'Yes. If I were talking to a colleague I would never be this bold. I would say perhaps more often, and inappropriate, and further examination may reveal, but to you I say, there's guilt.'
'Because I'm not your colleague,' I said.
'That's right,' Susan said. 'You are my sweet patootie.'
A short round-faced guy in a navy pea coat and jeans came into the bar and walked toward us.
'Spenser?' he said.
'Yes.'
'My name's Conway. I'm the cop that was in the reception room at Wheaton Union Hospital the day you were there.'
When I was inquiring about a shooting.'
'Yeah.'
'You seemed to feel there was no shooting,' I said.
'Yeah. Can we talk?'
'Right here is fine,' I said.
'This is private.'
'All for one,' I said, 'and one for all. Here is good.'
Conway took a breath and looked at Virgie. She was down at the far end of the bar.
He lowered his voice. 'You're playing against a house deck,' he said.
I nodded.
'Cops ain't on your side,' he said.
'The Wheaton cops.'
'Yeah. They're Esteva's.'
'I sort of figured that,' I said.
'They're going to show up here in a while and search your room and find some cocaine.'
'Which they'll bring,' I said.
'We think you maybe got some there,' Conway said, 'but if you don't they'll find it anyway.'
'And arrest me.'
'Conspiracy to distribute.'
'They got a warrant?' I said.
'They can have one if they want to,' Conway said. 'You don't understand about this town. It's Esteva's. He owns all of it.'
'Did he own Bailey?' I said.
'I don't know,' Conway said.
'How come you're blowing the whistle,' Hawk said.
Conway shook his head. 'I ain't. I grew up with these guys. I known them all my life. But I can't be part of it anymore.'
'Which was it,' I said. 'Bailey or the kid?'
'Both,' Conway said. 'After Bailey went down I decided to get out. Then the kid got killed. Seventeen-year-old kid.' He shook his head.
'You won't talk to the state cops?'
'No. I'm talking to you because I don't want no more killings on my head.'
'You figure we'd be killed resisting arrest?'
'Sooner or later,' he said. 'They gotta find the coke 'fore you die, but once they get you in they ain't gonna let you out. None of you.' He looked at Susan.
'So what are you going to do,' I said.
'I'm outa here,' Conway said. 'I'm single. Got the dog in the car outside. Got a thousand bucks I saved. I'm going to California.'
'Still want to be a cop?'
'Yeah. I like it, or I used to. Then the money started getting so easy, and blowing the whistle on your buddies . . . I couldn't.'
'There's a homicide cop in Los Angeles, a lieutenant named Samuelson,' I said. 'If you go there and look him up he might be able to help. Tell him I sent you.'
'Samuelson,' Conway said. 'I'll remember. Thanks.'
'How about the guy I shot on the road that night?' I said.
