Conversation · Titus Hardie

That's a lie.

The window Klaasje gave for the time of death was From 11:30 to 12:15.

"In the whole 45-minute window -- she was with you all the time?"

"Alright -- she took a fucking leak, okay? For one moment. Maybe went out too -- she has an operation to run from her lorry." He points to the intersection. "We're not getting into what that operation is again, cop."

That's probably for the best. Don't break your stride now.

"And just 'cause she was gone for five minutes doesn't mean she magically got to the roof and shot him." He taps on his temple. "I've been through this -- it's not plausible."

He's been through it. That means he's suspected her too.

All right. We're in, we got Ruby unaccounted for some time during the window. This was crucial. Now let's place her on that roof.

You got his attention. Now don't ruin it by making weird claims. Remember: you can still mess this up.

"Ruby could have gotten to the roof from somewhere inside the Whirling."

"Nah. The only way up there is through Klaasje's room."

"Maybe there's more."

"What do you mean?"

"How much do you guys know about this place?"

"We've only been drinking here for, what? Six years?" He looks around. "How much do we know?"

"Been thinking of getting Whirling-in-Rags tatted on my ass, boss."

"There you go -- tatted on his ass. We know the place."

"There's a locked door in the kitchen -- and another on the roof. Ever been through those?"

"No -- but that doesn't prove anything."

"It's just two doors. We're not giving you Ruby for that -- she's one of us."

"What if those two doors are connected, Eugene? Is that your name -- Eugene?" The lieutenant leans closer.

"If they're connected, she could've gone to the kitchen -- gone up -- shot him on the roof -- then come down. All in five minutes. How about that?"

"Yes, she could have. This is one looooong shot." He shakes his head, but the look in his eyes shows interest.

"Tell you one thing: I liked how that goddamn winch came up again. That was nifty."

"What if the doors are connected? She could've gone up -- shot him -- come down -- in well under five minutes."

"Okay -- they're connected by the winch. How, though? Is there a dumbwaiter back there?"

This man is smarter than he looks. We can work with this.

"Precisely."

"There's a door downstairs in the kitchen -- a locked blue door. Ever been through that?"

"No..."

"There's another, right on the roof, next to Klaasje's window. How about that? You been through that door?"

"It's just two doors," he cuts in. "We're not giving him Ruby for that -- she's one of us."

"Boss..." The big guy in the corner speaks up with a wheeze. "There's another on the roof next to her window. Me and Tibbs saw it when we... were replacing..."

"There's a locked door on the roof. Leading to the roof. Ever seen that?"

"No..."

"There's another door in the kitchen." He points West. "A locked blue door in the wall. I saw it this morning when I was waiting for you," he explains. "Ever been through that?"

"Boss..." The big guy in the corner speaks up with a wheeze. "There's another in the kitchen. A blue door. I've been there..."

"He's been fuckin' eating in the kitchen!" The rat-faced man explodes. "The cop and the lardo don't have shit."

"It's just two doors," he agrees "We're not giving you Ruby for that -- she's practically a Hardie."

Boy, you really haven't given me a lot to work with here. You should explore better -- for now, just wing it.

"It's an old building. There may be a secret passage -- or even a network of passages."

"Boss..." The big guy in the corner speaks up with a wheeze. "There's this strange blue door in the kitchen. I've been there..."

"He's been fuckin' eating in the kitchen!" The rat-faced man explodes. "The cop and the lardo don't have shit."

"There's another on the roof next to her window. Me and Tibbs saw it when we... were replacing..."

"What are you, a fucking cop now, Angie? You want to be a Hardie -- or you want to be a cop?"

"The two are not mutually exclusive. Get that through your fucking head." The man only slightly raises his voice.

"Angie -- check out what's behind those doors when you get the time. It's probably nothing, but we need to know."

"I will boss." The man reaches in his overalls for a cigarette.

"Have you noticed the winch out back? On the outer wall of the Whirling?"

"All right, I'll play along. Those two doors of yours -- the winch connects them? With some kind of... dumbwaiter?"

"What winch? Where's the winch?"

"On the side of the building. You can see it from the harbour." He points to his eyeballs. "You wanna be a lieutenant -- you gotta keep your eyes peeled."

"I've seen the winch."

"Fuck off, man."

He knows Eugene is more lieutenant material than he is.

"I've seen the winch, I'm not blind." He nods. "You saying it's part of the elevator she used to get up there?"

"That's right."

"That's one mystery down then." He nods. "An architectural mystery. It doesn't much concern Ruby, does it?"

He knows it's something. He's just not ready to say you knew more about Ruby than he does -- yet.

"I've seen the winch, I'm not blind." He nods. "You sayin' she reeled herself up by her collar. Like some kind of..." he can't come up with an analogy.