Page 31 (1/2)

"But you didn't have any hard evidence against hih for us to close the file We weren't doing a whole lot with it anyway No witnesses, no physical evidence Why?"

"I'd like to see the autopsy report"

"Why?"

"I'll tell you later"

"She was stabbed and she died of it What else do you want to know?"

"I'll tell you later And while you're at it-"

"What?"

I took out another slip of paper and laid it on his desk "Some more autopsy reports," I said

He stared at me "What the hell are you onto?"

"Oh, you know Just working away like a dog at a bone If I hadon like this, but you knohat they say about idle hands doing the devil's work"

"Don't fuck around, Matt Have you really got so here?"

"See if you can pull the autopsy reports," I said "And we'll see what I've got"

When I got to Willa's she earing the white Levi's with another silk blouse, this one li over her shoulders She'd buzzedon her face "You look drained," she said "Exhausted"

"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night And I've been going all day after an early start"

She drew ht away," she urged "Do you think you could do that?"

"I's I have to do"

"Well, at least I can give you a decent cup of coffee I went out today to one of those yuppie havens where they sell fifty different blends, one more expensive than the next I think they price it by the bean, and they can tell you where it came from and what kind of aniht a pound each of three different coffees and this electric dripbut drink it for you"

"Sounds great"

"I'll pour you a cup I had therinder so that every cup I breould be at the peak of freshness, but I figured you have to draw the line soht"

"Taste it, see what you think"

I took a sip, set the cup down on the table "It's good," I said

"Just good? Oh, God, I' day and it was a hard one, too, wasn't it? And I' off at the mouth Why don't you sit down? I'll try to shut up"

"It's all right," I said "But I'd like to make a phone call first, if you don't mind I want to call Warren Hoeldtke"

"Paula's father?"

"He should be hoo out while you make the call?"

"No," I said "Stick around In fact, you can listen while I talk to hi twice"

"If you're sure"

I nodded, and she sat dohile I picked up the phone and dialed his ho to make it collect this time Mrs Hoeldtke answered, and when I asked for hi your call Just a et him"

When Hoeldtke ca himself "I'm afraid the news is bad," I said

"Tell me"

"Paula is dead," I said "She died the second weekend in July I can't be sure of the precise date"

"How did it happen?"

"She spent the weekend on a boat, she and a gentleman friend and another couple The other man had a speedboat, some sort of cabin cruiser that he kept at a marina on City Island The four of them went out on open water"

"And there was an accident?"

"Not exactly," I said I reached for ood coffee "Boats, fast ones, are in de s slers?"

"No Paula's companion was a securities analyst The other man was also on Wall Street, and the other woallery on Amsterdam Avenue They were respectable people There's no evidence that they even used drugs, let alone dealt in them"

"I see"

"Their boat, however, was one that would lend itself to set for pirates This sort of piracy has become very common in the Caribbean Boat owners down there have learned to carry firearms on board and fire at any other vessel that comes too close Piracy is less coang of pirates approached the boat Paula was on, pretending to be a ship in distress They et on board, and then they did what pirates have always done They killed everyone and made off with the ship"

"My God," he said