“This is a huge moment,” Benny said as he came into the war room carrying a spare chair. Never had a three-person meeting in here.”
“Well, thanks for letting me come over—big honor,” Laslo said, before turning to Nora. “And your mom seems really nice.”
Benny and Nora exchanged glances. “Uh-oh,” Laslo added, “What’d I do?”
“Nothing, nothing,” Nora said quickly. “I just like to tease Benny about hitting on my mother.”
“Here we go,” Benny exhaled. “Okay, okay, let’s not drag my partner here into all this. Down to business, people. So what were you chewing on all night, brother Laslo?”
“The art on Louis Lambert’s walls.”
“Say more,” Benny replied.
“The night we were at his place, I noticed a photograph of some gigantic boulders in clear water. Stopped to look at it on the way out because I’d seen it before. It’s of the famous Baths in the British Virgin Islands. I took a day trip there on my honeymoon.”
“Great,” Benny said. “So?”
“So I remembered that Helen’s files have Katina Jepson in the BVI all the time, with her ‘friends’—her being polyamorous or whatever. What if all the weirdness with Louis isn’t about Helen or isn’t just about Helen? What if it’s about something Helen never put in her files? That Louie and Mrs. J are a thing?”
Benny blew air out his nose. “Well knock me the hell over with a fuckin’ feather. David Jepson’s missus and Louis Spock as fuck buddies?”
“Yup, I suppose you could put it that way,” Laslo said. “And what if? What if Louis is some sorta kept dude, part of her polyamory thing? What if it’s their art, together, and that’s why he won’t talk about it? Do you think Helen figured it out and that got her killed? Classic jealous husband or the less classic protective female gigolo?”
“Whoa,” Nora whispered.
Benny turned to look at Louis’s picture on the whiteboard. “Holy shit,” he said quietly.
“Holy shit is right,” Laslo echoed.
The room was silent for several beats before Nora spoke. “And can I ask about a different thing? How are you guys thinking about the picture Holtzer told you he saw in Rob’s file? It’s been bugging me.”
“As it should,” Benny answered. “We don’t know what to make of it. First, Holtzer could be remembering wrong. Or it could be Rob on a client visit to the Aussies or Kiwis. Or not. But whatever it is—or was—why is it not there anymore? There are zero photographs. So even if it’s Rob doing Saugatuck’s business, where’d it go?”
Nora exhaled audibly. “So Holtzer’s wrong or lying or Rob’s lying or wrong or somebody else took it or Helen pitched it for some reason.”
Benny laughed. “Exactly. Totally nailed it. But seriously, if we find the guy who took photos for Helen overseas, we may narrow that list down. Stay tuned.”