Act of God

around in the lounge. “Yeah?”
    “We got a white female, one of these plastic fertilizer bags over her head.”
    Cross and the other two left me for something they could believe in.

    I went down the steps and opened the door. The wiry waiter in black came halfway across the empty dining room, then recognized me and hurried back toward the kitchen. Grgo Radja came out and we met at the center of the room. “You here for dinner, still too early.”
    “Just for a talk.”
    “I talk all I want with you.”
    “I think I figured out who did the killings.”
    The smudgy eyelids closed halfway. “Yes, so?”
    “Maybe we could sit for a while, go over it.”
    Radja watched me a moment, then indicated with his head to follow him to the table we’d used before. He didn’t take out a cigar or call for drink.
    After we were in the chairs, he folded his hands on the tablecloth. “So talk.”
    I told him about Roger Houle and Darbra Proft and what they did to Houle’s wife.
    “I tell you first time I see you, there is something wrong with that Darbra. But man she throw wine on, him, too?”
    “Yes.”
    A sad ticktocking of the head.
    I said, “But he couldn’t have killed Abraham Rivkind.” The eyes came all the way open. “How so?”
    “Houle was out-of-state. Now that he’s dead, though, there won’t be a trial in his case, so it doesn’t look like there’ll be any more investigation into Darbra or the Riv-kind killing.”
    “Houle is dead, no more police or you about Mr. Rivkind?”
    “Not about his killing or... anything, I would guess.”
    Radja smiled, the hooded eyes almost closing. “You understand me last time, maybe?”
    “Maybe. Finally.”
    “Better you did. You have time for plum brandy with Grgo?”
    “A little slivovitz would be nice.”
    Radja smiled some more and yelled in Croatian toward the kitchen.

JEREMIAH HEALY is a professor at the New England School of Law. A former president of the Private Eye Writers of America , he has earned eight Shamus Award nominations, most recently for Foursome. ACT OF GOD is the latest novel in his acclaimed series featuring John Francis Cuddy. Previous entries include the Shamus Award-winner The Staked Goat, and Blunt Darts, So Like Sleep, Swan Dive, Yesterday’s News, Right to Die, Shallow Graves, and Foursome. His next Cuddy mystery, Rescue, will be published in mid-February by Pocket Books Hardcover.