“You couldn’t handle that?”
“I don’t handle that. I’m allergic to ex-husbands, although in this case, he’s one of the corpses, so she doesn’t need a divorce anymore.”
“That sounds like a motive to me,” Max said.
“Funny, that’s what Dino said. I, on the other hand, think it’s insufficient, since she had already filed her petition, anyway.”
“Yeah, but just think of how much hassle and attorney’s fees she saved herself.”
“You should be working for Dino.”
“I’m a warm-weather girl. I’d freeze my ass off up there.”
“There is that, I guess.”
Joan buzzed him, and he put Max on hold. “Yes?”
“It’s Robbie. I need to see you right away.”
“Hang on, let me finish a call on the other line.”
He pressed the hold button, then line one. “I need to take this call,” he said.
“Okay, is that Dino’s suspect?”
“Funny you should mention that. Find a way to wing your way north.”
“We’ll see.” Max hung up.
He pressed line two. “What’s wrong, Robbie?”
“Well, nothing much, except Randy and one of my best friends have both been murdered, and the police have been here.”
“Is that all? You didn’t let them search the place, did you?”
“I might have, but I wasn’t here at the time, and my secretary brushed them off.”
“You need to call Herb Fisher and have a heart-to-heart with him. And if the cops come back, which they will, ask to see their warrant. If they show it to you, get out of their way and call Herb. If they ask you questions, say that your attorney is on the way, and they can speak to him.”
“You don’t sound very sympathetic,” she said.
“This is all the sympathy I can muster under the circumstances. Anyway, you don’t need sympathy, you need an attorney. Call Herb. We’ll talk when the police are out of your way, and in the meantime, make sure there’s nothing in your underwear drawer that would interest them, except your underwear.”
“Like a gun?”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear that. There was a car backfiring in the street.”
“I said...”
“There it goes again. I have to hang up now. Do you understand why?”
“No, and I don’t like it much.”
“I’ll explain it to you when the air has been cleared with the authorities.”
“You shit!” she yelled, then hung up with a bang.
Joan buzzed again. “Dino on two.”
Stone picked up. “Now what?”
“Aren’t you glad to hear from me?” Dino asked.
“I’m sorry, I was just trying to disentangle myself from the web of Robbie Calder.”
“Did you gain any yardage?”
“I faked a pass to Herbie Fisher, then punted.”
“Good plan. Here’s news: We found the weapon that killed Randy Hedger in a dumpster around a corner or two from where he met his maker.”
“What sort of gun?”
“A .38 snub-nose, what else?”
“Jesus, does everybody own a .38 snub-nose these days?”
“Just Randy Hedger and me.”
“Wait a minute. Are you saying he was killed with his own gun?”
“Your powers of perception astonish me,” Dino said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a crime like this.”
“Who has? Robbie said the police were there, but she was out, and her secretary got rid of them. Have you got a search warrant yet?”
“Not yet. The gun was wiped very clean.”
“Well, we know Randy didn’t shoot himself in the head with his own gun, then run around the corner and deposit it in a dumpster.”
“Yeah, we surmised that from the available evidence.”
“Speaking of available evidence, does any exist, apart from your finely tuned sense of smell?”
“Only what you’ve seen.”
“So, no probable cause for a warrant.”
“Not of any kind,” Dino said. “I’ll keep you posted.” He hung up.
Stone hung up, too, tried to make some sense of what he had heard, and failed miserably.
40
Joan buzzed. “Roberta again, on one.”
Stone snatched up the phone, took a deep breath, and purred, “Yesss?”
“The police are here again, and this time so am I. They want to search the place.”
“Did you call Herb Fisher?”
“Not yet.”
“Then you have not yet spoken to your legal counsel.”
“Tell me what to do,” she whimpered.
“Ask the nice policemen to wait outside for a minute, then call Herb Fisher. Here is his phone number.” He repeated it slowly.
“Oh, all right.” She banged the phone down.
Joan buzzed. “Herbie for you on two. He’s been waiting.”
“Herb!” Stone enthused. “Just the fellow his client wants to talk to.”
“Which client?”
“The one with the two corpses connected to her.” Stone could hear a phone ringing in the background. “That is she, on your other line. I’ll hold.”
Herbie came back after half a minute.
“That was my client,” he said. “The plumbing contractor, the one who forgot to install water cutoffs in a dozen bathrooms. Now what were you rabbiting on about?”
“As you’re aware, your esteemed client, Roberta Calder, is no longer in need of a divorce attorney. But all is not lost. You may yet have the opportunity to defend her on one or more murder charges.”
“Has she been arrested?”
“Not yet. The police are at her apartment now, requesting that they be allowed to tear it apart like hungry bears.”
“You talked to her?”
“Only to tell her to talk to you, and to shut up and not allow a search until after speaking to you.”
“I’ve heard nothing from her.”
“Check your cell and e-mails.”
There was a brief pause, then, “She texted me: ‘Come quick, the police are here.’ She doesn’t say where.”
Stone gave him her address and phone number. “I suggest you call her, then get your ass over there.”
“On my way.” Herbie hung up.
Joan buzzed. “Guess who on one.”
Stone sighed. “Yes?”
“I called him, but he hasn’t shown up,” Robbie said.
“No, you texted him, and he only just now got the message, and you didn’t bother to tell him where you are.”
“Are you coming?”
“No, but Herb is. I gave him your address, and he’s on his way. Keep the police out until he arrives, and don’t say a word to them.” He hung up.
Joan came into his office. “I take it there is some sort of flap on with Robbie.”
“Good guess,” Stone replied.
Joan went back to her office.
Stone tried to go back to work. Three-quarters of an hour later, Herbie Fisher called.
“What’s happening?”
“Let’s see. I think ‘All hell has broken loose’ covers it.”
Stone groaned. “Tell me.”
“I arrived here to find the police gleefully ransacking her home, because she said they could, while she attacked me for being unresponsive to her needs.”
“I hope she didn’t fire you,” Stone said.
“I wish she had. Oh, did I mention that they took her away in handcuffs, they’re charging her with double murder, and that I have to go downtown now for her arraignment and make a hopeless plea for bail?”
“She may be able to come up with a lot of collateral. Try for house arrest. She has twenty-two employees working in her basement, and they have spouses and hungry children.”
“Where did you come up with that number?”
“It’s an estimate. The judge isn’t going to go over there and count noses.”
“Well...”