“I checked the lot front and back, Captain,” Unit 117 said to Marino. “No sign of the vehicle you described.”
“Ten-four.” Marino lowered the radio and looked very annoyed. “Lucy’s Suburban ain’t at your office. I don’t get it,” he said to me. “None of this is making sense.”
We began walking back to Libby Hill Park because it really wasn’t far, and we wanted to talk.
“What it’s looking like to me is Danny might have picked somebody up,” Marino said as he lit a cigarette.
“Sure sounds like it could be drugs.”
“He wouldn’t do that when he was delivering my car,” I said, and I knew I sounded naive. “He wouldn’t pick anybody up.”
Marino turned to me. “Come on,” he said. “You don’t know that.”
“I’ve never had any reason to think he was irresponsible or into drugs or anything else.”
“Well, I think it’s obvious he was into an alternative life, as they say.”
“I don’t know that at all.” I was tired of that talk.
“You better find out because you got a lot of blood on YOU.”
“These days I worry about that no matter who it is.”
“Look, what I’m saying is people you know do disappointing things,” he went on as the lights of the city spread below us. “And sometimes people you don’t know very well are worse than ones you don’t know at all. You trusted I Danny because you liked him and thought he did a good job. But he could have been into anything behind the scenes, and you weren’t going to know.”
I did not reply. What he said was true.
“He’s a nice-looking kid, a pretty boy. And now He’s driving this unbelievable ride.
The best could have been tempted to maybe do a little trolling before turning in the boss’s ride. Or maybe he just wanted to score a little dope.” I I was more concerned that Danny had fallen prey to an attempted carjacking, and I pointed out that there had been a rash of them downtown and in this area.
_ Maybe,” Marino said as my car came into view. “But your ride’s still here. Why do you walk someone down the street and shoot them, and leave the car right where it is?
Why not steal it? Maybe we should be worried about a gay bashing. You thought about that?” I We had arrived at my Mercedes, and reporters took more photographs and asked more questions as if this were the crime of all time. We ignored them as we moved around to the open driver’s door and looked inside my S-320. I scanned armrests, ashtrays, dashboard and saddle leather upholstery, and saw nothing out of place. I saw no sign of a struggle, but the floor mat on the passenger’s side was dirty. I noted the faint impressions left by shoes.
“This was the way it was found?” I asked. “What about the door being opened?”
“We opened the door. It was unlocked,” Marino said.
“Nobody got inside?”
“No.”
“This wasn’t there before.” I pointed to the floor mat.
“What?” Marino asked.
“See those shoe impressions and the dirt?” I spoke quietly so reporters could not hear.
“There shouldn’t have seat. Not while Danny was been anybody in the passenger’s driving, and not earlier when it was being repaired at Virginia Beach.” -What about Lucy?”
“No. She hasn’t ridden with me recently. I can’t think of anybody who has since it was cleaned last.”
“Don’t worry, we’re going to vacuum everything.” He looked away from me and reluctantly added, “You know we’re going to have to impound it, Doc.” -I
understand.” I said, and we started walking back to the street near the tunnel, where we had parked.
“I’m wondering if Danny was familiar with Richmond,”
Marino said.
“He’s been to my office before,” I replied, and my soul felt heavy. “In fact, when he was first hired, he did a week’s internship with us. I don’t remember where he stayed, but I think it was the Comfort Inn on Broad Street.”
We walked in silence for a moment, and I added, “Obviously, he knew the area around my office.”
“Yeah, and that includes here since your office is only about fifteen blocks from here.”