Dirty Work (Stone Barrington 9)

“Herbie, unless you tell me what happened and tell me right now, I’m going to walk out of here and let you rot in jail.”

“You can’t do that! You gotta get me out! I can’t be in jail.”

“Herbie, listen to me very carefully,” Stone said. “Take a few deep breaths and calm down.”

Herbie sucked air.

“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen.”

Herbie appeared to be a little calmer.

“Sometime tonight, you’re going to be arraigned in night court. The charges could include manslaughter or negligent homicide, breaking and entering, and attempted burglary. Do you understand?”

“But I didn’t kill anybody!” Herbie cried. “You gotta get me out of here!”

“Shut up and listen. At the arraignment, a lawyer will represent you, and you’ll plead not guilty to all charges. Then bail will be set, and you’ll get out. You’ll be having breakfast at home.”

“You’re going to represent me?” Herbie asked plaintively.

“No, another lawyer will. You are not to mention my name to him or anyone else. Do you understand?

“Yeah.”

“Now I want you to tell me exactly what happened tonight. Start when you entered the building.”

Herbie took a couple more breaths. “The downstairs door was open—like, ajar, you know? All I had to do was push it open.”

“Good, that helps with the breaking-and-entering charge.”

Then I took the elevator to the sixth floor, like you said, and I found a door to the roof. When I went out onto the roof, it locked behind me and that scared me, because I was stuck up there. I was going to have to shinny down a drainpipe or something.”

“Okay, you got onto the roof. Then what happened?”

“The apartment under the skylight was dark for a few minutes, then, a little before nine, a light came on, and I could see inside.”

“What did you see?”

“A girl was in the room and she was setting up one of those portable massage tables, you know?”

“I know. Go on.”

“Well, she set everything up, and she seemed to be real careful about everything in the room. She was turning lights on and off, until she got them the way she wanted them. Then she spread out sheets and stuff on the table.”

“Okay, go on.”

“Then, a little after nine, this guy arrived, and he took off his clothes. They both did, as a matter of fact.”

“Did they kiss or embrace?”

“Just a peck on the cheek and a pat on the ass.”

“Did you photograph that?”

“No, not yet. I was getting my gear ready.”

Stone resisted the temptation to yell at him. “Go on, what happened next?”

“Then the guy got on the table, facedown, so I figured it wouldn’t do any good to shoot him, if I couldn’t see his face.”