In the Midst of Death

'It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Somebody who wants to see me locked up for murder where I can't slip the shaft to the good old NYPD. Now who would want to see that happen? Who'd have a reason?'

I looked at him for a minute,then let my eyes slide off to the side. I asked him who knew about the apartment.

'Nobody.'

'That's crap. DougFuhrmann knew- he took me there. I knew. I also knew the phone number because you gave it to me. DidFuhrmann know the number?'

'I think so. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he did.'

'Where did you and Doug get to be such good friends?'

'He interviewed me one time, background for a book he was writing. We got to be good drinking buddies. Why?'

'I just wondered. Who else knew about the apartment?Your wife?'

'Diana? Hell, no. She knew I had to stay over in the city from time to time, but I told her I stayed at hotels. She's the last person I'd tell about the apartment. A man tells his wife he's taking an apartment, it's onlygonna mean one thing to her.' He grinned again, as abruptly as always. 'The funny thing is I took the fucking apartment primarily so I'd have a place to catch a little sleep when I wanteD.A.place to keep a change of clothes and like that. As far as taking broads to the apartment, I hardly ever did that.

They'd generally have a place of their own.'

'But you took some women there.'

'Now and then.Meet a married woman in a bar, that sort of thing.

Most of the time they'd never know my name.'

'Who else did you take there that might know your name? Portia Carr?'

He hesitated, which was as good as an answer. 'She had a place of her own.'

'But you also took her to the place onBarrow Street .'

'Just once or twice.But she wouldn't get me out of there and then sneak in and knock herself off, would she?'

I let it go. He tried to think of anybody else who might know about the apartment and he didn't come up with anything. And as far as he knew, onlyFuhrmann and I knew that he was hiding out in the apartment.

'But anybody who knew about the apartment could have guessed, Matt. All they had to do was pick up the phone and take a shot at it. And anybody could just find out about the apartment talking to some broad in a bar that I might not even remember. ‘Oh, I'll bet that bastard's hiding out in that apartment of his'- and then somebody else knows about the place.'

'DidPrejanian's office know about the apartment?'

'Why the hell should they know?'

'Did you speak to them after Carr brought charges against you?'

He shook his head.'What for? The minute her story hit the papers I ceased to exist for the son of a bitch. No point looking to him for help.

All Mr. Clean wants is to be the first Armenian elected governor of the state ofNew York . He's had his eye onAlbany all along. He wouldn't be the first guy to make a trip up theHudson on the strength of a reputation as a crime fighter.'

'I could probably think of one myself.'

'I'm not surprised. No, if I got Portia to change her story, Prejanian would be glad enough to see me.

Now she'll never change her story and he'll never try to do me any good.MaybeI'da been better off with Hardesty.'

'Hardesty?'

'Knox Hardesty. U.S. District Attorney. At least he's federal. He's an ambitious son of a bitch himself, but he might do me moregood thanPrejanian .'

'How does Hardesty come into the picture?'

'He doesn't.' He walked over to the narrow bed, sat down on it. He lit another cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. 'They let me bring a carton of cigarettes,' he said. 'I guess if yougotta be in jail it could be worse.'

'Why did you mention Hardesty?'

'I thought about going to him. As a matter of fact I sounded him out but he wasn't interested. He's into municipal corruption but only in a political way. Police corruption doesn't interest him.'

'So he sent you toPrejanian .'

'Are you kidding?' He seemed amazed that I would suggest anything of the sort. 'Prejanian'sa Republican,' he said. 'Hardesty's a Democrat. They'd both like to be governor and they might wind up running against each other in a couple of years. You think Hardesty would send anything toPrejanian ?

Hardesty more or less told me to go home and soak my head.

Going toAbner was my idea.'

'And you went because you just couldn't stand the corruption another minute.'