“You know what to tell him, but tell him not to tell anybody the call came from you.”
They got into their car, and Dino went through his address book and found the number. “You’re sure you want me to call?”
“Yes, dammit!”
Dino dialed the number and put the phone on speaker.
“Robbery Homicide, Lieutenant Hotchkiss.”
“Dan, it’s Dino Bacchetti, NYPD, remember me?”
“How could I forget?” Dan replied. “I bet you want me to solve another homicide for you.”
“I don’t need your help in solving homicides, Dan, but …”
“I know a perp who would still be a free man if …”
10 6
L o i t e r i n g w i t h I n t e n t
“I need help in preventing a homicide.”
“Anybody I know?”
“I doubt it; it’s an old man from Torrington named Eli Keating.”
“Elijah Keating’s Sons? That Keating?”
“That Keating.”
“Harry Keating’s father?”
“The late Harry Keating’s father.”
“Harry Keating is dead?”
“You hadn’t heard? I hear the Torrington police are looking into the cause of death.”
“What do they suspect?”
“I don’t know how smart the Torrington cops are, so I can’t tell you. Suffice it to say that Harry’s brother, Warren, and his son inherit the business, along with old Eli, and Warren is a chemist.”
“You mean …”
“I don’t mean anything; you’re going to have to draw your own conclusions, and you can’t tell anybody I gave you any hints.”
“Okay, hang on while I dra
w some conclusions: You think Warren poisoned his brother?”
“I don’t think anything; you’re drawing your own conclusions.”
“And that he might be going to poison his father as well, to get a bigger chunk of the business?”
“That’s an interesting conclusion, Dan; why don’t you follow up on it?”
“I need more.”