Murder at the Opera - Margaret Truman [71]
“And what?” Johnson said.
“I shouldn’t be talking this way,” Melincamp said.
“Why not?”
“I don’t like to be judgmental
They continued the interview until Baltsa returned. “Did he say nice things about me?” she asked pleasantly.
“We didn’t talk about you,” Willie replied. “Thanks for your time. We’ll be in touch again
“Are we now free to leave Washington?” Baltsa asked.
“You always were,” Johnson said.
“We have no intention of leaving,” Melincamp said, eliciting a harsh look from Baltsa. “The least we can do is stand by to be of help to law enforcement in every way possible. We owe that to Charise
“Well,” Sylvia Johnson said, “that’s admirable. Have a nice evening.”
• • •
“Let me order for you,” Sylvia offered when Willie complained that nothing on the menu at Bistro Med appealed. She ordered an appetizer—to share—of fried zucchini pancakes with yogurt garlic sauce; two entrées of steamed pinto beans tossed with carrots, celery, tomatoes, and fresh dill; and “Very Berry and Apple Kiwi” salads. Willie’s face indicated his unhappiness.
“I know one thing,” he said when the waiter left to put in their orders and they returned to discussing their interview with Melincamp and Baltsa, “claiming they don’t get it on together is bull. You pick up on all those slips? ‘We’ instead of ‘me’? ‘Us’?”
“Yup
“Besides, there’s men’s clothing in the closet. I checked
“I knew you would
“And his not wanting her to know he hit a topless joint after dinner. Why would she care if they’re just business partners? There’s lots he doesn’t want her to know. You pick up on that?”
“Yes, I did
“Also took a look in the bathroom. Man, that lady’s got enough makeup stuff to do a thousand clowns
“Don’t exaggerate, Willie
“I’m not. Whoever killed that Ms. Lee shoved a sponge in the wound to keep her from bleeding all over everything. Am I right?”
“Of course you’re right
“So, that Ms. Baltsa has got herself a few sponges of her own
“So what? Lots of women have some sort of a sponge to apply makeup
“You use a sponge to put on your makeup?”
“No
“See what I mean?” He pulled a large sponge from his raincoat pocket and handed it to her. “I figured it wouldn’t hurt to check hers against what was stuffed in that poor kid
“Willie, you didn’t!”
“Sure did. Let me tell you something else. Somebody’s lying about when Melincamp arrived in D.C. He told me the first time I talked to him that he flew in the day she was murdered. Baltsa says he came a day before
“Why didn’t you bring it up with him?”
“Didn’t think of it until just now. Here’s the appetizers. Looks…uh, good
He tried to kiss her good night when he dropped her in front of her apartment building, but she evaded his lips. “Cool it, Willie,” she said.
“Invite me up for a nightcap?”
“Sorry,” she said.
His laugh was more of a growl. “Like I always say, pretty lady, when Willie’s body says it needs something, I always try to accommodate
“Well, you’ll just have to accommodate it with someone else. Thanks for picking up the tab for dinner. Enjoy it?”
“I feel healthier already
As she watched him drive away, she wondered whether he’d turn the corner and pull into the first fast-food restaurant he could find. She had to smile. She liked Willie Portelain, liked him a lot. He was a good man and a good cop. Not her type, but she’d been having trouble lately finding “her type
She dressed for bed and settled in a chair in the living room to watch television. She was restless. She would have liked to find her soul mate and settle into a long-term, loving relationship, maybe get married and have a couple of kids before it was too late. She’d recently met a