“The president says he?s busy and—”
I had my wallet out and I flashed my buzzer as I shoved past the old gentleman. “The hell with
protocol,” I said. “This is business.”
Seaborn looked up wide-eyed when I entered the office. I closed the door behind me and leaned
against it. He looked out the window, then back at me, his face doing every number in the book as he
tried to change his expression from fear to anger.
“What do you mean by this?” he demanded. “This is the second time in two days you?ve intruded on
me without —“
“I didn?t intrude on you yesterday,” I said, without waiting for him to finish. “I came to tell you your
secretary had a death in the family.”
“What are you doing here now?”
“I thought we could have a little talk, Mr. Seaborn, just you and me.”
“About what?”
“About Franco Tagliani, who called himself Frank Turner. About Lou Cohen?s banking habits. About
Harry Raines, who got himself killed right over there.” I nodded toward the window. He followed my
gaze, but looked up instead of out, toward the top floor of Warehouse Three. Heavy storm clouds
were brewing again and it was dark enough for lights but there weren?t any. Nobody was home. The
boss was dead.
Seaborn?s nervous fingers rippled up and down the desk as if it were a concert piano.
“I hardly knew Mr. Turner,” he said. “And I don?t know anything about poor Harry?s death.” He
paused for a minute and then said, “Perhaps I should summon my lawyer.”
“You could do that. Or you and I could have a private little chat. Just the two of us. That?s if you want
to cooperate. Otherwise, you don?t have to call your lawyer, I?ll leave. Somebody else will come
back; that?s when you?ll need your lawyer. That?s when they read you your rights and all that stuff
you see in the movies.”
He turned ash gray.
“What is it, then?” he said, in a faltering voice that was rapidly losing what little character it had. He
looked back over at the warehouse.
“There?s nobody over there,” I said. “The place is closed. Another death in the family. So what?s it
going to be? Talk? Or lawyers?”
“Ahem. We can. . certainly., start... uh.
“Look here, Mr. Seaborn, there are some things I know, and some things I think I know, and some
things I?m strictly guessing at. I think maybe you can eliminate some of my guesswork.”
