[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.”I was aghast.“That means you could send whatever you pleased.”“You got it.Now you tell me, can you have respect for an outfit like that? What makes you think they know what they’re talking about?”I certainly saw his point, but—A knock on the door startled me.I’d been lost in a sea of logical fallacies that gave Zach his rationale for ignoring federal regulations and committing a crime in the process.Not to mention endangering his fiancée.Zach’s secretary, Lynn, appeared in the doorway.“Ms.Pizzano is here,” she said.Lori was right behind her.I restricted myself to a smile and a deep breath, when I really wanted to jump up and hug her.“So, so sorry I’m late.” She extended her hand to Zach and took the seat he indicated.She gave me a smile.“I’m sure Dr.Lamerino has done very well on her own.”“Very well indeed,” Zach said, clicking his tongue.“We missed you,” I said.Zach loosened the collar of his shirt and gave me a pleading look that shouted, Don’t tell her, please.I had what I wanted and didn’t see the point of embarrassing the man further at that moment.I looked at my watch.“You know, Lori, I think I’ve learned enough to help you fill in your narrative.Maybe we should let Mr.Landram go to his next meeting.”“Right, right,” Lori said, her tone telling me she’d picked up my cue.“Well, it was at least nice to meet you, Mr.Landram.”As much as I felt sorry for Zach and his plight, I looked forward to turning him in.To the appropriate agency and to Lori.For now I was happy to leave the building with Lori by my side.“My phone went dead,” Lori said as soon as the wide glass doors shut behind us.“I can’t believe I forgot to charge it.Anyway, I knew you’d be worried, and as soon as I got here I gave that teenaged Curry receptionist Uncle Matt’s number and asked her to tell him I arrived, so he should be okay now.”Lori hadn’t taken a breath.I responded with a long one, trying to keep up with her outpouring and her quick pace as we walked toward a more cab-friendly neighborhood.Lori had a lot of news.She’d headed home from the video store, where she thought she’d find the CURRY II DVD, and seen Billy Keenan on her doorstep.“I panicked.I didn’t see a cop on the street, so I hid.Then he was gone, but I didn’t feel like taking a chance.I went back to the café where I’d had my coffee.I hated to be all wimpy and call the cops, but I was still all freaked out about Rachel Hartman confessing to me—”I gasped.“Rachel Hartman confessed? That Blake PR woman who was at the awards breakfast?”“Yeah.Well, no, not to Amber’s murder.”As Lori explained, I was fascinated by a thread of the case that I hadn’t been aware of—Rachel’s connection to Family Suites and the threat of her ankle (intertwined with Blake’s, so to speak) being exposed to the world.Another reminder of the narrow vision I’d had trying to solve this puzzle.Lori went back to her timeline for the morning.It made my schedule of visiting Dee Dee and enjoying lunch with Rose and Grace seem leisurely.“I decided to call Craig and see if he’d come and get me and walk me to my apartment, but like I said, my phone was dead.By the time I found a working pay phone, I don’t know what time it was, but Craig came through.” She paused and blew out a breath.“We might hook up some time.”“Hook up?”Lori shrugged her shoulders and blushed.I got the idea.“Anyway, he showed up with this big bruiser of a buddy, and they walked me to my place and waited while I changed and then caught a cab here.”“And Billy?”“Not there or anywhere in sight.I have no idea where he is.” She lowered her voice, and I could barely hear her.“I guess I’m a coward.”“I’d say you were smart, Lori, especially after all that’s happened.”“Thanks, Gloria.”“I hope you don’t equate meeting me for the first time with all the misfortune of this week.”Lori stopped, came around to face me, and threw her arms around me.We had a long, teary hug, right in the middle of the sidewalk.Pedestrian traffic flowed around us on both sides, like water around an obstacle in a pipe.No one paid attention otherwise.All was well.Except that Billy Keenan was on the loose.CHAPTER THTYIt’s definite that Billy was in New York earlier than he claimed,” Matt said.“Buzz is on it.He put a car back in front of Lori’s building, just in case, though I doubt Billy would go back there.He’s probably on his way to Kansas by now.” Matt paused for a sip of mineral water from a six-pack of bottles Rose had brought to our hotel room.“But we can be happy that a few pieces of the puzzle are crossed off the list.” Matt started to tick off the successes.“We know who was in the loft with Gloria and why; we tracked the letters, explained the missing DVD—”“If Billy was in New York already, how did the police get ahold of him to notify him of Amber’s death?” Rose asked.“I guess it took a while,” Lori said.“That’s why they didn’t release the information about Amber until later on Monday.”“With cell phones and remote access to answering machines, no one has to know where you really are anymore,” Matt said.“That’s spooky,” Rose said.She had a point.The biggest piece of the puzzle, Amber’s murderer, had eluded us, but we’d done our best.Something nagged at me, however.Something a little off-center.I had the feeling that eventually it would come to me and all would be clear.Like the last turn of a potentiometer, finally reaching the right frequency and clicking in to give a sharp signal.“Who’s up for a trip to the Met?” Rose said, always ready for action.Nothing was nagging at her.I’d promised Rose one evening at a museum that was open, and she was collecting on my pledge.“I think I’ll pass,” Matt said.“Frank called with a little RPD story.” He emphasized the R.“They caught that guy who’s been a fugitive for almost ten years—the one who killed his own grandfather when he found out the old man was an FBI informant.”“Silvio Di Gregorio,” Rose said.“I remember the case.”I was grateful she didn’t give us the genealogy of the family.“Are you sure he wasn’t from Everett?” I asked, needling Matt about the town he grew up in, a few miles from Revere.He hummed a few bars of the Everett High fight song, then reminded us, “You know, at some point I need to go back to work.It might as well be tonight.I’m expecting some faxes from Berger.You remember George, my partner from long ago when we were in Revere?”I gave him a big grin.“We’ll be home Saturday morning.”Matt said he’d be happy grabbing a fruit-and-cheese dinner at the all-night market on Eighth Avenue [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]