Sex, Lies & Serious Money

58

Dino followed VIV into the rear seat of his city-owned SUV, and as his escorting policeman closed the door his cell phone rang. “Probably Stone to see if we’re on time,” he said, putting the phone to his ear. “Bacchetti.” As he listened, his expression changed. “Be there shortly,” he said.

Viv looked at him. “What?”

“We’ve got ourselves a double murder,” Dino said. “Let’s go into Central Park, Seventy-second Street entrance, then turn left to the band shell.”

The car entered the park and left the road, driving down the broad sidewalk until he came to the yellow police tape. “I shouldn’t be long,” he said to Viv as he got out. Out of habit he clipped his badge to his jacket pocket, though every cop on the scene knew him by sight. “What’ve we got here?” he asked a detective.

“One stiff,” the man replied. “It’s somebody you’re interested in.”

Dino walked around the body on the bench and looked at the face. “That would appear to be one Marvin Jones,” he said.

“His ID confirms that identity, plus a couple of others,” the detective replied.

“I was told it was a double homicide,” Dino said. “Where’s the other one?”

“In a pawnshop in the Nineties.”

“A murder-suicide?”

“The other stiff is Irving Schwartz, the guy Jones was with when they broke into the Barrington house, the one who turned up at Lenox Hill with a bullet wound to the ass.”

“Ah.” Dino pointed at the .38 lying on the ground near the bench. “Would that be the murder weapon?”

“It would appear to be of the same caliber as Schwartz’s head wound.”

Dino peered closely at the hole in Jones’s temple. “I don’t think that was made by a .38.”

“That’s the puzzle, Commissioner. The murder and the apparent suicide appear to have been accomplished with different weapons.”

“So where’s the smaller caliber one?”

“It probably left with the shooter.”

“So he stages a suicide, then leaves the scene with the weapon? That’s not very smart.”

“Well, it does leave us with less to go on in solving this one, so it’s not completely stupid of the guy.”

“Any evidence left of the departing shooter?”

“Not a thing. There was some rain, but the area around the band shell is all paved, so no footprints.”

Dino pointed. “What’s in the bag?”

“Not much — nothing that would help us. Thing is, the owner of the pawnshop says a hundred and fifty grand was taken from his safe, but neither Schwartz nor Jones is in possession of it.”

“Well, first of all, I can’t see a pawnshop holding that kind of money. Thirty or forty, maybe, so that bit of testimony is probably meant for his insurance company.”

“It gives us a robbery motive for this shooting, though.”

“Was there a third guy involved in the robbery?”

“Not that we have found any evidence of. The only thing missing from the pawnshop safe was the cash. They left the jewelry.”

“So why would the other two come to Central Park? They could have divvied up the cash on the spot.”

“I think what we’ve got is two robberies and two murders,” the detective said.

“So where does the third guy come in? I mean, he was certainly here, so he and Jones must have planned to meet, but why Central Park at what time?”

“ME says between midnight and two AM.”

“I guess it’s lonely enough.” Dino looked around. “Well, I’m on my way out of town, so I don’t have time to solve this for you.”

The detective laughed. “I guess not.”

“I’ll be back in a few days. Try to have it wrapped up by then.” He started to go then hesitated. “Check Jones’s prison record. Find out who his buddies were — that might be a start.”

“I’ll do that, Commissioner. Thanks for the suggestion.”

“Don’t mention it. Have a good time.” Dino walked back to the car and got in. “Teterboro, as originally planned,” he said to his driver.

“What was it?” Viv asked.

“A guy named Marvin Jones, who was in Stone’s house the night of the Strategic Services party. Also, the other guy who was there, but he’s dead in a pawnshop uptown, and the two of them were shot with different weapons.”

“That’s weird.”

“Yeah, but it’s the kind of thing that makes police work interesting,” Dino replied.