I 've Heard That Song Before

35

Nicholas Greco had made an appointment to see Barbara Krause in the prosecutor’s office at 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon. “I did not anticipate paying a call on you so soon,” he told her when he arrived.

“Nor, to be honest, did I expect to see you,” she said, “but you are certainly always welcome.”

“I am here because Philip Meredith has engaged me to look into the drowning death of his sister, Grace Meredith Carrington.”

Krause had long ago learned to keep a poker face in court, but could not conceal the expression of surprise on her face at this news. “Mr. Greco, if you could come up with anything that could help us to tie that death to Peter Carrington, I’d be most grateful,” she said.

“I’m not a magician, Ms. Krause. Mr. Meredith has confided to me a piece of information that I am not at liberty to discuss right now. What I can say is that it provides a compelling motive for Carrington to want to do away with his wife. However, despite that fact, I’m confident that in a court of law no sensible jury would find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt based just on this information. That is why I would like to see the file you have on the case, and to be allowed to speak to the investigators who went to the scene.”

“That’s easy. Tom Moran headed up that investigation. He’s sitting in on a trial right now, but should be free in an hour or so. If you want, you could wait in his office and read the file there.”

“That would be fine.”

As she pressed the intercom to send for an assistant to fetch the material, Barbara Krause said, “Mr. Greco, we’ve been over that file with a fine-tooth comb. We could not find anything that would stand up as evidence in court. From what you are saying, it’s obvious that Philip Meredith has been withholding information that would help our case. Whether or not you find something in our file that seems relevant, I would encourage you to urge him to be forthcoming with us. You might remind him that an admittance of guilt from Carrington would open the door to a huge civil suit for the Meredith family.”

“I am very sure that Philip Meredith is quite aware of that. I also think that, in the end, even if I see nothing else in the file, he can be persuaded to reveal to you what he has already told me.”

“Mr. Greco, you are making my day.”

For the next hour and a half, Nicholas Greco sat in the one extra chair in Tom Moran’s small office, making neat entries in the notebook that was ever present in his briefcase. Of special interest to him in Moran’s notes was a reference to the fact that there had been a folded paper in the pocket of Grace Carrington’s evening suit, a page from the August 25, 2002, issue of People magazine containing an interview with legendary Broadway star Marian Howley. “Howley had just opened in a one-woman show,” the notes read. “Although the page was soaking wet, it was identifiable, and contained two words scrawled in Grace Carrington’s handwriting: ‘Order tickets.’ Page is now in evidence file.”

Grace Carrington was planning to attend a Broadway show, Greco thought as he jotted down the date of the magazine. That is not the thinking of a woman contemplating suicide.

There had been another couple at the dinner the night Grace Carrington drowned, Jeffrey and Nancy Hammond, and as of four years ago, they were living in Englewood. Greco hoped they were still there. If so, he would try to talk with them in the next few days.

Gary Barr had served the cocktails and dinner that evening, he noted.

Interesting, that Mr. Barr, Greco thought. He had worked for the Althorps on and off, even as the occasional driver for Susan Althorp and her friends. He had been serving at the formal dinner at the Carrington estate the night Susan disappeared, and at the brunch the next day. He was also there and on the estate in the gatehouse the night Grace drowned.

The ubiquitous Mr. Barr. He may be worth another visit, Greco decided.

It was five o’clock, and Moran still had not returned to his office. He’s been in court, Greco thought. He’ll want to get home now. I’ll phone him tomorrow and set up an appointment for a more convenient time.

He walked down the corridor to Barbara Krause’s private office to return the Grace Carrington file. Moran was with her. Krause looked at Greco as though she had forgotten his existence. Then she said, “Mr. Greco, I’m afraid we’ll have to put off any further discussions now. Tom and I are on our way to the Carrington estate. It seems the cadaver dogs have dug up more human bones there.”