be great liars.
Stacey didn’t touch him, but she leaned toward him. “Mr. Smith, can we get you something?”
He shook his head.
“Jess is dead. Billie is dead.”
“I’ll get you some water,” Stacey said. She stood and hurried out.
“Where was this convenience store, Congressman?” Keenan asked quietly. “As you’ve surmised, we’ve pulled a lot of video surveillance.”
“In the middle of the block just north of her apartment,” he said. “Jess was so happy. She loved her friends—fellow hookers, if you will. She wanted to help them. They have a horrible pimp—guy takes just about everything from them.”
Jackson Crow came in.
“Congressman Smith,” he said, “I’m Jackson Crow. And we’re going to need your help. We’re going to need to know what you know about others who might have been involved with the murdered women.”
Smith looked up at him dully.
“Jess...she approached me at a gas station. There was something about her smile. She was soliciting, yes. But there was just that something about her... Anyway, I bought her a soda and a packaged bagel from the station. She was so grateful. We agreed to meet. Back at the gas station. I don’t know how many times I saw her. Enough so that we talked. And the night I last picked her up, I’d found a way to give her a job in my building. I was going to bring her in to meet the super—he was a con once himself and tried to help people, even if they did have records.”
Keenan looked at Jackson while excusing himself. “I’ll see where Stacey has gone for that water,” he said.
They both knew that he was going to call Fred and that they’d check out the convenience store where Tess might have gone for her cigarettes.
He had his phone out immediately, pulling up the map feature, and hoping that the area around Jess Marlborough’s apartment was up-to-date and accurate.
It was. He found it.
“Kevin and Kal’s Kwikie Mart. Open twenty-four hours a day.
Stacey was returning with a bottle of water for Smith.
He stopped her. “I know it’s late, but I’m calling a friend. We need more video surveillance—from a place not covered yet. We’ve got to get on it—as far as the killing goes, it may give us something.”
“I’ll just deliver this,” she said, and went in.
By then he had Fred on the phone. “Sorry,” he told the detective. “The day’s not over. We don’t have time to get a warrant. It’s your stomping ground.”
“No problem at all,” Fred told him. “And my day wasn’t anywhere near over. Jean is with me. We’re reviewing files.”
“And?”
“Well, that’s it. We’ve been looking into doctors—anyone involved with transplants, anyone fired lately... If these organs are being taken, it wouldn’t be worth much if there wasn’t someone who knew what to do with them.”
“I know that Jackson has staff here doing the same thing. We’ll put results together for anything that pops out. It’s a long, hard process—and the doctor performing the surgeries may be in another state or across the country. Frustrating,” Keenan said. “We can compare notes later. We’ll meet you at the store.”
They hung up, and Stacey and Jackson came out of the interrogation room together.
“You’re going to see if the convenience store has surveillance?” Jackson said.
Keenan nodded. “With any luck, we’ll be able to go back a few days. Some places recycle them daily. But maybe we can prove if Smith did drop Jess off whether she was still living after she left him. How long do you think you’ll be able to keep him here?”
“I’ll have Angela step in and talk to him—she can keep him happy for a while. We’ll feed him. I’ll stick with him. Call me as soon as you know anything,” Jackson said.
“We’re on our way,” Keenan said. “Fred Crandall will meet us; a local sometimes does a hell of a lot better than a Fed. And if not, I’ll step in.” Jackson headed back into the interrogation room.
“Let’s go,” Stacey said. They headed back to the elevator and from there to the garage. They were soon back out on the road.
Keenan looked over at Stacey. “You were good in there,” he told her.
“Thanks,” she said, turning slightly toward him. “Careful, I’m almost going to think that you approve of me, that you even like me.”
He was silent a minute. Then he said quietly, “I like you just fine.”
“Hmm. Well, I didn’t want to like you—I mean, you were pretty rough on me at first,” she said. “But I like you just fine,