M Is for Malice

will," I said, "but we're going to need someone who can verify Jack's claims. Christie says he drove you over to the country club Tuesday evening. Is that true?"
    There was a fractional hesitation. "That's right. He picked me up after dinner. Truth is, I ended up trading places with him, so I was the one driving. He was too tipsy. This is strictly off the record, right?"
    "I'm not a journalist, but sure. We can keep it off the record, at least for now," I said.. "Tipsy, meaning drunk?"
    "Let's just say I was the designated driver in this case."
    I closed my eyes, listening for the subtext, while cars passed back and forth on the street behind me. "Were you seated at the same table?"
    "Tables were reserved. We had assigned seats," he said. He was being as cagey as a politician. What was going on here?
    "That's not what I asked. I'm wondering if you can verify his presence at the pairings' party."
    A brief, most curious silence ensued. "Can I ask you a question?" he said.
    "What's that?"
    "If you're working for this attorney... what'd you say his name was?"
    "Lonnie Kingman."
    "Okay, this Kingman fellow. I know he can't repeat anything said between him and Jack, but what about you? Does the same thing apply to you?"
    "Our conversation isn't privileged, if that's. what you want to know. Anything relevant to Jack's defense, I'll be reporting to Lonnie. That's my job. I can be trusted with information. Otherwise, I'd be out of business by now," I said. "Were you sitting with Jack?"
    "See, that's what the police have been asking me," he said. His mouth must have been dry because I could practically hear him lick his lips before he spoke. "Jack's a good friend and I don't want to get him in any more trouble than he's in. I've done everything I could short of telling lies."
    "You don't want to lie to the cops," I said. Maybe the line was tapped and they were checking my attitude.
    "Well, no, I wouldn't. And that's just it," he said. "I didn't come right out and say so, but there was a stretch when Jack was, you know, uhm, off somewhere. What I mean is, I couldn't say he was right there in my line of sight."
    "Uhn-hun. How long a stretch?"
    "Might have been as much as an hour and a half. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but you know, later – like when this other business came up – I did, wonder about the time frame. I wouldn't want to be quoted, but just between us."
    "Do you know where he was?"
    "I know where he said he was. Out walking the tenth hole."
    "In the dark?"
    "That's not as odd as it sounds. I've done the same thing myself. Smokers go outside to have a cigarette sometimes. Most club members know the course by heart so it's not as if you're likely to get lost or fall down a hole."
    "But why would he do that in the middle of a pairings' party?"
    "He was upset – I'd say real upset – when he came to pick me up. That's another reason I insisted on driving. Jack tends to be careless about things like that."
    "Did he say what upset him?" I waited. "I can keep it to myself," I said.
    "He said him and Guy got into an argument."
    "About what?"
    "Probably the money. I'd say the money."
    "You're talking about the money Guy was due to inherit."
    "That's right."
    "So Jack was drunk and upset and when the two of you arrived at the club, he disappeared."
    "Uhn-hun."
    "Did you believe him?"
    "About taking a walk? More or less. I mean, it makes sense you know, if he was trying to sober up and cool off."
    "And did he seem cooler when he got back?"
    For a moment, I thought the line went dead. "Mr. Trasatti?"
    "I'm here. See, the thing is, he didn't actually get back in time to give me a ride. I had to find someone else."
    "And that's what you told the police?"
    "Well, I had to. I felt bad, but they were real persistent and it's like you said, I couldn't lie."
    "Was his car still there?"
    "I think so. I couldn't swear to it. I thought I saw it in the parking lot when I was set to go, but I might have been mistaken."
    "But you're sure there was no sign of Jack?"
    "That's right. A friend of mine said he saw him take off across the fairway at the first hole. Then this other fellow ended up giving me a ride home."
    "Can I have both those names?" I cocked one shoulder, anchoring the handset against my ear while I fumbled in my bag for a pen and a scrap of paper. I made a note of the names, neither of which rang a bell. "And how did you find out where Jack had been?"
    "He called first thing the next morning to apologize