Part 20 (2/2)
I flipped the photo over and read the words gouged deep into the paper with ballpoint
este es uel Javier Ruiz, narcotizado y matado por Tio Teddy el 14 de julio de 1999
”Can you read Spanish?” I asked Labeck
”I can pick out a feords Mi hered Tio Teddy, of course, is Uncle Teddy”
”Matado?”
”It think it meansI'd taken Spanish instead of French ”Miguel was drugged to death Maybe Brenner did him the way he did me, crushed a pill into the boy's drink”
Labeck nodded ”When I was in college, a girl OD'd on roofies Only it was called Easy Lay on my campus She popped a couple at a party, went into a coe scene about ten years ago Dirt cheap, two bucks a pop Kids used 'eerous Sleazy fraternity guys would dope girls' drinks, then rape theuel died, Luis must have blae himself on the man who'd killed his brother”
Labeck started to cru else” He shook out a floppy disk Labeck held it up, turning it in his hands ”Let's try running this thing on my computer”
A few minutes later Labeck's up-to-the-second, bells-and-whistles Hewlett-Packard was up and hu out file after file Lists of transactions, coded nuht have referred to bank accounts, names, phone numbers, shi+p empire
”I do not believe this,” Labeck breathed ”I fucking don't believe it Brenner washundreds of thousands off the pills Maybe millions”
Someone rapped sharply on the front door and we both jus, rocketing down the hall to the door
”I'azine subscriptions,” rasped a deep voice on the other side of the door
Labeck let hietup was too much foraly swift reflexes, Labeck nabbed enta's ankle
”Maybe you should try adding Zoloft to his Alpo?” Magenta suggested He tugged off his wig and removed his platfor at Magenta and growling out threats about ould happen to his liver and spleen if he tried any funny business
Labeck uire-this is like, so thrilling!” trilled Magenta, claspingfor you every moment of your escape! You look much cuter in real life than on TV! I am your absolute number one fan!”
”Sorry, position filled,” Labeck said
”I'et hooked up? Aoing to swear you to secrecy before we tell you anything,” Labeck said
”Cloak and dagger, I love it!”
I was putting loved hands of ato a movie whose showstopper was ”Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul” But Labeck appeared to trust Magenta, and somewhere in the past two hours I'd entrusted o, whoenta everything It was a long, involved story, and both men often interrupted with questions We were all starved by the ti out the last syllable, so we raided Labeck's fridge and indulged in an iuaranteed to keep us aith indigestion all night
”What I don't get,” Labeck said, ”is how Kip got his hands on that first snapshot, the one he hid in the lamp How did he know Luis?”
”No idea” I watched in fascinated disgust as Labeck piled potato chips, olives, and braunschweiger onto a wheat bun, then swizzled Russian dressing over the entire mess ”They didn't rant orked in a pickle plant Maybe heon souys?” Labeck asked
I shook my head I was the yard help
”Where did your husband hang out?” Magenta asked
In ht, but didn't say ”He golfed a lot Played tennis, sailed”
”What else?”
I tried to think, but it required a massive effort My eyes burned, my muscles ached, my Girdle of Venus throbbed I wanted to curl up in Labeck's war-sized bed and wake up to find ed my tired brain into action ”Strip clubs Sports bars His emore?” Labeck asked ”Maybe Luis Ruiz did odd jobs for her”
”Maybe he was her cabana boy,” Magenta suggested, wiggling his eyebrows
Prentice in a bikini, uys went back once again to the Brenner files on the co up the kitchen We'd used paper plates, but there were knives and plastic containers to wash up I ran water into the sink and squirted in detergent I've always found running water conducive to thinking; my best ideas occurred to me in the shower I screwed the lids back on the pickles and olives, wrapped the cheese in foil, replaced the buns in their package And then so shi+fted in my cerebellum
”Facebook!” I said
”Is now the tiht up Kip's Facebook on the co photos, and explained hted as a waiter Kip's Facebook had photos fro he attended a feeeks before he was killed Luis ht” I hadn't paid any attention to the waiters when I'd looked at the photos on Kip's Facebook The help sort of blends into the background at these occasions Now, clicking froe of Luis
I scowled as a photo of Brenner came up, arms around the bridal couple And there, a few feet away- ”There he is!” Magenta shrieked, pointing at the photo ”Make hier!”
I zoomed Half-hidden between to a tray of dirty glasses, his gaze focused balefully on Bear Brenner His face was flushed, his hair was falling into his eyes, and his bowtie had couy is blitzed out of his uel,” I said ”If Miguel had lived to grow up”
Leaning over ht of hand with the keyboard, then dug out his cellphone
”Nohat?” I asked
”Texting the president of your fan club”