Ed McBain - Killer's Choice

'Oh,' Fink said, satisfied. 'Oh, I see. Well, that explains it. I thought there was something fishy, you know? A cop who wouldn't take. I figured there was something. Listen, why don't you send around a bull who maybe ain't got such big things going for hire, huh? I mean, like this'll be a big pain in the ass to change the game someplace else, you know?'

'Sure, And also you wouldn't get the house cut.'

'Certainly. You understand. I got a big overhead here. A very big overhead. Find me a small potatoes cop, huh?'

'I'll look around,' Carella said. 'In the meantime, no game.'

'Thanks,' Fink said, pleased. 'Thanks a million.'

Kling came back to the booth.

'It checks out,' he said. 'Abelson's clean.'

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The killer of Annie Boone must have been getting worried.

The killer had no reason to worry because the police were nowhere near yet. But the killer remembered something and anticipated the police, and made a phone call—and perhaps that was a mistake.

The killer called the child.

The killer called Monica.

The killer asked her not to tell her grandmother she had spoken to anyone, but she told her grandmother anyway, and that was why she got a visit from Carella and Kling.

She recognized Kling the moment he came into the room.

She said, 'Hi, ja find her?'

'Not yet,' Kling said. He assumed the child still didn't know about her mother. Or if she did, she had adjusted to it miraculously well. 'This is Detective Carella, Monica,' Kling said.

'How do you do?' Monica asked.

'I hope this won't be a gruelling experience for her,' Mrs Travail said. 'She's only a child.'

'We only want to ask a few questions, Mrs Travail,' Kling said. 'This is Detective Carella.'

'Yes,' Mrs Travail said, nodding briefly at Carella. 'May I stay?'

'Certainly,' Carella said, and he smiled at Mrs Travail, and Kling noticed that she responded warmly to his smile, and he wondered what it was about Carella that made women respond warmly to his smile. He consoled himself with the knowledge that he still had Monica.

'You say the child received a phone call this morning, is that right?' Kling asked.

'Yes,' Mrs Travail answered. 'So she says.'

'Well, I did,' Monica answered.

'I don't question it,' Mrs Travail said. She turned to the detectives. 'It's just that she seems rather vague about it.'

'What does vague mean?' Monica asked.

' Did you receive a phone call?' Kling asked, smiling.

'Sure, I did.'

'What time was this? '

'I don't know.'

'She can't tell time,' Mrs Travail said. 'It was this morning sometime. I kept her home from school because she has the sniffles. Besides… I'm not too sure I trust her f-a-t-h-e-r.'

'Father,' Monica said, reading the spelling.

'After what happened, he may try to seize her. I'm not too keen on letting her out of the house.'

'Do you think whoever called knew she was home?'

'I'm sure I don't know,' Mrs Travail said.

'Did this person who called ask for you, honey?' Kling asked.

'Yep. The person said, "Is this Monica Boone?" and I said Yes, this is Monica Boone. That's how we started the conversation.'

'Where was your grandmother?' Carella asked.

'I was down doing some shopping,' Mrs Travail answered.

'This person who called,' Kling said. 'Was it a man or a woman?'

'I don't know,' Monica said.

'Didn't you talk to the person?'

'Yes.'

'Well, was it a man or a woman?'

'I don't know.'

'This is what I meant about her being vague,' Mrs Travail said.

'What does vague mean?' Monica asked again.

'It means you're not sure, honey,' Kling said.

'Well, I'm not sure,' Monica said, nodding.

'Had you ever heard this person's voice before?'

'No.'

'This was the first time?'

'Yes.'

'What kind of a voice was it?'

'I don't know.'

'Well, you said you couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. Was it a deep voice?'

'Sort of.'

'Like a man's?'

'Sort of.'

'But you're not sure?'

'No. It could have been a lady, too. It was hard to tell. It sounded as if the voice was coming… I don't know… through a long box or something. It was funny.'

'Through a handkerchief?' Kling asked Carella.

'Possibly. What did this person say to you, Monica?'

'Well, let me see. First it said, "Is this Monica Boone?" and I said Yes, this is Monica Boone. Then it said, "How are you, Monica?" and I said I'm fine, thank you, how are you? Grandmother told me to always be polite on the phone.'

'Then what?'

'Then it said…'

'This person?'

'Yes. I don't know whether to say him or her.'

'You can say "it",' Kling said.

'Well, it said, "Would you like to be a good little girl?" So naturally I said Yes I'd like to be a good little girl. Then it said, "Are you a smart little girl?" I don't like to boast, but I said I was a smart little girl.'

'Then what?'

'Then it said, "Your mother got a letter a week or so ago. In a blue envelope. Did you see it around the house any place?" Well, I couldn't remember seeing it, but I said, Maybe, who's this?'

'And what did the person say?'

'The person said, "It doesn't matter who this is, Monica. This is a friend of Mommy's." So I said Who?'

'Did the person tell you?'

'No. It just said, "A friend of Mommy's. Did you see the letter?" I remembered then that I did see the letter because Mommy was pretty upset when she got it. I mean, I remembered her opening it, and then looking pretty worried. You know how mothers are. They get worried over letters and things.'

'Sure,' Kling said. 'Did you tell this person you'd seen the letter?'

'Yes.'

'What did the person say?'

Sitting on the couch, Carella began to take notes on the telephone conversation. He used two names: Monica and Suspect. He did not bother to write down Kling's questions. He concentrated only on the telephone-conversation between Monica and the suspect. He listened to every word, and he wrote every word down in his rapid longhand.

SUSPECT: Where did you see the letter, Monica?

MONICA: I don't know. When Mommy got it.

SUSPECT: She mentioned it to you?

MON: No. I saw her reading it.

SUS: She didn't tell you what was in it?

MON: No, she never tells me what's in her letters.

S: Was this letter in a blue envelope?

M: Yes.

S: Are you sure, Monica?

M: Yes. I remember because I said to Mommy, that's a pretty blue.

S: What did Mommy say?

M: She didn't say anything. She was bothered by the letter. You could tell she was bothered.

S: Did she say who it was from?

M: No.

S: Did she guess at it?

M: What do you mean?

S: Did she say anything about it being funny the letter wasn't signed?

M: No.

S: But did she seem to know who it was from?

M: No. Who is this, anyway?

S: A friend of Mommy's. Now think, Monica. What did Mommy do with the letter when she finished reading it?

M: I don't remember.

S: Think!

M : I am thinking. I don't remember. I have to go dress my dolly now.

S: Wait, Monica! Did she put it in her purse?

M: No. She didn't have her purse with her.

S: Where did she put it?

M : I don't know. She went to make a telephone call, I think.

S: Who'd she call?

M: I don't know.

S: The police?

M: I don't know. I know a cop, did you know that? He's a detective and he has a gun and everything.

S: Did you tell this detective about the letter?

M: No. Why should he care about an old letter? He was looking for a little girl who's missing.

S: Did you mention the letter to anyone?

M: No. Who cares about an old letter?

S: Now think, Monica.