Shoot First(Stone Barrington #45)(47)

“Somewhere in darkest California, on business. Happens all the time. Our table is ready. You want to order your drinks in the dining room?”

“Sure,” Stone said, and steered Meg that way.

When they were seated and the drinks had been served, including another for Dino, he said, “I assume Meg knows about this?”

“About what?” Meg asked.

“Yes, she knows.” He turned to Meg. “About what I told you a few minutes ago.”

“Oh, that.”

“My people are taking Bellini’s apartment apart as we speak,” Dino said. “They were both in the study, as you said. One each in the head.”

“Oh, God,” Meg said. “I’m going to be sick.”

“Why?” Dino asked. “You didn’t get shot.”

“No more details, please.”

“I forgot to tell you,” Stone said, “I took Bellini’s gun from the apartment. I’ll send it to you tomorrow.”

“Why did you do that?”

“It was lying on the coffee table when the doorman rang to say Beria was on his way up, and Bellini was already in the study, so I stuck it in my belt. A little later, when I had to sneak out of there, with my shoes in my hand, I thought I might need it for self-defense if Beria saw me. Then, in the elevator, I was glad I had it.”

“Give it to my homicide detectives,” Dino said.

“Which detectives?”

“The ones who will be calling on you first thing in the morning to question you about the murders.”

“I had hoped to avoid that by going straight to the top,” Stone said.

“You hoped in vain. We have procedures, remember?”

“Yes, yes.”

“Stone,” Meg said, “if you didn’t kill them, why are the police questioning you?”

“Because Dino somehow neglected to tell them that I didn’t kill them.”

“I couldn’t do that,” Dino said. “They have to draw their own conclusions from evidence and the witnesses.” He turned to Meg. “Stone is the only witness, so it’s standard practice that he is the immediate suspect, until the evidence clears him.”

“What kind of evidence will clear him?” she asked.

“Beats me,” Dino said. “I haven’t visited the crime scene.”

“Lack of motive,” Stone said to her.

“I wouldn’t lean too heavily on that,” Dino said. “After all, you went to Bellini’s apartment to get something he stole from your client. An objective person might conclude that he was reluctant to give it to you, and in the ensuing argument, you shot Bellini, then his wife, because she was a witness.”

“An objective observer would not think that if he knew that I went to see Bellini with seventy million dollars in checks of different amounts, in order to buy the stolen designs back from him, and he accepted one for ten million.”

“They didn’t find any checks,” Dino said.

“That’s because I returned the checks to Arthur Steele, who gave them to me for the purpose of buying back the stolen designs.”

“In that case, an objective observer might conclude that you murdered them to get back the ten million,” Dino said, “and a jury might very well accept that conclusion.”

“Stone is going to trial?” Meg asked.

“I am not,” Stone said. “When Dino’s detectives have heard all the facts, they will move on to the next suspect, who is the person who killed them, one Stanislav Beria. I am your witness to that.”

“You didn’t actually see Beria shoot them, and my people didn’t find him in the apartment,” Dino said.

“Of course not. I trailed Beria and his gorilla to the Russian mission. They’ll find him there.”

“No, the Russians won’t let them in, and even if they should find Beria off the reservation, he will decline to answer any questions because he’s a certified diplomat and has a diplomatic passport to prove it.”

“Back to you, Stone,” Meg said.

“I also have an excellent character witness,” Stone said, “who will tell the detectives that I would never murder anyone.”

“They would discount my testimony,” Dino replied, “because they know that we are very good friends, and that I would probably lie for you.”

“Probably?”

“Probably.”

“The ballistic evidence will show that the bullet did not come from any weapon I own.”

“Of course not,” Dino said. “You would have been unlikely to use a weapon that could be traced to you. In cases like this, the murderer often obtains an untraceable weapon, and anyway, he would ditch it at the first opportunity.”

“The doorman at Bellini’s building will testify that Beria and the gorilla went up to Bellini’s apartment,” Stone said.

“He will also testify that you went up to Bellini’s apartment,” Dino said blithely.

“Your detectives will find no gunshot residue on my person or clothing,” Stone said gamely.

“You’ve had plenty of time to scrub your hands and send your clothes to be cleaned.”

The waiter brought menus.

“I recommend the steaks,” Stone said to Meg.