The Naked Typist

15

Steve Winslow sized up Dan Fuller as he and Marcie Keller filed into Mark Taylor’s office and sat down. Fuller was a stocky, muscular young man, with a broad, open face and curly brown hair. He had a sort of insolent macho air about him. The initial impression Steve got was handsome but not that swift. Steve smiled, thinking how this guy must have reacted to Marcie’s suggestion during last night’s surveillance.

When the detectives were seated, Mark Taylor looked at Steve Winslow, sighed heavily, and ran his hand over his head.

“Okay,” Taylor said. “You’re here because of the job you did last night and the job you did this morning. I want you to listen very carefully to what I have to say.

“Marcie, you met Steve Winslow, but Dan, you haven’t. For your information, Mr. Winslow is the client in the case in question. He is an attorney, he knows the law, and he has a few things he’d like to say to you.

“Before he does, I have a few things to say to you.

“First off, we have just learned that David Castleton, the man you were following last night, was found murdered in his apartment early this morning.”

Dan Fuller’s jaw dropped open. “What?”

Taylor nodded. “I’m afraid that’s right. Cleaning lady went in nine o’clock this morning, found him lying in a pool of blood, shot once in the heart.”

Fuller exhaled noisily, shook his head. “We’ve got to go to the cops.”

“Shut up, Dan,” Marcie said.

Fuller turned on her. “Hey!”

“You talk too much,” Marcie said. “Mark asked you to listen. Now shut up and listen.”

Mark Taylor held up his hands. “All right, you two. Let’s not bicker. You’ll get a chance to talk. Right now I’d like you to listen carefully and hear what I have to say.”

“I second that,” Steve put in. “It’s important that you hear exactly what Mark Taylor has to say. Later on, if someone should ask you, you may need to remember what he said. You may also need to remember what he didn’t say. So listen up.”

“All right,” Taylor said. “Here’s the situation. You were assigned to conduct a surveillance on the decedent, David Castleton. It is possible that your surveillance might turn out to have some bearing on the murder investigation. In the event that it did, it would be your duty to turn over what information you have to the police.”

Fuller frowned. “Are you saying that’s the case?”

“I thought I made myself clear,” Steve said. “I told you to listen carefully to what Mark Taylor said so you’d know what he didn’t say. I think Mark has given you a very fair and accurate assessment of the situation.

“But let me add to it. I am the client in this case, and I am an attorney at law. Anything I know I have the right to withhold from the police because of my attorney/client privilege. You’re detectives. You don’t have that privilege. Therefore, you must be very careful at all times to make sure you are not obstructing justice and withholding evidence from the police. If you willfully withhold information from the police, knowing it to be evidence, you could be in serious trouble. As an attorney, I am advising you not to do that. I am also advising you to be very clear in your own minds about what is and what isn’t evidence so you are able to make the right decision.

“In making that determination, there are certain facts I want you to remember. First of all, will you please make note of the fact that as soon as he learned of the murder, the first thing Mark Taylor did was to call you in here and inform you of it. The second thing he did was tell you that should the information you had turn out to be evidence, it was your duty to report it to the police. Also make note of the fact that Mark Taylor immediately informed you of all the facts of the case in order to help you in making that decision.

“Now, the next thing Mark Taylor was about to do was to ask you if you had any questions. In order to make sure you understood the situation thoroughly and in order to further assist you in making your decisions. Am I right, Mark?”

“Absolutely,” Taylor said. “If you have any questions, the time for them is now. So, do you have any questions?”

“Yeah,” Fuller said. “Should we go to the cops?”

Mark Taylor frowned.

“That is a question better addressed to me,” Steve Winslow said. “As an attorney, I have to look out for my client’s interest. I also have to look out for your interests, and Mark Taylor’s as well. We have a situation here that might require your communicating with the police. In the event that it does, Mark Taylor and I both advise you to do so. At the present time, we are collecting information and examining facts in order to make that determination.”

Mark Taylor rubbed his head. He looked very unhappy. “Any more questions?”

“Yeah,” Marcie Keller said. “You say you’ve given us all the facts at your disposal?”

“That’s right.”

“What about the time of death?”

“We don’t know the time of death. We’re looking into it, but as yet we have no information on the subject.”

