Стюарт Вудс - Shakeup

“I’ll get somebody with elbows on it,” Dino said, getting out his phone.

Stone picked up his own phone and called Art Jacoby.

“This is Jacoby.”

“It’s Stone. Are you settled in?”

“Very comfortably, thank you.”

“Dino and I just accessed Donald Clark’s file, which was blocked for national security reasons. That make any sense to you?”

“There must be something in his background that nobody wants you to know.”

“There was something,” Stone said. “He was in the Marines when he was younger, and he fired Expert with a Colt .45.”

“Interesting,” Art admitted. “I couldn’t do that, and I’m a pretty good shot.”

“That’s not the point. Your girl was killed with a .45, right?”

“Right, but she was shot at close range, so anybody could have done it.”

“I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t think of that. Did they find the weapon?”

“I don’t know, and I can’t call anybody at my shop, because I’m hiding out.”

“Would they give that information to Dino?”

“Probably. Just ask for the case officer.”

“There’s something else.”

“What’s that?”

“Clark’s alibi is that he was having dinner with Little Debby.”

“That’s not just interesting, that’s suspicious,” Art said. “In fact, as far as I’m concerned, culpable. It’s too convenient.”

“So they were both in on it, then they used each other as an alibi?”

“That’s my opinion,” Art said. “If I were running the case, I’d be all over that.”

“Who’s the case officer?” Stone asked.

“I don’t know, and I can hardly phone anybody down there and ask.”

“I’ll get Dino to find out who the case officer is. What do I do then?”

“Ask him if he’s tried busting that alibi yet. If he hasn’t, the case officer’s probably in on it, too.”

“Good idea.”

“You know, if they can’t break the alibi, I think I’ll just kill Don Clark myself.”

“I didn’t hear that,” Stone said.

“I SAID, IF—”

“I mean I didn’t hear it ,” Stone said. “And if you repeat it, I won’t hear it then, either.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“I’ll get Dino on it.”

“Good. Let me know what he comes up with.”

They hung up, and Stone turned to Dino. “As far as Art is concerned, Don’s alibi being Little Debby means they’re in it together. Can you call the DCPD and find out who the case officer is? Art can’t do it without exposing himself.”

“If he does that in my city, he’ll get arrested!” Dino said.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Okay, you want me just to call down there blind and ask who the case officer is?”

“I was hoping that, being as well-connected as you are with all things police, you might know somebody who could find out without tipping our hand.”

“I didn’t know we had a hand,” Dino said.

Stone sighed. “Nevertheless.”

“All right, suppose I can get the name. What do we do then?”

“Art says to ask the case officer if he’s tried to break the alibi. If he hasn’t, then he’s in on the murder, too.”

“That’s a pretty big leap, isn’t it?”

“Maybe not. Art knows those people.”

“And he’s going to tell that to a judge?”

“Look at it this way: if we accept Art’s hunch, and the case officer isn’t interested in breaking the alibi, then we’ll know that the murderer is one of at least three people.”

“One of them being the case officer, then Don and Debby?”

“That’s his hunch.”

“Even if we can’t prove it?”

“At least, we’ll know.”

“If we accept Art’s hunch.”

“You’re making this sound like a bad idea.”

“Well, I haven’t heard anything yet that makes it sound like a good idea.”

“You and I have solved cases based on a hunch,” Stone said.

“At least it was our hunch, not Arthur Jacoby’s.”

“We’re not on the ground in D.C.,” Stone pointed out. “Art is. At least, he was before he went into hiding.”

“Look,” Dino said. “If you and Art start poking around in a D.C. case, it could bounce back on us, make people think we know where Art is.”

“We do know where he is,” Stone said.

“But nobody knows we know that,” Dino pointed out.

“Maybe we should just drop the idea of breaking the alibi,” Stone said.

“That’s the first good idea you’ve had all day.”

“Well,” Stone said, consulting his watch, “it’s only two-thirty.”

“I have to go back to work,” Dino said, rising. “I can’t spend any more time today doing D.C.’s job for them.” Dino left.

Stone thought about who he might know who would know who the case officer was. He asked Joan for the initial report on the killing, which somebody had sent him. Art’s girlfriend’s name was Deana Carlyle. He had a thought, and it was worth a try. He called the phone number on the report.

“Homicide,” a gruff voice answered.

“Hi, this is Detective Benson with the NYPD.”

“What can I do for you, Detective?”

“Who’s the case officer on the Deana Carlyle killing?”

“That would be Dean Casey,” the man said. “Hang on, I’ll transfer you.”

Stone hung up. Deana? Dean? Case Casey? This was nuts. His phone rang. “Yes?”

“Art Jacoby for you on one.”

Stone punched the button. “Hey, Art.”

“The case officer is Dean Casey.”

“I heard. And your girlfriend’s name was Deana Carlyle?”

“Right.”

“Who’s Dean Casey?”

“Little Debby’s most favorite toady in the whole world.”

“So, he’s suspect number three?”

“In my book he is.”

“Thanks.” He called Dino and told him, and Dino laughed out loud.

Stone was in bed with a book when Holly called. “We scrambled?” she asked.

“We are,” Stone replied. “How was your day?”

“No worse than it should have been. This early in a new administration, everybody works hard to get it right, to prove their competence and my good judgment in hiring them.”

“That’s an astute observation.”

“Thank you, I needed that. When you’re at the top, everybody wants to praise your efforts, whether you deserve it or not.”

“Another astute observation. They’re piling up. You should keep a diary, and you can publish it when you’re done.”

“Can you suggest a title?”

“How about Astute Observations? ”

She laughed. “Too self-congratulatory.”

“Well, somebody’s got to congratulate you.”

“You’re doing just fine,” she said. “What, if anything, happened to you today?”

“Well, the suspect list for the death of Art Jacoby’s girlfriend has grown to three.”

“And who are they?”

“Donald Clark, Debby Myers, and a cop named Dean Casey, all suspected of being in cahoots.”

“Who’s Casey?”

“The case officer, oddly enough. And, rumor has it, he’s Little Debby’s favorite toady. She put him in charge of the investigation.”

“Well, that’s very cozy, isn’t it?”

“Any suggestions on how to proceed?”

“Is the girlfriend a federal employee?”

“I don’t know what she does — ah, did.”

“If she was, then killing her is a federal crime, and I can sic the FBI on them.”

“I’ll find out. Can you hang on a moment?”

“You’re putting your president on hold? That isn’t done.”

“Only for a moment.” He called Art Jacoby.

“Yes?”

“It’s Stone. What kind of work did your girlfriend do?”