“Dutch Morehead thinks it was murder and I?m inclined to agree. At first I figured Dutch was angry
arid wanted to make a case out of the Leadbetter drowning. It wasn?t Tagliani?s style to kill a police
chief, particularly when Tagliani was on the dodge. And there weren?t any other likely suspects. Then
I thought better of it.”
“Oh? How come?”
“I don?t believe in accidents any more than Dutch does. Not in this town. Not when the police chief is
the victim.”
“Why was Leadbetter killed?” she asked.
“Look, Ms. Galavanti, if one person in this town was likely to make Tagliani, it was Leadbetter. He
had done some time on the force in Atlantic City before coming here, so he was more than just a little
familiar with LCN and how it operates.”
“You think Leadbetter recognized Tagliani?” she said.
“Right, and Leadbetter went to Donleavy with it, the natural thing to do. After all, Donleavy was
Harry Raines? personal choice to head the Committee. Donleavy was facing exposure himself, so he
panicked and took it to Tagliani, who had Leadbetter burned. That?s when Rio was set up and
Tagliani put Donleavy on the sleeve.”
“And had him on the hook forever,” Galavanti said.
“You get an A in the course. Want to try Cherry McGee next?”
“Cherry McGee? How about the Kennedys and Anwar Sadat?” she said. “Let?s not leave anybody
out.”
“You want to finish the story for me?? I said.
“Go ahead, you?re doing great,” she said. “Except that Long-nose Graves killed Cherry McGee arid
his hoodlums.” She paused for a moment, then added, “Didn?t he?”
“Nope.”
“Humph,” she said. “I?ll admit we tried everything but prayer to hang it on Graves.”
“And couldn?t,” I said, “because he didn?t do it. At least Graves says he didn?t and I?m inclined to
believe him.”
“Why?”
“I kind of like him.”
“Well, that?s one hell of a good, legitimate reason,” she said caustically.
“Why would he deny it?” I said. “Everybody thinks he did it anyway, and he wanted to. Somebody
beat him to it.”
“Any ideas?” she asked, then, waving her hand vigorously in front of her face, said, “How silly of me,
