“Uh-uh, no way. If he told me, I would’ve tried to stop it.”

“Being an upright guy and all that,” said Milo.

“Hey,” said Hacker, winking. “I used to be his PO.”

“What about Christina Marsh?”

“She partied with us, a slut, Ray was fucking her. She was a stripper, and he liked her ’cause she was stupid and had a tight body. He bought her expensive stuff.”

“Like what?”

“Clothes, perfume. Like I said, Ray could be generous.”

“All the money you were making, he could afford to be.”

“It ran through his fingers,” said Hacker. “Typical con.”

“Ray buy Christina shoes?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“He liked her.”

“He liked what she did for him.”

“Until…”

“Until what?” said Hacker.

“She was also up there on Mulholland, Bennett.”

“True,” said Hacker.

“This is full disclosure? The deal can be turned around.”

Hacker pushed his glasses up his nose. “The deal’s already inked.”

“You keep twisting things to put yourself out of the picture, we’ll tear up the papers and send you over for a 187 prosecution.”

“I’m putting myself out of the picture because I wasn’t in that picture,” said Hacker. “In the Sentries picture, yes. The help-with-the-paperwork picture, yes. But not the up-on-Mulholland picture.”

“You knew Ray was going to whack Gavin.”

“He never came out and said so.”

“He hinted,” said Milo. “Said someone was gonna get stuck with the tab.”

Hacker hesitated. Nodded.

“He told you about it, afterward.”

“Who says?”

“You were roommates.”

“We weren’t asshole buddies.”

Milo mimed tearing up a sheet of paper.

Hacker said, “What he said was, ‘I solved our problem.’ I didn’t ask. Later, a couple of days later, we were getting high in the apartment and he was feeling good and he told me the details. Said it went down easy, the kid was surprised, he didn’t put up any resistance.”

“Why’d he kill Christina Marsh?”

“ ’Cause she was there.”

“Any other motivation?”

“He said she irritated him by being with the kid.”

“Irritated.”

“That’s the word he used. Ray had a way… using little words for big feelings. I know for a fact that Christi irritated him other times, too, because he told me.”

“What’d she do?”

“It’s what she didn’t do. Not being there when Ray wanted her to be. One time, he scored some high-class coke, wanted to party with her, and she wasn’t available. Then she did that again. Said she was busy. Ray didn’t like being told no.”

“How’d Ray meet Christi?”

“Some bar,” said Hacker. “He picked her up.”

“A bar where?”

“Playa Del Rey. The Whale Watch. It’s a place we went a lot.”

“Christi was there,” said Milo.

“Right there,” said Hacker. “Ripe for the picking- Ray’s words.”

“You party with her, too?”

Hacker laughed and smoked, shoved his glasses up again, took them off, and said, “I need a smaller size of these.”

Milo said, “You party with Christi Marsh, Bennett?”

“Not quite.”

“Why’s that?”

“Ray wasn’t into sharing.”

“Ray ever talk about someone named Flora Newsome?”

“Her?” said Hacker, surprised. “Yeah, I knew Flora; she temped at an office where I worked.”

“Ray come into that office?”

“Yeah,” said Hacker. “As a matter of fact, Ray knew her, too. They dated for a while.”

“As a matter of fact,” said Milo.

“Why? What’s she got to do with anything?”

“She got stuck with the check.”

Hacker’s myopic eyes bugged. “You’re kidding.”

“You didn’t know?”

“I transferred out of that office- it was a satellite- after maybe two weeks. Flora? I liked her. Nice girl, quiet. I thought about dating her myself, but then Ray started with her.”

“And Ray didn’t like to share.”

“He did her?”

“Oh, yeah,” said Milo.

“Too bad,” said Hacker. His voice had dropped; he looked as if he meant it.

“Something bother you, Bennett?”

“What’d she do to piss Ray off?”

“You don’t know?”

“I swear I don’t.”

“You said Ray implied he’d done women.”

“Yeah, but like I said he just hinted around- you’re saying that was her? Flora? Shit.”

“That bother you, Bennett?”

“Sure it does. I liked her. Nice girl. After Ray said he wasn’t dating her anymore, I told him maybe I’d give her a try. He got irritated with me, told me sloppy seconds was for losers.” Hacker licked his lips. “I thought about doing it anyway, I liked Flora. But you didn’t want Ray irritated at you. Was it in the papers?”

“Nope,” said Milo. “Small-time story.”

“Flora,” said Hacker. “Unreal.”

“You guys have fun rooming in the Marina?”

“His idea, not mine,” said Hacker. “He was supposed to split the rent, so I thought, why not, we’d go our separate ways. He paid one month.”

“Don’t tell me,” said Milo. “You didn’t complain.”

“Like I said.”

“Ray a good roomie?”

“Actually, yes,” said Hacker. “Made his bed, vacuumed. You know cons, they can be real neat. I thought it would save me some money. My plan was to own the place, not just rent. My main place is a shithole, you saw it. I like the water- you’re sure the federal thing is buttoned down? I won’t be close to anyone I might’ve worked with in California? I don’t want to be watching my back all the time.”

“Buttoned tight.”

Hacker smoked, smiled. All thoughts of Flora Newsome vanished.

Milo said, “Something amusing, Bennett?”

“I was thinking,” said Hacker. “When the six years are over, I’m gonna be assigned to someone like me.”

CHAPTER 46

It would be a long time before Jerry Quick’s entire story would be told.

“Maybe never,” said Milo.

There was a dash of false hope. A week after I’d seen Kelly Quick and her mother, Kelly made the mistake of using a conventional cell phone, not a prepaid, when she called Rio de Janeiro. Milo had gotten a subpoena for her account, and he traced the call.

“Staybridge Suites Hotel, São Paulo, Brazil.”

“Brazil has no extradition treaty with the U.S.,” I said.

“Funny thing about that. Quick checked in four days ago with a woman, paid cash, checked out yesterday, no indication where. The registration book lists them as Mr. and Mrs. Jack Schnell, Englewood, New Jersey, and they had passports to prove it. The desk clerk describes it as a May-December thing. Gray-haired guy, younger woman, dark, slim.”

“She have blue fingernails?”

“Ka-ching, you get the kewpie doll. Clerk said they looked deeply in love. Clerk said Mr. Schnell bought Mrs. Schnell a string bikini and various other baubles.”

I said, “Schnell means ‘quick’ in German.”

“Yeah, I know. Ha-ha-ha.”

Mistake number two: A MasterCard belonging to Sheila Quick had been used to rent a room at a Days Inn in Pasadena. Milo and I drove out there, spotted Sheila reading a softcover by the pool, covered by a bulky robe; no string bikini, there. She looked pale and small, and we avoided her and walked up to her room.

Milo’s knock was answered by a young female voice. “Yes?”

“Housekeeping.”

Kelly Quick opened the door. Saw him, then me. Said, “Oh, no.” She was barefoot, had her hair pinned up, and wore glasses, cutoffs, and an oversized olive drab T-shirt that read US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES. WE GET THE JOB DONE. In her hand was ten pounds of law book.

Milo said, “Hi, Kelly,” and showed her his badge.

She said, “I haven’t done anything.”

“How’s the weather in São Paulo?”

She sagged. “I screwed up, should’ve used a pay phone. He’s going to…” Her mouth clamped shut.

“Going to what, Ms. Quick?”

Tears filled her eyes. “Going to be disappointed in me.”