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“We have possums,” I said. Or at least we did in Bridgeport. I’d never seen one in Boystown.
“We do?”
“Yes. They look like giant rats.”
“Oh. I thought thatwasa giant rat.”
“What’s your name?” Owen interrupted. He’d taken out a pen and one of his own business cards.
“Keith.”
“Do you have a last name Keith?”
Reluctantly, he said, “Jasper.”
“What’s your phone number?”
“Do I have to?” In a matter of minutes he’d gone from sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong to not wanting to be involved.
“Yes,” Owen said, “You do have to.”
Frowning, Keith gave his phone number. “Don’t tell my mother what it’s about.”
“Oh, I never tattle, darling,” Owen said, queening it up enough to make Keith go pale.
Monroe White came through the door. He wore the same suit he’d worn the night before. “What is this? I have another hour of paperwork on the Crisp murder and then I can finally go home. You’d better not be wasting my time.”
“You won’t be sorry.”
“I already am.”
A small man with graying hair and a little paunch came through the metal security door that led to the apartments.
“Now, Keith, what is this about? I don’t understand—”
“Mr. Elber—” I said but got interrupted.
“Detective Monroe White, District 18, homicide.” He held out his hand but was ignored.
“Homicide?” Elber nearly squealed. “Oh my God, what’s happened?”
“I believe someone’s been staying in unit 3535 under false pretenses,” I said.
“That’s trespassing. He said homicide.”
“I’m Owen Lovejoy, Esquire,” my attorney said, holding out his card. “Cooke, Babcock and Lackerby.”
Elber’s head was spinning. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”
“I’m Nick Nowak. I’m a private investigator. I believe a woman named Rita Lindquist has been staying in Mr. Porter’s apartment, along with a man named Possum.”
“Michael Mazur,” White added. “Ring any bells?”
“This isn’t making any sense,” Elber said.
And then Hamish Gardner and Tony Stork walked in one after the other. We were a full crew.
“What the fuck is this all about?” Gardner asked. Tony asked a similar question, sans profanity. I tried explaining again, but that didn’t go well.
