“Go ahead and order,” Eve told Peabody.
“There is a God.” When she reached the counter, Peabody ordered the hash and egg (substitute) burrito and a café con leche.
“How’s it going, Penny?” Eve said while the other woman filled Peabody’s order.
Penny shifted her gaze up, over, fixed it on Eve. The dark, bored mouth turned sour. “Thought I smelled cop. Got nothing to say.”
“That’s fine, then we’ll go down to Central, see if you change your mind.”
Penny sniffed, sneered. “I don’t have to go anywhere, you don’t have a warrant and cause.”
“You know, you look suspiciously like the suspect who rolled a guy a couple blocks from here last night. Detective, arrange for Ms. Soto to be taken downtown for a lineup.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“While you smell cop, I smell several hours of detention and paperwork. Maybe you should call a lawyer.”
“I don’t need a stinking lawyer. What are you hassling me for? I got a job here. I’m doing my job.”
“Hey, me, too. Do you want to talk here or downtown?”
“Shit.” Penny jerked back from the counter. “Back the alley,” she snapped, then swaggered off.
Eve signaled Peabody to go around by the front, then followed Penny into the cramped back room, and out the alley door.
“Lemme see ID,” Penny demanded.
Eve pulled out her badge. “You’ve had some trouble along the way, Penny.”
“I got gainful employment. My rent’s paid. So screw you.”
“Actually, I think you might be the one getting screwed in all this. Miguel Flores.”
Penny jerked one pointed shoulder, shot out one bony hip. “Dead priest. Everybody knows. So what? I haven’t been inside a church in years. That’s bullshit, too. I figured it out when I was ten.”
“You knew him.”
A gleam lit her eyes, accenting the sneer. “Everybody knew him. Everybody knows all the priests. They’re all over the neighborhood like lice.”
Eve acknowledged Peabody with a glance as her partner turned into the alley. “You knew him,” Eve repeated.
“You hearing defective or what? I just said I did.”
“Lino Martinez.”
The anger wavered for an instant before Penny aimed an unconcerned look a few inches over Eve’s right shoulder. “I don’t know anybody by that name.”
“Oh now, you don’t want to lie about something that stupid. It just tips me you’re going to lie about more. Lino Martinez,” Eve said again, and gripped Penny’s forearm. “You should cover this up if you don’t want to admit to old allegiances.”
“So what? I haven’t seen Lino since I was sixteen. He took off. Ask anybody who was around back then, they’ll tell you the same. Shit, ask his whiny, sainted mother. She’s slinging pasta over in Brooklyn somewheres. Got herself a nice house, a dipshit husband, and snot-nosed kid.”
“How do you know that?”
A flash of annoyance darkened Penny’s eyes. “I hear things.”
“Did Lino tell you?”
“I just said I haven’t seen him since—”