High Profile

56

“How come you didn’t tell her how we saw her with Lutz and Hendricks, taking turns?” Suit said as they were drinking coffee with Rosa Sanchez near the station house on West 10th.

“We can always ask her later,” Jesse said. “I was sort of interested in how far she’d go with Lutz.”

Suit took the tape recorder from his shoulder bag and put it on the table. He pressed play.

“It’s just that I never thought of Conrad,” Lorrie said.

“But now that you have?” Jesse said.

“I hate to even think it,” Lorrie said, “but it makes a kind of sense.”

Suit pressed stop.

“Just making sure we got it?” he said.

“You’re going to play selected portions for this Lutz fella?” Rosa said.

“Yes,” Jesse said.

Suit nodded.

“And we got our pictures,” Suit said.

“Worth a thousand words,” Jesse said.

“You think this guy Lutz did your murders?” Rosa said.

“Maybe.”

“You think the woman is involved with him?”

“Maybe.”

“And you’re going to use her to try and shake him loose,” Rosa said.

“Yep.”

“And him to shake her loose?” Rosa said.

“Yep.”

“You think they’re the ones?”

“She’s been lying about absolutely everything since I started talking to her. He has never told me any of what you heard me talk with her about.”

“We both know it doesn’t mean they did it,” Rosa said.

“And we both know it doesn’t mean they didn’t,” Jesse said.

“That’s right,” Rosa said. “It’s grounds for suspicion.”

“She didn’t mention that Weeks was divorcing her,” Suit said.

“Her husband that’s dead?” Rosa said. “The talk-show guy?”

“Yes,” Jesse said.

“Was it going to be a good deal for her?” Rosa said.

“No.”

“No money?”

“Not enough,” Jesse said. “That was going to go to the woman who died with him, and their unborn son.”

“Jesus Christ,” Rosa said. “A motive.”

“Sounds like one,” Jesse said.

“But?”

“But I need to figure out where Lutz is in this,” Jesse said. “I doubt that she could have done it alone. And why in hell would he do it for her?”

“He’s been seeing her,” Suit said.

“So has Hendricks,” Jesse said.

“Who’s Hendricks,” Rosa said.

Jesse told her.

“He got something going with what’shername Lorrie?” Rosa said.

“So I’m told.”

“And we got our pictures,” Suit said.

“Suit did the photography,” Jesse said. “He’s very proud.”

“A job worth doing...” Suit said.

“You think he’s in?” Rosa said.

“Hendricks? Don’t know. Can’t rule him out.”

Rosa took a card from her purse and gave it to Jesse. “You guys need me again, call. Deputy superintendent says I’m yours when you need me, unless something comes up.”

“Thanks, Rosa,” Jesse said.

“It was a pleasure watching you work in the interview, smooth, pleasant, keep her talking, show her a way to look good, and, if she’s guilty, throw the blame someplace else,” Rosa said. “You’re pretty good.”

“Thanks for noticing,” Jesse said.

“She may have killed her husband and his girlfriend and their unborn child,” Rosa said. “And she might have two male accomplices, and she might be bopping them both.”

“And she looks like a charity-ball trophy wife,” Jesse said.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” Rosa said.

“But not forever,” Jesse said.