CHAPTER 40

Raymond Wohr's signed statement was less than Moe had hoped for but still enough to justify waking up Deputy D.A. John Nguyen.

Nguyen had worked on the marsh murders, had raised all sorts of cautious lawyer objections during that investigation. This time, he said, “I like it.”

Moe said, “We need Wohr out of County and back to Hollywood lockup. Sooner the better.” “I'll get that started.”

Moe reentered the interview room, gave Petra the thumbs-up. She smiled.

Ramone W was drinking coffee and eating his third donut, powdered sugar bearding his grizzled face. He said, “What?”

The detectives ignored the question and took him through the statement a second time. No change in demeanor or narrative, as he continued to deny any direct role in the murder of Adella Villareal or her baby. But he did admit setting up what he continued to insist was just another sexual transaction.

Phoning Adella on short notice and telling her he'd lined up a monster gig, whole different class of john, the guy wanted her now.

She'd been wary: “How come?”

“I showed him your picture.” A lie, but so what? This could work in her favor, how was he to know it wouldn't?

Another “relationship” begun at Riptide. Adella had lucked into Riptide after he, Ramone, had taken her and Alicia there for drinks to celebrate Adella's birthday. No one noticing Alicia, but Adella, all dolled up, that tiny black dress, a whole different story.

The night of the transaction, he said, “Client likes your picture.”

“You showed him my picture?” she said. “Like some ad on Craigslist?”

“What's the diff, monster client, Addie.”

“Right. The last ‘monster’ you set me up with was that four-hundred-pound slob who cried when I asked him for an extra hundred.”

“Forget hundred, Addie. This is three thousand big ones.”

No answer.

“You still there, Addie?”

“Three thousand,” she said.

“At least. Asshole's good for a whole lot more, trust me.”

“Three thousand,” she repeated. “What do I need to do for three thousand?”

“Nothing special,” said Ramone.

“Spell it out.”

“Round the world, no anal.”

“Three thousand… shit, I don't have a babysitter.”

“Not to worry, me and Alicia'll take care of the kid. In fact, bring the kid, that way minute it's over, he's back with you.”

“Leave Gabriel with you? You couldn't change a diaper if someone wrote you instructions.”

“Me and Alicia. Alicia has two kids.”

“I never seen them.”

“Two,” said Ramone.

“Where are they?”

Who the hell knows? Ramone said, “All grown up.”

“I don't know, Ramone, Gabriel's been cranky. I think he's teething or something.”

“Alicia can handle it. Three big ones, Addie, who knows how big the tip'll go.”

“I'm not splitting the tip.”

“Aw, man…”

“Nope,” she said. “No way. It's like a restaurant, the server gets the tip.”

“That sucks donkey,” said Ramone, “but fine. Be at the Hyatt, the one on the Strip. Here's the room number. He'll let you in.”

“Three thousand,” she said. “For sure no anal? Since giving birth I've got some tearing.”

“Front door only, Addie.”

“Three biggies for normal.”

“Soft john, he usually don't pay for it but I showed him your picture and he's hot for you.”

“Hot? He's whack?”

“No, no, he's ripe, that's all I mean. Even with that, you take too long, he's gonna change his mind. Bring the baby, Alicia'll meet you in the hall near the room-bring bottles, diapers, whatever.”

“How about four?” she said.

“Hold on.” Standing in Alicia's apartment by himself, he covered the phone with one hand and faked out consulting the client. “He says three and a half but you got to get there soon. You in?”

“Yeah,” she said.

“Now I can tell you who the john is.” Whispering a name.

She said, “No way!”

“Yes way. Is Ramone the man or is he the man?”

“Jesus-okay, yeah, yeah, I'll wear my good undies.”

Wohr finished his donut. “That's it. Same as I told you the first time.” Moe Reed said, “You had no idea what was going to happen?”

“Nope.”

“What'd you do with the baby?”

“Addie had the baby when she went in. I wasn't there.”

“And neither was Alicia.”

“Nope.”

“So bringing the baby was the client's idea.”

“The plan was for Alicia to be in the hall but she had to go to the bathroom, so she missed meeting Addie.”

“Sure,” said Moe. “That happened.”

Long silence.

Petra said, “There were two plans. The one you told her and the one you carried out.”

“I wasn't even there.”

“And neither was Alicia. Alicia never even came along.”

Silence.

Moe said, “That whole bullshit about Alicia was to get the baby there.”

No answer.

“Maybe Adella even said she'd call a babysitter and you said don't bother, we'll handle it.”

“Uh-uh,” said Wohr. “That never came up.”

“Maybe Adella said she'd call Caitlin Frostig.”

“Nope, don't know her.”

“You met her twice.”

“That's not knowing.”

“Caitlin had nothing to do with this.”

“I don't know her, I made a call, that's it.”

“And drove to the Hyatt.”

“No!” Ramone blurted. “I never went.”

“That's a new twist.”

“It's true.”

Moe resisted the urge to throttle the guy. “Don't insult us, Ramone. We see lips flapping but we don't hear the truth and the truth's the only thing going to set you free.”

“I told you the truth.”

“You told us a story. The truth is the baby. The whole point was the baby. Otherwise you wouldn't have told Adella to bring the baby.”

Wohr looked at the floor.

Petra said, “Sending a baby to a gig. That's one sick deal.”

“Aw, man…”

Moe raised his voice. “Tell us about the baby.”

“I don't know nothing about no baby.”

“Not any baby, Ramone. Baby Gabriel, Adella's baby Gabriel, the cute little baby you had Adella take to the Hyatt.” Waving the signed statement. “By your own admission, Ramone.”

Wohr hugged himself, slouched lower. “I made a call, that's it.”

Moe placed a thumb on Wohr's collarbone. Found a pressure point. Pushed. Wohr whimpered.

Moe said, “The point was Adella bringing the baby.”

“I guess.”

“You guess.”

“I did what I was told.”

“For a thousand bucks.”

Silence.

Moe said, “You didn't wonder why someone would slip you a grand just to make a call?”

“Addie worked for me.”

“We know you bragged about that-representing her, you were Mr. Hollywood. But it's not like she was in your stable. Because you don't have a stable, Ramone.”

“I got her other gigs. Rock guys, like at the Whiskey.”

“Great,” said Petra. “You're a heavy pimp. Doesn't that come with responsibility? You make a call, never see her again, you're not trying to find out what happened?”

“I figured she went back,” said Wohr.

“Back where?”

“Arizona,” said Wohr. “To see her family. She did that before, didn't tell me or nothing.”

“You set her up on a high-priced date, make sure she brings the baby,” said Petra. “Then she drops out of sight, you're not the least bit curious.”

“All I did was make a call.”

“Thousand-dollar call,” said Moe. “Go to the Hyatt on the Strip, here's the room number, you're free and clear. She gets her pretty self murdered and dumped in Griffith Park and you don't know about it?”

Silence.

“You expect us to believe you thought she made a family visit, meanwhile everyone knows she got killed and no one's seen the baby?”

Moe pushed down a bit more. Wohr whimpered. “You're good at making calls, Ramone. You're a frickin’ phone-call specialist.”

“Huh?”

“We got the trace an hour ago, Ramone.” No longer needing to lie. “Ratting out Alicia, because she was making noise, getting on your case for not cashing in on the first call.”