Nighttime Is My Time

'That's very kind, but I'll be leaving soon,' Sam told her. As he spoke, he wondered how close Amy Sachs had been when he was talking to Stewart. She didn't appear to make any sound when she walked, and she made very little when she opened her mouth. Why do I bet her hearing is acute? Sam wondered sardonically as he watched her exchange a glance with Jake Perkins. And why do I bet that the minute I'm out of sight, she fills Jake in on the fact that Brent isn't around and that Stewart thinks all this hoopla is a publicity stunt?

Sam went back into the office. From there he had a good view of the main entrance. A few minutes later he saw Gordon Amory come in, and he hurried to catch him before he got on the elevator.

Amory was clearly not in the mood to talk about Robby Brent. 'I have not spoken to him since that vulgar display last night,' he said. 'As a matter of fact, since you witnessed it, Mr. Deegan, and also heard Robby's attack on Jack Emerson, I think you should know that I have been out since ten o'clock this morning with Emerson, looking at real estate. He is the exclusive agent on some genuinely fine parcels of land. He also showed me the properties he had offered Robby for consideration. I must tell you, they were fairly priced and, in my opinion, excellent long- range investments-which is to say that anything Robby Brent insinuates, says, or does should be examined for motivation beyond the obvious. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a number of phone calls to make.'

The elevator door was opening. Before Amory could step into it, Sam said, 'Another moment, please, Mr. Amory.'

With a resigned smile that was almost a sneer, Amory turned back to him.

'Mr. Amory, Robby Brent did not sleep in his room last night. We believe it was he who imitated Laura Wilcox on the phone call to Jean Sheridan. Your colleague, Mr. Stewart, feels that Brent and Wilcox may be carrying on a hoax for publicity for Mr. Brent's new television series. What do you think?'

Gordon Amory raised an eyebrow. For an instant he looked dumbstruck; then a look of amusement came over his face. 'A publicity stunt! Of course, that makes sense. In fact, if you look at Page Six of the New York Post, they're already suggesting that very thing about Laura's disappearance. Now Robby vanishes, and you tell me that he made the phone call to Jean last night. And the whole time we're all sitting around worrying about them.'

'Then you think it's possible we're all wasting our time worrying about Laura?'

'Au contraire, it has not been a waste, Mr. Deegan. The one positive thing is that Laura's supposed disappearance has proven to me that I still have the milk of human kindness flowing in my breast. I was so concerned about her that I was planning to offer her a role in my new series. I'll bet you're right The dear girl has other fish to fry and is doing it most successfully. And now I really must go.'

'I assume you'll be checking out soon,' Sam suggested.

'No, I'm still looking at property. But I guess I won't be seeing you around, since now you can get back to solving real crimes. Goodbye.'

Sam watched Amory get into the elevator. Another one who thinks he's intellectually superior to an investigator, he thought. Well, let's just wait and see. Sam could feel his nerves fraying as he walked back across the lobby. Whether or not Laura's disappearance is a publicity stunt, the fact still remains that five women from the lunch table are dead.

He had been hoping Jean would get back before he left, so he was delighted to see her standing at the front desk. He hurried to her side, anxious to hear about her meeting with the lawyer.

She was asking about messages. Always afraid she'll get another fax about Lily, Sam thought. And who can blame her? He put his hand on her arm. When she turned, he could see that her eyes looked as if she might have been crying. 'Buy you a cup of coffee?' he offered.

'A cup of tea would be great.'

'Ms. Sachs, when Mr. Zarro returns, please ask him to join us in the coffee shop,' Sam said to the room clerk.

In the coffee shop he waited until Jean's tea and his coffee had been served before he spoke again. It seemed to him that Jean was still trying to regain her composure. Finally he said, 'I gather it didn't go well with the attorney Craig Michaelson.'

'It did and it didn't,' Jean said slowly. 'Sam, I would stake my life that Michaelson handled the adoption and may know where Lily is now. I was rude to him. I practically threatened him. On the way back here I pulled the car over to the side of the road and called to apologize to him. I also pointed out that if he does know where she is, she might remember where she lost her hairbrush, and that might be a direct link to whoever is threatening her.'

'What did Michaelson say to that?'

'It was odd. He said that that had already occurred to him. Sam, I'm telling you he knows where Lily is, or at least how to trace where she is. He did say, using the words 'I urge you most strongly,' that I should have you or at least the district attorney's office petition a judge to open the records immediately and warn her parents of this situation.'

'Then I would say that he obviously takes seriously what you told him.'

Jean nodded in agreement. 'I didn't think he did when I was in his office, but maybe my outburst-I swear I was on the verge of throwing something at him-may have convinced him. His attitude had done a one-hundred-and- eighty-degree turn when I talked to him twenty minutes later on the phone.' She glanced up. 'Oh, look, here's Mark.'

Mark Fleischman was making his way to their table. 'I told Mark about Lily,' Jean said hurriedly, 'so you can talk in front of him.'

'You did, Jean? Why?' Sam was dismayed.

'He's a psychiatrist. I thought he might be able to offer some input into whether or not these faxes are real threats.'

As Mark Fleischman came nearer, Sam saw that Jean's smile became genuinely pleased. Be careful, Jeannie, he wanted to warn her. In my book this guy is carrying a lot of baggage. There's a tension bubbling under the surface in him that a cop like me can feel.

Sam also did not miss the way Fleischman momentarily covered Jean's hand with his at her invitation for him to join them.

'I'm not interfering?' Mark asked, looking at Sam for reassurance.

'As a matter of fact, I'm glad to catch you,' Sam told him. 'I was about to ask Jean if she had heard from Robby Brent today. Now I can ask you both.'

Jean shook her head. 'I haven't.'

'Nor, thankfully, have I,' Fleischman said. 'Is there any reason you thought we might have heard from him?'

'I was about to tell you, Jean. Robby Brent must have left the hotel after dinner last night. So far he has not come back. We've pretty much determined that the call you thought came from Laura was made on a prepaid cellular phone that Brent had just bought, and we're also fairly confident that the voice you heard was actually his. As you know, he's a superb mimic.'

Jean looked at Sam, astonishment and distress reflected in her face. 'But why?'

'At the luncheon at West Point on Saturday, did you hear Brent talk to Laura about possibly being on his new television series?'

'I did,' Mark Fleischman said. 'But I didn't know whether or not he was joking.'

'He did say there was a part Laura might want to play,' Jean confirmed.

'Both Carter Stewart and Gordon Amory think Brent and Laura may be pulling a hoax on us. What do you think?' Sam's eyes narrowed as he looked at Mark Fleischman.

Behind his glasses, Mark's eyes became thoughtful. He looked past Sam, then directly at him. 'I think it's entirely possible,' he said slowly.

'I disagree,' Jean said emphatically. 'I absolutely disagree. Laura is in trouble-I feel it; I know it.' She hesitated, then decided against telling them that she felt as if she had heard Laura's plea for help. 'Please, Sam, don't think like that,' she begged. 'Don't give up trying to find Laura. I don't know what Robby Brent is up to, but maybe he was just trying to throw us off the track by pretending to be her and saying she was fine. She's not fine. Really, I know she's not fine.'

'Take it easy, Jeannie,' Mark said gently.

Sam stood up. 'Jean, we'll talk again first thing in the morning. I'll want you to come to my office on that other matter we were discussing.'