White sank back against her seat. She said, “Well, I won’t go quietly.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“How about you?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t want to do this anymore?”
“Not necessarily. I just don’t know if the Bureau is the right place for me to be doing it.” He opened the car door. “Let’s go talk to the Perlmans. Maybe something will pop.”
She killed the engine and opened her door. “And why the Perlmans over Doris Kline?”
“The Perlmans recommended Gamma to Cummins. And Draymont was in their house.”
“Wait a minute—you think he might have been blackmailing them? But if so, why recommend Gamma to the judge?”
“Maybe they did thatbeforethey got blackmailed.”
Chapter88
MAYA PERLMAN GREETED THEM ATthe door. She was dressed in a light blue skirt and white blouse with sandals.
“I’m afraid my husband isn’t here right now.”
“More golf?” said Decker.
She smiled. “Something like that. He enjoys his retirement.”
They sat in the living room. She offered them coffee or tea but they declined.
“I know that Barry has been arrested. But I just can’t believe he would have done that. I knew the man well. He wasn’t the type to stab anyone, much less his wife.”
“Hisex-wife. And did you know he was watching her house?” asked Decker.
Perlman looked uncomfortable with the question. “Where did you hear that?”
“From someone who would know.”
“Doris?”
“Neither confirm nor deny. But Barry also admitted it.”
“I see. But that doesn’t make him a killer.”
“You like him, I take it?” said White.
“He had his faults just like all of us. But he was always wonderful with Julia. Very kind to her, and he’s been a good father to Tyler. And we had so much fun together.”
“There was that tax issue.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” she said quickly—maybe a little too quickly, thought Decker.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that he’s been released from custody.”
Her face brightened. “He has? That’s wonderful. What caused that?”
“Another alibi came in for him. Couldn’t be in two places at the same time.”