Read Online In the Midst of Death by Lawrence Block - Free Book Online Page B

ago."

    "Voluntarily?"She colored and put a hand to her lips. "I'm very sorry," she said. "That's a stupid question and it's none of my business."

    "It's not stupid. Yes, I left voluntarily."

    "Why? Not that that's any of my business, either."

    "Private reasons."

    "Of course.I'm terriblysorry, I think I am feeling this whiskey.
    Forgive me?"

    "Nothing to forgive.The reasons are private, that's all. Maybe I'll like telling you about it someday."

    "Maybe you will, Matthew."

    And our eyes got connected again and stayed locked until she abruptly drew a breath and finished the liquid in her coffee mug.

    She said, "Did you take money? I mean, when you were on the force."

    "Some. I didn't get rich at it, and I didn't go out looking for it, but I took what came my way. We never lived on my salary."

    "You're married?"

    "Oh, because I said we.I'm divorced."

    "Sometimes I think about divorce. I can't think about it now, of course. Now it is incumbent upon the faithful, long-suffering wife to remain at her husband's side in his hour of need. Why are you smiling?"

    "I'll trade you three aversions for one incumbent."

    "It's a trade." She lowered her eyes. "Jerry takes a lot of money,"
    she said.

    "So I've gathered."

    "That money I gave you.Twenty-five hundred dollars. Imagine having so much money around the house. All I did, I just went upstairs and counted it out. There's a great deal more left in the strongbox.

    I don't know how much he has there. I've never counted it."

    I didn't say anything. She was sitting with her legs crossed at the knee and her hands folded neatly in her lap. Dark green pants on her long legs, bright green sweater,cool mint-green eyes.Sensitive hands with long slender fingers and closely trimmed unpolished nails.

    "I never even knew about the strongbox until just before he began consulting with that Special Prosecutor. I can never remember that man's name."

    "AbnerPrejanian."

    "Yes. Of course I knew Jerry took money. He never said so in so many words, but it was obvious, and he did hint at it. As if he wanted me to know but didn't want to tell me outright. It was obvious to me that we weren't living on what he earned legitimately. And he spends so much money on his clothes, and I suppose he spends money on other women."
    Her voice came close to breaking, but she sailed right on as if nothing had happened. "One day he took me aside and showed me the box.
    There's a combination lock, and he taught me the combination. He said I could help myself to money anytime I needed it, that there would always be more where that came from.

    "I never opened the box until just now. Not to count it or anything.
    I didn't want to look atit, I didn't want to think about it, I didn't want to know how much money was in there. Do you want to know something interesting? One night last week I was thinking of leaving him and I couldn't imagine how I would be able to afford to do it. Financially, I mean. And I never even gave a thought to the money in the strongbox. It never occurred to me.

    "I don't know if I'm a very moral person or not. I don't think I am, really. But there is so very much money there, don't you see, and I don't like to think what a person would have to have done in order to get all that money. Am I making any sense at all to you, Matthew?"

    "Yes."

    "Maybe he did kill that woman. If he decided he ought to kill a person, I don't think he'd have any moralcompunctions about doing it."

    "Did he ever kill anyone in the line of duty?"

    "No. He shot several criminals but none of them died."

    "Was he in the service?"

    "He was based inGermany for a couple of years. He was never in combat."

    "Is he violent? Has he ever struck you?"

    "No, never.Sometimes I've been afraid of him, but I couldn't explain why. He's never given me real reason for fear. I would leave any man who hit me." She smiled bitterly. "At least I think I would. But I once thought I'd leave any man who had other women. Why do we never