'Why?'
'I been working bars a long time. I kinda figure by now I can spot people. Didn't have you figured for a businessman.'
'Why not?'
'Don't have the look,' she said. 'You know, tired, a little overweight, look like they're in a hurry even when they're at the bar. Usually they smoke, they drink hard stuff, they act macho. You haven't even made a virgin joke about my name.'
'I got no sense of humor,' I said.
'Maybe the opposite,' Virgie said. 'I had you figured for some kind of forestry/ conservation outdoors type. Get a lot of them out here. Quabbin's a big wildlife sanctuary.'
'I know,' I said.
'Or maybe a jock, except you're kind of old.'
'But lithe,' I said, 'and still vigorous.'
Virgie grinned. 'Bet you were, though,' she said. 'You weren't born with that nose.'
'Used to box,' I said.
'See,' Virgie said, 'I know something.' I drank some beer.
'So what kind of business you in?' Virgie said. She was leaning her left hip against the beer chest below the bar. Her arms were folded, and she talked to me by turning her head left toward me.
'Detective,' I said. 'I'm here to see if I can find out what happened to Eric Valdez.'
Virgie straightened and turned fully toward me. 'Jesus Christ,' she said.
'There's that,' I said.
'I don't know anything about it,' she said.
I drank some beer. Virgie walked down to the other end of the bar and began to slice lemons into neat half circles. Probably struggling with her libido. I drank the rest of my beer.
'May I have another beer, please, Virgie?' I said.
She came down and drew the beer and put down a new paper napkin and set the beer in front of me. She rang up the bar bill and put it back down in front of me.
I said, 'Virgie, are you mad 'cause I'm a detective?'
'I got nothing to do with that Valdez thing,' she said.
'Never probably ever even heard of it,' I said.
'Look,' Virgie said, 'you may be a big tough guy . . .' She shook her head.
'Valdez stayed here,' I said. 'He probably drank at the bar. He was, ah, flirtatious. He'd have talked with you.'
'Lotta people talk with me. I'm friendly. Part of my job.'
'Sure,' I said. 'And you don't remember anything about any of them. Any more than you'd notice that my nose has been broken.'
'You a state cop?' she said.
'Nope,' I said. 'Private.'
'A private detective?'
'Un huh.'
'And you're out here alone asking questions about Eric Valdez?'
'Un huh.'
'Chief Rogers know you're here?'
'He said I was a wiseass and he didn't need me,' I said. Virgie almost smiled.
'You know any of the women Valdez was dating?'
'No. Or anything else. Get it? I don't know anything about Valdez. He came in here, had a few drinks, made small talk, left. That's what I know.'
'Where's the action in town,' I said.
'What kind of action?'
'Booze, music, women, good times,' I said.
'Here,' Virgie said.
I looked around. 'People come flocking in here evenings to feast on salmon loaf?' I said.
Virgie shrugged. 'Nothing else around, for singles stuff,' she said.
I drank some beer.
'You a private cop, who you working for?' Virgie said.
