Celebrity in Death

recording.”
    “Keep looking. I’ll take reception.”
    She’d barely started when the uniforms arrived. She sent them both out to canvass the building and a two-block radius. The killer had hauled out electronics, which meant he’d had transportation or a partner with same. So he’d had to park, and make at least two trips up and back. They’d see how late the restaurant on the street level operated, and the tattoo parlor. She had no doubt the sketchy-looking bar would have been open and doing business at the killing hour.
    She looked up again at the click, click, click of heels in the corridor—the giggle, and the lower male laugh.
    Eve moved to the door, stepped out to see Barbie in a red skirt barely bigger than a dinner napkin, doing the hair-toss, eyelash-bat routine for the benefit of a lanky, lantern-jawed guy in a wrinkled suit.
    Bobbie, Eve presumed. It appeared they’d done more than have a drink.
    Still giggling, Barbie turned her head, and this time batted her lashes in surprise. “Oh. You’re back.”
    “Yeah.”
    “A let you in? I didn’t expect him so early. I came early ’cause I felt a little guilty about leaving before closing yesterday.”
    “Did you speak to Mr. Asner after my partner and I left?”
    “No. He never tagged back, so I just v-mailed I was closing up.” She bit her lip. “Is he mad? I didn’t think he’d care since—”
    “No, he’s not mad. I’m sorry to tell you Mr. Asner was murdered last night.”
    “What?
What?”
She screeched the second what. “A doesn’t get murdered. He’s a professional.”
    “It appears he came in with, or let someone into his office last night. He was struck on the back of the head with the statue of a black bird.”
    “Birdie! No. Are you sure, are you sure? Because A can take care of himself. He shouldn’t be dead.”
    “I’m very sorry for your loss.”
    “But—but.” Tears erupted like spurts of lava, rolled down her face as she turned it in to her companion’s chest. “Bobbie.”
    “Robert Willoughby. I’m an attorney. My office,” he added, gestured to the neighboring door. “I know you need to ask, so I’ll save you time. Barbie and I left the building around four-thirty, went over to the Blue Squirrel for a drink, stayed for a couple of sets. I think it was about seven when we left, and caught dinner at Padua, a little Italian place on Mott. We decided to make a night of it, and went for music and drinks at Adalaide’s. I guess we stayed till about midnight, then we …”
    “We went back to my place.” She sniffled. “We can do that. We’re not married or anything—to other people, I mean. Bobbie, somebody killed A.”
    “I know. Why don’t you go in my office, honey, and sit down?”
    “Can I?” she asked Eve. “I feel really bad.”
    “Sure.”
    Bobbie unlocked the door, settled her in, then stepped out again. “She wouldn’t hurt a fly. Literally.”
    “I’ve no reason to believe she had anything to do with Mr. Asner’s death.”
    “You said he let somebody in, or came in with someone. So it wasn’t a break-in.”
    “There’s no evidence of a break-in, but we can’t rule it out at this stage.”
    “It wasn’t a break-in.”
    Eve eyed him. “Maybe you and I should have a talk, Bobbie.”
    “Yeah, we should. Listen, I want to call my assistant. She and Barbiepal around some. Barbie would do better if she had somebody with her right now. Just let me get somebody to stay with her, and I’ll talk to you. It won’t take long. Sunny only lives a couple blocks away.”
    “All right.”
    He glanced toward his office. “It’s the first night we …” He blew out a breath. “This is a hell of a morning after.”

 
    SINCE PEABODY WAS BETTER WITH WEEPERS had a way of easing and eking information out between sobs—Eve had her talk to Barbie while she took Bobbie.
    The layout of the law office was identical to Asner’s with a no-frills decor. She left Peabody with Sunny the assistant and the teary Barbie in the reception area, and sat with Bobbie in his office.
    “What do you know, Bobbie?”
    “It may not be anything. I know A was riding high the last couple days. Big payoff from a client. I don’t know the details, and I’m not sure I’d tell you if I did.”
    “It’s okay. I’ve got most of them already.”
    “Well.” He shrugged. “He liked to gamble, and he was flush. I know he was going to hit a game yesterday because he stopped by, said I should go with him,