PLA1 8lSLS

8lCPA8u CAS1LL
uedlcaLlon
1o Capta|n koy Montgomery, ND.
ne made a stand and taught me a|| I need to know
about bravery and character.
Contents
CnL
1WC
1P8LL
lCu8
llvL
Slx
SLvLn
LlCP1
nlnL
1Ln
LLLvLn
1WLLvL
1Pl81LLn
lCu81LLn
lll1LLn
Slx1LLn
SLvLn1LLn
LlCP1LLn
nlnL1LLn
1WLn1?
ACknCWLLuCMLn1S
AbouL Lhe AuLhor
8eaders Croup Culde
Also Avallable from Pyperlon and 8lchard CasLle
costle on uvu
CopyrlghL
CnL
1he Lhlng abouL new ?ork ClLy ls you never know whaL's behlnd a door. Pomlclde ueLecLlve nlkkl PeaL
pondered LhaL, as she had so many Llmes, whlle she parked her Crown vlcLorla and waLched pollce crulser
and ambulance llghLs llck Lhe sLorefronLs on 74Lh off AmsLerdam. She knew, for lnsLance, Lhe plaln door Lo
Lhe wlne shop opened lnLo a faux cave done ln sofL belge and Lerra-coLLa Lones wlLh sLacked boLLles nesLed ln
wall groLLos fashloned of rlver sLones lmporLed from lrance. Across Lhe sLreeL, Lhe door of whaL had once
been an lu8-era bank gave onLo a sLalrcase LhaL splraled downward Lo a huge array of lndoor baLLlng cages
LhaL fllled wlLh Lween ML8 hopefuls and kld blrLhday parLles on weekend afLernoons. 8uL on LhaL mornlng,
[usL afLer 4 A.M., Lhe mosL nondescrlpL door of all, Lhe frosLed one wlLhouL a slgn, only a sLreeL number
above lL ln gold and black foll sLlck-ons from a hardware sLore, would lead Lo one of Lhe more unexpecLed
lnLerlors of Lhe quleL block.
A unlform posLed ln fronL of Lhe door shuffled Lo keep warm, sllhoueLLed by Lhe lndusLrlal-grade
crlme scene unlL work llghL from lnslde LhaL Lransformed Lhe mllky glass lnLo Lhe bllndlng close
ocoootets porLal. nlkkl could see hls breaLh from forLy yards away.
She goL ouL, and even Lhough Lhe alr blL her nosLrlls and made her eyes Leary, nlkkl dldn'L buLLon
her coaL agalnsL lL. lnsLead she fanned lL open wlLh Lhe back of her hand by roLe, maklng sure LhaL she
had clean access Lo Lhe Slg Sauer holsLered underneaLh. And Lhen, cold as she was, Lhe homlclde cop
sLopped and sLood Lhere Lo perform her nexL rlLual: a pause Lo honor Lhe dead she was abouL Lo meeL.
1haL small, quleL, prlvaLe momenL llved as a ceremonlal lnLerval nlkkl PeaL clalmed when she arrlved aL
every crlme scene. lLs purpose was slmple. 1o reafflrm LhaL, vlcLlm or vlllaln, Lhe walLlng corpse was
human and deserved Lo be respecLed and LreaLed lndlvldually, noL as Lhe nexL sLaL. nlkkl drew ln a slow
breaLh, and Lhe alr felL Lo her Lhe same as LhaL nlghL a decade ago, a 1hanksglvlng eve, when she was
home on college break and her moLher was bruLally sLabbed Lo deaLh and lefL on Lhe klLchen floor. She
closed her eyes for her MomenL.
SomeLhlng wrong, ueLecLlve?" MomenL gone. PeaL Lurned. A Laxl rolled Lo a sLop, and lLs
passenger was addresslng her from hls backseaL wlndow. She recognlzed hlm and Lhe drlver, and
smlled.
no, 8andy, l'm good." PeaL sLepped over Lo Lhe cab and shook hands wlLh ueLecLlve 8andall leller.
?ou keeplng ouL of Lrouble?"
Pope noL," he sald wlLh Lhe laugh LhaL always remlnded her of !ohn Candy. ?ou remember
uuLch," he sald, maklng a head nod Lo ueLecLlve van MeLer up fronL ln Lhe drlver's seaL. leller and van
MeLer worked undercover ln Lhe n?u 1axl Squad, a speclal anLl-crlme Lask force, run ouL of Lhe Speclal
CperaLlons ulvlslon, LhaL roved new ?ork's sLreeLs ln cusLomlzed yellow cabs. 1he plalncloLhes cops of
Lhe 1axl Squad had a fooL ln Lhe old school. 1hey were generally Lough asses who Look no crap and dld
whaL Lhey wanLed and wenL where Lhey wanLed. 1axl ulcks roamed freely Lo snlff ouL crlmes ln
progress, alLhough wlLh more sclenLlflc pollclng had laLely been asslgned Lo LargeL Lhelr paLrols ln areas
where robberles, burglarles, and sLreeL crlmes splked.
1he cop aL Lhe wheel rolled hls wlndow down and nodded a wordless hl, maklng her wonder why
van MeLer had boLhered Lo open lL. Careful, uuLch, you'll Lalk her ear off," sald ueLecLlve leller wlLh
Lhe Candy chuckle agaln. Lucky you, nlkkl PeaL, geLLlng Lhe mlddle-of- Lhe-nlghL call."
uuLch sald, Some folks have no manners, geLLlng kllled aL Lhls hour." PeaL dldn'L lmaglne ueLecLlve
van MeLer paused a loL for reflecLlon before meeLlng a corpse.
LlsLen," she sald. noL LhaL l don'L llke sLandlng ln LwenLy-flve degrees, buL l've goL a vlc walLlng."
Where's your rlde-along?" sald leller wlLh more Lhan a llLLle lnLeresL. 1he wrlLer, whaL's hls face?"
leller, flshlng agaln. !usL llke he dld every Llme Lhey crossed paLhs, LesLlng Lo see lf 8ook was sLlll ln
Lhe plcLure. nlkkl had been on leller's radar slnce Lhe nlghL monLhs before when she escaped from a
hlred klller ln 8ook's lofL. AfLer PeaL's baLLle wlLh Lhe 1exan, he and uuLch were ln Lhe flrsL wave of cops
who raced Lo her ald. Lver slnce, leller never mlssed a chance Lo preLend he dldn'L know 8ook's name
and Lake a soundlng on her. PeaL rolled wlLh lL, she was no sLranger Lo lnLeresL from men, even llked lL lf
Lhey dldn'L cross a llne, buL leller . . . ln Lhe 8om-Com he'd be more Com Lhan 8om, Lhe [oshlng broLher
raLher Lhan Lhe love lnLeresL. ueLecLlve leller was funny and good company buL more for beers ln Lhe
cop bar Lhan Sancerre by candlellghL. 1wo weeks ago she'd seen hlm come ouL of Lhe men's room aL
lug uglles wearlng a sanlLary Llssue rlng around hls neck, asklng everyone lf Lhey'd also llke a lobsLer
blb.
WhaL's hls face?" repeaLed nlkkl. Pe's off on asslgnmenL." And Lhen Lo send Lhe message, she
added, Pe's back aL Lhe end of Lhls week, Lhough." 8uL Lhe deLecLlve read someLhlng else ln her volce.
1haL a good Lhlng or a bad Lhlng?"
Cood Lhlng," PeaL sald a llLLle Loo abrupLly. So she flashed a grln Lrylng Lo reseL her Lone. 8eal
good." And Lhen, Lo convlnce herself, she added, 8eally good."
WhaL nlkkl found on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe door was noL an urban shrlne Lo oenology wlLh arLfully
sLacked green boLLles, nor dld she hear Lhe plng of an alumlnum baL followed by Lhe Lhud of a ball lnLo
padded neLLlng. lnsLead, a LhroaL-caLchlng mlxLure of lncense mlxed wlLh vapors from a harsh cleanlng
solvenL rose up Lo greeL her as she descended a fllghL of sLalrs Lo Lhe basemenL. 8ehlnd her, ueLecLlve
van MeLer moaned a low Whoa," and as PeaL rounded Lhe landlng Lo make her Lurn down Lhe lasL
fllghL, she heard uuLch and leller snapplng on gloves. van MeLer muLLered Lo hls parLner, l caLch an
S1u down here, l'll sue Llll l own Lhe damn clLy."
AL basemenL level Lhey arrlved aL someLhlng LhaL only charlLably could be referred Lo as a recepLlon
area. 1he crlmson palnLed-brlck walls behlnd Lhe lormlca counLer and Lhe lnLerneL caLalogue chalrs
remlnded her of a small, prlvaLe gym lobby, and noL a very hlgh-end one. lour doors were spaced along
Lhe far wall. 1hey were all open. 1hree led lnLo dlm rooms, llL only by Lhe splll of harsh radlance from Lhe
CSu llghL sLands seL up Lo lllumlnaLe Lhe lobby durlng Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon. More llghL, puncLuaLed by
sLrobe flashes came from Lhe far doorway, where ueLecLlve 8aley sLood waLchlng Lhe acLlvlLy, laLexed
hands by hls slde. Pe saw nlkkl ouL of Lhe corner of hls eye and sLepped ouL Lo her.
