Brewing Up a Storm: Emma Lathen Books by Deaver Brown & Deaver Brown

Author:Deaver Brown & Deaver Brown [Brown, Deaver]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: Simply Media
Published: 2018-01-25T23:00:00+00:00

As Reardon had been reminded, only one of Madeleine Underwood’s recent adversaries claimed to have cleared the entire midtown area immediately upon Chairman Rossi’s adjournment.

“Come on, John,” Charlie Trinkam urged. “It’s the least we can do for poor old Elmer. He spent the morning being grilled by the cops. It’s bad enough he told some people at the hearing that someone should strangle our Madeleine, but then he comes up with this way-out alibi.”

“What does he say he was doing?”

“The poor guy’s story is that he went to some zoo in the Bronx. He claims he spent four hours there and nobody noticed him.”

Trinkam, a confirmed bachelor with a zestful approach to life, was the Sloan’s acknowledged expert on the glossy aspects of Manhattan life. But occasionally he stupefied his companions with a display of ignorance about more mundane matters.

After a moment’s thought, Thatcher identified the problem. “It’s not like Central Park, Charlie,” he said gently. “The one in the Bronx is much larger.”

Having escorted children and grandchildren to the New York Zoological Garden, he was in a position to expatiate on the vast acreage, the thousands of visitors roaming at will. It was perfectly possible, he announced, for a solitary male to spend a long time communing with the polar bears or participating in the joys of the Monkey House without attracting attention.

“If you say so,” said Charlie, willing to accept but not pretending to understand. His own bottomless interest in the human animal left him no time for the consideration of lesser vertebrates.

“Never mind about that now. I still don’t understand why this meeting is taking place here.”

Charlie explained that Elmer Rugby did not have a New York base. When representatives of NOBBY had asked for a conference, he had arranged an appointment in Trinkam’s office.

Thatcher nodded his comprehension. Rugby was unwilling to surrender the advantage gained by forcing the opposition to come to him.

“Still, I’d expect this to be a lawyer-to-lawyer meeting.”

“NOBBY wants to get a few things settled first.”

“And Rugby wants our advice?”

“Hell, no! He wants witnesses.”

Another Sloan officer might have pleaded the interests of his client. But Charlie knew a better argument.

“This is too good a chance to miss, John. One of this bunch may have knocked off Madeleine,” he urged irresistibly.

The NOBBY delegation arrived within minutes of Elmer. Peggy Roche introduced herself as head of NOBBY’s board of governors. She was supported by Jeremy Pfizer, another governor, and the interim director, Mrs. Iona Perez.

Peggy was eloquent about the deep regret experienced at headquarters for the totally unjustifiable conduct of the NOBBY protesters.

“Easy enough to say now that it’s gotten you a lot of bad press,” Elmer grunted.

Unabashed, she swept on. NOBBY realized that it was responsible for the damage caused and the hospital bills incurred.

“Damn right!”

Without a flicker of discomfiture, she soldiered on. “Court cases are notoriously expensive. We could both save a good deal of money by reaching a settlement without litigation.”

Court cases also produced punitive damages, Rugby was swift to remind her. Particularly when inspired by wildly irresponsible conduct.

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