Milo said, “A regular Romeo.”
“You’re joking, sir, but basically that’s true. I’m romantic to the core. Never touched a woman when she didn’t want to be touched, no means no, okay? And what turns me on is turning them on, okay? So I sure wouldn’t kill anyone. That’s crazy. And obviously, I didn’t because that whole DNA thing was obviously bogus and obviously someone was out to shaft me.”
I said, “But initially you kept your alibi to yourself.”
“Shesaid keep your mouth shut, this is an opportunity. Jail scared the hell out of me but…what can I say? It was stupid.”
Milo said, “Stupid and illegal.”
“Listen…yeah, okay, I screwed up. Big-time. I admit it. But nowI’m being honest about it and I’m still the one spent time in that hellhole whilesheslept in her big bed in Beverly Hills.”
I said, “Jail was tough.”
“Oh man, what do you think?” said Heck. “They put me in a cell by myself but I’m still surrounded by gangbangers. One’s in the cell across from me, laughing while he’s jerking off and telling me it’ll be me in there with him tonight. I mean, c’mon, man. It was hell. So yeah, I screwed up by listening toherbut I more than paid my dues.”
I said, “Let’s talk about Martha Matthias.”
“Who’s that?”
“The detective who interviewed you on Alberts.”
“Her? The old lady? Why?”
“Because she was murdered.”
Heck jerked forward in his chair. “You think I had—oh, that’sinsane.Why would I have anything to do with that? Why the eff? C’mon, man. I met her twice.”
“Tell us about that.”
“Nothing to tell,” said Heck.“Nothing.”
I said, “If it was nothing, why twice?”
Heck sat back. “I can’t talk about it.”
“Why not, Mike?”
“Not my idea, theirs.”
“Theirs—”
“The government.”
I said, “You informed on Alberts.”
Heck rubbed his brow and shook his head. “I can’t.”
Milo said, “Mike, that investigation’s long over and the prosecutor’s long dead.”
“Dead? Oh no, now you’re going to try—”
“Calm down, Mike. Natural causes.”
Heck exhaled. “Okay…well, I still can’t say anything. But I’m not going to deny, okay?”
“Deny what?”
He looked at me. “Whathejust said. Okay? That work for you?”
