Sixkill

'For crissake,' Quirk said. 'One case I had, they lost the fucking body.'

'That would be disheartening,' I said.

'Was,' Quirk said. 'Also, when they're not sure, it gives a lot of space for rumors.'

'I heard one report that the accessory object was the neck of a champagne bottle and it broke inside her and she bled to death.'

Quirk shook his head.

'I know,' Quirk said. 'No evidence of it.'

'I don't think the Internet requires evidence.'

'Or knows how to get it,' Quirk said.

'How 'bout Jumbo?' I said.

'Says he doesn't know what happened. Admits he was whacked on coke and booze. He says he left her alone and when he came back in the bedroom, he notices she's not responsive. Tries to wake her up. Can't. And calls nine-one-one.'

'He'd been on top of her?' I said.

'Apparently,' Quirk said. 'At some point.'

'Jesus,' I said.

'I know, and we've thought about that.'

'How much does he weigh?' I said.

'Don't know,' Quirk said. 'I'd say three-fifty to four hundred. He claims he doesn't know, either.'

'What kind of guy is he?' I said.

'Awful,' Quirk said. 'Food, booze, dope, sex. Never saw a girl too young. Or a guy.'

'Long as it's alive?' I said.

'I don't know if he requires that,' Quirk said.

'But a nice guy aside from his hobbies,' I said.

'Loud, arrogant, stupid, foulmouthed,' Quirk said.

'You think he's foulmouthed?'

'Fucking A,' Quirk said.

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.