Read Online Notorious by Michele Martinez - Free Book Online Page B

adversaries on a case, that’s all. Anything more would have been unethical. Besides, I didn’t know he was married, but if I had—I mean, not that we were doing anything. We weren’t.”
    â€œDon’t feel compelled to lie on my account. This might sound strange, but if you were seeing him, well, it’s not my business. Lester and I were married on and off for thirty-five years. The romantic part ended between us years ago.”
    â€œI’m not lying. I didn’t even know him that well. It’s just—I’m sorry, I’m finding it difficult to explain.”
    Brenda took a cigarette from a pack in the pocket and lit it, regarding Melanie with interest. “No need to explain. He was a very compelling man. You strike me as somebody he would have bothered to charm. He could be very charming when he wanted to.”
    â€œYou said you were married on and off?”
    â€œWe were divorced for a long time in the eighties and nineties. I’ll tell you the story if you like. It feels good to talk about him today.”
    Melanie knew she shouldn’t. Not only was she wasting valuable work time, she was feeding her growing preoccupation with a dead man.
    â€œYes, I’d love to hear,” she said.
    â€œWe met at Studio 54,” Brenda said, dragging on her cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke. “That says it all, doesn’t it? It was the late seventies, and my father, who was in the trimmings business—buttons, sequins, that sort of thing—had gotten me this marvelous job working for Halston. Well, my fashion friends were very fast. One night I was at Studio 54, absolutely strung out. Too many Quaaludes. I remember feeling faint, and the next thing I knew, I was in Lester’s car and he was driving me to Jones Beach. In April, no less! I’d never met the man before in my life, but he took me and he kind of shook me around in that sea air and poured some coffee into me. We talked until the sun came up, and before I knew it I was sober as a judge and madly in love. He was incredibly handsome. Fantastic in bed. We were married a year later.”
    Tears leaked from Brenda’s eyes and began to roll down her waxen cheeks. “Hand me that tissue box, would you?”
    â€œWhat happened after that?” Melanie asked, riveted.
    â€œA lot of things happened. Lester was involved in the civil rights movement, doing these very sexy cases, getting his picture in the paper. Women threw themselves at him. Me, I did as I pleased. I had a glamorous career. I traveled, I did lots of drugs, I had lots of lovers. It was fashionable back then to have an open marriage, and we were fashionable people. Then it ended. Things…came between us. It was me who left. That was in ’86. We had a very friendly divorce. No children involved, and we both had our own money. I moved to Big Sur to follow this yogi I was obsessed with, and Lester went about his life. But everything went a little flat after that. I guess that’s how it is, isn’t it? There’s a golden time, and then you’re older and nothing is quite as fun anymore.”
    Brenda paused, wiping her eyes, stamping out her cigarette.
    â€œThe two of you got back together. How did that happen?” Melanie asked.
    Brenda sighed. “That story is less pleasant. I fell on hard times. Lester and I had remained great friends, and he was good enough to bail me out.”
    â€œHe didn’t just bail you out. You actually got married again.”
    â€œYes. I was having some, some…well, medical problems.” She fiddled with the bangles on her thin wrist. “Oh, hell, I’m not ashamed to say it. It was drugs, okay, but I’ve been clean for years now. Lester had power of attorney. He was appointed my guardian for a while, but it turned out to be simpler to be legally married.”
    â€œAnd you lived here with him?”
    â€œI have my own floor, the top floor.