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?“What do you mean?” I demanded.
?“We didn’t actually locate Ms. Poole,” DeStadler advised. “Only her body.”
?“What?” Sheryl gasped.
?“ME says she’s been dead since about 3:00 AM Thursday morning,” DeStadler reported. “Shot with a nine millimeter in her hotel room.”
?“Shot through a pillow,” Elvis added, “to cover the noise. Interestin’ thing, it was a pillow from Randall Lawrence’s apartment.”
?“We believe it might be the pillow Mr. Lawrence was smothered with,” DeStadler gloated.
?“Now, who would know to use a pillow to quiet the sound of a pistol?” Elvis considered. “Maybe a guy who writes about murder?”
?“Add to that,” DeStadler concluded, “it’s quite a coincidence that someone’s ex-husband and the woman who broke up her marriage died the same night.”
?Elvis nodded. “With only the two of you to vouch for each other.”
?“Someone is trying to set us up,” I proclaimed.
?“We’ll see,” DeStadler said, then turned to the officers who held us. “Read ‘em their rights, book ‘em, and keep ‘em separated. We’ll be down as soon as we toss this place.”
* * *
?“Hello?”
?“Jeff, it’s Mark.”
?“Hey, babe, how is the conference going?”
?“My speech went great—”
?“Good job, babe.”
?“But I need Hank.”
?“Hank? The lawyer?” Jeff puzzled.
?“I’m in jail, Jeff.”
?“What?” Jeff bellowed, and I moved the phone away from my ear.
?“I need a lawyer, fast. And for Sheryl Homes as well.”
?“Homes? Why does she need a lawyer?”
?“Someone murdered her ex-husband and his girlfriend.”
?“Okay, I see why she needs one. Why do you?”
?“The police believe the girl was killed with my gun,” I said.
?“Oh!” Jeff answered as it sunk in. “Jesus Christ, babe, where are you?”
?I gave him the address.
?“We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Jeff said. “Until then, don’t say anything—to anyone.”
?I finished my one phone call and was moved into a holding cell, where I tried to sit downwind from a wino in the next cell who hadn’t bathed in at least a week. My pockets had been emptied and I’d been fingerprinted, photographed, and then a technician swabbed my hands for gunpowder residue.