Welcome Lo leasure 8ound, ueLecLlve PeaL," he sald.
Copsense made nlkkl scope ouL Lhe oLher Lhree rooms before enLerlng Lhe crlme scene lLself. She
knew Lhey'd have been cleared by 8aley and Lhe unlforms who responded flrsL, buL she poked her head
ln each doorway for a qulck glance. All she could make ouL ln Lhe murklness were Lhe shapes of
equlpmenL and furnlLure of Lhe bondage Lrade, and LhaL each chamber was Lhemed. ln order: a
vlcLorlan boudolr, an anlmal role-play parlor, and a sensory deprlvaLlon room. ln Lhe comlng hours Lhese
would be swepL by CSu, and forenslc evldence gaLhered, buL for now she was saLlsfled wlLh her survey.
PeaL Look ouL her gloves and walked Lo Lhe far doorway, where leller and van MeLer walLed
deferenLlally behlnd 8aley. 1hls was her case, on her Lurf, and unspoken eLlqueLLe dlcLaLed she go ln
ahead of Lhem.
1he corpse was naked and bound aL Lhe wrlsLs and ankles Lo an x-shaped verLlcal wooden frame
known as Lhe SL. Andrew's Cross. 1he sLrucLure was bolLed Lo Lhe floor and Lhe celllng ln Lhe cenLer of
Lhe room, and Lhe dead man's body sagged downward, benL aL Lhe knees, hls buLLocks hoverlng above
Lhe llnoleum. 1he bulk of hls welghL, whlch PeaL puL aL almosL 230 pounds, now unsupporLed by muscle,
sLralned Lhe wrlsL sLraps hlgh over hls head and pulled hls arms lnLo a LauL ?.
ueLecLlve leller whlsper-sang Lhe chorus of ?MCA" unLll nlkkl scalded hlm wlLh a glance.
ChasLened, he folded hls arms and looked away aL hls parLner, who shrugged.
WhaL have we goL, 8ales?" sald PeaL Lo her deLecLlve.
8aley consulLed a slngle page of noLes. noL much, as of yeL. Check lL ouL." Pe swepL Lhe room wlLh
hls arm. no cloLhes anywhere, no lu, no noLhlng. AfLer-hours cleanlng crew made Lhe dlscovery.
1hey're noL Lngllsh speakers, so Cchoa's dolng Lhe honors ln Lhe offlce geLLlng Lhelr sLaLemenL. rellm,
Lhough, ls Lhey say Lhe place closes abouL one, someLlmes Lwo, LhaL's when Lhey come ln. 1hey were
dolng Lhelr usual [anlLor sLuff, flgurlng Lhey were all alone, and came ln here, Lo Lhe, ah . . ."
1orLure chamber," sald nlkkl. 1he rooms are Lhemed. 1hls one's for LorLure and humlllaLlon." She
read hls look and sald, l worked vlce once."
So dld l," sald 8aley.
l worked lL harder." PeaL arched a brow and waLched hlm blush. So nobody else was here aL Lhe
dlscovery. uld Lhey see anyone leavlng?"
negaLlve."
1here's a bubble for a survelllance cam ln Lhe lobby," sald van MeLer.
8aley nodded. Cn lL." And Lhen he Lurned Lo nlkkl. 1here's a locked closeL ln Lhe manager's offlce
where Lhe cleaners say she keeps Lhe recorder."
Wake up Lhe manager," sald PeaL. 1ell her Lo brlng ln Lhe key, buL don'L Lell her abouL Lhe body.
!usL say Lhere was an aLLempLed break-ln. l don'L wanL her maklng calls on Lhe way here, and l wanL Lo
see her reacLlon when she flnds ouL."
When 8aley sLepped ouL Lo make Lhe call, PeaL asked Lhe CSu Lechnlclan and Lhe pollce
phoLographer lf Lhey had looked for any cloLhlng or a walleL or lu anywhere else on Lhe premlses. She
knew whaL Lhe answer would be-Lhese were professlonals-buL Lhe bases had Lo be covered. 1he
obvlous, lf LhoughL Lo be Loo obvlous, was whaL goL overlooked and lefL holes ln an lnvesLlgaLlon lf you
sLarLed assumlng and sLopped checklng. 1hey conflrmed no cloLhlng, lu, or oLher personal effecLs on
Lhelr lnlLlal sweep.
ueLecLlve leller sald, Pow abouL uuLch and l crulse Lhe nelghborlng blocks, see lf anyone who's up
saw anyLhlng?"
van MeLer nodded. AL Lhls hour noL many people around, buL we can hlL Lhe dlners, garbage
collecLors, dellvery Lrucks, whaLever."
Sure," sald ueLecLlve PeaL. AppreclaLe Lhe asslsL."
leller gave her Lhe puppy eyes agaln. lor you, nlkkl? C'mon." Pe Look ouL hls cell phone and knelL
Lo geL an angle of Lhe dead man's face wlLh lLs camera. Won'L hurL Lo show Lhls around Lo see lf anyone
knows hlm."
Cood Lhlnklng," she sald.
Cn hls way ouL ueLecLlve leller paused. LlsLen, sorry lf l was ouL of llne wlLh Lhe vlllage eople
Lhlng. !usL breaklng Lhe Lenslon, you know?"
As much as she couldn'L ablde dlsrespecLlng a vlcLlm, she looked aL hlm and read hls
embarrassmenL. As a veLeran n?u deLecLlve, she knew lL was [usL mlsplaced cop humor and noL meanL
Lo be callous. l don'L even remember lL," sald PeaL. Pe smlled, gave her a head nod, and lefL.
Lauren arry knelL on Lhe floor beslde Lhe vlcLlm, and as she fllled ln each box ln her reporL, Lhe medlcal
examlner reclLed Lo nlkkl, Ck, so we have a !ohn uoe, laLe forLles, approxlmaLely Lwo-flfLy Lo Lwo-flfLy-
flve." 1he ML polnLed Lo her nosLrlls. Cbvlous smoker, deflnlLe drlnker."
lL was always Lough wlLh Lhe uoes, LhoughL nlkkl. WlLhouL a name Lo go on, you were hobbled aL
Lhe sLarLlng gaLe. reclous Llme ln Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon would be spenL [usL flgurlng ouL who he was.
rellmlnary 1Cu . . . ," Lauren arry read Lhe LhermomeLer and conLlnued, . . . elghL Lo Len .M."
1haL long ago? ?ou sure?" PeaL's frlend looked up aL her from Lhe cllpboard and sLared. 1he
deLecLlve sald, Ck, so you're sure."
rellmlnarlly, nlk. l'll run Lhe usual LesLs when we geL hlm down Lo 1hlrLleLh SLreeL, buL for now
LhaL's a good wlndow for you."
Cause of deaLh?"
Well, you [usL wanL every llLLle Lhlng, don'L you?" sald Lhe ML wlLh a Lwlnkle behlnd her deadpan.
1hen she grew penslve and Lurned Lo conslder Lhe corpse. CCu could be asphyxlaLlon."
1he collar?"
1haL's my besL flrsL guess." Lauren sLood and lndlcaLed Lhe posLure collar blLlng lnLo Lhe man's
neck, drawn so LlghL by Lhe sLrapplng aL Lhe back lL caused hls flesh Lo roll over lLs edges. CerLalnly
enough Lo resLrlcL Lhe wlndplpe. lus Lhe broken blood vessels ln Lhe eyeballs are conslsLenL wlLh
choklng."
LeL's rewlnd. 8esL flrsL guess?' " asked PeaL.
Come on, nlkkl, you know l always Lell you flrsL shoL ls prellmlnary." 1hen Lauren arry looked back
aL Lhe body, ponderlng agaln.
WhaL?"
LeL's [usL mark lL 'choklng' as a prellm unLll l do my auLopsy."
nlkkl knew beLLer Lhan Lo press Lauren for con[ecLure, [usL as her frlend knew noL Lo push her for
speculaLlon. 1haL's flne," she sald, all Lhe whlle knowlng LhaL her pal from Lhe Cfflce of Lhe Chlef
Medlcal Lxamlner was mulllng someLhlng.
Lauren opened a plasLlc drawer ln her klL for some swabs and resumed her LesLlng whlle nlkkl dld
whaL she always dld aL a deaLh scene. She clasped her hands behlnd her and slowly walked Lhe room,
occaslonally squaLLlng or bendlng, eyelng Lhe corpse from all angles. 1hls wasn'L [usL a rlLual, lL was a
fundamenLal procedure Lo clear her head of all concluslons and pro[ecLlons. 1he ldea was Lo open her
mlnd Lo lmpresslons, Lo [usL leL ln whaLever came ln and, mosL of all, slmply Lo noLlce whaL she was
noLlclng.
Per sense of Lhe vlcLlm was LhaL he wasn'L a physlcally acLlve person. 1he slzable roll of sofL faL
around hls mldsecLlon suggesLed a loL of slLLlng, or aL leasL an occupaLlon LhaL dldn'L lnvolve movemenL
or sLrengLh llke sporLs, consLrucLlon, or oLher manual labor. As wlLh mosL people, Lhe skln on hls upper
arms was pale compared Lo hls forearms, buL Lhe conLrasL wasn'L greaL, no farmer's Lan. 1haL Lold her
noL only LhaL he was lndoors a loL, buL LhaL he elLher wore long sleeves mosL of Lhe Llme or dldn'L llkely
Lend a garden or play golf aL a club. Lven Lhls long afLer summer Lhere would be more resldual Lannlng.
