He rocked back in his swivel chair and let his gaze drift out the window. The sky was full of yellow dust and leaves that were gusting out of the trees. “So what did your pal find out?”
“Colin Alridge seems to be a friend of Mrs. Lujan. Maybe a spiritual adviser or something like that.”
“Spiritual adviser, my ass.”
“Clete said Alridge seemed upset about Tony Lujan’s death, like maybe he felt guilty over it.”
Lonnie made a snuffing sound in his nose and brushed a piece of clipped hair out of one nostril. “Did you pass this information on to Helen?”
“It’s not information. It’s speculation on the part of a private investigator.”
“There are a lot of bad traits I can accept in people, Dave, but disingenuousness isn’t one of them.” He held his eyes on mine. “No, I’m not going to be euphemistic here. I won’t put up with lying.”
I felt a flame spread across my back, the way it can wrap around you when you have shingles. I watched the dust blowing across the tops of the trees out in the street, newspaper swirling off the asphalt. “I hope it rains. It’s been awfully hot,” I said. “Give me a call if I can provide you with any more help.”
“We’re not finished here,” he said.
“That’s what you think.”
BUT INDIRECTLY Lonnie Marceaux had made a point. Clete’s speculation about Colin Alridge’s involvement with the Lujan family wasn’t to be ignored. I called Mrs. Lujan and asked if I could visit her at her home again.
“No, you may not,” she said.
“I’ll come with a warrant if I have to.” I could hear her breathing against the receiver. “Is your husband there, Mrs. Lujan?”
“My husband is in jail. You should know that.”
“No, he’s not.”
She was silent again. Then she said, “What time did he get out?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Find out and call me back,” she said, and hung up.
I rang the jail, then redialed Mrs. Lujan’s number.
“He was out at nine-seventeen a.m.” It was now a quarter to noon.
“Have you seen him since his release?”
“No, ma’am.”
“If you wanted to find him, would you know where to look?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I could give you two or three addresses. Guess which part of town they’re in. Guess who lives at those addresses.”
“I wouldn’t know, Mrs. Lujan.”
“You wouldn’t know? Do you smoke cigarettes?”
“I don’t.”
“Do you know where to buy some?”
This time I didn’t answer.