Blood Loss

50

Maplewood, New Jersey was a beautiful, quiet, old-school town, a great place to bring up a family. There was no sign in the town center that read Birthplace of Teen Hooker Tina Bowers.

Ren sat in her car down the street and waited until she saw Tina, running down the path of her aunt’s house with a black Labrador on a leash. Tina was dressed in a white down parka and skinny blue jeans tucked into black suede knee-high boots. The fur-trimmed hood of her parka was down, its pointed edges reaching out past her narrow shoulders. Her white-blonde hair was loose and piled inside it.

Ren got out of the car and walked toward her.

‘Tina Bowers,’ said Ren. She was better-looking up close than Ren had expected. Her skin was flawless, several shades paler than in her promotional shots. Without makeup, her eyes looked smaller, her blonde lashes almost translucent. The effect was angelic.

‘Ohmygod, how did you find me?’ said Tina. ‘I’m not doing any more interviews.’ She tried to go back into the house. Then she saw Ren’s badge.

‘Oh,’ she said.

‘I’m Special Agent Ren Bryce, I’m working on the murder of a young girl, not much younger than you …’

‘Oh my God,’ said Bowers. ‘Really? That’s terrible.’

Ren nodded. ‘Can we go grab a coffee somewhere?’

‘But … what have I got to do with a … murder?’ said Bowers.

‘Let’s go get coffee,’ said Ren. ‘Let’s start with that. Where’s good?’

‘Um … right down the street,’ said Bowers

The coffee shop smelled of disinfectant. A skinny, wrinkled waitress with a spray bottle was the person responsible. Ren sat opposite Tina Bowers in a booth at the back.

‘Tell me about Shep Collier,’ said Ren. ‘The truth …’

‘I … told the truth,’ said Bowers. ‘Do you seriously think-’

‘Tina, tell me the truth,’ said Ren. ‘This is a murder investigation. And it’s a crime to lie to a federal agent. That would be me.’

‘Who was murdered?’ said Bowers. ‘You said a girl.’

‘A sixteen-year-old girl,’ said Ren. ‘So, I need you to tell me about what happened with Shep Collier.’

‘You think he murdered someone?’ said Bowers.

‘No,’ said Ren. ‘I do not. Talk to me. What happened?’

‘How do you know anything happened?’ said Tina.

Ren’s expression stopped Tina asking another question. Instead, she looked around her, behind her, over Ren’s shoulder.

‘Tina, what happened the night you were at the hotel with Shep Collier?’ said Ren.

‘I got a call from the agency to go to The Crawford Hotel to room whatever,’ said Bowers. ‘So, I did. Shep Collier opened the door. I had been told by my boss that the role play would start as soon as he did, so I played along — tried to force my way in, told him I knew what he wanted.’ She shrugged. ‘He was like, what the hell is going on here, but I kept pushing it. For a while. It was obvious real soon that this was all bullshit. It was real awkward. I kind of apologized, I think … I can’t really remember … but I left.’

‘You did not have sex with Shep Collier,’ said Ren.

‘No. I was mortified. I left the hotel, and I called the agency. They said that he probably got cold feet, but that they had been paid, I would be paid, so it was all cool, I could go home if I wanted.’ She took a breath. ‘So, I did. And when I get home, there’s a man waiting at the steps to my building, and he stops me, and says “Tina Bowers, here’s the thing … ” And he tells me that he will give me $20,000 to tell that story I told about Shep Collier, and the guy says he can email me photos of me at the room as backup … so that the story would be realistic. So, I did.’

‘Did he say why he wanted that story told?’ said Ren.

‘No.’ She shrugged.

‘But you agreed to do this …’

‘For the money,’ said Tina.

Hello? ‘Did you know who Shep Collier was?’ said Ren.

‘Not really,’ said Tina. ‘I mean, I realized when the story went huge.’

‘Who did this man say you were to tell that story to?’ said Ren.

‘I had to email blownpolitics.com. It was supposed to be anonymous. But, I think they tricked me. Next thing, my name was everywhere … my actual name. It was the worst day of my life.’ She looked at Ren. ‘You’re probably thinking getting $20,000 couldn’t be the worst day of anyone’s life …’

‘That’s not at all what I’m thinking,’ said Ren. ‘You were used very badly in all this.’

‘Well, that’s m’job,’ said Tina. She tilted her head.

‘And I don’t think that either,’ said Ren.

‘It’s pretty shitty,’ said Bowers. ‘And all those wives bitching about me on line. And meanwhile, their husbands are, like, Googling me like crazy. I’m right up there.’ She took out her phone. ‘But check this out.’ She opened up her photo folder, and turned the screen to Ren. She started scrolling through photos she had taken of herself with different wigs, and sunglasses.

‘I guess I could go anonymous for a while. I’ll put them up on Facebook, see which look my fans like the best.’

Anonymous. Let me know how that works out.

‘Can you give me a description of the man who came to your house, and gave you that $20,000?’

‘Yes, but even I know that it won’t help you. He was like any other guy. Tall, thin, skinny face, short light brown hair, combed to the side. Black leather jacket, black jeans, black boots.’

Ren wrote it all down. ‘Thank you.’

‘Will I have to testify?’ said Tina.

‘I don’t have enough information to answer that,’ said Ren. ‘Now, I want to show you two photos.’ She handed her a photo of Mark Whaley. ‘Have you ever met this man?’

Tina stared at the photo. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘This one was different. It wasn’t an agency thing. I was just to go up to him, chat to him in the hotel foyer, in the bar, places where the hotel had cameras.’

‘Did he show any interest in you?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Tina. ‘Not at all. He showed me a picture of his kids. I pretended I was just a tourist, waiting to meet my mom and dad, that they were up in the room getting ready for dinner. He was a nice man.’

‘And was it the same man who gave you the $20,000 that asked you to do this too?’ said Ren.

Knowing that both men’s photos hitting the media would cause a shitstorm.

‘Yes,’ said Tina. ‘He didn’t pay me extra for that.’

‘One more photo,’ said Ren. ‘Have you spoken to this man?’ She put down a photo of Taber Grace.

Tina looked away, slumping in the chair.

‘Remember, Tina, you are legally bound to tell me the truth,’ said Ren. ‘This man is not a law enforcement officer …’

Tina groaned. ‘Yes. He was here. He wanted to know about the congressman too.’

‘Is there anything else you can tell me about him?’ said Ren.

Tina shrugged. ‘No. He wanted to know the same things you did. The only difference was that he had a photo of the man who paid me.’

Shit.

‘Well, he had four photos,’ said Tina, ‘and I had to pick the one who paid me. Which I did. But he didn’t tell me who he was or anything.’

‘Were they mugshots?’ said Ren.

‘No — they were just regular photos. But they’re ones that look like the person doesn’t know they were being taken.’

Funnily enough.

‘When did you meet this man?’ said Ren.

‘This morning. He’s not going to come back for me, is he? I mean, he told me not to tell anyone …’

‘No,’ said Ren. ‘He’s not going to come back for you.’ She stood up. ‘Tina, thank you for your time.’

‘No problem,’ said Tina.

‘So, what are you going to do now … with your life?’ said Ren.

‘I’m staying safe,’ said Tina. ‘Webcam probably. When I get back to my apartment.’ She pointed to herself. ‘No-one gets to touch this anymore.’

She rubbed the frayed cuff of her jacket. She looked at Ren. ‘Probably until I need new stuff, anyway.’

Sweet Jesus.