Bishop as Pawn Page 0,32

he says: He makes himself a drink—or two or three or more … whatever amount it takes to put him in a blackout. He said it himself: He doesn’t know what he did from the time he had his drinks until well after he finally got to the dinner, where he sobered up.

“We know he didn’t drink himself into complete unconsciousness and flop on a bed until the stuff wore off. He was still blacked out until after he got to the dinner. He musta actually driven there without consciously knowing that he did it.

“So, supposing that instead of driving directly to the meeting. Bell drives to Ste. Anne’s. If he rang the doorbell, Diego would certainly let him in. To do that, Diego would have to kill the alarm for the front door. Bell comes in. They go to Diego’s office. Bell is quite obviously drunk—and abusive. They argue. Bell clobbers Diego, leaves and goes to the meeting, where he sobers up. But before he leaves the rectory, he takes the considerable stash of petty cash.

“He knew it was there, okay. Did you hear him just now: He said that Diego kept a considerable amount around to quiet the natives—”

“Isn’t that an awful lot for a guy who’s dead drunk to do?”

“I’ll bet you I can find a hundred shrinks who can testify that it’s not only possible but not all that uncommon.

“Yessirree, this case is ready to bust wide open. We just need one more break. And I got a hunch we’re gonna get it. It’s right around the corner.”

“You forgetting about Zoo?”

“What about him?”

“He’s got some of the guys following other leads.”

“Tough luck. We got the goods.”

“But …”

“It’ll work out. Man, this is terrific! A bishop murdered and two priests the prime suspects.”

“What’s so good about that? I think it’s kinda sad.”

“You won’t feel so bad when you read about it in the papers. On the front page, yet!”

So that’s it, Williams thought. We’re going for the publicity.

On that level, he was forced to agree with Quirt: It was a story right out of the Middle Ages. As far as Williams was concerned, and prescinding from the publicity this virtually insured, the case against either priest was better than average. Both Carleson and Bell had motive and opportunity. Which was not even enough to arrest either one, let alone get an indictment or a conviction. Quirt might be celebrating a mite early.

They were terrific leads, though. And Zoo would have to agree.

Thinking of Tully, Williams wondered how he was doing. When last seen, Zoo was headed out to track down the guy who had angry words with Diego at the cocktail party yesterday afternoon. He was also going to sound out the street, on the chance that it was what it looked like—robbery/murder.

Williams shuddered to think how complicated life would get if this thing ended up on the street. The possibilities would spread to include everyone from acidheads to the desperate poor.

Meanwhile, Quirt was thinking about how happy Kleimer was going to be when he found they had not one but two priest suspects … and both of them real, genuine prospects.

Quirt hadn’t even thought about Tully since they parted earlier this morning. But there was nothing to worry about on that score. Carleson and Bell were bona fide suspects. Tully might even be a help in nailing one of them. Quirt began to chuckle.

Williams wondered, but didn’t ask.

Quirt was thinking that, left to his own m.o., Tully would probably spend weeks on a case like this.

That was an exaggeration. But Tully was known to be painstaking and methodical. Too much so for Quirt.

Yessir, it was a stroke of good fortune for everyone that he, Quirt, had been picked to lead this task force.

Good ol’ Mayor Cobb .

CHAPTER

SEVEN

Sergeant Phil Mangiapane chattered as he drove. Lieutenant Alonzo Tully listened only sporadically.

The lieutenant was lost in labyrinthine theories. He had been convinced that it was very possible—easy even—to dislike this Bishop Diego. The questions were: How many ways were there to do this, and how many people were involved in this dislike?

Father Carleson was one candidate. The interrogation at Ste. Anne’s rectory indicated that. Another possible candidate was this Father Bell. Quirt was following that.

Up to his metaphorical ears in bishops and priests and auxiliaries and pastors and threats to close parishes, Tully had given serious thought to seeking guidance through this ecclesiastical maze from good old Father Koesler. This priest had been of use in some previous investigations