“Got three strays, they love me.”
“No dogs?”
“Cats are better, do their own thing.”
“Medina into dogs?”
“Not that she said. Can we go? I need to go?”
“Anything else you want to tell us, Geoff?”
Dugong tapped a foot, blinked, played with his beard. “I hope she’s okay. I want to sell more art.”
CHAPTER
35
We left him in the room and called Sean up from the big D-room.
Milo told him his new assignment.
“Am I looking for something specific, Loot?”
“Nope, don’t ask questions and for sure don’t challenge the guy, he was a meth freak, still acts like one, and is tanked up on booze. Stay mellow and maybe he’ll drop some nugget of info. He does, don’t react, just remember.”
“Sounds kind of like being a therapist,” said Binchy. “You come up with the plan, Doc?”
Milo said, “Give me credit, kid. Conceived it all on my lonesome.”
Sean flushed. “Sorry, Loot.”
Milo clapped his back. “Relax. You’re the man for the job.”
“I am?”
“You bet, he thinks you’re a good guy.”
“Really,” said Binchy.
Far more cheered by Dugong’s evaluation than he should be.
Appreciating every brick in the crumbling walls of his identity. One day we’d talk.
—
He went to get Dugong out of the interview room, came out carrying the duffel followed by Dugong wheeling the bag.
They walked down the corridor, side by side, Binchy talking about something, Dugong listening. Probably music. Sean loves to talk about music.
Milo and I headed the opposite direction, to his office.
He said, “Here’s my take on Rembrandt: not too bright in the first place, additional brain cells popped by substance abuse. And tragically, he was being totally straight with us.”
I said, “Tragic because of the way he described Okash’s reaction to our drop-in.”
He leaned against the doorpost. “Freaked out by Benny’s death? Not a good fit for her being our bad girl.”
“Unless,” I said, “Okash suspected or knew she was being watched and decided to use Dugongbecausehe’s a dull-witted addict and a starving artist who’s come to depend on her. She insists on driving him to the airport, incentivizes by promising to pay him, then stands him up knowing he’s likely to react emotionally rather than just get his own ride. He’s observed by Sean, gets taken here, tells us exactly what she wants us to hear.”
