2
SPRING WAS STILL drifting in.
"Everybody likes him
for it," Quirk said. "Us, the studio, people on the crew,
everybody. Girl's parents."
"You like him for
it?" I said.
"Governor likes him
for it. Mayor likes him for it. Commissioner loves him. Command
staff loves him more. Senate president. House speaker. Both
newspapers. Everybody on TV. Every fucking cyberspace moron who can
type," Quirk said.
"You?" I
said.
"I don't think he
murdered her," Quirk said. "Or if he did, we don't have enough hard
evidence to say it. We're guessing."
"And everybody wants
it to go away and take him with it," I said.
"They do," Quirk
said. "He was probably with her when she died, and what they were
doing may have killed her, I don't know. But I don't think you can
convict a guy of murder on what we've got, and I'm afraid we
might."
"The fact that he's
a creep helps move it along," I said.
"It's not illegal to
be a pain in the ass," Quirk said. "It was, you and me probably be
doing time."
"Maybe you," I said.
"Whaddya need from me?"
"I want you to look
into it," Quirk said.
"Because you
can't?"
"Correct," Quirk
said.
"Anybody gonna pay
me?" I said.
"The movie studio
has hired Rita Fiore to represent Jumbo," Quirk said. "I've talked
to her. She says Cone, Oakes will hire you to
investigate."
"And bill the
studio," I said.
"Be my guess," Quirk
said.
"What makes you
think he didn't commit first-degree murder?" I said.
"Maybe he did,"
Quirk said. "And if he did, we'll try to prove it. But right now I
think he's being railroaded, and I can't stop it and stay a
cop."
"What if I find out
that he's guilty as charged?"
"Tell me," Quirk
said. "I'll be thrilled. You want to look at our notes, so
far?"
"I like to start
fresh," I said. "I think better if I'm in the
process."
"Yeah," Quirk said.
"I know."
"Okay," I
said.
"Okay you'll take
the job?"
"Yep."
"Just like that?"
Quirk said.
"Yep," I
said.
"You might start out
by talking to Rita Fiore," Quirk said.
"You might start out
by not telling me what to do," I said.
"Okay," Quirk said.
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'm gonna talk to
Rita Fiore," I said.
"Good idea," Quirk
said.
He almost
smiled.