New Tricks - By David Rosenfelt Page 0,72
Steven is in this position at all. If I believe that Walter was working on some powerful force that could have an international impact, and he was killed by some sinister entity intent on possessing or stifling that force, then where does Steven fit in? Why was it necessary to frame him? It was not an easy thing to do, and the process of doing it necessarily included the danger of detection.
I never thought I would say this after initially meeting Stanley McCarty, but I definitely believe he knew what he was talking about. His words were compelling, and he spoke them with an easy confidence. It also doesn’t help me not to believe him; the area of investigation it opens is also the only one I have worth pursuing.
My instincts, which place Charles Robinson somewhere near the center of this, might well be confirmed by what McCarty had to say. As a trader of energy with international contacts, he would have been the logical person for his friend Walter Timmerman to turn to with his discovery.
But once Timmerman approached him, Robinson would have looked at him as a cash cow, the possible key to untold wealth and power. Why then, would he have killed him? Had they had a dispute over the direction they should take? Had Timmerman ultimately betrayed him and gone elsewhere?
As my father would say, “I’m not going to know until I know. And maybe not even then.”
But one thing I do know: On the investigative track of this case, the time for playing defense is over. I cannot sit back and watch Steven go down the tube, or wait for someone to successfully kill Waggy. It’s time to go on the offense, which means Charles Robinson’s world is about to be shaken.
WHEN I GET BACK TO THE HOUSE, Pete Stanton is waiting for me.
Robinson has demanded an investigation into the Waggy kidnapping, and Pete has internally maneuvered to be the one to conduct an interview with me. Laurie is with us when he questions me.
“Do you have a search warrant?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “No, not enough probable cause. I am here to interview you, which I know you’ll consent to, because you are a citizen concerned with justice and the American way.”
“That is beautiful. For the first time I feel understood.”
“Did you steal the dog?” he asks.
“Is this off the record?” I ask.
“Off the record? Who do I look like, Bob Woodward? I’m a cop; nothing is ever off the record.”
“I did not steal that poor animal, and I only hope you can find him and return him safely to Mr. Robinson. You and he are in my prayers.”
“Where were you last night at around eleven o’clock?”
“Home and in bed with the police chief of Findlay, Wisconsin.”
“We were snuggling,” Laurie adds.
“Do you have any idea where the dog is?” he asks.
“No, but I’m considering hiring a team of investigators to help in the hunt. Any information we get will be turned over to you immediately. This heartless criminal must be brought to justice.”
“You know what I think?” he asks. “I think you kidnapped the dog and he’s down in the basement right now.”
“But you didn’t bring a search warrant?”
“No.”
“And you aren’t going to get one?”
“No.”
“You policemen are relentless, you know that?”
Pete leaves, knowing full well what the truth is, and having no intention of attempting to expose it. I deeply appreciate that, and someday will tell him so.
Once he’s gone, I call Cindy Spodek. I call her rather than Agent Corvallis mainly because on Friday evening if would be difficult to reach him, and I have Cindy’s cell and home phone numbers. I also think it’s probably best that she approach him on my behalf, because she’ll lie and say that I’m credible and reliable.
Obviously she has caller ID, because she answers the phone with, “So, did you kidnap the dog?”
“That’s how you answer your phone? By accusing your old friend of committing a felony?”
“Knowing you and what a dog lunatic you are, I would say there’s a ninety-five percent chance you did it.”
“I just want you to know that I’m deeply hurt, but for the purposes of this conversation, I’m going to move past that.”
“My cup runneth over,” she says. “What can I do for you, old friend?”
“I want you to set up a meeting with Corvallis about the Timmerman case.”
“Aren’t we into a ‘been there, done that’ situation?”
“I believe we are.”
“It was a fascinating meeting, Andy, really it was. But I