Savage Noir

Chapter 47 It turned out that Alfredo not only remembered the day of the storm, he had served Katherine and a friend earlier, that same afternoon. I showed him Katherine’s picture again. He nodded twice. “What did her friend look like?” I asked. “Like a punk,” he said. “All in black. Dyed blonde hair. Raiders cap on backward. She had one of those snake tattoos. Kind that wraps around your arm. That’s what I remember best.” Sheena? “Did you notice anything else?” I asked. “Was she wearing a tee shirt?” He nodded. “What was on it?” I persisted. He had to think about it. “There was a picture on it…” “Charles Manson?” “ Si.   I think. Him or that singer with the Doors.” “Jim Morrison,” said Rollins. “Did he have curly hair?” “No. Straight. Had him a goatee. And crazy eyes. The kind you don’ forget.” “Then it wasn’t Morrison,” said Rollins. Alfredo shrugged. “It was a long time ago.” He pointed to Katherine’s picture. “She was all in black, too. We see it a lot here...

Chapter 46 It was dark as I pulled into The Oasis’ parking lot, tired and hungry. I was returning with a used matchbook that probably would lead to nothing. What a joke. I knocked on the door to Rollins’ room. He opened it immediately. “Hey,” he said. “How’d she do?” It took me a second or two to realize that she was his Suburu. “Fine,” I said. “Only once did I wish I was driving a Jeep.”  I plopped down on a perfectly upholstered easy chair. I glanced down at my feet. “I should have taken off my shoes when I came in,” I said. His look said What’s stopping you? I kicked them off. “Have any luck?” I asked. He gave me the one-thumb-down. “Sally didn’t remember anything else,” he said. “I talked to the bartender to see if he was working the day of the big storm. but…” He wasn’t, I guessed, judging by his gloomy expression. Rollins said, “He’s new, so he hadn’t heard about the storm. But he said I should talk to Alfredo, since he’s worked here longest. He’s coming on a...