“Then I come to this country, get job, have good life.”
Kate hesitated but then couldn’t help herself. “So how’d you end up in Lafayette Park?”
At first Adelphia got an obstinate look on her face, but that dissolved quickly. Her voice trembling, she said, “No one ask me that before. Just you now. All these years and just you now ask me this.”
“I realize you don’t know me very well, and you don’t have to answer.”
“It is good thing. I no want to talk about it. I no want to.”
They both sipped their coffees for a bit longer. Finally, Adelphia said, “You right. I worry sick about Oliver. He a troubled man. I know this.”
“And how do you know?”
Adelphia reached in her sleeve and drew out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. “I watch the TV the other night. I never watch the TV. I never read the newspapers. Do you know why I never do these things?” Kate shook her head. “Because they are lies. Filled with lies they are.”
“But you said you
“Yes, the news, it is on. And then I see it.”
“What did you see?”
Adelphia suddenly looked frightened, as though she had said far too much. “No, it is not thing I can say. It is not right for me to say. You are lawyer. You work for government. I no want to get Oliver in trouble.”
“Adelphia, do you think Oliver did something wrong?”
“No! No, it is not this I think. I tell you, he is good man.”
“Okay, then he has nothing to worry about from the government. Or me.”
Still, Adelphia didn’t say anything.
“Adelphia, if you’re really concerned about Oliver, let me help. You can’t follow him everywhere to make sure he’s okay.”
Finally, Adelphia sighed and patted Kate’s hand. “It is right what you say. I will tell.” Marshaling herself, she said, “On TV I see that there is body of a man found on that island in river.”
“Roosevelt Island?” Kate said quickly.
“That is one.”
“But what does that have to do with Oliver?”
“Well, you see . . . I want to take the cafe with Oliver, but he has meeting to go to.”
“Meeting, what sort of meeting?”
“Ah, that is what I say. What sort of meeting in middle of night? But off he go. Now, me, I am angry with this. Meeting and no cafe? So I pretend to go away, but I see him get in cab. And I get in cab too. I have money, I too can take cab.”
“Of course, of course,” Kate said. “What happened next?”
“I follow him to Georgetown. He get out, so I get out. He walk to river. I walk to river. And then I see his friends he meet with. I see what they do.”
“What!” Kate said it so loudly that she startled Adelphia.
“They get in old boat and they row out to island, that is what they do.”
“And then what did you do?”
“I take cab and go back. I not wait for them. And I not
“And you’re sure it was the same night?”
“They say on TV. It is same night.”
“Adelphia, you say you don’t believe that Oliver did anything wrong. And yet you saw them row out to that island, and then a man was killed there.”
“They say he killed by gun. Oliver no has gun.”
“You can’t be sure of that. And what about the others? His friends?”
Adelphia laughed. “I know these men. Except for the big one, they are little frightened mice. One, he work at library. He love books. He has brought me some. The other one, he checks things.”
“Checks things?”
“You know he counts and hums and whistles and grunts. I know not what it was, but Oliver say it to me. He call it OD, something like that.”
“OCD?”
“That is it.”
“Do you know their names? The friends?”
“Oh, yes, this I know. The bookman, his name is Caleb Shaw. Sometime he dress in old clothes. Oliver say it is hobby. I say little bookman he is crazy.”
“And the others?”
“The counting one, he is Milton Farb. He is smart that one. He tell me things about the world I not know.”
“And you mentioned the ‘big one’?”
“Yes.
“So what do you think happened on that island? If none of them killed the man?”
“Do you not know?” Adelphia said breathlessly. She lowered her voice and said, “It is they see who did it. They
Kate sat back against the bench. Her first thought was she had to tell Alex about all this. But then she wondered if that would be wise. Doubtless his first reaction would be to come back. That would get him in even more trouble with the Service. And she didn’t know if anything Adelphia was telling her was true. She had a sudden thought.
“Adelphia, would you mind coming with me to look at something?”
“Where?” Adelphia asked suspiciously.
“It’s nearby. I promise it won’t take long.”
Adelphia reluctantly agreed, and they drove to a parking lot near the Georgetown waterfront.
Kate said, “Can you describe this boat you saw them in?”
“It was long, about twelve feet maybe. And old. It all rotted. They take it from old junkyard down that way,” she added, pointing south.
Kate led her over to the river wall. “I want you to stay here.” She slipped down some rocks located to the side of the seawall and reached the drainage port. “If you lean over a little, I think you can see it all right.” She pulled some brush out of the way, exposing the bow as Adelphia leaned over.
“Is this the boat you saw them in?”
“Yes, that is boat.”
CHAPTER
49
OLIVER STONE WAITED OUTSIDE the high-rise condo building, watching well-dressed people emerge from the building and head off, probably to work, given the number of briefcases he saw. And then she came out. Jackie Simpson carried only a small purse over her shoulder. She didn’t look at Stone as she passed by. He waited a suitable time and followed her. His strides were long and hers short, so he had to constantly slow down. A couple of times he thought about approaching her, but both times something happened which had never happened to him before: He lost his nerve. However, when she stopped to buy a newspaper from a box, she spilled her change. He rushed to help her, laying the coins in her outstretched palm. His breath quickened when he saw it, but he merely smiled when she thanked him and walked off.
When she arrived at WFO, he stopped and watched her go in the building.
Petite, olive complexion and an attitude. He’d known a woman just like that once.
