Binding Ties

waved them forward. As he did, the gate seemed to magically open, like Oz (whether Frank L. Baum's or HBO's version remained to be seen) and Brass guided the car on through.

The rest of the process took the better part of half an hour before the detectives were sitting at a metal picnic table in a small concrete-block room. Their guns locked in metal drawers near the guard's office, the two plainclothes police officers sat silently, sun streaming through the barred window to make abstractions on the table, as they waited for their guest.

After a somewhat shorter time than the ride to Ely, a key thunked in the lock and the door swung open. The young man who strolled in, followed by a guard, hardly looked like a killer; but Brass knew-too well-that killers came in many packages.

This one was a skinny, blond kid with wide-set, wide-open blue eyes, more pretty than handsome. His orange jumpsuit was immaculately pressed and-even though his hands were cuffed before him-Rudy Orloff moved with an easy grace, almost dancerlike…floating on air.

Without an invitation, Orloff sat opposite them at the picnic table.

His smile showed even, white teeth. 'I remember you,' he said to Brass. 'But I don't remember your name. You and those CSI showboats rousted me on some murder, couple years back.' Then he gazed at Damon, insolently. 'You're cute, but I don't know you…. Not really fair, is it? You know who I am.'

Brass and Damon both showed their IDs.

'Must be important, trading Vegas for Ely,' Orloff said, 'even for an afternoon. You may have noticed-this place is the devil's armpit.'

Brass said, 'Rudy, we came all this way just to see you. Talk to you.'

'What a great big goddamn honor! Now who do you think I killed that I didn't kill?'

'Your DNA,' Damon said, 'was found at the scene of two murders.'

Orloff didn't miss a beat. 'My DNA. What, hair? Skin?'

Brass said, 'Semen.'

With an evil grin, Orloff said, 'You boys are twisted, aren't you?'

'Heel, Sparky,' Brass said. 'Your spunk showed up on the bodies of two men murdered in Vegas- last week.'

The prisoner reared back; his smile was more confused than insolent, this time. 'Say what?'

Brass told him again.

Orloff now seemed amused, if interested. 'With me in stir for most of the last year, how do you suppose I managed to accomplish that? Prison library fax? Good aim?'

Brass said, 'We've already checked-you haven't been released for a funeral, or on work release, or anything else. Your ass has not been outside the prison yard.'

'You are a detective, Captain Brass. What's your idea how it happened?'

The detectives said nothing for a long moment, then Brass said, 'We were hoping you might enlighten us.'

'Why should I help you?'

'I'll talk to the warden and write up a report that oughta put some gold stars on your good-behavior chart.'

'Well…that's a start….'

Damon said, 'This guy we're after is evil.'

Orloff backed away, hands up like Al Jolson singing 'Mammy.' 'Wow, evil! There's an oldie but goodie.'

Brass said, 'We're talking a serial killer. Remember CASt?'

'He's making a comeback? And here I was hoping for a Seinfeld reunion.'

Brass's mouth smiled; his eyes didn't. 'Your come-how come?'

Orloff shrugged. 'All I know for sure is-I didn't kill your two dead men. Beyond that, hell…I'd just be speculating.'

'Please do,' Brass said.

The wise remark seemed to strike Orloff as a compliment, and he sat forward, folding his hands, and in a conspiratorial, one-expert-to-another fashion, asked, 'You're sure it's my DNA?'

'CODIS matched it.'

'Someone froze it, then.'

'Gee, we hadn't thought of that. Did you sell your sperm to a clinic?'

'No. Or my blood, either, though there were times I tried. See, they make you pee in a cup, and I couldn't piss the physical.'

'So comes the question,' Brass said, 'who would think freezing Rudy Orloff's semen sounds like fun?'

The kid sat back, not sullen-thinking.

Brass tried to prime the pump: 'Look, we know you've been inside for a while. What we don't know is, when's the last time you were in Vegas?'

'Eighteen months ago, more or less. About right.'

'You turned tricks. Anything kinky?'

Orloff grunted a laugh. 'What, guys paying guys for sex? What kink could ever come up in that situation?'

'Anybody who…paid for…take out?'

Orloff smiled, crossed his arms. 'You mean a collector?'

'Is there such a thing?'

Again Orloff sat forward and while he was pretty, his grin wasn't. 'You name the bend, somebody out there's made that way.'

'I believe you. Back to Vegas…'

The prisoner shrugged, resumed his leaning-back, folded-arms position. 'I met a bunch of party people when I was there. But my memory's cloudy. Maybe if there was something in it for me, the sun might come out.'

Brass tapped Damon on the shoulder and they both rose.

'What?'

'We're out of here,' Brass said.

'What, you don't want to haggle?' Orloff asked, brows beettled. He was damn near pouting. 'I thought you came to play!'

'We came to work,' Brass said. 'Anyway, I don't think you've got anything to sell.'

'Sit down, sit down-don't get all huffy. If I give you something, would it be worth something in return?'

They sat.

Brass asked, 'Like what?'

'Solitary confinement.'

Damon asked, 'You want solitary?'

'Listen, I been working on good behavior. I'm in on attempted murder, not murder, guys. There's light at the end of this tunnel, and helping you guys builds my file up, in a good way. But we get the TV here, we get the papers. If these animals find out I helped the heat…even if it is some messed-up serial killer-they'll think it's open season. I'll never survive, if I don't find a way out.'

Brass nodded. 'You give me something I can use, I'll get you solitary.'

'And while I'm in solitary, you get me transferred out of here, too.'

Brass reared back. 'Rudy-I don't know if I can make that happen.'

'There's plenty of places cushier than this. I have trouble breathing this thin mountain air.'

Brass wondered if Orloff had made some enemies in here that he was trying to evade; maybe that would be helpful to the cause….

'I'll do what I can,' Brass said.

Orloff studied him for a long time. 'I believe you. I choose to believe you. But remember, if you need me as a witness, I gotta be alive! Corpses can't do shit on the witness stand.'

'Understood.'