Scam

eloquent.”
    “I’m sure he was. Even so. I’m surprised they set bail.”
    “Bail isn’t punitive. It’s only to make sure you show up for court. Richard educated the judge on that point.”
    “I’m sure he did. So what’s the disposition of the case?”
    “It’s cases. As in two. I’ve been arraigned on two counts of murder, one in Manhattan, one in Queens.”
    MacAullif nodded. “Some days are worse than others.” He shrugged. “I’m not havin’ a great day myself.”
    “You been charged with murder?”
    “Not yet.”
    “Well, just wait. I don’t think this guy Belcher likes you much.”
    “No shit,” MacAullif said. He leaned back in his chair, cocked his head. “Weren’t you just in the other day? Didn’t I tell you a long story about this cop Belcher—how he’s poison, he’s the kiss of death, you leave him alone?”
    “Hey, he sent for me.”
    “Maybe so, but what were you doin’ before that?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean the case does not stand on the murder weapon alone. At your arraignment, maybe that’s all they told the judge, because it’s only an arraignment, so that’s all they need. But you think they leave it at that? You think there’s no investigation going on? You think no one cares what you did?”
    “Hey, MacAullif. I haven’t had much sleep in the last twenty-four hours, and frankly I’m not focusing very well. What the hell do you mean?”
    “Yesterday. Before the arrest. What did you do with your day?”
    “Oh.”
    “Yeah. Oh,” MacAullif said. It was amazing how much irony he was able to invest in such a short word. “According to what the police have been able to dig up, you spent the morning calling on Amy Greenberg and Miriam Pritchert. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t those two broads have something to do with the late Cranston Pritchert?”
    “MacAullif—”
    “One would think so, since it seems that you tried to get both of them to hire you to investigate his death.”
    “MacAullif—”
    “No. Talking to you is like talking to a two-year-old. You hear what I say and do the opposite.”
    “Oh, bullshit.”
    “Bullshit? You sit there, framed for murder, and tell me bullshit?”
    “Give me a break. The cops didn’t know I called on those women. Not when they set me up. That had nothing to do with it.”
    “Oh, no? Guess what? Miriam Pritchert, I couldn’t say, you could be right. But Amy Greenberg is another story. You call on her, give her the song and dance, and, guess what? She calls up and reports it to the cops.”
    “You’re kidding.” .
    MacAullif shook his head. “It’s in the file. And it’s in there before your arrest. When he calls you to that house, Belcher knows you’re nosing around.”
    “So he sets me up?”
    “Doesn’t play for you?”
    “No, it plays just fine.”
    “Sure it does.” MacAullif held up one finger. “He sets you up for knowing me—that’s for starters. I told you he would if you led with your chin. Which, of course, you did.”
    “Wait a minute, wait a minute,” I said. “What has calling on Amy Greenberg got to do with it?”
    “Absolutely nothing,” MacAullif said. He held up his finger again. “But. It connects you with the case. Again. The cops have gotta fashion a theory for the frame. He’s workin’ on it now. He may not have it set yet, but he’s collecting all the elements he can. You nosing around is a break.”
    “So he frames me?”
    MacAullif put up his hand. “Hey, did I say that? I certainly wouldn’t want to accuse a fellow officer of such a thing.”
    “I’m sure you wouldn’t. But that’s the case. So how does it happen?”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean the mechanics of it. If Belcher gets the gun and frames me with it, how does that come to pass?”
    “Come again.”
    “Where does he get the gun?”
    “He finds it at the crime scene.”
    “Which crime scene?”
    MacAullif raised his eyebrows. “Oh. So that’s how you’re thinking. Good point. The Cranston Pritchert killing.” He frowned. “But you found that body. You were there ahead of the cops. So is it possible that there was a gun that you missed that he found?”
    “I wouldn’t think so, but I can’t rule it out.”
    “Hmm,” MacAullif said. “In that case, Belcher finds the gun, decides to appropriate it before he even knows I’m involved.”
    “Unless he finds it after he came down in the elevator and saw you.”
    “Yeah,” MacAullif said. “I’m