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“That would be my expertise.” Be
“One thing to note,” David said. “If you see me, don’t acknowledge me. No matter what. If you do, you’ll blow it, and I’ll be useless to you.”
“Pretend I don’t know you? That’s not hard. I don’t.”
David smiled. “From now on, we can’t be seen together, ever. I don’t want her to be able to co
“Yes, through the alley. There’s a freight entrance.”
“Good. I’ll use it when I leave. I don’t think I was followed on the way here, I was checking. Also, you have to keep me informed at all times, of everything you do and everywhere you go. What’s your cell number?”
She told him.
“And you have mine, right?”
“On the message slip.” Be
“Last point. On the off-chance that I have on some kind of cover, don’t remark it.”
“You mean like camouflage? Or a disguise?”
“Yes.” David nodded, and Be
“Like leaves and berries? Or devil’s horns? Or a G.I. Joe outfit?”
David gri
“Hoo-Ah!” Be
Just then the intercom buzzer beeped loudly on the telephone on her desk, which was Marshall’s signal for Be
“Talk to me, Marsh,” Be
“Another guest for you. He’s on his way back.”
“I can’t see anyone now. I’m still with-”
“You don’t have a choice, and neither did I.”
23
Detective Needleman!” Be
“Yes. Definitely. Absolutely, I did find out something new.” His bright blue eyes pierced into Be
Oh. That. “Does this mean there are no new leads?” Be
“You went to Mayer’s house last night after you left me, and you accused him of murder. You had no business doing that.” His silver Phil Donahue hair looked clean and feathery, and his grayish suit caught the sunlight coming in from the office window, bringing out the houndstooth pattern. He pointed at her with a finger like the barrel of a Luger. “You are a private citizen, and you interfered with an ongoing investigation.”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. I know Mayer, and I knew Robert.”
“You interfered with my investigation. My interview of a material witness is an integral part of my investigation.”
“Well, you didn’t think Mayer was material last night.”
“Herman Mayer was the last person to see St. Amien alive.”
“There you go! That’s why I went over.” Be
“Rosato, I’m not going to argue with you. Your friend Brinkley, he’s a lot nicer guy than I am. If you pull anything like that again, I’m going to charge you with obstruction of justice, and I swear, I’ll make it stick.”
David shifted on his feet, and given his size, it got their attention. “She didn’t mean to interfere, Detective. She was just trying to help.”
“Who are you?” Needleman snapped, but Be
“My secretary,” she answered, and David almost gasped audibly. Well, she didn’t want to say his name, since they might match it from the night before with Officer Ba
Detective Needleman raised a skeptical eyebrow but was too politically correct to say anything. He aimed his finger gun again. “The very next time, Rosato. You hear me?”
“Got it. Sorry. So you talked to Mayer?”
“Just now, at his office.”
“What did he say?”
Needleman snorted. “None of your business.”
“Did you learn anything?”
“That I shouldn’t have trusted you last night.”
Be
“No, you don’t, and the answer is no. You have no rights. You’re not even victim’s family. You’re just his lawyer. You have no greater rights than his dentist.”
Ouch. The truth hurts. “Okay, I hear you. I’m sorry, I gave in, it was a moment of weakness and bad judgment. Come on, let’s be friends again. I said nice things about you to the family.”
“What are you talking about?” His icy gaze shifted from Be
“I called the brother to express my condolences, and he asked me what I thought of you. I told him you were wonderful in every way. Now, will you tell me, out of common courtesy, if you have any leads? They invited me over tonight. I’ll say more nice things. How cute you look today, for example.”
Needleman scoffed. “We have none. The prime suspect is the John Doe who killed the Belgian banker. Tell the family we are actively pursuing that theory.”
Be
“No.”
“Type of knife?”
“Common.”
She thought of the Palm. “Steak knife?”
“I said common.”
“Any prints at the scene?”
“No.”
“Blood, fibers, or other evidence?”
“Not yet.”
“I would think so, there had to be some sort of struggle.”
“We’re working on it.”
“Any witnesses?”
“No.”
“You talk to anybody at the Palm?” Be
“No. Don’t undermine us with the family. The department doesn’t need more of that.” The detective paused on the threshold. “The very next time you step out of line, you’re in trouble, Rosato. Fool me once, but don’t fool me twice. Good-bye.” He turned and walked away.
“Got it, Detective!” Be
As soon as he was gone, David turned to her with an incredulous grin. “I’m your secretary?”
“My really big secretary. Why not? I love secretaries. After mothers, they’re the unsung heroes of the world.”
“But me?”
“Can’t a woman lawyer have a male secretary?”
“Not this male,” David said, then shook it off. “Did you really do what that detective said you did?”
“Guilty.” Be
“Hell no. I’m just mad you didn’t take me with you.”