33 

CHITA ROMERO SAT in the passenger seat of Carlos Rivera’s car and sniffed. “It has that new-car smell,” she said.

“It ought to,” Carlos replied, “I bought it this afternoon, not long after I saw you at the studio.”

“I like the leather,” she said.

“So do I.”

“What kind of car is it? I mean, it looks familiar, but I don’t know it.”

“It’s North Korean,” Carlos replied with a straight face.

“You mean you would buy a car from that fat . . . Wait a minute.”

Carlos laughed. “The North Koreans don’t manufacture cars,” he said. “Just nuclear missiles. I was thinking of buying one of those, too.”

She laughed. “You’re funny, Carlos, I never know what you’re going to say.”

“Read my lips,” he said, “and from up close.”

“You’re bad.”

“Now you’ve nailed me.”

•   •   •

THEY SETTLED INTO a corner table of the garden behind an Italian restaurant and ordered drinks.

“How come you’re coming to see Dax Baxter so much?” Chita asked.

“Twice is much?”

“It’s twice as many as most people do. He’s not the most popular guy in town.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Carlos replied, sipping his margarita. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve found out about him since I’ve been working this case, and I’ve only been on it for three days.”

“What case?”

“His stolen car. We sit up and take notice when there’s an eight-hundred-thousand-dollar theft in our jurisdiction.”

“Listen,” she said, looking around, “there’s something you should know.”

“All ears.”

“His car wasn’t stolen.”

Carlos widened his eyes to the max. “No!”

She laughed. “I take it you knew that.”

“I figured it out about ten seconds after I started talking to him the first time. I considered arresting him for making a false report, but he began to interest me.”

“Why?” she asked.

“Well, who would be stupid enough to pull that kind of stunt?”

“Dax would, if he thinks he can get away with it.”

“Do you know what kind of guy you’re working for?”

“Do you know what kind of money I make?”

Carlos laughed. “Probably more than a detective sergeant on the BHPD.”

“Probably,” she said.

“How long have you worked for him?”

“A little over two years. I was working for another exec who got canned, and Personnel sent me to see him. He liked what he saw.”

“Oho, I’ll bet he did!”

“Don’t worry, looking is as far as he got. But he likes having a Latina on display outside his office. It makes him look like an equal opportunity employer.”

“Is he?”

“Sort of, but that’s because he can pay Latinos and blacks less than whites.”

“You make him sound like such a sweet guy.”

“He’s the most volatile human being I’ve ever known,” she said. “Anything can set him off.”

They ordered dinner. “Do you know much about him?” Carlos asked.

“I know just about everything about him,” she replied smugly.

“So you know about the Russian?”

“Where did you hear about the Russian?” she asked.

“It’s my job to hear about things.”

“Are you going to arrest him for that?”

“For what?”

“You know.”

“Maybe. You tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine.”

She shook her head. “You, first.”

“The Russian is a killer for hire.”

She looked uncomfortable. “I don’t know about that.”

“You told me you know everything about him.”

“I know the Russian works for him sometimes, but I don’t know what he does.”

“Now you do.”

“Then why haven’t you arrested Dax and the Russian?”

Carlos shook his head. “It didn’t happen in my jurisdiction. That’s Santa Fe’s problem. Also, I couldn’t prove it all if I tried.”

“Have you tried?”

He shrugged. “Maybe I took a stab at it.”

“And you couldn’t find anything?”

“Maybe I haven’t finished.”

He was getting close to the point where he would have to decide whether to trust her. He decided not to. “Right now, I’ve got him under surveillance twenty-four hours a day—for his own protection, of course.”

“He’s in danger?”

“The guy he tried to have killed by the Russian may try to get even.”

She thought about that, then shook her head. “I know Billy Barnett a little,” she said. “He offered me a job in his office when my boss got fired, so I had an interview. I liked him a lot, and it’s a really interesting production company, but then Dax offered me half again as much money. I’ve got a little girl in Catholic school, and the money makes that possible.”

“You were married?”

“I still am,” she said.

Carlos looked around the restaurant. “I hope he’s not the jealous type.”

She laughed. “He is, but he’s afraid of cops. Also, my lawyer tells me we’ll be divorced in a couple of weeks. We’ve been trying to get him to pay for the school, and he’s agreed to pay half. That’s good enough for me.”

“How old is your daughter?”

“Six. She’s in the first grade.”

“I’ll bet she’s gorgeous,” he said. “Like her mother.”

“People say she’s the spitting image,” Chita said. “You like kids?”

“Yes, I do, but I didn’t want any with my ex-wife, so I took precautions.”

Chita frowned. “What kind of precautions?”

“I stopped screwing her after the first year, told her the Viagra didn’t work.”

“You took Viagra?”

“Nope.”

She laughed aloud. “And what was her reaction to that?”

“She took a lover, thereby relieving me of the duty of servicing her needs. Now, fortunately, she’s married to the guy.”

“That’s convenient.”

“It saves on alimony payments,” he said. “I celebrated by buying the new car.”

Dinner came and they dined. Afterward, when they were on dessert wine, he popped the question.

“So,” he said, “tell me everything you know about Dax Baxter.”