Part 18 (1/2)
”How would you know that?”
”I know everything, darling. It's what I do, remember? I'm the town snoop.”
”I thought you said Raines had a wonderful family.”
”I didn't say he had a happy one. Raines is married to politics and Doe doesn't play second fiddle well at all.”
”People seem to think she married well.”
”Tom Findley couldn't have picked a better man for the job.”
”Christ, you are b.i.t.c.hy.”
”I like Doe,” she said, ignoring the slur. ”She's very honest. Not too bright, though, do you think?”
”I don't remember. When I was in college I thought everybody was brilliant but me.”
”She had an affair, you know.”
I leaned over toward her. ”I haven't heard a word about her since Teddy died, okay? I am not hooked into the Dunetown hot line.”
”You're really not going to ask who she had the affair with?”
”Nope. ”
”It was Tony Lukatis.”
”No kidding. Little old Tony, huh?”
”You're much too blase to really be blase, I know it. I know all the tricks. Listen, we have name entertainers coming out to the beach hotels now. I get some big-time gossip. They all try to act blase, too, but it doesn't work-and they've been at it forever. Tony Lukatis was the guy. The golf pro at the country club. His father was the manager.”
My memory jumped back to that summer like the ball bouncing over the lyrics of a song at an old-time movie matinee.
”Nick?”
”Ah, you do remember.”
”I remember Nick. I don't remember Tony.”
But then suddenly I did remember him, a little kid with incredibly curly hair who spent most of his time on the putting green when he wasn't caddying. He must have been fifteen or sixteen that summer.
”Aha, I see recognition in those green eyes.”
”Yeah, he's younger than she is.”
”The best kind, darling.”
”He had a sister.”
”Dierdre . . . DeeDee?” Babs pressed on.
”Skinny little kid, used to hang around the club?” I asked.
”Skinny little kid? I can tell you haven't see her in a while.”
”What's she doing these days?” I asked, trying to seem interested.
”She's Charlie Seaborn's secretary-Seacoast National Bank.”
”Did Raines know about the affair?” I tried not to sound too interested.
”Not so you could tell.”
”What happened?”
”Poor little Tony. Rumor has it he decided to get rich quick and got mixed up in some pot smuggling. He went to prison for five years. I've lost track of him since. It almost killed DeeDee.”
The conversation was cutting close to the bone. I decided it was time to ease on out.
”You've been a lot of help,” I said. ”I've got to get moving but I owe you a drink.”
”You better believe you do, dearie,” she said. ”You know how to get in touch. And if you don't, I will.”
I headed out of the restaurant, feeling like I had barely averted disaster.
No such luck.
20.
HIDE AND SEEK.
Stick was hiding behind the morning paper in the lobby of the hotel when I left the restaurant. He flashed that crazy smile of his when I spotted him.
”Not bad, not bad at all,” he said. ”Doe Findley and Babs Thomas for breakfast. And I was afraid you'd get lonely.”
”Strictly business,” I said.
”Hey,” he said, spreading his arms out at his sides, ”I never doubted it for a minute.”
”I'm sure you have my social calendar filled for the day,” I said. ”What's up?”
”A little war conference with the troops.”
”You mean they're speaking to me?”
”They're thinking about it,” he said, leading me out the door. His Black Maria was hunched down in the loading zone, like it was looking for trouble.