Page 137 of Witness 8

‘Thank you so much, Eddie. Kate, you were wonderful,’ said Al.

‘I need one more favor, Al,’ I said.

‘Anything.’

‘There’s a lady called Maura who is going to send you her résumé. She’s a secretary, a damn good one. Hire her.’

‘Do you know her?’

‘Not really. She used to work for Castro, but she quit. Couldn’t stand him.’

‘If you don’t know her, then why are you going out on a limb for her?’

‘Because that’s what people do, Al. Everyone needs a little help from a stranger.’

The elevators chimed and two people came out of it. Bloch and Castro. They weren’t talking. I think Castro was still a little sore about everything and Bloch didn’t talk.

Al and his associates left with John and Alison.

I still had business to attend to.

It was Castro who came up to us first.

‘Ruby is in custody,’ he said.

‘Good. Detective Chase is better than I thought. I got one more favor to ask. Get Althea out of jail today, and get her family documented. It’s the least you can do. And it’s good for PR. And it might help prevent Althea from suing the city.’

‘I hate you, Flynn. You know that, right?’

‘You’re joining an already sizeable group of like-minded people.’

He turned his back on me, walked away.

I asked Bloch, ‘You get my text message?’

She nodded, put her hand in her jeans and came out with a pack of Juicy Fruit.

‘I checked your car too. Like you asked. No devices anywhere. Even checked the fuel tank,’ she said, and then gave me the keys.

‘You top up the windshield wash and polish it too?’

Bloch raised an eyebrow.

I checked my watch. It was coming up on midday.

‘I’ve got to go. Kate, can I borrow a page from your legal pad?’

She looked at me strangely.

‘You mean you actually want to write something down? This is new.’

She tore off a page, handed me one of her pens.

‘Stay here,’ I said, and ran for the elevator.

On the way down I scrawled five words on the page. Big letters.

I chewed gum.