Copp In Deep, A Joe Copp Thriller (Joe Copp Private Eye Series) by Don Pendleton Page A

many decades, or else totally dominated by those who raped her. But she is not dead, Joseph, and she is not the whore they thought her to be."
    "Tough old broad, huh?"
    "Exactly. Do you understand perestroika?"
    I replied, "As a buzzword . . ."
    "Buzzword in this country, perhaps—but, Joseph, in certain quarters it is seen as the re-awakening of the tough old broad. The USSR is not Mother Russia, and perestroika is no instrument of Soviet socialism. It is acknowledgement that socialism is unworkable and dying. Can you imagine Marx or Lenin advocating free enterprise in their day? No. And they are proven wrong."
    I said, "I'm not much into world politics, Cherche ."
    "Nor am I," she replied. "But I want you to understand that I am not a communist."
    "Never figured you were,"
    "Good for you. But some perhaps think that I am."
    "Why would they think that?"
    "Because of my encouragement of Mother Russia. I am not political, Joseph, but I can be very sentimental. And I remember the stories told to me at my mother's knee. I would love to see things that way again in Russia, or at least the possibility that it could occur. Do you understand?"
    I asked, "What does this have to do with me, Cherche ?"
    "Everything," she said quietly.
    I took a deep breath and said, "Okay. What do you want from me?"
    "Find out about Nicky for me."
    "What about Nicky?"
    "Is he Russian?—or is he Soviet?"
    "It's not the same, eh?"
    "In the heart, no, it is not the same."
    "I was told that he is KGB."
    "Yes, I know you told me that. I believed at the time that you were wrong."
    "At the time?"
    "Yes. If you were wrong, then all perhaps is well with me. But if you were right... then, Joseph, Cherche may be in need of a very tough gorilla."
    "That's why you hocked your house?"
    “What good is the house, darling, if Cherche is dead?"
    I took another deep breath, let it go, told her on the growl, "A lot of people are dead already, darling."
    "This I know," she said quietly. "Save me, Joseph."
    "Just like that, eh?"
    "Save me."
    "You'll have to help me do that."
    "Very well."
    "That means total honesty."
    "Of course."
    But she was lying in her teeth already. I don't believe she ever intended to give me even ten percent honesty. I sort of sensed it at the time, but I had to give the lady the benefit of any doubt. She'd hocked a mansion to get my sorry butt out of jail. So I owed the lady one very tough gorilla.
    I just hoped the hell I could find one.
     

Chapter Twelve
     
    Cherche wanted me to attend a "very special party" at her place that night, assuring me that we would have ample opportunity to talk during that event and also hinting that I would meet some interesting people there. Meanwhile she had many things to do in preparation for the event and wanted to be left alone. I later learned that she throws those "very special" parties almost every night. It is basically how she makes her living, so this was just business as usual and she was trying to fit me into the routine without disturbing it.
    I needed the time anyway. Wanted to check on my van and find a way to get it back home and tucked away, also there were things inside it that I needed. I stopped at a U-Haul on my way through Pasadena and rented a tow bar, found the van in good shape, towed it home. Things seemed normal there too. I put the van in the garage and double-checked the premises before I went into the house.
    All was shipshape inside so I threw a frozen dinner into the microwave and ate it in the study while reviewing the papers that Tom Chase had given me earlier. Found nothing that meant much more than it had at the start, except I noted that both of the murdered Pow - erTron executives had families and I had to wonder about the survivors. Wondered also about the circumstances at the Putnam home that allowed his death to go undiscovered those many hours.
    The cops had been very cagey about all that, gave me no information whatever concerning time of death or anything else. But if