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“See, if you just let me explain—”
“Think before you talk,” said Detective Newberg. “And you better tell me the truth this time, or else the DA will get this recording.”
“I’m tryin’ to tell you the truth, if you’ll just listen. You’re right, I didn’t buy all the tickets myself, but it was my money! Look, let’s say you’re at the store, and all you want to buy is a candy bar, but there’s a real long line. And then you see somebody you know at the front of the line, so you give her your dollar and she buys the candy bar for you. Then later, if someone asks you where you got the candy bar, you’ll say you bought it at the store. It’s not a lie, is it?”
“Who helped you buy the tickets?”
“Armpit.”
“Do you know his real name?”
“Habib, I think.”
“You think?”
“I don’t know the dude! I swear! Felix called him Armpit. I never even saw the dude until that day in line. See, I went to buy my tickets, and they told me I could only buy six, like you said. So then Felix and Armpit show up, and Armpit offers to buy the other six for me. Man, that was the biggest mistake I ever made in my life.”
“How do you mean?”
“You know, I thought I would just have to pay Armpit fifty bucks or something, for doing that for me. But no. He insisted I make him my partner. And let me tell you something else. Armpit is not someone you can say no to. I’m talking big, and mean, and tough. That’s why I lied and said I didn’t know him. If I’m going to have to testify against Armpit, then you better put me in the witness protection program.”
“What was your arrangement with him?”
“We split all the profits, fifty-fifty. He was there with me for every sale.”
“Do you know his last name?”
“No.”
“Where does he live?”
“I have no idea.”
“Do you know his phone number?”
“No.”
“I’m getting tired of this, Rex.”
“I swear. I’m not lying!”
“Then how would you get in touch with him?”
“I’d call Felix. Then Felix would call Armpit, and we’d meet at H-E-B.”
“Who kept the tickets?”
“He kept six, I kept six. To be honest, I thought he was going to rip me off, but he never did.”
Detective Newberg set her briefcase on the table and unlatched the clasps.
“Look, I’m sorry for not being totally straight with you earlier,” X-Ray said. “Armpit scares the bejesus out of me. But now I told you the truth, so everything’s cool, right?” He smiled. “No harm, no foul?”
Detective Newberg suddenly turned and seemed to stare right at Armpit, although he knew she couldn’t see him.
She looked away, then removed two photographs from her briefcase. “Is this Felix?”
“Yeah, that’s him.”
