NOW, FOUR YEARS later, I had to speak to her father.
Mrs. Jane Abbot.
So she'd remarried. Was life treating her more kindly? Had the spot on her lung recurred? I was curious but could've lived without finding out.
Life would be a lot simpler if I was one of those flakes who felt no obligation to return calls.
My pompous small speech to Lauren about surrogate parenthood rang in my ears. I put off the call anyway.wholesale jeans online Herve Leger discount sexy clothes Revved up the coffee machine, tidied up an already tidy kitchen, checked the stores in the pantry. When I returned to the kitchen I discovered I'd forgotten to put coffee in the filter and began from scratch. Listening to the machine bubble offered another few minutes of respite, and when I finally sat down to drink I dropped a small brandy in the mug, took my time sipping, scanned a newspaper I'd already covered from front to back.
Finally, the inevitable. Staring at the huge pine that blocks the kitchen window, I punched numbers.
Three rings. "Hello?"
"Mrs. Abbot?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Dr. Delaware."
Three beats of silence. Louis Vuitton bags discount sexy dress prada bags"I didn't know if you'd phone— Do you keep in mind me?"
"Lauren's mom."
"Lauren's mom," he said. "My claim to fame." Her voice broke. "It's Lauren I am calling about, Dr. Delaware. She is missing. For a week. I do know you work with the police. I have seen your name in the papers. Lauren saw it . That impressed her. He always liked you, you know. It was my husband—my ex-husband—who stopped her from seeing you. He was a mean man—is a mean man. Lauren has not had contact with him in years. But that is neither here nor there — The issue I have got now is I cannot find her. She is been living on her own for some time, but this—it feels wrong.designer replica handbags replica watches By the third day I called the police, but they say she is an adult and unless there is facts of a crime there is nothing they can do other than have me come in and file a document. I could tell they weren't taking me seriously. But I do know Lauren would not take off like that. Not without telling me."
"Does he ever travel?"
"Occasionally, but not for this long."
"So you are in regular communication together with her," I said, wondering if Lauren was still stripping, and did her father know.
Pause. "Yes. Of coursework. I call her, he calls me. They manage to stay in contact, Dr. Delaware." Adding,cheap sexy clothes chloe handbags Hermes Wallets"I live in the Valley now," as if that explained the dearth of face-to-face contact.
"Where does Lauren live?" I said.
"In the city. Near the Miracle Mile. He would not walk out without telling me, Doctor. He didn't tell her roommate anything either. And it doesn't look as if he packed a suitcase. Don't you think that is scary?"
"There could be an explanation."
"Please, Dr. Delaware, I do know how things work. It is who you know.replica iwc watches dresses evening dresses You have worked with the police— Together with your contacts, they will listen to you. You must know anyone who can help."
"What's Lauren's address?"
He recited some numbers on Hauser. "Near Sixth Street. Not far from the museum complex —the La Brea Tar Pits. I used to take her to the tar pits when he was little— , Dr. Delaware, call your contacts and ask them to take me seriously."
My contact was Milo. His turf was West L.A. Division, and Hauser near Sixth was Wilshire. Petra Connor,prada handbags replica handbags Chloe Bags my only other LAPD acquain-tance, worked Hollywood Murder. A pair of murder detectives. Jane Abbot didn't need to listen to that.
I said, "I'll make a call."
"Thank you a lot, Doctor."
"How's Lauren been doing?"
"You'd be superproud of her—I am. She— They had a few rough years after her sister walked out on us. He dropped out of high school without graduating—it was kind of... But then he pulled herself together, got her GED, attended J.C., got her associate's degree with honors, and transferred to the U this past fall. He completed her first quarter, got all A's. She is majoring in psychology, wishes to be a therapist. I do know that is your influence. He admires you, Doctor. He always said what a caring person you were."
"Thank you," I said, feeling surreal. "It's midquarter break at the U, for another few weeks. Sometimes students travel."
"No," he said. "Lauren would not have gone anywhere without telling me. And not without luggage."
"I'll do what I can."
"You're a nice man, I always sensed that. You were a great influence on her, Doctor. You only saw her that couple of times, but it had an impact. He three times told me he wished you were her sister in lieu of Lyle."
I attempted Milo at home first, got no answer,Homecoming Dress cheap sexy dress Balenciaga Bags the tape with Rick Silver-man's voice on it. I attempted the West L.A. detectives' room.
"Sturgis."
"Morning, this is your wake-up call."
"Got dawn for that, boyo."
"Putting in weekend overtime?"
"What's a weekend?"
"Thought the murder rate was down," I said.
"Exactly," he said. "So now we are all ball-and-chained to subarctic chilled cases. What is up?"
