A Handy Death Read Free Page A

hesitated a moment.
    â€œWell, hell, Hank—the boy’s only twenty-six. I’ve kept track of him in prison. He keeps in shape, he works out regularly, or as regularly as you can up there since the troubles last year. And he pitches every time he gets a chance in one of the prison games …”
    Ross frowned at the telephone in utter disbelief.
    â€œCharley, are you trying to tell me you’re interested in getting this fellow out from whatever charges he’s up against—murder, riot instigation, or whatnot—because your team needs more strength in the bull pen? What happened to that gum-chewing, All-American-image spiel a minute ago?”
    â€œGod damn it, Hank, that’s not what I said! You don’t understand—”
    â€œI don’t and that’s a fact,” Ross said candidly. “When the boy represented a large investment for you, and before he was even tried, you dropped him like a hot potato. Now that he’s a second-offender with a murder charge against him and a good possibility of having been involved in a riot that indirectly may have resulted in the deaths of three men, you want to pull all the stops and save him. As you say, I don’t understand.”
    â€œLook,” Quirt said. “It’s simply—well, eight years ago I wasn’t in a position to try to help the boy—”
    â€œEight years ago you were vice-president of the Mets, and today you’re still vice-president of the Mets,” Ross said. “What happened? Or were you promoted since I talked with you last?”
    Quirt paused a moment and then spoke, but now his voice was no longer apologetic. Now it was cold and hard.
    â€œWhat the hell is this, anyway? A God-damned inquisition? Who’s hiring who around here? Look, Hank, do you want this case or not? There are other criminal lawyers in town, you know!”
    Ross imitated the other’s tone of moments before.
    â€œWhoa, Charley! Of course I want this case. Any time Louie Gorman makes big talk in the papers, I love to put pinholes in his balloons. And I have a feeling the money won’t be bad, either.”
    â€œWell, I was beginning to wonder! All right, then, stop wasting your time and mine and get on the job. Billy will be brought down from Attica within the next few days for arraignment. If you’d like to interview him up at Attica Prison before then—over the weekend, say—I have some pull with the authorities—”
    â€œI don’t need pull to interview a client, Charley. You know that.”
    â€œSure, only I thought if I could help—”
    â€œI’ll handle it my way, Charley.”
    â€œWhat? All right, you stiff-necked bastard, I was only trying to help,” Quirt said, slightly offended. “All right, get moving. Let me know how things are going, and if I can be of help in any way.”
    â€œI will,” Ross promised. “Anything else?”
    â€œThat’s it. Goodbye, Hank. And good luck.”
    â€œRight, Charley,” Ross said. He put the telephone back in its cradle with a thoughtful look.
    Sharon said, “Do you want this transcribed right away?”
    â€œNo,” Ross said slowly. “Just put the notebook aside for the time being. Date it, initial it, and let me initial it as well, and then get another one to work from. Don’t tear out any sheets, even blank ones.”
    He tented his fingers and swung his chair around, staring from the high window out over the island of Manhattan. A plane was taking off at a sharp angle from LaGuardia Field, leaving behind dissipating vapor trails. Hank Ross watched it disappear into a cloud bank. He spoke over his shoulder.
    â€œWhat did you think?”
    Sharon understood. She said, “Of Mr. Quirt’s reasons for wanting to help this man Dupaul?”
    Ross swung his chair back to face the girl. “That’s right.”
    â€œWell,” Sharon said, “it