“I wait tables at Knock Out.”
It was a sports bar where the waitresses strutted around in hot pants and crop tops. Not a bad place to watch a fight or take in a game and some overpriced food.
“What time did you get off?”
“I got cut around 10:30 PM. It was a slow night.”
I thanked her for her cooperation and offered my condolences once again. We left the apartment, hurried back to the car, and set out to find Blake.
7
We caught up with Blake at Tidal. It was a casual seafood joint on the water with a large deck. Small bands would play in the evenings, mostly yacht rock. Blake tended bar.
The place was packed with the lunch crowd.
JD and I made our way up to the counter, and I flashed my badge.
"What can I do for you?" Blake asked when he approached.
He was a handsome man in his late 20s with dark hair, chiseled features, and piercing brown eyes. He was about 6’2” and seemed to get a lot of tips from the ladies.
A flatscreen behind the bar was tuned to a sports channel. By his demeanor, I figured he hadn’t heard the news.
I broke it to him as gently as possible.
He stood there in a daze for a moment. An obnoxious, drunk woman shouted a drink order at him, but he ignored her. Finally, Blake snapped, "I'll be with you in a minute!”
She made a face and left the bar.
Blake shook his head. “I don't understand. Who would do something like that?”
"I'm hoping you might be able to help us with that.”
He thought for a moment.
"Did he have any enemies?”
Blake hesitated, then shrugged. "Define enemy?”
"Somebody who’d want to beat him to death with a racket.”
His eyes rounded.
I shouldn't have told him the details. It just slipped out.
"Where were you last night?" I asked.
"Here. I worked until close. 2:00 AM. It was probably 3:00 AM by the time I got out of here.”
"How much cocaine was Liam using?”
Blake frowned, then admitted, "You know, just a little here and there,” he said, trying to minimize it. “I don't think he had a problem with it. Not that I saw.”
"Was he dealing?”
After another hesitation, Blake said. "A little. You know, just an eight ball here or there. That kind of thing. All those ladies liketo toot it up. But it's not like they were fucking crackheads or anything.”
"You know where he was getting his supply?”
