“What about the attack on Adler?”
“Same MO. Shaw flew in from Chicago two days before the attack and left the next day. If he hadn’t gotten greedy and decided to pick up a little extra money by pawning the watch, instead of throwing it away, we never would have caught him.”
The police commissioner asked, “What about motive? Why would she do that to her husband?”
“I talked to some of the servants. Lara Cameron was crazy about her husband. The only thing they ever quarreled about was his going away on concert tours. She wanted him to stay home.”
“And now he’s staying home.”
“Exactly.”
The district attorney asked, “What’s her story? Does she deny it?”
“We haven’t confronted her yet. We wanted to talk to you first to see if we have a case.”
“You say that Philip Adler can identify Shaw?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
“Why don’t you send one of your men over to question Lara Cameron? See what she has to say.”
Lara was in a meeting with Howard Keller when the intercom buzzed. “There’s a Lieutenant Mancini here to see you.”
Lara frowned. “What about?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Send him in.”
Lieutenant Mancini was treading on delicate ground. Without hard evidence, it was going to be difficult to get anything out of Lara Cameron. But I’ve got to give it a try, he thought. He had not expected to see Howard Keller there.
“Good afternoon, Lieutenant.”
“Afternoon.”
“You’ve met Howard Keller.”
“I certainly have. Best pitching arm in Chicago.”
“What can I do for you?” Lara asked.
This was the tricky part. First establish that she knew Jesse Shaw and then lead her on from there.
“We’ve arrested the man who attacked your husband.” He was watching her face.
“You have? What…?”
Howard Keller interrupted. “How did you catch him?”
“He pawned a watch that Miss Cameron gave her husband.” Mancini looked at Lara again. “The man’s name is Jesse Shaw.”
There was not the faintest change of expression. She’s good, Mancini thought. The lady is really good.
“Do you know him?”
Lara frowned. “No. Should I?”
That’s her first slip, Mancini thought. I’ve got her.
“He worked on the construction crew of one of your buildings in Chicago. He also worked for you on a project in Queens. He was operating a crane that killed a man.”
He pretended to consult his notebook. “A Bill Whitman. The medical examiner put it down as an accident.”
Lara swallowed. “Yes…”
Before she could go on, Keller spoke up. “Look, Lieutenant, we have hundreds of people working for this company. You can’t expect us to know them all.”
“You don’t know Jesse Shaw?”
“No. And I’m sure Miss Cameron…”
“I’d rather hear it from her, if you don’t mind.”
Lara said, “I’ve never heard of the man.”
“He was paid fifty thousand dollars to attack your husband.”
“I…I can’t believe it!” Her face was suddenly drained of color.
Now I’m getting to her, Mancini thought. “You don’t know anything about it?”
Lara was staring at him, her eyes suddenly blazing. “Are you suggesting…? How dare you! If someone put him up to that, I want to know who it was!”
“So does your husband, Miss Cameron.”
“You discussed this with Philip?”
“Yes. I…”
A moment later Lara was flying out of the office.
When Lara reached the penthouse, Philip was in the bedroom packing, clumsily because of his crippled hand.
“Philip…what are you doing?”
He turned to face her, and it was as though he were seeing her for the first time. “I’m leaving.”
“Why? You can’t believe that…that terrible story?”
“No more lies, Lara.”
“But I’m not lying. You’ve got to listen to me. I had nothing to do with what happened to you. I wouldn’t hurt you for anything in the world. I love you, Philip.”
He turned to face her. “The police say that the man worked for you. That he was paid fifty thousand dollars to…to do what he did.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know anything about it. I only know that I had nothing to do with it. Do you believe me?”
He stared at her, silent.
Lara stood there for a long moment, then turned and blindly walked out of the room.