*****
We drove in silence to Rosario’s place, focusing on eating our food as quickly as we could. Five minutes later we pulled up in front of her apartment building. It was nicer than Vera’s – it consisted of three levels with a lobby and working elevator. The exterior of the building was gray with some decorative white trim. This building was called “Pacific Place.”
Reid and Foxy were sitting in their car, and I was grateful that they had waited for us. Mac had ordered some extra food for them, and I knocked on their car window with my peace offering.
“We thought you might be hungry,” I said.
“Thanks. We appreciate that,” Foxy said.
Foxy and Reid dug into the bag with even more gusto than the guys and I had. I could feel the burger and fries churning around in my stomach, and it didn’t feel so good. I started to become nervous that my first words to Rosario would be, “Your boyfriend is dead – can I use your bathroom?”
Mac and Manny were busy reloading their equipment with fresh tape and making sure everything was properly labeled. The cops finished up their food and stepped out of the car. Reid looked me up and down.
“You had time to change?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question.
“Aww, you noticed,” I crooned.
“You look like you should be on a freaking boat.”
I rolled my eyes as Reid pushed past me. Once Mac and Manny were suited up and ready, we all headed inside.
The lobby was orange and ugly, but there was a security camera and surveillance monitor on the ceiling, which at least gave the impression that the place was safe.
We all piled inside the elevator and Foxy pushed the button for the second floor. “Really, man?” Mac said, staring at him.
“It’s freaking midnight. I don’t do stairs this late,” Foxy answered.
Mac was toned and chiseled and would have probably preferred scaling the building to taking the elevator up one flight. We rode in silence, eyes pointed up, careful not to look at anyone else.
We stepped out onto the second floor. It was a long hall with beige carpeting and probably about eight units on each side. Foxy led us down to unit #113.
I directed Mac to get his camera in position while Manny and I hid outside of view. Foxy knocked on the door, and it opened almost instantly. Our jaws dropped as we took in the statuesque Hispanic woman that stood before us. She was probably five eight, but looked taller because she was wearing a pair of black leather stiletto boots that went well above her knee. Beneath them she had on a pair of tight black pants paired with a low-cut red shirt with a black bra underneath. Her cleavage was so amazing even I was turned on. She had long, black, flowing hair, and she reminded me of a comic book hero. This woman was head-to-toe sex – no wonder Johnny went through all those condoms.
“How about you close your mouths and tell me why you’re here,” Rosario said in a Spanish accent.
Manny was peeking around the corner trying to get a better look and knocked me with his equipment bag in the process. “Come on Sharpe – get out the way!” he whispered.
“Uh…” Reid cleared his throat. “Are you Rosario Ortez?”
“Who’s asking?” she said.
“Detectives Flanagan and Reid. May we come in?” Foxy said.
“I’m not in trouble, right?”
“No ma’am,” Foxy answered.
Rosario stepped back. Reid and Foxy walked in while Manny, Mac, and I followed.
“Uh, hold up. Is this a freaking parade?” she said, looking at me.
I figured she didn’t like having female competition in the room. Then I remembered I was wearing a sailor suit and knew I was only kidding myself.
Manny walked up to Rosario and handed her a business card. “My name is Emanuel. If I can ever be of service to you, please let me know. You can call me day or night.”
“Manny!” Reid scolded.
“I’m Victoria Sharpe. I am working with Detectives Reid and Flanagan on a TV show – it’s kind of like a cop show. Would it be okay if we filmed you?”
“Am I arrested?” Rosario asked coyly and I knew the guys were all thinking dirty thoughts about what they could do with a pair of handcuffs.
“No, of course not,” I said.
Rosario nodded, giving her consent. I decided to wait until after the interview to bust out the paperwork – I mean, hell, it might not even be worth it. Plus, the burger was really rumbling in my stomach, and I knew I needed to grab hold of a chair or something to cope with the pain.
“Please sit down, Ms. Ortez,” Reid said.
Rosario’s apartment was nicely furnished. She had two large comfortable couches and a high-def television. She had an eat-in kitchen that was off to the side and it looked like a bedroom and bathroom in the back of the apartment. She sat on the couch. Her boots were so high that when she sank into the seat cushion her knees were almost at the same level as her face. The angle was screwing up Mac’s shot, but he managed to work around it.
“Miss Ortez, you know Jonathan Walters, correct?” Reid asked.
“No,” she said.
Reid looked blankly at Foxy. First Vera said she didn’t have a son; now, Rosario was saying she didn’t know the victim either.
