Part 22 (2/2)
”I could've, yes. But I don't remember what night it was.”
”You being a cop and all, I thought you'd remember the exact night.”
Terrence Mitch.e.l.l was a broad-chested man with a thick mustache, dark skin, and a full head of hair, not yet gray. He might even have been a handsome man when he smiled. He almost smiled at Stefanos then - but didn't.
”I don't remember what night it was.”
Stefanos swallowed spit. He was thirsty, but Mitch.e.l.l had not even offered him a gla.s.s of water when he'd entered the house.
”You like television, isn't that right, Mr. Mitch.e.l.l?”
”What's that?”
Stefanos nodded at the large-screen television set in a bookshelf across the room. ”Randy Weston says you watch a lot of television. Loud.”
Mitch.e.l.l blinked his eyes slowly to indicate that he was bored. ”I lost some of my hearing on the job, Stefanose.”
”It's Stefanos. The reason I mentioned the loud part is, Randy couldn't help but remember that you were watching Home Improvement Home Improvement while you were giving him that lecture. I mean, the laugh track was blaring in his ear. while you were giving him that lecture. I mean, the laugh track was blaring in his ear. Home Improvement Home Improvement runs on Tuesday night; Donnel Lawton was murdered on a Tuesday night.” runs on Tuesday night; Donnel Lawton was murdered on a Tuesday night.”
”That show runs every Tuesday night. It doesn't prove I was watching it, or lecturing Weston, on that particular Tuesday night.”
Stefanos made a nonsense note on his pad. Of course it didn't prove that Mitch.e.l.l talked to him that Tuesday night. It didn't prove s.h.i.+t. He was trying anything now. If Mitch.e.l.l or his daughter weren't going to cooperate, then Elaine Clay had no case.
”Let me ask you something.” Stefanos looked up and held Mitch.e.l.l's eyes. ”If Randy Weston were not a drug dealer who was dating your daughter, would your memory improve?”
”He is a drug dealer, Stefanos. I was a street cop in D.C. for many years.” Mitch.e.l.l looked Stefanos over. ”A real real cop. I saw firsthand what people like that do, to individuals, mothers, fathers... to families. When my wife left me, I made a solemn promise to protect my little girl. The truth is, I don't really care if that boy goes to jail.” cop. I saw firsthand what people like that do, to individuals, mothers, fathers... to families. When my wife left me, I made a solemn promise to protect my little girl. The truth is, I don't really care if that boy goes to jail.”
”Even if he's innocent?”
”He's not innocent.”
”But if you knew he was with your daughter at the time of the murder -”
”I'd deny it. And I'd deny this conversation. Cops lie all the time on the stand to get a conviction, you know that. I've done it before. If it means getting that boy away from Erika, I'd lie again.”
Stefanos shut his notebook. ”So what makes you different than the ones out there, breaking the law?”
Mitch.e.l.l's eyes narrowed. ”Say that again?”
Stefanos didn't repeat it. He stood from his chair. ”Do you know where your daughter is so I can contact her?”
”I always know where she is. I drop her at the Fort Totten station at seven-forty-five sharp every morning, and then she goes off to work. And I pick her up at five-forty-five, the same time, same place, every evening. She's a stylist at a shop over in Greenbelt.”
”What shop?”
”You're gonna have to find that out for yourself.”
”I'm going to talk to her, Mr. Mitch.e.l.l.”
”Go ahead. She'll tell you the same thing I have. She doesn't exactly remember.”
”Right.” Stefanos walked for the door, turned. ”By the way. You talked about families. Randy Weston's got a kid brother, not a bad kid but on the edge. And Weston's got a mother, too, works a government job downtown. She's trying real hard to keep it together, I'd expect. There's all sorts of families trying to make it out here. I just thought you'd like to know.”
”You see yourself out?”
”I got it. Thanks for your time.”
Driving south on New Hamps.h.i.+re, Stefanos remembered something Anna w.a.n.g had said about the Chinese guys she'd known. He crossed the District Line and took the Kennedy Street cutoff heading west.
TWENTY.
STEFANOS WALKED INTO the order area of Hunan Delite and went to the lazy Susan below the teardrop holes cut into the Plexiglas. He listened to the new Usher single coming from the tinny speakers mounted in the lobby while he waited to catch Jerry Sun's eye. Sun came forward, and Stefanos placed his license against the gla.s.s. the order area of Hunan Delite and went to the lazy Susan below the teardrop holes cut into the Plexiglas. He listened to the new Usher single coming from the tinny speakers mounted in the lobby while he waited to catch Jerry Sun's eye. Sun came forward, and Stefanos placed his license against the gla.s.s.
”Stefanos,” said Sun. ”I remember. What can I do for you?”
”Do you sell steak and cheese?”
”Very funny. C'mon, man, I got things to do.”
”I need to talk to you. I'll make it fast.”
Sun made a head motion. Stefanos walked back out the door and around the building. By the time he got there, Sun was leaning against the Dumpster, cleaning his eyegla.s.ses on his s.h.i.+rt.
”Jerry.”
”Nick!”
”Okay, okay. Listen, here's the thing: I know this Chinese girl, friend of mine named Anna, waitresses in this place I bartend for.”
”She sounds real nice. But I've got a girlfriend, Stefanos.”
”I don't think she'd dig you anyway. She doesn't date Chinese guys. Says they're more interested in their cars than their women.”
Sun smiled a little and shrugged.
”So I was thinking,” said Stefanos, ”about how you noticed the pipes on my sled.”
”So what?”
”What about that red Torino you saw speeding away from the murder scene? You notice anything more than what you gave me the first time?”
”Need help, huh?”
”I'm a Mopar man. I don't know a thing about Fords. You know what they say: You drive a Dodge, you drive in style; drive a Ford, you'll walk a mile.”
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