“Yes, he did, and for a very good reason: He wants Warren Keating to stop trying to kill him.”
“That’s what I figured,” Tommy said. “That’s a good reason, also, for him to come in today and tell his story.”
“Yeah, I guess so. But he didn’t have to do that; he wasn’t a suspect, was he?”
“No.”
“So he could have gone right on being Evan Keating, if he’d wanted to.”
“Yeah, I guess he could have. And gone right on getting shot at. Doesn’t it bother you guys that this all wrapped up so neatly?”
“I like it when things wrap up neatly,” Dino said. “It’s just that they never do.”
“Sure they do,” Stone said. “Sometimes. All right, rarely.”
“There are always loose ends,” Tommy said. “Only this time, there aren’t.”
The three men sat and contemplated that in silence.
“You’re a troublemaker, Tommy,” Stone said.
“Sorry about that; I’m just not satisfi ed.”
“Try this,” Stone said. “If you find out Evan—ah, Charley—did commit some other crime associated with the murder, Rawlings has already given him immunity for it, so there’s nothing you can do, anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s very clever of what’s-his-name,” Tommy said. “I think Rawlings and I were snookered.”
“Now, wait a minute, Tommy, I haven’t snookered anybody. I didn’t know what Ev … what’s-his-name was going to say until I heard him tell you.”
“I believe you, Stone. That means you’ve been snookered, too. Doesn’t that bother you?”
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“It would,” Stone said, “if I knew I had been snookered, but I don’t know that.”
“Well,” Tommy said, “when you find out you’ve been snookered, would you let me know how?” He got up and left, without waiting for an answer.
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38
STO N E SP EN T Y E T another happily exhausting night with Dr. Annika Swenson but got up early and returned to the Marquesa for breakfast with Dino, who was already having his on the front porch. Stone ordered, then sat down.
“You missed Charley and Gigi from across the way.”
“They left?”
“They checked out last night, luggage and all.”
“Maybe they were planning a cruise,” Stone said. “Charley said yesterday that Gigi was shopping for groceries for the boat.”
“Maybe so,” Dino said. “Think we’ll ever see them again?”
“Who knows? I don’t particularly care.”
“Are you starting to get free of this business, then?”