protect me. There’s still going to be a lot of rigmarole to go through, though, isn’t there?”
“When somebody gets shot in your kitchen,” Easy said, “your life’s going to be complicated for awhile. You better call Carlos Denny sometime tonight. Be a good idea to get your attorney in on this right now.”
“What did they say about the little one’s condition? I was talking to Lt. … whatever when the ambulance came.”
“Lt. Benfield. And Chatto, that’s the blond guy, will survive.”
The dark girl walked to a fragile-looking chair and sat down. “I’m still not all that clear on everything that happened. I told Lt. … Benfield that they seemed to think I knew where some money or other of my father’s was hidden. I didn’t, as you advised, say anything about what had happened to Gary. Since he’d decided to keep that whole business in the desert quiet.”
“That one was easier to squelch. Too many people involved this time, and Chatto shot.”
“It’s funny … I thought that little one … Chatto … I thought he had something written on a piece of paper. But we couldn’t find any such paper in the kitchen.”
From out of his jacket pocket Easy produced the folded piece of ruled paper. “No, because I took it.”
“Oh? Isn’t that evidence?”
“It’s what this whole frumus is about, and I don’t want this message in the papers and on the six o’clock news.”
“What difference does it make now? Those two men are caught, there’s nobody else to bother Gary or me.”
“Chatto and McBernie think your father hid a million bucks around LA somewhere,” Easy said as he unfolded the paper. “And you know what they tried. If anyone else gets the idea you or your brother know the whereabouts of the dough, they may come at you, too.”
Gay put her hands on her knees, sighing. “Then it can keep happening, again and again.”
“Yeah,” he answered. “Until we find the money.”
She sat up, staring at him. “Don’t you believe me either? I don’t know about any hidden money … I don’t!”
“But you might know what this message means.”
“You sound like the little one.”
“Your father wanted you or Gary to be able to figure it out,” said Easy. “He wasn’t trying to stump you.” He moved nearer to her. “I’ve already figured out most of it. It’s based on a simple archeologist’s way of laying out a dig site.”
“That was my father’s hobby,” she said, “archeology.”
“What he’s telling you in this message is to look for a square of ground that’s a specific distance from a fixed point,” said Easy. “The problem is we don’t know where the fixed point is. Does Angelo mean anything to you?”
“I used to date a boy named Angelo when I was in high school. But when I got to college I didn’t run with Italians anymore.”
“Some kind of angel maybe,” suggested Easy, “a statue. Is there anything like that around here?”
“What you want is a church.” The girl shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. It simply doesn’t mean anything to me.” He was close enough for her to reach out and take hold of his hand. “I don’t mean to be nasty … but … I appreciate you, Easy. Getting here when you did, doing what you did. And for letting me hold on to you while we waited for the police. Could you … would you stay here tonight … with me?”
Easy put his hand over hers for a second, then he pulled free and away. “I’ve got to keep hunting for the money. If you …”
“Oh, I don’t give a damn about the money.”
“Other people do. Call me if you think of anything.”
He left her standing there.
CHAPTER 14
E ASY WAS STRETCHED OUT on the couch in his office, hands locked behind his head, studying the ceiling. Yesterday’s quake had caused two hairline cracks to shoot across the plaster.
An automobile engine roared, then sputtered and died in the parking lot outside. After ten seconds of silence there was a scraping crash.
“When somebody gets shot in your kitchen,” Easy said, “your life’s going to be complicated for awhile. You better call Carlos Denny sometime tonight. Be a good idea to get your attorney in on this right now.”
“What did they say about the little one’s condition? I was talking to Lt. … whatever when the ambulance came.”
“Lt. Benfield. And Chatto, that’s the blond guy, will survive.”
The dark girl walked to a fragile-looking chair and sat down. “I’m still not all that clear on everything that happened. I told Lt. … Benfield that they seemed to think I knew where some money or other of my father’s was hidden. I didn’t, as you advised, say anything about what had happened to Gary. Since he’d decided to keep that whole business in the desert quiet.”
“That one was easier to squelch. Too many people involved this time, and Chatto shot.”
“It’s funny … I thought that little one … Chatto … I thought he had something written on a piece of paper. But we couldn’t find any such paper in the kitchen.”
From out of his jacket pocket Easy produced the folded piece of ruled paper. “No, because I took it.”
“Oh? Isn’t that evidence?”
“It’s what this whole frumus is about, and I don’t want this message in the papers and on the six o’clock news.”
“What difference does it make now? Those two men are caught, there’s nobody else to bother Gary or me.”
“Chatto and McBernie think your father hid a million bucks around LA somewhere,” Easy said as he unfolded the paper. “And you know what they tried. If anyone else gets the idea you or your brother know the whereabouts of the dough, they may come at you, too.”
Gay put her hands on her knees, sighing. “Then it can keep happening, again and again.”
“Yeah,” he answered. “Until we find the money.”
She sat up, staring at him. “Don’t you believe me either? I don’t know about any hidden money … I don’t!”
“But you might know what this message means.”
“You sound like the little one.”
“Your father wanted you or Gary to be able to figure it out,” said Easy. “He wasn’t trying to stump you.” He moved nearer to her. “I’ve already figured out most of it. It’s based on a simple archeologist’s way of laying out a dig site.”
“That was my father’s hobby,” she said, “archeology.”
“What he’s telling you in this message is to look for a square of ground that’s a specific distance from a fixed point,” said Easy. “The problem is we don’t know where the fixed point is. Does Angelo mean anything to you?”
“I used to date a boy named Angelo when I was in high school. But when I got to college I didn’t run with Italians anymore.”
“Some kind of angel maybe,” suggested Easy, “a statue. Is there anything like that around here?”
“What you want is a church.” The girl shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. It simply doesn’t mean anything to me.” He was close enough for her to reach out and take hold of his hand. “I don’t mean to be nasty … but … I appreciate you, Easy. Getting here when you did, doing what you did. And for letting me hold on to you while we waited for the police. Could you … would you stay here tonight … with me?”
Easy put his hand over hers for a second, then he pulled free and away. “I’ve got to keep hunting for the money. If you …”
“Oh, I don’t give a damn about the money.”
“Other people do. Call me if you think of anything.”
He left her standing there.
CHAPTER 14
E ASY WAS STRETCHED OUT on the couch in his office, hands locked behind his head, studying the ceiling. Yesterday’s quake had caused two hairline cracks to shoot across the plaster.
An automobile engine roared, then sputtered and died in the parking lot outside. After ten seconds of silence there was a scraping crash.