"I need a favor." I told him about Lauren, letting him know she'd been a patient, knowing he'd understand what I could and could not say.
"She's how elderly?" he said.
"Twenty-five. Missing Persons told her father the only option was filing a document."
"Did he file?"
"I didn't ask her," I said.
"So he wishes some strings pulled. . . . Issue is, Missing Persons is right. An adult case, without some facts of disability or blood and guts or a stalking boyfriend—it comes down to technique for the first few weeks."
"What if it were the mayor's daughter?"
Long sigh. "What if I went down in a light plane off the coast of Cape Cod? I'd be blessed to get three drunks in a rowboat as a search party,replica omega watches cheap prom dresses not to mention a Navy destroyer as well as a fleet of choppers. All right, I'll put in a call to MP. Anything else I ought to know about this girl?"
"She's enrolled at the U, but it is feasible he got involved in something less than wholesome."
"Oh?"
"Four years ago he was working as a stripper," I said. "Private parties. He may still be stripping."
"The father told you this?"
"No, I learned it myself. Don't ask how."
Silence. "Okay. Spell her full name."
I did and he said,replica bags replica Wallets Hermes Bags "So we are speaking bad girl here?"
"I don't know about that," I snapped. "Just that he danced."
He didn't react to my anger. "Four years ago. What else?"
"She's completed one quarter at the U. Straight A's, according to her father."
"Mama knows best?"
"Some mamas do."
"What about this one?"
"Don't know. Like I said, it is been a long time, Milo."
"Your own chilled case."
"Something like that."
He promised to get back as soon as feasible. I thanked him and hung up, took an extended than usual run, returned home sweat-drenched and faded, showered off, got dressed, went down to the pond and fed the koi without bothering to enjoy their colors. Returning to my office, I began to clear some custody reports.
I ended up thinking about Lauren.Wholesale Jeans Hermes Handbags Chanel WalletsFrom stripping to straight A's at the U. . . . I decided to call Jane Abbot, let her know I'd followed through. Possibly that would be the finish of it.
This time a machine answered. A man's voice, robotic, one of those canned recordings females use as a security tool. I delivered my message, worked for a few more hours on the reports. Soon after midday I drove in to south Westwood, bought a take-out Italian sandwich as well as a beer at Wally's, returned to Holmby Park, where I ate on a bench, trying not to look ominous among the nannies and the rich children and the elderly people enjoying green grass as cars whizzed by.2010 prom dresses gucci Wallets Designer Handbags When I got back the message light on my answering machine was a blinking red reproach.
One call. Milo sounding even more worn out: "Hey, Alex, getting back to you on Lauren Teague. Call whenever you have got a chance."
I jabbed the phone. Another detective answered, and it took a few moments for Milo to come on the line.
"The father did file a document. Yesterday. MP ran a background on Lauren." He coughed. "She's got a record, Alex. They haven't informed the father yet. Possibly they should not."
"What kind of record?" I said.
"Prostitution."
I kept silent.
He said, "That's all, so far."
"Does that change the chance that anyone will actually look for her?"
"The thing is, Alex, there is nothing to go on. They asked the father for any known associates, and he came up with zilch. MP detective's feeling is that Mama is not in the loop when it comes to Lauren's private life. And possibly Lauren travelling is not exactly an aberration.iwc watches sexy clothing Chanel bags Her arrests weren't only here. Nevada ."
"Vegas?"
"Reno. Plenty of girls work that route, hopping on cattle-car flights, doing one-, two -day turnarounds for speedy money. So possibly her picking up without explanation is part of her lifestyle. Student, or not."
"She's been gone for a week," I said. "Not exactly a turnaround."
"So he stayed to play the tables. Or got herself a profitable gig he wishes to milk for some time. Louis Vuitton handbags prada handbags The point is, we are not speaking Suzy Cream-cheese wandering away from the church bus."
"When was her most recent arrest?" I said.
"Four years ago."
"Here or Nevada?"
"Good elderly Beverly Hills. He was one of Gretchen Stengel's girls, got nabbed at the Beverly Monarch Hotel."
Site of Phil Harnsberger's bachelor bash. The hotel's vanilla rococo fafade flashed in my head.
Tip money. I do great with tips.
"What month five years ago?" I said.
"What's the difference?"
"Last time I saw her was five years ago. November."
"Hold on,formal dress sexy Dresses rolex watches let me check. . . . December nineteenth."
"Gretchen Stengel," I said.
"The Westside Madam herself. At least he wasn't working the street for crack vials."
I gripped the phone so hard my fingers ached. "Is there any record of a drug history? "
"No, the solicitation bust. But Gretchen's girls did tend to party hard— Look, Alex, you know passing judgment on people's sex lives is not my thing, and I don't even think much about dope unless it leads to anyone being made dead.evening dresses replica bags Chloe Handbags But the fact that Lauren's a working girl does must be taken in to account here. Most likely he split for a gig and the roommate's covering for her with Mom. I cannot see any reason to panic."
