18 .

I was in the shower the next morning when Susan came in wearing La Perla lingerie.

“Vinnie’s on the phone,” she said.

I got out and toweled off a little.

“You want to stand and admire my glistening body while I take the call?” I said.

“No,” she said and handed me the cordless phone and departed.

I said, “Yeah?”

Vinnie began without preamble.

“I follow the professor the other night to Alderson’s place. She don’t meet him for drinks. She goes straight there. I see Hawk there, scouting Alderson. Professor’s got a suitcase. She goes in. I wait. Hour later she comes out. Still got the suitcase. She gets in her car. Drives about a hundred feet to the hotel next door. Parks in the garage. Checks in to the hotel. I wait awhile. She don’t come out, so I go home. Hawk’s still there. This morning I’m there when she comes out of the hotel. No suitcase. Gets in her car, drives to the college. Parks in the lot, gets out and starts for her building. Guy walks up behind her and shoots her in the back of the head. I put one in him. Go over and check. She’s dead. He’s dead. I get back in the car and watch for a little while. Nothing happens. No one comes out for a look. I don’t hear no sirens. So I screw. I’m in the parking lot at Dunkin’ Donuts down near Fresh Pond Circle.”

I was quiet for a minute. Pearl wandered in to admire my glistening body. I patted her head while I thought.

“Any witnesses?” I said.

“No.”

“Anybody looking out a window,” I said, “maybe got your plate numbers?”

“Plates are bogus,” Vinnie said. “I put on new ones before I called you.”

“How long since the shooting?”

“Hour, probably,” Vinnie said.

“Cops should be there,” I said.

“Sooner or later,” Vinnie said.

Pearl heard Susan moving around in the kitchen and hustled out of the bathroom to investigate. You could never be certain someone wouldn’t give you a second breakfast.

“Recognize the shooter?” I said.

“No. Little guy. Five-six, five-seven, skinny. Dark hair cut short. Maroon sweatsuit. Cheap black running shoes.”

“Don’t be a fashion snob,” I said.

“Don’t matter anyway,” Vinnie said. “He won’t be using them.”

“Okay,” I said. “Eat a few donuts, drink some coffee. I’ll get back to you.”

I walked into the bedroom and sat on the bed. Susan had made it already. My gun lying on the bedside table looked very much out of place. I had dried off so that my body no longer glistened. Susan would have to settle for quiet beauty. I dialed Hawk’s cell phone.

“What’s up with Alderson?” I said.

“In his hole,” Hawk said. “Been there since yesterday afternoon.”

“People in or out?” I said.

“Not that I can tell.”

“Somebody aced Jordan Richmond,” I said.

“And?” Hawk said.

“Vinnie killed him.”

“That’d be Vinnie,” Hawk said.

I told him what I knew.

“Vinnie got a whole assortment of license plates,” Hawk said. He laughed softly. “Clip-ons.”

“Good to be prepared,” I said.

“’Specially being Vinnie,” Hawk said. “Cops going to connect you to this.”

“I know.”

Susan came into the room fully dressed and saw me still naked sitting on the bed. She covered her eyes.

“Ick,” she said.

“You got an alibi?” Hawk said.

“I do,” I said. “I was seeing my shrink.”

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