Quinn - Iris Johansen [47]
An understatement. He was trying not to remember the bastard’s words. He nodded curtly and started to cross the lot. “Let’s go down the block where he left his car and see if we have any witnesses.”
* * *
EVE WAS COMING OUT of the front entrance when Joe and Slindak came back to the convenience store over an hour later.
“Finished?”
She nodded as she came toward them. “I did the best I could. It was hard. The skill isn’t really in the sketching. It’s the questions that you have to ask the witness. Kim Chen is very good at what he does. And you have to be ready to change every feature as the witness changes their mind. That evidently happens a lot. It’s definitely a work in progress all the way through.”
“But she did very well for a beginner,” Kim Chen said as he came out of the store. He smiled at Eve. “But you should have changed the eyes.”
“Why? The manager said he didn’t see the eyes from the front, so it’s purely a matter of opinion what they looked like. I just went with instinct.”
“But I told you that you’re supposed to go with generic features in that case. You have a greater chance of coming close to a resemblance.”
She shook her head. “It just felt right.”
“‘Felt’?” Kim Chen frowned. “You don’t rely on feelings. You’re not creating, you’re duplicating.”
“You’re probably right. Detective Slindak is lucky he has your sketch to use.”
“It was nice meeting you, Ms. Duncan.” Kim handed the pad to Slindak. “Here’s the best I could do. Not bad. The manager remembered more than he thought.”
“Thanks, Kim. Sorry I had to get you out here in the middle of the night.”
“So am I.” Chen grimaced. “But it’s better than trying to pry a description out of someone after they’ve had a day or two to let it blur.” He waved and strolled toward the patrol car.
Slindak glanced at the sketch. “He’s not a handsome specimen and looks pretty ordinary.” He handed the sketch to Joe. “What do you think? Those cheekbones a little Slavic?”
“Maybe.” Joe studied the sketch. High, broad cheekbones, a wide, full mouth. Dark curly hair, cut close to the head. Ordinary-shaped dark eyes and brows. “Let me see your sketch, Eve.”
“You heard Kim. I injected too much into the eyes in the sketch.” She handed him her pad. “I did okay with the rest, though. I came pretty close.”
Joe gave a low whistle. “I can see what Kim meant.”
The dark eyes looking up at him almost jumped off the sketch. They were large, close-set, and seemed to glitter with ferocity. The brows above them were straight slashes as dark as the eyes they framed.
Slindak was glancing over his shoulder. “Nothing ordinary about that face.”
“He’s not ordinary,” Eve said. “He’s a monster. I don’t care if you tell me monsters seldom look like what they are. I think the soul must reveal itself in some way. This felt right to me.” She turned to Joe. “Use it or not. I don’t care. But I think that I have an idea now what he looks like. I may need it.”
“We’ll use it,” Slindak said. “We’ll use both of them. It may be the only thing useful to come out of this. Joe and I found two witnesses who saw Zeus, but not close enough for a description other than he appeared big and muscular. Neither of them agreed with the other about the car. One said it was a brown Ford, the other a dark blue Honda.”
“Maybe you should get Kim back to draw the car for them,” Eve said dryly.
“Maybe I should. But I don’t think it would do much good.” He turned and walked over to the forensic crew, who had just finished with the phone booth.
“Are you ready to leave?” Joe asked Eve. “I don’t think there’s much more we can learn here.”
She nodded wearily and got into the car. “I guess you’re right. I just wanted to do something that would get us closer. Something concrete.”
“The sketch will help.”
“If that store manager gave us the right information.” Her lips firmed. “But I have to think positive, don’t I? I can’t think we’re just going down a blind alley, or I’ll go crazy.”
“I’m taking you back to my hotel, okay? No Rainbow Inn.”
“No Rainbow Inn.