Chapter 23
I sipped at my pint and watched through a funnel of wind and white. Diane Lindsay stood at the corner of Halsted and Diversey, her back to the lakefront, taking the brunt of the storm off her head and shoulders. Elaine huddled close, shifted her weight from side to side, and stamped her feet in the night. Now Diane leaned forward as she spoke, filling the gap between them with a tangible sense of energy. Elaine moved away, subtle but certain, her back foot taking the weight of her body. She didn’t seem to be saying much, mostly listening as Diane gestured. I wondered what was taking so long. I wondered how the reporter was doing. It looked like hard work.
Ten minutes later Diane returned to the bar. I had moved to a booth in the back and was working through a plate of bangers and mash. To my left was the notebook and pencil. On the pages were assorted thoughts, such as they were.
“What’s in the notebook?” she said.
“You’re in my light.”
Diane sat down. Megan took her drink order.
“This is my booth, you know.”
“Would you like me to move?” she said.
“No, you can stay.”
I turned it around so she could read my scrawl.
“I’m just trying to figure out how many people have hired me in the past two days and for what. Best I can figure, I have at least two new clients.”
“One of whom is dead.”
“Exactly. And then there is you.”
“Am I in there?”
She pulled the notebook closer. I pulled it back. Her fingernails were painted a dark red and scratched across the page. It was a small sound but violent in its own way.
“Get your own notebook,” I said. “How did it go with her?”
Diane shrugged.
“Not bad. There are a couple of different things I could do with her story. I just wanted to let her know what some of the options were. Get her thinking about it.”
Megan put a hot whiskey in front of Diane. From across the booth I could smell the Jameson, scented with cloves. Nice drink on a cold night.
“What did you think of her?” I said.
“Your client?”
I nodded.
“She has some issues.”
“You think so?”
“I do.”
“Why did you go after her so hard?”
“Why not? Sometimes it catches them off guard. Brings out the truth whether they like it or not.”
“And this time?” I said.
“She was raped.”
“Yeah, she was. Feels it like it was yesterday.”
“That can be a dangerous thing.”
“I know,” I said. “Gibbons was working her case when he was killed.”
“How did you inherit his client list?”
I moved my shoulders. Up, then down. Maybe half an inch. Diane let it sit for a moment, then shifted the conversation.
“I heard the DA’s office had you in for a chat.”
“You heard that?”
“I did.”
Diane checked her watch.
“I also heard they no longer consider you a suspect.”
“Does that kill your big story?”
“You tell me.”
“Still got a murder,” I said. “Still got an old rape to solve. If you want to tag along, might be kind of fun.”
“Is that all you got?” she said.
“What else is there?”
“Right before I left the newsroom, a call came across the police scanner. They found a woman’s body at Gibbons’ old place.”
“And?”
“I made a call. It was his landlady. A woman named Edna Mulberry.”
Diane took a sip of her whiskey, pulled her coat tight against her body, and looked out the window. On Halsted Street the snow fell, thicker now, wet and heavy.
“Hard when death gets so close,” I said.
“I talked to her two days ago, Kelly.”
“I saw her myself yesterday.”
“She didn’t help much.”
“I know.”
I wasn’t sure if I was playing poker or consoling a friend. I figured it was safer to assume the former. At least until further notice.
“Are you being straight with me, Kelly?”
“Maybe. How about you?”
“I’m a little shaken.”
“It’s called death. Used to get me right in the spine. Turn me cold all over.”
“You ever get over it?”
“Unfortunately, yes. Take it from me, you’re better off feeling sick to your stomach. Shows you’re human.”
Diane pushed her drink away and put on her gloves.
“You live near here, Kelly?”
“About a mile.”
“Is it warm?”
“I can try,” I said.
“Let’s go.”
We headed out of the Shamrock and into some sort of relationship. Short term, I was looking forward to things. Long term, maybe not so much.