The Emerald Cat Killer by Richard A. Lupoff Page B

grief, or was she mocking herself? What a terrific person! “Was it stolen? Computers seem to be the favorite target for thieves these days, more than cell phones or even guitars. Carlos has had some scrapes with the law, I’m afraid. He’s always been my favorite primo but I worry about him.”
    Lindsey shook his head. “Well, yes and no.”
    She tilted her head like Edison’s dog on the RCA Victor logo. “I don’t understand. Either the laptop was clean or it was stolen goods. How could it be both yes and no?”
    Lindsey said, “I believe your cousin got the computer from a pawnshop out in Fruitvale.”
    â€œOkay.” She looked dubious.
    â€œThey got it … the, what do you call it, prestamista, a woman called Crista—she got it from a man named Rigoberto Chocron. How he got it … well, there seems to be a long, tangled trail of owners behind this thing. And, yes, I’m afraid that it was stolen at one point. But you needn’t worry about that, Jade. I’m sure that your hands are clean. And your cousin Carlos—no, I don’t think he has anything to worry about.”
    â€œWell, then?”
    Lindsey hesitated.
    Jade Montoya glanced at an oversized wall clock, the hours indicated by musical instruments instead of numbers. At the moment it was double bass past piano. She said, “The owner will be here in a few minutes and I have to scamper up to the campus for Counterpoint and Composition Two-Oh-Nine.”
    â€œThere was a file on the laptop. We’re quite certain that it was there at the time that the computer was stolen. There’s likely to be a civil suit over it, an intellectual property suit. One party claims that the contents of that file—it was a novel—were published for the enrichment of a party other than the author.”
    â€œAnd he’s suing? Sounds reasonable enough to me.”
    â€œWell, in fact he’s deceased.” That again, Lindsey thought. “But his wife is involved. And there’s more. The book was contracted to a publisher and they’re threatening to sue the company that actually published the book.”
    Jade Montoya’s features drew back into an impish grin. Clearly she had grasped the situation and found it amusing. “And your role in this drama, Mr. Lindsey? Your card says you’re not a police officer, you work for an insurance company.”
    â€œInternational Surety needs to know whether to fight the lawsuit or to pay up.”
    â€œHa. Very neat.” She rubbed her slim jaw between thumb and forefinger. “And the computer itself is missing, is that it?”
    â€œPrecisely.”
    A heavyset man emerged from the back of the store. Beyond the newcomer, Lindsey could see a workshop. Disassembled instruments of various sorts were strewn across a massive workbench. The heavyset man was taller than Lindsey. He had close-cropped gray hair and wore wire-rimmed spectacles.
    He was carrying a tuba.
    â€œEverything all right, Jade?” He pronounced her name in the Spanish manner.
    Jade turned and handed Lindsey’s card to the heavyset man. “Remember that computer my cousin gave me a while ago? Mr. Lindsey is looking for it, for an insurance case he’s working on.”
    â€œHardly seems worth the trouble. That thing was pretty battered. Wasn’t that why you dumped it?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Let me know when you leave so I can run the store.” He tossed a casual nod to Lindsey, turned around, and strolled back to his workshop. Lindsey heard a few tuba-notes after that.
    â€œWell, I have to go to my class,” Jade said. She drew a felt-lined instrument case from beneath the counter and placed her trumpet in it. She folded her sheet music and slipped it into a slim portfolio.
    â€œI still need to find that laptop,” Lindsey said.
    â€œIt crashed,” Jade Montoya said. “For once in my