“Because nobody can stand around and listen to a kettle screaming like that,” Stone said. “Let’s see, five minutes for me to walk to the restaurant, I wait five minutes, and five minutes to come back, say fifteen to eighteen minutes. And when I get back, the killer is still in the apartment, maybe. So if he is, what does he do for fifteen minutes?”

“Searches the place,” Anderson said. “A robbery, maybe.”

The second uniform spoke up. “I had a look in the bedroom,” he said. “Neat as a pin. There’s a jewelry box on the dresser with some nice-looking stuff in it.”

“So it wasn’t a robbery,” Anderson said. “What was he looking for?”

“Something of value only to him,” Dino replied, standing up and walking to a desk in the living room. He opened the drawers one at a time, including a file drawer, then came back. “Everything is neat. No way to tell if the killer found something.”

Kelly spoke up. “And the killer turned on the kettle again before he left? What for?”

“To screw up our timeline,” Stone said. “He wanted us to think that he killed her, then left immediately. I think he followed us from Brougham’s place, or at least, picked us up on the street en route.”

“Did you see anybody?” Dino asked.

“No, but it seems to me that he followed us, waited for me to leave, then went upstairs.”

“How’d he get in?” Kelly asked.

“Rang the bell; maybe she thought it was me, even though she had given me the key.”

“And she let him in?”

“Maybe he forced his way in, or maybe she knew him,” Stone said.

“How’d he know when you were coming back?” Kelly asked.

“He didn’t; he thought I’d left to go home. He got lucky. I’ll bet he was getting on the elevator when I rang for it. Must have scared him.”

“Maybe,” Dino said. “Andy, send your patrolmen to talk to everybody in the building. Find out who came and went, and what time.”

“Right, Lieutenant,” Anderson said.

Dino looked at his watch. “I think it’s time to wake up Martin Brougham,” he said.

“The DA guy?” Kelly asked. “What for?”

“I want to take a look at her office,” Dino said. “Come on, Stone; I’ll drive you home; we can’t have you out on the streets with blood all over you. You’d just get arrested.” He turned to Kelly. “Apologize to Mr. Barrington for your behavior.”

Kelly turned beet red. “I apologize,” he said. “I thought you were the perp.”

“Something you should know, Mick,” Anderson said. “Mr. Barrington used to be a detective in the Nineteenth; he was Lieutenant Bacchetti’s partner.”

Kelly’s face fell. “I really am sorry,” he said, looking at the floor.

“Sorry about your nose,” Stone said. He took care not to sound as if he meant it.

4