“They were here last night too,” Carl said.
“I know,” Laurie said. “But I’m thinking of someone a little higher on the ladder in the homicide department.”
Downstairs Carl got the night doorman’s phone number for Laurie. The man’s name was Scott Maybrie. He even offered to allow Laurie the use of his phone if she wanted to call immediately.
“Wouldn’t he be asleep at this time?” Laurie asked.
“It won’t hurt him,” Carl insisted.
Carl’s tiny apartment was on the first floor and faced the street, in contrast to VanDeusen’s, which had faced out over the East River. Carl allowed Laurie to sit at his cluttered desk amid notes to plumbers and electricians. Being particularly helpful, Carl even dialed Scott’s number and handed Laurie the phone. As she’d feared, the man’s voice was hoarse with sleep when he answered.
Laurie identified herself and explained that Carl had suggested she call. “I wanted to ask you a few questions about the VanDeusen case,” she continued. “Did you see Mr. VanDeusen or his girlfriend last night?”
“No, I didn’t,” Scott said.
“Carl told me that one of the other tenants called you about noises coming from the VanDeusen apartment. What time was that?”
“Around two-thirty, three o’clock,” Scott said.
“Which tenant called?” Laurie asked.
“I don’t know,” Scott admitted. “He didn’t say.”
“Was it one of the immediate neighbors?” Laurie suggested.
“I really don’t know. I didn’t recognize the voice, but that’s not unusual.”
“What did he say exactly?” Laurie asked.
“He said there were strange noises coming from 10F,” Scott said. “He was concerned someone might be hurt.”
“Did he say they were occurring at the moment he was calling?” Laurie asked. “Or did he say they had happened sometime in the past.”
“I think he said they were happening right then,” Scott said.
“Did you notice two men leaving the building during the night?” Laurie asked. “Two men you’d never seen before?”
“That I couldn’t say,” Scott said. “People come and go all night. To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to people leaving. It’s the ones who are arriving I’m most concerned about.”
Laurie thanked Scott and apologized for disturbing him. Then, turning to Carl, she asked if she could speak to the doorman who’d been on duty earlier in the evening.
“Absolutely,” Carl said. “That would have been Clark Davenport.” Again Carl dialed the number, then handed Laurie the phone.
Laurie went through the same explanation when Clark picked up.
“Did you see Mr. George VanDeusen come into his apartment last night?” Laurie asked after the introductions.
“Yes,” Clark said. “He came in around ten with his girlfriend.”
“Was he behaving normally?” Laurie asked.
“Normal for a Saturday night,” Clark said. “He was a little tipsy. His girlfriend had to give him a little support. But they seemed to be having a good time, if that’s what you mean.”
“Were they alone?” Laurie asked.
“Yup,” Clark said. “Their guests didn’t come in for about half an hour.”
“They had a party?” Laurie asked with surprise.
“I wouldn’t call it a party,” Clark said. “Just two men. A tall guy and a shorter one.”
“Can you remember what these men looked like?” Laurie asked.
Clark had to think about it. “The tall one had bad skin, like he’d had acne as a kid.”
“Did they give their names?” Laurie asked. She could feel her pulse quicken.
“Yeah, of course they gave their names,” Clark said. “How else was I to call up and ask Mr. VanDeusen if they were expected? Otherwise I wouldn’t have let them in.”
“What were the names?” Laurie asked. She’d taken out a pen and a piece of paper.
“I don’t remember,” Clark said. “On a Saturday night I have a hundred people coming in.”
Laurie was disappointed to be so tantalizingly close to a real breakthrough. Although she wasn’t able to get the names, this was progress. Yet again two men were spotted at the scene of the OD shortly before the deaths occurred.
“Did you see these men come out again?” Laurie asked.
“Nope,” Clark said. “Of course, I went off duty not too long after they arrived.”
Laurie thanked Clark before hanging up. She also thanked Carl profusely for all his help before she left the building.