by Parnell Hall
“I didn’t want to bring it up until you told me your end of the story.”
“Why not?”
“Because I knew you’d react like this, and I’d never find out what happened.”
“Sherry, this is no good. You got married, and you’re getting devious. That’s to be expected. But you’re supposed to get devious with your husband. That’s who you need to trick. Not your loyal, trusting aunt.”
“You’re going through an alimony hearing, so I can forgive your views on marriage.”
“Oh, bite me! What does the crossword puzzle mean? Why didn’t you solve it?”
“I solved it. I duped it in the fax machine and solved the copy. You wanna see?”
“Well, I’m sure not going to solve it myself.”
Sherry took out the solved copy, passed it over. “See, I didn’t think it meant anything until you told me about the KenKen. You throw that into the mix.”
“What mix? What does it say?”
Cora looked the puzzle over.
Cora read the theme entry. “ ‘Being a bad boy in court cut his life very short.’ Great. The guy testifies against me and gets whacked. Is this saying I did it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, what else could it mean?”
“Don’t forget the KenKen.”
“What about the KenKen? This doesn’t have anything to do with the KenKen.”
“No. But look at 20 Across.”
“Huh?”
“Look.”
Cora looked at the puzzle.
The clue for 20 Across was “With 47-Across, where to look.”
The clue for 47 Across was “See 20-Across.”
The answer to 20 Across was “Second.”
The answer to 47 Across was “Line.”
Cora groaned. “Oh, hell.”
“See?” Sherry said. “The second line of the KenKen must mean something.”
“Yeah.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I gotta figure some way of getting the KenKen away from Chief Harper without seeming too eager.”
Chapter
22
Becky was pissed.
“You didn’t call me?”
“At three in the morning?”
“It wasn’t to borrow a cup of sugar, it was a murder.”
“I’m not a suspect.”
“So what?”
“What would you have done?”
“Try to figure out who was a suspect, and lock that person up with a retainer.”
“Well, you go, girl. Harper hasn’t charged anyone yet, so no harm, no foul.”
Becky looked at Cora thoughtfully. “Why are you here?”
“Huh?”
“If you’re not involved in the case, why are you up so early? You were running around at three in the morning. I’d think you’d need your sleep.”
“Are you saying I look tired?” Cora said acidly.
“I would say you seem mendacious.”
Uh-oh. Mendacious. Just the type of word Cora was always on the alert for, the type of word a crossword puzzle person should know that would give her away if she didn’t.
Cora dug into her extensive motion picture knowledge and came up with the scene in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof where Burl Ives is talking to Paul Newman about the odor of mendacity in the house.
“Are you calling me a liar?”
“I’m wondering why you’re taking such an interest in this case.”
“He was a witness. He testified against me.”
“And now he won’t. Problem solved.”
“Becky.”
“You didn’t kill the guy, by any chance?”
“Of course not.”
“Then I don’t see the problem. Come on, Cora, what do you want?”
“Aw, hell.”
Cora told Becky about withholding the fact that she’d called on the victim.
“That’s not exactly good.”
“No.”
“If it came out, you might get charged with something minor. I could defend you, rack up a nice fee.”
“Becky.”
“And that’s the worst-case scenario.”
“It didn’t sound worse from your point of view.”
“That’s the shyster in me talking. Just ignore it. So?”
“So. There was a KenKen next to the body.”
“What about it?”
“I’d like to get a hold of it.”
“Won’t Chief Harper want you to solve it?”
“Yeah, but he’s in no rush.”
“And you are?”
“I’d like to see it.”
“So ask him.”
“I don’t want to appear too eager.”
“Would you like me to?”
“That wouldn’t be good, either.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“That’s a tough one. Best-case scenario, I’d like you to represent Melvin, take a dive, and have him found guilty of murder.”
“Does anyone suspect him of murder?”
“That’s the problem.”
“I see. What’s the second-best-case scenario?”
“I’d like the murder to turn out to have nothing to do with me.”
“What are the odds of that?”
“With a damn KenKen? What do you think?”
“I take it Chief Harper doesn’t know about the other KenKen.”
“What about it?”
“It being the amount of your alimony check.”
“That’s arbitrary, extraneous, and most likely a coincidence.”
“So he doesn’t know?”
“Of course he doesn’t know. If he did, I’d be in custody now, and you’d be trying to get me out.”
“That sounds good. That’s the type of thing a lawyer can deal with.”
“I’m glad you like it. If Harper gets an anonymous tip, I’ll know who to blame.”
“I’m not turning you in. I’m just saying, if Harper knew about the solution of the first KenKen, he’d be more interested in the second.”
“It’s a good thing he doesn’t.”
“But you’re interested in the second, and you want to see the puzzle.”
“That’s right.”
“Any particular reason?”
