Page 93 of Tightrope

“Not exactly. Lorraine Pierce. She wore a robot costume onstage to murder Pickwell.”

“This isn’t a joke, is it?”

“No,” Matthias said. “In addition to the arrest, a studio security guy named Ray Thorpe has been murdered and a top secret device has been recovered. The FBI will descend on Burning Cove sometime tomorrow to take charge, but I can arrange things so that they don’t get into town until after the morning edition of theHeraldis on the stands.”

“I’ve got a pencil and a notepad. Keep talking.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll get the whole story soon, but first I need an answer to a question.”

“I’m listening,” Irene said.

“The local cops just found the robot costume that was used in the murder of Dr. Norman Pickwell. It looks like it came from Silver Horizon Films. It must have been created for a horror movie. There’s a good chance that the aluminum shell stuffed with wiring that Chester Ward and I took apart was made at the same time. Since no one recognized the robot when it shot Pickwell, I’m assuming that the film either failed at the box office or never got released. Is there any way to find out?”

“I used to work forWhispers. I know someone there who will know who to call. Is that all you need? Just the title of a Silver Horizon movie that was about a robot?”

“No. I want to know if Vincent Hyde was under contract at Silver Horizon when the robot movie was made.”

“Vincent Hyde is involved in this thing?” Irene’s voice rose in feverish excitement. “Hang up. I’ve got to make some calls. Wait, how do I get hold of you when I get the answer to your question?”

“If you get an answer in the next few minutes, call me here at Lorraine Pierce’s number, Exbrook 2555. If I’m not here, I’ll be at the Paradise or on my way there.”

“Got it.”

“One more thing,” Matthias said. “I’d also like to know if RayThorpe was working security at Silver Horizon when the robot film was made.”

“I’ll get back to you as soon as I find out anything,” Irene vowed.

“Thanks. This is very important.”

“To you and me both,” Irene said.

Matthias dropped the receiver into the cradle.

“What’s going on?” Luther asked quietly.

Matthias took a moment to collect his thoughts.

“There had to be two versions of the robot,” he said. “One was an empty aluminum shell. The second was the costume. I think we can assume that Ray Thorpe stole both from Silver Horizon Films.”

Luther nodded. “If he was handling security for the studio, he would have had access.”

“He was obviously a tough guy, but he didn’t seem to be all that smart. Pretty sure he’s not Smith.”

“I’m with you,” Luther said. “Go on.”

“Lorraine Pierce is a good liar, but I’m convinced that she was telling the truth tonight when she said she wasn’t Smith. She and Thorpe were obviously deeply involved in this business but I’m equally sure that they were being manipulated by someone else, someone who has been pulling the strings all along.”

Luther gave that a beat. “It would be a classic Smith operation. He orchestrates the whole project but he stays in the shadows while it is unfolding.”

“Maybe,” Matthias said, “he’s the client. Just a voice on the phone, as far as Pierce and Thorpe are concerned.”

“Now that,” Luther said, “makes a hell of a lot of sense.”

“If things had gone according to plan, he would have gotten rid of both Thorpe and Pierce as soon as he took delivery of the cipher machine.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Smith, or at least it fits what we know of hisstyle. He plays the part of the client who commissions the theft of the machine and then he gives precise instructions on how to carry out the scheme. Throughout the whole thing he stays in the shadows.”

“That way, Pierce and Thorpe could never identify him.”