Natural Causes (37 page)

"What about Jack?" I said.

He shook his head. "They found him there. With
the cocaine and a dead man. It's out of our hands now."

"You're going to let him take the fall for
this?"

"Harry," he said painfully. "I haven't
got a choice."

"And what about Helen Rose? She was connected,
too. Jack was supposed to deliver some of Walt's cocaine to her in
New York."

"I'll take care of it," he said. "I
give you my word."

"And the thugs who killed Maria Sanchez and
bought Quentin's dope?"

"That's up to the police, I guess. Maybe they'll
find them."

"It isn't right, Frank," I said. "None
of it is right."

"I know."

"Dover risked his life for a stupid document.
Then killed himself when he found out that Walt had double-crossed
him. And all those others--they died for nothing. For a dumbass soap
opera. And nobody's ever going to know."

"We know," Glendora said grimly.

The LAPD wanted me to stay in L.A. until they'd
sorted everything out. But Frank made some calls and I ended up
flying back to Cincinnati with him the next day. I wanted to be at
her funeral--he knew that. As it turned out, Frank and I were the
only ones there.

I thought maybe some of her relatives would come. But
nobody showed. It started to rain after the service. We walked back
through the rain to the parking lot.

"The L.A. coroner has released a final verdict
on Quentin's death this morning," he said.

"What was it?"

He laughed dully. "Natural causes. They say he
had a coronary and fell in the shower."

When we got to the lot, he said, "Can I give you
a lift back?"

"No," I said. "I think I'll stick
around for awhile. I've got my own car."

He held out his hand. "Goodbye, Harry."

"Frank."

He got in the car and left.

I stayed for another half hour or so. Then I drove
over to Jack's house in Hyde Park--to try to explain it to his wife
and son.