‘Colin Grabien likes to stir things up, he obviously guessed you had some fondness for Mr Louderback, and he got his dig in. I think you really know that Paul is interested in you. But, hey, you’ve got an excuse to not get involved.’
‘You’re evil,’ said Ren.
‘Ben is adorable,’ said Janine. ‘He is smiley and sweet and yes, very cute. He has a strange innocence about him.’
‘Don’t say innocence,’ said Ren. ‘I’m the innocence quencher.’
‘You could be a rapper, that could be your name,’ said Janine. She paused. ‘Can I stand up for the little guy? I want to say — do not underestimate Ben Rader. You’ll end up hurting him.’
‘He doesn’t care that much,’ said Ren.
‘Be careful,’ said Janine. ‘For someone who loves men, you are very quick to assume they’re cold and heartless … when it suits you.’
‘I’m not saying he’s cold and heartless,’ said Ren. ‘Just that, he’s not that into me.’
‘Hasn’t he broached the whole girlfriend thing? Why would he bother? It’s not like he lives here full time. Have you been looking for reasons to go off him too?’
‘You’re a white witch.’
‘How can you live with that brain of yours?’ said Janine. ‘I would go crazy.’
‘Oh, I do,’ said Ren. ‘You have no idea.’
That night, Ren sat in front of her laptop and searched for Tina Bowers to make sure that Hugh Hefner hadn’t flown her to his mansion for a party. She had posted a new photo on Facebook from that afternoon — with her black Labrador and two clear Maplewood, New Jersey markers in the background.
Ren was about to shut her laptop. But words came back to her — words from Matt, words from Janine; cycle, pattern, threshold, crazy. She went to Apple movie trailers, and watched five. She sat back and stared at the screen. And Matt’s words came back again; “jumping off drunk and nekkid for fun”.
Ren leaned forward and opened Google. She typed in the name Dr Leonard Lone.
At first, Ren found very little information except his business address and contact details. There were no images, no videos, no academic papers.
Ren worked some more magic. And there it was — everything she could want to know. Her hands froze on the keys.
Dr Leonard Lone. Trust-fund billionaire. Philanthropist. Resident in multi-million-dollar mansion.
50
Maplewood, New Jersey was a beautiful, quiet, old-school town, a great place to bring up a family. There was no sign in the town center that read Birthplace of Teen Hooker Tina Bowers.
Ren sat in her car down the street and waited until she saw Tina, running down the path of her aunt’s house with a black Labrador on a leash. Tina was dressed in a white down parka and skinny blue jeans tucked into black suede knee-high boots. The fur-trimmed hood of her parka was down, its pointed edges reaching out past her narrow shoulders. Her white-blonde hair was loose and piled inside it.
Ren got out of the car and walked toward her.
‘Tina Bowers,’ said Ren. She was better-looking up close than Ren had expected. Her skin was flawless, several shades paler than in her promotional shots. Without makeup, her eyes looked smaller, her blonde lashes almost translucent. The effect was angelic.
‘Ohmygod, how did you find me?’ said Tina. ‘I’m not doing any more interviews.’ She tried to go back into the house. Then she saw Ren’s badge.
‘Oh,’ she said.
‘I’m Special Agent Ren Bryce, I’m working on the murder of a young girl, not much younger than you …’
‘Oh my God,’ said Bowers. ‘Really? That’s terrible.’
Ren nodded. ‘Can we go grab a coffee somewhere?’
‘But … what have I got to do with a … murder?’ said Bowers.
‘Let’s go get coffee,’ said Ren. ‘Let’s start with that. Where’s good?’
‘Um … right down the street,’ said Bowers
The coffee shop smelled of disinfectant. A skinny, wrinkled waitress with a spray bottle was the person responsible. Ren sat opposite Tina Bowers in a booth at the back.
‘Tell me about Shep Collier,’ said Ren. ‘The truth …’
‘I … told the truth,’ said Bowers. ‘Do you seriously think-’
‘Tina, tell me the truth,’ said Ren. ‘This is a murder investigation. And it’s a crime to lie to a federal agent. That would be me.’
‘Who was murdered?’ said Bowers. ‘You said a girl.’
‘A sixteen-year-old girl,’ said Ren. ‘So, I need you to tell me about what happened with Shep Collier.’
‘You think he murdered someone?’ said Bowers.
‘No,’ said Ren. ‘I do not. Talk to me. What happened?’
‘How do you know anything happened?’ said Tina.
Ren’s expression stopped Tina asking another question. Instead, she looked around her, behind her, over Ren’s shoulder.
‘Tina, what happened the night you were at the hotel with Shep Collier?’ said Ren.
‘I got a call from the agency to go to The Crawford Hotel to room whatever,’ said Bowers. ‘So, I did. Shep Collier opened the door. I had been told by my boss that the role play would start as soon as he did, so I played along — tried to force my way in, told him I knew what he wanted.’ She shrugged. ‘He was like, what the hell is going on here, but I kept pushing it. For a while. It was obvious real soon that this was all bullshit. It was real awkward. I kind of apologized, I think … I can’t really remember … but I left.’
‘You did not have sex with Shep Collier,’ said Ren.
‘No. I was mortified. I left the hotel, and I called the agency. They said that he probably got cold feet, but that they had been paid, I would be paid, so it was all cool, I could go home if I wanted.’ She took a breath. ‘So, I did. And when I get home, there’s a man waiting at the steps to my building, and he stops me, and says “Tina Bowers, here’s the thing … ” And he tells me that he will give me $20,000 to tell that story I told about Shep Collier, and the guy says he can email me photos of me at the room as backup … so that the story would be realistic. So, I did.’
‘Did he say why he wanted that story told?’ said Ren.
‘No.’ She shrugged.
‘But you agreed to do this …’
‘For the money,’ said Tina.
‘Not really,’ said Tina. ‘I mean, I realized when the story went huge.’
‘Who did this man say you were to tell that story to?’ said Ren.
‘I had to email blownpolitics.com. It was supposed to be anonymous. But, I think they tricked me. Next thing, my name was everywhere … my actual name. It was the worst day of my life.’ She looked at Ren. ‘You’re probably thinking getting $20,000 couldn’t be the worst day of anyone’s life …’
‘That’s not at all what I’m thinking,’ said Ren. ‘You were used very badly in all this.’
‘Well, that’s m’job,’ said Tina. She tilted her head.
‘And I don’t think that either,’ said Ren.
‘It’s pretty shitty,’ said Bowers. ‘And all those wives bitching about me on line. And meanwhile, their husbands are, like, Googling me like crazy. I’m right up there.’ She took out her phone. ‘But check this out.’ She
