Page 31 of Black Dog

“Okay,” Stone said to Casey. “Ask the son of a bitch anything you like, over my protest. I’ll get everything thrown out of court because he isn’t represented by an attorney.”

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Casey said. “I have you on tape saying you’re representing him for the purpose of this interrogation.”

“You tell the judge your story, and I’ll tell him mine,” Stone said. “Now, I want all of you out of my house, including Eddie.EspeciallyEddie. And since he won’t answer your questions, you don’t have probable cause to arrest him. Beat it, Casey.”

“He was answering my questions until just a minute ago.”

“He’s changed his mind,” Stone said. He pressed a button in front of him.

“Yes, sir?” Joan answered.

“Get your step-cousin out of here and into his car at the curb.”

Joan came in, took Eddie by the wrist and elbow, and frog-marched him out of the room.

“Okay, Casey,” Stone said, “we’re back to where we started.” He took the cassette out of Casey’s recorder and put it in his jacket pocket. “Anything he said to you I will protest to a judge.”

Joan came back into the conference room “Okay, Eddie is back in his car.”

Stone took the cassette out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Burn this,” he said. “You,” he said, pointing at Casey, “you and yours: out! Joan, when you’re done, make a dozen copies of Annetta’s death certificate and our client agreement to represent her.”

“Yes, sir.” She left the room.

“Why is she still taking orders from you?” Casey asked. “She’s now your client.”

“I’m advising her,” Stone said. “Why are you still here?”

Casey got up, beckoned to his partner, and trudged out of the building.

Joan came back. “What now?”

“Do you have a key to Annetta’s former abode?”

“Yes.”

“How about the East Hampton house?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now call Bob Cantor and tell him I want him to go to the apartment and change all the locks to those Israeli things he likes so much. We’ll meet him there, and when he’s done with that he can go out to East Hampton and change all the locks there, too.”

“And why are we doing this?” she asked.

“To keep Eddie Jr. out. Tell Fred to bring out the car, and don’t tell Eddie where we’re going.”

“Okay.” Joan left the room.

Stone walked around the offices to be sure all the cops were gone, then he looked out the window into the street and saw that Eddie’s car was gone, too.

Excellent!

SIXTEEN

Stone got into the Bentley with Joan and told Fred to proceed. “Do you have a remote control for the garage?” he asked Joan.

Joan took a small box from her purse and rummaged in it. “Yes,” she said.

“Fred, when we get there, drive into the garage. Joan will open it for you.”

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