"Gischler, Victor - The Scent Of Jasmine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gischler Victor)

Weaver frowned. "I'm his personal attorney, Samson. Ike was involved with many different business opportunities. There's a hundred reasons he might've needed to see another lawyer."

"Is it possible he wanted somebody else to handle a change in his will?"

"It's possible. This is a free country, and Ike can hire a dozen lawyers if he wants to. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a lot of work to do.”

I met Bill at the bagel place and we traded information. He was on his second onion bagel with cucumber dill cream cheese. He wasn't happy with the way the Caruthers case was going.

"The coroner says Ike died that morning, maybe an hour or two before you found him. That puts Liddy at the salon getting the works, hair, nails, you name it."

I raised an eyebrow. "So she's off the hook?"

"We're keeping an eye on her. In the meantime, we got no prints from the knife, but it matches the others in Ike's kitchen, so the murderer didn't bring it with him."

"Or her."

"Right."

I told him about my talk with Olivia Caruthers and my visit to Art Weaver's office. "I got an idea, Bill."

"Aw, hell, Samson, you know what I think of your ideas."

"Hear me out. If you don't like it, I'll buy you another bagel."

* * *

Liddy claimed to be too distraught to stay at home, so she took a room at the Hamilton Plaza in town. I knocked once and she let me in. Her suite was spacious and plush. She wore a clingy black robe of silk, and her nipples pushed against the fabric like they had a schedule to keep.

"Oh, Conner, thank God you're here."

I'd been promoted from Mr. Samson to Conner. I decided to play along. "Hello, Liddy. Had a long day?"

"The worst. I was just about to take a hot shower."

"Did you know there was a plain clothes police officer in the lobby with orders to keep an eye on you?"

"What? Why?"

"Don't take it personally. Standard procedure." This was a big, fat lie, but I didn't want her sneaking off anywhere tonight.

"Go ahead and take your shower," I said. "I'll wait."

Fifteen minutes later, she came out of the shower wet, and pink and smelling like jasmine. The robe stuck in places where she hadn't toweled off completely. I'd taken off my jacket and loosened my tie. She didn't seem to mind. I handed her a rum and coke and we clinked glasses.

Polite talk soon turned to frank questions and another round of drinks.

"Of course, I wanted Ike's money. I mean, I liked him and all, but I knew I was marrying rich. But I didn't need to kill him. I already had his money. He let me spend as much as I wanted."

I asked, "Did you talk to him about a new will?"