The Emerald Cat Killer Read Online Free PDF

had a great career going until I got downsized into early retirement.”
    Strombeck did a magic trick and made Lindsey’s business card reappear in his hand. “I don’t see retired anywhere on this.”
    â€œOld card.”
    The eyebrows and the encouraging nod again.
    â€œI’m too young for social security. It’s nice to be too young for anything, these days. I get a modest pension from International Surety. In return for that they pull me back in every now and then as a kind of superannuated temp. That’s why I’m working this case.”
    â€œOkay, that’s good.”
    The concrete block walls of Strombeck’s office were starting to look like a jail cell. Lindsey squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then opened them again.
    Strombeck went on. “But what does a squabble between two publishers—what were their names again?”
    Lindsey told him.
    Strombeck jotted a note. “Marston and Morse, Gordian House. I’ve heard of them both.”
    â€œI wouldn’t peg you as a literary man,” Lindsey said, smiling. “Is it true that every police officer has a novel in his desk drawer?”
    â€œNot so. You’ve been watching too many Barney Miller reruns.”
    Lindsey sipped his coffee. For office hot-plate brew it was well above average. He waited for Strombeck to give him something and Strombeck waited for Lindsey to ask. What a fine game for two grown men to be playing. Finally Lindsey yielded.
    â€œSimmons wrote paperbacks for Marston and Morse. Under a pseudonym. Had to do that to stay out of trouble at his day job. They all had the same hero, a private eye named…” He reached for his pocket organizer and flipped pages until he found what he wanted. “Private eye named Tony Clydesdale. All the books had the same pattern for their titles. Named for animals. Blue Gazelle, Pink Elephant, like that.”
    â€œI’ve heard of that. Didn’t MacDonald use colors? And that Grafton woman uses the alphabet?”
    This guy must be a reader! “That’s right.”
    â€œSo … I’m still looking for a connection, Mr. Lindsey.”
    â€œSo this other company, Gordian House, brought out a book with a similar title. The Emerald Cat. Different hero, if you can call him that, different byline. But Mrs. Simmons says that it was her husband’s last book, somebody just went over it and changed a few names and sold it to Gordian. Gordon Simmons’s laptop computer disappeared the night he was murdered. His wife thinks there was an unpublished novel in the computer.” Lindsey drew a breath. “Do you see where I’m going with this?”
    â€œAha, the plot thickens.” Strombeck grinned. He had perfect teeth. Then the grin faded. “This sounds like a plagiarism case. I’m not an attorney, you understand, but all cops have to be at least jack-lawyers, and I don’t see any crime here. Sounds like a civil matter.”
    Lindsey put away his pocket organizer. “That may be so. But I remember something Lieutenant Yamura used to say. Is she still on the force, Sergeant?”
    The grin came back. Apparently Strombeck was fond of Dorothy Yamura. “She’s a captain now. Fine cop.”
    â€œâ€˜I’m sure that coincidences really happen, but they make me nervous,’” Lindsey quoted. “That’s what Yamura liked to say.”
    Strombeck smiled and nodded, up and down, three times, precisely. “That’s Dorothy, all right!”
    â€œThe Berkeley Police Department was very helpful to me in resolving several cases, and I like to think I helped the police as well.”
    Strombeck grunted encouragingly.
    Lindsey said, “And another officer. Marvia Plum. Sergeant Plum.” Oh, butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. If Strombeck had X-ray vision he’d see Lindsey quivering inside when he spoke the name. How long had it been since he’d last