"You're probably right," I said. "Mom may be out of the loop. Though she is not unaware—told me Lauren went through some rough times, and her voice tightened up when he said it. And with the last arrest five years ago, possibly Lauren did turn herself around. He did enroll at the U."
"That could be."
"I know, I know—cockeyed optimism."
"Hey, it gives you that boyish charm. .. So you treated her five years ago?"
"Ten. I saw her three times five years ago. Follow-up."
"Ah," he said. "Ten years is a long time."
"It's a damned eon."
Long pause. "You still sound . . . protective of her."
"Just doing my job." Surprised at the anger in my voice. I avoided further discussion by thanking him for his time.
He said, "The MP man did agree to make some calls to hospitals."
"Morgues ?" I said.
"That . Alex, I do know you didn't need to listen to about the girl's sheet, but in this case possibly it puts things in a more positive light—she's got a rationale for cutting out without explanation. Best thing to tell the mom is wait. Nine times out often, the person shows up."
"And when they don't,replica handbags party dresses Balenciaga Handbags it is late to do anything about it anyway."
He didn't answer.
"Sorry," I said. "You've completed over you had to."
He laughed softly. "No, I had to."
"Up for lunch sometime?" I said.
"Sure, after I chip away at a number of this ice."
"Subarctic, huh?"
"I wake up middle of the night with penguins pecking my ass."
"What kinds of cases?"
"Potpourri. Ten-year-old child murder, parents probably did it but no physical facts. Twelve-year-old convenience store robbery-gone-bad, no witnesses, not even respectable ballistics, 'cause the bad guys used a shotgun; drunk snuffed out in an alley five years ago; and my personal favourite: elderly lady smothered in her bed back when Nixon was president. Should've gotten my degree in ancient history."
"English. It is not a bad fit either."
"How so?"
"Everyone's got a narrative," I said.
"Yeah, but three times I am listening to them, you can forget happy endings."
THE ROOMMATE'S covering for her. . .
A roommate who lived the same life as Lauren? If so, no reason for her to speak to Jane. Or the police. Or anyone else.
Jane Abbot claimed Lauren admired me. I found that hard to think, but perhaps Lauren had mentioned me to the roommate and I could learn something.
I called the 323 number Jane had given me for Lauren, got another male robot on the machine, hung up without leaving a message.
I thought some more about the path Lauren's life had taken. Given the small I knew about her relatives life, I supposed there was no reason to be surprised. But I found myself succumbing to letdown anyway.
Ten years ago. Three sessions.
When her sister had terminated, had I let it go basically? I didn't think so. Lyle Teague had seldom accepted the idea of therapy. Even if I'd managed to reach him by phone, there was no reason to think he'd have changed his mind.
No reason at all for me to feel I'd failed, and I told myself I felt comfortable with that. But as the afternoon grayed Lauren's disappearance continued to chew at me. after three P.M. I left the house, gunned the Seville down the glen to Sundown, and headed east, through Beverly Hills and the Strip, to the roller-coaster ramp that was the crest of La Cienega. Catching Third past the Beverly Middle,Louis Vuitton bags omega watches I picked up Sixth at Crescent Heights and cruised past the tar pits. Plaster mastodons reared, and groups of schoolkids gawked. They pull bones out of the pits every day. One of L.A.'s premier tourist spots is an boundless cemetery.
Lauren's apartment on Hauser sat halfway between Sixth and Wilshire, a putty-colored six- unit box elderly for fire escapes. I made my way up a chunky cement path to a glass door fronted by wrought-iron fettuccine. Through the glass: dim hallway and dark carpeting. A column of name slots and call buttons listed TEAGUE/SALANDER in apartment 4.
I pressed the button, was surprised to be buzzed in immediately. The hallway smelled of beef stew and laundry detergent. The carpeting was an ancient wool—flamingo-colored leaf forms over mud brown, three times expensive, now heeled and toed to the burlap. Mahogany doors had been restained streaky and lacquered thickly. No music or conversation leaked from behind any of them. A flight of chipped terra-cotta steps at the rear of the building took me upstairs.
Unit 4 faced the street. I knocked, and the door opened before my fist lowered. A young man holding a white washcloth stared out at me.
Five-six, one-thirty, fair-haired and frail-looking, wearing a sleeveless white undershirt, blue denims cinched by a black leather belt, black lace-up boots. A heavy silver chain looped a front denims pocket.
"Oh. I thought you were ..." Breathy-voiced, pitched high.
"Som BBS12 BBS11 BBS10

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