“All right,” Marcie said. “Then at the present time, I don’t think the information we have is sufficient to warrant us going to the police. We had David Castleton under surveillance yesterday. For all we know, he was killed early this morning. Is that right?”

Taylor shrugged. “It’s entirely possible. We don’t know.”

“Let me point out the time element is of major importance,” Steve Winslow said. “For instance, if it should turn out David Castleton was killed early this morning, or even any time after midnight, the surveillance you conducted on him would be wholly irrelevant.

“Unless, of course, Kelly Blaine were to be charged with the crime. Then your testimony would be of prime importance. Because you had Kelly Blaine under surveillance from the time she left David Castleton’s apartment building last night until after his body was discovered this morning. In that case, she could not have done it, and your testimony could clear her. Because between the two of you, you can account for her whereabouts every minute from the time she left Castleton’s building until the time of her arrest.”

Marcie Keller’s eyes widened. “Arrest?”

“Yeah,” Fuller said. “See, you don’t know everything. See why I said we gotta tell the cops?”

“Is that true?” Marcie asked. “Is she under arrest?”

“I’m sorry,” Taylor said. “I forgot. Dan knew that, you didn’t. I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I’m just somewhat rattled and I didn’t realize you didn’t know. Yeah, the cops picked Kelly Blaine up about a half hour ago.”

Marcie Keller frowned. “On what charge?”

Taylor shrugged and held up his hands. “That’s just it. We don’t know. It just happened, and we have no information as of yet.”

“Which is why,” Steve put in, “we are not in a position to advise you at this point. Other than what we already have. We are making the facts available to you as we have them, so you are able to act in your best interests. So that you may obey the letter of the law.”

Marcie Keller looked at Steve Winslow. “This Kelly Blaine-is she your client?”

Steve Winslow took a breath. “I have represented Kelly Blaine in the past. It is conceivable I might represent her in the future. In the meantime, I am doing everything legally possible to protect her interests in the event that situation should arise. At the present time, it is my every intention to protect her as my client.”

Marcie nodded. “And you’ve told us everything you know?”

“We’ve given you all the information we have at the present time.”

“I see,” Marcie said. She turned to Mark Taylor. “Mr. Taylor, when I began work for you, I told you that I was an actress, that I took this job part-time to supplement my earnings, but my primary concern was my acting career. I feel my acting has suffered as of late. Because of my work for you, I’ve had to miss auditions and haven’t had the time to make the rounds. I need to get back on track. For that reason, I regret to inform you that until further notice I will be unable to work for your agency. It’s not that I didn’t like working here, and I certainly hope there will be a job opening for me after I get things straightened out. But right now, I really have to concentrate on my career.”

She turned to Dan Fuller, who was staring at her open-mouthed. “Come on, Dan. Let’s get out of here. These guys got work to do.”

Dan blinked. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Come on, Dan. There’s no use sitting here. These guys have told us everything they know. Let’s go get some breakfast.”

“Breakfast?”

“Yeah. I don’t know about you, but I just got yanked out of bed and dragged down here on ten minutes’ notice. I haven’t eaten anything and I’m starved.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Come on, Dan,” Marcie said. She grabbed his arm and literally yanked him out of his chair. “Let’s get something to eat and talk this over. If you’re not hungry, you can have some coffee and keep me company.”

Marcie practically dragged him out the door.

“That,” Steve said, “is one hell of a girl.”

“I’ll say,” Taylor said. “Christ, Steve, on top of everything else you just cost me an operative. If not two.”

“More than likely,” Steve said.

“Think she’ll whip Fuller into line?”

“Hell, yes.” Steve grinned. “The way she’s going I wouldn’t be surprised if by the time breakfast’s over she talks him into getting married so they wouldn’t have to testify against each other.”

Taylor shook his head. “Steve, I don’t like this.”

“Relax, Mark. You’re in the clear. You just told them everything you knew and advised them to contact the police if the information should warrant it. If they fail to do it, you’ve still discharged your duty.”

“I could still go to the police myself.”

“With what? Hearsay? You don’t know anything, Mark. You only know what other people have told you.”

Steve clamped his hands together. “Okay, Mark. That’s out of the way. Let’s see if we can get that medical report.”