The 6:20 Man

CHAPTER

74

AT HALF PAST ELEVEN THAT night Devine used his security card to let himself and Montgomery inside the Cowl Building. The guard wasn’t around. Devine looked at his watch. Making rounds, he assumed. Or maybe he was lying dead somewhere. There was a lot of that going around here.

They took the elevator up as high as they could, and the doors opened.

And there was Cowl. He was dressed nattily in a dark suit, white shirt, and no tie. He looked fresh despite the hour and smiled when they climbed off the elevator car.

“Michelle, didn’t expect to see you tonight.”

“Where the hell have you been, Brad?” exclaimed Montgomery.

“Just taking care of business,” said Cowl. He turned to Devine. “I got your message. I have no idea what it means, but I thought I’d have you up for a chat.”

“Christian was found dead in your pool,” snapped Montgomery. “The police think you killed him.”

“Well, I didn’t. In fact, I’ve been out of town, and I have lots of people who can verify that. My attorneys have already been in touch with the police and we are fully cooperating. If Christian got himself killed it’s not my problem. In fact, he and Devine here had a real dustup. Maybe Devine went back to finish the job at my place to make it look like I had something to do with it.” Cowl gave Devine a smirk. “In fact, we’ve already let the authorities know all about that. I’m sure they’ll be in touch.”

“Is that really how you’re going to play it, then?” said Devine. “With Stamos’s death, too?”

“Let’s head up and discuss this.” He led them to his private elevator.

When they got to the penthouse, Cowl patted Devine down, checking for weapons. When he turned to Montgomery, she gave him a fierce look and said, “Don’t even think about it, Brad.”

He grinned and held up his hands in mock surrender. “Okay, babe, okay.” He eyed her extremely tight midriff tube top and knee-length flared skirt. “Don’t think you have any hiding places on you anyway. But let me see inside your purse.”

She did.

“Now, turn your phones off, because I don’t like being recorded.” They complied with his order.

“And just so you know, I’ve got a signal jammer in here in case you’re wearing a wire or shit like that. Drink?”

“Not for me,” said Devine. Montgomery simply shook her head.

“Hate to drink alone, but oh well.” He mixed himself a bourbon and Coke and took a sip. “Let’s sit.”

Montgomery and Devine sat next to each other on a couch, while Cowl sat across from them.

“Stamos?” said Devine.

“You got a message that night,” interjected Montgomery. “And you went to meet someone.”

Cowl said, “Okay, I’ll give it to you straight. The message was from Jenn. She was afraid.”

“Afraid of what?”

“She wouldn’t tell me on the phone. So I went over there.” His face twisted with the memory. “And between the time I got the message and made my way there, someone . . . cut her up really bad.”

Devine leaned forward. “And was that someone you?”

“Why would I do that to her? I liked her. A lot.”

“Because Sara Ewes knew about the Locust Group owning the Lombard Theater. And she told Stamos to check it out. And maybe she did and realized what was going on. Or maybe you let something slip during pillow talk and she had to be taken care of.”

“Jesus, Devine, you’re making me out to be some sort of creepy killer.”

“Aren’t you?”