“Notupsether, pissed her off to theextreme,” said Heck. “And no, she didn’t say because I didn’t ask her. Didn’t want to know. I was just worried she wouldn’t believe me that I wasn’t a rat. But later she said she did and we were cool and we started hooking up again.”
“You didn’t discuss Detective Matthias.”
“Why would we?” said Heck. “That was negative input and I just wanted the whole thing to be over.”
“You had no curiosity why Tiana would resent Detective Matthias.”
“You don’t understand,” said Heck. “Tiana’s not someone you have a discussion with. She’s scary, man. Carries a knife in her purse. This folding thing, like military. And she knows how to shoot—kept guns in the house. Hers and Darren’s. Rifles, shotguns, pistols. Big safe full of them that she showed me.”
Milo said, “Where does she go to shoot?”
“No idea, I just know what she showed me and told me. And like I told you, she’s strong. I took her to the gym once—same one whereI met Sophie because she was bugging me to show her what I could do. She watches me, pats my butt, winks, goes over to the barbells, stretches, and starts deadlifting. She weighed probably one twenty. Totally toned. I watched her deadlift two fifty. Her muscles didn’t even look that big but theyworked,man. Guys were staring.She loved it. The attention.When I said something about it, she said, ‘No big deal, used to be a tomboy before I grew boobs.’ Then we left the gym and went to my place.”
Milo’s phone beeped a text. As he read, his eyebrows rose.
He said, “What does Tiana drive?”
“Nowadays? No idea. Back then she had an Aston Martin. Black convertible. She let me drive it, great car. When Darren got busted, she lost it along with everything else.”
“No more big house.”
“Nothing.”
“Where does she live?”
“Last time I saw her, she took me to her new place. Grungy dive in Pico-Robertson. She held on to her clothes, though. Two-bedroom place, one just for her clothes.”
“What was she driving at that time?”
“Never saw a vehicle. She called me to pick her up at Pink’s, when I got there she said she left her money at home, could I pay for her chili dog so I did.”
Heck’s eyes brightened.
“Hey, maybethat’swhy she’s been doing this crazy stuff. Hit rock bottom and wants to take it out on the world.”
—
Milo kept him in the room for another twenty minutes posing different versions of the same questions. Detective 101. It produced nothing but growing fatigue on Heck’s part and when Milo finally said, “Okay, we’ll be in touch,” Heck nodded glumly and got to his feet.
“So when can I get my phone back?”
Milo made a call. Moments later, a young, dark-haired detectivenamed Carla Bonair entered stone-faced, gloved up, and carrying a paper bag.
Like a bull in rut, Heck tried to make eye contact with her but she ignored him as Milo gave her the phone.
She dropped it into the bag. “We keeping it or just doing a plug-in, Loo?”
“Plug-in. When can you get it back to this gentleman who’s been very cooperative?”
Heck smiled at Bonair.
“If there are no glitches, right away.”
“Great, thanks.”
Heck said, “There’s going to be some racy stuff on it.”
Bonair said, “Password.”
