a glass of wine.
“I have my reasons to believe that Vincent, the man who used to be our client and her lover, didn’t kill her.” Tess took a few sips of her drink and proceeded, “The night it happened, Isabel and I went out for a drink. It was our day off, so no one minded us leaving the club. We went to one of our favorite bars, but after about a half an hour, Isabel got a call from a man I didn’t know. He said he wanted to see her, so she left. About an hour later, she texted me, saying she wasn't going to come back to the club that night and that I needed to come up with a cover for her. When I asked if she was going to stay with Vincent, she said she was on a date with someone else. She didn’t give me the name of her date. The police said he was one of Vincent’s friends, and that’s why Vincent killed her, out of jealousy. But I saw him that night. He knew the name of the bar Isabel and I loved going to. I was just about to leave when I saw him enter the place. He didn’t see me, but he looked worried. He walked over to the bartender and asked about Isabel. He looked like he couldn’t find her, and that is what makes me believe that he didn’t even see her that night. According to the police report, she was killed right about the time when I saw Vincent in the bar.”
“Then why did the police arrest him? What evidence did they have against him?”
“They said his fingerprints were on the knife that was found next to the body. It was a weapon, so naturally, they thought it was Vincent who killed Isabel.”
“Have you ever told anyone you saw him that night?”
“I did, but they didn’t believe me because one of the cameras on the street where Isabel’s body was found, showed Vincent’s car leaving the crime scene. And even though they couldn’t see the face of the driver, they still decided he was their prime suspect, and the rest is history from there.”
“What about the guy he talked to about Isabel?”
“You mean the bartender?”
“Yes.”
“Funny thing, the bar’s owner said the guy never showed up for work again after that night.”
“Oh… That sounds like a very strange coincidence, don’t you think so?”
“Forget it, Louise. No one will reopen the investigation, even if we find dozens of strange coincidences in the whole story.”
“But why not?”
Tess made a helpless gesture, and sat down on one of the chairs. “Because someone must have paid a fucking lot of money to get the case shut down. And whoever it was, is the real killer.”
“Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“I thought I did, but I was wrong. One of Rodger’s friends is a police officer. He was also one of the men investigating Isabel’s murder. I only officially met him one time, but I could swear it was not the first time I had seen the man. And when he saw me, he became very nervous, as if he recognized me too. But after that day, I never saw him again. Rodger said he was sent to work in Washington.”
“Do you think he was the real killer?”
“I don’t know, but his reaction to me made me believe he possibly could be. Too bad, I never managed to remember if I actually ever saw him before. Anyway, why do you ask?”
“Something reminded me of the tragedy, and I thought you might have found a way to know the truth.”
“No, unfortunately.”
There was nothing else I wanted to talk to Tess about, so our conversation was over. I was just about to leave when another question came to mind. “Did Drew like Isabel?”
Tess smirked into her drink. “Drew doesn’t like anyone. And she was just another girl who worked for him. I would have known if there had been anything more going on between them.”
“Okay.”
“Louise?”
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?” Tess suddenly asked.
“Why? And just don’t tell me you still care about me.”
Ignoring my irony, she asked, “Was leaving the club worth it?”
No matter how much of a bitch she could be at times, I knew Tess
“I have my reasons to believe that Vincent, the man who used to be our client and her lover, didn’t kill her.” Tess took a few sips of her drink and proceeded, “The night it happened, Isabel and I went out for a drink. It was our day off, so no one minded us leaving the club. We went to one of our favorite bars, but after about a half an hour, Isabel got a call from a man I didn’t know. He said he wanted to see her, so she left. About an hour later, she texted me, saying she wasn't going to come back to the club that night and that I needed to come up with a cover for her. When I asked if she was going to stay with Vincent, she said she was on a date with someone else. She didn’t give me the name of her date. The police said he was one of Vincent’s friends, and that’s why Vincent killed her, out of jealousy. But I saw him that night. He knew the name of the bar Isabel and I loved going to. I was just about to leave when I saw him enter the place. He didn’t see me, but he looked worried. He walked over to the bartender and asked about Isabel. He looked like he couldn’t find her, and that is what makes me believe that he didn’t even see her that night. According to the police report, she was killed right about the time when I saw Vincent in the bar.”
“Then why did the police arrest him? What evidence did they have against him?”
“They said his fingerprints were on the knife that was found next to the body. It was a weapon, so naturally, they thought it was Vincent who killed Isabel.”
“Have you ever told anyone you saw him that night?”
“I did, but they didn’t believe me because one of the cameras on the street where Isabel’s body was found, showed Vincent’s car leaving the crime scene. And even though they couldn’t see the face of the driver, they still decided he was their prime suspect, and the rest is history from there.”
“What about the guy he talked to about Isabel?”
“You mean the bartender?”
“Yes.”
“Funny thing, the bar’s owner said the guy never showed up for work again after that night.”
“Oh… That sounds like a very strange coincidence, don’t you think so?”
“Forget it, Louise. No one will reopen the investigation, even if we find dozens of strange coincidences in the whole story.”
“But why not?”
Tess made a helpless gesture, and sat down on one of the chairs. “Because someone must have paid a fucking lot of money to get the case shut down. And whoever it was, is the real killer.”
“Do you have any idea who it might be?”
“I thought I did, but I was wrong. One of Rodger’s friends is a police officer. He was also one of the men investigating Isabel’s murder. I only officially met him one time, but I could swear it was not the first time I had seen the man. And when he saw me, he became very nervous, as if he recognized me too. But after that day, I never saw him again. Rodger said he was sent to work in Washington.”
“Do you think he was the real killer?”
“I don’t know, but his reaction to me made me believe he possibly could be. Too bad, I never managed to remember if I actually ever saw him before. Anyway, why do you ask?”
“Something reminded me of the tragedy, and I thought you might have found a way to know the truth.”
“No, unfortunately.”
There was nothing else I wanted to talk to Tess about, so our conversation was over. I was just about to leave when another question came to mind. “Did Drew like Isabel?”
Tess smirked into her drink. “Drew doesn’t like anyone. And she was just another girl who worked for him. I would have known if there had been anything more going on between them.”
“Okay.”
“Louise?”
“Yes?”
“Are you happy?” Tess suddenly asked.
“Why? And just don’t tell me you still care about me.”
Ignoring my irony, she asked, “Was leaving the club worth it?”
No matter how much of a bitch she could be at times, I knew Tess
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