NYPD Puzzle by Parnell Hall

follow us home.”
    “Why not?”
    “Why not? I’m an editor. I read this in a manuscript, I throw it across the room.
    “I mean, come on, give me a break. Not only did the killer decide to work this license plate number into the crossword puzzle once you were involved, but the plate in question is a totally bogus one manufactured specifically for that purpose.”
    “Well, when you put it like that,” Cora said.
    “It’s enough to make your flesh crawl.”
    Cora fished a pack of cigarettes out of her purse.
    “You can’t smoke in here.”
    “My flesh is crawling. You expect me not to smoke when my flesh is crawling?”
    “What did Chief Harper say?”
    “I haven’t told him.”
    Becky stared at her. “You haven’t told him?”
    “It’s not his case. It’s out of his jurisdiction.”
    “If a killer’s tailing you around town, it’s in his jurisdiction.”
    “We don’t know that.”
    “Of course not. A car with a license plate that matches the clues left at the scene of the murder is probably unrelated to the crime.”
    Cora lit her cigarette, took a deep drag. “Oh, that feels better.”
    “Wish I smoked,” Becky said.
    “Want one?”
    “I could use an Ativan.”
    “That I do not have. Wanna adjourn to the bar at the Country Kitchen?”
    “I thought you stopped drinking.”
    “You look like you could use one.”
    “I’m all wound up. I’m antsy. You said wait, you had something to tell me, and hung up the phone.”
    “Well, I couldn’t spill it on a pay phone. It would have taken forever. I’d have never got out of New York.”
    “You could have given me the general idea.”
    “Right, right. You’re an attorney. You summarize the situation in one short, pithy sentence.”
    “So what do the cops think?”
    “They think I’m a major pain in the ass, and they wish they’d never heard of me.”
    “About the case.”
    “I thought that was about the case. As far as the murder’s concerned, they have no idea who killed him or why.”
    “Did he have any enemies?”
    “I have no idea.”
    “I thought you had that sergeant wrapped around your finger.”
    “What made you think that?”
    “I don’t know. Just your manner.”
    “My manner? Not his?”
    “What are you asking?”
    “Just trying to figure out what you saw.”
    “I saw you lapse into flirty mode. And the guy did let us go.”
    “He had good reasons.”
    “I’m an attorney. You’re apprehended at the scene of a shooting with a recently fired gun. Your saying it’s not the murder weapon is probably not a unique defense in the annals of crime detection.”
    “The claim was made by an attorney demanding a ballistics test.”
    “What’s the attorney supposed to do? Claim it’s not the murder weapon and object to a ballistics test?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Cora. All I said was you seem to have worked your feminine wiles on the sergeant, and you flew into more defenses than I raised against the murder charge. Looks like I touched a nerve.”
    Cora took a deep drag on the cigarette, blew it out again. “Yeah. I guess I’m a little touchy since I broke up with Barney.”
    “Well, come back to earth and focus on the problem. It would appear a killer followed us home.”
    “With clearly no intent to do us harm,” Cora said.
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because he could have. He doesn’t want to. He wants to play a game. He wants to play with me, not you. Or he would have left a legal puzzle, not a crossword.”
    “Not knowing you can’t do them.”
    “Hey. Haven’t you gotten enough jabs in?”
    “Yeah, yeah. Fine. So what are we going to do about it?”
    “Only one thing we can do. Wait and see what happens.”
    “You don’t think we need protection?”
    “I’ve got a gun. I don’t think he’s after you.”
    “You don’t think ?”
    “Want me to get you a gun?”
    “No.”
    “So just take normal precautions. Don’t go out alone after dark.”
    “Wonderful.”
    “Hey. I’m not worried.”