“I notice you didn’t have to sit in the slammer waiting for someone to bail you out, even though you were the brains behind the whole operation.”
I sighed. “There was no operation. And I’m beginning to think, no brains. I just need some kind of information that would ensure the police don’t come hounding Robin again over Mitzi’s murder.”
“Sure, let them hound poor old Alvin.”
“How did I know you were going to draw so much attention to yourself that you’d get arrested?”
I turned to Richard before Alvin could respond. “It’s not far from here,” I said. “Turn left, and then first left again, and then first right.”
As we stopped in front of Alvin’s place, he and I were still swapping recriminations.
“I’ll walk in with him,” I said to Richard. “He’s a little shaky.”
Alvin shot me a look that could have melted metal.
“It’s no trouble. Just want to make sure you’re all right.”
I hopped out of the car, grabbed his arm and propelled him to his door.
“Let go of me,” Alvin said, jerking away, “you’re going to leave bruises.”
“I’m just trying to help you.”
“Yeah, right,” he said.
“Okay, fine. I’ll leave you alone now. But tell me,” I stole a look back to the car where Richard was waiting, “what did you find out when you were in the Harmony?”
“You astound me,” said Alvin.
“Come on.”
“No. I’ve just spent the worst night of my life and all you can think about is your stupid investigation.”
“Not all, not all. Haven’t I been concerned about your welfare tonight? Didn’t I race to the police station with the one person who could get the charges quashed?”
“Big deal.”
“So, what did you find out? Had any of them been there?”
Alvin leaned against the door to the apartment building.
He pulled out the key to the front door. I could tell he was trying to decide whether to tell me or not.
Finally, he broke.
“Yes.”
“Which one for God’s sake? Don’t tantalize me.”
Alvin’s eyes glittered. He inserted the key into the lock and turned it. The door swung open. Alvin stepped through.
“They all were,” he said, just as the door closed in my face.
Sixteen
As I shlepped along the corridor to my apartment, I had time to reflect on the evening.
I could still feel the nip from Conn McCracken’s look when he had told me what he thought of Alvin’s investigation and my part in it.
Richard and I had decided the visit to the police station had been enough to take the magic out of our evening. I felt that Richard had taken Alvin’s prowl through his hotel too seriously. And worse, he had his doubts about my motivations for our date.
“How could you even suggest such a thing?” I stared at him, astounded.
“What am I supposed to think?”
“Not that!”
We were pulling up in front of my building, when he dropped this bomb.
“Well, it seems kind of funny, we have this very nice dinner and romantic evening on the same night your hired help goes snooping around my hotel. And, of course, I’m not there to catch him, because I’m all snuggled up with you on the sofa. What else could I think?”
I felt rage rising and bubbling. I could hear my anger buzzing around my ears. The first time I’d let myself relax with someone since Paul, a man I felt I could trust, maybe even love, a man who made my knees crumble. And he reduces it to a scheme to get my own way. I bit my tongue, grabbed my purse and jumped out of the car as fast as I could.
“Go to hell,” I said and slammed the door.
* * *
“What did you mean, they all were?” I snapped at Alvin the next day.
His back was turned to me, bony and repellent. His ponytail drooped. He yawned.
“I’m on my break,” he said.
“What do you mean, you’re on your break? You just got here and it’s three o’clock in the afternoon.”
“First, it was time off for overtime. You remember last night? Which I spent in the slammer after doing research for you. Now it’s my break. I always take my break at three o’clock.” He didn’t turn around.
“Fine,” I said, “I’ll wait.”
I picked up the Benning brief and stared at it. I’d been staring at it all morning and most of the afternoon. It hadn’t gotten me anywhere so far.
When the phone rang, I snatched it on the first ring.
“Hi,” said Alexa.
“Hi.”
“I just thought I’d let you know how things are going.”
“How are things going?”
“Oh, they’re wonderful.”
They are not, I thought. In fact, they couldn’t be worse.
“That’s great,” I said.
“Conn and I went out last night. To dinner. We were having such a nice time, until he got a call about a case he’s been working on.”
“Oh.”
“Quite an exciting life he has really.”
“Indeed.”
I already knew about Alexa’s date. I’d seen Conn McCracken the night before. He hadn’t been too happy at the time.
“Well,” he’d said, “I was enjoying a very nice dinner with a very nice lady. We were comfortable and relaxed when the call came in that a suspicious character was prowling around the same hotel where we’re investigating a nasty murder. I had no choice but to come downtown and see for myself.”
“I know what you mean,” I’d said.
“And what do I find? You again.”
He had me.
“Where you shouldn’t be.”
“Right.”
“Because two people have already been killed, and you have already been hit on the head, and you might have been killed. Because this is a serious business.”
“I agree.”
“And because your sister wants me to make sure nothing happens to you.”
“She does?”
“That’s right. And I want your sister to be happy. So, for the last time, I will ask you to leave this to us.”
“Sorry,” I said.
He ignored that. “And don’t think sending your weirdo sidekick is going to be just as good. We know him now, too.”
We both looked over at Alvin. Alvin looked back at us, misery obviously flooding his being.
Alexa held me personally responsible for the unplanned end of her evening, and