"So what are you going to do?" Jennings asked.
"Oh, I'll manage to see McLane, but I'll try to arrange it so that it's accidental-like," Lanigan replied. "In the meantime, I want you to go back to Revere and get whatever you can on McLane. Trace him back to his baptism, and the Kestlers, too. See Captain O'Day—"
"He's retired."
"I know." Lanigan said, "but he still hangs around headquarters and he can get a lot that you couldn't, as an out-of-town cop, all they'll give you is official stuff, with him in your comer they'll open up. Because I want everything— rumors, gossip, the works. I'll work this end. I'll see Safferstein—"
"Why him?" Jennings asked.
"Because he got the pills from the drugstore, and I want to check the movement of those pills right back to when they were put up."
"But look, Hugh, you start asking him questions about the pills and he'll start wondering about Aptaker's. What's to keep him from talking?"
"You're right. I'll have to play it cozy. I'll have to figure out some reason for seeing him, something that has no connection with the drugstore."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Is it that time of year again, Chief?" Safferstein asked, smiling as he reached for his checkbook.
Lanigan looked puzzled, then he remembered the last time he had come to Safferstein's office. "You mean the Policeman's Ball? Oh, we won't be around selling tickets for weeks yet. No, this is a matter of personal business."
"Let me guess. Your wife is tired of taking care of a big house where there are only two of you now, and she wants to sell and move into a modern apartment."
"Wrong again," said Lanigan, grinning. "She wants to go into business, open a store, a card and gift shop. I can't say I'm crazy about the idea, but—"
"Why not? It will keep her busy, and it could net her a little income."
"Well, these davs, any extra income—"
"Sure, and I’ve got just the place, or I will have in a couple of months. Market Street in Lynn. What's the matter?" as Lanigan shook his head.
"She's already picked the place." said Lanigan. "She's interested in the vacant store in the Goralsky Block. I hear the temple sold it to you."
"Why there, Chief? It's not much of a location." "It's on the Salem Road and there's lots of traffic."
"Yes, but people on their way to Boston or in the other direction, up-country, don't usually stop to buy a greeting card or a gift item. For that type store you need a lot of local traffic," Safferstein pointed out.
"Well, Amy seems to think that a lot of people come there because of the drugstore. It's been there for over half a century and in the same hands. It's a kind of institution. Even folks from my part of town go there. You shop Town-Line, don't you?"
Safferstein shook his head. "Almost never. I was in there the other night, you know, the night of the storm, because I figured all the other places would be closed, but normally I don't trade there. By the way, I want to thank you for the courtesy your man in the patrol car showed me. You know what happened, don't you?" "Oh sure, the sergeant reported it."
"I was planning to write a note complimenting the police force. Would it do you people any good?"
The chief grinned. "It wouldn't do any harm to have a letter like that in the files, especially come town-meeting time when our budget is up for review. You know. I never really understood how you came to have those pills."
"Just that I happened to be there talking to Aptaker when the doctor called in the prescription, the other pharmacist answered the phone and asked Aptaker if they could deliver it, aptaker said no, but I'd heard the name and address— you could hear him all over the store— and since it seemed to be an emergency, I offered to drop it off."
"You knew Kestler?"
"Never met the guy, but it was on my way home, so why not?"
"You heard what happened to him?"
Safferstein nodded. "Yeah, I was over to Chet Kaplan's. I thought I'd wait until the storm lightened instead of going straight home, the doctor called Al Muntz while I was there and he told us. Tough break!"
"Yeah, well it happens all the time," Lanigan said philosophically.
"Well, about that empty store. I don't think I can rent it to you."
"Why not?" the chief asked. "I have other plans for it."
Lanigan had all the information he needed, but he felt he ought to pursue his original approach lest Safferstein, thinking it over, might decide it was Aptaker he was really interested in. So he said stiffly, "If you're worried about my wife paying the rent—"
And Safferstein, aware of how important it was for his business that he should remain on friendly terms with the town officials, raised both hands in protest. "Believe me. Chief, it's not that."
Lanigan pressed him. "Do you have another tenant for it?"
He could lie, of course, and say that he had in fact already rented the store, but then when it turned out that he hadn't, Lanigan might feel that he had not been candid, and why shouldn't he tell him? Everything was set, and it would be common knowledge in a few days anyway, he laughed shortly. "Look, Chief, can you keep a secret?"
"Sure."
"I mean even from your wife."
Lanigan chuckled, "That's a little harder, but I do it all the time. I don't ever tell her about anything that comes into the office unless it's already public information."
"Well," Safferstein confided, "the fact is I can't rent that store to you because I'm planning to tear down the building. I own or I've got options on all the land in the area, the Goralsky Block was the last parcel. I'm going to build the biggest shopping mall in New England right there along the Salem Road."
"I see," the chief smiled. "You know, another reason the wife was interested in that store was that she figured if you took it over, you'd improve it the way you have other places around."
Safferstein smirked with satisfaction. "Just luck, Chief. I’ve been lucky."
"Pretty consistent though." said Lanigan. "So maybe it isn't just luck."
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Rose Aptaker was too tired to prepare a proper meal for herself, so she boiled a couple of eggs and afterward heated up the morning's coffee, she had opened the store at half past eight and operated it herself until nine, when Ross McLane arrived. Fortunately, no one had asked to have a prescription filled. If a customer had come for a prescription, she would have had to tell them that the pharmacist would not be in until later and that they would deliver it in the afternoon.
At noon she took half an hour off and went home for a sandwich and a cup of coffee; then back to the store, where she was on her feet all day until six; then to the hospital to see her husband and to assure him that everything was fine; then back to the store until they closed, she had not felt like eating at six, but had stopped off at a coffee shop for more coffee and a doughnut, and that sustained her until she returned home. But now she was too tired to broil the lamp chops she had bought for her supper.
She heard the car pull into the driveway but was too tired to move. Only when the doorbell rang did she go to the door. It was Arnold, he was flanked on either side by a large suitcase. "I'm here, Mom," he announced.
"So you're here," she said, she offered her cheek as he embraced her and then stood aside for him to enter.
It was not as he had expected it would be, as he drove through the night, he had imagined her hugging and kissing him, murmuring "Thank God, you've come back to us." He concealed his disappointment, however, and brought his bags into the hallway. It occurred to him that they had never been demonstrative with each other and that it did not mean that he was not welcome.
"How's Dad?" he asked. "He's all right. Have you eaten?" "Yeah, I ate on the road." "So a cup of coffee, maybe?" "All right."