“Are you kidding? I sure as hell wrote them enough checks. Hamilton, Petrocelli & Sprissler. In Newark. Three ladies. Three hellcats more like it. Even my lawyer was afraid of them. They were so good I used them later in some of my deals.”
“Thanks a lot. I appreciate the info.”
“Hope it helps with whatever you’re doing. Diane and I didn’t get along, obviously, but nobody deserves to die like that. I’m thinking of sending some flowers.”
“I’m sure that would be very nice.”
Mace clicked off and looked down at her notes. She called information and got the number for Hamilton, Petrocelli & Sprissler, LLP, in Newark.
She got the receptionist and then the call was put through to Julie Hamilton.
“Yes?”
Mace briefly explained why she was calling. “Diane Tolliver?”
“You probably would have known her as Diane Cushman. She took her maiden name back after the divorce. I spoke with her ex, Joe Cushman. He gave me your name.”
“I do remember hearing something about the killing. The refrigerator, right?”
“Yes, the refrigerator.”
“But I never associated Tolliver with Cushman. I mean, I knew her maiden name was Tolliver, but it just never occurred to me it was her. It’s been over a decade. Murdered. My God!”
“Yes. That’s why I’m calling.”
“And who are you with?” This was the cautious lawyer’s voice now that Mace knew so well.
“I’m in D.C. I’m helping to investigate the matter on behalf of a man charged with the murder.”
“Like I said, it’s been at least ten years. I can’t think of any way I would have relevant information for you.”
“Do you know a man named Jamie Meldon?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because he was murdered too, right after he met with Diane.”
Caution had just transformed to ice. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“I just need to ask some questions about—”
The next sound Mace heard was the line going dead.
She immediately called back.
This time the receptionist would not put the call through.
“Please, it will only take two minutes and it’s—”
The receptionist hung up on her.
Mace slowly put the phone down.
CHAPTER 89
AFTER TALKING to Mace, Roy decided to speed up his search of the firm’s records. He took the stairs down to the fifth floor. However, the archives room was locked and he didn’t have a key. He trudged back to the sixth floor and headed to the mail room. Dave was there sorting letters and packages for the last delivery of the day. “Where’s Gene?” Roy asked about the person who manned the archives room.
“Left early. Doctor’s appointment. You need anything from down there?”
“It can keep. I’ll let you get on with your deliveries.”
“Is it true you’re going to be the lawyer for that guy they arrested?’
“Why? You want to bust my chops too?”
“No, I thought that’s what lawyers were supposed to do. I mean, you can’t not represent somebody just because he’s not popular, right?”
“Dave, that’s the first intelligent thing I’ve heard today.”
Dave headed out with his cart while Roy pretended to follow him out, then he circled back and closed the door to the mail room. He jogged to the very back, lifted the door to the dumbwaiter, climbed in, hit the green button, and pulled his arm back. The door closed, the machine gave a little jolt, and Roy was on his way.
On the brief ride down he thought about the other time he’d been inside here. Wrapped around Mace’s body. It had been a flashlight in his pocket, though he couldn’t say he hadn’t been a little aroused, what with her proximity to him and the adrenaline rush that came with knowing your life might soon end violently.
Maybe they should try that technique at the sperm bank.
The dumbwaiter stopped and the doors slid open.
Roy climbed out and looked around. The room was dark but he had to make sure. He did a slow circuit of the large room with its rows of shelves and stacked boxes. He slipped his small flashlight out and shone the beam around. He knew generally how the filing system was set up here and made a beeline to one section. This was where most of his and Diane’s client files were kept. He started opening boxes. Securely attached to the inside top of each box was a small hard plastic case. Inside the case was a flash drive containing an electronic record of everything in that box.
The firm had been in the process of scanning all these documents onto their computer system, but it had gotten complicated, because not all lawyers at the