“Well?” Michael asked expectantly as Devlin came through the door.
Devlin didn’t answer immediately, which he knew would drive Michael crazy.
The guy was always so wound up. Devlin dropped onto the vinyl couch that faced Michael’s desk and put his cowboy boots on top of the small coffee table. “Well what?” he said irritably.
“Where’s the doctor?” He thought Devlin was about to tell him he’d already delivered Rhodes to the jailhouse.
:’Beats me,” Devlin said.
‘What does that mean?” There was still a chance Devlin was teasing him.
“I think it’s pretty clear,” Devlin said.
“It might be clear for you, but it’s not clear to me,” Michael said..
“I don’t know where the little bastard is,” Devlin finally admitted.
“For chrissake!” Michael said, throwing up his hands in disgust. “You told me you’d get the guy, no problem. You gotta find him! This is no longer a joke.”
“He never showed up at home,” Devlin said.
“Damn, damn, damn!” Michael said with progressive panic. His swivel chair squeaked as he tipped forward and stood up. “I’m going to be out of business.”
Devlin frowned. Michael was more wound up than usual. This missing doctor was really getting to him. “Don’t worry,” he told Michael. “I’ll find him.
What else do you know about him?”
“Nothing!” Michael yelled. “I told you everything I know.”
“You haven’t told me squat,” Devlin said. “What about other family, things like that? What about friends?”
“I’m telling you, I don’t know anything about the guy,” Michael admitted.
“All I did was an 0 and.E on his house. And you know something else? The bastard screwed me there too. This morning I got a call from Owen Shatterly at the bank, telling me he just learned Jeffrey Rhodes had upped his mortgage before my lien was filed. Now even the collateral doesn’t cover the bond.”
Devlin laughed.
“What the hell’s so funny?” Michael demanded.
Devlin shook his head. “It tickles me that this little piss-ant doctor is causing so much trouble.”
“I fail to find anything about this funny,” Michael said. “Owen also told me that the doctor took the forty-five thousand he’d upped his mortgage in cash.”
“Geez, no wonder the guy’s briefcase hurt,” Devlin said with a smile. “I’ve never been hit with that kind of dough.”
“Very funny,” Michael snapped. “The trouble is that the situation is going from bad to worse. Thank God for my friend Albert Norstadt down at police headquarters. The police weren’t going to do a goddamn thing until he got involved.”
“They think Rhodes is still in town?” Devlin questioned.
“As far as I know,” Michael said. “They haven’t been doing much, but at least they’ve been covering the airport, bus and train stations, rent-a-car agencies, and even taxi companies.”
“That’s plenty,” Devlin, said. He certainly didn’t want the police to catch Jeffrey. “If he’s in town, I’ll find him in the next day or so. If he’s skipped, it will take a little longer, but I’ll get him. Relax.”
“I want him found today!” Michael said, working himself up into a renewed frenzy. He started to pace behind his desk. “If you can’t find the bastard,
I’ll bring in some other talent.”
“Now hold on,” Devlin said, bringing his legs off the coffee table and sitting up. He didn’t want anybody else homing in on this job. “I’m doing the best anybody could do. I’ll find the guy, no sweat.”
“I want him now, not next year,” Michael said.
“Relax. It’s only been twelve hours,” Devlin said.
“What the hell are you sitting around here for?” Michael snapped. “With forty-five grand in his pocket, he’s not going to hang around forever. I want you to go back to the airport and see if you can pick up his trail from there. He had to get into town somehow. He sure as hell didn’t walk.
Get your ass out there and talk to the MBTA people. Maybe somebody will re- member a skinny guy with a mustache and a briefcase.”
“I think it’s better to cover the wife,” Devlin said.
“They didn’t strike me as being so lovey-dovey,” Michael said. “I want you to try the airport. If you don’t, I’ll send someone else.”