Page 28 of Violent Things
“Oh?” The woman frowns up at me, tilting her head to one side. “And what’s with the face, then? You get those bruises fromfixing cars?”
“No. I was in a fight.
“French’s, right?” Lowell grins. “Yeah, I’ve heard a lot about the place. That’s Seattle PD’s domain normally, but could be there are drugs there, too, right, Agent Cooper?”
The guy next to her sitting at the wheel grunts, squinting at me from inside the car. “Could be.”
“And even if there aren’t any drugs, participating in an underground fighting ring’s pretty dangerous, wouldn’t you say? Not to mention illegal. Would CPS consider a young guy involved in blood sports is a fit role model for a little girl?”
My blood runs ice-cold in my veins. “Don’t fucking threaten me.”
“Oh, come on, now. I’m not threatening you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Won’t take a moment of your time.”
“What about? I’ve told you, I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“It’s not you we’re interested in, Mr. Reeves. I can promise you that. We’re actually more interested in what you know about Zeth Mayfair.”
Zeth?Well, now that makes a little more sense. I’m not completely stupid, though. I talk to this woman about Zeth Mayfair and I’m going to end up in a ditch somewhere, missing body parts. “Look, I’m really sorry. I don’t know what you heard but I don’t know anything about Mayfair. I go to his gym sometimes. That’s it.”
Lowell shakes her head, her lips pulling into a taut line. “Don’t be foolish, Mason. Everyone in Seattle knowssomethingabout Zeth. You want to know whatIknow?”
“Not particularly.” I look away, toward the gym, hoping against hope that the man himself hasn’t seen me out here talking to a federal agent. I’m shit out of luck, though. He’s leaning against the wall inside the gym, arms folded across his chest, eyes fixed solely on me as I shift from foot to foot.
“Don’t worry about him,” Lowell says. “Zeth’s headed back to Chino any day now. He just doesn’t know it yet. See, we found a body last week up in the mountains. The body of a young woman. Gun shot wound.” Lowell glances over at Zeth, still leaning against the wall. She shoots him an unbearably sweet smile, and then waves.
“The girl was murdered, Mr. Reeves,” she says, still smiling. “And guess who’s DNA wasallover her.”