Susie had evidently been through the wringer. She looked as if she had cried a lot and might start crying again at any moment. Genevieve’s heart went out to her.
“Some guy down there offered me a bunch of money if I had any sexy shots of Lori, or if I could tell him any sordid stories,” she said, and sniffed contemptuously. “And they called her a whore! They’re just a pack of pimps themselves. I’d never sell out a friend.”
“I’m sure Lori would have appreciated that,” Genevieve said, touching her arm consolingly.
Susie sniffed again, and wiped her cheeks, then tried to smile. “You’re different, you and that guy, Joe. He wanted to help. I know he did.”
“Yeah. He’s a good guy,” Genevieve said.
Susie frowned. “So, uh, why are you here?”
“I came to see you.”
“Why?” Susie asked, her tone slightly apprehensive.
“I’m not even sure,” Genevieve admitted. “I guess…I guess I just wanted to get to know Lori now, even if it’s too late. I feel that…knowing more about her might somehow help.”
Susie indicated her couch. It was worn, but the apartment was neat and tidy. “Sit. I’ll tell you what I can. She really did want to be an actress, you know. She worked a lot as an extra, and she went to auditions…even got some callbacks. But she didn’t get that one break she really needed.”
Genevieve nodded encouragingly and waited for Susie to go on.
“She was…she was just real, I guess you could say.” Susie hesitated. “Did she turn tricks? Well, yes, but she was discreet. She went with guys she liked and accepted what she could get. But she really worked at being an actress, and I think she would have made it.”
“So why did she go by Candy Cane? Why did she give that name when she was arrested?” Genevieve asked.
Susie laughed with dry humor. “I’m Peppermint Patsy. We all use names when we go clubbing. You don’t always want to be known. Hell, if I’m out for a good time and need a little sustenance from a guy, I don’t want him knowing who I really am.”
Genevieve asked, “Do you think she realized, when she went to the press, that they would check her out and discover her arrest record?”
“Maybe she thought it was worth the risk. The thing is, when she talked about what she saw, she was telling the truth. She believed it with her whole heart. She wouldn’t have lied to me.” Another big tear fell on Susie’s cheek. “Life’s a bitch and then you die. Sucks, huh?”
Genevieve felt her old life suddenly wrapping around her. “Susie, I can’t help Lori now. But if you want to get a real job—where you have to work hard, but you’ll make good money—I can manage that for you.”
Susie grimaced. “I work hard now. I just don’t seem to get anywhere. I flipped hamburgers for a while, but I couldn’t pay the rent.”
“I’ll get back to you. I know of a place where you can work out front and make good tips.”
“Is there a pole involved?” Susie asked skeptically.
Genevieve laughed. “No. It’s an old Irish pub. They’re always busy, so they’re always looking for waitresses, and I swear, you’ll like it.”
“And you can get me a job there?” Susie was clearly still doubtful. “Where is it? I couldn’t keep one job because even with the subway, it still meant a mile walk, and I was always either late or nearly getting mugged.”
“It’s walking distance from here.”
“Downtown?” Susie asked.
Gen nodded. To her distress, Susie suddenly burst into tears.
“What? I’m sorry,” Genevieve said quickly.
“No, no, it’s just that Lori loved downtown so much. You know what she always told me she would have been, if she’d ever made it through school?”
“What?”
“An archeologist. She loved all the old buildings downtown. Trinity Church, St. Paul’s, City Hall…Fraunces Tavern, even though it’s pretty much a made-up restoration. She spent her life hanging out in old places. She even liked cemeteries.”
Susie started crying so hard at that point that she couldn’t talk anymore, but Genevieve couldn’t find the words to stop her. She was too busy thinking that Leslie MacIntyre would probably have loved to know Lori Star, no matter what she’d done for a living. From what she’d learned about Leslie, she hadn’t been the kind of person to judge others.
She suddenly felt as if she really had gotten to know Lori Star. She rose quickly and extended her hand. “I’ll find out about that job for you.”
“I guess you really do wield a lot of power,” Susie said.
“I don’t, but I know people who do.”
Susie was silent for another moment, then asked, “Do you think you can find a way to keep Lori out of a pauper’s grave?”
“I can do that,” Genevieve promised.
At the door to the apartment, Susie impulsively hugged her.