Page 89 of Nobody's Fool

“Yes.”

“While she was kidnapped?”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“In Spain. I’d just graduated college. I met a girl in a bar. We hung out for a few days. I think it’s her.”

“I see,” Marty says slowly. “We can get rid of the ‘I think’ portion of that, can’t we? You’re pretty sure it was her, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

“Wow. So solving this case is a real possibility for you.”

“I don’t know how real.”

“And if you need a law enforcement officer to get credit for an arrest, I’m standing right here.”

I don’t want to go into the whole NDA thing—in fact, have I breached it by telling Marty this?—or that part of my generous compensation involves leaving law enforcement out of it. “Look at you being all ambitious,” I say. “I didn’t know you had it in you, Marty.”

“You have no idea,” he says.

When we hang up, I place another call, this time to Lenore Spikes. I want to get an okay on travel expenses. I tell her the main thing I need and await pushback, but Lenore says, “No problem, I’m on it. Anything else?”

“Two things, actually,” I say.

“Shoot.”

“I need to interview Thomas Belmond.”

“How’s tonight?”

“I have a class, so I can’t be there until maybe ten-ish.”

“That’s fine if it’s fine with you. Thomas will be home.”

“Okay,” I say.

“What else?”

I switch hands. “I’ll need to meet with Victoria again.”

There is a hesitation.

“Ms. Spikes?”

“Lenore,” she says quickly. “Call me Lenore. You understand that she doesn’t remember anything?”

“She remembers some.”

“The family doesn’t want her”—she takes a moment to find the right word—“agitated.”

“Neither do I.”

“I’ll get back to you on that. Best I can do.”

She hangs up without another word.

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