Just Take My Heart - Mary Higgins Clark [94]
His secretary, Liz, followed him into his private office and told him that there had been fifty-one responses phoned to the number on the Web site since the offer of the twenty-five-thousand-dollar re?ward had been posted Sunday evening.
“Twenty-two were from psychics, Mike,” she told him, standing in front of his desk. “Two of them must have the same crystal ball. They both see a man with dark hair and wearing dark clothing watching Natalie Raines as she drove up to her house the morning she was killed.”
She smiled. “You won't believe the rest of it. They see him wait?ing for her with a gun in his hand. That's where the vision stops. Ap?parently, when they get the reward they'll be able to see his face and describe him fully.”
Mike shrugged. “I was positive we'd attract some of those weirdos.”
Liz did an informal summary of the calls. “Ten or twelve of them were people who said that Jimmy Easton has cheated or robbed them. None of them could believe that a jury found Gregg Aldrich guilty based on his testimony. Some of them said they'd like to go to court when Aldrich is sentenced and tell the judge that Easton is a pathological liar.”
“That's good to know but it doesn't do us much good. How about the woman who called Friday night and asked about a reward? Have we heard from her?”
“I was saving the best for last,” Liz told him. “She did call back this morning. Says she absolutely has the proof of where Jimmy worked and why he may have been in the Aldrich apartment. She wants to know if we can put the reward money in some kind of se?cure account to make sure she isn't cheated out of it.”
“Did she give her name and a number where we can contact her?”
“No, she didn't want to do that. She wants to talk directly to you first. Doesn't trust anyone else not to steal her information. Also she wants to know if Gregg Aldrich gets out of jail because of her tip, will you have her as a guest on the show with him. I told her you'd be in around now and that she could call back.”
“Liz, if somebody gives us concrete proof, of course I'll have them on the show. I just hope she isn't another kook.” Worried, Mike thought of how he had told Alice and Katie about this tip at lunch yesterday, and their ecstatic reaction to it.
“Okay. That's all I have,” Liz said, cheerfully. “We'll see what else comes in.”
“Hold the calls for awhile unless that woman calls back. Put her right through.”
Liz was barely at her desk when the phone rang. Through the open door,
Mike heard her say, “Yes, he is back, and he will speak with you now. Hold just a moment, please.”
Mike's hand was on the phone waiting for the buzzer to sound, indicating that the call had been transferred.
“Mike Gordon,” he said. “I've been informed that you may have some information pertinent to the Aldrich case.”
“My name is Reeney Sling, Mr. Gordon. It is an honor to speak with you. I very much enjoy your program. I never thought I would be getting involved in one of your cases but. . . .”
“How are you involved, Ms. Sling?” Mike asked.
“I have important information about where Jimmy Easton worked around the time that Natalie Raines got killed. But I want to make sure that nobody steals my reward.”
“Ms. Sling, I personally guarantee you, and I will put it in writ?ing, that if you are the first person to give us this important informa?tion and it leads to a new trial or a dismissal of his charges, you will get the reward. You should know in advance that if your information combined with someone else's additional information leads to that kind of result, you will split the reward.”
“Suppose my information is much more important. What would happen then? Oh, just a moment, please. My husband wants