“Like you said, not until this mess is cleared up,” Myra said. “So you see why I don’t want no trial. When I ran away, I wrote to Mama and told her I found a job. And she goes, ‘Which job is that, honey? You don’t got no education.’ Well, then I told her I worked as a waitress during the day and was studying to get my high school diploma at night. Mama don’t like bad girls. That kept her quiet. Now she’s back and asking me about when I’m gonna graduate. I got to get her outta here before she finds out the truth.”

“What would happen if she found out?” Decker asked.

Myra looked grave. “Mama has a bad temper for sinners. Once she found out that my baby sister was chippin’. Mama whopped her good. I mean, Mama’s a good woman, but she don’t like no one giving her a bad name. So…”

Decker said, “Why don’t you get your high school diploma? Why are you doin’ what you’re doin’?”

Myra shrugged. “My man gives me a house, food, dope. And I got lots of girlfriends in the trade. Guess I’m lazy. And my man’s got a mean temper. I quit now, he might just get a little physical. But one day, I’ll quit. Find me some fat old fart with lots of bread. Get him to give me a ring. Let the sucker fuck me while I whip him with cat-o’-nine-tails. He’ll hire me a cute little piece o’ black ass that I can have whenever I want. I got it all planned out.”

“As long as Mama is out of the way.”

Myra didn’t answer. Decker stopped talking for a moment, let the silence cleanse his thoughts. Then he said, “If your pimp didn’t cut you up, why won’t you give us his name?”

“My man like to remain an-no-mim-no-mous. He says publicity makes you fatheaded.”

“I’d still like to talk with him,” Decker said.

“Yeah, so would all of Vice.” Myra laughed. “You is on your own, mister.”

“You say your pimp didn’t cut you?”

“He didn’t cut me.”

“Then who did?”

“You got who did it,” Myra cried out.

“Myra, there’s some physical doubt that the man we apprehended is the man who cut you.” Decker sized up the whore. She looked pained. “Way his lawyer figures it, the man we have in custody had sex with you, but didn’t cut you—”

“That’s a lie!”

“We just don’t want to play plea-bargain unless we have an ironclad case against him.”

“He raped me!” Myra exclaimed. “Son of a bitch, bastard raped me and sliced me and beat me—”