Chapter 7
"I've caught a break at last," Belmont told Jordan the next day over lunch.
She leaned forward eagerly. "Really? What is it?"
"I don't want to disclose the details unless it pans out," he said, "but I believe this is the beginning of the end."
She leaned back and closed her eyes, sighing in relief. "I'm very, very glad." She opened her eyes again and looked at her watch. She stood up. "I've got to get back to work," she said, and took his hand impulsively, squeezing it lightly. "Thanks."
He left shortly after Jordan, paying the bill on the way out. He headed for the police station. He hoped to speak with Lu, to arrange a casual meeting in a bar, that evening if she got off early enough. The sooner the better...
Later that day he sat at the same bar as the day before, waiting for Lu. She arrived half an hour after he did, and he immediately ordered her a drink.
"So, why did you want to meet again?"
"We didn't finish our conversation last night," he said, "it was quite interesting."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"You weren't interested?"
"Oh, I was – I didn't think you were."
"You can be assured on that count," he said, giving her a crooked grin. She finished her drink and he ordered another one for her.
"Were you just interested in the conversation?" she asked, coolly, looking at him over the rim of her glass.
Inwardly he shuddered. She was not attractive in the least, but he must play along. "No, not really."
She drained her drink and he ordered yet another one.
"The conversation wasn't all that interesting to me either," she replied.
Over the next hour she finished two more drinks and soon was swaying.
"Will you see me home?" she asked him and he nodded. Taking her arm, he helped her into his car and followed her directions to her apartment.
He helped her up the stairs and she unlocked the door to her apartment.
"Would you like to come in?" she asked. He nodded. He wouldn't pass up an opportunity to inspect her apartment. Some small detail might help Jordan.
"Would you like something to drink?" she asked him.
"A club soda if you have it, please," he said. She frowned, even that was an effort at this point. "May I use your bathroom?" he asked, quickly deflecting her attention from the implications in club soda.
"It's through the bedroom," she said, indicating the door on his left. He slipped through the door, leaving it ajar, and quickly surveyed the room. There were a pile of photographs on her nightstand, which he picked up. They were of Jordan.
Jordan was clearly oblivious to the camera. Belmont frowned, then quickly snapped pictures of pictures with his camera phone. Then, stepping into the bathroom, he flushed the toilet. He then rejoined Lu in the living room.
Activating the digital voice recorder in his jacket pocket, Belmont discreetly steered the conversation to Lu's current case – the investigation of Jordan Cavanaugh.
"Why were you assigned the case?" he asked her.
"I grew up in that neighborhood," she explained, "in fact, in that apartment."
"Really?" he asked, keeping his tone in the flat range, worried he would telegraph his interest in this detail despite himself. "When did you move here?"
"A few years ago," she replied, "But I still have the key to my old place."
He raised an eyebrow, excitement fluttering in his breast. He was so close…
Then she yawned.
"I'll go," he said, "You're tired."
She gave him a sloppy, drunken smile. "Will I see you tomorrow?"
"I'd like that."
He helped her into her room and then left her apartment, buoyant at the information he had gathered. He was so close to the end, to clearing Jordan's name.
What would happen between them after he cleared her name? He didn't know. He'd like to see more of her – she was endlessly interesting to him, a very rare quality, and he enjoyed her company. But would she want to see him after this was over?
He hoped so. He really, truly did.