No more free running on the lake. No more conversation. Straight back to the Vanowen property, bouncing and hydroplaning at warp speed all the way.

21.

Company waiting on the Vanowen terrace. Indistinct figure in the distance... dark-haired woman in a white pants suit... Lacy. As they slowed coming in, she walked down onto the dock. She stood watching her sister maneuver the Sportliner along the side opposite the boathouse, making no move to help tie off the bow and stern lines. Cape stepped up and did the job himself.

Lacy said, "h.e.l.lo, salesman. Fancy meeting you here," and turned away before he could frame a response.

Stacy Vanowen shut off the engine, climbed up onto the dock. Her face was still set in pinched, angry lines.

"Is this a private wake," Lacy said to her, "or can I join in?"

"Lacy, please. You're not funny."

"You don't seem exactly grief-stricken yourself."

"How would you know? You've never had anyone to mourn."

"Never had anyone worth mourning. Why didn't you call me about Andy? n.o.body bothers to tell me anything. I had to find out about it on the radio, an hour ago."

"If I had called, I suppose you'd've rushed right over to hold my hand."

"I might have. We'll never know, will we."

"Don't pretend you care that much. You never liked poor Andy."

"No, I didn't. De mortuis and all that, but he was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d."

"For G.o.d's sake!"

"Well? Don't you pretend, either, little sister. We both know you didn't like him a whole lot yourself."

"That's not true. I loved him."

"Once, maybe. I'll bet you won't miss him any more than I will."

Stacy Vanowen glared at her, transferred the glare briefly to Cape, and stalked away to the house.

Cape said, "Little hard on her, weren't you?"

"If there's one thing I hate," Lacy said, "it's a hypocrite. You want the truth? She'd've divorced Andy years ago if it weren't for his money."

"Little sister, weak sister?"

"In spades. So why didn't you call or come by and give me the news?"

"I drove over mid-morning. You weren't home."

"I had to go to Reno. It happened last night, not this morning."

"Three A.M. by the time the law let me leave Mahannah's. I didn't feel much like talking to anybody else. Even you."

"Good enough excuse, I guess. It's not every night you see a man get his face shot off."

"Or almost have the same thing happen to you."

"How's that again?"

Cape explained.

"Heavy," Lacy said. "You sure he wasn't just shooting at random?"

"I was the target, all right. First Vanowen, then me."

"What do you mean?"

"I think it was deliberate. Premeditated."

"Are you serious? Why would somebody want both of you dead?"

"If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't be here."

"Come on, salesman. It was a robbery gone bad. That's what the radio said."

"You believe everything you hear on the radio?"

"Andy was a p.r.i.c.k, sure. The more you knew him, the less you liked him. But murder? And you haven't been here long enough to p.i.s.s anybody off that way. I don't buy it."

"I won't try to sell it to you then," Cape said. "Why was he a p.r.i.c.k?"

"Let me count the ways. Fast and loose with other people's money, arrogant, vain, a control freak, and a serial fornicator. He propositioned me once at a party. Had his hand halfway up my skirt while he was whispering in my ear."

"What'd you do?"

"Told him to go screw himself. He just laughed. Rejection never bothered him. There was always another woman around who'd say yes."

"You tell your sister?"

"No point. She wouldn't have cared much."

"Why not? Sleep around herself?"

Lacy shrugged.

Cape said, "With Vince Mahannah, for instance?"

"You're pretty nosy, you know that? Why don't you ask her?"

"I did, out on the lake."

"I'll bet she didn't give you a straight answer."

"You win the bet."

"What were you doing out there with her, anyway?"

"She wanted to go for a ride," Cape said. "Engine wouldn't start, and I fixed it. She let me go along for company."

"Chummy."

"She didn't want to be alone, she said."

"She didn't look too happy with you just now. The Mahannah question? Or did you come on to her, offer her a sympathy f.u.c.k?"

"You know something, lady? Your sister was right. You're not funny today."

Wry mouth and another shrug. "I'm not funny most days," she said. Then, "He's in love with her, you know."

"Mahannah? I figured as much. How does she feel about him?"

"Oh, Christ, all right, I might as well tell you. They had an affair. Hot and heavy for a while, then it cooled off. Now... maybe she's still sleeping with him, maybe she's not. Like I told you before, she doesn't confide in me. All my information is reliable enough, but second- or thirdhand."

"What cooled off the affair?"

"Andy found out about it. Bruised his big male ego that the goose was also getting some on the side. From what I understand he threatened to throw her out if she didn't break it off with Vince."

"The money mean that much to her?"

"Their prenup did," Lacy said. "He insisted on one when they were married. She wouldn't have collected a dime in a divorce action."

"How about now that she's a widow?"

"She gets everything. What're you thinking, salesman? That she had something to do with Andy's murder so she could inherit as his widow?"

"It's been known to happen."

"Not with Little Miss Priss. She's afraid of her own shadow, or hadn't you noticed? She doesn't have enough guts to step on a bug."

"Mahannah strikes me as the bug-squashing type."

"What, the two of them working together? Oh, man!"

"Did Vanowen also confront Mahannah when he found out about the affair?"

"That I don't know," Lacy said. "I doubt it. Why?"

"If he did, threatened him, maybe, it'd give Mahannah another reason to want him out of the way."

"Sure. And what's his motive for wanting you out of the way? Salesman, you're so full of s.h.i.t I can't stand to be downwind of you."

He said nothing.

"Robbery gone bad," Lacy said. "That's what it was, that's all it was. You can't make it into anything else. Why don't you just count yourself lucky and walk away?"

"I can't."

"That target c.r.a.p, I suppose?"

"Partly."

"What else? The money you lost? It couldn't've been that much-"

"Money's not an issue."

"Then what is?"

"My freedom," Cape said. "The law thinks I had something to do with setting up the robbery."

Raised eyebrow. "You didn't, did you?"

"No. But I'm stuck here until they realize it."

"Poor baby. What's a few days out of your life?"

"A h.e.l.l of a lot if days turn into weeks and you're running low on funds."

"So get a job for the duration. I know a pit boss at Harrah's. He'd put you on as a dealer if I asked him."

Again Cape was silent.

"Beneath you? I guess you'd prefer a nice, cushy sales job instead."

He said, "Not funny at all today," and turned away from her.

"Look me up if you change your mind."

He stopped, glanced back. "How about if I get lonely? Feel the need of some TLC?"

"Uh-uh. You had all you're going to get from me."

"You seemed to like it well enough the other night."

"That was the other night. This is now. So long, salesman."