Barely Legal

by Stuart Woods

  “I’ll bear that in mind. If you’re done threatening me, I’d like to get back to business. I am rather busy at the moment.”

  “I’m telling you that I have reason to believe that the object of the bench warrant, Herbert Fisher, is on your premises.”

  “What is the reason for that belief?”

  “Well, he’s not in his own apartment.”

  “Oh? He’s not there so he must be here? I’d love to get you on the stand, Sergeant.”

  Stone hung up and buzzed Joan. “If Detective Sergeant Wallace should call back, I’m not in.”

  “Got it. And Herbie’s up.”

  “Oh?”

  “He’s awake, anyway. Sitting up in bed. He’s still groggy. Whatever he was on had quite a kick.”

  “Good.”

  “Good?”

  “Then it’s sure to show up in his blood test.”

  Stone went upstairs to the guest room. Herbie, dressed in Stone’s pajamas, was sitting up in bed. He looked up with tear-stained eyes.

  “I didn’t do it.”

  “I know.”

  “You do?”

  “Of course I do. No one thinks you did it.”

  “The police do.”

  “I strongly suspect they’ll come around to my view.”

  “This is all my fault.”

  “No, it isn’t.”

  “Yes, it is. I was stupid and arrogant. I provoked a mob boss in open court.”

  “You don’t know that’s why this happened.”

  “Oh? What do you think? I accused a detective of being dirty. The detective is dirty. You think he takes that lying down? You think Taperelli doesn’t seek revenge? And I didn’t even warn Yvette. I didn’t say, hey, I’m treading on dangerous ground in court, we have to be careful, we have to look out. I just assumed everything would be fine.” Herbie shuddered, shook his head. “Oh, God. I don’t know how you come back from something like this.”

  “I know,” Stone said gently.

  Herbie looked at him. “That’s right. You’ve been through it with Arrington. How’d you cope? How did you get through it?”

  The love of Stone’s life and the mother of his son had been killed shortly after they had been reunited and finally gotten married.

  “It was hard. But I had to be strong for my son.”

  “Right. For Peter. You had to be strong for him.”

  “Yes,” Stone said. He didn’t know what to say next. Herbie didn’t have anyone like that. Herbie didn’t have anyone at all, just his work.

  “Oh shit, the case! I’m supposed to be in court today!” Herbie lunged unsteadily out of bed.

  Stone caught Herbie as he nearly fell, shoving him back onto the bed. “It’s all right. I got an adjournment.”

  “The judge never gave me one.”

  “No. It took something dramatic.”

  “What did they tell the jury?”

  “Nothing. That doesn’t mean they won’t hear.”

  “And I’m supposed to stand up in court tomorrow morning as if nothing was wrong?”

  “Unless you want to duck out. The judge issued a bench warrant. You’d be fleeing the jurisdiction of the court.”

  “Big deal. I’m already accused of murder.”

  “The charge won’t stick. Dino’s working on it now.”

  “Personally?”

  “He feels bad. He wants to help.”

  “Nothing helps.”

  “I know.”

  Stone’s cell phone rang on his way downstairs. He tugged it out of his pocket. “Hello?”

  “Stone Barrington?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re Herb Fisher’s lawyer?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “He’s really accused of murder?”

  “Excuse me. Who are you?”

  “Oh. I’m Melanie Porter. David’s sister.”

  “David?”

  “David Ross. Herb’s his lawyer. What happened?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “You don’t know?”

  “You’re an anonymous voice on the phone. You could be a clever reporter, for all I know.”

  “Let me speak to Herb.”

  “I don’t know where he is.”

  “You don’t know where he is?”

  “No, but if I hear from him, I’ll pass along the message.”

  Stone clicked the phone off and went back up to Herbie.

  “You know a Melanie Porter?”

  Herbie reacted to the name. Stone couldn’t put his finger on the emotion, but it was a clear response.

  “What about her?”

  “You know her?”

  “Barely. She’s my client’s sister.”

