“Okay,” Escovar said.
“So were these two broads skinny or fat?”
“They wass healthy,” Escovar said.
“What does that mean, healthy? Big tits? Did they havetetas grandes, amigo?”
Escovar grinned.
“Bigtetas,huh?” Ollie said, grinning with him.
“Bigger than they gorlfrenn, anyhow,” Escovar said, still grinning.
“How do you know she was their girlfriend?” Ollie asked. He was no longer grinning.
Neither was Escovar.
“How do you know Miss Ridley was their girlfriend?” Ollie asked.
Escovar looked at him blankly.
“Answer the question, Pancho.”
“My name iss Manuel,” Escovar said.
“Answer the fuckin question!”
“Slow down, Ollie,” Carella warned.
“Never mind that man behind the curtain,” Ollie said, jerking his thumb at Carella. “He’s just being Good Cop. I’m theBad Cop, Pancho, you dig? And in a minute I’m gonna ask you for your green card.”
“I hass a green card.”
“Oh, I’m sure you do.”
“I hass it home.”
“I’m sure that’s just where you have it. How’d you know they were Miss Ridley’s girlfriends?”
“They tole me they wass.”
“Oh? When was this? When they carried her out of the fuckin elevator? They stopped and told you they were all good girlfriends here, is that it?”
“Si,that wass when.”
“You’re lying, Pancho.”
“That wass when.”
“You sure it wasn’t when they camein?”
Escovar looked at Carella again.
“Don’t look at him, he ain’t gonna help you. What’d they do, slip you a few bills to let them upstairs without buzzing the apartment?”
Escovar went pale.
“That’s it, ain’t it, Pancho?”
“They had a bahl of champagne,” Escovar said. “They tole me it wass her burr’day. They said they wass good frenns, they wann to sorprise her.”
“How much did they give you?”
“Ten dollars.”
“To let them in, huh?”
“They said they wass frenns.”
“Some friends, they stuck a fuckin ice pick in her head. What was she wearing, Pancho?”
“I tole you. Overcoats.”
“MissRidley.What wasshe wearing when they carried her out of there? She wasn’t naked, was she?”
“Naked? No. A gray suit. Jacket, skirt, a suit.”
“Was she wearing shoes?” Carella asked.
“Shoes?” Escovar said, looking offended. “Of course, shoes,senor. The two gorlfrenns walk her by where I am holdin dee door open for them, out in the street. I thought she wass drunk,” he said. “I thought it wass dee champagne. I wash them …”
He watched them as they walked up the street to a black Lincoln Town Car parked just outside the Korean nails place. Both of the girls got in the back seat with Miss Ridley. The car drove off around five, five-fifteen.
“Chauffeur driving the car?”
“I theenk so, yes.”
“You didn’t happen to notice the license plate number, did you?” Carella asked.
“I’m sorry,senor,” Escovar said. “I did not.”
