"Who's this guy you're looking for?"
"We're not at liberty to say," Fred quoted from a recent novel.
"I don't want some dangerous criminal living next door. I mean, look at this neighborhood. And I'm the only other person in the building! I don't want my stuff ripped off or something. He could kill me and no one would find my body-for months!"
Dean smiled and patted Burgess on the shoulder. "I'm sure Mrs. Glass would find you the first day rent's overdue."
Burgess smiled too. "Yeah, there's that. She's a beaut, isn't she?"
"How about it? If you'll just tell us what Cleary looks like we'll get out of your hair."
"Well, he was average height, I guess-not fat-not skinny. Blond hair or maybe light brown-not black. About my age-40."
"Did you talk with him?"
"Not really. Just 'how you doing' stuff and a nod."
"What kind of car does he drive?"
"I don't know. You park on the street where you can find a place. I never saw him with a car."
"Tell us about Pat Corbin. Did you see her?"
Burgess looked truly baffled. "Her?"Fred spoke up. "Mrs. Glass said there was someone named Pat Corbin living in the same apartment as Cleary."
"How'd she know that?"
"Fished in the mail box," Fred offered, to Dean's dismay.
"I never saw no one-except Cleary. I guess it was Cleary-he never said his name but that's what's on the mailbox."
"Not anymore. The box is blank. Has he moved out?"
"How would I know? He's hardly ever there anyway."
Nor had Burgess heard any noise or conversation from apartment C to indicate there was anyone there-much less more than one person. Cleary had bumped into him only twice, maybe three times but he had no recollection of the dates. Mostly, he felt the apartment was empty. Yes, he'd noticed the new padlock, but did-n't see it being installed. He spent little time on Bascomb Place himself.
"I'm in construction," he said. "I just rented this joint for a place to sleep-after I totaled my truck and couldn't get home easy. Strictly a temporary pad-home's in Jersey." Burgess added glumly that he used to have a wife there.
"Day off today?" Dean asked.
He seemed to pause. "The job's just clean up now that the tenant's in. Punch list stuff. They're inspecting today and we can't go forward until some bureaucrat clears us." Then he added, "If I see Cleary, should I tell him you're looking for him or what?"
"Just give me a call," Dean answered. "He's probably cleared out but let us know if you spot him." Then he added, "There's not much chance he's the guy we're looking for."