“That was quick thinking,” Roger Dillon told Robin. “What made you suspect that the chocolates were poisoned?”
“Doesn’t this sound familiar to anyone?” Robin asked.
“The Chesterfield poisoning case!” Roger Dillon answered after a brief pause.
“Exactly. You were one of the detectives who investigated Sophie Randall’s death, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, and it went down just like this. Someone sent Samuel Moser a box of chocolates with no card or return address. He gave the chocolates to his secretary, and she ate some and died.”
“Robert Chesterfield hired me a few years ago and Regina told me all about the case, so I knew what happened to Sophie Randall. If Chesterfield hadn’t been on my mind because of David Turner’s case, I don’t know if I would have remembered the poisoned chocolates.”
“Well, it’s a good thing you did,” Stanley said.
“Can any of you think of someone who would want to do this to any of you?” Anders asked.
“Stanley and Regina have been retired for several years,” Robin said. “I guess a disgruntled client or someone Stanley ruled against could still have a grudge, but it seems unlikely that they were the targets.”
“I don’t know,” Dillon said. “The chocolates were sent here. If you or Jeff were the intended victims, the killer would have sent the chocolates to your office.”
“Or he would have to know that you were eating dinner here, tonight,” Anders said. “Who had that information?”
“Stanley asked us to dinner in a corridor at the courthouse after Turner’s bail hearing recessed,” Jeff said. “I didn’t see anyone around.”
“I didn’t tell anyone we were coming here tonight,” Robin said. “Did you?”
“No,” Jeff answered.
“That means Justice Cloud and Miss Barrister were most probably the intended victims,” Dillon said.
“Can you make us a list of anyone who might have this powerful a grudge against either you or Miss Barrister?” Anders asked Stanley.
“I’ll get on it first thing tomorrow. Right now, I’d like to get Regina to bed. This has really upset her.”
“I think we’re through, so we’ll get out of everyone’s hair. You and Jeff can leave too,” Anders said.
Robin and Jeff stayed for a few minutes after the detectives and the lab techs had left.
“What do you think is going on?” Robin asked when they were headed home.
“Damned if I know,” Jeff answered.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Robin and Jeff walked from their office to the Imperial Theater at four in the afternoon. The theater was closed, but Norman Chow had agreed to let the defense team inside so they could look at the crime scene.
“Ready for your tour?” asked Carrie Anders, who was waiting outside.
Robin nodded. Anders opened the door next to the ticket booth and led them into the lobby where Chow and Horace Dobson were waiting.
“Thanks for meeting us,” Robin said to Dobson.
“The cops said it was okay, or I wouldn’t be here,” said Dobson, who had reluctantly agreed to take Jeff and Robin step-by-step through the Chamber of Death illusion.
“I can tell you that Mr. Turner vehemently denies killing Mr. Chesterfield,” Robin answered.
“Yeah, well, what would you expect him to say?”
“Why don’t we start the tour?” Anders said, and everyone walked through the doors that led into the area of the theaterwhere the audience sat. Dobson stood behind a low barrier that ringed the back row. Several aisles started at gaps in the barrier. Heavy floor-to-ceiling curtains hung along the wall down the farthest aisle on his left as he faced the stage.