Body Copy - Michael Craven [53]
“Five thousand dollars.”
She looked at Tremaine with guilt in her eyes. She said,
“I was broke, it seemed pretty harmless.”
“And when you found out he was murdered?”
“I talked to my brother—we’re really close—and he said, well, to change the story now would seem crazy. You know, tell the cops that Roger had paid me five thousand dollars to say we had an affair? It would sound nuts. Who knows who Roger had told that we’d actually had one? We figured it would be better just to stick with the original story. That the affair was real. Because, you know, if the cops couldn’t solve the case, then suddenly I’m this woman 165
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with a crazy story who Roger had given a bunch of money to. You know?”
“You figured it was between you and Roger, and since no one else but Roger knew the real truth, it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Like I said, I didn’t know who he had told or whatever. I just figured he paid me to say one thing, so, once he was dead, I just stuck with the original plan. I figured that would keep me out of it. Keep me from looking suspicious. Just admit to the affair. People have affairs all the time. That way it wouldn’t look like I was involved in some other thing. Because I wasn’t. Truth is, I didn’t know Roger Gale from Adam. Plus, the five thousand he’d given me was long gone.”
Tremaine looked at Wendy, her big, wide, honest face.
The blonde hair and the blue eyes. Charmed by Roger Gale, she probably would have had a real affair with him.
Then, out of nowhere, she was stuck in a situation she didn’t know how to handle. So she just stuck with what would ruffle the least feathers.
Tremaine said, “Roger Gale never made a move on you?”
“Never.”
Tremaine stood up and said, “Thank you, Wendy.”
She stayed seated, looking up toward Tremaine. Her face began to redden a bit and her eyes filled up with the beginnings of tears. “Roger Gale seemed like a really nice guy. I was just trying to help him.” Then she said, “How did you know our affair was made up?”
Tremaine thought about her question. Was it that her answers just seemed so thought out? We had six dates and 166
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on the sixth we ended it. Was it that she and Roger Gale just didn’t seem to go together?
Tremaine answered her question. “I didn’t.”
Wendy looked at him, desperate almost, and said, “Am I going to get into trouble?” like a little kid.
“No, Wendy, you’re not.”
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C H A P T E R 2 4
It was noon. Tremaine was back at the trailer park, but not at his place—in front of Marvin’s. It was time for Marvin to perform. The trailer door opened and Marvin Kearns came out, his bald head freshly shaved and glistening in the mid-morning sun. He was wearing black slacks with thick gray stripes running down the legs. The shoes, black and shiny. Up top, he wore a ribbed black tank top and a brown leather blazer. His eyes were covered by silver aviator-style sunglasses. His stocky build filled out the clothes nicely.
He stood outside the car for a moment, almost posing, then got in.
Tremaine said, “You look perfect.”
“I know,” Marvin Kearns responded.
B O D Y C O P Y
Tremaine dropped Marvin Kearns off in front of Paul Spinelli’s office building, then headed over to Think Big Advertising, pulled into the lot, and got out his cell phone and began dialing.
Tremaine heard Drop-Dead Heather say, “Tyler Wilkes’s office.”
“Heather, this is Donald Tremaine.”
“Donald, hi. I was just thinking about you the other night.”
Tremaine thought about the parking lot that day and the way Heather looked when she struck her surfer pose.
Tremaine stayed on point.
Tremaine said, “I wonder if you could pass on a message to Tyler for me.”
“We were going to have a drink. You never called.”
She was right, he had never called. He thought, losing focus for just a second, how could you forget to call this one? Get your shit together, Tremaine.
He said, “I didn’t call, but I will.”
“Good. Do you want me to put you on with Tyler? He’s just sitting in his office.”
“That’s okay. Just tell him something for me.”
“Okay.”
“Tell him