by Parnell Hall
“Trying to get in. These are my friends, Stephanie and Sergeant Crowley of the NYPD. This is Derek Jeter. Derek was at Matt’s party. You know there’s been another murder. We need to question the batboy who was checking invitations. The murdered woman was there that day, but she wasn’t on the guest list.”
“The woman with red hair?”
“Did she speak to you?”
“No, but she was hard to miss. They’re taking batting practice now. He’ll be out on the field. Come on, I’ll take you out there. It’s all right, Manny, they’re with me.”
Derek held the door open. Cora gave Manny her sweetest smile as she sailed through. Stephanie and Sergeant Crowley, visibly impressed, brought up the rear.
Derek led them through the locker room, empty now with everyone on the field, up the ramp, and into the dugout.
Players were milling around on the field, waiting their turn to bat. At the far end of the dugout, the batboy was filling the bat rack, making sure each player had his own personal bat.
“Hey, Danny,” Derek said.
The batboy looked up.
“Come over here a minute.”
“Oh, hi, Mr. Jeter. You wanna hit?”
“No, these people have some questions for you.”
Danny recognized Cora Felton. “You were at Matt’s party.”
“Yeah,” Cora said. “And these guys are with the NYPD. They’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“About what?”
“It’s a little crowded in here,” Cora said. “Could we step out on the field?”
“Not a good idea. You might get hit with a foul ball.”
“Oh, God, I hope so,” Cora said.
“You want a baseball?” Derek said. “Hey, Danny. Got some balls for our visitors?”
Danny hopped out of the dugout, retrieved some stray baseballs from the field.
Derek whipped out a pen, autographed them, and handed them to the guests. He took a little extra time with Cora’s. She smiled, pushed it into her drawstring purse.
“Now then,” Derek said, “if you stay just behind the screen here, I don’t get in trouble and no one gets sued. I’m sure Danny would be glad to help you.”
“Now, Danny,” Cora said. “You were on the gate at Matt’s party. You heard about the woman who got killed.”
“I can’t believe it,” Danny said. “Such a nice lady.”
“You remember her?”
“Oh, sure. With that red hair she’s hard to miss.”
“You checked her in at the gate?” Crowley said.
“Sure.”
“But she wasn’t on the guest list.”
“That’s right, she wasn’t.”
“Why’d you let her in?”
“She had an invitation.”
“She had an invitation but she wasn’t on the guest list?”
“That’s right.”
“How could that be?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you let her in?”
“Sure. That was my job. If someone was on the guest list, I let ’em in. If someone had an invitation, I let ’em in.”
“Weren’t the people who had invitations on the guest list?”
Danny nodded. “Most of ’em.”
“Then why did you let her in?”
“Those were my instructions. If a person was on the guest list, let ’em in. If a person had an invitation, let ’em in. The woman wasn’t on the guest list. I was going to ask Mrs. Greystone about her, but then she found her invitation.”
“You didn’t tell the police this when they questioned you at the Greystone house.”
“She wasn’t dead.”
“All right, let me ask you this,” Cora said. “Can you remember anyone else who wasn’t on the guest list who had an invitation?”
Danny frowned. “Let me see. Hmm. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t.”
* * *
“Well, that was a waste of time,” Crowley said as they left Yankee Stadium.
“Not at all,” Cora said. “That was very interesting. The witch had an invitation but wasn’t on the guest list. Now how do you think that happened?”
“She used someone else’s invitation,” Stephanie said promptly.
“Killjoy,” Cora said. “Can’t you come up with a sinister motive?”
Stephanie jerked her thumb at Crowley. “After years with him? Sinister motives are a dime a dozen. I can come up with several. But none more likely than she just used someone else’s.”
“She’s got you there,” Crowley said.
“Yeah. Except for one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“She’s dead. She had an invitation, she wasn’t on the list, and she’s dead.”
Chapter
55
Cora shook her head. “I can’t make head nor tail of this case because nothing adds up. Matt has a car crash. I get a message to check Matt’s brakes. I check Matt’s brakes. There’s nothing wrong with Matt’s brakes.
“Then Matt’s new car has an accident. Lo and behold, the brakes have been cut. Now the message makes sense. I’ve been told to check Matt’s brakes and Matt’s brakes have been cut. Except for one thing. When I got the message, Matt’s brakes were fine. Someone sent me the message before Matt’s brakes were cut. Was it the person who cut them? It seems to me that’s the only one who would have known. So then why would they be warning me? So that Matt’s brakes could be cut without killing Matt? Who does that benefit?
“Not to mention the fact that Matt isn’t driving his car anyway. Most people know that. At least anyone involved with him. In particular his wife, who’s the one who gave me the clue to begin with, and his agent, who winds up driving the car when it has the accident. Can you come up with a scenario for either one of them trying to kill Matt that makes sense?”
Becky put up her hand. “Trying to kill Matt, no. But that wasn’t the premise. The premise was a reason to cut Matt’s brakes. Murder does not have to be in mind.”
“Fair enough,” Cora said. “You come up with a reason for that.”
