Ed McBain - The Big Bad City

"Not at all," Carella said. "Let me take this in the other room.”

The other room was a spare room they had fitted out as an office for whoever in the family chose to use it. The kids' computer was in there, as was Teddy's and Carella's. There were bookshelves and a battered desk they had picked up in a consignment shop. Two lamps from the same shop. Their housekeeper, Fanny, called the room The Junk Shop. Maybe it was.

"Still there?" Carella asked. "Still here. How are you?”

“Good.

You?”

"Good. I'm enjoying this. Practicing law again instead of running around after bad guys?”

"I'm still running around after bad guys," Carella said.

"So I see. I've got that information for you, if you've got a pencil.

I can fax the newspaper stuff later if you like ... have you got a fax there?”

"Yes, I have.”

"Good. But I also spoke to Morrie Bloom, and he sent me his report.

He's a detective on the Calusa P.D., he was the one who talked to the kids the day after the accident.”

"Is that what they called it? An accident?”

"Yeah. The police down there in Boyle's Landing figured Custer was drunk when he fell in the water. Blood tests were inconclusive the alligators did a good job .. but the kids told Bloom he was drinking heavily before they went up to get paid.”

"Was their word the only evidence the police had?”

“That he was drunk? No, there were also half a dozen empty beer bottles in his office. So apparently he'd been drinking hard liquor with the kids, and then continued drinking beer after they were gone.”

“That could do it.”

"It could. Railing on the deck behind his office was about four feet high. Police figure he fell over into the river and the alligators got him right away. They're fast. Have you ever seen an alligator run? Man, watch out.”

"Who went up to the office with him?”

"To get paid? I don't know. Let me take another look here.”

Carella could hear Matthew turning pages on the other end. Either looking at a photocopy of the newspaper story or else a copy of Bloom's D.D. report.

"Newspaper says they were the last ones to see him alive?”

"Who?”

"Mentions all the band members by name.”

“Which two went up to the office?”

"How do you know it was two?" Matthew asked. Good question, Carella thought.

"I'm getting conflicting stories up here," he said. "I'm looking,”

Matthew said.

"What's the date on Bloom's report?" Carella asked. "Let me see.”

Carella waited.

"Here it is. September second. That would've been the Friday before Labor Day.”

"And the newspaper story?”

"Next day.”

"Bloom give it to them?”

“Reliable police sources', it says. There's another story on Sunday, a review of the band.”

"Good? Bad?”

“Derivative rock', it says. But apparently the kids drew a big crowd on Saturday night. Because of all the publicity?”

"Say anything about who went up for the money?”

“I'm still looking.

There's nothing in the paper, I'm checking Fan Bloom's report. I'll FedEx this to you if you like. It's too long to fax.”

Carella waited.

"Kid named Totobi Hollister was asleep while they packed the van,”

Matthew said. "He tell this to Bloom?”

“Yes.”

"Who was packing the van?”

“Nothing here about it.”

“Who went up to the office?”

Bloom had to have asked that question. Because the last persons to see Custer alive were the ones who'd gone up to get paid. "Here we go,”

Matthew said. "Here's the girl's story. Q and A format, shall I read it to you?”

"Please.”

"The Q is Bloom, the A is Katherine Cochran.”

“I'm listening.”

Q: You understand, Miss Cochran, we're following up on this as a courtesy to the Boyle's Landing police.

A: Yes, I do.

Q: Because, from interviews they had with employees of the club, the band was still there when everyone else left. Which means the five of you were the last ones to see Mr. Custer alive.

A: That's true.

Q: One of the waiters told the police he said goodnight to all of you when he left. He said Mr. Custer and the band were sitting near the bar drinking. Is that true?

A: Not all of us. Tote had already gone to bed.

Q: Tote?

A: Tote Hollister. Totobi Hollister. Our bass guitarist. We woke him up later. After the van was packed and we were ready to go.

Q: So the four of you ... let me consult this a moment, please. That would've been you, and David Fames, and Alan Figgs, and Salvatore Roselli, is that correct?

A: Yes. The four of us.

Q: Were sitting, and drinking with Mr. Custer.

A: Yes, that's right.

Q: How much did he drink?

A: Charlie? I think he had two or three drinks.

Q: Which? Would you remember?

A: Three, I think.

Q: Do you remember what he was drinking?

A: Scotch, I believe. He had a bottle of beer later.

Q: Later?

A: In his office. He opened a bottle of beer and was drinking it when he went to the safe for our money.

Q: So, in your presence, then, he drank three scotches and a bottle of beer.

A: Yes, that's right.

Q: Did he go out onto the deck while you were up there in the office?

A: No, sir, he didn't. He paid us our money, said he enjoyed our being there, and hoped we'd come back real soon. We were a big hit, you know. People came from all over.

Q: You left after he paid you?

A: Yes, we did.

Q: What time was that, would you remember?

A: Around three, three-thirty.

Q: And what did you do then? A: In the morning, that is. Three-thirty in the morning.

Q: Yes, I understand. What did you do then?

A: We went to the van and drove off. We were coming up here to Calusa, you see. We had a long drive ahead.

Q: Was Mr. Custer still alive when you left the club? AI would hope so. He was certainly alive when we left his office.

Q: And you say you drove off immediately after leaving the office?

A: Well, within minutes. The van was running, it was already cool when I climbed inside. So, yes, we were on our way maybe five minutes after we said goodbye to Charlie.

Q: He didn't come out of his office to say goodbye or anything, did he?

A: No. He told us he was going to have another beer and then go to bed. There were lots of empty beer bottles around. He drank a lot of beer.

Q: So he'd finished the first beer already? The one he'd opened?

A: He was just finishing it.

Q: And he opened another bottle?

A: I didn't see him opening it.

Q: But he said ...

A: Not while I was there.

Q: He said he was going to have another beer ...

A: Yes.

Q: ... and then go to bed?

A: Yes.

Q: And you went out to the van ...

A: Yes.

Q: ... and left.

A: Yes. The others were already in the van. They were all set to leave when we came down to join them.

Q: What you say the others ...

A: In the van.

Q: There were three of them in the van, is that correct?

A: Yes. Waiting for us to come down with our money.

Q: So it was just two of you who went up to the office, is that right?

A: Yes. Just two of us.

Q: You, of course ...

A: Yes.

Q: ... and who else? Who went with you to Mr. Custer's office?

A: Sal Roselli.

The only time the man was alone was when he was coming out his house.

Early in the morning, walking over to his garage, getting in his car to drive to work. That was the time to do it. Cause any other time he was with either family or other cops and Sonny had no quarrel with anyone cept him.

Fact of the matter, he had no quarrel with him, either. Man hadn't done nothin to him. What this was, it was insurance plain and simple.