“Yes? What about it?”
“We’d like to see it. This is part of a police investigation. Did some moving people bring some furniture and boxes here yesterday?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid I can’t let you into the apartment without permission, unless you’ve got a search warrant, of course.”
Dino sighed loudly. “I guess you know the lady’s in no condition to give permission.”
The doorman shrugged. “My hands are tied,” he said, “unless you get permission from the cooperative’s board of directors. If one of them says it’s okay, I’ll let you in.”
“Who’s the chairman of the cooperative’s board?” Stone asked.
The doorman went to a tin box on his desk and produced an index card. He handed it to Stone.
The name on the card was Barron Harkness.
Stone registered this for a moment, then showed the card to Dino. “May I use your telephone?” he asked the doorman.
“Sure,” the man said, placing a phone on the desk.
“An interesting connection, wouldn’t you say?” he asked Dino. He checked his notebook and dialed the number of the network.
Chapter 13
A woman answered Harkness’s phone, a voice Stone didn’t recognize.
“Barron Harkness, please. My name is Barrington; he knows me.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Barrington, Mr. Harkness is in a meeting. May I have him return the call?”
“Let me speak with Cary Hilliard, please.”
“Ms. Hilliard is in the same meeting.”
Stone tried not to sound annoyed. “Please take a note to Mr. Harkness. Tell him Detective Stone Barrington would like to speak with him at once, and that it’s important.”
“I’m sorry, but-”
“Please do it now. This is police business.”
The woman hesitated. “All right,” she said finally. “What is your number?”
“I’ll hold.”
An irritating minute passed, then: “Barron Harkness.”
“Mr. Harkness, this is Stone Barrington. I’m at your apartment building, and I want your permission to enter Sasha Nijinsky’s apartment. The doorman i
nsists on speaking with you before allowing entry.”
“But why?” Harkness asked. “Sasha never moved into the apartment; there’s nothing there. Legally, she didn’t even own the apartment; she was supposed to have closed on it the morning after she…”
“It appears that a moving company followed instructions she gave before her disappearance and moved her belongings into the apartment. The doorman let them in.”
Harkness hesitated, then spoke. “I’ll be right over there,” he said, and hung up before Stone could speak further.
Stone replaced the receiver and turned to Dino. “Harkness is coming over here.”
“Why?” Dino asked.