Scam

could make the grade. Well, guess what? I talked to the medical examiner, and guess what killed the broad?”
    “It looked to me like she was shot.”
    “Good guess. She was indeed shot. Once. So says the ME. Pow. Right through the silicone goodie into the heart. Which solves my math problem for me.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Oh,” Belcher said. “But you didn’t know that. Because you’re not indicted yet, so your lawyer isn’t privy to the evidence. But that gun we found in your car—the one that killed those other two—funny thing is, there were three bullets missing from it. We could only find two, you know. No matter how hard we searched.”
    Belcher nodded. Grinned. “I was gettin’ to think we’d never find the third.”

40.
    “I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM.”
    MacAullif looked at me. “Are you kidding me? You have no problem at all. Here you are, arraigned on your third murder inside of a week, and you’re out walking around.”
    “I have a hell of an attorney.”
    “That I know. But it seems to me we’ve had this conversation before.”
    “I know. And I wasn’t looking forward to having it again. Only it seems your pal Belcher happens to have hit the trifecta. The lucky son of a bitch frames me with a gun, and it just so happens it killed three people. Now, what are the odds of that?”
    “In this case, pretty damn good. But this time there’s a saving grace.”
    “What’s that?”
    “Belcher didn’t do anything.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “I mean to frame you. Belcher didn’t fuck around.” MacAullif put up his hand. “Put aside the fact he framed you with the gun to begin with—here’s another shot from it, that’s fortuitous, that’s something Belcher couldn’t have counted on. What I mean is, he planted nothing at this murder scene. At least, from what you say. I mean, you didn’t touch anything in that apartment he’s gonna be able to throw back at you later on?”
    “I didn’t touch a thing.”
    “How long were you in there?”
    “No time at all. He found the body, hauled me right out.”
    MacAullif nodded. “So, he couldn’t fake a fingerprint photo. He could still get you with a lift.”
    “Huh?”
    “A fingerprint lift. You know, you lift the fingerprint, put it on a card, label where it’s from. He could take a print from somewhere else, say it came from there.”
    “You think he’d do that?”
    “No, I don’t. It’s too clumsy, too obvious. There’d be photos of everything else. Here’s the one fingerprint isn’t photographed in place, shows up on a lift. Even a zealous young ADA’s gonna start thinkin’ frame.”
    I waved my hand impatiently. “Fine, MacAullif. What’s the difference? You’ll pardon me, but I’m framed for two murders, so what if I’m framed for three? If it ever got that far, the ballistics evidence would be enough to fry me. Never mind any corroborating fingerprint. If they can get any conviction of any kind, even obstructing justice, in one, they throw it in my face in the other. By the time I get to the third one, I’m convicted before it begins. Now, I happen to be having a nervous breakdown here, and I’d appreciate your help.”
    “It seems to me we’ve played this scene too.”
    “Yeah, we did, MacAullif. And what did you advise me to do? If you’ll recall? Who did you say might shed some light on the situation?”
    “I suggested you talk with the girl. At the time, it seemed like good advice. I admit, it doesn’t sound so hot now.”
    “I’m glad you concede the point.”
    “Only to a degree. I mean, let’s be honest here. Is the idea something happened to the girl really that new? You wanna tell me that never crossed your mind?”
    “I was concerned about her, yeah. But the idea that she’d been shot with my gun hadn’t really dawned on me.”
    “Oh, now it’s your gun?”
    “Well, it was in my car. Everyone else thinks it’s my gun, why should I be different?”
    “You’re getting yourself all worked up here.”
    “I’m not getting anything. I mean, Jesus Christ. I’m on a case here where I didn’t get paid, I’ve been framed for murder three times over, every lead I get blows up in my face, and everyone I wanna talk to is dead. Everyone else I talk to, I get arrested. Now, you wanna tell me why I shouldn’t be upset?”
    “I wouldn’t even wanna begin.”
    “Good. ’Cause there’s another thing that’s got me upset, and I’m not sure I understand it. I wanna run it by