Behind that vase, said Cowl in a shaky voice, the other mans blood all over his expensive suit and shirt. Were a lot faster than the Navaho, Stone said. Try to avoid running past it. We heard the scream when we were about twenty feet from the walk that led to the house. The man on the porch heard it, too, because the front legs of his tilted-back chair came down on the porch floor with a hard crack. He turned his head as if he could look into his house and see who was screaming. I started out by telling him about the second call from the woman claiming to know about the shooting, and how Id waited for her and her husband last night at the boat dock. Thats all? The house, which had been built in 1821, was nothing but a rambling shell when I bought it. It doubtless would have been cheaper and far more practical to have torn it down and built a new one. Instead, I had spent a lot of money remodeling it because there had been no plumbing and the electrical system could only be described as a hazard. Shoemaker said darkly,Shut up with the smart mouth. Who were you visiting in that building? Who? No, but I found out that Cowl got called out at just around the time she died. And now hes pulled a disappearing act. So either he killed her, or else he found the body, called the police, and went into hiding. Stone dug out his police badge and held it so she could see it. She got up, approached the door, and peered at the badge. He got permission from Campbell, and they left the hotel. Devine used his security card to get into the Cowl Building. It being a weekend and the firm probably going under, the place was pretty much empty. They rode the elevator up to the fifty-second floor and got off. Devine led Montgomery over to the storage closet and opened the door. But that one had been a long time building and she had walked up to him on the front porch and shared his beer and words were also exchanged and things came to a head when she made her feelings clear. What do you mean by that? Once inside, Jess excused herself and said she was headed upstairs to lie down. She didnt seem interested in the presence of the chief. At half past eleven that night Devine used his security card to let himself and Montgomery inside the Cowl Building. The guard wasnt around. Devine looked at his watch. Making rounds, he assumed. Or maybe he was lying dead somewhere. There was a lot of that going around here. Which brings me back to you. Did you kill her? Upstairs, Vanessa led him into the room.Why are the curtains drawn? Its night. Who? Slick stared at me for a moment. Then he picked up the phone, dialed, and asked for Clarence. I couldnt tell whether Clarence was the first name or the last, but when Clarence came on they chatted for a while like old friends and then Slick said, I was just wondering if you could give me a bit of information about a young chap who works for you people. His name is Knaster — thats with a K. Detective James Knaster. He waited, listened for a while, then thanked Clarence profusely, and hung up. A magnanimous man is mighty Caesar..