The Night Caller by John Lutz Page B

confide in him further. “The book business being what it is, you could get a lot of different answers to that. Frankly, I think it’s because the main character is becoming rather unlikable.”
    “Isn’t the main character Deni?”
    “That might be the problem. Too much of the real Deni is creeping into the books. You might have noticed she’s somewhat self-involved.”
    Coop nodded. “I figured what the hell, she’s a writer.”
    “Do you know many writers?”
    “None other than Deni.”
    “Well, she’s only typical of today’s writers in some ways. The fact is, Deni’s an egocentric, devious opportunist who’s constantly calculating what she can do for herself at anybody else’s expense.”
    Coop stared at her. “You are her editor?”
    “Sure, but I don’t have to be her friend.” She squinted up her eyes and regarded him. “Whatever the reason, I decided to warn you about her.”
    “You haven’t asked me not to repeat any of this.”
    “My feeling about you is that I don’t have to ask.”
    “And you are going to buy the true crime book if she writes it?”
    “Sure, I have no choice. But I wouldn’t tell her that. And if she doesn’t make deadline, my replacement will buy it. If Whippet doesn’t publish it, someone else might. And the way things are going, if nobody buys it, it might still turn up on the damned Internet. Be assured, when an author like Deni writes a book, it will be read. The only question is, how many copies will it sell? Make no mistake, Coop, I’m acting out of self-interest here. I need a big seller from Deni, and I’m going to make sure she delivers the manuscript on time to save my job.”
    “You’ve been candid,” Coop said. “I appreciate it, but I’m wondering why you’re talking this way.”
    “Deni’s not the gentle soul some of her readers still think she is. She isn’t to be trusted. I learned that the hard way in my dealings with her over the years. She uses people. I don’t want to see her use you, especially under the circumstances.”
    “Would you be talking this way if Cozy Cat sales weren’t slumping?”
    She smiled. “Of course not.”
    One of Coop’s reasons for wanting to talk to Alicia was to get added insight into Deni Green. He’d sure gotten that in a hurry. His other reason was to feel out Alicia to see if she’d become his ally and source of information if Deni proved to be a problem. To have some idea if she would squelch whatever defaming passages about Bette might be in Deni’s manuscript. He now had a pretty good idea that she’d cooperate. Out of self-interest if not because she was basically a pretty decent sort.
    He stood up.
    She seemed a bit surprised, maybe slightly disappointed. “Interrogation over, Officer?”
    “Only for the moment, I hope. Your husband…”
    “My soon-to-be ex.”
    “It’s none of my business, but I understand he mistreated you. If there’s an ongoing problem with that, I have friends in the department.”
    “Deni tell you he mistreated me?”
    “Well, yes. Abused you verbally.”
    “Deni doesn’t know.”
    “No, I suppose she doesn’t.” He shrugged, embarrassed. “Sorry. You were candid with me, so I thought I’d be candid back. But I shouldn’t have gotten into anything so personal.” He moved toward the door.
    “You be careful, Officer Coop.”
    “Of Deni?”
    “Her, too.”
    He wanted to say more to her, but she’d turned her attention to her work and was already snapping the rubber bands off one of the manuscripts.

Chapter Thirteen
    Coop knew Sue Coppolino was twenty-three, but she looked too young to be in a women’s prison rather than a juvenile detention center. She was about twenty pounds heavier than the attractive woman in her newspaper photos taken shortly after Marlee Clark’s murder. Her face was pale, with cheeks reddened and puffed slightly by acne, and she wore no makeup. A ruined child. Her dark hair was cut short in a way that reminded Coop of