janet maple 05 - it doesnt pay to be bad by Marie Astor Page A

man’s driver’s license. “Well, well, Leonard Stevens—pleasure to make your acquaintance. So why did you break into this office, Leonard Stevens? Start talking.”
    “I’ll tell you everything.” Leonard squirmed in his chair. “It just would really help to be more comfortable. Please untie me—my wrists are getting numb.”
    “What a ninny. Tina, could you undo the knots?” Dennis asked. “They are kind of tricky.”
    “Sure, no problem.” Tina undid the restraints and carefully wound up the telephone cord. “I’ll hold on to this in case we might need it later.”
    “What is it with you people?” Leonard exclaimed. “I’m not an animal. You can’t treat me like this.”
    “That remains to be seen,” Dennis cut him off. “How about you start cooperating and then we’ll decide what to do with you. Why did you break into our apartment? And why did you break into this office?”
    “For someone who holds himself out to be an investigator, you sure are very slow,” Leonard seethed. “The painting—I wanted the painting.”
    “But you just said you didn’t,” Dennis retorted. “So which is it?”
    Leonard smirked. “I lied. Thieves do that, a lot. Otherwise I wouldn’t be caught dead in your worthless little apartment—”
    Janet gasped, in spite of herself. She’d put a lot of work into decorating their new place and the cutting remark, even if coming from some lowlife, hurt.
    “Or this lousy office,” Leonard added testily.
    Dennis kicked the leg of Leonard’s chair, moving it several inches. “So, Mr. Wise Guy, are you going to start talking or what?”
    “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was just kidding,” Leonard screeched. “Can’t anyone in this room take a joke?”
    “You’ve hurt my wife’s feelings,” Dennis warned him. “And I don’t think that’s funny at all.”
    Janet put her hand on Dennis’s arm and squeezed it gently, signaling for him to let up. “Now, Leonard, why don’t you start from the beginning?” she asked calmly. “These last two break-ins weren’t your first attempt to get the painting, were they? You followed us at the airport in Antibes when we were leaving for New York and tried to switch my husband’s bag. Now is the time to tell us why you did that.”
    Leonard leaned forward in his chair. “Very well. I will tell you—I am a finished man anyway,” he groaned, clasping his head.
    “Hey, Lenny, enough with the theatrics already,” Dennis said gruffly.
    Janet squeezed Dennis’s shoulder. “Give him a moment. Take your time, Leonard,” Janet reassured him.
    “Thank you. I am very grateful for your understanding.” Leonard sat up in his chair and took a deep breath. “You were never supposed to buy that wretched seascape painting. The man who sold it to you, Maurice, mistook you for someone else who was supposed to come into the gallery at the same time. She got delayed and you happened to be there instead—”
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Twelve hours after Leonard Stevens’ unsuccessful attempt to break into the offices of Kirk & Associates, Janet, Dennis, and Ham Kirk entered a nondescript brick office building in Downtown, Manhattan. The building was no different from any of the surrounding buildings in the area—if they hadn’t been given the address by one of the senior officials at the FBI, it would’ve been impossible to guess that its walls contained one of the FBI’s most robust task forces.
    It was nine a.m. and the lobby was busy with arriving employees. After checking in with security, they were escorted to the elevator bank and then down a gray-carpeted floor and into a gray-walled conference room.
    “Director Edwards and Agent Norris will be with you shortly.” The secretary who had escorted them moved to close the door behind her.
    Janet took a seat, doing her best to look alert. They had all stayed up late last night questioning Leonard and then had to spend several hours with the FBI until it was almost