  “She called me, looking for you.”

  “What did you tell her?”

  “Nothing. I wanted to check with you to make sure she’s legit, not some reporter or cop trying to ferret you out. No one knows you’re staying here. You’re ducking a warrant, if you’ll recall.”

  “She’s fine. Tell her whatever you want.”

  “She seemed concerned.”

  “So am I.”

  Stone went back down and sat at his desk, thinking. He’d managed to put his finger on Herbie’s reaction. Embarrassment. Then guilt. He liked the girl. The thought of her flustered him.

  Stone took out his cell phone and called Melanie Porter back. “Hello, Melanie? I managed to locate Herb Fisher. Would you like to see him?”

  54

  TOMMY TAPERELLI’S SECRETARY knocked on the door. “Detective Kelly’s here to see you.”

  Taperelli frowned. “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, sir. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he’s most insistent.”

  “Is there anyone else in the outer office?”

  “No.”

  “Good. Show him in.”

  Taperelli scowled as Kelly came in. “You’ve got a lot of nerve coming here. A lawyer stood up in court and accused you of being on my payroll. It’s not the brightest time to pay me a call.”

  “You expect me to just sit there and take it?”

  “I expect you to respect the conventions. You don’t call on me, I don’t call on you. No one puts anyone’s job in jeopardy. You want to end your career in a police corruption scandal? Kind of a cushy job to be throwing out the window. Of course, some of those minimum security prisons are quite nice. I’m sure you’ll be very comfortable.”

  “No one saw me come in.”

  “That you know of. With that asshole lawyer making allegations in court, who knows who might be lurking around. A cop, or maybe a pain-in-the-ass reporter, which would almost be worse, some investigative journalist trying to make a name for himself. They’ll stick to you like glue.”

  “I’m a cop, I know when I’m being watched. No one saw me.”

  “What’s so all-fired important you had to see me in person?”

  “I could use a little help. I’m on the witness stand all alone with people sniping at me. I’m giving all the right answers, but the questions are getting harder, and they’re asking about you. The judge knocked that down, but it doesn’t matter, it means they’re on the right track. It’s a little late to do something, but, lo and behold, the kid’s lawyer disappears. The lawyer simply doesn’t show up. The judge issues a bench warrant, and the lawyer still doesn’t show up.”

  “So?”

  “Did you kill the lawyer?”

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake!”

  “Did you?”

  “No, I didn’t kill the fucking lawyer. Jesus Christ, if I did kill the lawyer, would you want to know?”

  “No.”

  “But you’re here asking.”

  “I gotta know how deep the shit is I’m getting in.”

  “I had nothing to do with the lawyer disappearing.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m still on the stand. Now they’ll be asking about that.”

  “It’s got nothing to do with you.”

  “Oh, like th
at’s going to satisfy them.”

  “It’s got nothing to do with me. I don’t know what happened, but it wasn’t us.”

  “Of course not.”

  “I mean it. I had nothing to do with it, I know nothing about it. The same goes for you. You answer the questions that way, no one can touch you. Now get out of here before someone comes in. I don’t want you meeting anyone in the waiting room.”

  When Detective Kelly was gone, Taperelli started thinking. He had nothing to do with Herbie’s disappearance. He could say that with complete assurance. But he couldn’t be so sure that it had nothing to do with Detective Kelly. He was handling this case for Jules Kenworth because he was Jules Kenworth’s right-hand man. But if Kenworth didn’t think he was doing the job adequately, Kenworth wasn’t above getting someone else.

  Taperelli called Mookie. “Did you find the girl?”

  “Her name is Melanie Porter. According to her doorman, she works at Cornell Hospital. We followed her there earlier. Chico’s sitting on her now.”

  “He won’t lose her?”

  “Not a chance. He’s got a thing for girls in scrubs.”

  “She’s a nurse?”

  “An intern. Which is like a nurse, only different. It doesn’t matter. They all wear scrubs.”

