Worst Fears Realized

with something on his dashboard, looking confused. A moment later, the trooper made another U-turn and drove off to the south. “Zap,” Stone said aloud.
    “What?” Sarah asked.
    “I just zapped his radar.”
    “I thought his radar was supposed to zap you.”
    “That’s the way it used to be.”
     
    A little later Stone pulled into the visitor parking lot at Sing Sing and approached the guardhouse.
    “Can I help you?” the guard asked.
    “I’d like to speak to Captain Warkowski.”
    “Just a minute.” The guard picked up a phone, said something into it, then handed it to Stone. “He’s on the line.”
    “Hello, Captain,” Stone said. “This is Stone Barrington; I was up here with Lieutenant Bacchetti.”
    “How could I forget?” Warkowski replied. “What can I do for you?”
    “I’d like to see Herbert Mitteldorfer again; just a few questions.”
    “I’m afraid you’ve missed him.”
    “Missed him? Is he in town, running errands?”
    “Herbie got out yesterday.”
    “I see.” This didn’t come as a complete surprise.“Can I have his release address?”
    “I’m afraid I don’t know his new address.”
    “May I have the name of his parole officer, then?”
    “He doesn’t have a parole officer.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “He got an unconditional release.”
    “He was releasedunconditionally ? From a sentence for murder? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
    “It’s rare, but it happens. Herbie was an outstanding prisoner, very helpful to the warden and me, and his psychiatric examination showed no likelihood of a repeat offense.”
    “So you just cut him loose, and you’re hoping for the best?”
    “That’s about it.”
    “And you have no address for Mitteldorfer?”
    “None at all; he’s as free as an eagle.”
    “Thanks; sorry to trouble you.”
    “No trouble at all,” Warkowski replied.
    Stone could hear him laughing as he hung up. He returned to the car.
    “Business all done?”
    “Almost,” Stone said. He drove away from the prison and into the town, looking for something. It didn’t take him long to find it, and he drove into a parking place.
    “I’ve got to run in here for a minute,” Stone said.
    “Stone, darling, do you really feel an urgent need for stationery rightnow ?”
    “I won’t be a minute.” He got out and went into the store; the sign over the door read,WILHELM’S STATIONERS. A young woman was behind a counter nearthe door. “Good afternoon,” Stone said. “I wonder if I could speak to Mr. Wilhelm?”
    “I’m afraid he’s out for a couple of hours, delivering,” the young woman said.
    “Oh.” Stone turned to go, then stopped. “Did a man named Herbert Mitteldorfer used to buy supplies here for the prison?”
    “Herbie? Oh, yes. He was one of our better customers. He and Mr. Wilhelm used to speak German to each other.”
    “How often was he in here?” Stone asked.
    “Oh, practically every single day, even when there was a lockdown at the prison.”
    “He bought office suppliesevery day ?”
    “Oh, no, not really. At first, he’d come in to see Mr. Wilhelm, then he started working here.”
    “He worked for Mr. Wilhelm?”
    “Well, notfor Mr. Wilhelm; Mr. Wilhelm rented him office space. He had a computer and everything.”
    Stone blinked as he tried to get his mind around this. “Did you know he was released yesterday?”
    “Oh, yes. Herbie came by to get his stuff and to say goodbye.”
    “Did he have a lot of stuff?”
    “A couple of filing cabinets and his computer and printer; that was about all.”
    “Do you think I could have a look at where Herbie worked?”
    “Are you a friend of his?”
    “I came up to see him today, but I didn’t know he’d been released until I got to the prison.”
    “Sure, I guess you could see it; follow me.”

    Stone followed the young woman through aisles of stationery and office equipment to a door on the other side of the store.
    She opened the door and stood back. “This is where he worked,” she said.
    Stone looked into a room furnished only with a desk, a chair, and a small leather sofa. “Do you have any idea what Herbie did in here?” he asked.
    “Well, I know he traded stocks,” she replied. “I don’t know what else he did.”
    Stone stared at her. “On the stock market, you mean?”
    “Oh, yes; he was a very active trader; he spent every afternoon on the computer and on the telephone, talking to his broker. He gave me and Mr. Wilhelm a number of good