Page 74 of Fade Out

“So this will be over.”

“Soon, darling. I promise.”

White came down a bit later. He suggested we sit at a table normally used for folding clothes.

“You need to put a uniform by the elevator and a plainclothes officer in the lobby,” I said as we were sitting.

“Yeah? Why is that?” he asked.

“Because Rita wasn’t there.”

“Where was she?”

I think he was beginning to tire of me having so many answers. “I don’t know. Maybe she’s out running errands or shopping or at the movies. She’s probably going to be back soon and if she sees what’s going on before you see her she’ll be on the run again.”

White looked at me a long moment and said, “I’ve already posted someone at the elevatorandin the lobby. So you think this is where the Buckman girl was killed?”

“I do. Don’t you?”

“You were kind of drunk last night. So I want to go over this again. Rita Lindquist wants revenge against you because…”

“I ruined her life.”

“Why doesn’t she just kill you? Murder doesn’t seem to faze her. She can’t really think we’ll never figure out she’s not in the box.”

“I don’t know what she’s thinking to be honest. But I doubt she has a high opinion of the CPD. She probablydoesthink you’ll never figure it out.”

“I hope you appreciate how helpful my client is being,” Owen said, inserting himself. White kind of glared at me.

“Is Gardner going to be able to connect you to Mazur?”

“The first time I ever saw him was when I found him standing on the balcony.”

“And if they were accomplices,” Owen pointed out. “Nick would never have brought you all there. That idea is just absurd.”

White raised an acknowledging eyebrow. “You’re not a very popular guy, are you Nowak?”

“I’ve managed to make a few enemies,” I admitted.

“I’d say more than a few.”

In fact, up until that moment I’d have included White among my enemies. After a thoughtful moment, he said, “I talked to the crime lab guys before I came down. They confirmed that the brown stains in the shower are blood. A lot of it. Mostly down low near the tub.”

That was consistent with the idea she might have been dismembered there. He didn’t say that outright, though.

“Are you going to take over Gardner’s case?” I asked.

“If I can prove the murders are connected,” he said. Then after just a moment he said, “Yes.”

I wondered how he’d do it, though. My grasp of science wasn’t all that strong. I was pretty sure they could type a bloodstain and match it to the blood type of the corpse. There might even have been some other things about the blood that would help. Antigens or pathogens or whatever.

“Do you think we could leave now?” Owen asked.

White thought for a moment. “Yeah, just… when you come by to sign your statements make sure to stop by my desk. I might have a question or two.”

“Will do,” I said. And then we left.

In the elevator, Owen said, “That went well. This should be all wrapped up by Monday afternoon.”