His eyes watering from the cordite and smoke, he got to his feet, sneezed, and stumbled toward the Mercedes. Shattered glass covered the backseat, the car was riddled with holes, but from the looks of it all the shotgun fire had aimed high. The point, he guessed, was to kill the Mexicans, not the car. The upholstery and dash were shredded but the tires were good. The keys still hung from the ignition cylinder. He tried the door, struggled to get it open, swept the shattered glass off the upholstery, and sat. Gripping the steering wheel, his hands came away with blood. He rubbed his hands on his pant legs, wiped the wheel with his shirttail. He tried the ignition and gasped with joy when the engine turned over. He struggled with the gearshift, lodged the transmission into reverse, then backed out of the clearing and down the aisles of wreckage.
Abatangelo sat at a small, kidney-shaped table of yellow Formica in a place called Zippy Donuts. A fluorescent tube buzzed overhead, flashing dim shocks of light that caused the reflections in the window glass to jitter, like images in an old home movie. Across the table sat Jill Rosemond.
“I’ve been to a number of bars where the twins did their little act,” she said, “hustling pool. Three weeks, I’ve done this, from Modesto to Galt. You would not believe some of these places, or the creatures who inhabit them. That’s what I was trying to get through to your friend, Ms. Beaudry. I don’t have Frank Maas at the top of any list. From what I’ve seen, just about anybody could have killed those boys, given what they were up to.”
In the background the insomniac sweet-tooth crowd milled in and out. The donut shop was run by a Korean family, and the counter girl, her smile encaged in braces, rang the register brightly, thanking one and all with ferocious gratitude.
“No one ever forgot those two. None too many wanted to see them back. As for Frank Maas, I didn’t even know he existed till this afternoon. I got an address- ”
“How?” Abatangelo asked, interrupting.
Jill Rosemond cocked her head. She looked a little older in this light. Sleep deprivation, maybe. Money worries. Abatangelo wondered if she had children. Or dogs. She seemed the sort to have dogs.
“Addresses aren’t hard to come by,” she said.
“Let me see the printout,” Abatangelo said, extending his hand. When she affected puzzlement, he added, “You got an address for somebody you say you didn’t even know existed till this afternoon. That’s quick. Either a cop gave it to you or you bought it from an information mill.”
She thought it over a moment, then reached into her shoulder bag and removed a sheet of coarse gray paper almost identical to the one Eddy had given Abatangelo his first night out. He took it from her, read the addresses, and noticed the combination matched Shel’s up to the three-year mark, then things were different. The most recent address, cross-referenced to the registration of Shel’s truck, was the one Abatangelo knew. The Akers’ place.
“I thought you couldn’t access DMV information unless you intended to serve process,” he said, handing the paper back.
Jill Rosemond froze. “Who told you that?”
He liked her response. “You’ve got some paper to hang on Frank. A subpoena? Summons?”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself.”
“Why didn’t you go out to the house, instead of the bar?”
“I did go out. No one was there.”
“When was this?”
“Not long before I met up with you and Ms. Beaudry.”
Abatangelo considered this. It made sense, he supposed.
She added, “It’s not an easy place to find.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
She cocked her head again. “You said- ”
“I have an address. I never said I’d been out there.”
“Don’t insult me. I’ve got eyes. I’m not stupid. You and Lachelle- ”
“We just met.”
Jill Rosemond sat back and laughed. “Not possible,” she said. “Not from what I saw.”
“Appearances deceive. I’m sure, given your line of work, you’ve discovered that to be true.”
“You seemed very protective.”
“It’s my way.” He reached out his hand. “What other printouts did you get on this Frank character?”
Jill Rosemond laughed again, a little less naturally this time. “Excuse me?”
“A rap sheet,” Abatangelo said. “Or does that take longer than just a few hours?”
She studied him. “You still refuse to give me your name?”
We’ve been through this, Abatangelo thought. You didn’t like my answer. I’m new here. A stranger, just passing through.
“Who I am isn’t important. Not yet.”
“What’s your stake in this?”
“This?”
“The Briscoe murders.”
“Not a thing.”
“In Frank Maas, then.”
The beaming counter girl appeared, bearing a coffeepot. Her braces gleamed, her eyes quivered, strands of hair erupted from under her hair net. Abatangelo accepted a warm-up for fear of making her cry.
“Given what you’ve told me,” he said once the girl moved on, “given what I learned from Shel tonight, I’d say everyone involved has known happier times. I’m a firm believer in happier times. That’s my stake.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Later.”
“Why not now?”
“I need a better sense of what’s relevant, what’s not, before I say something that might drag her into your orbit.”
“What orbit is that?”
“Punishment.”
Jill Rosemond smirked and waved her hand. “You sound like her now.”
“You’ve got to account for two dead twins. You’re trying to tell me, if you find out who killed them, that’s it?”
“It’s the end of the matter for me, yes. I don’t have any power to go beyond that.”
“You hand it off to the law.”
“That’s my client’s decision, not mine.”
Abatangelo laughed.
She said, “I asked what your stake is in all this.”
“Like you won’t listen to what I have to say, regardless.”
“I’ll listen to anybody. Your friend was right in that regard. It doesn’t mean I’ll believe them. Or say yes if they ask for money.”
“I haven’t asked for money.”
“I’m impressed. It’s saintly of you.”
“That’s me. A true believer.”
“In happier times.”
“There you go.”
“Even if you have to remove Frank Maas from the picture.”
Abatangelo looked down, sipped his coffee. “I have no particular interest in seeing him suffer.”
“Then nothing you’ve said here makes sense.”
“I don’t recall saying much of anything.”
“You’ve said enough. Believe me. Look, I need to speak with him. Frank Maas.”
“I understand. I doubt you improved your chances given your performance tonight. You won’t have much luck getting any further following the same tack.”
“Which means you might come in handy.”
“Could be.”
“Do you think he’ll run?”
