Hooked

Walsh?”
    He grimaced. “Can we go somewhere and talk? Is there a coffee shop?”
    “There are a few, but the one downstairs is probably the most casual. At the main entrance you’ll see the sign that reads Cafeteria and the New American Wing. Go straight back as far as you can, through Medieval and Vienna Porcelain to the Lehman Collection, then go down the stairs. I have some things to do first. I’ll meet you in a few minutes.”
    “Coffee?” he asked.
    “Great, thanks.” He nodded and took off. Sure, he thought she was with a client. She could tell by his embarrassment when she called him on it. Tony must have told him where she was. Walsh probably pulled his badge and Tony would have told him his bank account number if he asked. Sweet Tony. She couldn’t expect him to hold back from the cops.
    Tawny signed out and headed for the cafeteria. She found Walsh at a back table in the cafeteria. Two coffees and a plate of pastries shared the table. She took a seat.
    “Now, what’s all the fuss about?” she asked.
    “The picture of the guy I showed you? You know, the one with the streaked hair?”
    “What about him?”
    “He’s dead, found early this morning in a Dumpster in Hell’s Kitchen. When I interviewed his ex-wife, she said his new girlfriend’s name was Cindi.”
    Tawny didn’t say anything for a long moment. She couldn’t. The words froze in her throat. “Cindi is the one the doorman referred to in the past tense. He said her name was Cindi Dyson. Not is, Walsh. Was. She’s dead. I know it.”
    “We have enough to close down the place. Someone’s killing off the girls.”
    A funny feeling churned in the pit of Tawny’s stomach. Things were coming together she didn’t quite understand, and it concerned Mario and Colin and a member of Mario’s inner circle. Someone he was willing to protect. Why? Could it be tied to Cindi? Was that why Mario showed up at Upper Eighties? He didn’t need to go there for a woman. Mario could have a woman delivered to his apartment every night of the week if he wanted. No, Mario went there to tell Benny to keep whatever happened quiet. But what happened, exactly? She couldn’t mention her suspicions to Walsh until she found out more. With Mario involved, if he was, she felt the noose tightening around her throat.
    “You still don’t have proof Sarah Marshall worked at Upper Eighties.”
    “One of our guys is questioning Melody Carnes now. You want to bet she rolls on Benny?”
    “Find out what she knows. If she says Sarah worked at Upper Eighties, I’m out of there. If not, you have to give me until Thursday to find out. Go on, call him.”
    Linc punched in Dennis’s number, asked his question, and listened. He turned to Tawny after he broke the connection. “She’s gone. Neighbor said she left yesterday with a suitcase.”
    “See? I can give you a hundred reasons why she left. Would you believe my parents think I’ve worked here for the last fifteen years, with modeling jobs on the side? It’s what women like me do to protect our secret lives. Melody Carnes won’t allow the whole world to find out what she does, even if she’s covering up something she shouldn’t.”
    “She’ll go to jail.”
    “She’s waiting it out, hoping the problem will pass so she doesn’t have to lie. You have to let me go in one more time.” She leaned forward across the table. “These women won’t talk, and I doubt their clients will either. Benny’s too smart to leave a hard copy of his client list. Colin must have it on his laptop, and it’s password-protected. I checked.”
    “You opened the computer? What if someone saw you?”
    “I was in the office legitimately. Benny has a bank of mailboxes where he leaves the money so he never pays the girls directly. While I was there, I booted up the computer, doubting I’d ever get into the program, but I thought it was worth a try. Colin is the only one who knows the code. Maybe Benny.”
    “There’s probably a date book or calendar on the computer, then the sign-in sheets are shredded once the information is entered. I bet he backs up everything nightly and has some kind of device that wipes out the hard drive if the computer’s compromised. It’d be the smart thing to do.”
    “Let’s hope opening the computer doesn’t ring bells or he’ll know someone tried to access his information. Your people could go in, Walsh, and you might even get the doorman to fold. But the only bodies you have are