Page 42 of Fade Out

We were almost in front of her building when she stopped walking. “I’m not going to invite you up. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“I read about Rita. I really don’t think you killed her. But it’s not the kind of thing I want to be wrong about, you know?”

“I can see that. Will you answer a few questions?”

“If it doesn’t take too long.”

“The woman in the box was in her twenties, probably a dishwater blonde, not much in the way of a bosom. She would have been medium height—”

“Wait. That doesn’t sound like Rita.”

“I don’t think it is Rita.”

“Shit. Are you sure?”

“The police haven’t come to that conclusion. But I have.”

“You know, I saw her once. It was the boobs that got me. Bill always said he didn’t like big boobs, said more than a mouthful was wasted. Fucking liar.”

It was a white lie. Maybe even a kind lie. And if he’d stuck to that kind of lying I wouldn’t be standing there with her.

“No one comes to mind?”

She shrugged. “She might have dyed her hair. In fact, she probably did. No one wants to be a dirty blonde. Could have been a lot of people.”

“What about a guy? Tall, light hair—”

“Rita has another boyfriend? Already?”

“I don’t know much about their relationship.”

“I went to see him. My ex-husband. Bill.”

“Oh yeah? How was that?”

“He wants me back. Tried to convince me to sell the condo and post his bond. I didn’t appreciate that. I don’t think he enjoyed the visit.”

“You feel better afterwards?”

“Much.”

“So the guy who was seen with Rita. He’s about six foot four, blue eyes, sandy hair, not much of a chin, eyes close together.” She went pale and I knew I was getting somewhere. “You know who I’m talking about?”

Doreen nodded. Just the idea of this guy upset her.

“What’s his name?”

“Possum. That’s what his friends called him. Mike. Mike Mazur. He was in our wedding.”

“He’s violent, isn’t he?” That wasn’t a stretch. There was a dead girl after all.

“A friend of mine dated him a few times, but decided she wasn’t really into him. He came to her place, beat her up. Raped her.”

“Is he in prison?”

She shook her head. “Kelly—that’s my friend—she didn’t want to go through all that. I can’t blame her. Bill said we’d never see the guy again. Either of us. I guess that’s another lie.”