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.""Illiterate," said Milo."Living that way, all these years, never knowing whensomeone was going to blow her cover.Ramp taking care of her and the kid outof guilt.""Or compassion, or both.Guess he is a genuine soft guy."Page 339 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Yeah," he said again, glancing over at Ramp and shaking his head.I said, "It explains Bethel's willingness to wait tables while Ramp and Ginalived like royalty.She was used to being the doormat.Failed at acting and got into heavy dope and God knows what else.Topped it off by getting pregnant by the guy everyone hated.Posed forpictures that probably weren't high fashion.The way she's built isn't exactlysuited to Vogue.It adds up to subterranean self-esteem, Milo.She probably figures what Ramp gave her is more than she deserves.And now she's in danger of losing even that."He ran his hand over his face."What?" Isaid."If McCloskey exposed Bethel, then raped her, why would she freak out when shefound out he was dead?""Maybe it was still a loss to her.Maybe she harbored some small bit of goodfeeling toward him.For giving her Noel."Milo spun on the stool.Ramp snored louder."Or," said Milo, "what if it was more than some little bit of good feeling?What if she and McCloskey have been in contact with each other? Misery lovingcompany.A common enemy.I said, "Gina?""They both could've hated her.McCloskey for whatever reason he had in thefirst place, Bethel out of jealousy-the haves against the have-nots.What ifshe wasn't quite so happy playing the underdog?And what if there was another ingredient sweetening the relationship money?Blackmail.""Over what?"AlL "Who knows? But Gina was a member of the wild group.""You said you didn't uncover any dirt on her.""So she was better than the others at keeping it quiet making her secret wortheven more.Weren't you the one who told me secrets were coin of the realm outhere? So what if McCloskey and Bethel took that literally? If McCloskey hadbeen Bethel's partner in something nasty, it would make sense for her to boltafter hearing he was dead.""Joel and Bethel, Noel and Melissa," I said."Too goddam ugly.I hope you're wrong."I know," he said."I keep coming up with them.But we didn't write themovie-we're just reviewing it."He continued to look pained.Page 340 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlI said, "What if Noel ran down McCloskey? He's the first one I thought of whenI heard a car had been the weapon.Cars are his thing he has access to all ofGina's.Think we should open all those garages, see if any of the classicshave front-end damage?""Waste of time," he said."He wouldn't have used one of those.Too conspicuous.""No one in Azusa saw Gina's Rolls drive up to the dam.""Not true.We don't know that.Sheriff filed it as an accident no one ever dida door-to-door.""Okay," I said."So Noel used some kind of utility vehicle.They used to haveone-back when I was treating Melissa.Old Caddy"62Fleetwood.She called it a Cadillac Knockabout.They've probably got one like that todaycan't use a Duesenberg to pick up the groceries.It's stashed somewhere onthose seven acres, or in one of those garages.Or maybe McCloskey was run downwith stolen wheels-Noel could know how to hot-wire.""From too-good-to-be-true to juvenile delinquent?""Like you said, things change."He swung toward the bar."Oedipus wrecks," he said."The all-American kid runs over his old man.Howmuch therapy will it take to patch that one up?"I didn't answer.Across the room, Ramp snorted and gasped for air.His head lifted, sank,rolled to the side.Milo said, "Be a good idea to get him lucid, see what else we can squeeze outof him.Also be a good idea to wait around and see if old Bethel comes back."He looked at his watch."Got to be getting over to the airport.You feel like sticking around? I'll check in with you when I'm settled-let'ssay before nine.""What about your surveillance guy? Can't he take over here?""Nope.He doesn't come out into the open.Part of the deal.""Antisocial?""Something like that.""All right," I said."I was planning to play with the phone for a while checkout a few more Boston things.What do I do if Bethel comes back?""Keep her here.Try to get whatever you can out of her."Page 341 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Using what technique?"He came around from behind the bar, hitched his trousers, buttoned his jacket,and slapped me on the back."Your charm, your Ph.D bald-faced lies-whichever feels best." wr AlL Rampslipped into a deep sleep.I cleared the bottle, glass, and cup from thetable, put them in the bar sink, and dimmed the lights until they were nolonger cruel.A phone-in to my service yielded no messages from Boston, just afew business calls that I handled for half an hour.At four-thirty the phone rang: someone wanting to know when the Tankard wouldbe open again.I said as soon as possible and hung up feeling like abureaucrat.Over the next hour I disappointed lots of people wanting to makedinner reservations.At five-thirty I felt cold and adjusted the air-conditioning thermostat.Pulling a cloth off one of the other tables, I draped it over Ramp'sshoulders.He continued to doze.The great escape.More in common with Melissathan either of them would ever know.t five-forty, I went into therestaurant's kitchen and fixed myself a roast beef sandwich and cole slaw.Thecoffee urn was cold, so I settled for a Coke.Bringing all of it back to thebar, I ate and watched Ramp continue to sleep, then phoned the house he'd oncecalled home.Madeleine answered.I asked if Susan LaFamiglia was still there."Oui.One momen'
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