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for size. If this hadn’t happened—if the proxies hadn’t come in for Philip Greenberg …”
    “Yeah?”
    “Who would have won?”
    “What?”
    “Look, Mr. Jenkins. Aside from thinkin I’m a murderer, you seem like a decent enough guy. So try this concept on. Say I didn’t kill Cranston Pritchert. Say he got killed because of the proxy fight, because someone was setting him up to lose. And say things didn’t work out the way they did—people sending in their proxies for Philip Greenberg. Which of the two would have won?”
    “Between Marty and Kevin?”
    “Right.”
    He frowned. “That’s hard to say. I mean, the people who gave proxies for Greenberg, who knows who they would have supported. There’s really no way to tell.”
    “Fine,” I said. “Never mind the Greenberg proxies. What about everything else?”
    “What about it?”
    “Well, let’s put it this way. Who came in second?”
    He cocked his head. “I’m not sure I should tell you that.”
    “Hey, I’m a stockholder. If I’d made the meeting, would I have known?”
    “It wasn’t a secret ballot.”
    “There you are.”
    Jenkins frowned. He thought a moment. “Marty Rothstein.”
    “Oh?”
    He nodded. “Rothstein came in second. By a fairly wide margin. Miriam Pritchert went for him. Not that it made any difference, what with Amy having over fifty percent of the vote. But for what it’s worth, Rothstein was second.”
    “So Miriam Pritchert went for Rothstein, huh?”
    “Yes, she did. Why?”
    “I dunno.” I shrugged. “I just had a hunch she might.”

42.
    “Y OU GONNA CALL THE COPS again?”
    Marty Rothstein frowned. “What do you mean again?”
    “It wasn’t you who called them last time?”
    “Why would I do that?”
    “I dunno. But I find people who answer a question with a question are often attempting to evade.”
    Rothstein frowned again. “This is getting nowhere. I have little patience this morning, and I don’t really feel like talking.”
    “That’s understandable, after the stockholders meeting last night.”
    His head came up. “Who you been talking to?”
    “Hey, I’m a stockholder. These things affect me too.”
    “You’re what?”
    “I’m a stockholder. I own stock. I was going to the meeting, but something came up. Cranston’s topless dancer turned up dead. Or hadn’t you heard?”
    “Yeah. I heard. I also heard you were involved.”
    I waved it away. “Oh, no. That’s the type of line the cops put out to keep the real killer from knowing what they’re doing.” I crossed my fingers, held them up. “Actually, the cops and me are like that.”
    He frowned, squinted at me. “You’re acting kind of strange.”
    “You know, you’re the third person today who’s told me that. I’m going to start to get a complex.”
    “Uh-huh,” Rothstein said. He stood up. “Would you excuse me a moment? If this is going to take time, I have some instructions for my secretary.”
    “Aw, sit down, Rothstein,” I said. “You wanna call the cops, call the cops. You don’t have to pussyfoot around about it. Just call the cops and say I’m here.” I leaned back in my chair, crossed my legs. “They probably know I’m here anyway. They’re probably following me around. I seem to be the best source of information they’ve got. I led ’em to Cranston. I led ’em to the girl. Now I’m leadin’ ’em to you. Call ’em up and get ’em down here. Maybe we can all have a little chat.”
    Rothstein looked at me a moment. Blinked. Sat down.
    Well. There was something to be said for acting slightly manic.
    I smiled. “See? Much better, just you and me. Now, let’s talk about what happened last night. The way I hear it, a little girl comes in and steals your job.”
    Rothstein’s face darkened. “You don’t understand.”
    “I know. It’s a business matter, and business matters leave me cold. That’s why I need all the help I can get. So, you wanna explain it to me in simple, layman’s terms, well, maybe I got a chance. The way I see it, you bet on the wrong horse. You locked up the widow Pritchert, and the Greenberg girl did you in.”
    “It wasn’t like that.”
    “Wasn’t like what?”
    “The way you make it sound.”
    “Well, how was it then?”
    “She had to vote her stock for someone. I personally think I was the best choice.”
    “Oh, sure,” I said. “Were you having an affair with her before her husband died?”
    Rothstein came out of his chair again. “You son