afternoon, to submit my final bill and report to the managing partner of Frampton and Keyes.
'So did Rita get a deal,' Susan said.
'It took some doing,' I said. 'There's two DAs, Middlesex in the Rowley death, and Suffolk in Gavin's demise. But she pulled it off. They testify against O'Mara and Devaney, Bernie resigns from Kinergy and explains all to the SEC. And, as far as the Suffolk and Middlesex counties are concerned, they can walk.'
'Wow.'
'It was an easier deal because it gives them Devaney.'
'His gun did kill them both,' Susan said.
'Yes.'
'And the fact that you obtained a lot of this information somewhat, ah, informally, won't compromise the cases.'
'The Eisen confessions are entirely voluntary, and quite complete,' I said. 'And Devaney's a serial killer. They'll convict him, which will convict O'Mara.'
'You're surmising?' Susan said. 'Or do you know something.'
'Rita has been kind enough to include me in the discussions with both Suffolk and Middlesex.'
'Didn't you once work for the Middlesex DA?' Susan said.
'Another DA. Another time,' I said. 'But yes.'
'Can't hurt,' Susan said.
'They fired me,' I said.
'Well, of course they did.'
I parked on Rantoul Street, near Cabot.
'I'll stroll the baby about,' Susan said. 'She needs a walk ... and there might be a shop.'
'Meet you back at the car,' I said, 'in half an hour.'
The receptionist remembered my name when I came in.
'Mr. Spenser,' she said and smiled, 'to see Mr. Frampton.'
I 'd have been more impressed if I hadn't called earlier to make the appointment, still it was something. I sat in Frampton's waiting room for just long enough to give the receptionist's chest the attention it deserved when Frampton came out of his office to get me.
'Come in,' he said, 'come on in. Damnit you're a bloody genius.'
I gave the receptionist and her chest a self-deprecating look, and followed him in. We shook hands.
'Well, you did the job,' he said.
'I did,' I said.
'Tell me,' he said.
I told him. It took me maybe ten minutes.
When I was through he said, 'Wow, you really unsnarled a goddamned mare's nest, didn't you,' he said.
'I did,' I said, 'and I have a final bill for you.'
He took the bill out of the envelope and looked at it and raised his eyebrows.
'And you didn't unsnarl it cheaply,' Frampton said.
I didn't comment.
Frampton studied the bill for a little while, and then put it down.
'Hell,' he said, 'you earned every penny of it. Would you like a check right now?'
'Never a bad thing,' I said.
'Done,' he said.
He got out a big checkbook and used a desktop calculator and filled out the memorandum side. The he wrote out a check and signed it and ripped it out and handed it to me.
'Would you like to talk with Marlene?' he said.
'No.'
'She'd love to hear all this.'
'That's why I told you,' I said.
'She'll be crushed,' Frampton said.
'She's inherited a lot of dough,' I said.
Frampton smiled.
'That will help,' he said.
