'It couldn't have, because I had nothing to do with him. To tell you the truth, I think there's a slight chance it had something to do with Paul Sutherland.' Laurie's face blanched.
She sucked in a lungful of air, and her hand returned to cover her mouth in horror.
'Hold on! ' Jack warned. 'There's no proof. It's just the only thing I could think of on the spur of the moment, and nothing else has occurred to me since. And believe me, I've been giving it a lot of thought since it happened. The only reason I'm willing to tell you is because you should know even if there's only a shred of possibility it is true.'
'Tell me why it occurred to you! ' Laurie said.
Jack described the three Bulgarian Kalashnikovs Warren confiscated from the men. Then he went on to remind her of Paul's implied threat that afternoon. When he finished, he shrugged. 'I know it's extremely tenuous, but that's it.' Laurie sank into her art deco chair and lowered her head into her hands.
'Hey, ' Jack said, putting his hand on Laurie's shoulder. 'You've got to keep in mind this is all conjecture.'
'Maybe so, ' Laurie said.
'But it makes a certain amount of sense.' She shook her head. 'How can someone's social life be so tumultuous? '
'Come on! ' Jack urged.
He gave her a series of reassuring pats on her back. 'Let's not let this episode get us down. Let's go out and enjoy ourselves.'
'Are you sure you still want to go after the experience you've had? '
'Absolutely! ' Jack said. 'Come on! We shouldn't keep Warren and Spit waiting.'
'Where are they? '
'Down in their cars, ' Jack said.
'Warren insisted on coming and bringing backup on the off chance members of the People's Aryan Army show up for an encore.' Laurie leaped to her feet. 'You should have told me Warren was waiting.' She rushed back into her bedroom.
'I told you he brought me, Jack called after her. He stooped down to return to petting the cat.
'Who is Spit? ' Laurie yelled. 'Or shouldn't I ask? '
'He's one of the basketball regulars, ' Jack explained. 'Warren is his mentor and trusts him implicitly.'
'How did he get such an awful nickname? '
'It comes from one of his less endearing character traits, ' Jack yelled.
When Laurie was completely ready, they took the elevator down to the ground floor and exited the building. They found Warren and Spit directly out front. Laurie and Warren enjoyed a sustained embrace, since they'd not seen each other in months.
'You're looking good, woman, ' Warren said, giving Laurie the onceover.
'You're not looking bad yourself, man, ' Laurie said, emphasizing the word 'man.' Warren laughed and introduced Laurie to Spit. Spit acted embarrassed for the first time Jack had ever seen. He even turned his baseball hat around to face forward as a sign of respect, another first in Jack's experience.
'So where's this restaurant? ' Warren said. 'I'm ready to get stuffed.'
'Come on, ' Laurie said. 'I'll direct you.' The trip to the restaurant went quickly and without incident.
On Warren's insistence both Jack and Laurie came with him while Spit brought up the rear in his car.
Initially they talked about the disturbing incident in Jack's apartment, but by mutual consent that soon gave way to more enjoyable topics. Laurie was particularly eager to hear about Natalie Adams, Warren's 'shortie, ' whom Laurie had not seen since the last time she'd seen Warren. Laurie was glad to hear that she and Warren were getting along fine.
Parking in Little Italy was always problematic, except for Warren With his bottomless ash can, they took the spot in front of the hydrant closest to the restaurant. Spit was content to double-park because he wasn't coming inside. As Warren described it, he was just going to 'hang out.' Jack was charmed the moment they entered. Not only was he attracted to the rich, herbed aroma of the spicy food, but he loved the kitschy decor with its black velvet paintings of Venice, the fake trellis with plastic vines and grapes, and the stereotypical red-and-white checkered tablecloths. He even liked the banal Chianti bottle with a candle stuck in the top that crowned each table.
'I hope we have a reservation, ' Warren said as he surveyed the crowded room. There were about thirty tables jammed into the space. All appeared occupied.
'Lou was supposed to call, ' Laurie said. She tried to get the attention of one of the harried waiters. She wanted to ask for Maria, the hostess.
But Maria found her instead.
After having been enveloped by Maria in a bear hug, Laurie introduced Jack and Warren. Maria enthusiastically hugged them both.
'It's too bad Lou couldn't come, ' Maria said. 'He works too much.
The crooks don't deserve him.' To Jack and Warren's surprise an empty table seemed to appear miraculously. A few minutes later they were seated.
'Do you like the place? ' Laurie asked Jack and Warren.
Both men nodded.
Laurie rubbed her hands eagerly. 'Let's get some wine. I think I need , , it.'
The dinner was a great success. The food was wonderful and the conversation captivating. Among other topics the three friends reminisced about their African trip two years previously. They even shared some of the stories with Maria, who joined them for a quarter of an hour.
By the time they were ready for dessert and coffee, Laurie asked Warren if he would mind if she and Jack talked shop for a few moments and discussed a case.
'Not at all, ' Warren said.
'It's one of Jack's who died of botulinum poisoning.'
'It wasn't really my case, ' Jack interjected. 'That's an important distinction.
Besides, Warren is already intimately aware of it.' Laurie hit herself on the forehead with the heel of her hand. 'Of course! ' she exclaimed. 'How could I forget? '
'She's talking about Connie Davydov, ' Jack said.
Warren nodded. 'I guessed as much. Flash told me he was disappointed you think it was accidental.'
'So you already knew about the botulism? ' Laurie asked Warren.
Warren nodded.
Laurie let out an embarrassed laugh. 'I guess I was the last to know.'
'I called Warren this morning right after I found out about it, ' Jack explained. 'I needed Flash's work number so I could call him.'
'Whatever, ' Laurie said. 'So what's the follow-up? '
'Not a whole heck of a lot, ' Jack said. 'I'm afraid the case has gotten mired in bureaucratic red tape.
By the time I called Sanders with the news about the botulism, the body had been cremated. That means there will be no autopsy, a fact that's going to be very embarrassing for the Brooklyn office to explain unless the information is not released.
Anyway, it's going to be up to Bingham what to do.'
'So that means the Department of Health has yet to be notified, ' Lou said.
'I imagine that's true, ' Jack said.
'Well, that's terrible, ' Laurie said.
'Why is it so terrible? ' Warren questioned. 'Connie's already dead.'
'But no one knows where the botulinum toxin came from, ' Laurie explained. 'The real reason we medical examiners do what we do is to save lives. This situation with the botulism is a good example.
There could be a source out there that's going to kill other people.'
'Okay, ' Warren said. 'I see what you mean.'
'There's another part of this that neither one of you knows, ' Jack said. 'In the same neighborhood where Connie lived there's been a major die-off of sewer rats.'
'No kidding, ' Laurie said. 'Are you implying they died of botulism, too? '
