Shame

now.”
    “Maybe we should reintroduce ourselves. I’m Elizabeth Line.”
    “Lola Guidry.”
    They shook again. “I don’t exactly know how to start this conversation,” Lola said, “but I suppose we should begin at our impasse. Earlier tonight you wouldn’t tell me whether or not Caleb attacked you. You said you had reservations.”
    “I still do. I don’t know you.”
    “I’m Caleb’s voice while he’s in hiding.”
    “So you say.”
    “I know things he would have only told a confidante. I know that the two of you talked on several occasions. I know that the murdered girl left at the Presidio was the same girl that worked at the counter of the doughnut shop where the two of you talked. I know that you gave Caleb one of your
Shame
books and audio-books on an MP3 player. I know you were supposed to be looking through your files to try and figure out who from the pastmight be committing the murders. And I also know you made a promise to help Caleb’s wife and children. But what I don’t know is whether he was the one who tried to kill you.”
    “Your knowing all these things,” Elizabeth said cautiously, “still begs the question of why Caleb isn’t the one talking with me.”
    “I’ll be glad to tell you why, but first you’re going to have to meet me halfway.”
    Elizabeth thought about her options for a moment, then relented. “He didn’t attack me.”
    Lola sighed in relief. “But why...?”
    “I didn’t want to drive my attacker into hiding. I thought it possible that he was
the
murderer. After what happened tonight, I’m all but convinced of it.”
    “What happened tonight?”
    “What happened to give and take?”
    Lola raised her hands, signaling for patience with her long, artistic fingers. “When we first talked,” she said, “you asked me why Caleb wasn’t the one questioning you, and I told you that he was afraid to go out in public.”
    Elizabeth remembered. That had contributed to her own reluctance to be forthcoming. Sue’s answer had rung as true as the name she had given.
    “The truth is that Caleb was tied up—literally. When I heard those reports that he had attacked you, I didn’t know what to do. So he volunteered to be tied up until I talked with you.”
    “Is he still tied up?”
    Lola shook her head. “I came home and found him gone. It looked like a tornado had gone through my place. There was blood everywhere, and I lost it when I saw the bloody knife. I screamed. Luckily, my neighbors weren’t home. Because it suddenly occurred to me that the whole mess wasn’t the sign of some struggle but just Caleb’s trying to get free.”
    “You think the blood was all his?”
    “I’m sure of it. He had to cut through duct tape, and I guess his pound of flesh as well. I discovered more blood in my bathroom. It was all over my medicine cabinet and all over the bloodied bandage wrappers he left behind. There were also bloodstains on my closet doors.”
    “How long was he left alone?”
    “I was out of my house from half past eight until one.”
    Elizabeth nodded, pursing her lips in thought.
    “The way everything was strewn about makes me think he was in some big rush.”
    The Asian woman who had seated Elizabeth suddenly appeared in front of them. Without wasting time for pleasantries she asked, “What you want?”
    Lola didn’t need to look at the menu. “Cashew chicken,” she said.
    Elizabeth opened the menu, looked for something that could be swallowed easily, and decided on wonton soup. The server grabbed the menus and ran off.
    “What happened tonight?” asked Lola.
    “There was another attack.”
    “Did he kill again?”
    “No, thank God.” Elizabeth fingered her scarf. “He was interrupted for a second time today. But I’m afraid he’s not the kind that gets easily discouraged.”
    “Did anyone see him?”
    “Not well enough to make an ID. He got into a sorority house, but it was too dark for the woman he attacked to get a good look at him.”
    Lola started to fill her teacup. “What sorority?”
    “Kappa Omega.”
    Lola stopped in midpour. “What is it?” Elizabeth asked.
    “There was a telephone book in my kitchen. Caleb had to have left it on the table. It was opened to the
Ks
.”
    Both of them played with their teacups, neither one looking at the other. “No,” Elizabeth said, breaking their uneasy silence.“This was a planned attack. The killer wouldn’t have been looking up the sorority’s address at the last