“I haven’t forgotten when your cousin died. But the only reason we stayed late was to go over some routine items we didn’t have time for during the day. In my position I’m often tied up for hours at a time. Lois tries to help me keep on top of my calendar but it isn’t always possible. So Warshawski and I would stay late to go over questions that we couldn’t get to earlier.”

“I see.” I had promised Janet I wouldn’t get her in trouble, so I couldn’t tell him I had a witness who’d seen Boom Boom with the files. She was the only person who could have told me—Lois wouldn’t have any trouble figuring that out.

Phillips was looking more relaxed. He stuck a cautious finger behind his collar and eased his tie a bit. “Anything else?”

“Are your sales reps paid on commission?”

“Sure. That’s the best way to keep them active.”

“What about you?”

“Well, we officers don’t have access to direct sales, so it wouldn’t be a very fair system.”

“But the pay is good.”

He looked at me with something approaching shock: well-behaved Americans don’t discuss their salaries.

“Well, you’ve got a nice car, nice clothes, nice clock. I just wondered.”

“It’s none of your damned business. If you don’t have anything further to say, I have a lot of work to do and I need to get to it.”

I got up. “I’ll just be taking my cousin’s personal items home with me.”

He started dialing. “He didn’t leave any, so I expect you not to take anything away with you.”

“You went through his desk, Phillips? Or did the all-efficient Lois?”

He stopped mid-dial and turned very red again. He didn’t say anything for a second, his pale brown eyes darting around the room. Then he said with an assumption of naturalness, “Of course we went through his papers. We didn’t know if he was in the middle of anything critical that someone else would have to take over.”

“I see.” I went back toward Boom Boom’s cubbyhole. No one was on the floor. A black and white institutional clock above the far entrance said twelve-thirty. They must all be at lunch. Janet had left a neatly wrapped package on the desk with my name on it, or rather, as she had forgotten my name, “Mr. Warshawski’s cousin.” Beneath it she’d written: “Please (heavily underscored) return as early as possible.” I scooped it up and walked out the door. Phillips didn’t try to stop me.

Chapter 9

Just Another Dead Black

Interstate 94 back to the city was clear that time of day. I made it to my office around one-thirty and checked in with my answering service. Murray had returned my call. I got back to him immediately.