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"Let’s sit down, Eliza," Sherlock said Together, they led her into the living roolass of water Eliza didn’t seelass at her mouth, but when she took a drink, it seemed to help
It was several ed face Her eyes were shocked, uncoone mad? For God’s sake, ould anyone want to kill Danny?"
"We’re not certain yet," Sherlock said, "but Danny’s apartment had been torn apart"
Eliza looked baffled "But why? That doesn’t make any sense Danny didn’t have any valuables hidden away"
Sherlock said, "It’s possible Daniel O’Malley was trying his hand at blackmail and that’s why his apart for whatever it was that Danny was holding over his head If Danny was atte with someone utterly ruthless, so has to be done to save himself And very possibly save the person who hired him to kill Justice Califano"
"You believe there are two people?"
"Yes Someone hired the killer He’s very professional, Eliza, except for the risks he chooses to take, and I get the feeling that’s how he likes it He’s an adrenaline junkie The bigger the risk the better"
Eliza looked perfectly blank "No, I can’t believe Danny would do that Besides, what could he have known? What? He was so sweet, but he worked hard because he saw this year as the servitude that would eventually land hi bucks He wasn’t stupid A blackmailer? Danny? I swear to you I never saw such a side to hi the decision to use what he knew to blackmail a killer? Why didn’t he come to me? Why didn’t he call you? I know money was important to him, but this? I just don’t understand it" Her voice dropped off "It’s got to be another reason, it’s got to be"
Sherlock said, "We’re looking into everything, Eliza, but there aren’t all that many ways to interpret this It’s possible that someone wants to kill everyone in Justice Califano’s chauard you"
Eliza couldn’t get her mind around this, they both saw it, and waited "That’s crazy"
"Yes, it is," Sherlock said
Eliza sighed, paced froain "Maybe the killer believed that Danny knew so, that Danny didn’t try to blackmail him at all"
"That’s possible," Sherlock said, "but not all that likely Look, we’re hoping that Danny’s girlfriend will have information for us, but until then, let’s assuh, really tough All right If Danny was a black about him Money was an obsession with hi it takes to really knohat’s going on inside a person"
Sherlock said, "Do you know if Danny was in trouble financially?"
She shook her head "Not that I know of We’re not paid princely wages at the Court, as you know, but he had his own apartot the impression that he was pretty careful with his money He was just out of law school And you know, he wanted desperately to have a year at the Supreme Court because he kneould open doors for him He told me he danced his mother around the rooa--cars, a boat, whatever? No expensive hobbies? Not a big clotheshorse?"
She shook her head
"Then ould he do this, Eliza?" Sherlock asked
"It doesn’t say , then whirled about "Oh, Danny, you little pecker-head" And her eyes fil at either of theman she’d like to punch out, if only he wasn’t already dead She would never see hiain to yell at him
Sherlock said, "He was killed within twenty-four hours of Justice Califano That , he realized that what he kneorth a lot of ed to notify the person who hired the killer What could he have known, Eliza?"