Shallow Graves

the last name stayed in my head, like it was a name from somewhere.“
    “Did your visitor point that out?“
    “He said, ‘Well, maybe you know her by Tina Dani or Mau Tim,’ and the cheech, he really stretched it out, like ‘Mau Tim’ was fifty letters long. Then he said, ‘Don’t matter what her name is, she ain’t for you.’ “
    “What did you say?“
    “I told him to get the fuck out of my studio.“
    “And did he?“
    A little shiver. “What he does, he pulls up his sleeves, he’s wearing this long leather coat and suit, and he like shoves everything, jacket, shirt, up to here,“ Puriefoy pointed to the middle of his forearm, “and then the guy says, ‘Let me state the message a little clearer.’ And then he says, ‘Hands off or hands off’—and the guy goes like this.“ Puriefoy chopped with each hand at the other wrist, then another little shiver. “I got the message.“
    “You see Mau Tim after that?“
    “I told her, I was having some problems, she had to move out and I couldn’t see her no more.“
    “Why didn’t you tell her the truth?“
    “Man, I believed the little cheech. I didn’t want it getting back to her family that I was even talking a lot with the girl.“
    “How did she take it?“
    “Didn’t seem to bother her. And like right after that, she moved into the place in the South End.“
    “Did you see Mau Tim much after she moved?“
    “Not at her place, but you’re in the business, you’re going to see each other. Plus she was Sinead’s friend, lived in the same building. I talked to her some at Sinead’s apartment, drinks over to the Pour House, Caiobella, like that.“
    “She was underage.“
    Puriefoy shook his head. “Mau was eighteen and change.“
    “For drinking, I mean.“
    “Aw, man, she could look any age she wanted to, most of them can, but Mau never pushed the booze thing in public. What I mean is, she’d take a drink at a party now and then, but she didn’t hit the shit when she’d go out. Too many empty calories, you know?“
    “What’d you talk with her about?“
    “I don’t know. The usual shit. Which ad agency is hot, which account just went where.“
    “Anything about her agency?“
    “You mean like her agents?“
    “Yes.“
    “Just the same thing I told her when I found her. ‘Babe, you are the real article. You need some seasoning up here, but then you got to go to the bigs.’ “
    “The big leagues?“
    “The Big Apple.“
    “Mau Tim couldn’t go to the top outside New York?“
    “Uh-unh. Oh, she could do okay. This dude from Dorchester, Thom McDonough? He went over to Paris, and he’s doing just fine. But with her looks, Mau was like born for the City That Never Sleeps.“
    “Would that have meant changing her agents?“
    “Yeah. Well, wouldn’t have to, but that’d be the smart thing to do.“
    “You know whether she decided to take your advice?“
    “No.“
    “Which way was she leaning?“
    “Aw, man, I don’t know.“
    “If she did leave, would you have gone with her?“
    Puriefoy shifted the feet some more. “What’re you saying?“
    “You gave me the impression that you were from New York originally.“
    “So?“
    “So maybe you could help her down there like you helped her up here.“
    “Un-unh. Mau, she was big enough now, she didn’t need me no more. Besides, I believed the little cheech that came to see me, you know?“
    Puriefoy made the chopping motion at his wrists again.
    “Okay. You visit Sinead much over at her apartment?“
    “The fuck do you care about that?“
    “I was wondering about the party that night.“
    “The night Mau Tim got killed?“
    “Right.“
    “I don’t like to think about that, man.“
    “Force yourself, we’ll get through it quicker.“
    “I already told the cops everything I know. Go talk to them.“
    “You were there, they weren’t.“
    Puriefoy shook his head again, sounded tired. “Okay, okay. Shit, get on with it.“
    “Tell me what happened.“
    “Sinead, she’s fixing a little party for Mau, then we’re going out dancing after that, probably over to Citi—by Fenway Park?“
    “Go on.“
    “So, I get there, and Sinead—girl’s got no mind, you know?—she says she forgot to buy the wine, and can I go out and get some.“
    “She’s under twenty-one, too, right?“
    Puriefoy looked puzzled.
    “How could she have bought the wine in the first place?“
    “Oh, man, she puts on some makeup. Like I said, they all could pass for