Blue Screen by Robert B. Parker

eventually get that cleared up with Erin,” Jesse said.
    “I want it cleared up with me,” Buddy said.
    “Don’t blame you,” Jesse said.
    “So? What about it?”
    “We’ll clear it up with Erin,” Jesse said. “Then you and she can discuss it.”
    “Listen, Stone. I own Erin Flint. I own her career. I get what I want. And right now I want an explanation.”
    “How’d you meet Erin?” Jesse said.
    “Goddamn it, don’t you presume to question me. Where’d you dig up all this shit?”
    Jesse shook his head.
    “We might as well get this clear now,” I said. “I got this information. Erin’s real name is Ethel Boverini. Misty is her younger sister, Edith. When she was eighteen, Erin married a man in Los Angeles County named Gerard Basgall.”
    “You found this out?”
    “Yes.”
    “You’re supposed to be working for us,” Buddy said.
    “I am,” I said. “You hired me to find out who killed Misty. I’m trying to do that.”
    “By investigating Erin?”
    “Everybody,” I said. “I’m not some one-woman crime lab. I can’t solve your crime if I don’t know what there is to know about the people involved.”
    “You, little lady, are fucking fired as of fucking now,” Buddy said.
    “Little lady,” Jesse murmured.
    I grinned at him for a moment.
    “You didn’t hire me,” I said. “You can’t fire me.”
    “Who you think’s been paying you.”
    “The checks so far have been signed by Erin Flint,” I said.
    “Where do you think she gets the money?”
    “Don’t know,” I said. “Don’t care.”
    “Listen, bitch…” Buddy started.
    “Buddy,” Jesse said.
    He didn’t raise his voice, but there was suddenly a little glitter of ice in it.
    Buddy stared at him. He looked a little uncertain, which, for Buddy, would have been a rare experience.
    “You become abusive and I will have to restrain you.”
    “Me?”
    “Maybe even slap you in a cell for the night. And who knows, it’s even possible that during the night you would fall in your cell and hurt yourself.”
    “Jesus Christ, are you threatening me?” Buddy said.
    Jesse looked at me.
    “What do you think, little lady?” he said. “Was that a threat?”
    I smiled and nodded slowly. Buddy stared at both of us. There was a knock on the office door and Hammer stuck his head in.
    “Ms. Flint is prepared to talk with you now,” he said.

25
    E RIN ’ S EYES were puffy and her face was red, but she wasn’t crying. Bebe Ablon sat beside her with a hand resting on Erin’s forearm. Hammer went to the side of the room and stood against the wall behind Erin and folded his arms.
    “If we could,” Hammer said, “we’d like Ms. Flint to say her say without interruption. If there are questions, we’d greatly appreciate it if you’d wait until she’s had her say.”
    Jesse had apparently cowed Buddy for the moment. None of us said anything. Erin studied her hands, which she had folded on the tabletop in front of her. Bebe patted her arm and nodded.
    “My real name is Ethel Boverini,” Erin said softly. “My sister was Edith Boverini, but she used the name Misty Tyler.”
    Buddy opened his mouth and looked at Hammer. Hammer put his finger to his lips and Buddy didn’t speak.
    “When I was eighteen,” Erin went on, “after my mother died, I married a man named Gerard Basgall. We have never formally divorced. Edith was seventeen. We went to live with Gerard and he took care of us.”
    Erin stopped and took in some deep breaths. Bebe patted her forearm.
    “The three of us started a business,” Erin said.
    She sounded short of breath.
    “Gerard would set us up…. He had a connection at a nice hotel and we’d go there with men…. Gerard made sure they were nice…. And he’d always stay around and make sure we were okay…. Some men like young girls…and after a while we started going to different hotels…always upper-class…and we got to meet a lot of important movie people…and then Gerard hired some more girls