Private Affair(71)

“I know how these people think. Let me do the talking.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t know what to say.”

He reached across her, unlocked the glove compartment and took out an automatic pistol, checked the safety, and tucked the weapon into the waistband under the light jacket he was wearing.

“I thought you said we’d be okay in daylight,” she said.

“Down here, it’s best to be prepared.”

He stayed close to her as they walked back along the cracked sidewalk to Down and Dirty.

Max pushed the door open, and they both paused as the atmosphere hit them with an almost physical force. Inside, the room was dimly lit, the air was heavy with cigarette smoke and the smell of beer, and loud music played on an old-fashioned jukebox. Immediately, Olivia’s eyes began to water.

“I thought it was illegal to smoke in a bar in Maryland,” she whispered.

“It is.”

“But…”

“It’s not worth the trouble to send cops to enforce that kind of law. And nobody in here is complaining.”

Olivia was. She hadn’t breathed so much smoke since—well probably since some of those high school parties.

She peered through the thick air, seeing that the bar was lined with both men and women, and many of the wooden tables and chairs were also occupied. Apparently it was a popular place for people who had nothing else to do in the middle of the day.

Max had adopted a casual stance as he also looked around the room.

A woman with ratty blond hair at one of the tables saw him, did a double take, and got up. She headed toward them, her hips swaying. From her skimpy outfit, she looked to be in her late thirties or early forties, until Olivia got a look at her face, which was so lined that it was impossible for her to put her makeup on smoothly.

She spared Olivia a quick glance, then dismissed her and focused on Max.

“As I live and breathe, Max Lyon. I heard you were dead.”

“I’m hard to kill, Tonya.”

“Haven’t seen you in ages, lover boy.”





Chapter 22


The suggestive tone of the greeting made Max’s stomach clench, but he figured Tonya was doing it for Olivia’s benefit. He and the prostitute had never been intimate, but she’d been one of his best informants. And he’d tried to take care of her, giving her some protection and also paying her well for the information she supplied. He hadn’t seen her since he’d gone off the job, and she looked like she’d aged ten years in the meantime. Unfortunately, that was often the way with working girls. The profession took an enormous toll, particularly for the ones who plied their trade out on the street. They were vulnerable to beatings and disease. They were often on drugs. And forget proper nutrition.

He noted that the woman’s hair was a tangle of bleached blond ringlets around her head, and her tight dress barely covered the intimate parts of her body. She gave Olivia a casual glance, then switched her total attention back to Max.

“Long time no see,” she drawled.

“I’ve been busy.”

“What are you doin’ slumming now?”

“I was shot. After I recovered, I switched from the force to a PI agency. I’m on a case.” He gestured toward Olivia. “Ms. Winters hired us.”

Tonya gave Olivia a second look. “Don’t I know you?”

Max had told Olivia he’d do the talking, but when she gave him a quick look, he nodded.

“I do some modeling,” she said in a low voice.

“Yeah, that’s right. And now you want to find out how the other half lives?”

Olivia shook her head. “No. My best friend was murdered, and I need Max to figure out who did it.” It wasn’t exactly true. She and Angela had grown apart since high school, but she figured the best friend part would have some impact.

Tonya snorted. “And I’ll bet the cops are useless.”

Olivia nodded in agreement. “It looks like it.”

Max had let the women talk for a few moments. Now he jumped back into the conversation. “Honey, you’re not saying I was useless when I used to work down here, are you?”

“Not you, baby. But most of ’em, you know.”

“I’m hoping you can help me solve a puzzle we’ve run into.”

“Like what?”

“Let’s sit down, and I’ll buy you a drink.”

She flicked a glance at Olivia. “And then we can have a hot threesome?”

When Olivia drew in a quick breath, Tonya cackled. “Relax, darling, I know Max is too much of a straight arrow for anything like that. He had plenty of opportunities to get into trouble down here, but he never took advantage of them.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he murmured. “Why don’t we go back to your table, if that’s okay?”