Tell Me No Lies by Annie Solomon Page A

dumb-ass old man, don't speak English?"
    "That's the one."
    McTeer looked up at the two-way. He opened a pack of sugar and emptied it into his cup. He mixed it with the red plastic stirrer Hank had brought. Added cream. Sipped.
    Klimet tensed, hands fisting, but Hank threw him a warning look and for once he backed down. Repressing the same inclination to throttle McTeer, Hank waited through the dumb show while the kid figured it out.
    "The sucker shortchanged me, you know?" McTeer said at last. "I give him a twenty, he give me change for a ten. Fucking foreigner. So, yeah, we ex-change some words." He overemphasized exchange, moving his head from side to side as he did so, as though it were two separate words, ex and change. "He was throwing all kinds of foul shit at me. I ain't taking that shit. But I ain't killed no one."
    "So where were you around five last night?"
    His jaw set. "Nowhere. Hanging."
    "With who?"
    He shrugged. "I got peeps to hang with."
    "Which people?" Hank studied the boy. He had no idea if the guy was lying; chances were he was. But Joe took down names and addresses, and they let McTeer go.
    Hank sighed. Scouring the projects for deadbeats was not his idea of fun.
    ***
    Alex dressed quickly, pulling on a pair of dark slacks and a black silk sweater, then grabbed a wide tote bag. She hadn't slept much and felt sluggish; if she could, she would have stayed in bed all day. But she had much to do, though she was dreading it.
    A small army was cleaning up under Sonya's watchful eyes. Alex picked her way through an obstacle course of mops, dust cloths, and huge plastic trash bags, already half-full.
    "You go to city?" Sonya asked, following her to the door. Her wrinkled face was calm. No sign of last night's concern lay in the soft lines.
    "No, dear. I have some errands to run." She made her tone placid, but had a hard time pretending everything was all right.
    "The party, it was good?"
    "Very good." She kissed the old woman on the cheek to forestall more questions. "Don't wait lunch."
    "Lunch?" Sonya scowled. "You don't eat breakfast?"
    "I'll stop for a cup of coffee."
    Sonya shook her head. "And dinner?"
    "I don't know. Don't worry about me. I'll grab something if I'm hungry."
    Sonya tsked tsked her, shaking a finger in a fond scold. "You are too skinny."
    Alex smiled. Sonya was always trying to feed her, but food was the last thing on her mind at that moment. She rummaged in a drawer for a set of keys, swung a light jacket over her shoulders, and waved good-bye.
    Once inside her car, she tried to breathe normally. For a moment, she laid her head on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. She didn't know if what she was doing was a good idea or not, but it had to be done, and soon. In fact, it might already be too late.
    Last night Mason had told her not to assume mat Luka's death had anything to do with her. He promised to look into what had happened and told her not to panic. But panic was unavoidable.
    Hands trembling, she turned the ignition and headed for the highway into town. Fifteen minutes later, she parked at the Wal-Mart and set off.
    It was a two-mile walk to Luka's apartment Plenty of time for regrets and recriminations. Plenty of time to wonder if the price of justice was too high. It had claimed her youth, kept her apart from other people. Besides Sonya, she had no family, no roots, no relationships of any weight When other girls had giggled over boys, gone on dates and to dances, Alex had stayed behind. Getting close to people meant sharing secrets, and hers could never be revealed.
    She bit back the sob that threatened to choke her. A week ago, Luka had called and said he'd found something. Something that would lead them to the proof they'd been seeking for thirteen years. Proof of her father's innocence. But what it was, he'd refused to say, and now he would never tell her.
    She didn't believe for a minute that he'd been killed in a robbery. He died because he'd uncovered something. And