This Girl Who Was A Ghost, page 25
part #2 of Near Future Series
Maria drove while Russo sat slumped in the passenger seat, who was stone quiet since agreeing to be driven to the club.
Sammy leaned forward from the back seat. “Kind of cold in here for a warm night.”
Maria glared back at her.
“Should’ve brought a jacket.”
“Don’t expect a thank-you for chauffeuring old iron-ass around,” Maria said.
Russo sat up. “You’re just lucky I don’t arrest the both of you for interfering with a police investigation.”
“He confuses help with interference. Try to figure that out?”
“Is this part of your next big project, Santiago? What’s the end goal? Put the both of you in the hospital or worse?”
“Afraid we’ll make more progress on the case than you’ve made?”
“Did you just admit to continuing interference with a current police investigation?”
“He’s impossible.”
“If your interference causes another death, I’ll personally lock you up for accessory to murder.”
“How about your bumbling? Are you going to lock yourself up for that?”
“What do you know about a criminal investigation? Did you find an article about it between the best glossy lipstick and cinnamon bun recipes?”
“A typical condescending remark.”
Sammy leaned against the front seat. “We want this guy as much as you do.”
“If she gets hurt, I lock you up for child endangerment.”
“Are you going to pull your gun out next and start waving it around?”
“I can take care of myself,” Sammy said.
“Russo can’t even take care of himself. Must’ve been working on an all-night bender.”
Russo glared at her. “I was upstate with my dying mother.”
Maria turned to him, looking drawn. “Jesus, Alek, I didn’t know.”
Russo slouched. “Now, you do.”
“Is she… Is she comfortable at least?”
“They haven’t started the morphine drip yet if that’s what you’re asking.”
Maria looped a strand of hair around her finger. “Sorry.”
“Don’t mind her when there’s a story on the line,” Sammy said. “She’s like a dog chasing a squirrel.”
“Thanks for the analogy, Sam.”
“Like one of those big dogs that’ll knock you right over if you get in her way.”
“Are you through?”
“Just saying.”
Maria studied Russo. “If there’s anything we can do, you just ask.”
Russo shot his hand out. “Eyes on the road!”
Maria jerked the car from careening into a transporter.
Sammy thought of Uncle Danny turning blue and gasping for breath before he died. “If you need a shoulder to cry on, you can use mine. You’ll probably have to be sitting down, and it’s not much of a shoulder.”
Russo looked back with a weary grin. “Thanks, Sam.”
Sammy nodded, thinking back to when they put Uncle Danny in the bag and zipped him in. She’d half expected him to unzip it from the inside, pop his head out, and say, “How did you like that trick, princess?”
She wiped a tear from her cheek, looking out the window at passing blurred store signs.
●●●
Maria pulled up in front of the club. The usual limousines were gone. They filed out of the car as if they were following the same beat. Sammy expected Russo to say, “Stay in the car,” or “Don’t come in,” but he kept walking, and they followed.
Two of Johnny’s apes stood out in front. Russo flashed his badge, and doors magically opened.
The place was lit up and empty like a theater after the show was over. Janine was by one of the few occupied tables, helping two guys call for a transporter.
Johnny was leaning against the stage, talking on the phone. He put the phone away and marched up to them. They were about the same height, as Sammy figured, but Russo seemed taller.
Russo flashed the badge. “I’m Sergeant Russo.”
Johnny looked from Sammy to Russo. “Whatever she did, I had nothing to do with. She comes around all the time, and I have to chase her out.”
Sammy rolled her eyes. “If you think he’s come all this way to talk about me, then maybe that rug’s a little too tight.”
Johnny swallowed. “What’s this about?”
“Do you know a person by the name of Valentina Koussevitzky?”
Johnny nodded. “She’s one of my dancers.”
“Was she working here tonight?”
“Val worked the first show of the last act. She’s one of my better dancers, so I normally hold her back, but she had plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“I don’t get involved in the personal stuff.”
“She have admirers?”
“She’s a dancer.”
“Anybody in particular?”
Johnny shrugged. “She’s popular with everybody.”
“I’ll need access to your surveillance footage.”
“Don’t have surveillance,” Johnny said. “We honor our clientele’s privacy. What happens at the palace stays at the palace.” He grinned as though he thought it was clever.
“I’ll need to talk to your staff.”
Johnny turned back. “Just about everybody’s gone. We’ll be walking out the door soon.”
“Then whoever’s left.”
Johnny waved Janine over. “He’s got some questions about Val. I’ll be in the back if you need me.”
Russo introduced himself and flashed his badge.
Janine stared at the badge. “What’s this about? Is she okay?”
“What do you do at the club, Janine?”
“I’m one of the hostesses.”
“So you get a firsthand view of what’s going on at the tables?”
“More rushing than viewing,” Janine said, looking over her shoulder. “Could use more help.”
“But you have an idea which table a dancer favors for drinks?”
“Whoever will buy them one. Used to be they had their pick of tables, but now most are here for the pills.”
“Did Val have a favorite table?”
