chapter 36

shakers heights was a posh, uooer-end suburb in the height of midsummer bloom. on every street, green lawns led up to graceful, tree-sheltered homes. one if Jude's men drive me out while Gabriel went back to the lakefront of Hilton to meet with the family of the groom.

the Stephens home was a warm redbrick Normandy under a canopy of tall oaks. I was met at the door by the older sister of the bride, who introduced herself as Hilary Bloom. she sat me down in a comfy, picture filled den: books, large screen TV, pictures of the two of them as kids, weddings. "Hannah was always the rebellious one," Hilary explained, free spirit. it took her a while to find herself, but she was just setting down. she had a good job- a publicist for a firm in Seattle. where she met Darlington. she was just coming around,"

"coming around from what?" I asked.

"like I said- she was a free spirit. that was Hannah."

Her parent, Simon and Sarah Stephens, came into the room. I witness the glazed, bewildered shock of people whose lives had been shattered.

"she was always in and out of relationship s," her mother eventually admitted." but she also had a passion for life "

"she was just young," her father said. "Maybe we spoiled her too much. she always had an urge to experience things,"

in her pictures- the wispy red hair and dare me eyes, I could see the same joy for life the killer had obviously seen in his first two victim s. it made me feel sad, weary.

do you know why I'm here?" I finally asked.

the father nodded. " to determine if there was any connections to those horrible crimes out west."

"so, Can you tell me, did Hannah have any connections to San Francisco?"

I could see a cast of grim recognition creep it's way onto their faces.

after collage, for a few years, she did live there," her mother said.

"she went to UCLA," her father said, for a year or so she stayed in Los Angeles. Tried to catch on with one of the studios, she started out with a temp job at Fox, then she got this publicity job in San Francisco, covering music. it was a very fast life. parties, promotions, no doubt a lot worse. we weren't happy, but for Hannah, she thought it was her big break,"

she lived in San Francisco. I asked if the had ever heard of Lizzy and Dorothy.

they shook their heads.

"what about any relationships that might have ended badly? someone , who out of jealousy or obsession, might have wanted to do her harm?"

"racklessness always seemed like a basis for Hannah's relationship, Simon said with an edge.

"I did warn her," Her mother shook her head. 'she always wanted to do thing on her terms.

"Did she ever mention anyone special from that time she lived in San Francisco?"

"Everyone looked at Simon. "No. No one special,"

"No one stands out? she lived there for a while. she didn't keep up with anyone after she left?"."I seem to remember her saying she still went down there every once in a while," her father said. " on business."

old habits are hard to crack," Simon smirked, with a tightening of her lips.

there had to be some connections. some contact from the years she had spent there. someone came all the way here to see her dead.

" what about anyone from San Francisco invited to the wedding?" I asked.

"there was one girlfriend," her father said.

Pascaline," said her mother, pascaline . shortlet, now. I think she's at the Hilton, if she's still here," I pulled out the sketch we had of the killer's possible appearance."I know it's rough, but do you know this man? someone who knew Hannah? did you see anyone like this at the wedding?

one by one, the Stephens shook their heads.

I got up to go. I told them if anything came up to mind regardless of how small or insignificant, to get in touch with me. Simon walked me out to the door.

"there is one more thing," I said. I knew it was a long shot. "By any chance, did Hannah buy her wedding dress in San Francisco?"

Simon looked at me blankly and shook her head, No, from a vintage shop. in Seattle,"

At first the answer deflated me. But then, in a flash I saw there was really a connection i was looking for.

the first two murders had been committed by someone stalking his victims from afar. that's why he found them in the way he did. tracked them.

But this one, Hannah, she had been chosen in a different way.

I was certain that whoever had done this had known her.

I drove straight to Hilton on Lake shore Boulevard and was able to catch pascalin shortlet just as she was about to depart for the airport. she turned out to be stylish, maybe twenty- seven, with shoulder-length, chestnut brown hair ties back in a bun.

