Copp In The Dark, A Joe Copp Thriller (Joe Copp Private Eye Series) by Don Pendleton

hatched at the time?"
    Judith brooded on that one for a moment before replying, "Gay boys have pinups. I've seen a few on locker doors in my time. Not that I'm suggesting ..." She made
    a tiny smile. "But I guess you could turn the boys on, Joe."
    I ignored that. "Was Craig gay?"
    She looked away, studied the wall for a moment, looked back at me to say, "I don't know. Some of his best friends are.
    "The three... ?"
    She nodded. "Bi, anyway. Look—I never ask anyone what they do in the bedroom with whom, that's private and I'm not even interested in knowing. But you've got to understand—maybe you already do—gay men as a rule seem to be much more sensitive, often highly creative and perhaps even more gifted on the average than straight men. They naturally gravitate toward the arts ... and there are a lot of them in theater. I learned that a long time ago." She showed me a rueful smile. "Got a few lessons the hard way but I don't want to talk about that. The point is, there's nothing unusual in the fact that some of our cast are gay. As for Craig ... I just couldn't say. He seemed to enjoy the adoring attention of women but I don't know that he ever took any to bed. As for the other... it's not uncommon for straight actors to have gay friends. We sort of... pride ourselves on being very liberal that way."
    I asked her, "Do you get the same proportion of gay women—lesbians?"
    She gave me a direct look as she replied, "No, I think— this is just my own observation, for what it's worth—I think it might work the opposite way for women. Haven't you noticed?—Lesbians seem more attracted to the more aggressive lifestyles that have traditionally been the sphere of the strong male. Like, you know, competitive sports, executive careers, the law." She raised an eyebrow at me. "Law enforcement?"
           I shrugged and said, "Maybe."
           "But it wouldn't be fair to say that all female jocks and cops and business executives are lesbians, would it."
           I told her, "I've never suggested that all actors are gay."
           She said, "Well in this town that wouldn't be far off."
           "Really?"
           She laughed softly. "No, I'm just spouting the conventional wisdom. I hear it all the time. But it simply isn't true. Don't make Craig gay simply because he was on the stage."
           "How about the understudy?— Lunceford or Johansen or whoever?"
           She said very quickly, "Oh no, he's very happily married and is about to become a poppa."
           "About how soon?"
           She studied the wall again. "Oh ... I think she's about six months along. They got married, uh, I understand, after the fact."
           "He's a pretty solid guy?"
           She nodded. "Seems to be. Works a regular day job forty hours a week yet never misses a performance. Johnny is more than an understudy, you know. He's also cast as the Padre, works every night."
           I told Judith, then, about the Minnesota connection and asked her, "Did he ever talk to you about the family back home?"
           She smiled. "Yes. We have something in common."
           "What's that?"
           "His father is a judge. So's mine."
           I probably dropped a jaw on that one.
    Judith showed me a funny look and asked, "What's wrong?"
           "What kind of judge?" I muttered.
           She shook her head. Tm not sure. He refers to his dad as Judge Johansen, sort of jokes about it. I'd never joke about that. I'm proud of my dad."
           "Is your dad a federal judge?"
           "Sure is. U.S. District Court, California Central, sits in Los Angeles."
           "Holy mackeral ," I whispered.
           "But uh, Joe, don't get any ideas. I couldn't possibly ask my dad to intervene in any ..."
           She'd misread my reaction. I was getting plenty of ideas, all right, but not the kind Judith thought. And I was mentally kicking my butt all around that