“Uh-huh,” Tina said.
“And you remember you told us—”
“I said that to my knowledge she wasn’t.”
“Does that mean you never saw her using cocaine?”
“Never.”
“Does that also mean she never mentioned it to you?”
“Never.”
“Would she have mentioned something like that?”
“We were close friends. There’s nothing so terrible about snorting a few lines every now and then. I suppose if she’d been using it, she might have mentioned it.”
“But she didn’t.”
“No, she didn’t.”
“Miss Wong, according to Timothy Moore, there was a party Sally Anderson went to last Sunday night. Someone named Lonnie. One of the black dancers in the show.”
“Yes?” Tina said.
“Were you at that party?”
“Yes, I was.”
“But Mr. Moore wasn’t.”
“No, he wasn’t. He had to study. He made this New Year’s Eve resolution—”
“Yes, he told us. At any time that night, did you notice Miss Anderson sniffing coke?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“How about anyone else?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Were there any other cast members there?”
“Oh, sure.”
“Do you remember when we talked yesterday, you mentioned that some people in the cast were doing coke.”
“Yes, I may have said that.”
“Well, you said that some of them were doing a little coke, here and there, now and then.”
“I suppose that’s what I said.”
“Were any of them doing coke last Sunday night? That you may have noticed?”
“I’m not sure I ought to answer that,” Tina said.
“Why not?” Meyer said.
“Anyway, why do you think Sally was into cocaine?”
“Was she?” Carella asked at once.
“I told you, not to my knowledge. But all these questions you’re asking... what difference does it make if she was or she wasn’t? She’s dead, she was shot to death. What does cocaine have to do with anything?”
“Miss Wong, we have good reason to believe she was a user.”
“How? What reason?”
“We tested a residue of powder from her handbag.”
“And it was cocaine?”
“We’re reasonably certain it was.”
“What does that mean? Was it or wasn’t it?”
“The tests weren’t exhaustive, but from what—”
“Then it could have been anything, right? Face powder or—”
“No, it wasn’t face powder, Miss Wong.”
“Why are you so anxious to prove she was doing coke?”
“We’re not. We simply want to know who else was.”
“How am I supposed to know who else was?”
“When we talked to you yesterday—”
“Yesterday, I didn’t know this would turn into a third degree.”
“This isn’t a third degree, Miss Wong. When we talked to you yesterday, you said — and I think I’m quoting you exactly — ‘Usually, you can get a pretty good idea of who’s doing what when you’re working in a show.’ Isn’t that what you said?”
“I don’t remember my exact words.”
“But that’s what you meant, isn’t it?”
“I suppose so.”
“Okay. If you have a pretty good idea of who’s doing what, we’d like you to share it with us.”
“What for? So I can get decent people in trouble for no reason at all?”
“Which decent people?” Carella asked.
“I don’t know anybody who was involved with drugs, okay?”
“That’s not what you said yesterday.”
“It’s what I’m saying today.” She looked at them steadily, and then added, “I think I’d better call my lawyer.”
“We’re not looking for a drug bust here,” Meyer said.
“I don’t know what you’re looking for, but you’re not going to get it from me.”
“Your best friend was murdered,” Carella said softly.
She looked at him.
“We’re trying to find the person who did it,” Carella said.
“Nobody in the show did it.”
“How do you know that?”
“I don’t know it. I just know...” She fell silent. She folded her arms across her chest. She lifted her chin stubbornly. Carella looked at Meyer. Meyer nodded almost imperceptibly.
“Miss Wong,” Carella said, “on the basis of what you told us yesterday, we have good cause to believe you know who, if anyone, in the cast was using cocaine. This is a murder we’re investigating. We can subpoena you before a grand jury, who’ll ask you the same questions we’ve been asking you—”
“No, you can’t,” she said.
“Yes, we can,” Carella said, “and we will if you continue refusing to—”
“What is this, Russia?” Tina asked.
“This is the United States,” Carella said. “You’ve got your rights, but we’ve also got ours. If you refuse to answer a grand jury, you’ll be held in contempt of court. Take your choice.”
“I can’t believe this,” she said.
“Believe it. If you know who’s doing coke—”
“I hate strong-arm macho shit,” Tina said.
Neither of the detectives said anything.
“Mafia tactics,” Tina said.
Still, they said nothing.
“As if it has anything at all to do with who killed her,” Tina said.
“Let’s go, Meyer,” Carella said, and stood up.
“Just a minute,” Tina said.
He did not sit down again.
“There were maybe half a dozen people snorting at that party.”
“Anyone in the cast?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Sally, of course.”
“Who else?”
“Mike.”
“Mike who?”
“Roldan. Miguel Roldan.”
“Thank you,” Carella said.
“If you cause him any trouble—”
“We’re not looking to cause him trouble,” Meyer said. “How well did Sally Anderson know your producer?”
The question took her totally by surprise. Her eyes opened wide. She hesitated a moment before answering. “Allan?” she said.
“Allan Carter,” Carella said, nodding.
“Why?”
“Did Sally ever mention him in anything but a professional way?”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“I think you know what it means, Miss Wong.”
“Are you asking if she was involved in some way with him? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Why do you think that’s ridiculous, Miss Wong?”
“Because... well, she had a boyfriend. You know that, I told you that yesterday.”
“Why would that exclude an involvement with Mr. Carter?”
“I just know there was nothing going on between them.”
“How do you know that?”
“There are some things you just know.”
“Did you ever see them together?”
“Of course.”
“Outside of the theater, I mean.”
“Occasionally.”
“When’s the last time you saw them together?”
“Last Sunday night.”
“Under what circumstances?”
“He was at Lonnie’s party.”
“Is that usual? For the producer of a show to attend a party given by one of the dancers?”
“You’re not going to stop till you get everybody in trouble, are you?”
“Who are we getting in trouble now?” Meyer asked.
“Allan was with me,” Tina said, “okay? I asked him to the party.”