Washington ignored the reply.
"Those were the additional instructions promised. We are to report to Commissioner Mariani forthwith."
He stood up and gestured for them to precede him out of the office.
"You're not going to tell me what's going on?" Matt asked.
"Obviously, you haven't had time to read the editorial page of theLedger, have you?"
"No. What's on the editorial page?"
"Among many other things, your photograph."
Commissioner Mariani was sitting behind his desk. Deputy Commissioner Coughlin and Inspector Wohl were sitting side by side on a couch, and Captain Quaire was sitting on a straight-backed wooden chair just inside the door.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Washington said.
Matt and Olivia said nothing.
"I presume everyone has seen theLedger?" Commissioner Mariani asked.
"No, sir," Matt and Olivia said, in duet.
Mariani gestured impatiently to Captain Quaire to hand the newspaper to them.
Matt took it, and Olivia stepped close to him and read it over his shoulder.
"My God!" Olivia said.
"I'm sure you will understand why I have to ask this question, Detective," Mariani said. "Did anything improper, or anything that could be construed as improper-say, by Philadelphia Phil-happen while you were in Mr. Colt's hotel room?"
"No, sir," Olivia replied, visibly shocked by the question.
"Were you ever alone with Mr. Colt at any time, for even a brief period?"
"No, sir. Matt… Sergeant Payne… was there all the time, and so was Detective… What's his name, Matt?"
"Detective Hay-zus Martinez," Matt furnished.
"I'm not surprised, but I had to ask," Mariani said. "And what you did was only-acting on orders from Captain Quaire- explain to Mr. Colt your involvement in the Williamson murder? "
"Yes, sir."
"And there was absolutely nothing social about your visit to Mr. Colt?"
"He bought us dinner, sir."
Mariani thought that over. It was obvious he hadn't liked to hear that.
"Philadelphia Phil somehow got the mayor's unlisted home number," Coughlin said. "He called him, and asked him to respond to theLedger editorial. The mayor said he hadn't read it. Philadelphia Phil will call him at his office at eleven. The mayor's going to have to take that call. All of Philadelphia Phil's early-morning listeners heard him promise to take it."
"And so far, according to Lieutenant Pearson of Northwest Detectives, Mr. Philadelphia Phil-" Mariani began.
"The bastard's name is Donaldson," Coughlin furnished. "Phil Donaldson."
"Mr.Donaldson has called twice there asking to speak to Detective Lassiter," Mariani went on, "and twice to Homicide, according to Captain Quaire, where he asked to speak to either her or Payne."
Mariani let that sink in for a moment, then went on:
"Mr.Donaldson, as we all know, is a skilled interviewer. Moreover, it has been suggested to me that he is more than a little annoyed with Lassiter, for her having gotten Mrs. Williamson to say she understood why the uniforms couldn't take the Williamson girl's door, after he had painted the uniforms as… We all know what he said."
"Commissioner, may I go off at a tangent?" Washington asked.
Mariani glared at him but nodded.
"Make it quick, Jason."
"Just before we were all summoned here, sir, I was about to order Sergeant Payne and Detective Lassiter to immediately proceed to Daphne, Mississippi, to run down a lead in the Williamson case."
"Sir, that's Daphne, Alabama," Matt said.
" 'Daphne, Alabama'?" Mariani parroted, incredulously.
"Yes, sir. I believe it's on the Gulf of Mexico," Washington said.
"Tell me about the lead, Jason," Coughlin said.
"Why don't you explain to the Commissioner what you think you may have, Sergeant Payne?" Washington said.
"Yes, sir. Sir, last night the Daphne police-actually it was a civilian from one of those community watch things- apprehended a man in what looked like the act of prying open the window of a young woman's apartment."
"So what?" Quaire snorted. "You're not suggesting it's the Williamson doer?"
"Let the sergeant continue, please, Captain," Peter Wohl said, softly. He added, wonderingly, "Daphne, Alabama? That's a long way from here, isn't it?"
"Yes, sir," Matt said. "When I heard about this-"
"How did you hear about this?" Mariani asked.
"It was in the newspaper, sir. TheBulletin."
"Go on, Sergeant," Wohl said.
"I called down there, sir, and from what I learned, there is enough of a similarity ofmodus operandi to merit further investigation."
"Over the years, I have come to appreciate Lieutenant Washington's belief that the stone under the stone sometimes has to be turned over," Wohl said. "Even if that stone is as far away as… Where is this place?"
"Daphne, Alabama, sir," Matt said.
"As far away as Daphne, Alabama, and that turning the stone over might take three, four days, perhaps even longer."
"I think that Lieutenant Washington was right in deciding to send Sergeant Payne and Detective Lassiter all the way down to Daphne, Alabama, for four or five days to run this lead down, wouldn't you agree, Captain Quaire?" Deputy Commissioner Coughlin said.
"Yes, sir, I certainly would," Captain Quaire, having just realized the all-around wisdom of getting Sergeant Payne and Detective Lassiter out of town for four or five days, quickly agreed.
"And under the circumstances," Wohl went on, "that sending them immediately, without waiting for the ordinary administrative procedures to take place, would be justified. Would you agree, Commissioner?"
Mariani thought that over for two seconds.
"Yes, I would agree, Inspector," he said.
"Have you got any cash, Matt?" Wohl asked.
"Some, and I've got credit cards," Matt said.
"Is there any compelling reason, Detective Lassiter, why you can't leave, right now, to pursue this investigation wherever it takes you?"
"I'd have to pack," Olivia said, practically.
"There might not be time for that," Wohl said. "Perhaps you could pick up whatever you need when you get there?"
"Yes, sir," Detective Lassiter said.
"In that case, I suggest that you and Sergeant Payne leave for the airport immediately," Inspector Wohl said. "Leave your car with the Airport unit. I'm sure Lieutenant Washington will arrange to have someone pick it up."
"Indeed, I will," Lieutenant Washington said. "Bon chasse, Sergeant Payne."
[THREE] "We want to go to Daphne,Alabama, not Florida," Sergeant Payne said to the lady at the Delta ticket counter in the Philadelphia International Airport.
"According to the computer, Daphne, Alabama, is served by both Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida," the ticket agent said. "I can get you-first class only-on a flight connecting at eleven-twenty-five to Pensacola in Atlanta leaving in thirty-five minutes. If you want to go to Mobile, you'll have to wait until five-forty-five in Atlanta."
Matt handed her his American Express card.
"I never leave home without it," Matt said to the ticket agent.
"Oh, God!" Olivia said.
"Oh, shit, the guns!" Matt said.
The ticket agent looked at him with great interest.
"We're police officers," Matt said, which caused the ticket agent to look at him with even greater interest.
Olivia produced her badge and photo identification, which caused the ticket agent to look at her with great interest.
"You'll have to pack any firearms, unloaded, in your luggage, " the ticket agent said.
"We don't have any luggage," Matt said.
The supervisory ticket agent was consulted.