Rod Strong - Dealing in adultery

"You stopped Ignatz Randall from killing her, didn't you."

"Right the first time."

"You broken-nosed son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you with Mitch's gun. Then I'm gonna put the gun with which I killed him in your hand. It's gonna look like the two of you killed each other. Oh yeah. I let Moira know where her brother is, and when she comes up here, I'm gonna kill her with the same gun I used to kill Mitch. That way it'll look like you invited Evergrad up here, and Moira as well. You killed the two of 'em, and Mitch killed you just before he died."

"What's my motive?" I asked.

"You were gonna blackmail him," Albert replied, smiling, taking out the newly developed photographs I'd hidden away. "You saw him fucking Moira and you took pictures. You wanted money. Mitch wouldn't pay and went for his gun. You shot Moira and Mitch just as he shot you."

"And what about you?" I asked.

"Me? I'm Judy Roberts' attorney. I'm gonna handle her divorce when she dumps Cy Roberts, who'll be either dead or in prison very shortly. And then I'm gonna set it up so I marry Judy and get that money anyway."

"Moira might not like that," I pointed out;

"Moira's gonna be stone cold dead, Fokker. Just like you."

He'd said it good and loud, just in time for Moira Evergrad, who was outside my open apartment door, to hear. She stood there, frozen for the moment, and then very quietly opened her purse and dipped her hand in. She came out with a tiny.25 caliber pistol, probably given to her by her brother for protection. Then she silently came into the room and said, "Kal."

He half turned and took the small slug right in his temple. He was dead before he hit the ground.

Then she fainted.

I took the gun from Moira and put it in Mitch Evergrad's hand. Then I took the other gun from Kalman Albert's pocket and put it in his own hand, returning Evergrad's pistol to his holster. Then I called the cops who, when they arrived, decided to keep my name out of things because they not only wanted Evergrad to get full credit, but didn't want his sister's name smeared. It seemed both Roberts and Carreba had been caught, and the two had given the cops the name of Kalman Albert. It looked as if Evergrad had somehow or other apprehended Albert in my apartment, where Albert had come with a gun looking for me. Just how the cops thought I was involved was never satisfactorily explained, since I destroyed all the photos and negatives I had of Evergrad making it with his sister long before the police reached my apartment.

At any rate, Mitch Evergrad ended up dead, as did Kalman Albert. Cy Roberts and all the other members of the murder club, including Dr. Joe Carreba, received life sentences for the heinous murders they'd either committed or abetted.

Joan Randall phoned me once, trying to collect the insurance I'd supposedly written on her husband just before he'd died. I told her the policy was void since he'd died committing a crime.

I had one helluva cleaning bill having Mitch Evergrad's blood shampooed out of my carpet. I also had a long sob story from Moira Evergrad once the police had left my apartment with Mitch's body. She had enough money, but now that she was used to getting laid (under the influence of some considerable liquor she confided her incestuous relationship to me), she didn't know whose cock to depend on.

I spent two nights a week for the next month consoling her in her bed, keeping her happy. I spent another night each week keeping Joan Randall content. And I had a night for Nicky, Dr. Carreba's nurse, who was unemployed and in need of consolation. Boy did I console.