'Yep,' I said, 'which would also mean that he had to bring the patching plaster with him.'
'Which would also mean that he planned this thing out pretty carefully,' Belson said.
'And it might mean that he knew his way around the apartment.'
'He did put that slug into the wall behind the fireplace, which meant it wouldn't go through.'
'And,' I said, 'if he did all this, so as to get powder residue, he was probably not uninformed in these matters.'
'Sort of the way me and Quirk been thinking,' Belson said.
'Either of you talked with Healy?'
'Quirk,' Belson said. 'Staties don't have a clue.'
'How's Quirk treating the thing?'
'Publicly we're wrapping up loose ends on a probable suicide. Internally we're thinking murder.'
'And maybe it's related to the murder of Trent Rowley?'
'Yeah,' Belson said. 'We're thinking that it might be.'
'And maybe it's connected to Kinergy,' I said.
'Sure,' Belson said. 'And maybe it ain't.'
'That covers most of the possibilities,' I said. Belson took another frosted donut from the box. 'What kind is that?' I said.
'Maple frosted,' he said. 'With strawberry sprinkles.'
'Good Jesus,' I said.
39
Matters of the Heart held its Friday mixer on a rainy night in a ballroom at the Balmoral Castle Hotel in Canton. We went in my car.
'You think I'll meet Mr. Right?' Cecile said as I slowed in front of the hotel.
'We here investigating,' Hawk said.
'But won't I have to sleep with a few?' Cecile said. 'Make it look real?'
'No sacrifice too great,' I said.
I t was raining hard. I parked under the pseudo porte cochere to let them out.
'Aren't we early,' Cecile said.
'Need to be here 'fore anyone else,' Hawk said. 'So Spenser get a look at the guests.'
'So can't we wait here?'
'Need to look around,' Hawk said. 'Let him know the setup.'
'Well,' Cecile said, 'I suppose it's good, if Mr. Right shows up, he'll find me waiting.'
They got out and went into the hotel. I pulled away and went around the porte cochere and parked in the front parking lot, where I could still see the hotel entrance. In five minutes my cell phone rang.
'Balmoral Castle appear to be leaking,' Hawk said.
'Leaking?'
'They got barrels around, and plastic sheeting hung so's to funnel the rain into the barrels.'
'Wow, the perfect setting,' I said. 'Where's the mixer?'
'In the back end, enter from the lobby.'
'Any other likely entrances?'
'Nope. Anyone coming gonna have to come in through the lobby.'
'O'Mara there?'
'He already inside with the DJ, couple of assistants.'
'No guests.'
'Just me and Cecile,' Hawk said.
'Anyplace for me?'
'Yeah. Pub. Off the lobby, sit at the bar and you can see the door to the room. Big sign on an easel.'
'I can see who turns out for the event,' I said.
'If you alert,' Hawk said.
'A challenge,' I said.