  “Just be careful you aren’t seen. And don’t lose her!”

  “Don’t worry. We’ll grab her the minute she comes out the door.”

  • • •

  FRED FLICKER, Stone’s factotum, was an unprepossessing man who doubled as a driver and bodyguard, though he seldom had to resort to weapons. A former member of the Royal Marines, Fred could barrel through larger opponents as if they weren’t even there. Driving Stone’s custom-made, armor-plated Bentley, he was invulnerable. Stone might as well have been riding in a tank.

  Stone called Fred into his office. “I need you to pick up an intern at Cornell Hospital.”

  “Oh?”

  “A young lady by the name of Melanie Porter. She’s a friend of our house guest. Given the manner in which Herbie’s fiancée met her untimely end, I’d like you to be on your guard. Herbie likes this woman. I don’t want to overlook the obvious.”

  Stone didn’t add that this particular girl was also the sister of the man Herbie was defending, but it was certainly on his mind.

  55

  DINO PUT A rush on the Yvette Walker investigation so all reports came straight to him. It didn’t take long to get results. The crime scene unit had lifted prints from the empty cash box in Herbie’s walk-in closet. They ran the prints and got a match: Donald Dressler, aka Donnie Dressler, aka Iggy Dressler, aka Simon Covington, aka Lonnie LeBlanc, a small-time con man with multiple arrests and convictions, who only managed to stay out of jail by ratting on his friends.

  Dino didn’t bother to go through channels. He checked the lead out himself. The doorman at Herbie’s building had no trouble picking Donnie out from the row of photos Dino lined up on his desk.

  “I recognize him. Food delivery guy. Took up a pizza.”

  “What time was this?”

  The doorman grimaced. “That’s tough. We get deliveries all night. Early as five, late as midnight.”

  “Can you do a little better than that?”

  “Not much. I really don’t remember.”

  “Is there a security camera in the lobby?”

  “Yes, there is.”

  The security camera footage showed the delivery boy with the pizza approaching the desk at 8:05. Donnie’s features were discernible in the picture.

  Dino went down to the courthouse and hunted up ADA Monahan. She was surprised to see him.

  “Wow. A personal visit from the commissioner. Am I in trouble or something?”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “To rate such special attention. Or could it be that I’m prosecuting a friend of yours?”

  “Well, you certainly charged one. I doubt if you’ll wind up prosecuting him.”

  “Is that a veiled threat?”

  “This is a courtesy call to let you know what the department is doing. We wouldn’t want you to be uninformed.”

  “Heaven forbid.”

  “With regard to that very case you mentioned, there have been some rapid developments. A suspect has emerged by the name of Donald Dressler.” Dino slid a copy of Donnie’s rap sheet in front of her on the desk. “The crime scene unit found his fingerprints all over the cash box that had been looted in the apartment. Of course, there’s no way to tell when those prints were made. However, the doorman has identified Mr. Dressler as the young man who was sent up to Herbie Fisher’s apartment in the guise of a pizza deliveryman at eight-oh-five last night.”

  “You have got to be kidding.”

  “It’s on the surveillance video. His face is plainly visible. Anyway, we’ll be issuing an APB on him as a suspect in the Yvette Walker homicide, and since you already have a suspect charged with the crime, I wouldn’t want to cause you any embarrassment.”

  Dierdre Monahan’s face got hard. “Are you telling me to drop the charges against Herbie Fisher?”

  “Absolutely not. It’s entirely your business. I’m just telling you mine. Sometimes our business conflicts, but we’re all on the same side.”

  Dierdre referred to the rap sheet. “This guy’s a two-bit grifter. He doesn’t kill people. He’s a con man.”

  “He’s been busted a number of times and he doesn’t like it. Each time’s a harder fall. Maybe he didn’t want to stick around and get caught.”

  “Oh,” Dierdre said sarcastically. “He’s sick of short prison terms so he decided he’d risk life?”

  “We’re just starting to get the facts. They don’t all add up yet.”

