Murder in Alphabet City by Lee Harris

seriously, as though she still believed it to be true.
    Jane took out the plastic bag with the tiny beads in it. She laid it on the table in front of Rose. “Do you recognize these?”
    Rose picked it up and poured a few beads onto her palm. She shook her head. “They look almost like pearls but I don’t think I ever had any this small.”
    â€œThey were found in Mr. Stratton’s apartment after he died. We wondered who had worn them. Did he ever wear jewelry?”
    She thought about it, sipping a cup of tea. “I don’t think so. He was very plain. His clothes were casual. I don’t remember ever seeing a chain or a bracelet or a ring on him.”
    â€œA watch?” Defino asked.
    â€œI’m not sure.”
    â€œWasn’t the laundry heavy?” Jane asked. “You were just a little girl.”
    â€œI didn’t think about it. My mother asked me to take it to him and I did.”
    â€œWas anyone ever visiting Mr. Stratton when you got there?”
    â€œJust his lady friend, but she wasn’t always there.”
    â€œStratton had a girlfriend?” Jane failed to keep the surprise out of her voice.
    â€œI suppose you could call her that. They seemed to know each other well.”
    Defino flipped a page in his notebook. “Do you know what her name was?”
    â€œHe called her . . . I think it was Bee-Bee. I thought it was a funny name.”
    â€œDid she talk to you?”
    â€œJust to say hello. I think I bored her. She would sit and read while Mr. Stratton and I talked or she would go into another room. She wasn’t always there when I left.”
    â€œYou think you could help an artist make a sketch?” Defino asked. “We could get someone to work with you at the station house on Avenue C.”
    â€œI could try. I remember what she looked like. She had dark hair, long, and kind of a narrow face.”
    â€œWhere can we reach you?”
    She wrote a number on his notebook page. “It’s my phone. If I don’t answer, leave a message. It’s the number my friends at school call. My parents don’t answer it.”
    â€œCould she have worn the little beads?” Jane asked.
    â€œShe wore a lot of beads,” Rose said. “Some of them were silver, some were colored glass or stones. I don’t recognize these especially, but maybe they were hers.”
    â€œWe’ll set up an appointment with an artist and one of us will call you,” Defino said. “Any time good for you?”
    â€œI have no classes on Friday afternoon.”
    â€œSounds good.” Defino was suddenly upbeat.
    â€œI have to go now. Are we finished?”
    â€œThanks for coming,” Jane said. “We really appreciate it.”
    Rose buttoned her coat and said good-bye to each of them. Roberta Chen had said nothing. Now she spoke a few syllables of Chinese. Rose smiled and responded. Then she left the restaurant.

7
    B OBBY C HEN TOOK off for the subway and Jane and Defino went back to talk to Larry Vale, the super.
    â€œYou see anything in the file about this Bee-Bee?” Defino asked as they walked.
    â€œNothing, and nothing about Rose either. I’ve been turning pages and there are damn few names besides the super, the pizza place, and the other tenants. Mrs. C. didn’t rule out a girlfriend, but she didn’t know one existed.”
    â€œI remember.”
    They rang Larry Vale’s bell. It was still morning so he might be less annoyed at being disturbed.
    The door opened. “It’s you. What is it now?”
    â€œA couple of questions,” Defino said, irritation back in his voice. He didn’t like this guy and he let it show.
    Vale let them in. “I’m listening.”
    â€œDid Stratton have a girlfriend?”
    â€œI wouldn’t know. We didn’t talk about women.”
    â€œYou ever see a dark-haired woman go up to his apartment?”
    â€œI told you yesterday: