Corpse Suzette

got there?”
    “Sergio D’Alessandro’s
computer. They say that a personal computer is a treasure trove of forensic
goodies, but... well... I couldn’t even find the on/off button on this thing,
so...”
    “And you brought it to me?”
Savannah shook her head. “You’ve got to be kidding. You could write what I know
about computers on a peach pit.”
    “Well, actually, I wasn’t
going to ask you. I was gonna ask the kid if she’d do it for me.”
    “And considering all the
sweet, uplifting, soul-affirming compliments you’ve given her lately, I’m just
sure she’d be thrilled to do you a favor... to spend hours of tedious labor,
pouring through the maze of a dead man’s computer... all for the love of you.”
    “She’ll do it,” Dirk said
as he hauled the thin, lightweight notebook computer out of the case and laid
it gently on her coffee table. And she’ll do it, not because I asked her to or
because she loves me so much.” He smiled confidently. “She’ll do it because
she’s just like you.”
    “Meaning?”
    “She’s nosy.”
     
    “Sure. I’d be happy to,”
Tammy said as Dirk handed her the computer. “Especially for real money. But if
it’s full of porn, which most guys’ computers are, I’m charging you extra. And
the grosser the pictures, the more it’s going to cost you. I’m not looking at
close up pictures of body parts that I’m not aroused by for minimum wage, you
know.”
    “Hey, I’m not responsible
for what some other guy looks at. The captain said I could pay you a hundred
bucks. That’s it; that’s all. Take it or leave it.”
    Tammy hugged the computer
to her chest. “Heck,” she said, “I would have done it for free, but since
you’ve got an expense account, fork over the cash up front, big boy. I’ve got
clothes to buy, shoes to purchase.”
    He stuck two twenties and a
ten into her outstretched hand. “Make me proud,” he said. “And I’ll give you
the rest the next time I see you. The captain’s a tightwad, and he’s gonna want
to know what he got for his money.”
    “Yeah, yeah,” she said.
“And we know how much he loves you, Dirko. Wouldn’t want to sully that
sparkling reputation of yours.” Savannah snickered. While she adored Dirk and
considered him easily the best detective she’d ever known, the rest of the San
Carmelita Police Department didn’t hold him quite so dear. Good detective or
not, most of them—including his superiors— considered him little more than a
major bum pain.
    “That’s right,” he said.
“My reputation is riding on this, so do a good job and find something.”
    “I’ll do my best,” Tammy
said as she sat on the end of the sofa, opened the computer, and clicked it on.
    “And one more thing,” Dirk
added.
    “What’s that?”
    “If you could get it done
right away, that would be great.” Tammy sighed. “I see you and Savannah are
working on the same timetable. Yesterday is good, last week even better.”
    “You got it. And thanks,
kiddo.”
    “No sweat, Dirko.”
    He turned to Savannah.
“What are you doing with the rest of the evening?”
    She shrugged. “Looking at
my board here. Going to bed a little early. Getting some sleep for a change.”
    “Boring,” he said.
    “You got a better idea?”
    “I’m just full of ideas.”
    “I’m afraid to ask.”
    He patted his jacket
pocket. “Guess what I’ve got here.”
    “Hm-m-m-m... let me guess.
Tickets to the opera? An invitation to a black tie ball?”
    “Search warrant for Sergio
D’Alessandro’s condo on the water.” She grinned. “Who needs to sleep? I can
snooze any time. Let’s go snoop.”
     
    “Yuck.”
    “Wow!”
    Savannah turned to Dirk, a
horrified look on her face. “You actually like this?”
    “Like it? I love it.
I’d move in here tomorrow if I could!”
    She shook her head. “I
never thought I’d hear the word ‘love’ in a sentence coming out of you in
connection with home décor.”
    “But this place is great!
Just look around you.”
    Savannah was looking
around, and what she was seeing left her cold. Colder than cold.
    Sergio D’Alessandro’s
waterfront condo was ultramodern and white. Glossy white walls, white-washed
wooden floors, white leather furniture.
    Except for the bright red
leather sofa and one oversized black lacquered vase filled with some sort of
tree branches... sprayed white. Even the baby grand piano in the corner of the
living room was white.
    Savannah felt like
Thanksgiving