at ease.
Moe had his feelings about Aaron and they made empathy a huge nuisance. But once in a while he let himself imagine what it would be like to be Aaron, always having to present yourself…
“Sir.” The woman gave a little flourish and bow. “Please, anywhere you like.”
That day, Aaron had eaten nothing, drunk half a glass of clove tea. But picking up everyone's tab and tipping big had bought him some social status.
As they settled at a corner table, the woman said, “Is the lieutenant coming as well?”
“No, ma'am,” said Moe.
She appeared to notice him for the first time. Turned back to Aaron: “He is okay?”
Moe said, “He's fine, ma'am.”
“I haven't seen him in a few days.”
The storefront café was Sturgis's secondary office. The woman viewed the Loo as a human guard dog, a role he'd earned by ejecting a few homeless whacks and just being big and mean looking.
Moe said, “I'll send him your best.”
“We have fresh lamb in a very nice curry.”
Aaron's hand slipped down toward his flat abdomen and Moe figured he'd give some excuse and order tea.
Aaron said, “Sure. And bring healthy vegetables for Detective Reed.”
While they waited for the food, Aaron checked his BlackBerry
Moe said, “People to do, things to see.”
Aaron clicked off. “The Peninsula 's where Rory Stoltz's mama works. You changed your mind because you don't want to make it easy for me.”
“Whatever you want to do on Caitlin, I can't stop you unless you cross the line. In terms of what I can give you, like I said there's nothing. And Martha Stoltz is a waste of time. I spoke to her this morning. She had nothing to say.”
“So you're actively working the case.”
“So they tell me.”
The food arrived. Heaps of lamb stew for both of them, bowls of every veg the kitchen could offer.
The bespectacled woman said, “Tell the lieutenant how good everything is.”
When she left, Aaron looked at the banquet and shook his head.
“Not up to it?” said Moe.
“A little early in the day, no?”
Moe began eating with simulated gusto. Undigested breakfast sat in his gut but damned if he'd wimp out. Maybe lamb was better than beef, cholesterol-wise. Another hour of lifting and a run would keep him virtuous. Tonight, after seeing Liz. If he went home.
Aaron said, “Tell me about Rory Stoltz.”
“I interviewed him four times, he's alibied for at least one hour after Caitlin left the Riptide. Stayed on to clean up. After that, he went home where Mommy claims he stayed.”
“Claims?”
“She's his mother.”
“You pick something up hinky about her, Moses?”
“You didn't hear me the first time? She's useless.”
Aaron's clean jawline rippled. He took a breath. “Mo-”
“Maybe I fucked up somewhere along the line, but if I did, Sturgis doesn't think so. I went over the murder book with him and he said nothing was missing. Same for Delaware.”
“You went to see Delaware because…”
“At Sturgis's suggestion.”
“Sturgis sees Caitlin as a psycho case?”
“Sturgis doesn't know what she is. No one does. Including Delaware. But a girl driving alone, late at night? There are all sorts of possibilities.”
“Bad guy on the road,” said Aaron. “Except her car hasn't been found.”
“So the psycho collects wheels as trophies. Or he dumped it somewhere.”
“Psycho garage,” said Aaron. “Here's an image for you: rows of vics’ vehicles, each one with a skeleton propped behind the wheel.”
“You've been Hollywooding too long.”
“Little brother, you are right about that. But maybe that'll work to my advantage.”
“Why?”
“Maitland Frostig said Riptide gets celebs.”
“I was there,” said Moe. “All I saw were juiceheads and old surfers.”
“Maybe you hit an off night. Stoltz still work there?”
“Don't know.”
“I'll find out when I talk to him. Unless that's a problem.”
“Talk to him all you want. Kid's not going to give up anything because if he does have something to hide, he's had fifteen months to live with it and get his story straight.”
“Nothing hinky about him,” said Aaron, “but still you wonder.”
Moe glared at him.
“What?”
“You're sounding like a shrink. Bouncing back what I say.”
“Bro-”
“I've got nothing on Stoltz except that he was the boyfriend.”
“Was,” said Aaron. “So you definitely see her as dead.”
“Hey,” said Moe, “maybe she's partying in Dubai, or whatever.”
“White slavery.” Aaron grinned. “Always loved that phrase. As opposed to normal slavery.”
The racial allusion surprised Moe. He said, “You don't see her as dead?”
“Yeah, I probably do. Except for what I said before, she might've wanted to get away from Daddy. She didn't even have her own computer, they shared. What college student doesn't have a laptop? So Maitland could be one of those controlling types. And girls do wanna have fu-uhn.”
“She was a virgin,” said Moe. “Supposedly.”
Aaron's brows arched. “Daddy told you that?”
“Martha Stoltz did.”
“How'd it come up?”
“She was talking about what a perfect couple Caitland and Rory were. All-American. Both virgins.”
“What was her point in telling you?”
Moe shrugged. “I'm just quoting.”
“It wasn't weird?” said Aaron. “Middle of an interview and she volunteers about their sex life?”
“Lack of sex life. I figured she wanted me to see Rory as a choirboy.”
“Because he isn't?”
“If he's got a secret life, it's stayed secret from me,” said Moe. “What're you gonna do, high-tech-bug his bedroom?”
Aaron smoothed his tie, tugged the big knot tighter. “They're both virgins… like Mama's in the backseat with them?”