  “That’s an understatement.”

  “Anyway, I wanted to give you the heads-up.”

  After Dino left, ADA Monahan sat staring at the rap sheet. She’d have to tell the DA about this new development. He wouldn’t want her prosecuting a case she couldn’t win, particularly one that might lay the office open to ridicule. A dismissal wouldn’t be a bar to future prosecution. If she let Herbie go, she could always charge him again.

  ADA Monahan scowled and reached for the phone.

  56

  DINO STOPPED OFF at Stone’s to give him the news.

  Stone was as incredulous as Monahan. “A thief did it?”

  “That’s what the evidence shows.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “It makes more sense than Herbie did it.”

  “Then it wasn’t Taperelli.”

  “It doesn’t look like it, which is a big weight off my mind. I’ve been kicking myself around all day.”

  “So has Herbie. He blames himself for Yvette’s death.”

  “You want to tell him?”

  “He’s not going to believe you. He’s going to think you’re making it up.”

  “You can’t make up fingerprints.”

  “Actually, you can. Lift ’em from one place and label ’em as coming from another.”

  “My detectives wouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh? Including Detective Kelly?”

  “Fuck you, too, Stone.”

  “Let’s go tell him.”

  • • •

  HERBIE WASN’T CONVINCED. “Yvette was killed by a burglar?”

  “It’s possible,” Dino said. “In any event, it appears you were robbed.”

  “Appears?”

  “Do you have a cash box in your walk-in closet?”

  “Yes.”

  “Anything in it?”

  “I keep some cash on hand.”

  “How much?”

  “A few thousand in hundred-dollar bills, just for emergencies.”

  “Any jewels in the jewelry case?”

  “Cuff links. Tie clips. A couple of watches.”

  “There’s every indication they were stolen at the same time Yvette was killed.”

  “She surprised a burglar? I don’t understa
nd.”

  “Nothing adds up because the stage was set. She was killed elsewhere, and put in the bed. The gun was put in your hand.”

  “Can you prove that?”

  “I’m doing my damnedest. The point is no one thinks you did it anymore.”

  “But they did,” Herbie said flatly.

  Seeing that Dino’s assurances weren’t lifting Herbie’s mood, Stone said, “Most importantly, it looks like this had nothing to do with the court case. Taperelli, the detective, that’s not what this was about. It just happened.”

  “Yes, but why?”

  Dino shook his head. “I don’t know. But I mean to find out.”

  57

  CHICO AND GUS were parked outside the entrance of Cornell Hospital. Chico had found out when Melanie ended her shift, and brought in reinforcements. They’d come in a car in case she took a taxi home. Chico would follow her if she left on foot.

  When the attractive blonde emerged from the hospital, Chico jabbed Gus in the ribs and pointed. “There she is.”

  Melanie was still in scrubs, but with a light jacket and carrying a purse. Instead of walking toward York Avenue, she headed for the circular driveway out front.

  “She’s going for the taxi line. You’re up.”

  Gus started the engine.

  There was one man ahead of Melanie waiting for a cab, and a woman was paying off a taxi by the curb. After he got that one, she’d be next.

  Gus was revving the engine.

  “You wanna tone it down? It’s not a drag race.”

  Gus eased off the gas.

  While they were watching, a sleek sedan squeezed past the taxi and slid to a stop in front of the hospital. The driver hopped out, came around, and ushered Melanie into the backseat.

  “What the hell?” Chico murmured.

  “Who is that?” Gus said.

  “I don’t know, but follow that car.”

  The Bentley took a surprisingly short trip, ending at a town house in Turtle Bay. Gus found it odd.

  “Why pick her up in a private car to bring her a distance she could have walked?”

  They watched as the Bentley pulled into an underground garage.

  Chico pulled out his cell phone and called Mookie. “We couldn’t get her.”

  “Why not?”

  “A driver in a Bentley picked her up at the door and took her to a house in Turtle Bay.”