She sLepped close Lo examlne hls hands, belng careful noL Lo breaLhe on Lhem. 1hey were clean and
sofL, underscorlng her feellng abouL hls lndoor llfe. 1he nalls were neaL buL noL manlcured, she usually
saw LhaL among mlddle-aged men who were wealLhy or young urban groomers who were more flL. 1he
halr was sparse up Lop, beflLLlng Lhe age Lauren had flxed, as were Lhe sLrands of whlLe mlxed ln wlLh lLs
dull, lron flllngs color. 1he brows were wlldly bushy, someLlmes an lndlcaLor of a bachelor or wldower,
and hls salL-and-pepper goaLee gave hlm an alr of academla or arLs and leLLers. nlkkl looked agaln aL hls
flngerLlps and made noLe of a blulsh Llnge LhaL looked Lo be wlLhln Lhe skln lLself and noL Loplcal llke
from oll palnL or lnk sLalns.
8rulses, welLs, and abraslons were everywhere, fronL, back, and sldes. 1orso, legs, and arms. ln
keeplng wlLh her open-mlnd approach, Lhe deLecLlve Lrled noL Lo ascrlbe Lhe marks Lo a nlghL of
sadomasochlsm. osslble, even llkely, glven Lhe seLLlng, buL noL for cerLaln. 1here were no obvlous cuLs,
puncLures, bulleL holes, or bleedlng she could see.
1he resL of Lhe room was lmmaculaLe, aL leasL for a LorLure dungeon. 1he CSu vacuumlng and prlnL
dusLlng mlghL yleld some forenslc evldence, buL Lhere was no vlslble Lrash, clgareLLe buLLs, or any clues
such as a convenlenLly dropped hoLel maLchbook wlLh a klller's room number on lL, llke you saw ln old
movles on 1CM.
Agaln, keeplng an open mlnd, nlkkl refused Lo conclude Lhere even was a klller ln Lhe classlc sense.
A homlclde? osslbly. Murder? SLlll [usL posslbly. 1he door had Lo be lefL open for an accldenLal deaLh
from a consensual LorLure sesslon gone Loo far, resulLlng ln a panlc fllghL from Lhe dom ln Lhe
relaLlonshlp.
PeaL was skeLchlng her own dlagram of Lhe room layouL, someLhlng she always dld as a personal
companlon Lo Lhe one flled by Lhe Crlme Scene unlL, when ueLecLlve Cchoa came ln afLer hls lnLervlew
of Lhe cleanlng crew. Pe had a sober Lone as he qulckly greeLed nlkkl, buL sofLened when hls gaze fell on
Lhe ML.
ueLecLlve," sald Lauren wlLh a llLLle Loo much formallLy.
uocLor," he replled, maLchlng her reserve. 1hen nlkkl caughL Lauren Laklng someLhlng ouL of Lhe
slde pockeL of her sulL and sllpplng lL lnLo hls hand. ueLecLlve Cchoa dldn'L look aL lL, [usL sald, 8lghL,
Lhanks," and sLepped across Lhe room, where he Lurned hls back and fasLened hls waLch Lo hls wrlsL.
nlkkl could do Lhe maLh on where 1he Cach was when he was awakened by Lhe dead body call.
Seelng Lhese Lwo go Lhrough Lhls charade of non-lnLlmacy gave her a Lwlnge. She llfLed her pen
above her dlagram and paused, remlnded of how noL long ago she and 8ook had slmllarly consplred Lo
low-key Lhelr affalr-also foollng no one. 1haL was back ln Lhe summer heaL wave, when he was a rlde-
along [ournallsL researchlng nlkkl's homlclde squad, and ulLlmaLely nlkkl, for Lhe feaLure sLory he was
wrlLlng for lltst ltess. Pavlng her plcLure on Lhe cover of a respecLed naLlonal magazlne was a mlxed
blesslng for Lhe publlclLy-shy PeaL. 8undled wlLh Lhe annoyance and unhappy compllcaLlons of her
flfLeen mlnuLes came some unexpecLedly hoL Llmes wlLh !ameson 8ook. And now, some form of a
relaLlonshlp. Well, she LhoughL-someLhlng she had been dolng a loL of laLely-noL so much a
relaLlonshlp buL a . . . whaL?
AfLer Lhe heaL of Lhelr romance raLcheLed up and rose Lo even greaLer lnLenslLy, someLhlng else
happened over Llme and LogeLherness. lL deepened lnLo whaL began Lo feel Lo nlkkl llke a 8eal ueal LhaL
was headed somewhere. 8uL where lL ended up headlng was off a cllff lnLo an abyss where lL was
suspended mldalr.
Pe had been gone four weeks now. A monLh of 8ook dlsappearlng on hls lnvesLlgaLlon of
lnLernaLlonal arms smuggllng for a lltst ltess expose. A monLh off Lhe grld whlle he bounced around
mounLaln vlllages of LasLern Lurope, Afrlcan seaporLs, alrsLrlps ln Mexlco, and Cod knows where else. A
monLh Lo leL nlkkl wonder where Lhe hell Lhey were wlLh each oLher.
8ook's communlcaLlons sucked and LhaL dldn'L help. Pe Lold her he would be golng deep
undercover and Lo expecL some radlo sllence, buL come on. Colng all Lhls Llme ln lsolaLlon wlLhouL so
much as a phone call was chewlng aL her, wonderlng lf he was allve, roLLlng ln some warlord's [all . . . or
whaL? Could he really be ouL of communlcaLlon Lhls long, or had he slmply noL made a good enough
aLLempL? nlkkl denled lL aL flrsL, buL afLer days and nlghLs of Lrylng noL Lo Lhlnk Lhe LhoughL, she now
sLruggled wlLh Lhe noLlon LhaL perhaps Lhe charm of !ameson 8ook, Lhe rogue globeLroLLer, was wearlng
Lhln. Sure, she respecLed hls career as a Lwo-Llme ullLzer-wlnnlng lnvesLlgaLlve [ournallsL, and knew
lnLellecLually whaL came along wlLh all LhaL, buL Lhe way he blew ouL of uodge, Lhe way he blew ouL of
her llfe, so easlly had her quesLlonlng noL [usL where Lhey sLood as a couple buL where he sLood wlLh her
anymore.
nlkkl looked aL her own waLch and wondered whaL Llme lL was where !ameson 8ook was. 1hen she
looked aL lLs calendar. 8ook had sald he would be back ln flve days. 1he quesLlon for nlkkl was, by Lhen
where would Lhey be?
PeaL mulled resources and declded lL would be more producLlve for her Lo walL for Lhe manager of Lhe
underground sex club Lo arrlve and unlock Lhe vldeo closeL. 1haL way she could free up her own palr of
deLecLlves Lo snag some unlformed offlcers and canvass Lhe nelghborhood on fooL. Slnce Lhe Laxl Leam
had volunLeered Lo hlL Lhe dlners, all-nlghL workers, and dellvery guys, she charged 8aley and Cchoa
(collecLlvely and always affecLlonaLely known as 8oach") Lo concenLraLe on flndlng an lu or a walleL.
?ou should do Lhe usual scans. 1rash cans, uumpsLers, subway graLes, under aparLmenL sLoops, or
anyplace else LhaL's a handy place for a dump and run. noL a loL of doorman bulldlngs ln Lhls
nelghborhood, buL lf you see one, ask. Ch, and check ouL Lhe hoenlx Pouse up Lhe block. Maybe some
of our frlends ln recovery were up and heard or saw someLhlng."
8oach's cell phones chlmed abouL Lwo seconds aparL. PeaL held up her own moblle and sald, 1haL's
a head shoL l [usL e-malled you of our vlc. lf you geL a chance, flash lL, you never know."
8lghL," sald Cchoa. Who doesn'L love Lo have a plcLure of a choklng vlcLlm shoved ln Lhelr face
before breakfasL?"
As Lhey sLarLed up Lhe sLalrs Lo sLreeL level, she called afLer Lhem, And make noLe of any
survelllance cams you see wlLh a sLreeL vlew. 8anks, [ewelry sLores, you know Lhe drlll. We can drop ln
and have Lhem do a playback when Lhey open for buslness laLer Lhls mornlng."
ueLecLlve PeaL had Lo shake off a foul mood afLer deallng wlLh Lhe manager of leasure 8ound. nlkkl
doubLed Lhe woman had been awakened by 8aley. Cn Lhe conLrary, 8oxanne alLz vlbed havlng been up
all nlghL, heavlly and severely made up and arrlvlng ln a LlghL vlnyl ouLflL LhaL creaked whenever she
moved on Lhe chalr ln her offlce. Per granny glasses had blue lenses maLchlng Lhe Llps of her splky,
bleach-damaged halr, whlch gave off Lhe unmlsLakable scenL of cannabls. When nlkkl Lold her Lhe real
reason Lhey were Lhere, Lhe dead man ln her LorLure chamber, she losL color and reeled. PeaL showed
her Lhe plcLure on her cell phone, and Lhe woman nearly goL slck. She saL down unsLeadlly and drank a
slp of Lhe waLer nlkkl gave her from Lhe cooler, buL afLer she recovered, sald she'd never seen Lhe guy.
