“I do indeed. What do you say, Miss?”
“I say I want five, not twenty-five.”
Carella pretended to be thinking this over. He looked at Ollie. Ollie sighed.
“Okay, five,” Carella said.
“And you run the sentences concurrently,” the blonde said.
“No, we can’t do that,” Carella said. “That’d come to only two and a half on each hit.”
“Come on, honey, be realistic,” Ollie said.
“The guys who got whacked were a pair of shits,” the blonde said. “I did society a favor.”
“Still, just fiveconcurrently?” Carella said.
“For adouble hit?” Ollie said.
“That’s all they’re worth,” the blonde said.
“Let me call the D.A.,” Carella said. “Play the tape for her, Ollie.”
12 .
THEY INTERROGATED RICHARD HALLOWAY at ten minutes to five that Saturday afternoon. He was wearing gray flannel slacks, a blue blazer, a blue button-down shirt, and a green bow tie printed with little red prancing deer. He had waived his right to an attorney, and so there were only four people in the interrogation room— Halloway himself, Detectives Carella and Weeks, and Detective-Lieutenant Byrnes—all of them sitting around the long cigarette-scarred table, drinking coffee. Halloway seemed completely relaxed and supremely self- assured.
“Mr. Halloway,” Carella said, “when we entered the offices of Wadsworth and Dodds this afternoon at three-thirty, were you packing to move?”
“Is it a crime to move one’s offices?” Halloway asked.
“Only if you’re moving to conceal evidence of a crime.”
“I see. And what crime was I supposed to have been concealing?”
“We have a warrant to open your computers, Mr. Halloway.”
“So open them,” Halloway said, and smiled, and added, “If you can.”
“Oh, we will.”
“Good luck.”
“We think we might find some interesting stuff on your database.”
“If you find sales figures interesting.”
“Tell me about that database, okay?”
“Sure. Which book?”
“A folder called Witches and Dragons.”
“I’m not familiar with that title. How aboutDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of…?”
“How about a file named Diana?”
“Don’t know that title, either.”
“Or Em. Interesting file, Em. Seems to list all the drug deals your firm has made in Mexico over the past two years. Dates, locations, number of kilos, purchase prices, etcetera, etcetera, the whole megillah.”
“I’m more familiar withPractical Classroom Chemistry by Guthrie Frane. I know we have a file on that.”
“Do you have a file called Nettie?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“The Feds might be interested in that one. We think Nettie stands for ‘counterfeiting.’ We think you’ve been buying counterfeit money in Iran and using it to finance your various drug transactions.”
“My, my, all this crime in such a small publishing house.”
“We think your database will provide evidence of those crimes. And other interesting activities.”
“Assuming, of course, that you can get into our computers.”
“I think we can.”
“Well, you can certainly try.”
“Our nerds are very determined.”
“I’m sure they are,” Halloway said, and finished his coffee, and stood up, and smiled. “Well, I have things to do,” he said, “as I’m sure you do, too. So let’s not waste any more time here, hmm? I know you believe…”
“You’re under arrest here, Mr. Halloway,” Byrnes said. “Please don’t forget that.”
“Perhapsyoushould forget exactly that,” Halloway said. “Believe me, you’re not going to pick up any marbles this time. Not this time, boys. So, if there’s nothing further…”
“Sit down,” Byrnes said.
