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“Another? You know about the first?”
Wohl nodded. “And for the record, Matt, I think he’s right.”
“I don’t want to be a uniform sergeant,” Matt said.
“You need that experience,” Wohl said. “End of my speech.”
“Thank you,” Matt said, sat down, took out his cellular, and started pushing autodial buttons.
It didn’t take long.
Mrs. Elizabeth Newman, the Payne housekeeper, said:
“I thought you knew, Matt, your mother went to Wilmington overnight.”
Goddamn it, I did know!
“Thanks, Elizabeth. I did know. I forgot.”
On the second call, Mrs. Irene Craig, Executive Secretary to Brewster Cortland Payne, Esq., founding partner of Mawson, Payne, Stockton, McAdoo amp; Lester, arguably Philadelphia’s most prestigious law firm, said, a certain tone of loving exasperation in her voice, “I left two messages on your machine, Matt. Your dad went to Washington on the eight-thirteen this morning, and is going to spend the night with your mother in W
ilmington.”
And I got both of them, too, goddamn it!
“I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Craig. Forgive me.”
“No, I won’t. But I love you anyway.”
On the third call, a nasal-voiced female somewhat tartly informed him that Dr. Payne would be teaching all day, and could not be reached unless it was an emergency.
“Thank you very much. Tell Dr. Payne, please, that unless we have her check within seventy-two hours, we’re going to have to repossess the television.”
“Amy always teaches all day on Monday,” Inspector Wohl said.
Inspector Wohl knew more about Dr. Payne’s schedule than her brother did. They were close friends, and on-and-off lovers.
Matt looked at him but said nothing.
“Low-ranking police officers should not keep Deputy Commissioners waiting,” Wohl said. “You might want to write that down.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you very much, sir.”
Deputy Commissioner Coughlin was standing on the stairs to the building waiting for him.
“You drive, Matty,” he ordered. “Frank had things to do. You can either drop me at the Roundhouse later, or I’ll catch a ride somehow.”
“Yes, sir. Where are we going?”
“The Roy Rogers at Broad and Snyder,” Coughlin said. “You heard about that?”
“Yes, sir. I ran into Tony Harris at the Roundhouse this morning. Did they get the doers?”
“Not yet,” Coughlin said. “We will, of course. We should have already. I’d like to know why we haven’t.”
And en route, I will get the speech.
I really hate to refuse anything he asks of me.
