“Because I can’t sing and dance,” I said.
21.
Epstein called me from his car.
“Doherty’s dead,” Epstein said. “Want to ride along?”
I did.
There were a couple of cruisers, and a couple of unmarked cars and a coroner’s wagon parked near the water behind UMass, Boston. Doherty was not recognizable, a sodden something wedged in among some boulders. Frank Belson was there.
“Been in the water awhile,” he said. “Hard to say where he went in.”
“Cause of death?” Epstein said.
“Have to wait till they open him up,” Belson said. “Body’s been banging against rocks and things.”
“Any estimate when?”
Belson shook his head.
“Same thing,” he said. “You know what they’re like in the water. When did he go missing?”
Epstein told him.
“Consistent,” Belson said. “Coulda died then.”
“No sign of his car?” Epstein said.
“Not yet,” Belson said. “Makes me think he didn’t go in here.”
“We can check the currents,” Epstein said.
“Sure,” Belson said.
Epstein nodded. He walked over and stood looking down at the remains. I saw no need to.
“Currents are kind of unreliable around here,” I said.
“That’s for sure,” Belson said. “But we check them anyway.”
“That may be the defi nition of police work,” I said.
“Philosophical,” Belson said. “You in this?”
“He was having trouble with his wife,” I said. “He hired me to look into it.”
“And?”
“She was cheating on him,” I said.
“You tell him?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she?” Belson said.
“She was shot to death,” I said. “Couple of days ago.”
“In Cambridge?”
“Yes.”
“That don’t simplify anything,” Belson said.
“No.”
“So what are you doing here now?”
“Epstein invited me,” I said. “Interested party.”
The wind off the ocean was hard. Belson had his hat clamped down against it. Everyone was hunched a little.
“Aren’t you always,” Belson said. “If I remember, the wife was shot by someone who got shot himself.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Too bad.”
“Been nice and neat if the other guy hadn’t done it. Doherty shoots his cheating wife and then goes and jumps off a bridge someplace.”
“Clear two cases,” I said.
“No such luck,” Belson said. “Coroner doesn’t come up with a neat explanation, we’re going to have the bureau up our ass for the foreseeable future.”
“You can work with Epstein,” I said.
“Sure, they leave it with him,” Belson said. “But they bring some of those guys up from DC . . .”
“I know,” I said.
“You know anything I don’t know?” Belson said.
