matter of time. At the moment he is being questioned by representatives of the U.S. Attorney's office. I can't represent Clayton-there would be a potential conflict of interest there-but I've been able to obtain for him the services of an extremely capable criminal defense attorney. On his advice, Clayton is answering all questions completely and honestly. He can't do much less; the authorities have already seized Starrett's business records, including those dealing with the fraudulent gold trading.'
'Do you think Clayton will go to prison, Mr. Rushkin?'
The lawyer linked fingers across his thick midsection and sighed deeply. 'I'm afraid so. But if he continues to cooperate, his punishment may be more lenient than you might think. The authorities are not interested in Clayton Star-rett so much as they are in Ramon Schnabl, the drug dealer. If Clay helps them put Schnabl behind bars, I think they'll be inclined to settle for a light sentence and a heavy fine. I do believe a deal will be made.'
'I intend to see Mrs. Olivia Starrett before I leave. How is she taking all this? Have you spoken to her?'
'I have indeed, and the woman's resilience is amazing. She'll be all right. Mrs. Conti, I have a fairly complete understanding of how the gold trading was jiggered, but I have less knowledge of the homicides it spawned. Can you enlighten me?'
Dora repeated the explanation of the four killings she had given Wenden. The lawyer listened intently, and when she finished he sighed again and shook his great head so sharply that his jowls wobbled.
'Of course a lot of that is supposition,' Dora pointed out. 'Some of it can never be proved.'
'But I suspect you're right,' Rushkin said. 'It's a depressing example of chronic greed. That's the disease; violence is a symptom.'
'What makes me furious,' Dora said, 'is that Detective John Wenden doesn't think there's much chance of Helene Pierce going to jail for what she did.'
'Policemen have a tendency to be gloomy,' the attorney said with a wintry smile. 'Quite understandable.' Then he leaned across the desk toward Dora. 'Let me tell you something, Mrs. Conti. The law is like the Lord: It giveth and it taketh away. In re Helene Pierce, I think it quite likely that the prosecutors may feel she had guilty knowledge. In other words, she was fully cognizant of the gold trading fraud-indeed she profited from it-but did not inform the proper authorities as required. I believe Clayton will testify as to her involvement.'
'Are you sure?' Dora asked anxiously.
Rushkin laughed. 'Congreve wrote of the fury of a woman scorned. I assure you, Mrs. Conti, a scorned woman's virulence can be matched by the bitterness of a middle-aged man who realizes he has been played for a fool, a patsy, by a piece of fluff half his age. Oh yes, I think Clayton will be more than willing to testify against Helene Pierce. And if the guilty-knowledge ploy doesn't hold up in court, the government has another arrow in its quiver. I'm sure the IRS will be interested in learning if Helene declared all those gifts of money and diamonds that Clayton gave her. In addition, the idiot bought her co-op and was paying the maintenance by check. That left a paper trail the IRS will be happy to follow. No, I don't believe Helene Pierce will cha-cha her way to freedom.'
'That makes me feel better,' Dora said. She rose and slung her shoulder bag. 'I hope you no longer feel guilty about Solomon Guthrie. You gave me his computer printout, and eventually that led to the solution.'
The attorney was suddenly somber, his meaty features sagging. 'I am not entirely free from regret, but at my age I can't expect to be. Mrs. Conti, thank you for all your efforts on my behalf and on behalf of Starrett Fine Jewelry. I intend to write to your employer expressing my deep appreciation of your excellent work as strongly as I can.'
Dora smiled shyly. 'You don't have to do that, Mr. Rush-kin.'
'I know I don't have to,' he said, 'but I want to. If you ever tire of your job and decide to relocate to New York, please let me know. I can promise you that your investigative talents will be well rewarded here.'
'Thank you, sir,' she said. 'I'll keep it in mind.'
Out on Fifth Avenue, in a frigid drizzle, she wondered why she was grinning and walking with a bouncy step. Then she realized it was because her professional performance had been praised and she had been offered a job. That did wonders for the old ego and supplied confidence for the meeting with Mike Trevalyan in Hartford the following day. That tete-a-tete, she knew, would be a brannigan.
