Читать книгу Stalker - Faye Kellerman, Faye Kellerman - Страница 16

Armand Crayton had lived in a posh development in the far west portion of the San Fernando Valley. Thirty homes were sprawled over half-acre lots, built around artificial lakes and lagoons, and an emerald-green golf course that rose and dipped like a gentle tide. A resident health club, spa, and two tennis courts were situated in the back, near the foothills, but Oliver and Marge never got that far. Crayton’s manse was located in the front section. To get through the gated entrance, Marge rang in through an intercom and announced herself. No response, but a moment later the wrought-iron barrier opened.

It made Marge wonder about how the kidnappers got in or out. She asked Oliver about it.

“Bert had a couple of theories,” he answered. “The kidnappers got hold of a magnetic card key, or maybe they rang one of the residences at random, said they had a delivery, and a naive soul opened the gate. Which would have been a stupid move because all regular delivery people had pass cards. FedEx, UPS, the mail carrier, the local laundry, the gourmet market, mobile pet groomer, et cetera, et cetera.”

“Which means there are lots of cards in circulation.”

“Yep, they’re very easy to come by,” Oliver answered. “By the way, the ‘ring the house and open the gate’ theory wasn’t borne out by any of the resident interviews. No one admitted to letting them in.”

“An inside job?”

“Probably, but that doesn’t mean the wife did it. As far as getting out, the arm lifts automatically. Still, it’s not a slam dunk for a kidnapper.”

Marge agreed. She parked the car, got out, and stretched, looking at the quiet estate that had once been a crime scene. Mediterranean in style, the house was two-storied—as were all the homes in the neighborhood—and square, accented with cornerstones, windowed balconies, and a roof composed of overlapping red, pseudo-Spanish tiles. It was faced with light, apricot-colored stucco and sat behind a screen of palms, banana plants, and tree ferns. But the place showed signs of neglect. The lawn was a bit overgrown, there were weeds in the planting area, and light gray smudges streaked down the plaster from the window corners, giving the impression that the house had been crying. The entrance door was recessed under an arched portico. Marge rang the bell. A young woman in her twenties answered the door.

“Mrs. Crayton?” Marge asked.

“Call me Lark,” the woman answered. “Mrs. Crayton is my former mother-in-law. You’re the police?”

“Detective Oliver,” Scott said. “This is Detective Dunn. Thank you for agreeing to see us.”

“Yeah, sure.” Lark opened the door all the way. “Come in.”

As Oliver crossed the threshold, he wondered why the hell Tom and Bert hadn’t mentioned the widow’s comeliness. Tall and slender, with lots of chest filling out a bright, white T-shirt. Legs that didn’t quit even if they were hidden under jeans. Her face was all acute angles—a sharp jawline, a strong chin, and pronounced cheekbones. Ash-blond hair had been tied back into a ponytail, gray eyes were outlined in black liner. Naturally lush lips—killer lips.

She brought them through a two-story entry hall and into the living room/family room/den. It was hard to tell what official function the room served because the floor plan was so open. Beige walls surrounded oversized tan and ivory furniture. The floor was covered by plush ecru carpet. Potted plants added some life to the colorless decor, as did the undraped windows outlining views of the requisite backyard aqua-jeweled pool. She pointed to a sofa, then took a seat on one of the room’s enormous chair-and-a-halves—the latest in chichi accoutrements.

Lark draped her legs over the chair’s arm.

Seductive, Oliver thought. The way she was looking at him gave him goose bumps. That pose had probably served her well in the past. When she spoke, she gazed directly into his eyes. “Did you find out anything new?”

Oliver said, “Nothing earth-shattering, but we’re still—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Lark broke the stare and lapsed into ennui, picking up a cigarette case from the side table and pushing a button. The lid popped open. She pulled out a smoke and spoke to Marge. “Throw me that lighter, will you?”