FOUR
I got back to the office around 9pm. Lieutenant Corrizo was sitting in my chair which was fairly unusual. Izzy was in my client chair.
“Corrizo,” I said, “Slummin’ late, ain’t ya?”
“Ian,” he said as he stood. He looked serious.
“Drink?” I offered.
“Nah, I’m working. Thanks.”
“Izzy?”
“Sure, boss.”
I went to the cabinet and did some mixing. “So what you workin’ on?”
I delivered Izzy his drink and Corrizo pointed to the desk where, on top of a plastic baggy sat my 9mm automatic.
“That yours?”
I reached for it but Corrizo stopped me.
“Don’t touch,” he warned, “Is it yours?”
I looked at it. “Yeah, looks like it. Where’d you find it?”
“At a murder scene.”
“Oh yeah? Who got killed?”
His face grew more grim and he looked at Izzy. Izzy looked grim. I got a bad feeling.
Izzy spoke. “Ian,” he began, “Isaac’s dead.”
That knocked the wind out of me. I felt dizzy all of a sudden and I swayed imperceptibly (I think).
“How?” I stammered.
“Shot twice. Once through the heart.” Corrizo said.
I regained myself. “Do we know who did it.”
“Well, you’re the prime suspect, this being your gun and all. He was killed with a nine and we’re doing the ballistics now. But it’s likely the bullet came from this gun. So I need to know where you been in the last 2 hours or so.”
I nodded. Izzy was studying me. Even though I know he didn’t think I killed Isaac, I also know he was looking for reassurance.
“I was down in the Sty, detecting. Visiting with a woman psychic a client asked me to look in to.”
Corrizo nodded. “You can give me a name?”
My thoughts were racing and I almost didn’t hear what he said. But I know the drill and I caught the last part and knew what he wanted. I wrote down Isis’ name, address and phone number on the back of my business card and handed it to him.
“Has someone told Jenny yet?” Isaac’s wife.
Izzy looked at his shoes, convinced I didn’t murder our partner.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “She knows.”
“One more thing,” Corrizo said, “I need to test you for cordite.”
“Sure.”
Corrizo produced some swab packets, broke one open and swabbed my right hand. Then he used the other packet on my left.
“Looks clean,” he said and he put these safely away, “but the lab will decide, you know.”
“I know. I’m clean.”
“Good.” He nodded.
Corrizo took a hankie and put the gun in the bag, and then he put the card I gave him away and headed for the door.
“I’ll look into this. And Ian…”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry about Isaac,” he said. “He was a good man.”
“Yeah, he was,” I said. “Hey, Corrizo…”
“Yeah.”
“Where was he found?”
“In an alley in Ohi.”
“What the hell was he doing there?” I said.
Corrizo shrugged. “I’ll be in touch” he said, then left.
I sat down in my chair and looked at Izzy. He looked at me.
“Damn,” I said.
“Damn.”
