New Tricks - By David Rosenfelt Page 0,76
a confrontation and murder two hours later. Richard’s contention is that it was the trigger that ultimately resulted in Walter Timmerman’s death.
In my cross-examination I ask Alvarez, “Do you know what Walter and Steven Timmerman talked about that night?”
“No, sir,” she says.
“Could it have been about the Mets game the night before?”
“I can’t say.”
“Do you know that they talked at all?”
“I know that the call was answered and lasted twenty-four seconds.”
“Could a friend of Steven’s, or maybe a housekeeper, have answered the phone and taken a message?”
She nods. “It’s possible, sir.”
“Could the answering machine have answered, and Walter left a message?”
“It’s possible, sir.”
I hate to end the cross-examination, because I like being called “sir.” It doesn’t happen that often. But other than asking Ms. Alvarez her favorite color, there’s nothing more for me to get from her, so I let her off the stand.
When court finally adjourns, I check my cell phone and listen to a message from Agent Corvallis agreeing to participate in my plan as it relates to Charles Robinson, and telling me that I should call him.
I call him immediately, and he says that I need to give them twenty-four hours’ notice before any meeting, so as to give them time to set things up. We also talk about possible locations for the meeting, and how I should position things with Robinson.
Corvallis, now that he is on board, comes off as helpful and smart, qualities I am going to need to call on before this is over.
CHARLES ROBINSON TAKES MY CALL, but he doesn’t seem his old jovial self. “You decide to give up the dog? Because otherwise you’re going to jail,” is the first thing out of his mouth.
“The dog is what I wanted to talk to you about,” I say.
“So talk.”
“I think we should meet in person.”
“Why? You can say what you’ve got to say now.”
“What I’ve got to say concerns not only the dog, but also Walter Timmerman, and synthetic DNA.”
There is silence for a few moments from Robinson. If the first words out of his mouth aren’t What the hell are you talking about? then I’ll have final confirmation that I’m right.
Those are not his first words. His actual first words are, “You think you can keep screwing around with me?” I can see him snarling through the phone.
“I think we can help each other,” I say. “I think we can help each other a lot.”
“You don’t know what you’re messing with,” he says.
“If you don’t meet with me, I’ll be messing with the FBI by this time tomorrow.”
He tells me to come over to his house in Closter, a town about half an hour from me, tonight. Corvallis had anticipated that, and told me it was fine, that the FBI could comfortably set up there. My guess is that means they’ve had previous surveillance on Robinson’s house, but it’s only a guess.
However, there is no way I’m going there tonight. I tell him I’ll meet him at eight tomorrow night, and he reluctantly agrees. He has gone from surly and confrontational to nervous and anxious to meet me. It’s a transformation that certainly works in my favor.
Once I’m off the phone, I call Corvallis and tell him what transpired. He’s fine with it, and we pick a place to meet two hours before I’m to be at Robinson’s. At that point I’ll be fitted with the wire, and we’ll go over final arrangements.
It is terrific for me to have Laurie here to discuss these things with, and she and I spend a few hours kicking around exactly what I should say to Robinson. I’m nervous about it, though of course I would never admit it to her.
“Andy,” she says, “I know you realize this could be dangerous. Robinson could have been the one to hire Jimmy Childs, and he could see you as a danger to be eliminated.”
“You just trying to cheer me up?”
“No, I’m trying to make you aware. Your safety is far and away the most important thing. If at any point your instincts tell you that you are in the slightest jeopardy, you get out of there immediately. Okay?”
I agree, though I neglect to mention that I have absolutely no faith in my instincts, at least not in this situation. In a courtroom, yes. When it comes to physical danger, no. If I bailed out of every situation in which I was physically fearful, I’d never leave the house.
Laurie points out another negative when she says, “I’m afraid there’s