"A PRINCE AMONG men," said Milo.

I was driving east on Ventura nike heelsBoulevard. Blackened storefronts, bare sidewalks, a breeze had kicked up, and scraps of litter danced above the cement. Warm breeze. Unseasonal winter.

"He hated her, didn't he, Alex?"

"You consider him a suspect?" I said.

"Can't eliminate him. Am I the only jordan heelsone who picked up nuances of paranoia?"

"Unhappy man," I said. "Lots of anger. But he didn't try to soft-pedal. Doesn't that imply nothing to hide?"

"Or he's trying to be clever, pull some kind of nike high heelsstupid double bluff. What a family. The more I learn, the sorrier I feel for Lauren."

I knew what was taking place: Lauren's corpse had begun as business as usual, inanimate as the mountain of forms he was forced to fill out on every case. Enlarging Red Bottom Shoes her humanity brought out his empathy. It's happened to him on most of the cases we've worked together.

I said, "You didn't ask him where he was the night Lauren was killed."

"I don't know when she was killed—waiting till the coroner gives me an estimate. Also, there was no sense threatening him right off. If nothing else slam-dunks, he'll get nike high heelsa recontact. Maybe I can pay him a morning visit, see what he's like when he's not beered up."

"And the shotgun's not within arm's reach."

"Yeah, that was fun, wasn't it? Loose cannon like nike heelsthat having access to a double-barrel. Just what the Founding Fathers had in mind. . . . Wifey number two seemed quite the sheep. Think he slaps her around?"

"He dominates her."

"I wonder if Lyle and Jane had violent stuff going on when they were hitched—Jane kept saying he was mean. Maybe something else Lauren was exposed nike heelsto. That never came out when you treated her?"

"She complained about them but never mentioned violence. But the treatment wasn't much."

"Two sessions." He rubbed his face. "Twenty-five years old and what did she have to show for Nike High Heelsit besides a nifty wardrobe? . . . People and their garbage. Some jobs you and I've got."

"Hey," I said. "Sure beats being rich and relaxed."

He laughed. "You won't catch me admitting nike heelsthis again, but your gig just might be tougher than mine."

"Why's that?"

"I know what people are. You try to change 'em."

As I turned onto Laurel Canyon, he phoned jordan heelsthe officer at Lauren's apartment, found out Andrew Salander hadn't returned.

I said, "He works the night shift."

"You up for The Cloisters?"

"Sure," I said. "One of nike high heelsmy favorite spots."

He laughed again. "Yeah, I'll bet. Ever been to a gay bar?"

"You took me to one," I said.

"I don't remember that. When?"

"Years ago," I said. "Tiny little place over heelsin Studio City. Disco music, serious drinking, lots of guys who didn't look at all like you. Past Universal City—back of an auto body shop."

"Oh yeah," he said. "The Fender. Closed down a long time ago— I actually took you there?"

"Right after our first case together—the Handler murder. The way I figured it, some friendship rapport was developing and you were still nervous."

"About what?"

"Being gay. You'd already made the grand Jordan Heelsconfession. I didn't get overtly repulsed, but you probably figured I needed more testing."

"Oh, come on," he said. "Testing you for what?"

"Tolerance. Could I really handle it."

"Why am I not remembering any of this?"

"Advanced middle age," I said. "I can describe Nike Heels the room precisely: aluminum ceiling, black walls, Donna Summer on tape loop, guys going off in pairs."

"Whoa," he said. Then nothing.

A few miles later he said, "You weren't overtly repulsed. Meaning?"

"Meaning, sure, it threw me. I grew up with sissies getting beat up on the school yard and 'fag' as acceptable speech. I never pounded on anyone, but I never stepped Nike High Heelsin to stop it either. When I started working, my practice emphasized traumatized kids, and homosexuality never came up much. You were the first gay person I'd ever known socially. You and Rick are still the only gay people I know in depth. And sometimes I'm not sure about you."

He smiled. "Aluminum ceilings . . . guys who didn't look like Nike Heelsme, huh? So who'd they look like?"

"More like Andrew Salander."

"There you go," he said. "I am the great individualist."

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