Janine turned halfway, scanning the front of the club. “I guess Bernie’s table. Then again, a lot of the girls go to Bernie.”
“Why is that?”
“Bernie’s a sweetheart,” Janine said. “He’ll always buy them a drink.”
“Was Bernie buying her drinks tonight?”
“He wasn’t here.”
“Who was her sweetheart tonight?”
“Tonight she had to hustle.”
“Do you know why she left early?”
Janine shook her head. “I didn’t know she did.”
“Is she close to anyone?”
“Maybe Anyssa? She’s another Russian dancer. The dancers have their own thing, so I’m not really sure.”
Russo took down her name, then talked to one of the apes standing by the VIP tables. The ape didn’t know Val by name, so he tried to figure out who she was by body parts. Sammy shook her head and walked away.
Marie took a call from Jack.
Johnny ushered Leo and Cindy out the back door.
Cindy stepped away from Johnny. “What’s going on, Sam?”
“Come on,” Johnny said, pushing Cindy out the back. “You can talk somewhere else.”
“Get your hands off of her.”
Leo slipped out the back door without saying a word.
“Leaving is the smart thing to do. Something the gnome doesn’t know anything about.”
“He needs to talk to Cindy about Val.”
“She’s not supposed to be working here,” Johnny said. “She’s wanted. You’re wanted too. You strike some kind of deal with the cops?”
“Don’t try to figure it out on your own, Johnny, or that rug will go up in flames.”
Cindy looked ashen. “Did something happen to Val?”
Sammy pushed away the image of Val’s vacant stare. “Can’t say.”
“Why can’t you say?”
Johnny tugged Cindy’s arm. “Because she doesn’t know anything.”
Russo spotted them.
Johnny bristled. “Great job, gnome.”
“He knows she works here, Johnny.”
Cindy swallowed, wringing her hands.
“He’s only interested in Val.” Sammy rubbed her shoulder. “If he asks what you do, tell him you do a little bit of everything.”
Russo stopped at the other side of the doorway, looking as if he needed an invitation.
“This is my friend Cindy,” Sammy said, nudging her forward. “She makes the best cheese puffs you ever had.”
“Are you the cook?”
“She does a little bit of everything. Place would go down the tubes without her.”
Russo gave Sammy his cop stare. “Let her talk.”
“Trying to help.”
Russo led Cindy to the nearby table.
“Make sure she doesn’t talk about the lab,” Johnny said, looking as if he were sucking on a lemon. “Girlfriend or not, she’ll be out of here, and you’ll never see a dime of what I owe you.”
“I haven’t seen a dime yet. Maybe I’ll tell him myself of your little manufacturing operation.”
Johnny grabbed her wrist hard. “Don’t try to threaten me, gnome.”
Sammy peeled his hand off and twisted his wrist back.
Johnny crumpled to his knees. “Let go!”
Sammy threw his arm back. “Don’t ever touch me again.”
Johnny rolled into a sitting position, flexing his hand. “What kind of freak are you?”
“I’ve been working out.”
Russo and Cindy were at one of the front tables. Russo leaned forward. “Was Val close to any of the other dancers?”
Cindy shook her head. “They have to work really hard for tips, and if one does well, the other thinks she took her money.”
“What about Anyssa?”
“You heard about the fight?”
“Tell me about it.”
“Me and Val were eating from a batch of cheese puffs I made when Anyssa came in after her show. Val always called Anyssa ‘ballerina’ because she used to be one back in Russia before she hurt her foot. I’ve seen her do a twirl. You could tell she was good.”
“What about the fight?”
“Anyssa didn’t like Val calling her ballerina,” Cindy said, thinking about it. “I don’t know why since she was a ballerina. Anyway, Anyssa called Val something in Russian. Must’ve been something bad because Val threw a cheese ball at her, hitting Anyssa right in the eye.
“Val laughed, calling her Cyclops ballerina. Anyssa picked up a knife off the cutting board. Linda stepped in and broke it up.”
“Anything else after that?”
“Anyssa’s eye was all bloodshot from the puff and she was pissed because she couldn’t hustle drinks. Linda doctored her eye so she could at least do her last show.”
“Any words between them after that?”
“I was mostly downstairs helping out with the pills.”
“Is Linda still here?”
Cindy shook her head. “Kitchen always closes early, so she’s usually the first one out. If you’re hungry, I can make you some cheese puffs. Won’t take long.”
Russo grinned, shaking his head. “Looks like everyone wants to go home.”
Johnny and two of his apes stood leaning against the stage, looking as if they were in a lineup. Maria paced a few feet away, holding her phone. Russo looked like if he closed his eyes, he’d be fast asleep.
Sammy stepped up beside Cindy. “Are you going to tell them, Russo?”
Russo glanced at Sammy, his face worn like a weather-beaten statue. “They’ll find out tomorrow, anyway.” He straightened, giving a little more life to his features. “Earlier tonight Valentina Koussevitzky was attacked and killed.”
A collective gasp spread over the club, feeling as if the air were sucked out of the place. Maria scurried to a quiet corner. The ape next to Johnny asked, “Which one is that again?”