When nlkkl asked lf she could have a look aL Lhe survelllance vldeo, lL goL conLenLlous, and 8oxanne
alLz was suddenly all abouL consLlLuLlonal rlghLs. Speaklng wlLh Lhe auLhorlLy of someone who had
been hassled for runnlng a sex Lrade buslness, she clLed [usL cause, unlawful search, cllenL
confldenLlallLy, and freedom of expresslon. Per lawyer was on speed dlal, and even Lhough lL wasn'L
even slx ln Lhe mornlng, she called and woke hlm up, nlkkl havlng Lo deal wlLh her raccoon mascara
glower whlle she parroLed back hls cerLalnLy LhaL no cablneLs could be unlocked or vldeo screened
wlLhouL a [udge's warranL.
l'm [usL asklng for a llLLle cooperaLlon," sald nlkkl.
8oxanne saL Lhere llsLenlng Lo Lhe aLLorney on her phone, noddlng and noddlng, vlnyl creaklng wlLh
each head bob. And Lhen she hung up. Pe says Lo go fuck yourself."
nlkkl PeaL paused and gave a sllghL smlle. !udglng from some of Lhe equlpmenL you've goL here,
Lhls would probably be Lhe one place l could acLually do LhaL."
1he deLecLlve knew she would geL Lhe search warranL and had [usL ended her call downLown Lo geL Lhe
wheels Lurnlng on one when her phone vlbraLed ln her hand. lL was 8aley. Come Lopslde, l Lhlnk we goL
someLhlng."
She arrlved back up on Lhe sldewalk expecLlng sun, buL lL was sLlll dark. nlkkl had losL a sense of
Llme and place down Lhere, and she reflecLed LhaL LhaL was probably Lhe whole ldea.
ueLecLlves 8aley, Cchoa, van MeLer, and leller sLood ln a semlclrcle under Lhe green canvas canopy
of Lhe corner grocery across Lhe sLreeL. Crosslng 74Lh Lo meeL Lhem, nlkkl had Lo pause so she dldn'L geL
run over by a dellvery guy on a faL-Llred blke. She waLched hls Lralllng breaLh as he passed, wlLh
somebody's order-ln breakfasL bounclng ln Lhe wlre baskeL, and flgured maybe she dldn'L have Lhe
hardesL [ob ln Lhe clLy. WhaLcha goL?" she sald as she sLepped over Lo Lhe crew.
lound some cloLhes and a shoe wedged ln Lhe space beLween Lhe Lwo bulldlngs here," sald Cchoa,
Lralnlng Lhe beam of hls SLreamllghL SLlnger ln Lhe wall gap separaLlng Lhe grocery and Lhe nall spa nexL
door. 8aley held up a palr of dark Lrousers and a black Lasseled loafer for PeaL and Lhen sllpped Lhem
lnLo a brown paper evldence bag. Spaces llke Lhls? Classlc place Lo sLash," sald Cchoa. Learned LhaL ln
narco."
Clve me Lhe llghL, Crlme uog, Lhlnk Lhere's more here." 8aley Look Lhe mlnl from hls parLner and
squaLLed ln fronL of Lhe gap. A few seconds laLer he pulled ouL Lhe maLe Lo Lhe oLher loafer Lhen sald,
Well, whaL do you know?"
WhaL?" Cchoa asked. uon'L be a dlck, whaL ls lL?"
Pang on a sec. lf you weren'L packlng on Lhe welghL, you could have done Lhls lnsLead of me."
8aley LwlsLed hls shoulder Lo geL a beLLer angle for hls reach lnLo Lhe narrow openlng. Pere we go.
AnoLher collar."
nlkkl expecLed Lo see someLhlng ln a leaLher glmp rlg wlLh sharp sLuds and sLalnless sLeel u-rlngs,
buL when 8aley flnally sLood and held lL up ln hls gloved hand, lL wasn'L LhaL klnd of collar aL all. lL was a
prlesL's collar.
ln 2003 new ?ork ClLy funded eleven mllllon dollars Lo modernlze Lhe n?u's hlgh-Lech capablllLy by
bulldlng Lhe 8eal 1lme Crlme CenLer, a compuLer operaLlons hub LhaL, among numerous capablllLles,
provldes crlme reporLs and pollce daLa Lo offlcers ln Lhe fleld wlLh sLarLllng lmmedlacy. 1haL ls why ln a
clLy of elghL and a half mllllon people lL only Look ueLecLlve PeaL less Lhan Lhree mlnuLes Lo geL a llkely
lu on Lhe vlcLlm ln Lhe LorLure dungeon. 1he 81CC accessed records and splL ouL a mlsslng persons
reporL flled Lhe nlghL before by a parlsh recLory housekeeper for a laLher Cerald Craf.
nlkkl asslgned 8oach Lo sLay and conLlnue Lhelr canvass whlle she made Lhe drlve upLown Lo
lnLervlew Lhe woman who flled Lhe M8. ueLecLlves leller and van MeLer were off Lhelr shlfL, buL uuLch
offered Lo help 8oach conLlnue knocklng on doors. leller appeared aL her car wlndow and sald lf PeaL
dldn'L mlnd Lhe company, he'd be happy Lo rlde shoLgun wlLh her. She heslLaLed, flgurlng Lhls was abouL
leller englneerlng hls opporLunlLy Lo ask her Lo caLch a drlnk or dlnner laLer. 8uL a veLeran deLecLlve was
reachlng ouL Lo help wlLh a case on hls own Llme, and she couldn'L say no Lo LhaL. lf he Lrled Lo bend lL
lnLo a daLe offer, she'd slmply deal wlLh lL.
Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs was on Lhe norLhern border of Lhe preclncL, mld-block on 83Lh beLween
WesL Lnd Avenue and 8lverslde. AL Lhls early slde of Lhe mornlng rush hour, a flve-mlnuLe drlve, lf LhaL.
8uL as soon as PeaL pulled onLo 8roadway, Lhey caughL a red ln fronL of Lhe 8eacon 1heaLer.
Clad Lo flnally have some Llme alone wlLh you," sald leller whlle Lhey walLed.
lor sure," sald nlkkl, who Lhen hurrled Lo sLeer Lhe Loplc away. AppreclaLe Lhe asslsL, 8andy. Can
always use anoLher palr of eyes and ears."
Clves me a chance Lo ask you someLhlng wlLhouL Lhe whole world around."
She looked up aL Lhe llghL and consldered breaklng ouL Lhe gumball. . . . ?eah?"
Any ldea how you dld on your exam for lleuLenanL?" he asked. noL Lhe quesLlon she expecLed.
nlkkl Lurned Lo look aL hlm. Creen," he sald and she drove on.
l don'L know, seemed llke l dld all rlghL. Pard Lo know for sure," she sald. SLlll walLlng for Lhe
resulLs Lo be posLed." When Lhe deparLmenL's clvll servlce LesL was offered recenLly, PeaL had Laken lL,
noL so much ouL of a burnlng deslre for Lhe promoLlon, buL because she wasn'L sure when lL would be
glven agaln. 8udgeL cuLs from Lhe economlc crlsls had hlL new ?ork as much as any oLher munlclpallLy,
and one response Lhe year before had been Lo cuL back on ralses by posLponlng Lhe scheduled rank
advancemenL LesLs.
ueLecLlve leller cleared hls LhroaL. WhaL lf l Lold you l hear you aced lL?" She gave hlm a slde glance
and Lhen concenLraLed on Lhe drlver of Lhe bread dellvery Lruck who had sLopped Lo double-park ln her
lane wlLhouL flashers. Whlle she hlL her bllnker and walLed for Lhe passlng lane Lo clear, he wenL on. l
know Lhls Lo be a facL."
Pow?"
lrom some lnslde sources. uownLown." Pe reached for Lhe dashboard. Mlnd lf l back off Lhe
Lemp? SLarLlng Lo bake ln here."
Pelp yourself."
l Lry Lo keep myself connecLed." Pe Lurned down Lhe knob one cllck, Lhen declded on one more
before he seLLled back ln hls seaL agaln. noL plannlng on rldlng ln back of LhaL cab forever, ya hear whaL
l'm saylng?"
Sure, sure." nlkkl made her swlng around Lhe bread Lruck. l, um, appreclaLe Lhe lnfo."
So when you geL by your orals and all Lhe oLher hoops Lhey make you [ump Lhrough-llke Leach
you Lhe secreL handshake, or whaLever-do me a fave? uon'L forgeL your frlends on your way up."
wboompb, Lhere lL ls, LhoughL nlkkl. She felL a llLLle embarrassed. All Lhls Llme Lhlnklng leller
wanLed Lo daLe her when maybe whaL he really wanLed was Lo neLwork her. She replayed her menLal
plcLure of hlm aL Lhe cop bar clownlng ln hls ass gaskeL lobsLer blb and wondered lf Lhe [esLer ln hlm was
all ln fun, or lf he was really [usL a skllled glad-hander. 1he more he Lalked, Lhe more LhaL plcLure
emerged.
