Lucid Intervals (Stone Barrington 18)

“They asked me if I knew a woman that sounded like Sheila from their description, and I said yes, that sounded like my fiancée. They asked where she was, and I said I didn’t know for sure, but I thought she might have gone shopping. Then these two detectives arrived, and they asked me a lot more questions, and I started to get the idea something was wrong. Then they told me Sheila was down on the sidewalk. I ran to the…”

“Parapet.”

“Yeah, and I looked down, and the ambulance was driving away and the doorman was scrubbing the sidewalk. The four cops all followed me out, and I said I had to go to the hospital. A detective said there was no need to do that, since she was dead.”

“Did you tell them about your argument with Sheila?”

“Well, yeah. I told them everything I knew, then they arrested me and took me down here to the precinct.”

“Did they tell you why they were arresting you?”

“Yeah, they said for murdering Sheila. Honest to God, Stone, all I did was ask her to go see you.”

“Herbie, you said the sliding glass door to the terrace was already open when you went outside.”

“Right. Sheila closed it when we came in last night. We were going out to dinner.”

“You didn’t touch the door?”

“No.”

“Do you know when it was last cleaned?”

“Yesterday. The maid came.”

“Did you touch the sliding door after the maid came?”

Herbie thought about that. “No. Sheila opened it when we went out there for a drink, and she closed it when we came in.”

“Where did you go to dinner?”

“At that place you told me about, Sette Mezzo.”

“Did you have a good time there?”

“Oh, yeah. Sheila was in a great mood, which she wasn’t always in, but she was last night. We laughed a lot.”

“Herbie, during the argument, did you happen to hit Sheila?”

“No, no. I never hit her in my life.”

“What was she wearing when you went into the john?”

“Silk pajamas,” Herbie said.

“Okay, you sit tight. I’m going to see if I can cut this short, before they arraign you.”

“Okay, hurry back.”

“I’ll do my best,” Stone said, and left the interview room.

43

Stone walked up to Dino’s office and was waved in and introduced to an attractive young woman who was sitting in one of Dino’s chairs.

“This is Carla Rentz,” Dino said. “She’s prosecuting your client, Mr. Fisher.”

Stone sat down and tried to look puzzled. “Prosecuting him? For what?”