No sign of Hauser’s Audi when I got home at two a.m. The bed was made up andRobin was gone. I called her six hours later.
“I heard you leave,” she said. “Went outside but you were driving away. Whatkind of ugly are we talking about?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“I do. The new me.”
“The old you was fine.”
“The ostrich’s head has been lifted. What happened, Alex?”
“Someone got shot. An extremely bad guy. You could’ve stayed.”
“I got antsy,” she said. “It’s a big house.”
“Don’t I know it.”
“Last night was good, Alex.”
“Except for the chop-socky interlude.”
“Are you worried Hauser’s going to cause more trouble?”
“Maybe he’s smarter when he’s sober. The police wrote it up in my favor.About what I asked you—”
“Have a change of heart?”
“Of course not.”
“It wasn’t just the moment, Alex?”
Maybe it had been. “No.”
Couple of beats. “Would you be upset if I said I needed some time to think?”
“It’s a big step,” I said.
“It is. Which is kind of strange, given how much of our lives we’ve shared.”
I didn’t answer.
She said, “I won’t take too long.”
 
I left a message with Erica Weiss’s secretary, saying I wanted to talk aboutPatrick Hauser. Just as I hung up, Miloclicked in.
He sounded exhausted. Probably up all night on Peaty. Maybe that’s why hedidn’t bother with niceties.
“Wendell A. Chong, the guy whose van Peaty ripped off, is a softwareconsultant who used to rent office space in a building owned by the Dowds. Thevan was boosted from his reserved tenant slot at night, while Chong was workinglate. Chong collected insurance, bought himself a new car, has no interest inreclaiming it.”
“Peaty watched and seized the opportunity,” I said. “Chong have anyimpressions of Peaty?”
“Never saw him. Who he does remember is Billy Dowd. He’d always wondered ifBilly had something to do with the theft.”
“Why?”
“Because Billy used to hang around aimlessly when Brad came by to collectrent. One time he drifted into Chong’s office and just stood there, like heowned the place. Chong asked him what he wanted, Billy got a spaced-out look inhis eyes and left without a word. Chong followed Billy out into the hall, sawhim walking up and down, like he was patrolling. A couple of women stepped outof an office and Billy checked them out. Pretty intensely, according to Chong.Then Brad showed up, ushered Billy away. But he kept bringing Billy along, soChong started locking his door. Interesting, huh?”
“Billy and Peaty?” I said.
“Weirdos finding common ground. It happens, right? Brad protects Billy buthe can’t be everywhere. And like you said, he overestimates his power. Maybe hetakes Bil............