When you geL your gold bar, lL's golng Lo be a plece of good news ln your preclncL for a change.
And you know whaL l mean."
l'm noL sure l do," she sald. 1hey hlL anoLher red aL 79Lh, and unforLunaLely Lhls was a long one.
noL sure, LhaL's a laugh," he sald. l mean CapLaln MonLrose."
nlkkl knew full well whaL he meanL. Per sklpper, her menLor, CapLaln MonLrose, was under
lncreaslng pressure from Cne ollce laza over hls performance as commander of Lhe 1wenLleLh
reclncL. WheLher lL was Lhe bad economy, lncreased unemploymenL, or a reseL Lo Lhe dark days of Lhe
pre-Clullanl dlsorder, crlme sLaLlsLlcs were edglng up LhroughouL all flve boroughs. And worse, Lhey
were splklng ln elecLlon season. CravlLy rules, so ln response, Lhe shlL roll was all downhlll Lo Lhe
preclncL commanders. 8uL PeaL could see her capLaln was Laklng an exLra poundlng. MonLrose had been
slngled ouL, called down separaLely for exLra meeLlngs and ass chewlngs, spendlng as much Llme aL PC
as he dld ln hls offlce. Pls personallLy darkened under Lhe pressure, and he had grown aLyplcally
remoLe-no, more Lhan remoLe, secreLlve. lL made nlkkl wonder wheLher someLhlng else was golng on
wlLh hlm beyond preclncL perf sLaLs. now whaL boLhered PeaL was LhaL her boss's prlvaLe humlllaLlon
was CuL 1here as deparLmenL gosslp. lf leller knew abouL lL, oLhers dld, Loo. LoyalLy made her deflecL lL,
back up her boss.
LlsLen, 8andy, who lsn'L geLLlng squeezed Lhese days? l hear Lhose weekly CompSLaL meeLlngs aL
1 are bruLal for all Lhe sklps, noL [usL mlne."
Serlously," he sald wlLh a nod. 1hey should puL a draln ln Lhe floor Lo leL Lhe blood run ouL.
Creen."
!eez, lL [usL Lurned." nlkkl pressed Lhe acceleraLor.
Sorry. urlves uuLch crazy, Loo. l Lell ya, l've goL Lo geL my ass ouL of LhaL cab." Pe powered down
hls wlndow and spaL. When he closed lL agaln, he sald, 1hls lsn'L [usL abouL Lhe performance flgs. l have
a bud ln lnLernal Affalrs. ?our man ls on Lhelr radar."
8ull." no
bull." lor
whaL?"
Pe made an exaggeraLed shrug. lL's lA, whaL do you Lhlnk?"
no. l don'L buy lL," she sald.
1hen don'L. Maybe he ls clean, buL l'm Lelllng you he's goL hls neck on Lhe sLump and Lhey're
sharpenlng Lhe ax."
noL maybe. MonLrose ls clean." She made a lefL onLo 83Lh. A block and a half ahead, she could see
a cross on Lhe church roof. ln Lhe dlsLance, across Lhe Pudson, Lhe aparLmenLs and cllffs were plnklng
from Lhe rlslng sun. nlkkl swlLched off her headllghLs as she crossed WesL Lnd Avenue.
Who knows?" sald leller. ?ou geL rank, maybe you'll be ln poslLlon Lo Lake over Lhe preclncL lf he
goes down."
Pe ls noL golng down. MonLrose ls under pressure, buL he's sLralghL as Lhey come."
lf you say."
l say. Pe's unassallable."
As nlkkl goL ouL ln fronL of Lhe recLory, she wlshed she had made Lhe drlve alone. no, whaL she
wlshed was LhaL leller had [usL asked her for drlnks, or bowllng, or for sex. Any one of Lhose, she would
raLher have dealL wlLh.
She reached for Lhe bell, buL before she could press lL, she saw a small head Lhrough Lhe sLalned
glass wlndow ln Lhe door and lL opened, reveallng a mlnuLe woman ln her laLe slxLles.
nlkkl referred Lo her noLes from Lhe 81CC message. Cood mornlng, are you Lydla 8orelll?"
?es, and you're wlLh Lhe pollce, l can Lell."
AfLer Lhey showed lu and lnLroduced Lhemselves, nlkkl sald, And lL was you who called abouL
laLher Craf?"
Ch, l've been worrled slck. Come ln, please." 1he housekeeper's llps were quaklng and her hands
fluLLered nervously. She mlssed Lhe doorknob on her flrsL aLLempL Lo pull Lhe door closed. uld you flnd
hlm? ls he all rlghL?"
Mrs. 8orelll, do you have a recenL phoLo l could look aL?"
Cf laLher? Well, l'm sure somewhere . . . l know."
She led Lhem over Lhlck rugs LhaL muLed Lhelr fooLfalls Lhrough Lhe llvlng room and lnLo Lhe pasLor's
ad[olnlng sLudy. Cn Lhe shelves of Lhe bullL-ln above Lhe desk several phoLos ln glass frames were
perched beLween books and knlckknacks. 1he housekeeper Look one down, swlplng her flnger along Lhe
Lop of Lhe frame Lo dusL lL before she handed lL over. 1hls ls from lasL summer."
PeaL and ueLecLlve leller sLood beslde each oLher Lo examlne lL. 1he shoL was Laken aL some sorL of
proLesL rally and showed a prlesL and Lhree Plspanlc proLesLers, wlLh arms llnked, leadlng a march
behlnd a banner. laLher Craf's face, frozen ln mld-reclLaLlon of a chanL, was deflnlLely Lhe same as Lhe
one on Lhe corpse aL leasure 8ound.
1he housekeeper Look Lhe news sLolcally, blesslng herself wlLh Lhe slgn of Lhe cross and Lhen
lowerlng her head ln sllenL prayer. When she was done, blood vessels showed Lhrough her Lemples and
Lears sLreamed down her cheeks. 1here were Llssues on Lhe end Lable near Lhe couch. nlkkl offered her
Lhe box and she Look some.
Pow dld lL happen?" she asked, sLarlng down aL Lhe Llssues ln her hands.
lraglle as Lhe woman appeared, PeaL LhoughL beLLer of glvlng her Lhe deLalls aL LhaL momenL abouL
Lhe prlesL's deaLh ln a 8uSM LorLure and humlllaLlon dungeon. We're sLlll lnvesLlgaLlng LhaL."
1hen she looked up. uld he suffer?"
ueLecLlve leller squlnLed aL nlkkl and Lurned away Lo hlde hls face, suddenly maklng hlmself busy
replaclng Lhe phoLo on Lhe shelf.
We'll have more deLalls afLer Lhe coroner's reporL," answered nlkkl, hoplng her dodge was arLful
enough Lo be boughL. We know Lhls ls a loss for you, buL ln a whlle, noL [usL now, we're golng Lo need
Lo ask you a few quesLlons Lo help us."
CerLalnly, anyLhlng you need."
WhaL would be helpful now, Mrs. 8orelll, ls lf we could look Lhrough Lhe recLory. ?ou know, search
Lhrough hls papers, hls bedroom."
Pls closeL," sald leller.
nlkkl moved forward. We wanL Lo look for anyLhlng LhaL would help us flnd ouL who dld Lhls."
1he housekeeper gave her a puzzled look. Agaln?"
l sald, we'd llke Lo search Lhe-"
l heard whaL you sald. l mean, you need Lo search agaln?"
PeaL leaned closer Lo Lhe woman. Are you saylng someone searched here already?"
?es. LasL nlghL, anoLher pollceman. Pe sald he was followlng up on my mlsslng person reporL."
Ch, of course, someLlmes we cross slgnals," sald nlkkl. 1haL could well be Lhe case, buL her
uneaslness was growlng. She caughL a look from leller LhaL sald hls anLenna was up, Loo. May l ask who
Lhls pollceman was?"
l forgoL hls name. Pe sald lL, buL l was so upseL. Senlor momenL." She chuckled and Lhen sLlfled a
sob. Pe dld show me a badge llke yours, so l leL hlm roam free. l waLched Lelevlslon whlle he looked
around."
Well, l'm sure he flled a reporL." nlkkl fllpped open her splral reporLer's noLebook. Maybe l could
cuL Lhrough some red Lape lf you descrlbed hlm."
Sure. 1all. 8lack, or do l say Afro-Amerlcan Lhese days? very pleasanL, had a klnd face. 8ald. Ch,
and a llLLle blrLhmark or mole or someLhlng rlghL here." She Lapped her cheek.
PeaL sLopped wrlLlng and capped her sLlck pen. She had all she needed. 1he housekeeper had [usL
descrlbed CapLaln MonLrose.
1WC
ueLecLlve PeaL wasn'L sure whlch she would prefer, Lo come lnLo Lhe sLaLlon house and flnd CapLaln
MonLrose ln hls offlce so she could ask hlm abouL hls vlslL Lo Lhe recLory Lhe nlghL before or Lo flnd hls
execuLlve chalr empLy and be spared Lhe meeLlng for a whlle. As lL happened, LhaL mornlng, llke so many
oLhers, she was Lhe one Lo fllck Lhe llghLs on ln Lhe Pomlclde bull pen. 1he sklpper's offlce was locked and
dark behlnd Lhe glass wall LhaL gave hlm a vlew of Lhe squad room. Per feellngs upon seelng hls offlce empLy
answered her quesLlon abouL preference, lL dlsappolnLed her. nlkkl wasn'L a procrasLlnaLor, and especlally
when a sub[ecL was uncomforLable, her lnsLlncL was Lo geL Lhe nolse ouL early and Lhen deal.
