“I’ll see what I can do,” Dino said.
“I want to be there when your people question Billy Bob.”
“Let’s have dinner; they’ll call me when he gets in, and we’ll go over there.”
“Tell them they’re not to ask him any questions until I get there.”
“You think he needs to lawyer up?”
“Wouldn’t you lawyer up, in the circumstances?”
9
STONE GOT TO ELAINE’S first and made a show of asking for menus. Dino got there ten minutes later.
“Anything new?”
“Nah. Morton and Weiss are at the Four Seasons, waiting. You have a number for Billy Bob’s airplane or his cell phone?”
“No, neither.”
“How about a home or office address?”
“Neither. Eggers doesn’t have them, either; I called him.”
“You lawyers really keep track of your clients, don’t you?”
“He’s new, okay? Don’t give me a hard time.”
“Somebody’s got to do it.”
“Shut up and order a drink.” Stone nodded toward the approaching waiter. They ordered.
“Let’s jump ahead in time,” Dino said. “Suppose Billy Bob can prove he was in Omaha. What does that do for you?”
“For me?”
“You were alone in the house all day with the girl.”
“The ME said she died between nine and eleven last night. I was here, remember?”
“That was a preliminary estimate,” Dino said, “before the autopsy. What if he comes back and says she died earlier or later?”
“You’re just winding me up, aren’t you Dino?”
“I’m just telling you to be prepared to answer some questions. If it turns out that the girl died at a different time, and you spent the whole day as the only two people in the house, well . . .”
“Well, what?”
“Was Helene there yesterday?”
“It was her day off.”
“Swell, you just might end up fucked.”
“Dino, I met the girl once, at breakfast yesterday. What motive would I have to kill her?”
“Well, let me put my detective hat on, here,” Dino said, scratching his head. “You fucked her; it went wrong; she pissed you off; you strangled her.”