Bad Business

61

"Wouldn't Eisen seem a suspect?" Susan said. "Two people in a criminal enterprise, and one dies, isn't his cohort a logical possibility?"

We were sitting on her front steps watching whatever walked down Linnaean Street. Pearl sat between us. Alert.

"He would be if he got something out of killing Rowley."

"What could that be?" Susan said.

"I can't find a way that it would be money," I said.

"Weren't they involved with each other's wives?"

"Yeah. But as far as I can tell it was `you bop mine and I'll bop yours.' No need for jealousy."

"Unless one of them wasn't as mutual as the other."

"Marlene thought that Rowley was serious about Ellen Eisen," I said.

"And Ellen?"

"I saw no sign of that." "Still, jealousy is possible."

"Seems so old-fashioned and American a motive for this tangle of vipers."

"But possible," Susan said. "What else would there be in it for Eisen to kill Rowley? Don't focus on the case, just think of possibilities. Why would one conspirator kill a coconspirator?"

"Silence," I said."Rowley was going to blow the whistle and Eisen knew and killed him so he wouldn't."

"So we have jealousy as a possibility," Susan said, "and silence as a possibility."

"He might kill him to get his share, but I can't see how that would have worked. And an investigation of the death might uncover the situation at Kinergy before Eisen had unloaded all his stock."

"So that probably isn't a possibility."

"No," I said. "Probably not. I sort of like the silence theory."

"Something makes it resonate?"

"Gavin," I said. "Gavin was almost certainly killed to shut him up."

"Ahh," Susan said.

"I love it when you say shrink things," I said.

"And when I don't," Susan said.

"True."

"Does Eisen strike you as a man who would kill people?"

"He's a yuppified, corporate jerk," I said. "And we both know the range of people who might kill someone ... but no. He doesn't strike me so."

"Is there anyone who does strike you so?"

"Lance," I said.

"If the scrapbook means what you think it means. People do collect fetish objects, you know."

"Yeah, but assuming he's just a fetish object collector isn't useful to the project," I said.

Susan smiled at me.

"Good heavens," Susan said, "a variation on Pascal's wager."

"So assume he's a serial killer who keeps his notices," I said, "he'd make a first-rate candidate."

Susan thought for a minute. Pearl eyed a man and woman walking by in funny hats. Her whole body stiffened with the desire to bark at them. Mine too. But we had both been urged repeatedly not to, and we were both practicing restraint.

"Or maybe you could partner him with your other candidate," Susan said.

"How so?" I said.

"Well, you have two members of a criminal enterprise," Susan said, "one of whom maybe has reason to murder but not the will; and the other of whom has no reason to murder, but, maybe, plenty of will. Makes kind of a nice fit, doesn't it?"

I nodded. Pearl put her head on my thigh and I patted her.

"I'd have thought of that in another minute," I said.

"Of course you would have," Susan said. "You're a trained detective."

"And don't you forget it," I said.

Pearl looked worried.

"You think I might be right?" Susan said.

"I do."

"So have we solved your case?"

"We have, if we can find a judge and jury that will convict on your say-so."

"Oh, that. Don't you just hate having to support a theory?"

"Supporting theories, little lady, is my middle name."

"Really?" Susan said. "How odd."