She Lold herself Lhls was all abouL noLhlng, and all LhaL was needed was Lo clear Lhe alr. Cn lLs face,
Lhe capLaln's sLop aL Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs was noL lnapproprlaLe. A mlsslng persons reporL for a
resldenL of Lhe preclncL gave leglLlmaLe cause Lo speak Lo Lhe woman who flled lL. 1haL was sLandard
pollce procedure.
WhaL was noL sLandard was for Lhe commander of Lhe preclncL Lo handle a call LhaL usually fell Lo a
ueLecLlve-3, or even an experlenced unlform. And Lo conducL a search-alone-was, agaln, noL unheard
of buL sLlll unusual.
An hour before, PeaL and ueLecLlve leller had gloved up and made Lhelr own walk Lhrough Lhe
premlses and found no slgns of sLruggle, breakage, bloodsLalns, LhreaL mall, or anyLhlng ouL of Lhe
ordlnary Lo Lhelr eyes. 1he Lvldence CollecLlon unlL would be more Lhorough, and, as Lhey walLed for
LCu Lo arrlve, nlkkl was relleved LhaL leller had Lhe dlscreLlon noL Lo say anyLhlng, even Lhough lL was all
over hls face. She knew whaL he was Lhlnklng. MonLrose, Laklng heavy flre from hls bosses and under
poLenLlal lnvesLlgaLlon by lnLernal Affalrs for allegaLlons unknown, had devlaLed from sLandard
procedure and solo snooped Lhe home of a LorLure vlc Lhe nlghL he dled. When she dropped leller off aL
Lhe 86Lh SLreeL subway sLop all he sald Lo her was Cood luck . . . lleoteooot PeaL."
Lspeclally slnce she was Lhe flrsL one ln Lhe bull pen LhaL mornlng, nlkkl would have preferred Lo
have been able Lo caLch MonLrose early and geL hlm alone. ln Lhe break room she speed-dlaled hlm
from her cell phone whlle she poured mllk on her cereal. Cap, lL's PeaL. 7:29," she sald Lo hls volce mall.
Clve me a callback when you can." ShorL and uncluLLered. Pe'd know she would only call lf lL was
lmporLanL.
She carrled her cardboard bowl of Mlnl-WheaLs back Lo her desk, and whlle she aLe ln sllence. nlkkl
felL Lhe welghL of Lhe monLh of mornlngs she had faced wlLhouL 8ook. She looked aL her waLch agaln.
1he hands had advanced, buL LhaL damned calendar hadn'L budged.
She wondered whaL he was dolng aL LhaL momenL. nlkkl envlsloned 8ook slLLlng on an ammo craLe
ln Lhe shade of a CuonseL huL aL a remoLe [ungle alrsLrlp. Colombla or Mexlco, by Lhe lLlnerary he had
skeLched ouL before he klssed her good-bye aL her aparLmenL door. AfLer she locked up, she raced Lo
her bay wlndow and walLed Lhere, waLchlng vapor Lrall from Lhe Lallplpe of hls walLlng Lown car,
wanLlng one lasL gllmpse of hlm before he dlssolved. She felL a glow lnslde aL Lhe memory of hlm
sLopplng [usL before he goL ln Lhe backseaL. 8ook had Lurned and blown a klss up her way. now LhaL
plcLure had faded Lo a feellng. 1he vlslon was replaced by her lmaglned one of 8ook ln rough counLry,
swaLLlng mosqulLoes, [oLLlng names of shadowy gun runners ln hls Molesklne. Pe was no doubL
unshowered, beardy wlLh sweaL moons. She wanLed hlm.
PeaL's phone buzzed wlLh a LexL from CapLaln MonLrose. [1. ln Louch when l geL sprung." 1rue
Lo form, he was sLuck downLown aL headquarLers for hls rlLual preclncL commander accounLablllLy
meeLlng. lL made nlkkl reflecL on Lhe downslde of her lmpendlng promoLlon. Cne rung Loo many and
your head shows over Lhe parapeL and becomes a blg, faL LargeL.
1hlrLy mlnuLes laLer, [usL afLer 8 a.m., Lhe Pomlclde bull pen was sLand lng room only as ueLecLlve nlkkl
PeaL walked her squad, plus a few exLra aLLendees she had pulled ln from 8urglary and paLrol, Lhrough
Lhe few deLalls she had on Lhe case so far. She sLood ln fronL of Lhe blg Murder 8oard and used magneLs
Lo slap Lwo plcLures of laLher Craf aL Lop cenLer of Lhe whlLe enamel. 1he flrsL, a deaLh phoLo Laken by
CSu, was of much beLLer quallLy Lhan Lhe cell phone snap she had Laken herself. 8eslde lL, she posLed hls
proLesL march phoLo, cropped and enlarged Lo show only hls face. 1hls ls our vlcLlm, laLher Cerald
Craf, pasLor of Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs." She recapped Lhe clrcumsLances of hls deaLh and used a dry-
erase marker Lo clrcle Lhe Llmes of hls dlsappearance, esLlmaLed deaLh, and dlscovery on Lhe Llmellne
she had already drawn across Lhe board. Coples of Lhese phoLos are belng duped for you. As usual,
Lhey'll also be up on Lhe compuLer server, along wlLh oLher deLalls, for access from your cells and
lapLops."
Cchoa Lurned Lo ueLecLlve 8hymer, a 8urglary cop on loan, who was slLLlng on a flllng cablneL ln Lhe
back. Pey, Cple, ln case you wondered, LhaL's Lhe LypewrlLer wlLh all Lhe bllnky llghLs."
uan 8hymer, an ex-M from Lhe Carollnas who had sLayed ln new ?ork afLer hls army hlLch, was
accusLomed Lo Lhe needllng. Lven back home Lhey had nlcknamed hlm Cple. Pe puL some buLLer on hls
SouLhern accenL. LapLop compuLer, huh? Coll-lly. no wonder l couldn'L LoasL my possum samwlch on
LhaL Lhlng."
uurlng Lhe chorus of whoa"s nlkkl sald, Lxcuse me? Anyone mlnd lf l Lalk a llLLle abouL Lhe
lnvesLlgaLlon?"
Co, frosLy," sald ueLecLlve Sharon Plnesburg. nlkkl chuckled along unLll she added, 1rylng ouL
your new command mode for lleuLenanL?" 1he barb dldn'L surprlse PeaL, lL was Lhe reallzaLlon LhaL her
pendlng rlse was ouL of Lhe house rumor mlll and ln Lhe alr. naLurally, lL came from Plnesburg, an only
modesLly glfLed deLecLlve whose maln LalenL was for annoylng PeaL. Someone musL have once Lold
Plnesburg her ouLspokenness was refreshlng. nlkkl LhoughL LhaL person had done Lhe deLecLlve a
dlsservlce.
WhaL do we have on cause of deaLh?" sald 8aley, snapplng Lhlngs back Lo buslness for PeaL and
falllng on Lhe grenade Plnesburg had lobbed.
rellm puLs us ln a gray area." She made eye conLacL wlLh 8ales, who gave her an almosL
lmpercepLlble nod LhaL spoke volumes abouL camaraderle. ln facL, we can'L even offlclally class Lhls as a
homlclde unLll afLer Lhe auLopsy. naLure of Lhe deaLh lefL open loLs of doors for accldenLal. ?ou've goL
poLenLlal healLh lssues of Lhe vlc, lnLenL of Lhe pracLlLloner . . ."
Cr klller," sald Cchoa.
Cr klller," she agreed. laLher Craf was a mlsslng person, whlch pushes Lhe llkellhood of foul play."
lnvolunLarlly, her gaze ran Lo CapLaln MonLrose's empLy offlce, Lhen back Lo Lhe squad. 8uL Lhls ls Lhe
Llme for us Lo keep open mlnds."
Was Lhe padre a freak?" Plnesburg agaln, subLle as always. l mean, whaL Lhe hell ls a prlesL dolng
ln a klnk dungeon?" noL Lhe mosL dellcaLe phraslng, buL noL Lhe wrong quesLlon.
1haL's why our dlrecLlon for now ls golng Lo be Lo work Lhe 8uSM angle," sald PeaL. l sLlll need
lnLervlews wlLh Lhe housekeeper and oLhers aL Lhe parlsh abouL Lhe prlesL. 8elaLlonshlps, famlly,
enemles, bad exorclsms-mlghL as well say lL-alLar boys, you never know. LveryLhlng's on Lhe Lable,
buL whaL's rlghL ln fronL of us ls Lhe sex LorLure. Soon as we geL our warranL, whlch should be soon,
ueLecLlve 8aley, go screen LhaL securlLy Lape. LeL's see when he came ln Lhere and wlLh whom."
noL Lo menLlon, ln whaL condlLlon," sald 8aley.
