Page 41 of The Liar

“Possibly.” He was matter-of-fact about it. “But Portia adored Sasha, even if she was jealous of her. At the end of the day, they were both paid companions of a sort.”

“True.” One of them likely made out better than the other though. But I supposed a lot depended on whether Sasha had genuinely cared for Carlos Ortez or merely endured his attention. If she had feelings for him—was attracted to him—the situations were definitely not equal.

“Does Portia have much of an arrest record?” I asked.

“Beyond the time we intervened, she had one prior conviction for solicitation and another for shoplifting.”

So, not squeaky clean, but no major felonies either.

“Does she do drugs?” If she did, it could impact her reliability as a witness.

“Not that I’m aware of. I’ve never seen track marks on her arms or irritation around her nose.”

Another positive.

“How… willing… was she to help you?” Reluctant informants weren’t always to be trusted.

West waggled his hand in a so-so gesture. “She appreciated us getting her out of a jam. I don’t think she’d have any problem with it except she’s worried her boss will find out.”

“Yeah, I’d be worried about that too.” I didn’t imagine Carlos Ortez was the type to give second chances.

I looked out the windshield. We were entering a more rundown part of town, and several of the buildings we passed were boarded up. The streets were less busy than in the city center, and groups of teenagers stood on the sidewalk, smoking or vaping and staring at us with a combination of hostility and curiosity.

When we reached a small group of businesses, including a hair salon, a vape shop, and a coffee shop, West pulled into the parking area and parked near the rear. I got out and waited for West to lock the doors, then we walked to the coffee shop’s back entrance together.

West held the door open for me and I slipped inside, past the bathrooms and into the main part of the shop. Tables were packed in and almost every one of them was occupied. A lively buzz of conversation filled the air. I quickly spotted Portia in the rear corner, walls behind her on two sides.

West nodded to her and guided me to the counter with a hand on my hip. I stepped away, not wanting to encourage any kind of touching.

I ordered an americano and West asked for a cappuccino. The cashier gave us a number and waved us off. West led the way to Portia’s corner table. He pulled out a chair and gestured for me to take it. Not wanting to appear rude in front of the woman watching us, I did. He positioned the other chair so that we were at angles to each other.

“Hi Portia.” West offered the blonde a smile. “This is my wife, Detective Joanna Lee.”

I jolted, surprised by his introduction. I wasn’t sure how I’d expected him to introduce me, but certainly not as his wife. It wasn’t true and there was no reason to lie to someone who already knew at least a little about his investigation. West’s assessing glance told me he’d noticed my discomfort.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said politely. Up close, I could see that the whites of Portia’s baby blue eyes were tinged with red, and lines of strain bracketed her painted pink lips.

Portia sniffed. “You too. What’s this about? West said you wanted to talk to me.”

I barely resisted the urge to withdraw my notepad from my pocket to take notes. I got the feeling that doing so may limit any rapport I’d be able to build with Portia.

“Jo is investigating Sasha’s death,” West said gently.

I eyeballed his hand. If he went for hers again, with me sitting right here, I couldn’t be held responsible if I stuck a fork through it. No jury would convict, right?

“Oh.” Portia’s teeth scraped through the lipstick on her lower lip, and I chastened myself. This woman was anxious. She’d had bad experiences with the police, and she’d recently lost her best friend. I needed to stop being so selfish and help her find the person responsible. “Well, I guess if West loves you then you must be all right.”

I glanced at West, curious whether her statement would make him squirm, but he was gazing back at me with an intensity that made me shiver.

“I’ll do everything I can to bring Sasha’s killer to justice,” I told Portia with complete honesty. It was no less than I’d do for any murder victim, although some of them definitely deserved justice more than others.

“Good.” Portia’s eyes flashed with something dangerous. “Her boyfriend—you know who she was seeing?”

I nodded.

“Anyway, her boyfriend has the resources to cover it up. He has cops in his pocket and I’m sure he’s counting on them to make certain no one ever knows what really happened to Sasha.” She wrinkled her nose, the expression making her seem much younger. “In fact, I’m surprised his pet police haven’t already been assigned the case.”

So, she really did know something about corruption in the police force. How much would she be willing to share?

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