Part 8 (1/2)
She set the basket down on my kitchen counter, and seductively perched herself on one of my breakfast bar stools. Her blouse had been untucked from her skirt, the s.h.i.+rt tails tied in a knot around her flat stomach.
”You lied to me, Marietta.”
”Lied?” She batted her eyelashes. ”How?”
There was a bottle of window cleaner next to the sink that I'd never seen before. I picked it up.
”How about opening up that s.h.i.+rt and letting me squirt you with this?”
”Is that what turns you on? Spraying women with gla.s.s cleaner?”
I grabbed her blouse and pulled, tearing b.u.t.tons.
”I was thinking more along the lines of was.h.i.+ng off those fake bruises. They're so fake, the purple has even rubbed off on your collar. See?”
I shot two quick streams at the marks, then used my sleeve to wipe them off.
They didn't wipe off.
I tried again, to similar effect.
Marietta sneered at me. ”Are you finished?”
”So what's that purple stuff on your collar?”
”Eye shadow.” She pointed at her eyes. ”That's why it matches my eye shadow.”
”Big deal. So you gave yourself those bruises. Or paid someone to give them to you. I met your husband today, Mrs. Garbonzo. All ninety pounds of him. He couldn't beat up a quadriplegic.”
”My husband abuses me, Mr. McGlade.”
”Yeah, I saw his swollen knuckles. At first, I thought they were swollen from hitting you. But he didn't hit you, did he Marietta? Roy has rheumatoid arthritis. I saw his medication. His knuckles are swollen because of his disease, and they undoubtedly cause him great pain. So much pain, he'd never be able to hit you.”
Marietta put her hands on her hips.
”He beats me with a belt, Mr. McGlade.”
”A belt?”
”These bruises are from the buckle. It also causes welts. See?”
She turned around, lifting her blouse. Angry, red scabs stretched across her back.
I gave them a spritz of the window cleaner, just to be sure.
”Ow!”
”Sorry. Had to check.”
Marietta faced me. ”I've paid you, I've done your laundry, and I've cleaned your apartment. Did you take care of the a.s.sa.s.sin for me?”
”Your husband didn't hire an a.s.sa.s.sin.”
”Is that what he told you?”
”I know it for a fact. The guy you hired is a sixteen-year-old pimply-faced kid. He couldn't whack anyone. He couldn't even whack a mole.”
I smiled at my pun.
Marietta made a face. ”I thought he sounded young on the phone. He really won't do it?”
”He lives in his parent's bas.e.m.e.nt.”
The tears came. ”I gave him a lot of money. Everything I've been able to hide from Roy during six years of marriage.”
I thought about mentioning I got the money back, but decided against it.
”Look, Marietta, just divorce the guy.”
”I can't. He threatened to kill me if I divorced him.”
”You can run away. Hire a lawyer.”
She sniffled. ”Pre-nup.”
”Pre-nup?”
”I signed a pre-nuptial agreement. If I divorce Roy, I don't get a penny. And after six years of abuse, I deserve more than that.” She licked her lips. ”But if he dies, I get it all.”
”Don't you think killing the guy is a little extreme?”
She threw herself at me, teary-eyed and heaving. ”Please, Harry. You have to help me. I'll give you half-half of the entire chicken empire. Help me kill the son of a b.i.t.c.h.”
”Marietta...”
”I cleaned your place, you promised you'd help.” She added a little grinding action to her hug. ”Please kill him for me.”
I looked around the kitchen. She did do a pretty good job. I wondered, briefly, if I'd make a decent Chicken King.
”I'll tell you what, Marietta. I don't do that kind of thing. But I know someone who can help. Do you want me to make a phone call?”
”Yes. Oh, yes.”
I pried myself out of her grasp and picked up the phone, dialing the number from memory.
”Hi, partner. It's me. Look, I've got a woman here who wants to kill her husband. I told her I'm not interested, but I thought maybe you'd be able to set something up. Say, tomorrow, around noon? You can meet her at the Hilton. Rent a room under the name Lipshultz. No, schultz, with a U-L. Okay, she'll be there.”
I hung up. ”Got it all set for you, sugar.”
She squeezed me tight and kissed my neck. ”Thanks, Harry. Thank you so much. Is there anything I can do to repay you?” Her breath was hot in my ear. ”Anything at all?”