“Oh, no,” Becky said. “I’m not coming up with any reasons. I’m just picking holes in the ones you come up with.”
“That’s not particularly helpful,” Cora said.
“Now you know how Chief Harper feels.”
“Then we got the witch. According to the batboy, she had an invitation to the party. No one sent it, and yet it was there. As if that weren’t spooky enough, she’s got a file that said Matt Greystone. But it disappears. Right after someone stole her memory card. If she had a file for Matt in her file cabinet, you would think she had one on her computer. But that doesn’t seem to be the case. And if she had appointments on the computer of her New York office, you would think there’d be appointments for Matt.”
“Maybe he saw her under a different name.”
“Best idea I’ve heard in a long time. And one we could actually check.”
“If we had access to her computer files. Which we don’t.”
“Yeah, but the cops do.”
“The cops are not inclined to be helpful right now.”
“It depends on whether they’re Yankees or Red Sox fans.”
“Cora.”
“Just sayin’.”
“Anyway,” Becky said. “If Matt was seeing the witch, how come he won’t own up to it?”
“He’s embarrassed about it?”
“I suppose so. It’s the sort of thing the gossip columns could run with. It’s an embarrassing bit of publicity. The type that agent of his tries to play down. And the type a sleazy journalist tries to play up. Hinting at voodoo rituals and the like. You know, blood sacrifices, biting the head off a live chicken. Who pays attention to such crap?”
“Clearly, you do.”
“You can’t help seeing the National Enquirer in the grocery line. Everybody does.”
“The front page?”
“For the most part.”
Chapter
56
“Hey, your air conditioner’s working,” Cora said.
“Yeah,” Chief Harper said. “I like to think it’s because I’m doing a fine job as chief and I really deserve it. But I realize it’s only a side product of letting a prisoner escape.”
“He didn’t escape.”
“Well, he’s not here. And every reporter in town thought he was under arrest. What they think now is anybody’s guess. Most of them are too responsible to make one, but Rick Reed’s saying anything that comes to mind.”
“Hold the phone. Breaking news. Chief Harper just expressed the opinion that Rick Reed actually has a mind. Film at eleven.”
“It’s not funny, Cora. This is a very sensitive case. The type of case where I can get in trouble just for doing my job.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? I’m glad to hear it, because I don’t understand. I feel I understand less the more this goes on.”
“Maybe I can help you sort it out, Chief. I was thinking there might be a clue in the files in Amanda Hoyt’s office.”
“I thought you already saw those files.”
“I didn’t see those files. I saw that they existed, and then an overzealous night watchman nearly shot holes in me. If I had been able to look at those files, I might have been able to help you.”
“Oh, would you now?”
“Absolutely. I was on the verge of a great discovery. Amanda Hoyt had a calendar on her computer, listing her appointments.”
“And that’s a great discovery?”
“It is, actually. The files of the witch’s appointments go back a ways. I don’t know how far back, because I don’t know when she put in the program. But if her appointments included Matt Greystone, his name might be there. Because the calendar had nothing to do with the substance of her appointments, it’s just a record of who showed up. So even if you couldn’t get an account of what happened during the sessions, you could get a verification of the fact those sessions took place. Or at least were scheduled to take place, if you want to look at it like a prosecutor.”
“That’s an excellent idea. I will certainly pass it along.”
“Chief.”
“I can’t let you into the woman’s office to look at her computer files. Particularly when you’ve already been arrested for doing it.”
“I think arrested is overstating it.”
“Let’s ask Sergeant Crowley. Did he or did he not put up bail?”
“Well, if you’re going to fixate on every little thing.”
“You know I can’t let you into that office.”
“I know.”
“So why are you here?”
“It occurred to me you might be able to answer that question without letting me into that office.”
“Oh, that occurred to you, did it?”
“Because the police would have been in that office and looked at that file. And if the name Matt Greystone jumped out, I would think that might be worthy of mention. So you’d know.”
“You thought all that, did you?”
“Well, I can’t take all the credit. Becky and I have been batting ideas around. Seeing as how she’s the Greystones’ attorney.”
“She’s representing both of them?”
“I see no reason why she should limit her practice.”
“Except for a conflict of interest.”
“You mean you’re charging only one? Or you mean you’re charging both, but without the element of conspiracy? You figure if you can nail either one, you’re batting five hundred.”
“I’m not commenting on what the county prosecutor may or may not do. As you well know.”
“Well, I’m commenting on what he might do, and I don’t care if you quote me. He’s charging Jackie Greystone. He’s not charging Matt Greystone. Why? Well, not because he’s got more evidence on her than on him. She doesn’t pitch for the New York Yankees. He can convict her and send her to jail, and it won’t affect the pennant race. Unless Matt becomes despondent and can’t pitch.”
“He has a broken arm.”
“Broken arms mend. Broken hearts don’t.”
“Oh, please.”
“Too corny? Damn. I was thinking it might be a country western song. Of course I’m not sure too corny’s a deal breaker.”
