Read Online The Devil and the Detective by John Goldbach - Free Book Online

empty waiting area to the side, with leather chairs and a table covered in current magazines. An attractive woman sat behind a sparse, tidy work station. Right away she asked if she could help me. I said yes and told her my name and that I’m a private detective, a private detective representing Mrs. Elaine Andrews in the case of her murdered husband, Mr. Gerald Andrews.
    â€˜Mr. Bouvert will want to see you right away,’ she said, standing, and I said I figured he would.
    Bouvert’s office was large, too, with large windows behind his desk that looked out on the street. Everything was black leather. I sat in a large black leather chair in front of his desk. The walls were book-lined and there was a black leather couch and to its side a small locked metal cabinet in which I imagined he stored liquor and cash and possibly a gun. Bouvert was a large man, well dressed, wearing a dark grey suit, with a dark tie and what looked like black pearl cufflinks, though it was difficult to tell. He was bald and kept the few hairs he had close cropped. He wore a heavy watch that I imagined was platinum with a pearl face. His teeth were bad. He didn’t say much after introducing himself and shaking my hand. He motioned for me to sit down and then he sat down behind his desk. Leaning back in his chair, he stared at me in silence.
    A younger, slighter man in a dark suit similar to Bouvert’s entered the office. Bouvert looked at me and said, ‘Bob, Al. Al, Bob.’
    â€˜Nice to meet you,’ said Al.
    I nodded.
    â€˜Bob here was the detective Elaine Andrews called after she found Gerald Andrews’s body,’ said Bouvert.
    â€˜Did you see the body?’ Al said.
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Are you sure, Bob?’ said Bouvert.
    â€˜Sure I’m sure. I didn’t see the body, even for a second. I hadn’t been inside the house till yesterday, early evening, around five or so.’
    Bouvert and Al exchanged knowing looks, though as to what they knew, I had no idea whatsoever. Al seated himself on the black leather couch. Bouvert stood up and walked around to the front of his desk and continued his questioning, resting his ass on the lip of his desk and leaning, saying, ‘Did she mention anything about another man? Did she talk about any men other than Gerald?’
    â€˜I have a question first. Why’d you recommend me to her?’
    â€˜Pardon me?’ said Bouvert.
    â€˜Why did you recommend me to Elaine?’
    â€˜I didn’t.’
    â€˜She said that you told her to call a private detective, then gave her my number.’
    â€˜Mr. James, I’m sorry to contradict your story, but I never told her to call a private detective.’
    â€˜Then why did she call me?’
    â€˜I don’t know,’ said Bouvert.
    Al sat silent and stolid on the black leather couch.
    â€˜Did she mention me to you at all?’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Bouvert. ‘Yesterday afternoon Elaine and I talked. She sounded withdrawn, but I expected as much. I asked if she wanted me to come over to keep her company, and she said that she’d called a private detective. She said you were on your way over. I asked her why she’d hired a private detective and she said that she wanted to get to the bottom of the case as soon as possible. I thought that made some sense.’
    â€˜What else did she say?’
    â€˜Nothing,’ he said. ‘I told her I’d call again soon and said goodbye and she said goodbye and that was that.’
    Al remained mute and motionless.
    â€˜And that was the last time you talked to her?’
    â€˜Yes,’ he said.
    Bouvert seemed to be telling the truth. I didn’t think he told her to call me, but some questions still remained unanswered: Why did she call me? Who put her in touch with me? Why did she lie, saying that her lawyer, Bouvert, gave her my number? I put these questions to Bouvert and his associate, but neither seemed to have