Black Dog

Fourteen

Stone poured a glass of water from the vessel on his desk and flicked a few drops onto Joan’s face.

Joan blinked, then looked around. “Why am I on the floor?”

“You fainted.”

“I never faint.”

“Let’s try it again. You are your aunt Annetta’s sole heir, and she left you everything.”

“I’m feeling faint.”

Stone hoisted her into a chair. “Take a few deep breaths.”

Joan did that.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Rich, you might say.”

“That’s because you’re rich.”

“I’m trying to get used to the idea.”

“Pretty soon, you’re going to want to start buying things.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because that’s what people do when they become suddenly rich: they buy all the things they couldn’t afford before they were rich.”

Joan contemplated that. “Can I have the morning off to go shopping?”

“Take a week,” Stone replied. “Get it out of your system.”

“I can’t take a week off,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Because you can’t get along without me for a week.”

“You have a point,” Stone said. “But I’m willing to give it a try, so you can get being rich out of your system.”

“I can go shopping this weekend,” she said.

“Oh, all right, if you insist.”

The phone rang. “I mean,” Joan said, “who would keep you from having to talk to Eddie Jr.”

“The police, maybe. He’s the prime suspect.”

“I suppose so. Does he have an alibi?”

“He thinks he does, but he doesn’t.”

“What’s his alibi?”

“That he’s been in East Hampton for two days.”

“That sounds pretty good to me,” Joan said.

“Sure it does, but he can’t prove it.”

“Annetta has a beautiful house in East Hampton.”

“No, you have a beautiful house in East Hampton.”

“I suppose I do, don’t I? Well, that’s one thing I won’t have to buy. Is Eddie out there?”

“He says he’s been there for two days, but nobody has seen him there.”

“Not good, huh?”

“Not good. Joan, will you tell me something about Eddie?”

“Sure.”

“He’s supposed to be so smart — Yale, law school, the bar exam. If he’s that smart, why is he so unalterably stupid?”

“That’s always puzzled me, too.”

“He thinks he can say he was in East Hampton, and presto! He’s in East Hampton. Is he that stupid?”

“I believe him to be,” Joan said.

“And he keeps saying that I’m his lawyer when I’ve told him repeatedly that I’m not.”

“That’s Eddie Jr. for you.” The phone rang.

“No, that’s Eddie Jr.,” Stone said.

Joan picked up the phone. “The Barrington Practice. Yes, he’s here.” She held out the phone for Stone. “It’s Dino.”

Stone took the phone. “Good morning.”

“Not for Eddie Jr.,” Dino said. “My homicide people want to talk to him. He’s not at the Yale Club and not at the former Apple Annie’s house.”

“He says he’s at her house in East Hampton, been there for two days.”

“Do you believe that?” Dino asked.

“I’m withholding judgment until he can produce a witness who can put him there for that long.”

“That’s pretty much my policy, too. Well, I guess there’s a cop or two on the homicide squad who wouldn’t mind the drive out there.”

“Why don’t you just call that cop out there — what’s-his-name? Get him to do a drive-by and ring the bell. Hang on, I’ll get the address.” He covered the phone. “Joan, what’s the address of Annetta’s — pardon me, your house — in East Hampton?”

“It’s 69 Further Lane,” Joan replied.

“Dino, it’s 69 Further Lane.”

“I guess I could do that. I’ve got his card somewhere, and he could do that.”

“Proving that someone isn’t where he says he is isn’t so hard,” Stone said. “He can handle it.”

“I’ll do that. Dinner tonight?”

“Patroon at seven?”

“Done.” Dino hung up.

So did Stone. “Dino’s going to get an East Hampton cop to drive by and prove Eddie Jr. isn’t there.”

“Good idea.”

“I’ve got another one. Does Eddie have a cell phone, and if so, do you have the number?”

Joan recited the number.

Stone called Dino back and gave him the number. “Why don’t you run a trace on the cell phone?”

“Couldn’t hurt,” Dino said. “See ya.” He hung up.

“There,” Stone said to Joan. “It’s good to have that off my mind.”

“Do you really think Eddie could have killed Aunt Annetta?” Joan asked.

“Why not?” Stone replied. “He’s stupid enough.”

The phone rang again, and Joan answered. “Dino, for you.”

“Yeah?” Stone asked.

“I ran the trace on his cell phone.”

“Where is he?”

“Apparently, he’s sitting in a car outside your house.”

Stone blinked. “Well, send somebody over here to arrest him.”

“We’ll question him at your house. If he’s got an alibi, it’ll save us a trip downtown.”

“Whatever you like, but you have to promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“If your people are going to bring him into my house, they’d better get him out when they’re done.”

“Agreed.”