The Burglar in the Closet - By Lawrence Block Page 0,53
progress tonight, Jillian. I know who killed her. Let me up and I’ll explain the whole business.”
She didn’t say anything, and for a moment I wondered if she’d heard me. Perhaps she had closed the intercom switch. Perhaps at this very moment she was dialing 911, and in a scant hour the swift and efficient New York police would arrive with drawn guns. Perhaps—
The buzzer buzzed and I opened the door.
She wore a wool skirt, a plaid of muted greens and blues, and a navy sweater. Her tights were also navy, and on her little feet she wore deerskin slippers with pointed toes that suited her elfin quality. She poured me a cup of coffee and apologized for giving me a hard time over the intercom.
“I’m a nervous wreck,” she said. “I’ve had a parade of visitors tonight.”
“The cops?”
“They came at the very end. Well, you know that, you saw them leave. First there was another policeman. He told me his name—”
“Ray Kirschmann?”
“That’s right. He said he wanted me to give you a message. I said I wouldn’t be hearing from you but he gave me a very knowing wink. I wouldn’t be surprised if I blushed. It was that kind of a wink.”
“He’s that kind of a cop. What was the message?”
“You’re supposed to get in touch with him. He said you’ve really got the guts of a burglar and you proved it going back to the scene of the crime. He said something about he’s sure you got what you went there for and he’ll want to be on hand to check it out. When I told him I didn’t really understand he said you would understand, and that the main thing was that you should get in touch with him.”
“‘Back to the scene of the crime.’ What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think I know from something the other cops said. And other things. After Kirschmann left Craig came over.”
“I thought you told him not to.”
“I did, but he came anyway and it was easier to let him come up than make a fuss. I told him he couldn’t stay.”
“What did he want?”
She made a face. “He was horrid. He really thinks you killed Crystal. He said the police were sure of it and he blames himself for setting it up for you to steal the jewels. That was what he really wanted to tell me—to deny that you had any arrangement with him. He said you’d probably blab if the police arrested you and that it would be his word against yours and naturally they’d take the word of a respectable dentist over that of a convicted burglar—”
“Naturally.”
“—but that I would have to swear that your story was a lot of nonsense or he might be in trouble. I said I didn’t believe you would kill anybody and he got very mad and accused me of siding with you against him, and I got nasty myself, and I don’t know what I ever saw in him, I swear I don’t.”
“He’s got nice teeth.”
“Then when he left, I was just getting interested in television when his lawyer came over.”
“Verrill?”
“Uh-huh. I think he came over mainly to back up Craig. Craig told him about the arrangement with you and naturally he wouldn’t want that to come out, and he tried to let me know how important it was to keep it a secret. I think he was building up to offer me a bribe but he didn’t come right out and say it.”
“Interesting.”
“He was really pretty slick, but in a very Establishment way. As if the kind of bribe I could expect wouldn’t be an envelope full of cash but some sort of tax-free trust fund. Not really, but he had that kind of attitude. He said there was no question you murdered Crystal. He said the police had evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?”
“He didn’t say.” She looked away, swallowed. “You didn’t kill her, did you, Bernie?”
“Of course not.”
“But you’d say that anyway, wouldn’t you?”
“I don’t know what I’d say if I killed her. I’ve never killed anybody so the question’s never come up. Jillian, why on earth would I kill the woman? If she came in and caught me in the act, all I’d want to do would be to get away before the police came. Maybe I’d give her a shove to get out of there, if I had to—”
“Is that what happened?”
“No, because she didn’t catch me. But if she did, and if I did shove her,