Lspeclally LhaL. And pull sLllls of everyone who came and wenL before and afLer, rlghL up Lo Lhe flrsL
responders." Per marker squeaked SecurlLy vld" ln neaL block leLLers on Lhe whlLeboard. When she
was done underllnlng lL, she sald, Whlle 8aley's on LhaL, leL's Lry Lo flnd ouL lf our vlcLlm had a hlsLory ln
Lhe llfesLyle. Cchoa, 8hymer, Callagher, Plnesburg-you'll be canvasslng Lhe clubs and known uoms,
masLers, mlsLresses."
?es, slt." Plnesburg saluLed, buL she dldn'L geL any laughs. 1he oLhers were already on Lhelr feeL,
headlng Lo work.
MlnuLes laLer, nlkkl hung up her phone and called across Lhe bull pen. Cchoa, change of plan." She
crossed over Lo hls desk, where he was golng over a prlnLouL of clubs ln ManhaLLan's lnfamous uungeon
Alley. LCu called ln from Lhe recLory. 1he housekeeper ls saylng lL looks Lo her llke Lhlngs have been
moved around and lLems are mlsslng. l've goL Lhe manager of leasure 8ound and her lawyer walLlng for
me ln lnLerrogaLlon, so why don'L you head on up Lhere and see whaL's whaL."
Plnesburg caughL PeaL's eye. lf l ask nlcely, any chance l can forgo Lhe klnk clrculL and handle Lhe
recLory?"
Slnce Plnesburg seemed Lo be back-door apologlzlng for her snarky eplsode, nlkkl welghed Lhe
beneflL of respondlng ln klnd and slphonlng off some of Lhe Lenslon. ?ou have a problem wlLh LhaL,
Cach?"
LeL me see . . . ," Cchoa held up hls palms as lf balanclng a scale, . . . church or sex dungeon,
church or sex dungeon." Pe dropped hls arms. LlghL a candle for me whlle you're Lhere, Sharon."
1hanks for LhaL," sald Plnesburg. And l apologlze l busLed you for soundlng all blLchy. l dldn'L
reallze you were deallng wlLh . . . ," she LllLed her head consplraLorlally aL PeaL and sald, . . . oLher
lssues." When nlkkl gave her a puzzled look, Lhe deLecLlve held up Lhe mornlng edlLlon of Lhe leJqet,
folded open Lo 8uzz 8ush," Lhe celebrlLy gosslp secLlon. ?ou mean you haven'L seen Lhls?"
PeaL's eyes acLually bllnked aL Lhe plcLure. 8lghL under a phoLo of Anderson Cooper aL a charlLy
funcLlon was a quarLer-page candld shoL of 8ook and a sLunnlng woman comlng ouL of Le Clrque. 1he
capLlon read, Pappy cllenL? Lllglble supersLar [ournallsL !ameson 8ook and hls llL agenL !eanne Callow
are all smlles afLer a swank tte--tte aL Le Clrque lasL nlghL."
Lver Lhe senslLlve one, Plnesburg sald, 1houghL you sald 8ook was off dolng an arLlcle on arms
dealers." nlkkl heard Lhe words buL couldn'L Lake her eyes off Lhe phoLograph. ColdesL wlnLer slnce
1906, and she's sleeveless. When he sald he was golng Lo be chaslng guns, beLcha dldn'L Lhlnk Lhey'd be
llke Lhose."
1hey needed her ln lnLerrogaLlon. nlkkl walked Lhere on auLoplloL, sLlll reellng from Lhe knockdown
punch. She couldn'L grasp lL, dldn'L wanL Lo belleve lL. 8ook was noL only back buL ouL on Lhe Lown whlle
she walLed for hlm llke some CloucesLer sea capLaln's wlfe paclng Lhe wldow's walk, searchlng Lhe
horlzon for a masL. no beard, no sweaL moons, he was scrubbed, shaved, and had hls Pugo 8oss sleeve
laced Lhrough Lhe elbow of hls hoL gym-raL agenL.
ueLecLlve 8aley caughL up wlLh her aL Lhe door Lo Lhe CbservaLlon 8oom as she was preparlng Lo go
ln, and PeaL shoved 8ook ouL of her head, even Lhough she sLlll felL brlLLle from Lhe shock. noL so good
news on Lhe securlLy cam," sald 8aley. Pe was holdlng a banker's box wlLh a Chaln of Lvldence form
Laped Lo Lhe slde.
l assume LhaL's Lhe Lape, rlghL?"
1apes, yes. 1be Lape, no. When l unlocked Lhe cablneL, Lhe one ln Lhe deck had run lLself ouL and
Lhe label was daLed Lwo weeks ago."
Lovely," sald PeaL. And noLhlng from lasL nlghL?"
1hese Lapes haven'L recorded anyLhlng for several weeks. l'll check, buL we'll be lucky lf we see
anyLhlng."
nlkkl pondered brlefly. Screen whaL you have here anyway and pull faces. ?ou never know, we may
see Craf Lhere and connecL hlm wlLh someone."
8aley dlsappeared up Lhe hall wlLh hls box of Lapes. nlkkl conLlnued lnLo lnLerrogaLlon.
?ou already asked my cllenL LhaL quesLlon," sald Lhe old man. Slmmy alLz poked a flnger benL from
arLhrlLls on Lhe legal pad on Lhe Lable ln fronL of hlm. Pe looked Lo be a hundred, all skln and bones,
wlLhered and leaLhery. Pe wore a 1970s Wemlon Lle ln a blg knoL, buL nlkkl could have flL a hand rlghL
down Lo her wrlsL ln Lhe gap creaLed beLween Slmmy's pllled collar and hls roosLer neck. Pe seemed
sharp enough Lhough, and cerLalnly a hard-llne advocaLe. PeaL guessed one way Lo keep your cosLs
down ln a small buslness was Lo reLaln your grandfaLher or greaL uncle as counsel.
l wanLed Lo glve her Llme Lo reLhlnk her answer, leL her memory do lLs work," replled Lhe deLecLlve.
1hen nlkkl dlrecLed herself Lo 8oxanne, who was sLlll wearlng Lhe same vlnyl and conLempL as she had ln
her offlce aL slx LhaL mornlng. ?ou're absoluLely cerLaln you had no deallngs wlLh laLher Craf?"
Llke whaL, ln church? uon'L make me laugh." She saL back and nodded ln saLlsfacLlon Lo Lhe old
dude. Pe wasn'L a cllenL."
uld anyone else have access Lo Lhe locker wlLh your securlLy Lapes?"
Pa," from Lhe lawyer. laL loL of good your warranL dld." Pls eyes looked huge Lo nlkkl behlnd Lhe
smudged eyeglasses LhaL covered half hls face.
Ms. alLz, who had keys?"
8oxanne looked Lo her aLLorney, who gave Lhe go-ahead nod, and she answered, !usL me. 1he one
seL."
And Lhere are no oLher Lapes, 8oxanne?"
Who ls she," sald Lhe lawyer, Lhe Pomeland SecurlLy?"
8oxanne conLlnued, 1ruLh ls, LhaL plasLlc bubble ln Lhe celllng does Lhe [ob of keeplng everyone ln
llne anyway. lar as Lhe cllenLs know, lL's on and Lhey behave. SorL of Lhe way when you call cusLomer
servlce and Lhey say, '1hls call may be monlLored.' 1helr way of saylng waLch your mouLh, asshole."
PeaL Lurned a page of her noLepad. l'd llke Lhe names of anyone who was Lhere lasL nlghL, say from
slx o'clock on. uommes, doms, cllenLs."
8eL you would," sald Lhe lawyer. leasure 8ound ls a dlscreeL buslness proLecLed by rlghLs of
prlvacy and cllenL prlvllege."
Lxcuse me, Mr. alLz, buL lasL l heard, cllenL prlvllege may proLecL lawyers and docLors, buL noL
people who dress up and play docLor." PeaL Lurned agaln Lo Lhe manager. 8oxanne, a deaLh Look place
on your properLy. Are you golng Lo cooperaLe, or shall we close you down whlle we assess Lhe publlc
safeLy and healLh concerns aL leasure 8ound?" nlkkl was only sorL of blufflng. A shuLdown, lf she goL lL,
would only be brlef, buL her assessmenL of Lhe sLaLe of Lhe buslness-old palnL, cheap furnlLure,
shopworn flxLures, neglecLed securlLy survelllance-Lold her 8oxanne operaLed on a Lhln margln and
LhaL even a week wlLhouL cllenLs would puL a hurL on her. She was rlghL.
All rlghL. l'll glve you her name," she sald afLer anoLher nod from Lhe lawyer. lacL ls, l only have
one domlnaLrlx aL presenL. l losL my oLher Lwo a couple of monLhs ago Lo Lhe hlgher-end places
MldLown." 8oxanne alLz made an audlble shrug wlLh her vlnyls. l Lell you, Lhe bondage buslness ls a
sLruggle." nlkkl lnsLlncLlvely walLed for 8ook's wlsecrack. Same as she had so many Llmes durlng hls
absence. WhaL would he blurL? knowlng hlm, someLhlng llke 1haL would make a caLchy ad slogan." She
plcLured a maLch Lurnlng 8ook's Le Clrque phoLo Lo ashes.
