Read Online Self-Defense by Jonathan Kellerman - Free Book Online Page A

white
socks, and moccasins. Tiny ruby studs in her ears and her hair was loose. First
time I’d seen it that way. It flattered her.
    She said, “Everything’s really pretty
fine.”
    “Glad you’re feeling better,” I said.
    “I really am. Maybe it’s taking a break
from work. I always thought my job was so important to me, but after being away
from it for a couple of days I don’t miss it.”
    “Are you thinking of quitting
permanently?”
    “I’m not much of a spender, so I’ve got
enough saved up to last awhile.” She gave an embarrassed smile.
    “What is it?”
    “I’ve also got a trust fund—not enough to
live rich, but it is a thousand a month, so that’s a pretty good
cushion. That’s what I meant by others having things a lot worse.”
    “Are you uncomfortable having a cushion?”
    “Well,” she said, “I didn’t do anything to
earn it. And it comes from his side of the family—his mother. A
generation-skipping thing, they call it. To save taxes. I generally give a big
chunk of it away to charity, but if it can help me mellow out a little now, why
not take advantage of it?”
    “I agree.”
    “I mean, I’ve got nothing to prove. In
three years I’ve never taken a sick day—do you think it’s irresponsible?
Quitting, just like that?”
    “Not at all.”
    “Really?”
    “Really.”
    “So... like I said, everything’s fine....
I also talked to Milo about the new murder. The Santa Ana police are consulting
with him, which is smart. I remember how impressed I was when he testified. All
those details at his fingertips, he never let the defense lawyer intimidate
him—I guess his size helps; what is he, six-four?”
    “Six-three.”
    Her color was high and her fingers were
knitting an invisible sweater.
    “There’s something I want to tell you,”
she said. “I’m highly attracted to him.”
    Keeping my face neutral, I held eye
contact.
    She crossed her legs and touched an
earring. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a guy.” Looking
away. “Except for a few mistakes, I’m basically a virgin.”
    I nodded.
    “Big mistakes,” she said, “I grant you.
But I’ve put them behind me.”
    “Is that what you meant this morning when
you said after what you’d been through you were a good judge of men?”
    She muttered something I couldn’t make
out.
    “Lucy?”
    Another mumble that sounded like “Take a
look.”
    I leaned closer.
    Her mouth continued to work. She closed
her eyes.
    “I hooked. Okay?”
    I didn’t answer.
    “Just for a summer,” she said.
    Remembering the ulcer, I said, “The summer
you taught in Boston?”
    “I was a bona fide virgin. Then I met
someone at Head Start, the uncle of one of my students. Gorgeous, very
charming, bright black guy. He used to come and pick the little boy up, and we
started talking. One thing led to another. I thought I was in love. After we were
together for a while, he asked me to be with a friend of his. I didn’t like the
idea but I agreed. It ended up not being as bad as I’d thought—the friend was
okay and he gave me a gift, some shampoo. L’Oreal. I still remember that.”
    Her eyes opened. Tears filled them.
    “I was able to put myself in another place
and get through it. And Raymond was so proud of me. Telling me he loved me, I
was showing real love for him. Next week he brought another friend over.”
    She threw up her hands.
    “It was bad, but it could have been a lot
worse. His other girls were all working on the street. He let me work out of a
room. Clean, warm, color TV. He made sure I didn’t get any violent ones. The
men came to me. It was almost like being popular.”
    She let out a dead laugh.
    “That’s it. My sordid past. Ten weeks of
white slavery and mortal sin, and then I went on to Belding and Raymond found
some other gullible idiot.”
    Pushing hair away from her face, she
forced herself to look at me. “I haven’t been with a man since then. Do you think
I’m still too