Chapter Fifty-One
________________________________________
Sammy sat in Jack’s office with her legs over the arm of the chair. Maria and Jack were on the other side of the desk, editing her interviews from the slasher party. She originally thought they were creeps but had second thoughts after talking to them. The girl with the red-stained shirt was trying to feel something in the coldness of death, while others like Steve wanted to know what was the meaning of a life that could suddenly be cut short. Uncle Danny used to say when tragedy fell, “Wrong place and wrong time.”
That was always good enough for Sammy until the building they were staying at collapsed moments after they left, killing just about everybody. “But why were we spared?”
“Only fools and charlatans will give you an answer, princess.”
Sammy wished Uncle Danny was a fool or a charlatan that day.
Maria looked away from the screen at Sammy. “It’s good for your first try.”
So it was really shit?
“This one rambles a bit, but he’s insightful,” Jack said. “We can break him into segments as bullet points for others to fill in.”
Maria nodded. “I like that.”
“We’ll need a wrap-up on this. Are you going to do it?”
“I think Sam should do it.”
Jack shifted in his chair, thinking it over.
“It’ll keep the voice consistent.”
“We’ll stick to a simple voiceover then.”
Sammy looked from one to the other, waiting for a translation.
Maria sat up, stretching her back. “Did you finish editing the footage I sent on the club?”
“Should be finished in about an hour.”
Funny how quickly Val’s death became just another number in a column somewhere. Not that anyone at the club shed a tear for her. Cindy said she didn’t know her too well, which was Cindy-speak for not liking her much. One of the apes kept confusing her with another dancer. Johnny said that he wouldn’t replace her. Must be nice to be missed.
“Anything from Motor Vehicles?” Maria asked.
Jack nodded. “The list came in just before you got here. Our friends at Taxi and Limousine are holding out for more.”
“Think we need them?”
“They do cover limousine rentals and leases, which fits the profile of someone who’s passing through.”
Sammy swung her feet to the floor. “Yeah, like a bad storm.”
Maria glanced at Sammy. “Send us the motor vehicle list, and we’ll go through it.”
“If you have the remotest suspicion of someone, bring in Sergeant Russo.”
“So he can arrest us for obstruction.”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Feel better already,” Sammy said to herself. Her phone dinged. It was the list of about ten names.
Jack followed Maria from around the desk, stopping in front of Sammy. “I can see why Maria thought so highly of you. You’ve done some good work here and with time, I have high hopes for you in the future.”
“She’s a natural, Jack. She climbed that fire escape ladder like a monkey.”
Sammy sneered.
“I didn’t say you looked like a monkey. I’d be scared shitless, climbing up to the roof.”
“Good instincts all around, especially with bringing Sergeant Russo to the club.”
Maria looked away from Jack’s knowing stare. “He was being even more of a hard-ass than usual. I didn’t know about his mother.”
Jack ran his hand along the back of his neck. “I meant to reach out to him.”
“You should offer to cook him a dinner,” Sammy said to Maria.
Jack grinned. “Hasn’t the fire department put a restraining order on your kitchen?”
“It never fails. Every time I put a roast in the oven, a big story breaks.”
“I’ll buy you a roast on a slow news week.”
Maria tapped Sammy’s shoulder. “Let’s get lunch.”
Sammy pushed up off the arms of the chair. “Am I going to get paid for that story?”
“We should discuss payment options,” Jack said, rubbing his chin. “Obviously, we can’t pay cash with the numbers we’re talking, and since you’re under eighteen and still in the system, we can’t put money into your account.”
“Whatever you need, Sam, I can get it for you.”
Jack nodded. “Maria can be used as a resource until we get this straightened out. Two options available to us are an apprenticeship program and a guest worker program for foreign workers.”
She wasn’t born here, so maybe she could do the guest worker thing. Did she have an account under her real name?
“In order to use the apprenticeship program, you’d have to go back into the system. The foreign worker status is on the gray/illegal side and temporary.”
“Temporary is fine.”
Maria grinned. “You forgot to mention the gray/illegal part of it.”
“You don’t seem to have any trouble with it.”
Maria mouthed, “Smart-ass.”
“I’ll investigate both options, and we’ll discuss it again next week.”
Sammy thought of giving Jack her real name even though Uncle Danny told her to never use it.
“Come on, smart-ass,” Maria said, walking toward the door. “Let’s get some lunch.”
Sammy lingered, then followed Maria out the door.
Chapter Fifty-Two
________________________________________
Sammy scanned the gray outlines of passing buildings through the car window as dusk settled over the city. She had an eight o’clock appointment with Leo, and Maria decided to tag along, believing she had a decent chance of finding the slasher at the Pleasure Palace. The ten names on the list were a bust, although one looked like a match, and he was even into masks, the African kind, though. Sammy knew right away it wasn’t him. His profile showed a younger, thinner version, but he must’ve taken up collecting donuts by the size of him. Maria had to go on with the interview. That was what professionals do.
Jack was working on the next list. Sammy wasn’t feeling too confident.
