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othing else. Understand?”
“I didn’t see nothing,” Thibodaux replied.
I leaned down to the window. “We’re not asking you to describe what you didn’t see, Miss Dora. We already know who killed the two men. His name is Chester Wimple. Sometimes he calls himself Smiley.” I saw the recognition in her eyes. “He told you his nickname?”
“I ain’t saying nothing, me.”
“Smiley doesn’t give everyone permission to use his nickname,” I said. “It’s a compliment.”
She raised her face, her eyes on mine.
“You think Smiley might hurt you?” I said.
“No.”
“A guy who hosed down two people with a flamethrower wouldn’t do that?”
“I know somet’ing about men. He said I was a nice person.”
“Your friend in the next room, she took off on you?”
“She ain’t no good. Ain’t no loss.”
“Why didn’t you leave?”
“Seymour knows me.”
“Who’s Seymour?”
“The night clerk. He would have given y’all my name and I’d be in worse trouble than I am. Where’s he at?”
“We’re interested in the two guys in the Buick,” I said. “Did they tell you their names?”
She shook her head.
“They used their first names to each other,” I said. “Don’t lie to us, Miss Dora.”
“They’re dagos out of Miami. You know what that means.”
“You’re not afraid of Smiley, but you’re afraid of the two dead guys?” I said.
“Their kind ain’t ever dead.”
“Others like them are coming?”
“Sure, what you t’ink? They work for the Mob. They said they was gonna pop a guy. They said they was gonna do it for the state of Texas. I tole them they was full of it.”
“Because you didn’t want to believe they would do that?” I said.
“I ain’t t’ought it t’rew.”
“You want something to eat?”
“No,” she replied. “I’m starting to get sick.”
“You saw Smiley’s face, Miss Dora,” I said.
“If he was gonna hurt me, he would have already done it.”
