Barely Legal by Stuart Woods

Author:Stuart Woods
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780735217232
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2017-08-08T00:00:00+00:00

56

DINO STOPPED OFF at Stone’s to give him the news.

Stone was as incredulous as Monahan. “A thief did it?”

“That’s what the evidence shows.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It makes more sense than Herbie did it.”

“Then it wasn’t Taperelli.”

“It doesn’t look like it, which is a big weight off my mind. I’ve been kicking myself around all day.”

“So has Herbie. He blames himself for Yvette’s death.”

“You want to tell him?”

“He’s not going to believe you. He’s going to think you’re making it up.”

“You can’t make up fingerprints.”

“Actually, you can. Lift ’em from one place and label ’em as coming from another.”

“My detectives wouldn’t do that.”

“Oh? Including Detective Kelly?”

“Fuck you, too, Stone.”

“Let’s go tell him.”

• • •

HERBIE WASN’T CONVINCED. “Yvette was killed by a burglar?”

“It’s possible,” Dino said. “In any event, it appears you were robbed.”

“Appears?”

“Do you have a cash box in your walk-in closet?”

“Yes.”

“Anything in it?”

“I keep some cash on hand.”

“How much?”

“A few thousand in hundred-dollar bills, just for emergencies.”

“Any jewels in the jewelry case?”

“Cuff links. Tie clips. A couple of watches.”

“There’s every indication they were stolen at the same time Yvette was killed.”

“She surprised a burglar? I don’t understand.”

“Nothing adds up because the stage was set. She was killed elsewhere, and put in the bed. The gun was put in your hand.”

“Can you prove that?”

“I’m doing my damnedest. The point is no one thinks you did it anymore.”

“But they did,” Herbie said flatly.

Seeing that Dino’s assurances weren’t lifting Herbie’s mood, Stone said, “Most importantly, it looks like this had nothing to do with the court case. Taperelli, the detective, that’s not what this was about. It just happened.”

“Yes, but why?”

Dino shook his head. “I don’t know. But I mean to find out.”

57

CHICO AND GUS were parked outside the entrance of Cornell Hospital. Chico had found out when Melanie ended her shift, and brought in reinforcements. They’d come in a car in case she took a taxi home. Chico would follow her if she left on foot.

When the attractive blonde emerged from the hospital, Chico jabbed Gus in the ribs and pointed. “There she is.”

Melanie was still in scrubs, but with a light jacket and carrying a purse. Instead of walking toward York Avenue, she headed for the circular driveway out front.

“She’s going for the taxi line. You’re up.”

Gus started the engine.

There was one man ahead of Melanie waiting for a cab, and a woman was paying off a taxi by the curb. After he got that one, she’d be next.

Gus was revving the engine.

“You wanna tone it down? It’s not a drag race.”

Gus eased off the gas.

While they were watching, a sleek sedan squeezed past the taxi and slid to a stop in front of the hospital. The driver hopped out, came around, and ushered Melanie into the backseat.

“What the hell?” Chico murmured.

“Who is that?” Gus said.

“I don’t know, but follow that car.”

The Bentley took a surprisingly short trip, ending at a town house in Turtle Bay. Gus found it odd.

“Why pick her up in a private car to bring her a distance she could have walked?”

They watched as the Bentley pulled into an underground garage.

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