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"You think he set it up that way? He knew Scipio was going to do it and made sure he covered himself?"

"I think it was coincidence"

"Because it's hardly incri an alibi"

"No"

"Anyan alibi for the other two murders"

'True"

"But we've left one out, haven't we? The abortion guy Except he'd hate to be called that, wouldn't he? I'uy"

"Protector of the unborn," I said

"Roswell Berry Killed not here in nasty old New York but halfway across the country in the tele- capital of America"

"Omaha?"

"You didn't know that about Omaha? Whenever there's an ad on a cable channel, a twenty-four-hour eight hundred nuer Whittaker's greatest hits, nine ti in an office in Oot killed?"

"Yes, he did"

His eyebroent up "Really? That sinks your whole theory, doesn't it?"

"No," I said, "it's the closest thing I've got to hard evidence, and it's strong enough to have brought ht See, Adrian did have an alibi for Berry's murder And it's full of holes"

"He went to Philadelphia," I said "Rode down and back on the Metroliner, had a seat reserved both ways in the club car Charged the ticket to his American Express card"

"Where'd he stay in Philly?"

"At the Sheraton near Independence Hall He was there three nights, and again he used his A ht"

"Which is what, two thousand ," he said "This would appear to clear Adrian How does it implicate him?"

"Here's what I think he did," I said "I think he went to Philly and checked into the hotel and unpacked a bag Then I think he took his briefcase and caught a cab to the airport, where he paid cash and showed ID in the name of A Johnson He flew to Oistered at the Hilton as Allen Johnson, showing a credit card in that naot there in plenty of tiot out before the body was found"

"And flew back to Philadelphia," Ray said "And packed his bag and paid his hotel bill and got on the train"

"Right"

"And you've got nothing that places hi the time that our Mr Johnson was either in or en route to O," I said "No phone calls on his hotel bill, noat all to substantiate his presence in the city except that he was paying for a hotel room"

"I don't suppose there was a maid ould re after the fact? The only way she'd reo to Philly? You'll say to set up an alibi, I understand that much, but as his ostensible purpose?"

"To keep some appointments, evidently He had four or five of them listed on his desk calendar"

"Oh?"

"Times and last names I don't think they were real appointments I think they were there for show I checked the naainst his Rolodex and couldn't find them More to the point, I checked his phone bills, home and office The only call to Philly that fits the time frame was the one he ht about it "Suppose he was seeing somebody in Philadelphia A married woman He calls her froht check Adrian's phone records?"

He started over "He can't call her at all," he said "She has to call him, and that's why there are no calls to her on his phone bill The appointments on his calendar are with her The nanize her naoes there and never leaves his room, she visits him when she can, and somebody else named Johnson flies out to Omaha and back, not because he's Will but because he wants to discuss investments with Warren Buffet"

"And Adrian stays in his room all that time and never orders a sandwich from room service? Or eats thehi them down as he raised theht? Allen?"

"Allen at the Hilton, just the initial at the airlines counter"

"If you'd found a wallet full of identification in that name in the top drawer of Adrian's desk, I'd say you had so"

"He could have it tucked away in his closet," I said, "or stashed it in a safe-deposit box My guess is he got rid of it once he kneouldn't need it anyot back fro himself as Will's last victim Or later It would be nice if it showed up on a list of recent cyanide purchasers"