A Diamond Before You Die by Chris Wiltz

Author:Chris Wiltz
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller

“Show me one of Marty Solarno’s favorites.”

He was very cool. He picked out a film without a look or a comment. It was called Party Time. A lot of naked men and women cavorted around doing odd things with even odder accoutrements, like coat hangers and candles, but, again, only soft-core stuff. The girl with the dead front tooth was in this one, too, although it might have been another girl with a dead tooth. I studied the faces of the rest of the actors. There was no one even vaguely familiar. I told Mr. D. that wasn’t it either.

“How about some local celebrities?” I requested.

He turned off the projector. “Okay, Rafferty, I got you pegged as some kinda private cop. Whadaya want?”

I didn’t want Mr. D. turning mean on me, so I stood up and gave it to him straight. “I want a film that Solarno was anxious to show, only he didn’t make it through the night.”

He didn’t play dumb. “Blackmail?” he asked. “Look, Marty rented films from me, but they were films like you just saw. I get ‘em from a New York distributor.”

“It looks to me like you go in for some local production.” I nodded at the super-eight.

“Sure. We do some skits, for private parties.”

“Maybe it was one of those.”

“Uh-uh. I keep my operation clean.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Did you ever loan the camera to Solarno?”

“I can tell you didn’ know Marty, pal. I’da never seen it again. I don’ know about this film, pal.”

There was no use pressing him; he wasn’t going to talk no matter what he knew. I said quietly, “I hope not, Mr. D., because I think the film got him killed.”

He held up a hand to stop me. “I don’ wanna know nothin’.”

I started toward the door, but got an idea. I jerked a thumb over my shoulder at the clothes rack. “You got a tuxedo I can rent?”

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