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Authors: A.R. Winters
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and then I said, “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
She sighed. “It’s ok. I asked the cops if I needed to come down to Las Vegas, but they said it’s ok. Which was good, because it costs money to get one of those last minute flights out. And now Max wants to have the funeral out in LA – I mean, can you believe it? I’m her flesh and blood, and that guy’s just known her – what – two years, maybe three?”
I made a sympathetic noise, and tried to think of what to say next. I needn’t have bothered, because she started again, “And now Bob’s going to have to take time off work and we’re going to have fly down for the funeral – I don’t know how I’m going to fly with three young kids with me.”
“How old are your kids?”
“Nine, four and two. Do you have kids?”
“No.”
“Yeah, neither did Crystal. These people without kids just don’t realize how hard it is to have them. You’ve got to rearrange your whole life for them, you can’t just up and fly over to a different state. Poor Crystal, may God rest her soul.”
“Were you close?” I managed to ask.
“Close?” She made a low, derisive noise. “We were like this , growing up. But then she became beautiful and popular and decided Nebraska wasn’t good enough for her anymore. She flew over to LA and decided to try to be an actress. An actress!” She made that strange, derisive noise again. “’Course, some people get all the luck, get to follow their dreams. Crystal was an extra in a few movies.” I thought I detected a hint of pride in her voice. “Might even have worked out for her. Sometimes I wonder if I should’ve left Nebraska too, ’stead of staying on and not having a career and such. But Crystal took a risk and look where it got her.”
She went quiet for a few seconds, and I took this opportunity to ask, “Did Crystal have any enemies that you knew of? Anyone who might want to hurt her?”
“Lord, no,” she said, and then she went on to tell me how friendly Crystal was and how everyone loved her and how popular she’d been in high school. And then she told me how much her kids loved Aunt Crystal, even though she rarely came to visit, now that she was so busy in Hollywood and too cool for Nebraska. Not that she begrudged Crystal any success of course, it’s just that she missed her little sister and now the Lord had seen fit to take her.
She went on and on for some time, and I interjected questions whenever she paused to take a breath. After a while, I’d managed to ask her everything I needed to. But I learnt nothing – Carol had only seen Crystal a handful of times since she’d moved down to LA, and knew basically nothing about Crystal’s life. In the end, all I had was a higher phone bill.
After I’d managed to extricate myself from that call, I rang Crystal’s friend Minnie. I introduced myself once again and explained that I was looking into Crystal’s death.
“Damn right,” Minnie said. “It didn’t make any sense to me at the time.”
I agreed. “Can I come over to talk to you about Crystal?”
“Sure. Come over to the movie set at The Tremonte. I’ll have a few minutes free at some point. And you can talk to some of the other girls on the set, too.”
I thanked her, hung up and slid into the same black slacks and green top I’d worn the day before. They smelled clean enough to me, but I dabbed some perfume on, just in case. I was about to step out when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Stone waiting outside.
He looked at me and raised one eyebrow. “Heading out?”
“Just to The Tremonte. What’re you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood.” He stepped inside and looked around. “Any new envelopes?”
“No – maybe the guy forgot about me.”
“I’d like to think that. But he’s just stopped following you. He won’t follow you into a casino or anywhere with security cams.”
I looked at Stone thoughtfully. “You don’t think this guy’s
She sighed. “It’s ok. I asked the cops if I needed to come down to Las Vegas, but they said it’s ok. Which was good, because it costs money to get one of those last minute flights out. And now Max wants to have the funeral out in LA – I mean, can you believe it? I’m her flesh and blood, and that guy’s just known her – what – two years, maybe three?”
I made a sympathetic noise, and tried to think of what to say next. I needn’t have bothered, because she started again, “And now Bob’s going to have to take time off work and we’re going to have fly down for the funeral – I don’t know how I’m going to fly with three young kids with me.”
“How old are your kids?”
“Nine, four and two. Do you have kids?”
“No.”
“Yeah, neither did Crystal. These people without kids just don’t realize how hard it is to have them. You’ve got to rearrange your whole life for them, you can’t just up and fly over to a different state. Poor Crystal, may God rest her soul.”
“Were you close?” I managed to ask.
“Close?” She made a low, derisive noise. “We were like this , growing up. But then she became beautiful and popular and decided Nebraska wasn’t good enough for her anymore. She flew over to LA and decided to try to be an actress. An actress!” She made that strange, derisive noise again. “’Course, some people get all the luck, get to follow their dreams. Crystal was an extra in a few movies.” I thought I detected a hint of pride in her voice. “Might even have worked out for her. Sometimes I wonder if I should’ve left Nebraska too, ’stead of staying on and not having a career and such. But Crystal took a risk and look where it got her.”
She went quiet for a few seconds, and I took this opportunity to ask, “Did Crystal have any enemies that you knew of? Anyone who might want to hurt her?”
“Lord, no,” she said, and then she went on to tell me how friendly Crystal was and how everyone loved her and how popular she’d been in high school. And then she told me how much her kids loved Aunt Crystal, even though she rarely came to visit, now that she was so busy in Hollywood and too cool for Nebraska. Not that she begrudged Crystal any success of course, it’s just that she missed her little sister and now the Lord had seen fit to take her.
She went on and on for some time, and I interjected questions whenever she paused to take a breath. After a while, I’d managed to ask her everything I needed to. But I learnt nothing – Carol had only seen Crystal a handful of times since she’d moved down to LA, and knew basically nothing about Crystal’s life. In the end, all I had was a higher phone bill.
After I’d managed to extricate myself from that call, I rang Crystal’s friend Minnie. I introduced myself once again and explained that I was looking into Crystal’s death.
“Damn right,” Minnie said. “It didn’t make any sense to me at the time.”
I agreed. “Can I come over to talk to you about Crystal?”
“Sure. Come over to the movie set at The Tremonte. I’ll have a few minutes free at some point. And you can talk to some of the other girls on the set, too.”
I thanked her, hung up and slid into the same black slacks and green top I’d worn the day before. They smelled clean enough to me, but I dabbed some perfume on, just in case. I was about to step out when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Stone waiting outside.
He looked at me and raised one eyebrow. “Heading out?”
“Just to The Tremonte. What’re you doing here?”
“I was in the neighborhood.” He stepped inside and looked around. “Any new envelopes?”
“No – maybe the guy forgot about me.”
“I’d like to think that. But he’s just stopped following you. He won’t follow you into a casino or anywhere with security cams.”
I looked at Stone thoughtfully. “You don’t think this guy’s
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