"a group of us were up all night," she said apologizing for the swollen lines on her face, I'd like to stay on, but I have a one-year-old,"

"the Stephens told me you live in San Francisco," she say on the bed across from me. " Los Altos. I moved down two years ago, when I got married."

"I need to know about Hannah Simon in San Francisco," I explained. "Lovers, Breakups. someone who might have a cause to do this, "You think she knew this madman?"

Her face was clenched.

"Maybe, pascalin. you can us decide. will you help?"

" Hannah hooked up with guys, pascalin said after a pause, "She was always feee about things in that way."

"Are you saying she was promiscuous?"

"if you want to see it that way, men liked her. there was a lot of energy going back then, Music, film, Alternative stuff. whatever made her feel alive,"

I was getting the picture, does that include drugs?"

"like I said, whatever made her feel alive, yes Hannah did recreational drugs,"

pascaline, though pretty, had the hard-edged face of a street survivor who had remade herself as a soccer mom, anyone come to mind who might have wanted to hurt her? someone who was overly fascinated? maybe jealous when she moved on?"

pascaline thought a bit, shook her head, "I don't think so,"

" you two were close?"

she landed a great job. must have seemed like she was finally climbing the ladder. her father and mother always wanted that. That Shakers Height thing. look, I really have to cat h a plane."

" What are the chances Hannah was running away from something?"

you live the way we lived, you are always running from something." pascalin shortley shrugged and looked bored, there was an attitude, a coldness about pascalin I didn't like, She still surrounded herself with the cynical aura of a dissolute past. And I had the suspicious she was withholding something. " who what did you do, Pascalin? marry the dime-bag mambo king of Silicone Valley?".She shook her head. finally, she smiled thinly. " fund manager."

I leaned forward. " so you don't remember anyone special? someone she might have kept up with? Been scared of?"

" those years," pascalin shortley said, I have a hard time remembering anyone special at all,*

" this was your friend, I said, my voice rising, you want me to show you what she looks like now?

pascaline stood up, stepped over the dresser, and began to pack a leather bag with toiletries and makeup at some point she stopped and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. then she looked over her shoulder and caught my eye. maybe there was this one guy Hannah was into. Big shot. older. she said I'd know who he was-- but she wouldn't give me a name

. I think she met him through the job. As I remember, he was married, I don't know how it ended, or who ended it. or if it ever did."

My adrenaline began to flow. " who is he, Pascalin?

He might have killed your friend,".

she shook her head.

"you ever see this man?"

she shook her head again.

I pushed on.

you are the one friend from back then she invite s to her wedding and you never met him once? you don't even know his name?"

she gave me a cool smile, " She was protective of him. she didn't tell me everything. scout honor, inspector. I assumed he was a public figure."

"you see her much in the past couple of years?"

Pascalin shook her head again. she was being a real bitch, New money in Silicone Valley.

" Her father told me she still used to come down to town. on business,". Pascalin shrugged. ' I don't know. I have to go." I yanked open my bag and removed one of the crime scene photo Jude had given me, the one Hannah, wide-eyed, slumped in a bloody heap in front of her husband.

"someone she knew did this. you want to be met at the plane and thrown into a holding cell as a material witness? you can call your husband's lawyer, but it will still take him two days to get you out. how would the tech-fund crowd react to that news? I'm sure I could get it in the chronicle."

pascalin turned away from me, her chain quivering. "I don't know who it was. just that he was older, married, some big time SOB. kinky and not nice about it. Hannah said he played sex games on her. But whoever he was, she was always quiet about it, protective. the rest you will have to do on your own."

"she still continue d to see this guy, didn't she?" I was starting to put it together. " Even after she moved to Seattle. Even after she met her husband. "she gave me a slightest smile. "Good guess, inspector. Right to the end."

"How close to the end?"

pascalin shortley picked up the phone. "this is four-oh-two checking out. I'm in a rush."

she stood up, slung a Prada bag over her shoulder, an expensive- looking raincoat over her arm. then she looked at me and said dryly, "To the very end.