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“It’s stealing,” I said.
“We didn’t see it that way,” Beedle said. “It’s one of those chances you take with cryptocurrency. People lose their passwords all the time. Especially if it’s an older account without backup systems. Once you lose your password the money is gone. You can’t access it and it stays in the account forever. Not doing anybody any good. So, we figured the way everything progressed from me relieving Vinnie of what was assumed to be a nearly worthless coin, to it eventually going to a collector who was smart enough to examine it—it was like providence. Divine intervention. Like God wanted us to have the money. And we didn’t see anybody getting hurt by it.”
“Somebody lost eleven million dollars,” I said. “You didn’t see that as being painful?”
“It was an old account, started back when mostly criminals were using crypto,” Beedle said. “Besides, we didn’t see how it could get traced back to us, and we didn’t know about the kidnapping.”
“Makes sense to me,” Grandma said. “I’d have kept the money.”
“Me too,” Lula said. “I’m not in favor of rewarding killers with good deeds.”
“Okay, so where’s the money now?” I asked Beedle. “How much is left?”
“Nothing’s left. I cleaned out the account,” Beedle said. “Usually, you have to remove your currency in relatively small increments, but I knew how to move it into other investments that I could trade and sell. Everything we took out of the account has been washed and dispersed.”
Oh boy, again.
“That’s a wonderful story,” Grandma said. “It’s like you got a second chance at having a life.”
“Yeah,” Lula said. “You were three losers and now you’re rich. It’s one of them life-affirming stories you hear about on the news. Makes me believe in the American dream all over again.” She dabbed at her eye. “Gets me all choked up.”
Beedle took the coin out of his pocket and gave it to me.
“I was carrying it for luck, but you can have it,” he said. “Are you going to rat us out?”
“No,” I said. “I can’t see any good coming from that.”
“Dilly dilly,” Sir Lancelot said.
“Dilly dilly,” we all repeated.
“You didn’t sound like you had your heart in thedilly dilly,” Lula said to me when we were back in the lobby.
“I’m getting worn down,” I said. “It’s like I’m always taking one step forward and two steps backward. I finally have the coin but I’m not sure it’s going to get Connie released. And even if she does get released, they’re going to come after me when they realize their money is gone.”
“You’re in deep doody,” Lula said. “I’m glad I’m not you.”
We had dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe and by the time we got home it was nine o’clock. I dropped Grandma off and called Morelli.
“Where are you?” I asked him.
“I’m in your apartment. Rex was lonely.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Do you want me to pick anything up? Did you have dinner?”
“I already ate. My mom brought me meatballs in red sauce. I have enough for two weeks.”
Morelli’s mom is a good cook. It’s a requirement for living in the Burg. Every woman in the Burg is a good cook. Except me. If I hadn’t moved out of the Burg I would have been kicked out. I have a pot, a fry pan, and a glass casserole dish. I buy food magazines and I watch the food channel. I eat food all the time. That’s as far as it goes.
I pulled into my parking lot and found a place close to the back door. I had Ranger’s gun in my messenger bag. I didn’t see anyone hanging out. I had Morelli in my apartment, and he’d hear me screaming unless he had the TV too loud. I left my car, hurried into the building, and took the stairs two at a time.
Morelli met me at my door.
“I was watching you from the window,” he said. “You sat in your car for a while and then you ran into the building. The cop part of me is curious.”
“Two men attempted to stun gun me after the viewing last night. Grandma fired off a couple shots and scared them away.”
“Was this a random attack?”