Cora hesitated. Becky was her lawyer. There was no reason not to tell her about the crossword puzzle. On the other hand, there was no reason to tell her now. Of course, that would make her more of a principal player, which would whet Becky’s interest. But in practical terms, that energy would more likely be expended extracting a fee.
Becky was pissing her off. Cora was tired of being a punching bag.
“I’ll let you know.”
Chapter
23
For a man with a murder, Chief Harper didn’t seem particularly concerned. He tipped back in his desk chair, sipped his coffee, nibbled on a scone from Cushman’s Bake Shop. “Well, Barney Nathan kicked in with the autopsy. At least the preliminary report. It seems the guy was killed in the early evening. Most likely between six and eight.” Harper took another sip of coffee. “Not that I’d hold him to it, if I could find someone did it at five forty-five.”
“What have you found?” Cora said impatiently.
“Well, I haven’t found the killer, if that’s what you mean.”
“Why not?”
“Come on, Cora, the case just broke. Usually I got twenty-four hours before the media accuses me of dragging my feet.”
“I’m not asking if you solved the damn thing, I’m just asking what you know.”
“Why are you so interested?”
“It’s not every day a complaining witness against me gets taken out.”
“Are you saying that’s the motive?”
“I certainly hope not. If someone starts bumping off witnesses, it would make for an awful long hearing.” Harper looked at her. “Come on, Chief. You wouldn’t be sitting there calmly eating scones unless yo
u had something. What have you got?”
“I’ve got nothing official.”
“And unofficially?”
“I’ve got gossip, rumors, and innuendo.”
Cora rubbed her hands together. “Ooo, that’s the stuff. Come on, let’s have it.”
“You understand none of this is to go any further.”
“Of course not.”
“Particularly to any nephews-in-law who might be living in your house.” He frowned. “Is that an actual relationship? Nephew-in-law? Or do I have to say the guy who married your niece?”
“I don’t care what you say, I won’t tell him. What have you got?”
“Not much. Guy didn’t seem to have any friends. Got an aging mother in Iowa somewhere, deciding if we should ship the body back to her. As far as the town goes, he’s been here two years. Came here from Danbury, where he also worked in a bank. Transferred in as an opportunity for advancement, accepted a promotion. His co-workers express the usual shock and awe, but you get the impression none of the tellers liked him very much. Of course, he had two strikes against him, transferring in over their heads. Still, you’d hardly expect them to take him out.”
“You’re being awfully flippant about this, Chief. Why is that? Is it because you happen to know who did it?”
“No, it’s because I have absolutely no idea. Dan Finley processed the crime scene for fingerprints, couldn’t find a damn one. Not even the victim’s. The gun had been taken. There was nothing at the crime scene except that puzzle, and yes, you can get fingerprints from paper, and no, there weren’t any. The only thing we got is the puzzle.”
“Then why aren’t you banging down my door to solve it?”
“I figure you need your sleep. You were up all night.”
“So were you.”
“Yeah, but that’s my job. I gotta stay up when there’s nothing to do. I gotta speak to the media when there’s nothing to say. I gotta put a good spin on everything when there’s nothing to spin. I’ve already had a call from Channel Eight. They’d like an interview as soon as possible.”
“What are you going to tell them?”
“I thought I’d lead off with the fact the guy’s dead. You always like to get the main idea across.”
“Chief.”
“I got nothing, Cora. I don’t know where to begin.”
Cora took a breath. “The guy was in court yesterday.”
“Testifying against you.”
“Right. But since I didn’t kill him, how about trying another angle? He testified for my rat bastard ex Melvin. That should put him near the top of the heap.”
“He testified for Melvin.”
“Yeah, but suppose he was going to back out?”
“Back out on what? The fact you cashed the check?”
“We don’t know the facts, Chief.”
“Never mind the facts. We don’t even have a conjecture. You want to suggest any way I could tell the media your ex-husband’s involved?”
“How about his lawyer? I wouldn’t trust that guy any further than I can throw him.”
“One problem. What’s the motive?”
“You don’t have a motive. It’s early in the investigation. You’re running down leads.”
“That’s not leads. That’s wishful thinking.”
“You’re not tracing the gun?”
“No. At least we know what type we’re looking for. It’s a .45-caliber slug the doc took out of his brain.” Harper cocked his head. “So. Wanna solve the KenKen?”
“Thought you’d never ask.”
Cora whipped through the puzzle. She looked at the second line of the solution. It meant absolutely nothing to her. She tried to keep the relief out of her voice, said casually, “Can I have a copy?”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t mean anything to me now. Maybe something will come to mind.”
“You think it will?”
“Frankly, no. But I’d feel like a damn fool if something occurred to me later tonight and I didn’t have a copy to check.”
“Dan!”
Dan Finley stuck his head in the door. “Yeah, Chief.”
“Run Cora off a copy, will you?”
“It mean anything?”
“No.”
“Then why do you want one?”
