Chapter 53
THE NEXT MORNING at Private, Andy Cushman sat in the chair across from my desk. His face was very red, with bright white circles where his shades had been, evidence of too much time spent out by the pool. His hair was combed. He had shaved, and his clothes were neat and clean. It didn’t look as though Andy had hit absolute bottom, but I knew in the next few minutes, he’d be there.
“You’ve got news for me,” he said.
Colleen brought in my Red Bull and Andy’s espresso. We both thanked her.
“Andy, I have something to tell you. You’re not going to like it.”
“Don’t worry, Jack. Whatever it is, I can take it. That’s why I’m here.”
I nodded as if I agreed. Then I told my old friend that we had found out where Shelby had been working before she was killed: the Benedict Spa.
Andy jumped up, shouting as he stabbed the air with a forefinger. “What the fuck are you telling me? She worked there? That’s a hundred percent horseshit. It’s a lie! Somebody’s jerking your chain, Jack!”
I waited for Andy to finish his rant and sit back down. I understood why he was upset. “I wouldn’t tell you if we hadn’t checked it out, Andy. I’m sorry. But it’s true.”
Andy’s face was nearly purple with rage. His breathing was fast and shallow. I worried that he might have a heart attack in my office, maybe a fatal one.
“Then tell me why, Jack. Tell me why. She had everything she wanted. Jesus, we had a very active sex life.” He pushed away from the desk. “I want proof; I need it. That’s your business, isn’t it? Proving things? Proof, Jack, proof.”
“Del Rio and I went to Las Vegas last night and met with Carmine Noccia.”
Andy did a double take. “What’s he got to do with it? This doesn’t make any sense, Jack. None at all.”
“He owns the Benedict Spa. He knew Shelby, and doesn’t dispute that she worked for him. But he has no information on who killed her. So he says.”
“You’re telling me that my wife was a whore and a liar, and on top of that, she was working for the Mob? Why, Jack? She didn’t need money.”
I said again, “I’m very sorry, Andy.”
“So any crummy dick with a gun could’ve killed her? Is that what you’ve found out?”
“We’re working on it right now. We’re all working on it. We’re going to find the guy who did this.”
Andy slammed his fist down on my desk. “Guess what? I no longer care who killed her,” he said. “I don’t want to spend another nickel on her. Fuck it, Jack. Fuck it.”
I shook my head. “Please think this through. If we don’t find Shelby’s killer, the police will continue to focus on you.”
“Let them. They have nothing on me and they’ll get nothing. You just put yourself out of a job, Jack. You’re fired.”
Andy knocked his chair over as he got to his feet, then he steamed out of my office. He almost ran Colleen down as she came through the door.
“Did I hear right?” Colleen asked, putting a hand on her hip. I saw that she was wearing her new watch. “He fired us?”
“No. Well, yeah. He’s upset, but he’s my friend. I’m moving the Cushman case to the pro bono list,” I said. “We’re still working it. Only now we’re doing it for free.”
“I’ll take care of it, Jack,” Colleen said. Then she shut the door to my office. “Am I still your friend, Jack?”