“I’m sorry; we were under the impression that Mr. Walters was your boyfriend,” Foxy said.
“If you’re single, honey, I would love to get to know you better,” Manny blurted out.
“Manny, shut up!” I whispered and smacked him on the knee.
“My boyfriend’s name is Chaser. We call him that because the cops like to chase him, but they never catch him. Did you catch him this time, Detective?” Rosario asked Reid. She was flirting with him, which I thought was odd. I mean, why did she think we were here? Cops didn’t make house calls just to tell you your boyfriend was arrested.
“Does Chaser live at 1724 Lankershim Boulevard?” Foxy asked.
Rosario leaned back. “Don’t beat around the bush with me, Detective – it’s late.”
“We found your boyfriend dead tonight,” Foxy blurted out.
I shook my head. This guy did not have tact. Rosario sat still. She bowed her head down, thinking. Finally, she lifted her eyes to Foxy. “How did it happen?”
“We believe it was a hit-and-run,” Foxy said. “His neighbor heard the car outside but didn’t see anything.”
“Uh-huh,” Rosario said, nodding. “So it happened in front of his place?”
“Yes,” Foxy said.
“How’d you find me?” Rosario asked.
“John-uh, Chaser had your number written down at his house. We traced the number.”
She nodded.
“Maybe you can tell us a little more about your boyfriend. What did he do for a living?” Foxy asked.
Rosario looked uncomfortable. “This and that.”
“He had a nice place for someone who did this and that,” Reid said. “Was he into something illegal, Rosario?”
“Call me Rose. Everyone else does,” she answered.
“Do you know how he made his money, Rose?” Reid asked.
“Am I under arrest?” Rose asked again.
This was getting good. This woman had the potential to be a great villain. I was waiting for her to slip into a white dress and ask to take a lie detector test. Unfortunately, I couldn’t fully savor the moment because I was fighting a losing battle with my intestines. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead, and I shifted back and forth in my chair.
“We are just talking,” Foxy said. “No one is accusing you of anything.”
“Do you have something you would like to tell us? Some information that might lead us to Chaser’s killer?” Reid asked.
“You said it was a hit-and-run, right? It could have been anyone,” Rose answered dismissively.
Reid leaned in. “Or it could have been someone you know, Rose. You don’t have any ideas about who could have done this? It sounds like Chaser was involved in some bad shit. Wh
at do you know about his racing?”
Foxy and Reid had the good cop-bad cop routine down cold. Unfortunately, Rose wasn’t taking the bait. She stood up and walked to the door.
“Detectives, I have just heard some very upsetting news. I’d appreciate it if you would leave now.”
Reid and Foxy looked at each other and stood up. Foxy approached her and handed her a business card. “If you think of anything that might help us solve the case, give me a call.”
Rose held the door open and the cops walked out, followed by Mac and Manny. I stayed behind.
“I know this is a little bit awkward, but I was wondering if I could use your bathroom,” I said.
Rose glared at me.
“Would you say yes to fifty bucks?” I asked.
Five minutes later, I stepped into the night air feeling much lighter and much better. I wasn’t sure how I was going to justify all these bribes against my petty cash, but Mac would probably be able to produce some sort of receipt for me. The beauty part was that Rose also agreed to sign the release form as a thank you for the cash.
I met the guys outside – they were all talking in front of Reid’s black Taurus. Manny was talking to Foxy.
“I don’t care if she’s the killer, bro, she is smoking hot! I mean did you check out those boots? Imagine how she’d look naked with those things on – ay mamí!”
“Just imagine her in a jail cell getting in cat fights with the other women – their orange jump suits tearing to reveal black vinyl bras and panties,” Foxy said. The guys all chuckled.
“There’s a lady present,” Mac said, pointing to me.
“She’s not a lady – she’s one of the guys. Right, Sharpe?” Foxy said.
“Well, she seemed guilty as hell to me,” I said.
“I don’t think so,” Reid said.
“Come on! You said you can tell everything by their reaction. She was so cagey – she wouldn’t answer anything,” I said.
“I think her boyfriend was into something illegal,” Reid said. “Probably sold drugs or something – she doesn’t want to get involved.”
“She’s probably not legal either,” Foxy said.
“I could make her legal baby – any day,” Manny said.
“You better watch it, Manny. She’ll kill you next,” Mac teased.
Manny laughed, but I could see a bit of concern in his eyes.
Chapter 5.