Page 50 of Fade Out

“They could.”

“Theycouldn’t. They’d do something.”

“How old is the girl?”

“Twenty, twenty-one.”

“So she’s old enough to go where she pleases without telling her parents.”

“Yes, but—”

“That’s what the police would say. So even if the Buckmans called them, no one’s really looking for the girl.”

“Oh my God.”

“Gloria, I need to talk to your friends.”

The line went silent.

“I’m seeing them tonight at the Susan Wollinger Cancer Research Dinner. I’ll ask—”

“Can I come?” I asked. There was a little urgency here, after all.

“What are you going to say to them? You can’t tell them their daughter is dead in the middle of a black-tie dinner.”

“I don’t know their daughter’s dead. I only think she might be. Maybe they’ll say they’ve heard from her. Really, this needs to happen soon.”

She was silent a moment. “I don’t suppose you have anything appropriate to wear?”

“No. Can you bring them outside? Can I meet you afterward? Or before? Before would be better.”

“That would terrify them. Hold on a moment.”

She put me on hold. Suddenly, I was listening to Muzak. “Close to You,” not sung by The Carpenters. Gloria was right, of course. I had to find a way to get information from the Buckmans without terrifying them. The minute they thought their daughter was dead they’d be useless.

Gloria came back on the line. “Meet me at Walton Richards on Michigan. It’s on the ground floor of The Allerton. Five-thirty. Don’t be late, they’re staying open just for us. And… please be freshly showered and well-shaved.”

Then she hung up on me. I wanted to be annoyed with her about that remark, but I have to say I didn’t always bother—at least with the shaving part. I read the time off the VCR: 4:05. I had a little bit of time, so I decided to check in with my attorney.

I called Owen at home, but when his answering machine answered I hung up. Then I tried him at his office.

“Yes?” he said, picking up the phone.

“It’s Nick.”

“Hello, darling. What have you been doing?”

“I think the girl in the box is Hillary Buckman. Rita’s been using her identity and the girl is related to a couple on the board of 618 North Wells.”

“Be careful, Nick. There are a lot of bad people connected to that address.”

“One of whom had Rita’s father killed. I think she may be getting her revenge.”

“That’s probably true. If we can find another way at this we should probably take it.”

I was beginning to have the feeling he knew more than he was saying about the unfinished building. I could have asked him, but I knew he wouldn’t tell me.

“The autopsy says the girl is twenty-five to thirty. This girl is twenty. Can they be that wrong?”