Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #4: Books 13-16 (A Dead Cold Box Set) by Blake Banner (best ereader for academics .txt) 📕

“Is that a problem?”

He frowned at me. “No, man. Don’t get hostile. I’m just surprised, right? Is a long time.”

“May we come in?”

“Sure. But don’t hang around, you know what I’m saying? I have a girl coming to watch a movie.”

The apartment was comfortable. Giorgio’s had been expensive. This was not expensive, but it wasn’t cheap either. The furniture was solid and well made, not IKEA, and the sofa and the armchairs were deep and well padded. There was no open fire, but the heavy burgundy drapes were drawn and the apartment was warm. There was a smell of roasting chicken on the air. Like Giorgio, he took the sofa and left the chairs to us.

Dehan leant forward and asked him, “What can you tell us about the night of the party, Mr. Martinez?”

He laughed. “Not a lot. If I say I was stoned on coke and weed that night, can you arrest me?”

I sighed. “We’d still have to prove it and that would be almost impossible, and really not worth the effort. We’re not interested in that. We are interested in Sue’s murder.”

“Cool. I was drunk and pretty stoned. What I can remember is that she was coming on…” He paused and hesitated. “She was coming on to all the guys at the party and some of the chicks too. She was wild that night. To be honest, I was conflicted?” He gave it the intonation of a question, like he was asking us if we understood what conflicted meant. “Because I really liked her? And to be honest, I was hoping we would hook up that night. So, you know, she was kind of wild and open to all kinds of stuff, which was kind of nice. But at the same time I felt like, you know, it’s not just me. You know what I mean?”

I nodded. “Sure. How was Giorgio taking all this?”

“Oh, man…!” He stared at the ceiling. “That guy is like the most arrogant, self involved, narcissistic prick in the world. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the guy. He is brilliant. But he is so far up his own ass he can look out through his own teeth when he talks. And he was real mad at Sue because she was by far the prettiest girl in any of his classes, and he wanted her falling at his feet. And she wasn’t. In fact, she was beginning to take an interest in me. So he was like, what? You know, like, what the hell is going on here? I am God around here!”

Dehan smiled. “So there was some rivalry between the two of you, over Sue…”

“But don’t expect that macho pig to admit it! I think he even telephoned some whores to come to the party, so he could show Sue that he didn’t care that she wasn’t fawning all over him. Either way, it made no difference because she left the party quite early, about two? Something like that. I mean, it was twelve years ago, right?”

“It was, but you are being very helpful, Mr. Martinez, and we are very grateful.” She gave him a dazzling smile, which he gave right back. She went on, “So, did you guys leave together?”

“Like I told the first detective, it must be in the report! We left together. I asked her if she wanted to hook up, spend the night together, she said no, she was beginning to feel sick and just wanted to sleep. She promised we’d get together in the next day or two, and talk about things. I figured that meant we were going to be just friends. So I went home.”

I asked him, “You didn’t see anybody, a car, a bike, anything out of place?”

He gave a small, sad laugh. “You know, if I had, I would have told you guys twelve years ago.”

I nodded. “Of course you would, but you’d be amazed how many people remember things over time that they did not remember at the time. Mr. Martinez, do you remember Cyril?”

“Little Cyril?” He beamed. “Sure I do! Worked at the library. Sweet guy, but so timid.”

“Was he at the party?”

“Oh, sure! I invited him myself. He was class mascot. I loved that guy. I was always trying to get him laid, but he was just so scared of everything, you know what I mean? He sat in the corner, with his glass of lemonade, watching, listening. Not talking. He was crazy about Sue.”

Dehan frowned. “He told you that?”

“Not in so many words, but I used to watch him watching her. And I am telling you, that was pure, unadulterated adoration in his eyes. She was like a goddess to him. I used to tell her, go sit on his lap, give him a kiss. But she wouldn’t. Sometimes I made her? And he would go bright red! But I swear he loved it.”

I said, “At the party? Did you tell her to do that at the party?”

“At the party, yes. But I told her in class too, all the time. Jesus! It would have put some fun and light into the poor guy’s life. But she was mean. I guess she was a bit of a prick tease. Always flirting, but never saw it through. I think that made Giorgio pretty made at her.”

“Really? Mad enough to kill her, you think?”

His jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. “Oh, my goodness, no! Giorgio is a beautiful, spiritual being. He couldn’t hurt anybody! Besides, they found the sperm, right? All the guys at the party were cleared, because the killer left his DNA. That’s what I understood, anyway.” He looked from me to Dehan and back again.

I sighed. “The case isn’t closed, Mr. Martinez, and until it’s closed, every avenue