5 Deal Killer by Vicki Doudera Page B

who was stabbed near Pulitzer Hall?”
    “Yes?” His voice was focused and sharp. She felt her heart beat a little faster. “What kind of information?”
    “I’m not sure if it’s the kind of thing I should say over the phone …” she let her words trail off suggestively.
    “I understand, but I’m afraid you need to tell me some details over the phone, Ms. Babson. I’ve got a lot on my plate today, so shoot.”
    She bristled. “If you don’t have time to hear my information—”
    “Listen, I’ve got time to hear it, I just don’t have time to come down there right now. You can come into the station if you’d like.”
    The very thought made her shudder. This wasn’t working out at all the way she’d imagined. On television, the psychic mediums were treated so well …
    “I remember very distinctly something that Professor Porter said to Alec Rodin while they were arguing in his office,” she said.
    “Yes?”
    “Professor Porter said, ‘I will kill you.’”
    She waited for Detective Benedetti’s reaction, twirling the phone cord around her index finger as the moments ticked by.
    “I see. Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?”
    “I didn’t remember it. I’ve been very upset about the murder. After all, it happened right here, so close to where we work! It could have been me, Detective Benedetti, it could have been me.”
    “What motive would Professor Porter have for killing that man?” Detective Benedetti asked, sounding a bit skeptical.
    “I sure as heck don’t know! That’s your job, Detective.”
    “I appreciate your reminding me of that, Ms. Babson. Thank you for your call and don’t hesitate to contact me again if you remember anything else.”
    Click.
    Peggy stared at the phone in disbelief. Sarcasm? Skepticism? These were not at all the reactions she’d expected from Detective Benedetti. He’d sounded almost as if he didn’t believe her! Hadn’t he cared about the information she’d taken the time to relay? Why, Miles Porter could be a murderer, and the lead detective on the case wasn’t even willing to come to her office to follow up a lead.
    She contemplated her options. She could complain to Detective Benedetti’s supervisor, give him a piece of her mind. She could go down to the station and ream out the Detective in person. Or she could investigate on her own.
    That was it! He needed a motive, she’d find him a motive. She’d use her keen intuition and developing psychic abilities, just like the professionals on television. She no longer liked the tall Brit anyway. He was too full of himself, cocky. The very qualities she’d expect in someone who stabbed a poor foreigner in broad daylight.
    Peggy Babson decided to formulate a plan on her commute back to Queens. Her pulse beat a little faster. She checked her watch and wished it were already time to leave.
    _____
    “So which do you prefer,” asked Miles as he and Darby rounded the corner of the park, “walking here or in the wilds of Maine?”
    “Hmmm … a hard choice.”
    “Really? I should have thought you’d have blurted out your hom e state instantly. Those beautiful craggy cliffs and tall pines …”
    Darby laughed. “You’re right; I love the wild, untamed nature of Maine. But there’s something special about places like this that generations of humans have carefully manicured, too. And I love the idea that way back when, people realized how important green space is, and preserved so much of it, smack in the middle of the city.”
    Miles nodded thoughtfully. “I see what you mean.” A roller blader with a pink Mohawk skated gracefully past them, licking an ice cream cone as he passed. “And who’s to say you can’t see wildlife in Manhattan?”
    She chuckled. “So what’s on our agenda for tonight?”
    “I was hoping you’d ask. I thought we’d go out for drinks and a nibble or two, and then I thought I’d bring you to see a genuine New York show.”
    “Really!” Darby smiled.