Read Online Orchestrated Murder by Rick Blechta - Free Book Online

about this.”
    Browne looked at his watch. “James Norris told me about this not half an hour ago. It came as a very great shock. Luigi never said a word about it.”
    â€œI’ll come back to this. Just before I came up here, I spoke with Eliza Wanamaker. I was curious as to why you told the orchestra about the murder. I think you told me you just blurted it out.”
    â€œThat’s correct. I was very upset.”
    â€œFunny. Eliza got the feeling that you didn’t seem at all upset. She described you as outwardly calm and in control.”
    â€œAppearances can be deceiving, Detective. Surely I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”
    â€œWhy then did you pick up Spadafini’s overcoat before you left the room? Ms. Wanamaker remembers that clearly. Everyone was in a panic, and you caused that. Were you trying to distract them so you could search for Spadafini’s cell phone?”
    Now Browne was definitely sweating.
    Pratt continued. “I think you wanted it to disappear along with the record of all those calls.”
    â€œThat’s a lie!” Browne shouted.
    Pratt was about to hammer another nail into the coffin when the office door opened. Norris stuck his head in, and Browne used the interruption to leap to his feet.
    â€œJames! How fortunate you’ve shown up. The detectives here seem to want to drag me into this mess. Please come in. I want a witness to hear the outrageous accusations.”
    Browne came around the desk and opened the door wide. Grabbing his boss by the arm, he whipped him into the room, directly where Pratt was seated. The two men collided hard, knocking over Pratt’s chair. In a flash, Browne was through the doorway. Equally fast, Ellis jumped right over the low table in front of him and disappeared out the door.
    As he struggled to get up, Pratt heard a loud cry followed by a crash. By the time he got out to the hall, it was all over. The orchestra manager lay on his stomach with the youthful Ellis on top of him.
    â€œGet off me! Get him off me!” Browne shouted.
    Ellis grinned up at Pratt. “You wouldn’t happen to have any handcuffs, would you?”
    He did. Handcuffs were his good luck charm and he always had his pair in a jacket pocket. Ellis placed them around the orchestra manager’s wrists with a satisfying click . They pulled Browne to his feet.
    â€œWhy did you do it?” Pratt asked calmly.
    â€œBecause Spadafini was a complete bastard! He deserved to die. When he told me he wasn’t taking me to the new orchestra, he laughed! I wasn’t going to let him screw me just like he screwed everyone else.”
    As they led their prisoner to the elevator, Pratt said with a laugh, “Let me guess, Ellis. You were also a star on your high school track team. Hurdles, right?”
    The young detective nodded. “Got it in one, sir…I mean, Pratt.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
    A ll the six o’clock news showed was someone being led out the stage door, an overcoat pulled up over his head. There were a lot of loose ends to tie up, so all Pratt would say to the crowd of reporters was that someone had been arrested for the murder of Luigi Spadafini. There would be a news conference the next morning.
    As the film clip played on the tv in the corner of the captain’s office, Pratt, Ellis and McDonnell were watching it carefully.
    â€œPretty slick bit of detecting, Pratt,” the captain laughed. He’d enjoyed telling the chief and mayor that the crisis was over.
    â€œIt’s because our young Detective Ellis is a nosy bastard with good instincts. He’s also a dab hand with a computer—and fast on his feet.”
    The captain leaned back in his chair. “Tell me about it, Ellis.”
    â€œIt actually was lucky that I decided to use Browne’s office because that gave me access to his computer. I only needed his connection to the Internet for my laptop. I did happen to turn on his