Money Men by Gerald Petievich Page B

kitchen table. Quietly, he felt the door handle. It was unlocked. He opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. Hothouse air. A burner on the gas stove was on.
    Vikki was sitting in the greasy wallpapered breakfast nook, in a dinette chair. A fixing spoon, cotton ball, and an open can of dog food decorated the table. She leaned forward, resting her head on the Formica table as if taking a nap, her right arm, palm up, outstretched.
    The syringe was still in her arm.
    Carr touched her neck with two fingers. He could tell she was dead.
    He sat down resignedly at the table, not concerned about disturbing the evidence. It was accidental, and if it wasn't, he knew there was no way to prove otherwise in an overdose.
    Kelly came in the back door.
    "We're back to square one," Carr said. He looked at Kelly.
    Kelly turned slightly pale. He stepped back.
    "O.D.?" Kelly's voice was thick.
    Carr nodded.
    "I'll get to the radio," Kelly said. He trotted out the back door.
    Carr removed the stack of photographs from his pocket and shuffled through them.
    ****
    ELEVEN
    The doors of the postwar apartments faced a cement rectangle the width of a boxing ring. On the windowsills were red clay pots containing cacti and other succulents, some of which were alive. The area smelled of fried food.
    Red Diamond knocked three times on a screen door that had a sign saying MANAGER.
    A middle-aged woman in a helmet of hair rollers opened the door. She wore a housecoat.
    He asked her about Mona as if he had a right to.
    "Mona Diamond?" she said. "She moved out of apartment number four about two years ago. Who wants to know?"
    "Routine credit investigation," said Red. "She's applied for a loan with our company."
    The woman nodded tediously, as if she had something better to do.
    "Was she living with anyone?"
    "Lived alone. Seldom saw her with anyone. Once in a great while some man would spend the night and leave the next morning. Different guys. This only happened every couple of months. She kept to herself. Did you know her husband was in prison? Some kind of a confidence man. Apparently he really dumped on her. She hated him."
    Red shook his head calmly.
    "That's all I know about her. Nice gal. Kept to herself. No parties." The woman took a bobby pin from the pocket of her housecoat and plunged it into one of the hair rollers. "Is there anything else?"
    "Where did she work?"
    "She was a waitress-you know, coffee shops, restaurants--nothing too fancy."
    "Where is she working now?"
    "I saw her a couple months ago at a coffee shop about six blocks from here. It's on Wilcox below Hollywood Boulevard...the left side...Who did you say you were with?"
    "National Credit Bureau," said Red.
    "I always ask. You never know who you're talking to these days. There's millions of rapists and stranglers. I hate like hell to even open the door."
    "Yes, ma'am," said Red in patrolman style. "Thanks for your help." He walked away holding his breath.
    Though dark, it was still sweltering in Hollywood.
    Red parked the Cadillac in front of the bay window of the Movieland Coffee Shop. He got out of the car and walked to a sidewalk pay phone without taking his eyes off Mona. Looking bored, she served steaming coffee to customers at the counter. He dropped a dime in the telephone.
    A woman answered. "Sovereign Rent-a-Car, Hollywood office. This is June speaking."
    Red cupped his hand around the mouthpiece. "Hello, June. This is Dr. Richard Sanders. I rented a Cadillac from you two weeks ago."
    "Dr. Sanders...uh...we've been expecting you to return the car. Your contract was a two-day rental."
    "That's what I called about. I'm in Phoenix for a heart surgeons' convention and I just wanted to let you know I'll have the car back to you in another week or so."
    "Oh...well, I guess that will be okay. It's just that you didn't have any credit cards..."
    "Young lady, I certainly wouldn't call if I didn't intend to pay for the rental."
    "Certainly, doctor. I apologize if. .
    "No problem.