I drank some more coffee.
'Here's the thing,' I said. 'I think Walter Clive was killed because of his DNA tests. I think someone knew he was having them and started the horse shooting as a cover-up pending the outcome of the tests.'
'Jesus,' Klein said.
'If the tests were negative, the horse shootings would stop and everything would go on as before. If he did have a son, he got shot and the cops think it's the horse shooter.'
'For God's sake, Spenser, who would be so… so… Who would plan something like that out?'
'Clive was planning to rewrite his will in favor of male issue, if any.'
Klein looked suddenly as if he had bitten into a toad.
'Only you, Clive, and Dolly knew about Clive's blood testing,' I said. 'Only you and Clive knew the results. He told Dolly. Who did you tell?'
Klein's face had reddened as I talked, and then as I waited for his answer it began to drain, until it was pale and he looked as if he might fall over. If he did, he was in the right place. There'd be a good response to Is there a doctor in the house? I waited.
'I… I've known Sherry half her life,' Klein said.
I drank some of my coffee. It wasn't very good coffee. But it was hot and contained caffeine, so it was sufficient.
'I can't believe…' Klein looked at his partly eaten sausage biscuit for a moment and then pushed it away. Good idea.
I waited. His face began to redden again. Good sign. He probably wasn't going to fall over.
'You know,' he said without looking at me, 'that in every elevator, in the washrooms, and in the medical locker rooms, there are these signs that read, 'Respect Patient Confidentiality.' '
'I've seen them,' I said.
Klein shook his head slowly. 'Jesus Christ,' he said.
'You told her,' I said. 'Didn't you?'
'Yes.'
'You were pretty good friends, and after all it did involve her ex-husband and, indirectly, her daughters, and what harm would it do? For crissake, she lived way out in San Francisco.'
'Something like that.'
'When did she first know?' I said.
'A little while after Walter arranged for the tests. I was in San Francisco, at an internal medicine conference. We had dinner together, some wine, you know.'
'Un-huh. And when did she learn the results?'
'She came to Lamarr that week,' Klein said.
'Amazing how things fall into place, isn't it.'
'She stopped by my office, like I said.'
'And?' I said.
'We talked about this and that for a while… and I guess it came up… and I told her.'
'When?'
Klein closed his eyes as if thinking back over the scene.
'Walter's folder was still on my desk. I remember her seeing it, and commenting. It's probably what gave rise to the question.'
'Sure,' I said.
'You think she came on purpose, to find out?'
'Yes. Why was the folder out?'
'I had called Walter with the results.'
'So she knew the same day he did.'
'Yes.'
My coffee cup was empty. I went up to get some more, and when I came back Klein had his head in his hands.
'Does anyone have to know this?'
'Probably not,' I said. 'I won't mention it if I don't have to.'
'I never thought… You think it led to the murder, don't you?'
'Yes.'
'You think Sherry did it?'
