Maxwell Street Blues

Maxwell Street Blues by Marc Krulewitch Page A

Book: Maxwell Street Blues by Marc Krulewitch Read Free Book Online
Authors: Marc Krulewitch
Tags: Mystery
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Detective.”
    Kalijero shrugged. “I came to a realization. Sometimes a situation is so widespread it works in your favor. Too many got too much to lose. If those guys at the titty club talk, they’ll be lucky if only the club burns down. The brass got too many pensions at risk. If you talked, you’d be poison in this town. All Voss’s got is whatever that Audrey broad has to say. And you say she’s got nothing to show-and-tell.”
    “She would’ve told me by now.”
    “You been chatting with Tate lately?”
    “We had a heart-to-heart a couple of hours ago. Why?”
    “Just wondering how Tate’s business card got into meth-head’s pocket.”
    I stared at Kalijero, unable to attach an emotion to this news. He was at least twenty-five years older than me and had seen most of what a big city had to offer. “You didn’t answer my question,” I said. “Did you ever kill anyone?”
    Kalijero sighed. “One more thing. The junkie’s gun wasn’t loaded.”
    I stared at Kalijero waiting for the gag line. “I killed an unarmed man?”
    “Don’t be a fool! You didn’t know it was unloaded. Someone was sending you a message.”
    “A suicide mission.”
    “This is getting to you. I know people who specialize in this kind of thing. They can help you figure things out.”
    The light from the table lamp reflected bright yellow flashes off the gold Parthenon pendant around Kalijero’s neck. “I don’t need help,” I said. “In fact, I never felt better.” And it was true.

24
    The following morning I felt anxious. I had to explain to Audrey how I lost her a paying customer. If sex with her had made me a character in her story, killing her meth-addicted client had surely enhanced my role. Before I headed to Taudrey Tats, Frownie called, wanting to see how I was holding up after the shooting. “Who told you?” I said.
    “It doesn’t matter how I know. How’re you doing with it?”
    “It was the junkie or me. I think I made the right choice.”
    “How did he get ahold of your Colt?”
    Kalijero hadn’t told me, but I should’ve known. “Another junkie took it off me two days ago.”
    Frownie sighed. “How long until you solve this case?”
    “That’s a rhetorical question.”
    “Stop with the college words. Now you got this dope business to deal with? Julie, you’re killin’ me.”
    “This isn’t about dope. Anybody could get robbed by a scumbag.”
    “Your dad called. He wanted to make amends, but he forgot why he was angry. I told him it was because I taught you to be an investigator. He said there had to be more reason than that. If there was, I don’t know about it. Anyway, get enough evidence, give it to the cops, and end this already.”
    “Does Dad know I blew away a junkie?”
    “I didn’t say nothin’. Did you hear what I said?” When I promised I would do my best, Frownie hung up without saying goodbye.
* * *
    At ten o’clock I walked into Audrey’s studio. She was in The Kitschen bent over the light table. As I approached, she held up a tracing of a stork expelling from its ass pointy-headed babies shaped like bombs.
    “It’s a statement about overpopulation’s effect on the planet. What do you think?”
    “Your customer with the lightning bolt has violent tendencies.”
    Audrey lowered the drawing. “His name is Jason, and why are you saying this?”
    “The cops took one of Tate’s business cards off Jason’s body.”
    “His body?”
    “He tried to rob me last night at gunpoint. Someone told him I had a thousand bucks. I shot him dead.”
    I saw the Audrey of five days ago who had turned ghostly white with the news of Snooky. “Oh, my god,” she said and sat down in the hydraulic chair.
    “Where do you think Jason got one of your dad’s cards?”
    Audrey’s sudden look of horror startled me. “You think my father tried to have you killed?”
    My laugh was involuntary. “Nobody would give an assassin their business card.”
    Audrey relaxed a bit. “Of course.

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