the perfect image of the carefree and elegant aristocrat.
“Andre Watkins?” Mace said.
“Can I help you?”
“I sure hope so. Diane Tolliver?”
“What about her?”
“She’s dead.”
“I know that. Who are you? The police?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then I have no reason to talk to you.”
He started to close the door, but Mace jabbed her foot in the way. “She had a P.O. box that had a piece of paper with your name and address on it.”
“I know nothing about that.”
“Okay, we’ll just turn it over to homicide and they can run with it. They’ll be by to either talk to you today or arrest you. Or probably both.”
“Wait a damn minute. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Well, you’re sure acting like you did.”
“You knocked on my door, two people I don’t even know, and you start asking questions about a dead woman? What the hell did you expect me to do?”
“Okay, let’s start over. This is Roy Kingman. He worked with Diane at Shilling & Murdoch. She sent him a clue. That clue turned out to be you. You could be in danger.”
“And how do I know you’re not the ones who killed Diane?”
“I have to tell you, if we’d wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead. One shot through the peephole.” Watkins looked at her inquiringly. “I saw the door shift just a millimeter when you leaned against it to see who was there.”
“I think I’m going to end this conversation right now.”
“We can go to the Starbucks in the lobby and talk if you’ll feel safer. All we want is some information.”
Watkins looked over his shoulder into his apartment for a moment and then turned back. “No, that’s all right, we can do it in here.”
The interior of the residence didn’t match the elegance of the man; it was sparsely furnished with what looked like rental pieces, and there was even a purple futon. They sat in the small living room that fronted a sliver of kitchen.
“So how did you know Diane?” Roy asked.
“When she wanted to go out, she’d call me.”
“So you two were dating?”
“No, I’m an escort.”
Mace and Roy exchanged a glance. “An escort?” said Roy.
“Yes. Diane liked to go out. But she didn’t like to go alone. It’s fun. And it pays well.”
Mace ran her gaze over the cheap furniture. “Work dried up for you?”
“My two ex-wives seem in no hurry to get married again. That’s actually why I got into the business. Escorting gives me all the fun of marriage without all the hassle.”
“But you two got along?”
“I liked Diane very much. I was devastated when I heard she’d been killed.”
“Who told you?”
“The anchorwoman on Channel Seven.”
“So no one else knew you two were seeing each other?”
“I don’t suppose Diane broadcast it around. She was attractive and smart. I knew she was divorced too. Maybe she’d had it with relationships. I know I have.”
“So we’re here because Diane left a clue that pointed to you.”
“But she never told me anything important.”
“Never about work or anything?” asked Roy.
“Well, I knew she was a lawyer at Shilling & Murdoch.”
“She didn’t talk about anyone she was afraid of? Phone calls or threatening messages she’d gotten? A man who was stalking her, nothing like that?” asked Mace.
“No. Our conversations usually were limited to the events we were attending.”
“The police have a man in custody,” Roy blurted out.
“What man?”
Mace scowled at Roy and spoke up. “I’m sorry, we can’t fill in those details.”
“So you have no theories for what happened to Diane?”
“No,” Roy admitted. He handed Watkins a card. “If you think of anything, please give me a call.”
Watkins fingered the card. “This man in custody? He killed Diane?”
“We’ll know soon enough. But whatever Diane was trying to get at, it’s a dead end,” said Mace. “She must’ve been mistaken, and anyway the case is closed, at least it is for me. Thanks for your time.”
Roy started to speak when they were outside, but Mace whispered, “Wait.”
When they were back in the garage Roy turned on her and snapped, “You’re just going to drop it? What the hell are you thinking?”
She looked up at him. “I’m thinking that the real Andre Watkins is probably already dead.”
CHAPTER 51
HEY, CAPTAIN.”
The big fellow looked up. “Hey, Roy. I messed up.”
“Why don’t we talk about it?”
“Okay, I ain’t going nowhere.”
Roy looked at the guard next to him. “I need to talk to my client. Alone, please.”
The door clanged shut behind Roy as the officer left.
He sat next to the Captain, opened his briefcase, and pulled out a legal pad