Harper frowned, cocked his head. “Cora, I know you. When you get this manic, it’s because you’re fresh out of ideas.”
Cora sighed. “Damned if I’m not. You don’t think telling me about Matt Greystone’s appointments might give me a jump start?”
“Sorry, Cora.”
“All right, if you can’t tell me about the file, can you tell me about the gun?”
“What gun?”
“Come on. You got a woman dead by gunshot wound. What gun do you think I mean?”
“No, I can’t tell you about the gun.”
“You haven’t done the ballistics test?”
“I don’t do the ballistics test. We send it out to the lab.”
“That’s all right. You don’t have to tell me about the gun. Either you don’t have the results yet, which I would find hard to believe, or neither of the guns was the murder weapon. Because if it was Don’s gun, you’d be celebrating like it was the Fourth of July all over again, and the Greystones would be free to go. And if it was Matt’s gun, I wouldn’t even be able to get in here because you’d all be running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And Ratface would be having delusions of grandeur and practicing up for his TV appearances. And I can’t believe you didn’t get the tests expedited, so I’m going with neither gun. Any comment on that?”
Dan Finley burst in the door. “We found the gun!”
Chapter
57
“Are you representing Don?” Cora said.
Becky shrugged. “I can’t represent Don unless they dismiss the charges against Jackie.”
“Any chance of that happening?”
“Do you think the prosecutor’s going to do that just to accommodate me?”
“Well, if he wants to date you.”
“Cora, that’s not funny. He’s got a case against Don and he’s also got a case against Jackie. Ordinarily, that would be tough for him, but there happens to be two crimes.”
“You had no problem representing Matt and Jackie.”
“They happen to be man and wife. And there was no theory they acted alone. They could be considered coconspirators.”
“But she was the only one charged.”
“Because he’s a star pitcher, and Henry Firth didn’t want to stick his neck out. But that’s his problem. I think about representing them and I have no problem. On the other hand, I think about representing Jackie and Don and, oh, my God. Are the two of them an item and her husband’s out? Are the two of them acting as coconspirators? Not in a million years. And if Jackie didn’t kill Leon Bratz, there’s a chance Don did. A damn good chance. I know it. Henry Firth knows it. And wouldn’t that be wonderful, because neither of them pitch.”
“Don pitches.”
“In the minor leagues. No one cares about the minor leagues.”
“What’s Don say about the gun?”
“I can’t ask Don about the gun because I’m not his attorney. I can ask my clients about the gun, but they don’t know anything. If I asked Don, he’d probably say he didn’t know anything, either.”
Jackie Greystone burst into the office. “You’ve got to represent Don!”
“I can’t.”
“You’ve got to. He didn’t do it.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“I just talked to him.”
“I told you not to do that.”
“Yeah, I know. But this is serious.”
Becky rolled her eyes. “Oh, my God, I’m a hundred years old. I’m playing nursemaid to a bunch of naughty kids.”
“You can’t leave Don with no attor
ney at all.”
“He’ll call someone in New York.”
“And meanwhile he just sits there?”
The search of Don’s rental car had discovered a gun stashed under the driver’s seat. Ballistics tests had determined it was indeed the gun that killed Amanda Hoyt. Cogent legal analysis by crack investigative reporter Rick Reed was that Don was toast.
“This is silly,” Jackie said. “If they think it was Don, they can’t think it was me.”
“Not a chance.”
“Why not?”
“As long as I’m representing you, I can’t represent him. The prosecutor knows that. He would much rather keep me off the case.”
“You’re that good?”
“She is, but that’s not why,” Cora said. “If the case comes to trial, the prosecutor will be presenting it to a jury of Bakerhaven residents. They happen to like Becky Baldwin, and they won’t want to see him destroy her in court. On the other hand, they’d be all too happy to see him rip some smug New York attorney’s can off.”
Jackie looked at Becky. “Is she serious?”
“Cora tends to overstate the case, but the principle is valid. Don’s an outsider. If his attorney’s an outsider, he’s got two strikes against him.”
“You’re just proving why he needs you.”
Becky looked at Cora. “You didn’t think that one through, did you?”
“Well, it sounded good,” Cora said.
“Can’t you shame him into letting me go?” Jackie said.
“How?”
“Just what she said. Go on TV and say that’s why he won’t.”
“I can’t do that,” Becky said.
Cora clapped her hands together. “No. But you can say you’re not doing that.”
Chapter
58
“This is Rick Reed, Channel 8 News, live in Bakerhaven, the scene of two shocking crimes. Earlier today we broke the news that the gun used in the killing of Amanda Hoyt had been discovered concealed under the driver’s seat of the rental car of Don Upton, a minor league pitcher and former teammate of Yankee superstar Matt Greystone. Ballistics tests have shown it to be the murder weapon used in the killing of Bakerhaven resident Amanda Hoyt, and Don Upton has been placed in police custody.
“Speculation has run rife that crack courtroom specialist Becky Baldwin would be stepping up to represent Don Upton in his defense of this capital crime. But to this reporter’s surprise, such is not the case.
