Let Me Call You Sweetheart

91

Kerry went back to her office after the call from Si Morgan came through. She was now convinced that Arnott was irrevocably tied in some way to Suzanne Reardon’s death. Just how, though, would have to wait until he was in custody and she and Frank Green had had a chance to interrogate him.

There was a pile of messages on her desk, one of which, from Jonathan, was marked “Urgent.” He had left his private number at his local office. She called him immediately.

“Thanks for calling back, Kerry. I have to come over to Hackensack and I want to talk to you. Buy you lunch?”

A few weeks ago, he had started the conversation with “Buy you lunch, Judge?”

Kerry knew the omission today was not accidental. Jonathan played it straight. If the political fallout from her investigation cost Frank Green the nomination, she would have to forget about a judgeship, no matter how justified she had been. That was politics, and besides, there were plenty of other highly qualified people panting for the job.

“Of course, Jonathan.”

“Solari’s at one-thirty.”

She was sure she knew why he was calling. He had heard about Dr.

Smith and was worried about her and Robin.

She dialed Geoff’s office. He was having a sandwich at his desk.

“I’m glad I’m sitting down,” he told her when she filled him in about Arnott.

“The FBI will be photographing and cataloguing everything they find in the Catskill house. Morgan said the decision hasn’t been made whether to move everything into a warehouse or to just invite the people who’ve been robbed to come and identify their stuff right at that site. However they do it, when Green and I go up to talk to Arnott we want Mrs. Reardon along to positively identify the picture frame.”

“I’ll ask her to postpone going in for the angioplasty for a few days. Kerry, one of our associates was in federal court this morning. He tells me that Royce requested an extra hour for the lunch break. The word is that he may be offering immunity to Jimmy Weeks’ bookkeeper. He’s not going to take a chance on losing another prize witness by playing hardball.”

“It’s coming to a head, then?”

“Exactly.”

“Have you called Skip about Smith’s letter?”

“Right after I talked to you.”

“What was his reaction?”

“He started to cry.” Geoff’s voice became husky. “I did too.

He’s going to get out, Kerry, and you’re the reason.”

“No, you’re wrong. You and Robin are. I was ready to turn my back on him.”

“We’ll argue about that another time. Kerry, Deidre Reardon’s on the other phone. I’ve been trying to reach her. I’ll talk to you later. I don’t want you and Robin alone in your place tonight.”

Before Kerry left to meet Jonathan, she dialed Joe Palumbo’s cellular phone. He answered on the first ring. “Palumbo.”

“It’s Kerry, Joe.”

“Recess is over. Robin is back inside. I’m parked in front of the main entrance, which is the only unlocked door. I’ll drive her home and stay with her and the sitter.” He paused. Don’t worry, Momma. I’ll take good care of your baby.”

“I know you will. Thanks, Joe.”

It was time to meet Jonathan. As she hurried out to the corridor and rushed through the just-closing elevator door, Kerry kept thinking about the missing pin. Something about it seemed familiar. The two parts. The flower and the bud, like a mother and child. A momma and a baby… why did that seem to ring a bell? she wondered.

Jonathan was already seated at the table, sipping a club soda. He got up when he saw her coming. His brief, familiar hug was reassuring. “You look very tired, young lady,” he said. “Or is it very stressed?”

Whenever he talked to her like that, Kerry felt the remembered warmth of the days when her father was alive and felt a rush of gratitude that Jonathan in so many ways had been a surrogate father to her.

“It’s been quite a day so far,” she said as she sat down. “Did you hear about Dr. Smith?”

“Grace called me. She heard the news when she was having breakfast at ten o’clock. Sounds like more of Weeks’ handiwork. We’re both heartsick with worry about Robin.”

“So am I. But Joe Palumbo, one of our investigators, is outside her school. He’ll stay with her till I get home.”

The waiter was at the table. “Let’s order,” Kerry suggested, “and then I’ll fill you in.”

They both decided on onion soup, which arrived almost immediately. While they were eating, she told him about the Federal Express package with all the jewelry and the letter from Dr. Smith.

“You make me ashamed that I tried to dissuade you from your investigation, Kerry,” Jonathan said quietly. “I’ll do my best, but if the governor decides Green’s nomination is in jeopardy, it would be like him to take it out on you.”

“Well, at least there’s hope,” Kerry said. “And we can thank Grace for the tip she gave the FBI.” She told him what she had learned about Jason Arnott. “I can see where Frank Green is already planning to defuse negative publicity about Skip Reardon being unfairly prosecuted. He’s dying to announce that the cat burglar who murdered Congressman Peale’s mother was captured because of a tip from the wife of Senator Hoover. You’re going to come out of this as his best friend, and who can blame him? God knows you’re probably the most respected politician in New Jersey.”

Jonathan smiled. “We can always stretch the truth and say that Grace consulted Green first and he urged her to make the call.” Then the smile vanished. “Kerry, how does Arnott’s possible guilt in the Reardon case affect Robin? Is there a possibility that Arnott is the one who took that picture of her and sent it to you?”

“No way. Robin’s own father passed along the warning and in essence admitted that Jimmy Weeks had that picture taken.”

“What’s the next step?”

“Probably that Frank Green and I will bring Deidre Reardon up to the Catskills first thing tomorrow morning to positively identify that miniature frame. Arnott should be being cuffed right about now. They’ll keep him in the local jail, at least for the present. Then, once they start connecting the stolen goods to specific burglaries, they’ll begin arraigning him in different locations. My guess is they’re itching to try him first for the murder of Congressman Peale’s mother. And, of course, if he was responsible for Suzanne Reardon’s death, we’ll want to try him here.”

“Suppose he won’t talk?”

“We’re sending flyers to all the jewelers in New Jersey, naturally concentrating on Bergen County since both Weeks and Arnott live here. My guess is that one of those jewelers will recognize the more contemporary jewelry and tie it to Weeks, and that the antique bracelet will turn out to be from Arnott. When it was found on Suzanne’s arm it obviously had a new clasp, and the bracelet is so unusual some jeweler might remember it. The more we can find to use in confronting Arnott, the easier it should be to make him try to strike a deal.”

“Then you expect to leave early in the morning for the Catskills?”

“Yes. I’m certainly not going to leave Robin alone in the house in the morning again, but if it turns out that Frank wants to be on the road very early, I’ll see if the sitter will stay over.”

“I have a better idea. Let Robin stay with us tonight. I’ll drop her off at school in the morning, or, if you want, you can that Palumbo man pick her up. Our house has state-of-the-art security. You know that. I’ll be there, of course, and I don’t know whether you realize that even Grace has a gun in her table drawer. I taught her to use it years ago. Besides, I really think it would be good for Grace to have Robin visit. She’s been rather down lately, and Robin is such fun to have around.”

Kerry smiled. “Yes, she is.” She thought for a moment. “Jonathan, that really could work. I really should get some work in on another case I’ll be trying, and then I want to go through the Reardon file with a fine-toothed comb to see if there’s anything more I can pick up to use when we question Arnott. I’ll call Robin when I know she’s home from school and tell her the plan. She’ll be delighted. She’s crazy about you and Grace, and she loves the pink guest room.”

“It used to be yours, remember?”

“Sure. How could I forget? That’s back when I was telling Grace’s cousin, the landscaper, that he was a crook.”