Page 30 of The Instruments of Darkness

“I told you,” said Roback. “We have nothing to say.”

He took a step forward, but when I didn’t take a step back in response, he was left looking awkward, though in his mind it might have played well for Piucci.

“If she’s a killer,” said Piucci, “she should pay, but I have nothing against her personally.”

Her tone suggested that she did.

“The key word there,” I said, “is ‘if.’?”

“We’re not interested,” said Roback. “Try your patter someplace else.”

“I’ll do that,” I said. “Thank you for your time.”

Before I went on my way, I waggled a finger at Roback, as though a half-forgotten detail about him had just returned to mind. All those episodes of Columbo I’d watched as a boy hadn’t gone to waste.

“I remember you now,” I said. “You’re the guy who tried to grope Colleen at a party.”

Roback reddened.

“That’s slander,” he said. Piucci, meanwhile, was staring at him like he’d just begun picking his nose.

“Not if it’s true,” I said. “And if it’s put to you on the stand, and you deny it, that would be perjury.”

“What do you mean, ‘on the stand’? Why should I be put on the stand?”

“Anyone could be called as a witness in this trial. You know Colleen. You had interactions with her, at least one of which she claims was unwelcome. Think about that. We’ll be in touch.”

I gave them both my best farewell smile, then crossed the street to the Clark house.

CHAPTER XVIII

Paulie Fulci was sitting in the brothers’ monster truck when I tapped on the window. He was listening to a Harry Potter audiobook on the stereo. The bass was so low that Jim Dale’s voice sounded like that of God Himself.

“Anything out of the ordinary?” I asked, as he lowered the window and paused the book.

“A couple of thrill-seekers. I told them to take a hike, and they did.”

This was hardly a surprise. Had Paulie told me to take a hike, I’d immediately have done so, conceivably to the Himalayas.

“Media?”

“A TV truck. I told them to take a hike too.”

“Did they object?”

“Not for long.”

When the mood struck him, Paulie could be kind of droll.

“And the police?”

“The patrol car left shortly after we got here. They drive by every couple of hours.”

“I hope you wave.”

“Not with more than one finger.”

I left him to Harry and rang the new video doorbell. The brothers had worked fast. I saw one camera mounted on the front of the house, covering the yard, and assumed that its twin was monitoring the rear. Paulie’s brother, Tony, opened the door and led me to the kitchen, where he and Evelyn Miller were working on a jigsaw puzzle of a Degas painting. Once I’d managed to get my mind around Tony Fulci and ballet dancers, I asked Evelyn how she was doing.