“I agree,” Spencer said. “Seems to me you need to call an end to your leave. I suspect full support will be available now.”
Tony looked at Spencer. “Support for what?”
He went on as if Tony hadn’t spoken. “If this really is the work of the Handyman, Franklin’s off that particular hook. And you know what that means.”
The chief would be out his jailed suspect. And be anxious to land another.
It changed everything.
“I’ll think about it,” Patti said. “Yvette’s still the best lead we have. And I made a promise to keep her safe.”
“We can do that better as a team than you can alone.”
“Keep who safe?” Tony asked, confused.
“Like I said, I’ll think about it.”
Patti started off; Spencer stopped her. “I’m going to need to question her.”
She looked over her shoulder at him. “Yes, you will. I’ll make certain she’s available.”
He watched her walk away, then turned back to Tony. “I suppose you’d like me to cut the crap and tell you what’s going on.”
“I’d appreciate it, Slick. Now would be good.”
Spencer filled in Tony as best he could, skimming over facts that would prove troublesome for Patti. If Tony suspected he was still being partially bullshitted-which he probably did-he was a good-enough friend not to say so.
When he’d finished, Tony said, “You need to question Borger.”
“Absolutely.”
“Mind if I ride shotgun?”
“It’ll be like old times.”
They left the scene to the techs and coroner’s reps. Once buckled into the Camaro, Spencer dialed Patti. “Tony and I are on our way. Where are you?”
“Yvette’s apartment,” she answered.
“Twenty minutes,” he said, then hung up.
He dialed Elizabeth Walker next. “Big news. We’ve got ourselves a new Handyman victim. Or what appears to be one of the Handyman’s.”
“You want me to evaluate the amputation?”
“Give the lady a gold star. When can you be here?”
“Three hours. That’s the best I can do.”
“Call me when you’re thirty minutes out. I’ll meet you.”
He hung up and Tony sent him an amused glance. “What did we do before cell phones?”
“Don’t know, man. Lived like animals.”
Tony chuckled. “Speaking of you being an animal, have you called Stacy yet?”
“Patti probably did.”
“Way to weenie out. She should hear it from you.”
He hadn’t spoken to her since she moved out, a fact Tony was aware of. “What about my manly pride? My dignity and-”
“Jackass stupidity? Seems a bit of crow-eating might be in order.”
Spencer scowled at him. “You suck, you know that?”
Tony laughed. “Just my opinion, Slick.”
Grumbling to himself, Spencer opened his phone and dialed Stacy. “Hey,” he said when she answered.
“Back at you,” she replied.
“I wanted to let you know, looks like you and Patti were right. Tonya Messinger turned up dead today.”
“Where?”
“Lower Ninth. Shot twice. Right hand severed.” He heard her sharply indrawn breath. “Yeah, things just got freaky. I’m on my way to interview Yvette. Patti’s with her.”
“What are Patti’s plans?”
“Don’t know yet. What’re yours?”
“What do you hope they’ll be?”
Spencer angled a glance at Tony, who saw it and grinned.
“Tell her you love her,” Tony said. “That you’re a jackass and want her back.”
“Is that Tony?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he answered. “Being a jerk. I’ll keep you posted.”
Patti buzzed them into the courtyard, then met them outside Yvette’s door. “What’s the latest?” she asked before they even cleared the threshold.
“Talked to Elizabeth Walker. She’s on her way. Asked her to call me when she was close. I’ll meet her at the morgue. The techs are finishing processing the scene now. They’re giving this top priority.”
“Good. Anything else?”
They shook their heads, and she led them into the living room. There, they found Yvette huddled in a corner on her couch.
“Hello, Yvette,” Spencer said. She didn’t reply and he introduced Tony. “This is Detective Sciame.”
She flicked her gaze over him, then went back to staring at the wall.
“I’m sorry,” Spencer went on. “I know she was your friend.”
“I told you,” she said, meeting his eyes, tone accusing. “You didn’t believe me.”
“No,” he admitted, “I didn’t. But I do now.”
“You called me a liar, Detective.”
“I did. I’m sorry.”
“Sorry so doesn’t cover it.”
“I understand. I need your help, anyway.”
“Fine.” She drew her knees tighter to her chest. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything about the Artist.”
“You mean all the stuff I already told you and you didn’t believe?”
“Pretty much.”
She looked frustrated but did as he asked. Everything she told him, he had heard before. It began when she received a love note from someone calling himself the Artist. She received four in all, one containing five hundred dollars-the exact amount of money Marcus owed her.
“Tonya delivered the note. She saw the money and I confided what was going on. She recognized Jessica from the picture in the paper and also remembered that some guy had sent similar notes to her.”
Patti stepped in. “Tonya was already missing when I came on board. Judging by what we saw today, she was most probably already dead.”
Yvette brought her hands to her face. He saw that they trembled. “It’s my fault,” she said. “She tried to help me. Now she’s dead.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t kill her.”
“I wish I could believe…if she hadn’t agreed to help me-”
“But she did,” Patti said firmly. “Let’s not let this bastard get away with it.”
“When’s the last time you heard from the Artist?”
“Tuesday the eighth I woke up and found a note he’d left.”
“In your apartment?”
“Yes. And a locket.”
“A locket?” he repeated, frowning.
“Tonya’s. Her picture was in it.”
“Just hers?”
“Yes.”
Spencer and Tony exchanged glances.
“I know that’s weird, but maybe she broke up with some guy, got rid of his picture, but kept the necklace.”
Spencer frowned slightly and looked at Patti. “Tuesday the eighth. Wasn’t that the date you began your leave?”
She said it was, and he turned back to Yvette. “And you haven’t seen or heard from him since?”
Patti answered for her. “No. Not here or through the club. I have the locket and note.”
“I don’t feel so good,” Yvette said, jumping to her feet.
They watched her hurry from the room. Spencer glanced at Patti, saw her concern. “She okay?” he asked.
“She does that a lot. It’s starting to worry me.”
“What about security tapes from the Hustle?” Tony looked from Patti to Spencer. “Could be our guy’s pictured-”
“Already been down that road,” Patti said. “They flip ’em every thirty-six hours. Besides, Tonya was the only one who knew what this guy looked like.”
“And she’s dead.”
“What’s our next move?” Tony asked.
“Twenty-four-hour protection for Yvette,” Patti answered. “We get Captain Cooper’s okay to make Stacy’s living arrangement here official. Get a team to Messinger’s condo. I want it searched, pull out all the bells and whistles. We also need a positive ID on Messinger. See who you can find. Family, boyfriend-”
“Borger.”
“Too involved.”
“She might have a record,” Tony offered. “That’d put her prints on file.”
“Check it out, ASAP. If so, talk to Hollister. See if he can get a couple good prints from her.”