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Lucky shook his head. “Don’t need one.”
Which meant he didn’t want to tell his father, because then he’d have to face his interrogation. Kerri had a feeling Lucky—Lucas Lorenzo Vandiver, actually—would rather face a firing squad than his father.
“All right. Why don’t you tell me about Sunday night?”
He stared at Kerri. “Where do you want me to start?”
“When you arrived at work.”
“I came in at six. I bused tables and loaded and unloaded the dishwashers. Around nine I started the cleanup. I left a little after ten. Same time as Tara.”
“Was there anyone else here besides Leo when you left?”
He shook his head. “He was alone in his office. I know because I asked him for an advance on my pay.”
“Why did you need an advance? You just got paid on Friday, right?”
Lucky shifted in his chair and stared at Falco. “The usual reason. I was broke. You never got paid on Friday and was broke by Sunday?”
Falco didn’t bother responding.
“Did anyone else hear this exchange?” Kerri asked, drawing his attention back to her. Tara hadn’t mentioned it.
He shrugged again. “I don’t know. Ask Tara. She’s always nosing around.”
“You needed to score some blow?” Falco asked.
Vandiver’s eyes widened. “What? No, man. I don’t do that shit.”
“That’s not what we heard,” Falco argued. “We heard you’re a regular cokehead. Daddy probably doesn’t know that.”
Vandiver made a sound of disbelief. “Don’t believe everything that bitch Tara tells you,” he warned. “She’s crazy.”
“Why would you think Tara would suggest such a thing or that she’s crazy?” Kerri asked. “Obviously Mr.Kurtz trusted her, since he made her an assistant manager.”
Vandiver snorted. “Did you ask her how she got that position? I’m guessing she was on her knees at the time.”
Falco walked to the table and flattened his hands there, leaning toward Vandiver. “What’re you saying?”
Vandiver turned his face up to Falco’s and laughed. “I’m saying she would do anything to get ahead, including say shit about me. She’s like that. How do you think she got the job and not George?”
“Mr.Caldwell turned down the offer,” Falco said. “He didn’t want the added responsibility.”
“Yeah, he would say that,” Vandiver scoffed. “A guy’s gotta save face.”
Kerri could see how others might think as much if Caldwell hadn’t chosen to share his health issues.
“So, you don’t like Tara,” Falco said as he straightened away from the table. “Is that it? She’s in with the boss and maybe she wouldn’t do you any favors.”
“Like I said, she’s a bitch. If you really knew her, you’d get it.”
“Did Mr.Kurtz give you the advance?” Kerri asked.
Vandiver’s attention shifted back to her. “Sure. He was nice like that. He gave me a hundred bucks.”
“What did you do with the money?” Falco tossed out, leaning toward him again.
Vandiver smiled up at him. “That’s none of your business, man.”
