Vertical Burn - Earl Emerson [55]
“Look forward to what?” It was Marion Balitnikoff in his black dress uniform, hat pulled low to his eyes.
“Nothing,” Finney said.
“Glad I caught you two together. I know I sounded a little rough in there, but I hope you both take it in the spirit in which it was given. We’re all family, and I don’t want to see anybody else hurt. I mean that. I couldn’t take another funeral before I retire.”
Diana said, “You were awful rough on him.”
“Yeah, well, no hard feelings.” Balitnikoff stuck his hand out to shake, first with Diana, then with Finney. “I just want things to go right from now on.”
After Balitnikoff was out of earshot, Diana turned to Finney. “Don’t forget Halloween. You’ll need a costume.”
“I’m not going to forget.”
28. WHATEVER DOESN’T MAKE YOU STRONGER KILLS YOU
When Finney had left the conference room, Monahan was talking to another short-timer from Ladder 7 about investing in Asian markets, as if Monahan had any money to invest. He was still broke from importing two hundred kangaroos in a scheme to sell meat and hides. It turned out nobody wanted to eat a kangaroo, and after he had all two hundred of them in pens on acreage he’d paid too much for, he discovered he didn’t have the heart to slaughter one anyway.
Monahan emerged from the conference room, took half a minute to get his bearings, then came downstairs and ducked into a public lavatory next to the Garden Room restaurant. When he still hadn’t come out after several minutes, Finney knew he was in for a vigil. In the crapper at the station, Monahan often finished books, paid bills, made phone calls, wrote letters—and had been tardy for more than one alarm after his legs went to sleep.
“John?” Kub was suddenly beside Finney again, whispering. “I didn’t want to talk in front of Diana.”
Eyeballing the rest room door, Finney said, “What?”
“You know I can’t act as your inside man.”
“Why not? I’m getting crucified.”
“I will tell you this. In a few days G. A.’ll show photos to that old woman.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Well enough to ID you. In a few days.”
“He thinks I did it, why doesn’t he just arrest me?”
“G. A. doesn’t work that way. He likes to play. That’s to your advantage if you use the time.”
“I don’t see any advantages here.”
“The other morning he went to Riverside Drive and wrote down license numbers of people who routinely drive to work past there. He thinks he has somebody who might ID you. Course, it won’t be as good as the old woman. You were there that morning, weren’t you?”
“An anonymous caller asked me to meet him. Then he never showed up.”
Kub took a deep breath and exhaled. “Christ, John. How did you get into this mess?”
“Forget it. I don’t need your help.”
“I wish I could help.”
“Yeah, I wish you could, too.”
A few minutes later Jerry Monahan rushed out the side door of the lobby.
Finney didn’t catch him until he was at the corner of Fifth and Seneca, catercornered to the YWCA. Monahan was walking briskly, talking to himself, his hands in the pockets of his baggy, corduroy trousers. Under the cloudy sky his skin was gray, the smile lines around his eyes crinkled against the breeze that channeled down between the buildings.
When Monahan smiled, he tried to make it mechanical, but there was a warmth to his smile that he couldn’t conceal.
“How are you?”
“I’m being framed for arson, that’s how I am.”
“What?” Monahan seemed incredulous.
“To start with, that house is not on the dangerous buildings list.”
“Of course it’s not. It burned down.”
“It never was on the list.”
“Sure it was. I put it on myself.” Monahan smiled a concerned smile as if he’d just discovered Finney was mildly retarded and realized he had to be more diplomatic. “What makes you think it wasn’t on the list?”
“Weren’t you listening inside? Caldwell said it wasn’t on the list.”
“Oh.”
“Why didn’t you add that house like you said you would?”
“Well, I guess . . . Hmmmm. Now I’m getting confused. I don’t know what happened.”
“I’m not buying that.”
“Okay, I screwed up. I’m no virgin. It must have slipped my mind.”
“If it slipped