An Independent Woman by Howard Fast Read Free Book Online Page B

Barbara, and what his life might have been if he had. He sipped the coffee, and asked her whether another cigarette would trouble her.
    â€œI’ll get them.” She brought the box with her. “They’re old and dry.”
    He lit up and drew deeply. “OK, let’s see what we can do. Sometime today, a policeman will be here and ask you to come downtown for a lineup. Go with him. A little irritation on your part, but don’t push it. They’ll come backed up with a subpoena, but don’t make them use it. You’re quixotic to begin with, and they probably think you’re a nut of some kind. Of course you know what a lineup is?”
    â€œI go to the movies, Abner. I even watch television.”
    â€œYou say he wore a mask? Did he ever take it off?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œThen you have the best excuse in the world for not picking him out. Although that may not wash. You don’t give a hundred thousand to a masked man. Could you recognize him, in spite of the mask?”
    â€œ I think so.”
    â€œHow old, would you guess?”
    â€œThirty perhaps. No older.”
    â€œThen recognize him if you can, if you’re sure.”
    â€œWouldn’t they have found the mask on him?” Barbara asked.
    â€œNot if he’s as smart as you say he is. He’d ditch the mask and the lock pick the moment he got out of here, so I wouldn’t even mention the mask. By the way, make the recognition easy. I’ll be with you, so you don’t have to answer any questions. Of course, there’s the possibility that he confessed—”
    â€œNo, he wouldn’t.”
    â€œYou know a lot about a man you never met before. Well, we’ll hope. I’ll find out who is defending him, and I’ll tell the story the way you want. That doesn’t implicate his lawyer. He only knows what I tell him.”
    â€œCan you do that?”
    â€œSure. I can do it without leaving the house. Can you find another telephone cord? I have calls to make.”
    â€œI think so. What happens then?”
    â€œThe San Francisco cops are not stupid, and this will piss them off no end. They don’t like to be diddled. They press for a grand jury, and then you’re under oath. If you stick to your story and they can disprove it—then it’s perjury. This is very dangerous, Barbara. God help me, I don’t know why you’re insisting on this. You have no obligation to this crook. You didn’t ask to be robbed. You know, the newspapers will be full of this. You’re not nobody; you’re Barbara Lavette. It means television and all that goes with it, and everyone in town, everyone who knows you, will be talking about it. If this were simply grand theft, the cops would write it off and let the insurance company take the heat, but this is kinky.”
    â€œI’m not kinky, Abner. I’ve lived my life this way, and I’m going to continue to live it this way.”
    â€œWhat else did he take?”
    â€œSome gold bands and a string of pearls—also from Carson. I told Carson that I didn’t want jewelry from him, I was not selling my love. What exists of Carson is inside of me, not in some fancy jewelry.”
    â€œWhat were the pearls worth?”
    â€œI don’t know. He bought them in Japan.”
    â€œDo you know what they were insured for?”
    She tried to recall it. “I have the policy somewhere—I think it was ten thousand dollars.”
    â€œIt gets worse.” He sighed. “All right. We’ll take this step by step. You talk about this to no one, no one, do you understand—not your family, not your son, no one. Will you agree?”
    â€œI’ll be careful,” she said.
    The telephone rang, and Abner moved quickly to answer it, waving her back. “I’ll take it,” he said sharply.
    She followed him into her study. “This is her attorney,” she heard him say. “Abner