Page 113 of Triggered By Love
“He have any relatives?” Jason asked.
“Depends,” the man mimicked him.
Jason extracted a fiver. “Maybe this will help.”
The man wrinkled his nose. “Maceta.”
“If he’s dead, he isn’t worth much.” Jason handed the five-dollar bill to the man who’d called him stingy.
“What do you want to know about Ernesto?” the man asked, pocketing the money.
“I want to know what he spent the money on.” Jason dipped into his pocket and took out another bill.
“You the rich dude who gave him the money?”
“You don’t want to know. Just answer the question.”
“He sent it home to his mother, but he died before he got the other half.”
“That’s because he didn’t finish the job.” Jason dropped another fiver into the man’s outstretched hand. “Was he friends with any of the models who live upstairs?”
“You mean thepatoswith their fancy clothes? They paid him to do their laundry. I know he stole clothes from them. Or maybe he’s amamaguebotoo.”
“He’s acquainted with them,” Jason said, ignoring the references to homosexuals. “How about the guy I’m looking for? Saul?”
“He hustles. Sells a little this and a little that, if you know what I mean.” The man held out his hand for another tip. “How much he owe you?”
“Enough to be worth your while.” Jason slapped another fiver at the greedy informant along with his personal card. “I want to know if he comes home. You’ll call me, right?”
“Sure, but if it’smoltayou want, I can hook you up.” He used the slang term for marijuana.
“Saul owes me. You let me know.”
“I will. You came at a good time. He must have gotten paid this weekend, because he gotmoltaand pussy.”
“Did he say who paid him?”
“Rich guy in a limo dropped him off. Drug deal or he’s a cock sucker.”
“Did you see the rich guy? Description?”
The man pulled at his stringy mustache and shrugged. “No, mister. It was a black limo with darkened windows.”
Jason took out the picture of Garm and Longshanks. “Were these guysmamaguebo?”
“They look it, but I don’t know them.”
“How about this guy?” He showed him a picture of Joselito.
“Him I remember. But no, he ain’t gay. He’s got a girl. Some uptown chick.”
Jason dropped another bill in the man’s greedy paw. “How about these folks?”
He showed him the picture of all the models surrounding Ivanna.
“That’s the girl.” He pointed at Tatiana Renzi. “And this guy. I think he’s a firefighter. I’ve seen him with her this weekend, and the Asian chick, she was with Saul.”
“This weekend?” Jason tried to keep the shock from his voice. Ivanna was in the hospital, so it was possible Saul was with another Asian female who resembled her, or Ziko was mistaken.
