Dead Man Docking - Mary Daheim [112]
“We never did touch that safe,” Judith said hotly. “The one place the police didn’t find our fingerprints was there.” Biff had never told them so, but it was true. “We never knew the jewels were in there. The items you stole were fake from the get-go.”
“That’s crap,” Blackie retorted. “You think we wouldn’t know what was fake and what was the real deal?”
“I think you would,” Judith said. “I’m not sure about CeeCee.”
CeeCee shot Blackie a sharp look. “What’s she talking about?”
“Damned if I know,” Blackie growled.
“We both know real goods,” CeeCee asserted. “We’ve done this before, back in the Big Apple. We can’t be conned.”
“Yes, you can,” Judith insisted. “You’re too vain to wear glasses, and maybe you can’t use contact lenses. I’m positive you couldn’t read the ingredients on my bottle of Red Door perfume. And I’m certain that you couldn’t tell glass from my…from diamonds,” she amended.
“I’m telling you,” CeeCee began angrily, “Blackie here knows—”
“Yes, he does,” Judith broke in. She smiled in a pitying manner. “Let’s end this farce. Blackie, tell CeeCee to put the gun down. I know you’re an undercover cop.”
“That’s bull!” CeeCee cried. The gun wavered in her hand. Blackie dove for her, but she fired twice. One bullet hit him in the shoulder. The other went right between the cousins into the sofa.
Blackie reeled in front of CeeCee. She was panting and staring at his writhing body. Rhoda leaped out of the chair from behind, grabbed the martini shaker from the bar, and smacked the heavy silver jug against CeeCee’s blond head. The gun dropped to the floor. CeeCee fell on top of Blackie.
“Good Lord,” Rhoda said under her breath. “We must call for help.”
Judith was already picking up the receiver from the end table by the sofa. Renie had gone to assist Rhoda, who was trying to pull the unconscious CeeCee off of Blackie. The wounded man was holding his shoulder as blood spread over his gray jacket.
“Do be careful of the carpet,” Rhoda cautioned as she and Renie succeeded in rolling CeeCee away. “It cost the earth, and bloodstains are so difficult to remove.” She put an arm around Blackie to help him sit up straight. “Serena, could you please get some sheets—not the Egyptian cotton, but the cheaper ones—from the linen closet in the hall?”
Judith finished her call, having given the 911 operator the necessary information. She used a cocktail napkin to pick up the revolver and place it in her purse.
Despite his obvious pain, Blackie was cursing a blue streak. “Women’s intuition!” he finally gasped, looking at Judith. “You got me shot!”
“It was hardly intuition, womanly or otherwise.” Judith made a self-deprecating gesture. “We didn’t steal the jewels, so we realized later that they must have been fake when we saw them in Erma’s stateroom. If you were a real jewel thief, you’d have known that, too. CeeCee wouldn’t because her eyesight isn’t very good, especially up close. But you did know, didn’t you? I wondered about you—except that I only knew the name, not the face. I overheard you talking to Biff on the ship and then I happened to catch part of a conversation between Biff and Rick St. George. I wasn’t sure if you were a good or a bad guy, but it dawned on me tonight that you must be working with the police.” She saw Blackie nod. “So what were you doing? Trying to figure out what happened to Erma’s real jewels?”
Renie returned with the sheets. A staggering, wheezing Asthma was right behind her. “He was locked in the linen closet,” Renie said.
Rhoda rushed to the dog. “Baby! I’ve been so worried! I wondered what CeeCee had done with you!” Rhoda buried her face in the animal’s ropelike fur. “Komondors are so loyal. CeeCee must have known he’d defend me to the death. If he