The 6:20 Man
Page 87
The doors opened directly into the foyer of the large penthouse.
“Nice place,” said Devine.
“Yeah, if you like stuffy, overfurnished, and mundane. I like the other house a lot better. Minimalism is my thing.” She called out, “Brad? He’s here.”
“Do you know why Iam here?”
“I don’t get involved in his business. I told you that already. You coming by my place like I asked you to?”
“How late are you up?”
“As late as it takes. I’ll text you my address. It’s not far from here.”
Maybe farther than you think, at least from my perspective, he thought.
“Devine,” called out Cowl as he rounded a corner. He held out his hand, and Montgomery placed the phone directly in it. “This way. Thanks, Michelle.”
Montgomery smiled inscrutably at Devine and disappeared somewhere.
Cowl said, “Follow me.”
They entered what looked like a study. Cowl closed the double doors and said, “What do you want to drink?”
“Beer?”
“No. We’ll drink brandy.”
“Okay.” So much for having a choice with this guy.
Cowl poured out two snifters from a bar set against a wall and handed one to Devine. Then he took out an electronic wand from inside a cabinet and ran it over Devine.
“Just checking for wires and stuff. Can never be too careful these days. Take out your phone and turn it off.”
As Devine turned his phone off Cowl said, “Everybody—and I mean everybody—is spying on everybody else with this electronic shit. I don’t like using email or texts. I don’t even like calling people, because you never know who’s listening. The important stuff? I do it the old-fashioned way. Analog. Face-to-face.”
They sat across from each in leather club chairs.
“So, I’ve been thinking about our little discussion.”
“And?”
“And I need to see your hand before you see mine.”
Devine showed him the pictures and video on his phone.
“What were you doing up there anyway?” asked Cowl, shaking his head.
“Seeing where Sara Ewes died. Then I heard you two going at it.”
“So you didn’t go up there to catch us in the act?”
“Not my intent, no,” said Devine.
“But you did take the pics and the little film.”
“Wouldn’t you?”
Cowl said, “So, let me show you my hand. You killed Ewes.”