This Girl Who Was A Ghost, page 15
part #2 of Near Future Series
“I had a plan to slip in through the second-floor back window and sneak the twins out, but she booby-trapped the window.”
Russo cleared his throat. “That was the home invasion charge. Detective Rynarzewski at the One-Three is doing a follow-up investigation. There appears to be some discrepancies in the foster mother’s account.”
Kyra sat back in the chair. “We still have the assault charge, which may be the biggest roadblock.”
“What about the assault he did to me and those kids?”
“If assaulting him was the only means of escaping and saving the lives of the other children, then it’d be justified, but your act was more in the realm of vigilante justice.”
“He got what he deserved. Wouldn’t surprise me if Mort the snake slithers out of this one. Just wished he was there so that I could’ve shoved the rest of that violin up his ass, and each time he farted he’d play a concerto.”
Lantz laughed so hard that Sammy was afraid his belly would explode. “That’s good, kid.”
Kyra folded her arms. “We’ll see if we can avoid going to trial.”
Sammy stood. “So I can go?”
“Tell us what you know and maybe we can use that to further the investigation,” Kyra said, gazing over at Lantz, who was bent over and red-faced. “That’s if Detective Lantz can continue.”
Lantz held his hand out as if he’d just swallowed something and couldn’t talk. “It’s just that I’ve heard ‘concerto’ so many times.”
They took a break, getting a cup of water, and then questioned her for about an hour, coming back a few times to the phony name, trying to trip her up. She told them that Uncle Danny left her a violin, and she always wanted to play it. The silver-haired lady told her to take the name tag, so she went with the new name. She told them about her theory of the insurance angle, and how when she’d told Violin Face her thoughts, he’d told her to shut up and pressed a knife to her back.
Kyra sat up. “Insurance fraud is a possible motive.”
Lantz scanned his notes. “The Stradivarius wasn’t there. Paolo kept trying to step onto the crime scene, afraid we’d trample on his priceless violin. I finally gave it to him, but it wasn’t in the case. He accused me of stealing it.”
“Someone stole it?” Russo asked.
Too bad it wasn’t her. It might’ve been worth all the angst.
Lantz shook his head. “The violin was in the wrong case. The prick never even apologized.”
“It was a switch,” Sammy said. “Mort the snake had visions of making more than four million.”
“Want to explain?” Russo asked.
“It’s like a magic trick. You pull a scarf out of a pocket and cut it up. Then you put the scarf back in and pull it out again and it’s whole. The scarves were switched, making you think it was the same one. They planned on burning the fake Stradivarius and claiming it was the real one. That’s why Mort the snake told him to burn it into dust—so the insurance company couldn’t identify it.”
“So you’re saying the mix-up was planned.”
Sammy nodded. “Mort turns around and sells it to a private collector and pockets a few extra million.”
“Russo, who’s the guy that does the high-end art theft?”
“Fishbeck out of Police Plaza. He’d know a fence who deals in high-end musical instruments.”
“Paolo could’ve gotten offers for it,” Sammy said. “If he wasn’t in on it, I’d bet he’d be real happy to give you some names.”
Lantz nodded. “He seemed really surprised by the violin mix-up. No one’s that good of an actor.”
Kyra leaned back in her chair. “Perhaps we should put her on the payroll.”
Russo had a low rumble of a chuckle. “I still can’t get my head around how she made a lockpick out of the violin strings.”
“You’d be surprised what you can come up with when choking on your last breath,” Sammy said.
Kyra studied Sammy. “I’m tempted to hold her as a material witness. Do I need to be convinced otherwise?”
Sammy jumped up from the seat. “That’s what I get for helping you?”
“It’ll be a clean, safe place. I’m sure it’ll be better than where you’re living now.”
“A nice cage, you mean.”
Russo put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her down. “If you need her as a witness, I’ll get her there.”
“Kyra, we should go to trial just to put this kid up on the stand.” Lantz chuckled. “Farting concertos.”
“I don’t think the judge would share your sense of humor.” Kyra wrapped it up and thanked them for coming.
Russo stood, nodding to Sammy to do the same. He ushered her past Lantz.
Lantz nodded to her. “You’re okay, kid.”
“Going to take me to get lollipops next?”
He bellowed out another laugh.
Kyra shooed them away. “Go before you give him a heart attack.”
They walked to the end of the hallway, down the steps, and out the door without speaking. Russo looked down at her. “You were good in there.”
“Going to give me a job?”
He gave her the usual cop smirk. “You’re smart. Should be in school.”
“Didn’t like school.”
“That wasn’t the impression I got.”
“I’m good at fooling people. Ask Gladys.”
“So you didn’t get along with your foster mom. There are other homes. I could ask around.”
He opened the car door for her.
She slid across the seat.
Russo closed the door and jogged around to the driver’s side.
Sammy looked over at him as he dropped behind the wheel. “You said you’d make sure I’d show up. How do you know I won’t run off?”
“I don’t.”
“So why did you say it?”
