Private Dick Casefile 01 - Lily White Rose Red

deposit his weight in front of the door to prevent any other surprise entrances.
    I proceeded with the unveiling. It was an ugly wound, small and perfectly round but oozing unhealthy looking gunk from the reddened Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
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    hole. “Guess you have a little infection, Captain. Too bad you didn’t get this taken care of earlier.”
    “I can explain,” Big Billy started.
    I didn’t kid myself. I may have put him down on the floor, but he wasn’t scared of me or Lily. It was Mr. X and his goons that kept him behaving like a gentleman. If he’d been a bit smarter, he might have noticed Lily’s finger turning white on the trigger, but he wasn’t looking her way.
    I tossed the used bandage into the trash receptacle and went to wash my hands. It wasn’t the infection; it was touching Big Billy himself. It made me feel dirty. I couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Phil Martin, but he was fixed on Billy.
    Then I went and took the gun out of Lily’s hand, even though she held it steady. No shakes. I clicked the safety and handed it back to her, patting her hand gently.
    “Why don’t you explain the situation to me, then.” Mr. X’s voice was quiet, like cat feet but with claws, but I didn’t kid myself that he was safe to have around the house.
    “It’s—it’s a bullet wound, suffered in the line of duty,” Big Billy stammered. He pulled his shirt closed and covered himself.
    “It’s where she stabbed you with the heel of her shoe,” I said.
    “She knew how to do a high kick and she used it to defend herself. But that wasn’t enough to keep you off her, was it?” Mr. X just waited.
    “I’m not talking to you, punk,” Big Billy growled, but his voice had lost a little of its oomph. I think he was beginning to realize the odds of talking himself out of this one were low and zero.
    “Talk to me , Woods. I’m listening, and I’d like to know just how you killed my daughter.” He never raised his voice, but he stopped Woods cold. I could see what made Mr. X so dangerous. You never knew when he might explode into action, but the possibility was there even though he was keeping it on a tight leash. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the tiger out of the cage.

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    CATT FORD

    “Your— your daughter?” Suddenly Big Billy looked terrified, like he’d realized there was no way out of here for him except feet first.
    “And mine.” Lily stepped forward, claiming her daughter in public for the first time, although it was a small public, and from the lack of reaction, I suspected Brownie and Stevens already knew it.
    Phil Martin darted her a glance before returning to watching Big Billy, and I liked him for it. Like he was sort of looking out for her.
    “Look, I didn’t know—I thought your daughter’s name was Marguerite—” Billy started.
    “Marguerite Rose Saint-Ville.” Lily’s voice tolled out the syllables like a bell ringing his doom.
    “You can’t prove a thing! I got this wound in the line of duty!
    You can ask Guthrie! He’ll back me up.”
    “I’m sure he’ll say anything you tell him to,” I interjected smoothly. “It doesn’t matter, though. I bet I can prove you killed her.
    There was blood on the heel of her shoe. If we get a phenolthaleine test done, I’m willing to bet it’ll turn out to be blood.” Big Billy’s lips twisted into a triumphant smirk. “Go ahead and test all you want. You won’t find a thing.”
    “Yeah, I know. You know all about forensics, don’t you? You probably washed it off, but if I were to pry the rubber tip off her heel, how much do you want to lay down that I’ll find some dried blood and the lab will be able to match it to your blood type?” Billy seemed uneasy, and that made him angry. “How did you hear about the blood? There are no photos—” He stopped short, probably realizing he’d made a mistake.
    “Yeah, you made those negatives disappear, didn’t you? Or was it Guthrie, acting on your orders? Well, doesn’t matter, because there’s still a print in existence, and I have it.” I snapped my fingers at him.
    “Maybe you should have gone looking for that instead of planting that pendant in her apartment.”
    That gave me an idea, but I didn’t want to get between Billy and Brownie’s gun. “Stevens, gimme his watch, would you?” Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
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    Silently, Stevens padded over and planted his foot on Big