Just for the hell of it, she walked over to Park Avenue. As Rushkin had said, the flagship store of Starrett Fine Jewelry was shuttered. The display windows were stripped of gems, and a sign proclaimed: CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. But Dora was amused to note it didn't deter a mink-swathed matron who was shading her eyes to peer within and furiously rattling the knob of the locked door.
She bused up Madison Avenue, then walked over to the Starrett apartment on Fifth. Charles, looking as funereal as ever, let her enter and left her standing in the foyer while he shuffled away to announce her arrival.
Mrs. Olivia Starrett was sharing the chubby love seat with a diminutive man swaddled in a voluminous white djellaba. He popped to his feet when Dora entered, his robe swung briefly open, and she caught a quick glimpse of skinny shins half-covered with black socks suspended from old-fashioned garters.
'Dora!' Olivia said. 'I'm so happy to see you, dear. I want you to meet the Maharishi Ziggy Gupta, a very wise man who is teaching me the spiritual truths of the Sacred Harmony.'
The little man grinned and bobbed his head at Dora. She nodded in return.
'Pliz,' he said, 'forgive my language, but I am mostly happy to be making your-your-' He turned to Olivia for help.
'Acquaintance,' she suggested.
'Yiss,' the Maharishi said. 'Your acquaintance.'
Dora smiled and nodded again. 'Mrs. Starrett,' she said, 'I just wanted to stop by to offer my sympathy. I know the events of the past few days must be a terrible burden. Is there anything I can do to help?'
'How sweet of you,' Olivia said. 'But with Ziggy's instruction I am learning to endure. Think of life as a great symphony, and all of us are but individual notes. To know the Sacred Harmony we must contribute our personal sorrows and joys so that the holy music rises to heaven and is pleasing to God.'
'Iss so,' the guru said, grinning. 'For He is the Great Conductor who leads us with His stick.'
'Baton,' Olivia said. 'I can't tell you what a comfort the Maharishi has been to me. He has come from Bombay to bring America his inspiring message of hope and redemption. We were just discussing how we might set up a school in New York, The Academy of the Sacred Harmony, so more pilgrims may achieve spiritual tranquillity by learning how each of us can add to the symphonic universe.'
'Yes,' Dora said, dazed. 'Well, I must be going. I'm happy to see you in good spirits, Mrs. Starrett.'
'I am contributing my note,' Olivia said with a beatific smile. 'To the chords that shall become part of the exalted rhapsody. Did I say that right, Ziggy?'
'Eggsactly,' he said, grinning.
Dora fled, found her parka in the foyer closet, and left that apartment. She refused to laugh at Olivia's hopeless hope. That long-suffering woman was entitled to any solace she could find.
When she exited from the elevator, she saw Eleanor Starrett come striding across the lobby, gripping a furled umbrella as if she'd like to wring its neck. She spotted Dora, rushed up, squeezed her arm tightly.
'Did you just see Olivia?' she demanded.
Dora nodded.
'Is she up and about?'
'She's doing fine.'
'Thank God!' Eleanor cried. 'She's got to give me some money. Did you hear about Clayton?'
'Yes, I heard.'
'They can fry that moron in the electric chair for all I care,' Eleanor said angrily, 'but what about me? My lawyer says the government will claim there was a pattern of racketeering, and if he's convicted Clay will be subject to RICO penalties. Do you know what that means? I'll tell you what it means-that they can take everything he's got: money, cars, real estate, jewelry, the fillings in his teeth. So where does that leave me? What kind of a settlement am I going to get if the government strips that imbecile down to his Jockey shorts? You know what it makes me? A bag lady rooting in garbage cans for my dejeuner.'
Dora stared at her in astonishment, then noted the Starrett pearl choker at her throat, the Starrett gold brooch on her lapel, the Starrett tennis bracelet of two-carat diamonds, the several Starrett rings of emeralds, sapphires, rubies.
'Boohoo,' Dora said mockingly, turned, and walked away.