He started the car. “Because I owe you.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
________________________________________
Sammy stood by the curb in front of the apartment, waiting for Maria Santiago. She had invited Sammy out to dinner as a peace offering. Sammy said no at first, but Cindy being Cindy convinced her.
“She’s trying to mend fences, and you just slammed the door in her face,” Cindy had said. They’d bonded over the makeup bot after Russo hauled Sammy in for questioning.
“It could be that I like the fences the way they are.”
“Sam!”
“You know she’s got some poll or interview up her sleeves to sell more of those cleaning bots.”
“You always see the worst in people.”
“Uncle Danny used to say, ‘Expect the worst and every once in a while they’ll surprise you.’”
Cindy called Maria back, apologizing and making Sammy seem like the biggest ingrate to walk the earth. Sammy couldn’t take it anymore and agreed to go on the stupid dinner date, just so she could tell Cindy, “I told you so.”
Maria pulled beside her and waved her in. “I won’t bite.”
Sammy plopped down into the seat and closed the door. “Is that your catchphrase?”
“What? I won’t bite?”
“It creeps me out.”
She put the car in drive. “Sorry. I’ll try not to creep you out.”
The bot sat quietly in the back, planning its attack. “Don’t you ever leave that bot at home?”
“We’re inseparable,” Maria said with a breathy chuckle as if something was funny.
Yeah, definitely creepy.
“It’s a company car, so I have to take Cass whenever I use it.”
Sammy took a hard look at Maria, trying to gauge if she’d turn into a psycho stalker like Tatiana.
“So was Detective Sergeant Russo his charming self?”
“He’s okay for a cop.”
“I’m guessing your standards aren’t too high for cops.”
“Yeah, just a notch higher than news reporters.”
Maria glanced over at Sammy. “Guess I stepped into that one.”
Sammy thought about looking for a new place. Then she’d know if Russo was on the level about owing her.
“So how did it go with the questioning?”
“Is that why you asked me to dinner?”
“I’m just trying to make conversation,” Maria said. “You’re not exactly a chatterbox.”
“Why don’t we talk about the makeup features of Cass?”
“You’re interested in that?”
Sammy folded her arms. “No.”
“Are you ever going to give me a chance, Sam?”
“A chance for what?”
“To be friends.”
“You want to be my friend?”
“Collaborators, then. Is that better?”
“Here it is. A new poll on how much I’m lying about things.”
“We had two differing accounts, so what was I supposed to do? Hook both of you up to shock mats until one of you told the truth?”
“I’m sure you’d rack up the eyeballs doing something like that. How many cleaning bots did you sell with the ‘who was lying’ polling bit?”
“Who’s going to pay for the car, Cass, my salary if we don’t sell spots? If you want to be treated like an adult, then grow up.”
Sammy stared at her. Did she just say that?
“Sorry.”
“No, that was good. Finally got to see the real Maria.”
“In that case, sorry, hard-ass.”
Sammy grinned. “That’s better.”
They both laughed.
“I had a place picked out to eat, but you’re not exactly dressed for it.”
“A fancy place?”
“You sound like that’s a bad thing. It has good food and good service, and most importantly I get a discount.”
“Because you’re Maria Santiago?”
“You got that right. I worked hard to be Maria Santiago.” She said her name in the same singsong way Sammy did.
“It’s not your real name?”
“It’s a shorter version of it.”
“How long is it?”
“Maria de la Santa Cruz Rosalina Angelina Rodriguez Santiago.”
“Holy shit!”
“Imagine saying that every night.”
They were a few blocks away from the park where the girl was killed. Sammy pressed down on the knot in her stomach. “Where we going?”
Maria glanced over at Sammy’s T-shirt. “Someplace casual.”
“Got to dress up to eat?”
“It’s all about packaging, Sam. What does your appearance say about you?”
“I’m not a phony.”
Maria let out a breathy chuckle.
“What?”
“So no white lies or half-truths ever pass your lips?”
“When it comes to protecting somebody I care about, then I’ll lie with the best of them. It’s got nothing to do with being a phony.”
“If you’re not saying what you believe, isn’t that a form of phoniness?”
“There’s a big difference between telling a white lie and dressing up like some pixie queen, thinking you’re something special.”
“Be careful, Sam. You’re showing a little psychic slip.”
“You interviewed a shrink once, and now you think you know something.”
“Touched a nerve. I wonder what that means?”
“It means whatever spin you put on it, that’s all.”
“We all spin, Sam, even you. You just like to spin against the wind.”
“Must be why I’m always falling down.”
Maria chuckled. “I like you, Sam.”
“Lucky me.”
Maria licked her lips, glancing over at Sammy. “I’m thinking of doing a long-form show. I haven’t even talked to Jack about this yet. You remember Jack, right?”
“The rich guy in the big house?”
“He does okay for himself,” Maria said. “Don’t know if he’s interested in producing it, though.”
“You asking me to produce it?”
“Unless you have a stash of money and a few connections.”
Yeah, Leo was her big connection into the world of the bizarre, and Johnny into the world of cheap owners of skin-joints.
