“Whatever,” Swain said. “I want a lawyer.”
Ellie held the bag up toward the office’s overhead fluorescent lights. She recognized the crushed tan crystalline substance as a snortable form of crystal meth. Same euphoria, agitation, and sexually compulsive behavior. None of the mess and paraphernalia required for smoking. None of the hypodermics that came with slamming.
“What’s the matter? Afraid of needles and fumes? You sure you don’t want to corroborate my testimony that the bouncer over there sold to you?” Ellie took a look at Jaime Rodriguez, who was playing it cool. “Remember: easy way and hard way.”
“Are you sure you’re supposed to be talking to me? Because what I remember is that I’m a two-L at Cardozo Law School who has read the Supreme Court’s opinion in Edwards v. Arizona, and I know I just asked for a lawyer. And for a first-time buy, the hard way, as you call it, is a heartfelt apology, a stop at drug court, and a clean record once I’m done.”
The woman was six feet tall, drop-dead gorgeous, and knew her legal rights. At that moment, Ellie really hated her. But Ashlee Swain’s recreational drug use was not her current priority. She turned the woman over to one of the uniformed officers to process the drug case.
“Two VIPs to go,” she said, looking at Tony Russo and Jake Myers. “You want the financial analyst or the hedge fund dude?”
“I’ll take the hedge fund prick,” Rogan said.
TONY RUSSO HAD a thick body and a square head that was losing its black hair. Combined with his large facial features, he might have been typecast as a Brooklyn butcher were it not for the wardrobe, a black sports coat over a sky blue dress shirt and dark gray pants. Ellie began by asking him when he was last at Pulse.
“What do you mean? I’m here right now.”
“Before now,” Ellie clarified. “When was the last time you were here before tonight?”
“I don’t know. I come here all the time. Wait. Last night. That’s how much I’m here. I was here last night.”
“Who was with you?”
“A bunch of people. What is this about? What do you mean, who was with me?”
“I’m just asking you who generally you were with.”
“Well, the same people who were with me are the same people I was with. How’s that for esoteric?”
“You’re making my head hurt, Tony. Who was in your company last night?”
“It’s always Nick’s friends. Nick was here. Jake-that dude over there, Nick’s partner-he was here.” Russo looked around and saw that the others were all gone from the office or leaving. “That was it, I guess. Most of those other people, they were just girls Nick waved in from the dance floor, you know? Or maybe he knew a few of ’em, I don’t know. You gotta ask him. He’s always the ringleader, you know?”
“But you didn’t just get waved in. You and Nick are friends?”
“Yeah, tight. Him and Jake, too. Are you gonna cut me loose here pretty soon, babe?”
“Hey, J. J., Tony here thinks I’m a babe.”
“Man’s got good taste,” Rogan said, keeping his attention fixed on Jake Myers.
“Yeah, we’re about done. I just need to know whether you remember seeing this girl last night.” Ellie showed him the photograph of Chelsea, monitoring him closely for his reaction.
Despite his seeming indifference, Russo took a good look at the picture. No nervousness. No evasiveness. Same breezy, cocky demeanor.
He tapped the photograph a few times with his index finger. “Yeah, yeah, I remember her. Go Hoosiers. She was a real babe. Not as good as you, of course.”
“Did you talk to her at all?”
“Nah. I got a girl. She’s out of town, but I’m not stupid, you know?”
“Not even on a night out with Nick?”
“Not even. Altar boy. Can’t you tell?”
Actually, Ellie could.
“So, who was she with?”
Now, for the first time, she did sense a change in Russo’s easygoing manner. His smile fell as his brow furrowed.
“Seriously, what’s going on? I just want to get out of here.”
“This girl was murdered last night.”
“Ah, Jesus. Nick, did you hear this, man? One of those Indiana chicks last night-”
“Hey,” Ellie said, “I can’t have you guys talking to each other right now. Talk to me,” she said, pointing to herself. “No one’s accusing anyone. I just need to know who this girl was talking to last night.”
“Everyone, man. I don’t know. She was toasted, you know? Partying. Getting her freak on.”
“Did she talk to Nick?”
“That’s bullshit. It wasn’t like that. She wasn’t talking to anyone. She was just dancing and hanging out-with anyone and everyone.”
“So she was dancing and hanging out with Nick?”
Russo shook his head in frustration, apparently finding Ellie considerably less babe-ish now. “Yeah, fine,” he said, lowering his voice, “she was dancing with Nick. But she was also dancing with Jake. And our buddy Tom. And some other dude-um, Patrick, another friend of Nick’s.”
“But she didn’t dance with you.”
“No, but that’s only because I don’t dance. Seriously, it wasn’t what you’re thinking. She wasn’t with anyone. That’s how Nick nights are. Girls come in for the free booze and to be our eye candy for the night. No one’s looking for a girlfriend.”
“Not even for one night?”
Russo didn’t respond.
“When you left, did you leave alone?”
“I told you. Altar boy.”
“I didn’t mean with another woman. I want to know if you saw your friends leave.”
“I don’t like where this is going. My friends are decent guys.”
“Then you shouldn’t mind telling me who left and when.”
“You just don’t get it,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m not trying to be a prick, but I don’t want to say anything that’s gonna bite one of my boys in the ass. I want a lawyer, like that Cardozo chick said.”
Great. The model had not only invoked her own rights, but had done so loudly enough for Tony Russo to get an introductory lesson about his own.
Ellie turned to check on Rogan. With the pace of the last thirty minutes, this had been her first opportunity to take a look at Jake Myers, who was trendier than his preppy friends. He was about six feet tall. Thin. Dark brown hair. He had an interesting face-long and narrow with a prominent chin and sleepy eyelids. He reminded Ellie of someone. She was just about to put her finger on it when she heard a high-pitched female voice behind her.