Page 49 of Be Very Quiet

“Not exactly. As I said earlier, there are substantial variations, making it appear that Rader isn’t the killer.”

“How would you explain the jewelry from his earlier crimes?” Detective Wolf asked.

“I can’t. There are excellent arguments that Rader is the current perp and just as sensible reasons he isn’t.”

In other words, they had nothing to go on.

“We could be dealing with a protégé of Rader’s or a possible partner, though there was never any indication that anyone else was involved ten years ago,” Luca said. “When he was caught in the act, he was alone.”

Detective Torres stood and walked to the whiteboard. He picked up a marker and outlined the details of the two recent cases. Luca provided insight into the inconsistencies, and Torres noted them on the board.

A knock sounded on the door, and an officer in a blue police uniform stuck her head inside. “Excuse me, Detective Torres. I know you asked not to be interrupted, but a woman is demanding to speak to the officer in charge of the recent murders of prostitutes. She said she has vital information.”

“Send her back.” Torres flipped the whiteboard around and pushed it against the wall, hiding the evidence they’d gathered up to this point.

A woman sashayed into the room but stopped abruptly on her five-inch stilettos when she spotted everyone inside. She tipped forward and almost toppled over before catching herself. The long braids in her hair were threaded with beads and dyed blue. She wore a skintight top showcasing an ample chest that would’ve cushioned her fall. Her skirt was leopard print and borderline obscene. The aforementioned heels were fire engine red. She also had a fat black-haired, green-eyed baby on her hip.

“Am I in the wrong room?”

“No. I’m Detective Torres. I’m in charge of the investigation into the recent murders. What’s your name?”

“Dana Jones, but you can call me Diamond. Who are these people?” She waved a hand at the rest of the occupants.

“Members of a joint task force. You have information for us, Diamond?”

“I heard about the murders. Word gets around fast in my business. I didn’t think nothing of it since those kinds of things happen from time to time. But then my friend Daisy May went missing, and she’s as reliable as clockwork . . . or something like that.” Diamond waved a hand with the longest ruby-red nails Luca had ever seen. How did she get anything done with those talons?

“Anyway, I talk to her every morning after our shifts. I was worried when I didn’t hear from her and stopped by her apartment. Her babysitter said she never called or picked up J.J. here.” She jiggled the baby. “He was the most important thing in the world to Daisy May. She’d never leave him. Never. She’s done fell victim to The Mortician. That’s his name, right? I read all about him online. That’s what they called him.”

“When was the last time you saw her?” Detective Torres questioned.

“Yesterday. We always chat before we hit the stre . . . er, go to work. At our jobs. It’s our daily ritual.”

“What is your job?” Reese asked, though they all knew.

Diamond glanced around the room filled with cops all staring at her. She flashed a sly smile. “We’re in customer service.”

“Customer service,” Reese repeated dubiously.

Diamond nodded. “Our jobs are to make people happy.” She winked. “I’m very good at what I do.”

Luca bet she was. “Did you see Daisy May getting into a car?”

“No, hun.” She plumped one massive breast. “These babies guarantee I get picked up . . . er,” she cast a nervous glance around the room, “meet with the clientele first.”

“Why do you think she might be a victim of The Mortician?” Detective Torres asked.

“Uh, hello?” She lifted J.J. “I told you Daisy May would not leave him. He was her world, and everything she did was for him.”

“Maybe she found entertainment that kept her busy,” Audria suggested.

“No.” Diamond’s tone was harsh. “Nothing came before her baby. Nothing.”

“Diamond, we’re going to need the truth from you if you want us to help your friend,” Detective Torres warned. “Is Daisy May a prostitute?”

Diamond deflated like a popped balloon. “She’s working the streets so J.J. will have a better life. None of us goes into this line of work wanting to, but we need to make money to live. Something happened to her. I’d bet my stock portfolio on it. I do have one, you know. Soon, I’ll have enough to leave here and never look back.”

“Do you have a picture of Daisy May that we can distribute?” Luca asked her.

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