advantage of the cooler air that came off the water. But in Latham’s case, the open doors didn’t seem to bring in the breeze. The smell of decaying fast food and fish seemed to permeate the house. Flies buzzed around an empty French fry wrapper.
Kelsey didn’t want to set foot inside the house.
“No, no, Mr. Latham, I didn’t come by to bother you. Looks like you’re ready to go out.”
“I am, I am, but there’s always time for an old friend. Come on in. Can I get you something? Beer, or…beer or water, I guess. Aren’t you looking fine, young lady. Well, I guess big city life agrees with you.”
“I have a good job that I like very much,” Kelsey said. “Really, I don’t need to come in, I just came by to ask you about Sheila.”
If she was going to talk to Latham, she was going to have to step inside, Kelsey realized, since he was already walking into the living room.
She entered cautiously, leaving the door open behind her.
Latham had to check two beer cans before finding the one that still had something in it. His back was to her as he finished off the contents and stared into the fireplace.
“Mr. Latham, I was just wondering if, by any chance, you knew where Sheila was.”
He turned to face her then, hands on his hips, staring at her.
“Why? What has the little tramp done now?”
“She hasn’t done anything, Mr. Latham. She was supposed to meet me down here, but she hasn’t shown up since I’ve arrived. We were supposed to meet yesterday at lunchtime. She hasn’t been home, and it seems no one has seen her in a week.”
To her amazement, he started to laugh.
“She’s only been missing a week, and you’re worried?”
“We had plans, Mr. Latham.”
He looked her up and down for a long moment. “You can call me Andy, you know. You’re an adult, all grown up.”
“Yes,” Kelsey said politely. “But since you’ll always be Sheila’s stepdad to me, it’s just more comfortable to call you Mr. Latham.”
Kelsey didn’t know why it seemed imperative to keep as close to the door as she could, but it did.
Latham started shaking his head as if he were looking at one of the craziest people on earth. Then he laughed again, a sound with no amusement. “Well, missy, I can promise you—I’m the last person Sheila would come to and report her whereabouts. Raised her when her ma up and died on me, and what the hell did I get for it? A slap in the face and a kick in the ass. She never once thanked me for keeping her after her ma died. Never realized that I hadn’t adopted her, that I didn’t owe her squat, that I put myself out to keep her in clothes and put food in her mouth. From the time she was ten years old, she was a little bitch, hassling me for the way I lived, knocking me for not making enough money. She hightailed it out of here the minute she could. And she only comes back when she wants money.”
Despite her unease, Kelsey felt compelled to defend her friend. “If I’m not mistaken, Mr. Latham, Sheila’s mother left money to you for the express purpose of raising Sheila. And I believe there are also several joint trust accounts.”
“Little wiseass, aren’t you, girl? The whole lot of your generation, not a bone of gratitude in you. What do you think it costs to keep a kid in school? Go to the doctor, the dentist, buy books, paper, clothes. Hell, her mother couldn’t have left enough money for what Sheila has cost me. I don’t give a damn whether I ever hear from her again or not.”
“But she has to keep in touch with you, because of the money,” Kelsey persisted.
Latham took a step toward her.
Out on the streets, she thought, he wouldn’t have scared her. If she hadn’t known him, he might even have appeared to be a decent looking and friendly kind of fellow. An all-around American male, the type to watch football on a Sunday afternoon, play armchair quarterback and show up for work on Monday morning to talk over the game with the guys.
Except that he smelled a little like fish.
But she did know him. She knew he had taken a belt to Sheila several times when she had lived at home.
And he made her nervous as hell.
She took a backward step toward the door.
“Look, I’m really worried about Sheila,” Kelsey said. “If you do hear anything from her, anything at all, please have her get in touch with me right away.”
“And where would that be, missy?” he asked. He was walking toward her again. She had the strangest sensation that if he touched her, she would somehow be marked for life. The remaining light outside had faded. The living room was lit by one weak bulb in a lamp with no shade. The pale light fell on the carcasses of mounted fish on the wall, and the head and neck of a tiny key deer with glassy eyes.
“Just tell Sheila to get ahold of me if you hear from her. She’ll know where I am.”
“You’re staying out at her place, eh?”
“Mr. Latham, you did raise Sheila. You must have some feelings for her.”
“Yeah, I hate the little bitch.”
“I’m worried, and she’s missing. And the police will be around to talk to you,” Kelsey said, her sense of both uneasiness and indignation rising within her.
“The cops?” Latham said, then he repeated the words, his voice seeming to rise to a roar. “The cops! You called the cops on me because that little twit of a girl has gone off with some poor Joe she intends to milk for all he’s worth?”
At that point he was almost upon her. Dignity and courtesy be damned, Kelsey was getting out. She turned and headed for the door. She heard him following after her. She felt his breathing.
His hand clamped down on her shoulder. She almost screamed as he spun her around. “Don’t you go causing trouble for me, you hear? You mark my words—Sheila is off with some man—a fool with money, with any luck. Getting the police involved is just going to get her into trouble. Maybe she’ll even see some jail time, understand? Don’t go getting the cops involved with Sheila and me. Don’t you do it over that riffraff girl!”
He had powerful fingers. They were digging into her shoulder. His face was taut with tension, and his eyes had a hard yellow gleam about them.
The stench of fish wafted over her.
“Let go of my shoulder.”
He smiled. The man had amazingly good teeth. Very white. It could have been a good smile, but instead it was full of menace and pleasure at the fear he was sensing in her.
“You came to my house to throw accusations in my face, little lady,” he said quietly, not releasing her.
“Accusations?” Kelsey said. “I didn’t accuse you of anything. I asked you if you had seen Sheila, and if you could tell her I’m looking for her if you do see her.”
“If
