Lovely.
“Yes, Al en’s tastes ran towards the more beastly, you know. Although what he saw in al those vapid muscle boys, I can’t imagine. Not when he could have had a sweet kid like you.”
“Aw shucks.” I shrugged.
“Imagine his surprise when I told him that I had already made your acquaintance. I remember he said ‘Ah, Richard, you always did have a way of finding the better things in life, didn’t you?’”
I smiled.
“He was a very good man, and I know you two remained friends. I’m sure you’l miss him.”
“Listen,” I said, “do you believe he would have kil ed himself?”
“Suicide?” Dr. Dick asked. “Of course not. Who’s saying that?”
“The police.”
“Why, that’s absurd. Al en Harrington was one of the strongest, bravest men I knew.” Dr. Dick glanced over at the wal, where a portrait of him and the woman he was married to hung in a simple gold frame.
A reminder of the double life his friend had left behind.
His face clouded over with regret.
“Yes,” Dr. Dick said. “He was one of the bravest men I knew.”
Sitting in a taxi on my way back to my apartment, I felt a little sad for Dr. Dick. As accomplished as he was professional y, who knows if he was happy?
I, however, was thril ed with the hundred-dol ar tip in my pocket, and the confirmation that yet another person thought Al en incapable of suicide.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about Al en pimping me out, but I suppose that was just his way of looking out for me. After al, if I were a plumber, I wouldn’t object to a referral. So why should I mind Al en recommending my sexual services?
Meanwhile, I was kind of horny. I hadn’t cum in my eleven minutes of sex with the good doctor, but the blowjob he was giving me at the moment of his sudden climax had me boned up pretty good. And although he had offered to “bring me to completion,” I declined his kindness.
So now what?
I checked out my cab driver in the rear viewer, but he was too freaky looking to fantasize about.
My iPhone vibrated in my pocket. As nice as it felt, I decided to answer it.
“Hey, it’s Tony. Can you drop by my precinct later?”
Best offer I had al day.
“How about now? I’m in a cab.”
“Great,” Tony said. “Just tel ‘em you’re here to see me.”
CHAPTER 9
Sure enough, the desk clerk cal ed Tony, who came out to join me. I wasn’t expecting a hug in front of his fel ow officers, and I didn’t get one. “Come this way,” Tony said, stiffly.
Tony looked great in his usual outfit of dark blue dress slacks, white shirt, and blue striped tie. He held a manila envelope in his hand.
He led me to a smal room with a rectangular table and four chairs. He nodded towards the mirror that lined the far wal. “Two way glass,” he cautioned me.
Translation: Don’t try any funny stuff.
“What’s up?” I asked him.
“Take a look.” Tony handed me the folder.
A memo to his chief summarizing Tony’s findings on Al en’s case. The coroner’s report found the cause of death to be-no surprise-the fal from his window. He found no other bruises or injuries inconsistent with the fal, although he did note that the back of the head and several other parts of the body were crushed in a way that made a complete analysis impossible.
There was also no sign of forced entry to Al en’s apartment and the doorman hadn’t announced any visitors.
“Satisfied?” he smirked.
“Why are you showing me this?”
“To keep you out of trouble. Also, to let you know I was only kidding when I said that you were a suspect.” He smiled.
“I assumed you were.”
“Don’t be so sure. After al, you were mentioned in the wil. In any case, that’s always the first question we ask. ‘Who benefits?’”
“I didn’t even know I was in the wil,” I told him. “Let alone for how much.”
“Fifty-seven thousand, two hundred and seven dol ars,” Tony said. “And seven cents. At least that’s what the account was worth yesterday.”
My mouth dropped open.
“Surprised?” Tony asked, stil grinning.
“How do you know?” I asked him.
“We’re the police,” Tony said. “We know these things. I also know that the amount he left each of his kids was just about double that. Not exactly chump change, but, given what his boys earn, hardly an inducement to murder.”
I thought for a moment.
“They hated him,” I said, half to myself.
“A lot of people hate their parents,” Tony said.
“But they don’t kil them.”
“No, they don’t.” So, the Harrington kids had no financial incentive to see their father dead. I had to admit that Tony was making sense.
“Kevin,” Tony looked at me gently. He put his hand on the table as if he were going to take mine. Then he glanced at the mirror and pul ed it back. “I think you’re wasting your time. I think you’re mourning Al en and you’re looking for someone to blame. I think you might just have to accept that Al en kil ed himself.”
Suddenly, I felt a lot less sure of things. “I need a minute,” I said. My thoughts were coming fast and furious. Had I taken my medicine today?
I lowered my head and looked up at him. Blinked back tears.
“Kevin,” Tony said. He got up from his seat and came behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders.
“Kevin.”
I wanted to be strong, but the possibility that Tony was right devastated me. He was the professional here. What was I even doing doubting him?
“I just…” I began, but there was a lump in my throat that blocked my words. I rubbed my eyes. “I’m just so sad,” I admitted. “I real y loved him, you know?”
Tony sank to his knees and put his arms around me. “It’s OK,” he comforted me.
“Two way glass,” I reminded him as we embraced.
“Fuck ‘em,” Tony answered.
After a few minutes, I told Tony I was al right and he returned to his seat. “Can you talk a little more?” he asked me.
“Sure.”
“Listen, that’s a pretty big chunk of change Al en left you. Just what was going on between you two, anyway?”
“Just friends,” I told him. Tony raised an eyebrow.
“I swear. I think he liked having a young man he could mentor and look out for. Especial y since his own kids
