Night Secrets by Thomas H. Cook Read Free Book Online

nothing.”
    Deegan shook his head and glanced back toward the river. A barge was moving slowly out to sea, trailed by a tumbling foamy wake. “How do you know this bead was from her?”
    â€œI don’t know for sure.”
    â€œWhy did she pop into your mind, then?”
    â€œBecause I think the bead came from that fortune-telling operation they were running on Tenth Avenue.”
    â€œTenth Avenue? That’s where the murder occurred.”
    â€œI know.”
    Deegan looked surprised. “Really? How do you know that?”
    â€œI came by the place just after it happened,” Frank said. “I talked to one of the cops from Manhattan North.”
    â€œWhich one?”
    â€œLeo Tannenbaum.”
    Deegan eyed him doubtfully. “And you saw this woman and these red beads?”
    â€œThat’s right.”
    â€œAnd you’d never heard of this woman before you met her at the fortune-teller’s?”
    â€œNo.”
    A thin smile crossed Deegan’s lips. “You wouldn’t bullshit me, would you, Mister … Mister …”
    â€œClemons. Frank clemons.”
    Deegan’s eyes returned to the barge, drifting slowly southward along with it. “You wouldn’t happen to have a card, would you? Something with your address and phone number?”
    Frank gave him a card.
    Deegan looked at it closely, as if trying to see through the scam he was sure it represented. “And you’re licensed in New York State?”
    â€œYes.”
    Deegan pocketed the card, then looked at him very sternly. “What do you want in all this?”
    Frank shrugged. “I don’t know,” Frank said weakly. “Just to help her, I guess.”
    Deegan laughed. “Come on, now, Mr. Clemons,” he said, “why don’t we be honest with each other. What’s your angle on this? There’s got to be a pot at the end of the rainbow, right?”
    Frank shook his head.
    â€œMoney?” Deegan suggested.
    â€œNo.”
    Deegan smiled knowingly. “Maybe some kind of romantic thing? Maybe in a little payment in kind?”
    Frank felt his eyes grow cold. “Nothing.”
    Deegan still wasn’t buying it. “Well, I’ll tell you what. You stay in touch, and if I think you could help me out on this thing, I’ll let you know.”
    He started to turn, but Frank touched his arm.
    â€œDid you find out anything when you talked to her?” he asked.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œNot even her name?”
    â€œOh yeah, I got a name,” Deegan said.
    â€œYou did?” Frank asked, realizing suddenly that he was sorry she had given in, had finally revealed some part of herself that she had fought so desperately to hide.
    â€œYeah, I wrote it down,” Deegan said. “It’s some weird name.” He patted himself down, searched one pocket then another, until he came up with a small slip of paper. “Puri Dai.” He laughed. “What is that, some Gypsy name?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Frank said as he wrote it down. When he’d finished, he glanced back up at Deegan. “I’d like to talk to her,” he said.
    Deegan’s face turned grim. “I don’t think that’ll do you much good. She’s not much of a talker.”
    â€œI’d like to try.”
    Deegan’s eyes bore into Frank. “Are you telling me the truth, Clemons?” he asked. “You really didn’t get a fee?”
    Frank shook his head.
    Deegan considered it a moment, his large brown eyes narrowing in concentration. “All right, I’ll take you at face value for now,” he said finally. Then he wagged his finger in Frank’s face. “But only for now. Tomorrow morning, I’ll see if your card checks out, your license, all that shit. If mat’s in line, I’ll let you talk to her. But if it’s not, pal, you’re going to disappear from this case, you