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apartment and saw its condition. Just call the police and report her missing, and let them handle it. If they show up here, the manager can let them in when they come.”
    â€œSo he has a key?”
    â€œOf course, he’s the manager,” I said, but then realized that Ricky had managed to make another good point. The drunk downstairs did have access to the apartment. I would have to figure out how that fitted into the mix later, though.
    Right now I thought we should not be standing here with Louie’s door hanging open, just in case someone else came by.
    â€œRicky, I’ll tell you what. You give me your key for safekeeping. That way you don’t have to lie to the police about having a key.”
    â€œWouldn’t you be taking a risk by keeping it?”
    â€œRisk taking is part of what I get paid for.”
    You’re a devious bastard , Lauren Bacall said inside my head. I like that.
    â€œIf you say so,” he said, handing the key over to me.
    â€œOkay, so here’s what we do, guys,” I began, feeling less like the brains heavy of a crime drama delivering instructions to his henchmen, than Moe hatching a doomed plan for Curly and Larry to follow.
    â€œWe leave here and I lock the door. Ricky, you go home and call the police. You haven’t seen Louie in days, you’re worried, so you’re going to ask what you should do. Got it?”
    â€œHaven’t seen her, worried, what do I do?” he repeated.
    â€œGood. Avery, you go to your place, but keep an eye and an ear out for anything. If the cops do show up, let me know, okay?”
    â€œHow?”
    â€œOh, right.” I fished out another business card and gave it to him. “So we’re all agreed, right?”
    â€œRight,” the two said in unison.
    Ricky then left the apartment and strode down the hall toward the elevator. I started to leave, too, but Avery stopped me.
    â€œYou really think something bad happened to Luisa?” he asked.
    â€œI really don’t know. I hope not. But I do know that if the police get in the way I won’t be able to investigate anything. Now come on, let’s get out of here before someone else shows up.”
    In the hallway I looked both ways to make sure no one else was there, then closed the door and locked it, pulling out my handkerchief to wipe the knob clean.
    â€œIf the police talk to you, tell them everything you know about the last time you saw Louie, but don’t tell them you were in her apartment. And whatever you do, Avery, don’t tell them about the balcony trick. Call me if you need me.”
    â€œI will,” he said, sticking out the dead halibut he wore at the end of his arm for me to squeeze. “Should I tell them about the messages on the phone machine?”
    â€œIf the police are any good, they’ll find those themselves.”
    And unless they’re stupid, they’ll realize they’ve been listened to , I thought.
    â€œAvery, I think you might have just saved our butts,” I said, explaining that the fact that the phone messages were not old phone messages, and having been reviewed, meant that someone else had been in the apartment after Louie disappeared.
    It might not be ethical, in fact it might even fall under the category of withholding evidence. But better safe than sorry; the messages had to go.
    â€œWill that get us in trouble?” Avery asked.
    â€œYou? No. Because you’re not going to do it. Go home and shut the door, and don’t think about it. If anyone asks you if I erased the messages, you have no direct knowledge of that.”
    â€œBut you told me you were going to.”
    â€œThat’s called hearsay. Trust me, I used to be a lawyer.”
    â€œI think I see why you’re not one anymore.”
    â€œJust go home. Leave the worrying to me. I’m good at it.”
    â€œOkay.”
    I waited until he disappeared inside unit 214, and then quietly unlocked