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“Excellent, of course!” Ula threw her head back and laughed. “I own the place!”
“Seriously?” Lynch said. “I thought you just had the club.”
“Oh, no. I own three other restaurants in this neighborhood. They’re all good, but this one is the best. But if you have a problem with the food, I wouldn’t mention it to the chef. He used to work for me in Manila. I won’t tell you about his previous line of work, but trust me, you don’t want to get on his bad side.”
Lynch and Kendra looked toward the back of the restaurant, where a large, muscular man in a dirty chef’s apron appeared in a doorway. He wore a surly expression.
Kendra raised her eyebrows. “Is that blood on his apron?”
“He was cutting fresh beef for the asado. But let’s just say he’s comfortable wearing that.”
“I believe it,” Lynch said. “You have some information for me? I was surprised to hear from you so quickly.”
“It isn’t like the old days. Now there are probably twenty cell phones hidden among the inmate population there. Information can flow quickly if you know the right people.”
Kendra smiled. “I understand you know all the right people.”
“I know enough. Including who got those goggles inside the jail.”
“A guard?” Lynch said.
“No. A construction guy.”
“Really?”
“Yes. There’s been remodeling work going on there for the last couple of years. New flooring, drywall, things like that. It’s an outside construction crew, and some prisoners have been allowed to join the team. Someone on the outside contacted one of the craftsmen and paid him to get those goggles to your serial killer.”
Lynch nodded. “It would help if we could get the construction guy’s name.”
Ula reached for a takeout menu on the table and flipped it over. “A name like this one?”
Kendra and Lynch leaned forward to seeStewart Dusenberry, Avalon Construction, written in purple ink.
Ula looked at their amazed reactions and cut loose with yet another high-pitched laugh. “Ula delivers, yes?”
“Yes.” Lynch took the menu. “Again, I’m amazed you got this so quickly.”
“I told you, there’s little that happens in that jail without Adelmo knowing about it. One of his crew arranged the transfer from this man.”
Lynch took the menu and stood up. “Thanks, Ula. This will be extremely helpful.”
She looked disappointed. “You won’t stay and have something to eat?”
“Sorry. Perhaps another time. We need to find and talk to this man.”
Kendra stood and gestured toward the still-glowering cook. “Our regrets to the chef.”
***
Lynch pulled out his phone and thumb-typed through a variety of search screens before they even reached his car. “Got him. Stewart Vincent Dusenbery. He has his own flooring installation business. Some residential, some commercial, but he also contracts out to other construction companies.” Lynch leaned against his car as he continued typing. “You don’t mind if I violate this man’s privacy rights, do you?”
She crossed her arms. “I know Ishouldmind.”
He smiled. “Of course you should. But since there’s a mass murderer on the loose, and I’m not presently working for any government agency…”
“Enough rationalizations. What are you doing?”
“Saving us time and legwork.”
