"Harrington, Patricia - A Clean View On Murder" - читать интересную книгу автора (Harrington Patricia)

Detective Gilmer took me into a conference room and we sat across from each other.

"Call me Jonesy," I said. "Everybody does."

The detective had a nice smile. She said, "Okay, Jonesy. From the beginning. What did you see?"

"Tom had come back early from lunch. He was standing behind his desk with his coat and gloves on, looking at a trophy left on his desk. His brother came in and the two started arguing. Tom started sorting papers on his desk, sort of dusting off his brother. At any rate, the brother picks up the trophy with both hands and brings it down on Tom like he's chopping wood. It didn't bother the man none that I was watching. He just walked out of there."

"The brothers are accusing each other," Gilmer said.

I brushed my buzz cut, thinking hard, and said, "All three had trench coats like the one Humphrey Bogart wore in Casablanca."

The detective raised an eyebrow.

Seeing her expression, I said, "The wife likes old movies."

Gilmer sighed. "Well, the fingerprints on the trophy will tell us which brother it was."

"Don't think so. He wore gloves. All three triplets wore gloves and their coats when they went to lunch. After calling dispatch, I moved my rig right away so I could see into the other brothers' offices. Thought maybe I'd find the guilty one having the shakes after what he'd done. But Dan was at his desk calm as could be, and Bob was leaving his office with a manila envelope under his arm."

Gilmer ticked off a list. "We have no prints. And the bad guy used a two handed slam dunk, so we can't tell if he was right- or left-handed. Did he limp?"

"Nope.

"That leaves Dan," Gilmer said.

"Maybe, Maybe not," I said. "But I know a way to make sure," and explained my plan.

The brothers weren't happy campers when the cops brought them and their coats into the conference room. Gilmer had them put on their coats and tie their belts.

She turned to me. "Satisfied?"

I nodded, and Gilmer sent them away.

I said, "The wife tells me, 'the devil's in the details'. Did you see how Bob tied and knotted his belt, flipping the left side over the right? Dan did the opposite 'cause he's right- handed. The brother who clobbered Tom was left-handed, had a left-handed knot in his belt"

Gilmer said, "It's slim pickings, but you're our only witness. Now, what about the limp? You said the killer walked out easy as pie."

"Yeah. I figure Bob wanted to make it look like his brother did it, so he made sure I took in the whole scene. Only way I can see Bob walking without a limp is with shoe lifts."

Gilmer exclaimed. "Shoe lifts, Jonesy?"

I nodded, again. "Bet he took them off in his office and stuck the lifts in the manila envelope he was carrying. He probably put it in the letter drop by the elevator doors. He sure wouldn't want Blondie to pick up his mail and ask why he was sending a letter to himself."


PATRICIA HARRINGTON is a grant writer of drug- and gang-elimination programs, as well as a mystery writer. She is currently a member of Sisters in Crime and an associate member of Mystery Writers of America.

Copyright (c) 2000 Patricia Harrington