“Do you have a lead?” Dr. Zachary Golden asked as8 Durango crossed back over to him.
“Nothing definite,” Durango told him noncommitally. “By the way,” he added casually, “Where were you last night and early this morning?”
“Driving back from a medical convention upstate.”
“And you only just got into town?”
“Yes. I would have made it home early this morning, but the storm was so bad that I pulled over to the side of the road, pulled up my windows and took a nap until it got better. I was more tired than I realized, and I overslept. It was almost one in the afternoon when I woke up.”
“You say you could have been here early this morning,” Durango mused. “How early? That is if you’d driven straight through?”
“Oh, three o’clock or so, I guess.”
“Just about the time your wife was murdered,” Durango observed softly.
“Now look here! You’re not implying -”
“I’m not implying anything, Dr. Golden. But if you had gotten here then, I suppose you would have had a motive, all right.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“Forget it. I guess I’m just getting groggy. My apologies, Doctor. Well, I guess I’d better be getting down-town with Miss — Smith.” Durango raised an eyebrow toward Debbie. “I wonder, Doctor, if I might call you later and ask you to come down?”
“What for?”
“I’m not sure. Nothing official. You just might be able to help us is all. You do want your wife’s murderer caught, of course.”
“Of course. I’ll cooperate in any way I can.”
“Good. You’ll hear from me later, then.” Durango turned to Debbie. “Get into your clothes and we’ll get moving,” he told her. -
She obeyed, and soon she was sitting beside Durango as he piloted his car through the traffic. “So you’re bringing me in after all,” she said.
“Don’t sulk. I didn’t say that. Let’s just say you’re coming with me voluntarily. If you don’t make a fuss, I’ll try to get away without booking you.”
Durango was as good as his word. When they were in the stationhouse, he told the sergeant that Debbie was there voluntarily and that as yet there were no charges against her. “Just show her to a nice vacant cell,” he instructed, “and let her get some sleep. She needs it. Now just behave yourself and play it cool,” he told Debbie as the officer led her away. “I’ll see you later.”
“I don’t know why I should trust you, but okay,” she replied. “Common sense tells me I should be screaming for a lawyer, but I never was one to follow common sense. just don’t forget about me, huh?”
“I won’t,” Durango promised. “I'm going to grab some shuteye, too,” he told the sergeant. “Don’t wake me until Connors gets here.” He went into his office, closed the door, and curled up on the couch. He was sound asleep within minutes.
“Tomas.” Sergeant Connors was shaking him firmly by the shoulder. Durango’s eyes opened and looked out the window. It was night again. “Get with it, Tomas,” Connors said.
“Yeah. Give me just a minute.” Durango crossed to the sink and splashed cold water in his face and eyes. He went to his desk and picked up the phone. “Send me up some black coffee,” he instructed. “A lot of it.” Then he sat down and turned his attention to Connors. “Okay, fill me in,” the told him, his voice strong and his eyes alert now. “What did you find our?”
“That we’ve got more could-be killers for this one than you’re gonna know what to do with.”
“Did you bring any of ’em in?”
“All of them from your first list. I haven’t started on the second quintet yet.”
“All of them from the group? You mean not one of them had an alibi?”
“Worse than that. Every one of them might logically be placed in the vicinity at the time of the murder. Some of them could even have been right in the apartment.”
“And each of them had his own kool motive," Durango mused. “But how close can we really place them to the time and place of the crime?”
“Too close. Right on top of it. They could have been tripping over each other. Put their stories together, and you come up with what sounds like a traffic jam.”
“A sticky traffic jam,” Durango sighed. “Well, all right, let’s see them.”
“All together?”
“Why not? Maybe they’ll trip each other up. Take ’em into the interrogation room. I’ll be right there.” A few moments later Durango entered the interrogation room. It was a large room, bare except for a large table and a dozen or so folding chairs around it. The eight suspects were already seated around the table. They looked up in unison as Durango entered.
“I’m Detective Lieutenant Durango,” he introduced himself, “and I have some questions to ask you. I presume you all know that Dr. Mavis Golden has been murdered?”
There was a series of somber nods. They knew.
“Good. Then my first question is simple: Which one of you killed her?”
There was a startled silence. All the faces were blank. Slow puzzlement spread over them. Killed her? it seemed to say. Why would any of us kill her?
Why indeed?
CHAPTER 13
All Hang Togetherness
THE SILENCE hung there for a moment, and then it was swallowed up in a babble of protests.
“Hold it!” Durango’s voice cracked out and he held up his hand. “None of you have any call to get so indignant. You all sounded downright eager to bump off Dr. Golden during the group session last night. Don’t be modest now.”
“But that was just talk.”
“Who are you?” Durango swung on the young man who had spoken.
“Dave Evers.”
“Ivers?"
“No. I’m Ivers.” A dapper, thirty-ish man in a Brooks Brothers suit and horn-rimmed glasses spoke. Reginald Ivers. You wouldn’t get us confused if you knew; anything about us. I’ve never had Dave’s problem.”
“Don’t be so smug!” Dave snapped out at Reggie.
“What’s the matter, pure boy, can’t you take it?”
“Why can’t you be leavin’ the laddie alone?” an Irish voice interjected.
“You mean leave him to your tender wiles, Kevin?” Lisa Bourbon purred. “What a waste of potential that would be!”
“He wouldn’t be any worse off than he would be with you,” Cora Williams interjected. “So why don t you just lay off Kevin? He can’t help being a homosexual any more than you can help being a strumpet.”
“Don’t call me a strumpet, you junkie tramp.” Lisa was trembling with anger.
“Look who’s calling who a tramp,” Brenda Haley murmured.
“And you stay out of this too, you lousy dyke!” Lisa wheeled on her.
“Calm down, Lisa. Take it easy,” Vance Thurmond said soothingly.
“Well, I’ll be!” Wonder shone out from Gloria An-drews sculpted ebony features. “Look who’s calming who down. I always thought you hated Lisa, Vance.”
“Well, he doesn’t! So just you mind your own business!" Lisa snapped at her.
“Don't you come on strong with me, honey! I don’t take that kind of talk from anyone!” Gloria replied.
Looks of hatred crossed and crisscrossed the table. Durrango sat back and watched. They’d all fallen silent again, but the very silence crackled with the promise of pent-up violence.
“Well,” Durango said finally, his voice heavy with sarcasm, “I can see that none of you would be capable of murder. Nevertheless, you all considered it quite seriously last night. And the victim you selected became a victim in fact not so long after. Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you say? And one of you — one of the most volatile of you, if I’m any judge—even related a dream in which she killed this very victim.” Durango looked at Lisa.