Fatal Flaw Read Free Page A

to get the bastard who did this before the trail grows cold. We have questions for Mr. Forrest.”
    “I don’t think he’d be much help in his current condition.”
    “Seems to me you’re acting more like a lawyer than a friend.”
    “For the moment, yes, that’s how I’m going to handle it.”
    “Is that what he wants?” said Stone, nodding her head at Guy.
    “That’s what he wants.”
    “What about our questions?”
    “I’ll answer what I can,” I said.
    Stone looked at Breger, Breger shrugged. This is normally when the cops get angry and indignant, this is normally when it all turns adversarial. This is when Stone starts threatening and Breger holds her back and the whole madcap mad-cop routine plays itself out. I knew it was coming, anxious as I was to get Guy out of that house I was steeled for the onslaught of police craft, but instead of putting on a snarl, Stone smiled. “We appreciate your help. Having you here to assist us will make things easier. At some point we will need to ask Mr. Forrest some questions.”
    “Mr. Forrest is still in something of a daze. Could your questioning of him wait until tomorrow?”
    “If that’s what you think best,” said Breger, his gaze now scanning the ceiling.
    “I do.”
    “Of course you do,” said Breger. “Mr. Forrest is going through an ordeal. His fiancée is dead in their bed, a bullet wound in her chest. Any of us would be in shock. You want him to be able to pull himself together before he speaks to us.”
    “How’s tomorrow morning?” said Stone as she handed me her card.
    “I think that would be all right. I’ll let you know in the morning if his condition makes it impossible. I was going to take Mr. Forrest to my apartment for the night.”
    “Good idea,” said Breger, who had stepped over to a window and was closely examining the sill. “Mr. Forrest looks like he could use a stiff drink or two.”
    “He knows not to leave the area,” said Stone.
    “I’ll make sure of it. I’ll bring him to you myself tomorrow morning.”
    “Along with his new attorney,” said Stone.
    Stone smiled at me. I smiled back. This was something completely new. They were playing good-cop, good-cop. I supposed that’s how they did it in the suburbs.
    “So now,” I said, “if we could be excused, I’d like to let Mr. Forrest get some sleep.”
    “If it is any consolation, Mr. Forrest,” said Breger, looking straight at Guy now, “we are going to do our best to get the bastard who did this. We will put all our resources into digging out the truth and, believe us, dig it out we will. We will not rest until the killer is found and tried and convicted. We will not rest until the killer is rotting away in the penitentiary. I want you to know that, Mr. Forrest, and I hope it gives you some comfort.”
    “Yes, well, thank you for that, Detective Breger,” I said. “Now, if we could be excused.”
    “Can you just give us a moment, Mr. Carl?” said Stone.
    The two detectives stepped out of the dining room. I patted Guy on the shoulder and followed.
    “Can you tell us what you know?” said Stone, who was taking the lead in the questioning while Breger examined some paperwork.
    “I was home, sleeping through the baseball game, when Guy called.”
    “What did he say?”
    “I can’t tell you. Depending on the circumstances, it might be a privileged communication.”
    “You mean if he was calling you as a lawyer,” said Breger, “instead of as a friend.”
    “That’s right. But he didn’t say much. He wasn’t really coherent. He sounded out of his head, confused.”
    “Stoned?”
    “With grief, maybe. I didn’t know what to do. I told him to stay calm, that I’d be right over.”
    “What number did he call?”
    “My home number.” I gave it to them. “When I arrived, he was sitting on the steps waiting for me.”
    “In the rain?”
    “Yes. Sobbing. And he was naked. I ran upstairs and found her on the mattress. I used the upstairs phone