Goodnight, Irene

Guy arrived first, and as I had hoped, he and Lydia seemed to hit it off from the word “go.” Frank arrived a little late, apologizing as he and Guy appraised one another. He had apparently been swamped that morning, trying to catch up on all the loose ends from his days spent recuperating. I introduced him to Guy, and they shook hands as Frank sat next to me. Sam practically danced over and took our order.

“Well, Detective Harriman-”

“Call me Frank.”

“Very well, please call me Guy. I really appreciate your meeting with us. When Irene told me her friend was with the police, I knew it must be someone trustworthy, so I asked her to invite you to join us.

“Irene, you have told Frank about the safe-deposit boxes and so on?”

I nodded.

“Ah bien. What I have to say is-something happened this morning which made me curious. It turned out to be a part of a pattern. A man by the name of Robert Markham came into the bank carrying a large briefcase and signed in to use his safe-deposit box.”

“I’ve heard that name somewhere before,” I said, sitting upright. “And his initials are on the list on O’Co

“I believe I know. Robert Markham has entered the safe-deposit area on several different occasions. Each time, three days later, someone named Elizabeth Nickerson came in. They share the same deposit box.”

“Elizabeth Nickerson?” said Lydia. “Mayor Longren’s administrative assistant?”

“The same.”

“So who is Markham?” Frank asked.

“He works for Andrew Hollingsworth,” Guy explained. “He performs a number of duties: chauffeur, guard; whatever is needed, I suppose.”

“He was the guard at the gate when we were there,” I said.

“Yes,” Guy said. “We found the pattern by looking at the signature card and activity records for a safe-deposit box he rented; Miss Nickerson is authorized to use the same box. He comes into the bank on the morning after a fund-raiser for Hollingsworth. I believe he is putting some cash into the safe-deposit box, and Miss Nickerson is removing it. That way, nothing is reported to the Fair Political Practices Commission.”

Our food arrived and we ate in silence, thinking over all Guy had told us.

“I’ll have to report this to the U.S. Treasury Department and to my superiors at the bank,” Guy said. “They will not be pleased, I am afraid. The Hollingsworths have several very healthy accounts with us.”

“Is there anyone you can trust there?” I asked.

“Oh, don’t misunderstand. They can be trusted. They know what the penalties for withholding the information can be, and when I tell them that the police and the newspaper have already been in contact with me on the matter, they will not really have a choice.”

“It still takes guts,” Frank said. “What can I do for you?”

I was happy to see he had warmed up a little.

“Can you contact the state attorney general’s office?” Guy asked. “I believe they are the ones to talk to about getting subpoenas and warrants if need be-since we can hardly contact our own district attorney. If Mr. Markham has left the cash, we will need to enter the box before Miss Nickerson cleans it out.

“I am also worried that this is somehow co

“I am too,” Frank said, looking at me meaningfully. “As soon as I get back to the office I’ll try to get a subpoena for the contents of the box and see what I can do about Markham and Nickerson as well. I’m not sure the attorney general will go for it unless you can provide me with the records of their movements.”

Guy reached into his pocket and removed a set of neatly folded papers. “Will these do?”

It was a copy of the signature card, with both names on it, and copies of each time they signed in to use the box.

“Thanks,” Frank said, “this should do it.”

Guy paid for our lunches over our protests and we thanked Sam and left the restaurant. On the sidewalk outside, I stayed close to Frank, letting Guy and Lydia have a moment or two together. Just in case.

Frank turned to me when we reached Pete’s car. “He’s a nice guy. I can see why you like him.”

“Sorry. I’m busy trying to win someone else’s affections.”

“Oh yeah? Maybe you’ve already won them.”

I looked up at him. I felt the same reticence I had noticed the night before. “Still mad at me?”

“I haven’t been angry, really. Just worried about you. Anyway, I’d better run.”

I waved good-bye to him as he pulled away from the curb and turned around to see Lydia doing the same with Guy.

“Well?” I said, as I walked over to Lydia.

“We will be best friends for another twenty-five years, Irene.”

“So you like him.”

“I like him. We’re going out to di

“Boy, not wasting any time, are you? Good thing I made you watch all those hockey games with me.”

“No kidding. He’s pretty easy to talk to anyway. But we better get back to the paper before John bursts a blood vessel.”

We drove back, each of us with our own thoughts and distractions.

43

IWORKED ON pretty dull stuff the rest of the day. I’d look over at Lydia every once in a while; she looked like a regular bluebird of happiness. I kept thinking of Frank, pushing him out of my mind and thinking about him again. Lydia went off to a city editors’ meeting at about five o’clock.

I decided I would take a run along the beach. I had some shorts, a tank top, and my ru

“Irene? Elinor Hollingsworth.”

If she hadn’t told me, I never would have recognized the frightened woman’s voice on the phone as that of the cool, calm Ice Queen I had met a few days before.

“Elinor? What’s wrong?”

“Oh, Irene, I’m so upset. It’s Andrew. He’s done something terrible.”

“What?”

“I think he killed your friend, Mr. O’Co

I swallowed hard. “What makes you think that?”

“I found something he wrote to one of those men who died in the car crash. About a bomb.”

“Elinor, get away from him. Call the police.”

“No! I can’t trust the police department. He owns Bredloe in Homicide and a dozen others. I have to get this to someone who can be trusted. And he can’t see me doing it. I don’t want him to suspect anything until someone honest can arrest him. No one is here now-he’ll be gone for at least an hour. Can you come out here? I’m at the estate. I’ll give the note to you and you can give it to your friend in Homicide. Maybe he’ll know what to do.”

My mind was whirling. Captain Bredloe-who knew I was staying with Lydia-on the take from Hollingsworth?

“Please, Irene! I don’t know when I’ll get another chance like this. He has Markham watching me all the time. This is the first time Markham has taken him somewhere without me.”

“Okay, Elinor. Stay calm. I’ll see what I can do.”

I hung up and called the police department. I asked for Frank.

“He’s not in,” a voice said on the other end. “You want to leave a message?”

“Just tell him Irene called.”

I scribbled a hasty note to Lydia telling her I was going out to the Sheffield Estate, to tell Frank if he called back.

I raced out of the building, jumped into the car and headed down to Shoreline Drive. Five-o’clock traffic was at its worst, and I felt myself break into a cold sweat as I inched my way out of downtown. Finally I reached a more open stretch of road, and drove like a madwoman to make up for lost time. As I approached the road that ran along the woods, I slowed a little.