“So I don’t have to keep explaining why I don’t have one,” Cora said in exasperation.
“Come on, Dan, don’t give Cora a hard time.”
“Sorry. I’ve had Rick Reed on the phone four times this morning, looking for a lead. You gonna give him an interview?”
“I have to, but I got nothing to say.”
“Don’t worry,” Cora said. “It’s Rick. Smile, say ‘alleged,’ tell him you can’t confirm. The interview will be over before he figures out what.”
“Very funny. That’s not going to work.”
“Okay, try this. Pick Melvin up, ask him if he was hiding in the back of the courtroom listening to the testimony.”
“Was he?”
“He sure was.”
“Well, so what?”
Cora smiled. “That’s the alleged thing you can’t confirm. The fact that Melvin was spying on the guy’s court testimony the same day he was killed. You have absolutely no comment.”
“Why would Rick Reed think to ask me that?”
“Pick Melvin up and ask him.”
Chapter
24
Melvin was surprised to find the police chief knocking on his door. “You looking for me?”
“That’s right.”
“What about?”
“Were you in court yesterday?”
“Why?”
Harper frowned. “These questions are preliminary and will go a lot faster if you cooperate. Let me help you out. You’re suing your ex-wife to reduce your alimony. Your lawyer was in court, you weren’t with him, but I have reason to believe you were watching from the back. Does that jog your memory?”
“Once again, I would like to know why.”
“A witness at that hearing was killed last night. We’re investigating a homicide, and I would appreciate some cooperation.”
Melvin’s face remained neutral; he was a good poker player, giving nothing away. “A witness, you say?”
“That’s right. The banker.”
“I see.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“I didn’t know the man.”
“Won’t his death affect your court case?”
“I fail to see why. There’s nothing he testified to that can’t be corroborated by other sources.”
“Then you were in court yesterday?”
“Did I say that?”
“Are you saying you weren’t?”
“I don’t recall saying anything.”
“That’s the problem. I told you, it’s a murder investigation. We like it when people cooperate.”
“I’m sure you do. It would be really awful if someone with valuable information failed to help. I’m sorry I don’t have any. But I never met the man in question. I can’t imagine who would want him dead.”
“You can’t help me?”
“You might want to ask my lawyer.”
“You have the right to an attorney.”
“I’m glad to hear it. But I don’t need one. I’m just pointing out my attorney probably talked to the guy. You’d have to ask him yourself. I certainly don’t want to speak for him.”
A young blonde came out the door, managed to insinuate herself under Melvin’s arm. She was wearing a blue tank top and white shorts. A pair of sunglasses were perched on her head. She might have been on her way to the beach. “You under arrest, honey?”
“Not so far.” Melvin cocked his head at the chief. “You weren’t hauling me in, were you? Despite that feeble excuse for a Miranda warning.”
“And who might this be?”
“I’m Bambi. He was with me, and he didn’t do it.” She crinkled her nose. “What is it he didn
’t do?”
“Murder the banker who testified at his alimony hearing.”
Bambi wasn’t nearly as good a poker player as Melvin. The news jogged her out of her complacency. “What?”
“Roger Randolph was found shot to death in his home last night. I was hoping Mr. Crabtree could help us out. But he seems unusually noncommittal.”
Bambi recovered her composure. She smiled at Melvin. “Honey, did you kill someone and not tell me?”
“I always tell you when I kill someone, sweetie. I swear, I haven’t killed anyone in weeks.”
“You guys are staying here for a while?”
“It’s hard to say. There’s this legal proceeding.”
“It’s not that hard to say.” Harper looked from one to the other. “Don’t leave town.”
Chapter
25
Rick Reed was at his inquisitive best. The on-camera reporter cocked his head and favored Chief Harper with a knowing glance. “Well, now, Chief, you say you have no suspects at the present time. But is it or is it not a fact that you’ve questioned people in this affair?”
“That goes without saying.”
“Well, then, let’s say it,” Rick announced triumphantly, as if he had proved a point. “The police have questioned people in this matter.”
“That’s our job.”
“And who have you questioned?”
“Everyone who knew the decedent. Everyone who had business with the decedent. Everyone who had come in contact with the decedent within the last forty-eight hours.”
“And who might that be?”
“Actually, quite a number. The decedent worked in a bank. He was observed there by all his co-workers.”
“Was he seen by anyone else?”
“He was seen by the killer.”
“Then the killer is not a co-worker.”
“That’s your deduction, not mine.”
“Are you saying the killer could have been a co-worker?”
“At this point, nothing is ruled out.”
“I understand the decedent was in court.”
“That’s right.”
“Is it true that he testified against Bakerhaven’s own Puzzle Lady?”
“I wouldn’t say he testified against her.”
“He testified in the matter regarding her alimony?”
“That’s right.”
“Her ex-husband was seeking to have it stopped?”