New York Dead

Chapter 35

Bill Eggers leaned back in his chair and rested his feet on his desk. “That was good work, Stone. The boy has told me everything, I think; I don’t believe he actually screwed the girl, though God knows he meant to. He’s down the hall in an associate’s office right now, writing letters to the girl and the university administration. I think I can negotiate him out of this. The girl wasn’t entirely blameless, and she does have a reputation for sleeping around.”

“I’m glad it worked out,” Stone said.

“Well, you saved his father seventy-five or a hundred thousand in legal fees. Bob Keene will always be grateful to us for that.”

“Frank said you had something else for me.”

“I do, and this one’s sticky. Or, at least, it could be.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I’m going to have to be a little circumspect in talking even to you about this,” Eggers said. “There’s a lot at stake, and I’m going to have to proceed strictly on a need-to-know basis, all right?”

“All right.”

“I have a client I’ve known since I was in high school, whose wife is a prominent businesswoman. They’ve never had much of a marriage, but there were a couple of kids, and they stuck it out. Trouble is, the wife has had a couple of affairs. In fact, there’ve been other men all along, I think, but he’s finally run out of patience, and, even against my best advice, he’s determined to proceed his own way on this.”

“What does he want to do?”

“He wants custody of one of the two kids, the boy, and that means he has to nail her with the other guy – photographs, the works. Actually, he wants a videotape of her in bed with him.”

“Do you often proceed this way in divorce cases?”

“No, and I’ve advised him against this, but he’s absolutely determined. He wants a quick, clean divorce with no haggling about money, and, I have to admit, if he gets his little video, there won’t be any haggling. The wife has too much to lose to allow a Rob Lowe-type tape to be circulated. If her board of directors so much as got wind of such a thing, she’d be finished. Nobody would ever take her seriously again.”

“Well, even in an era of no-fault divorce, I suppose there are still certain advantages to having that sort of evidence. What exactly is it you want me to do? Kick down the bedroom door and film them in living color?”

“I definitely do not want you to do that. The firm can’t afford to have anybody as closely associated with us as you are be directly involved in such a distasteful affair.”

“You mean you want me to find someone else who’ll do it”

Eggers grinned. “Right. Someone who can be trusted to be discreet, even if he’s caught in the act of doing it. Do you know somebody like that?”

Stone did. The man’s face popped immediately into his mind. “Possibly,” he said. “But this could get expensive. He’s going to have to stalk the lady until he can catch her in the act, and that may not be easy.”

“I think it’s going to be easier than you think,” Eggers said, smiling.

“Oh?”

“My client has been very helpful. His wife’s company maintains two apartments in a rather elegant building that specializes in company flats – you know the sort of thing – the out-of-town executive stays in the company apartment instead of at the Plaza. It’s supposed to save money for the company, but, mostly, it’s regarded as just a perk for the upper-level executive. Anyway, my client has been tipped that his wife has been using one of the company apartments on a rather regular basis for her assignations with her male bimbo – a soap-opera actor no less, and he has thoughtfully supplied us with a key to the apartment.” He held up a key.

“Your client has been very helpful indeed,” Stone agreed.

“As I said, there are two apartments. My client, as a spouse, also has access to them, and what he is prepared to do, next time he thinks his wife is dallying, is to book your man into the other flat for the night. That gets him access to the building.” He tossed the key to Stone. “And this gets him access to the other apartment.”

“That’s very neat,” Stone admitted. “Your client is a very cunning fellow.”

“I hope I never have the misfortune to be married to somebody as smart,” Eggers said. “Can you think of any reason why this wouldn’t work?”

Stone laughed. “There are only a few dozen things that could go wrong,” he said, “but it’ll be up to our man to handle those. Actually, your client has made it look pretty straightforward. When does he want this done?”

“Within the next few days. Next time the lady says she’s working late, he’ll call, and it’s on. Can you find your man in a hurry?”

“I’ll make some calls.”

“Let me know what he wants for a fee. I’m authorized to go to ten grand.” Eggers reached behind his desk and pulled out a fat aluminum briefcase. “My client has even supplied us with some very neat, lightweight video equipment.” He began to laugh. “It belongs to the wife.”

Stone had to laugh with him.

Teddy O’Bannion was a thick-set, gray-haired man of, maybe, fifty-five, who had been unfortunate enough to be chosen to take the heat for his precinct a few years back, when one of the periodically instituted crime commissions was going about its work of rooting out corruption in the police department. The evidence allowed against him had been slim, and he had simply been dismissed from the force without prejudice, which allowed him to collect a twenty-year pension, in addition to the very nice monthly stipend his old companions on the pad still paid him.

Teddy could easily pass for your typical out-of-town businessman, in the city for meetings. He looked around the house carefully, obviously trying to figure out how Stone could afford it. “Jesus, Stone, the pad must be bigger than ever,” he said, wonderingly.

“I inherited it, Teddy, from a great-aunt, and now I have to spend the rest of my life scrambling to keep it.”

“Whatever you say, lad.”

Stone handed Teddy a stiff scotch. “I’ve got a night’s work for you. There’s five grand in it.”

“How many children and dogs do I have to murder?”

“It’s a straightforward bedroom job, that’s all.”

Teddy laughed aloud. “Straightforward? Shit, the last bedroom job I did, the woman flew out of the bed and nearly bit my ear off!”

“Those are the risks you take, Teddy.”

“That they are, lad. What’s the setup?”

Stone explained about the apartment building. “There are only two apartments to a floor; you’ll be booked into 9-B. The wife will be across a vestibule in 9-A. You let yourself in – late, I’m advised – find the bedroom, wake the occupants, and take their picture.” He opened the aluminum case and showed Teddy how the camera worked. “You switch on the light; the camera is autofocus, so you just point and shoot. Make sure you get good shots of both faces, and show us a little flesh, if you can. The juicier the better.”

“I think I understand your needs,” Teddy said. “And I’ve used this camera before. Is there anything else I should know?”

Stone shook his head. “If there’s trouble, don’t hurt anybody; if you’re apprehended, say nothing and call me. My client will cover any costs. If a case against you comes to anything, there’ll be another five thousand for you, if you do the right thing.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not getting myself apprehended, and if I do, I’ll take the rap. Nobody’ll trace me back to you. Can I get a look at the place ahead of time?”

Stone shook his head. “I don’t want the concierge to see you twice. I’ll look it over myself.”

“That’s okay with me.”

“Good. When you’ve done the job, take a cab to P. J. Clarke’s and have a drink at the bar. Make sure nobody’s after you. I’ll be there, and, when I’m sure you’re clear, I’ll leave an envelope above the urinal in the men’s room with the five grand in it. You go in immediately after me, leave the camera case, take the money, and go home. That’s it.”

Teddy nodded. “Sounds fine.”

“I don’t want you recognized, Teddy. What can you do about that?”

Teddy put on his hat, took a pair of heavy, black-rimmed glasses from his coat pocket, put them on, then produced a fat cigar and stuck it in his mouth, distorting his face.

Stone laughed. “Good. Simple and good. Oh, and wear your best suit. You want to look prosperous.”

Teddy nodded. “When is it?”

“Probably this week. Stay loose, and I’ll give you as much notice as I can. You can pick up the camera stuff here, on your way.” Stone gave him a hundred-dollar bill. “Here’s cab fare.”

Teddy shook his hand at the door. “Thanks, Stone. I’ll do it right for you.”

Stone hadn’t the slightest doubt he would.