'I'll marry her. Can I smoke?'
'Sure, Robert, you're a free man. Least till your trial. Cause the bitch made your bail.'
Gabray pulled a pack of Kools out of his p. j. pants. Milo was ready with a match.
'Let's talk about where you were three months ago, Robert.'
Gabray smoked and gave another foggy look.
A month before you got busted, Robert. March.'
'What about it?'
'The Mayan Mortgage.'
Gabray smoked and looked at the sky.
'Remember it, Robert?'
'What about it?'
'This.'
Milo slid something out of his shirt pocket. Penlight and a color photo. He held the picture in front of Gabray's eyes and shined the light on it. I stepped behind Gabray and peered over his shoulder.
Same face as in the snapshot the Murtaughs had given me.
Below the hairline. Above it, the skull was flattened to something that was incapable of holding a brain. What was left of the hair was a matted red-black cloud. Eggshell-colored skin. A black-red necklace encircled the throat. The eyes were two purple eggplants.
Gabray looked at it, smoked, said, 'So?'
'Remember her, Robert?'
'Should I?'
'Her name's Dawn Herbert. She was offed near the Mayan and you told some detectives you saw her with some guy.'
Gabray flicked ashes and smiled. 'That's what this is about?
Yeah, I told them. I guess.'
'You guess?'
'It was a long time ago, man.'
'Three months.'
'That's a long time, man.'
Milo moved closer to Gabray and stared down at the smaller man. 'You gonna help me on this? Yes or no?' Waving the homicide photo.
'What happened to the other cops? One a them was a beaner, I think.'
'They took early retirement.'
Gabray laughed. 'Where? In Tia Wanna?'
'Talk to me, Robert.'
'I don't know nothing.'