“The reason I’m bringing this up is that I don’t know if it’ll be a go or not.”
“And why would I care about this?”
“I want to use you as a consultant for the first two episodes, and if we get picked up on one of the big streaming channels, you can come on as a permanent assistant.”
“You want me to tell you what to do?”
“More in the area of gathering the news and finding stories. You seem to have a knack for it.”
“How much are you paying?”
“I can’t pay much for the first two episodes, but if you come on as an assistant, you’ll get a regular salary.”
Salary sounded like a ball and chain with another ball added each week.
“I’ve always wanted to tell news events in more of a story form. This could be a way for me…for both of us.”
Sammy thought of telling her, “no thanks,” but said nothing.
“You don’t have to tell me now. It may never—”
The bot beeped and jostled in the back seat. Sammy spun. Was that thing itching to do a makeover?
“What is it, Cass?”
“Young female victim found… Status dead.”
“Cass, send coordinates to navigation system.” Maria made a hard right turn. “It looks like our dinner plans will be delayed.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
________________________________________
Maria swung open the door and cursed. “How did Dragon Lady get here before us?”
“It wasn’t for lack of trying.” Maria’s pinned turns and squealing tires reminded Sammy of Tatiana’s driving, although Maria’s demeanor was more bulldog than the giddy chuckling of a psycho.
Maria slammed the door. “I bet she got images before they threw the sheet over.”
“A girl’s dead and you’re worried about pictures?”
Cass spun out of the back seat, rolled along the car, and squeezed between the two cop cars blocking the alley. Sammy hopped out. The bot stopped beside a lady talking to a cop.
The white sheet that covered the body seemed to glow as if the dead girl’s spirit hovered, unwilling to leave a life cut short. Dark stains of death pitted one end of the sheet.
The lady looked back at Maria with a smirk.
“She’s probably tickling his balls right now.”
Sammy stepped away from the car. “Gross.”
A drone hovered a few feet above Dragon Lady and the cop. Maria tugged on her sleeves and smoothed out her skirt before marching over to the cop. Sammy drifted behind.
“Why it’s Chasing Tail News,” Dragon Lady said, still holding onto the smirk.
“Who did you blow to get here first?”
“It’s called technology,” she said, pointing to the drone. “We don’t use the bucket-of-bolts makeup kit.”
“Maybe because there’s not a makeup kit in the world that’d fix your face.”
The lady glared at her. “Tell me what’s your secret, Maria Sauce? Do you swallow or spit out?”
“I push the trash aside.” Maria nudged past her to talk to the cop.
Dragon Lady strolled between the two cop cars and gave Sammy a once-over. “Who are you? An assistant? A protégé? Please, don’t tell me you’re a protégé.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“You look familiar. Why do you look familiar?”
“Maybe I got one of those faces.”
“No, it’s not just the face. It’s the voice, the tone. I have a good ear for these things. If you want to learn from the best, you should follow me around. If you want to learn makeup, follow Maria Sauce.” She studied Sammy. “You don’t look like the makeup type, though.”
“The only thing I’ve learned from you two is how to be a trash-talking ass while the girl under the sheet is still warm.”
Dragon Lady’s gaze narrowed. “Ava, help me out here.”
The drone hovered a little closer.
“Oh, yes, you’re the avenging angel concert-hall girl. It wasn’t a bad piece until Maria Sauce flashed her fangs. I was interviewing Santella, or else I would’ve scooped her and made it a real newsworthy story.”
Maria strolled up to them. “You better be careful, Sam. The dragon’s been suspected of being rabid.”
“If you see Maria foaming at the mouth, look for scraped knees and dropped trousers.”
Sammy crossed her arms and leaned back against the car. “You two make me sick.”
“You’re right, Sam,” Dragon Lady said. “We’re acting like a couple of asses.”
Maria stewed. “Speak for yourself.”
The lady flicked her hand as if she were shooing a fly. “I’ve been doing this too long.”
“The years haven’t been kind, Dell.”
“Will you shut your hole, M?”
Maria looked as if she’d been slapped.
“It’s been a while since I called you that.”
Maria nodded.
“She used to be my protégé,” Dell said to Sammy. “Others lasted two weeks tops. M was with me more than six months, never missing a day until Chasing Tail News came around.”
“It was a show of my own. I thought you’d be happy for me instead of being the miserable bitch you are.”
“You were still too green.”
“You just didn’t want to let go of someone who could take all of your shit.”
“I was grooming you to replace me.”
“When was that? The ten- or twenty-year plan?”
“Now!” Dell said, looking away. “I’m tired of this.”
“You’re going to retire?”
Dell shook her head. “Go into production. Maybe do a special once or twice a year.”
A guy who was tall and lean with chiseled features jogged up to them. “They wouldn’t let me in.”
“You take the bus?” Dell asked.
“No,” he said as if that were the stupidest thing. He scanned behind him by the body. “Did I miss anything?”
“We’re waiting for the results of the autopsy.”
Maria chuckled.
