Part 8 (1/2)
”But why?”
I nodded to Dana. She took the picture from her big purse. I slipped it out of the envelope and leaned and handed it to Alex Abbott. He held it in two trembling hands and stared at it. He swallowed convulsively. In a small voice he said, ”This one wasn't...” He caught himself. ”She had this? My sister had this?”
”This is one of several. Mr. Burley has them in his safe.”
”But where would she get them? She didn't have them when she was taken down there?”
”They came to her in the mail,” I said. ”Mr. Abbott, what was it you started to say? This one wasn't... This one wasn't what?”
He opened his eyes very wide. He smiled sadiy. ”I guess I should be frank with you people.”
”We would be most grateful,” Dana said.
”I will admit that I made a mistake when I... arranged her visit with the M'Gruders. I knew them as a lively couple. I thought they would keep her amused and out of trouble. I had no idea they went in for this sort of thing.” He handed it back to me.
”I would think you would act a little more angry” I said.
”To tell you the truth, there were other pictures of Nancy. They were mailed to my father, with a note demanding money. He had a very nasty scene with Nancy. She left. He showed me the pictures. He was wretched. Heartbroken. He asked me to destroy the pictures and I did so, very gladly. Several days later, after Nancy was gone, someone phoned my father about the money. He told them to go to h.e.l.l, that they could do any d.a.m.n thing with the pictures they pleased.”
”He didn't contact the police?”
”No.”
”Did the man on the phone threaten him with anything?”
”No. Dad said the man was quite polite. He seemed to have some sort of lower-cla.s.s English accent. He said he might phone back later on, but as far as I know he never did. In one of the pictures it was... well, it was Vance M'Gruder and my sister. I can tell you that I was furious with him. I went down to see him. He was alone at the house. Patty had left him. I learned later their marriage was being annulled. He didn't seem guilty or ashamed or anything like that. Just terribly indifferent. I couldn't make a dent on him. He said he was not and had never been in the nursemaid business, no matter what impression I may have had. He did not know or care where Nancy was. I actually thought I might find her there with them. I wanted to know who had taken the pictures at that... circus.”
”Did he know?”
”He said that n.o.body at the party had taken them. He said it had to be someone with a long lens.”
”Did he seem surprised to know pictures had been taken?”
”No. I wondered if he'd been approached for money also.”
”Did you ask him?”
”No. He seemed cross and impatient and anxious for me to go.”
”Did you know any of the other people in the pictures you saw?”
”Aside from the M'Gruders, just one fellow, an artist I...” He stopped suddenly, frowning at us. ”Why are you so curious about the pictures, Mr. McGee?”
I shrugged. ”I guess it's only natural. Mr. Burley was curious too. They do have some bearing on the girl's evaluation of herself. I suppose if she feels it was a conspiracy, a trick, she feels better about it.”
”Mr. McGee, if Nancy ever had any hopes of inheriting half the estate, she spoiled her chances long before those pictures were taken, believe me. Naturally I'll support her as long as she lives. But what you ask seems...”
”Oh, I don't think she could cause you much trouble, Mr. Abbott.”
”I don't see how she could cause any.”
I smiled and shrugged. ”An inst.i.tution might call in somebody to give her legal advice. You know how it is. Contingency basis. And you say the estate is sizable. She does sound plausible. AlI it could do, I guess, would be delay the probate.”
He studied his thumbnail. He bit a small piece out of the corner of it and got up and went to the steel window and teetered back and forth, heel to toe.
”You say she seems happy there at the Island?”
”She has friends there. And the illusion of freedom.”
Without turning, he said, ”And this deterioration you mention. It is progressive?”
”From all indications.”
”I imagine that if I footed the bill for additional care for... say another six months, by the end of that time she...”
”Let's say eighteen months.”
”I'll take my chances on a year. No more.”
”I will so inform Mr. Burley.”
He looked at his watch. ”Elaine gets nervous if I leave her in there too long. Uh... thanks for the report. Goodby.” He walked out without looking directly at either of us.
On the way down in the elevator, Dana looked at me and slowly shook her head. ”You are very d.a.m.n good, Trav. You are better than I realized. You are shameless. You are a b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Trav. You know very d.a.m.n well he thinks you are going to split the increase with Mr. Burley. He thinks you are going to bring suit in her name if he doesn't play. And you sat there, so righteous and kindly. Oh boy, oh boy”
”A man like that can't believe anything that doesn't sound crooked.”
”A man like that makes me want to go scrub. They better not leave him alone with dear Dad. He's impatient.”
Before I started the car I turned to her and said, ”Itemize.”
”What? Oh. He didn't have the pictures taken. The man who took them or had them taken has a cheap British accent. M'Gruder knew about the pictures. And something else. Let me think. Oh, the M'Gruder marriage was annulled. Did I miss anything?”
”You are very good too.”
”I am afflicted with an orderly mind.”
And so we drove back to the heart of the city. San Francisco is the most depressing city in America. The come-latelys might not think so. They may be enchanted by the steep streets up n.o.b and Russian and Telegraph, by the sea mystery of the Bridge over to redwood country on a foggy night, by the urban compartmentalization of Chinese, Spanish, Greek, j.a.panese, by the smartness of the women and the city's iron clutch on culture. It might look just fine to the new ones.
But there are too many of us who used to love her. She was like a wild cla.s.sy kook of a gal, one of those rain-walkers, laughing gray eyes, tousle of dark hair-sea misty, a lithe and lively lady, who could laugh at you or with you, and at herself when needs be. A sayer of strange and lovely things. A girl to be in love with, with love like a heady magic.
But she had lost it, boy. She used to give it away, and now she sells it to the tourists. She imitates herself. Her figure has thickened. The things she says now are mechanical and memorized. She overcharges for cynical services.
Maybe if you are from Dayton or Amarillo or Wheeling or Scranton or Camden she can look like magic to you because you have not had a chance to see what a city can be. This one had her chance to go straight and she lost it somehow, and it has been downhill for her ever since. That's why she is so depressing to those of us who knew her when. We all know what she could have been, and we all know the lousy choice she made. She has driven away the ones who loved her best. A few keep trying. Herb Caen. A few others. But the love words have a hollow tone these days.
Eight.