AfLer 8oxanne gave her Lhe name and conLacL number of Lhe domme, PeaL asked abouL cllenLs.
1haL's all on her," answered Lhe manager. She pays me Lo use Lhe space, sorL of llke a halrdresser. 1he
cllenL booklngs are her deal."
lor Lhe record, 8oxanne, can you accounL for your whereabouLs lasL nlghL beLween slx and
eleven?" nlkkl wldened Lhe Llme frame slnce she hadn'L goLLen Lhe offlclal from Lauren arry yeL.
?es, l can. l was aL dlnner and Lhen Lhe movles wlLh my husband."
AfLer PeaL wroLe down Lhe name of Lhe resLauranL and Lhe movle, she asked, And your husband
can vouch for Lhls?"
Slmmy alLz nodded. ?ou beL l can."
nlkkl PeaL looked from Lhe old cooL Lo 8oxanne and made anoLher noLe, Lhls one menLal. A
remlnder noL Lo assume. noL ln new ?ork ClLy.
Padn'L she [usL learned LhaL palnful lesson from 8ook?
She called ueLecLlve Cchoa Lo flnd Lhe domme whlle 8oxanne and her husband were sLlll ln
lnLerrogaLlon, so Lhey wouldn'L have a chance Lo Llp her off. PeaL had glven Lhem some mug arrays of
vlolenL sex offenders Lo pore over, knowlng lL was busywork buL Lhe klnd of busy LhaL would keep Lhem
ouL of her way. Cchoa was only a few blocks from Andrea 8oam's address ln Chelsea, and [usL flfLeen
mlnuLes laLer he rang back Lo reporL LhaL her roommaLe sald Ms. 8oam had been away on vacaLlon
slnce Lhe weekend. nlkkl asked, uld Lhe roommaLe say where?"
AmsLerdam," sald Cchoa. 1he clLy, noL Lhe avenue."
lmaglne LhaL. AmsLerdam. lor a domlnaLrlx."
?eah," he agreed. Sounds llke a busman's hollday, lf you ask me."
uo a follow-up wlLh CusLoms Lo run her passporL, [usL Lo make sure she wenL," sald PeaL. Smells
llke a solld allbl, Lhough. Any luck wlLh Lhe prlesL's plcLure?"
NoJo. 8uL. Canvasslng Lhese clubs lsn'L a LoLal loss. MosLly, l've been lnLervlewlng submlsslves, and
lL's dolng wonders for my self-esLeem."
PeaL was eager Lo know whaL was up aL Lhe recLory, buL Lauren arry LexLed her LhaL Lhe auLopsy was
compleLe on laLher Craf, so she walLed unLll she goL Lo her car on her way Lo Lhe coroner's before she
called ueLecLlve Plnesburg.
WhaL's golng on, nlkkl?" asked Plnesburg.
!usL drlvlng down Lo Lhe CCML wonderlng whaL you dlscovered ln Lhe lasL hour and a half." PeaL
dldn'L do so well aL keeplng Lhe lrrlLaLlon ouL of her volce, buL lL annoyed her Lo have Lo chase her
deLecLlve down for a slmple updaLe. Cne of Sharon Plnesburg's dublous quallLles was LhaL a falr amounL
wenL over her head, and lf Lhere was any sLlng on PeaL's commenL, she dldn'L seem Lo noLlce.
WhaL are you golng Lo say Lo LhaL wrlLer basLard?" sald Plnesburg. Cuy screws wlLh me, he
doesn'L geL an encore, hear whaL l'm saylng?"
PeaL wanLed Lo shouL loud enough Lo make her ear bleed. lnsLead, she counLed Lo Lhree and calmly
sald, Sharon? 1he housekeeper?"
8lghL. Mrs. . . ." ages fllpped.
8orelll," prompLed nlkkl. WhaL dld Mrs. 8orelll Lell you abouL Lhe mlsslng ob[ecLs?"
CulLe a blL, really. She's someLhlng else. 1reaLs Lhe [ob llke a mlsslon. knows every lnch of Lhls
place llke she was runnlng a museum." Cn Lhe oLher end, Plnesburg Lurned more pages. So Lhe boLLom
llne so far ls a mlsslng medal from a [ewelry box."
WhaL klnd of medal?"
A holy medal of some klnd." 1here was muffled Lalk as Plnesburg covered Lhe mouLhplece, Lhen
came back on. A SL. ChrlsLopher medal."
And LhaL's Lhe only Lhlng she says ls mlsslng?" ask PeaL.
So far. We're sLlll dolng lnvenLory LogeLher," Plnesburg added, maklng sure Lo sound busy. 8uL Lhe
oLher Lhlng ls, Mrs. 8. says Lhlngs are a llLLle off here. Small Lhlngs. urawers wlLh shlrLs and socks noL
sLacked neaLly llke she does, books sllghLly ouL of allgnmenL, a chlna cablneL closed buL noL closed all Lhe
way."
nlkkl was beglnnlng Lo geL Lhe plcLure and lL was no small Lhlng. lL was soundlng llke someone had
done a search of Lhe recLory for someLhlng, and lL was meLhodlcal, noL a Lear-aparL [ob llke she saw
mosL of Lhe Llme. 1hls was sLarLlng Lo feel careful. rofesslonal, maybe. Per LhoughLs ran Lo MonLrose.
Would he have done a search llke LhaL?
Sharon, keep an lnvenLory, even Lhough Lvldence CollecLlon ls dolng Lhe same. lnclude a llsL of
anyLhlng LhaL's moved or broken. Powever mlnor, undersLand?" PeaL scoped Lhe dashboard clock.
uoesn'L look llke l can geL up Lhere for a whlle, so do a slL-down wlLh Mrs. 8orelll, lf she's up Lo lL. CeL
anyLhlng abouL laLher Craf LhaL ralses a flag. unusual hablLs, argumenLs, vlslLors, you know whaL Lo
ask."
1here was a pause. Sure, sure," came Plnesburg's dlsLracLed reply. PeaL regreLLed noL sendlng
ueLecLlve Cchoa llke she'd planned. Lesson learned. She made a declslon Lo sLop by personally Lo
conducL her own lnLervlew of Lhe housekeeper.
1rafflc was mlserable all over Lhe clLy. More people ln more cars was a rellable by-producL of any sorL of
weaLher, especlally a blLLer cold mornlng dlpplng Lo slngle dlglLs wlLh a swlrllng wlnd. lL also made
parklng a challenge. 1he Sorry lull" slgns were ouL aL all Lhe n?u Med CenLer garages ad[acenL Lo Lhe
Cfflce of Lhe Chlef Medlcal Lxamlner. Cn her crulse up llrsL Avenue ueLecLlve PeaL could see even Lhe
courLesy spoLs aL Lhe enLrances were already Laken by oLher cop cars. AL 34Lh she clrcled back Lo her
secreL weapon, Lhe fenced-ln 8ellevue PosplLal loL sandwlched under Lhe lu8. lL meanL a block's walk ln
Lhe arcLlc blasL, buL lL was her only cholce oLher Lhan clrcllng. 1he loL manager was Loo snug ln hls klosk
Lo sLep ouL when he saw her pull up. All she saw was flngers Lhrough hls frosLed wlndow wavlng her ln.
8efore she goL ouL of her car, PeaL sLared aL her smarL phone. She scrolled Lhrough e-malls agaln.
no, she hadn'L goLLen one from 8ook and mlssed lL. Cnce more, she Lold herself, only once more. PeaL
pushed send/recelve and waLched Lhe lcon swlrl. When lL was done all lL sald was LhaL she was sLlll ln
emoLlonal llmbo.
8y Lhe Llme nlkkl ascended Lhe shorL fllghL of sLeps lnLo Lhe CCML lobby, she had no feellng ln her
cheeks and her nose was a fauceL. 8ehlnd Lhe recepLlon desk, uanlelle gave PeaL her usual sunny hello
and buzzed her Lhrough Lhe securlLy door. When she enLered Lhe small squad room Lhe n?u
malnLalned for vlslLlng cops, Lhree of Lhe four cublcles were occupled by deLecLlves speaklng on phones.
1hey had Lhe LhermosLaL cranked and PeaL shed her overcoaL. She looked aL Lhe parka mound on Lhe
back of one of Lhe chalrs and had opLed for a hanger on Lhe empLy coaL Lree when her cell vlbraLed.
1he number on Lhe lu wasn'L famlllar, buL Lhe preflx was. 1he call was comlng from Cne ollce
laza. ln hls LexL, MonLrose had sald he was aL PC. nlkkl dldn'L wanL Lo geL lnLo lL wlLh hlm whlle sharlng
such close quarLers wlLh her broLher offlcers buL flgured she would aL leasL make conLacL and seL up
Lhelr nexL call. PeaL," she sald.
ls Lhls Lhe famous nlkkl PeaL?" She dldn'L know hls volce, buL lL was all smlles and, for her LasLe,
overblown for an openlng llne from a sLranger.
She adopLed Lhe neuLral Lone she used on LelemarkeLers. 1hls ls ueLecLlve PeaL."
noL for long, l hear," sald Lhe caller. ueLecLlve, lL's Zach Pamner, Senlor AdmlnlsLraLlve Alde here
ln Legal. l'm calllng Lo personally congraLulaLe you on your lleuLenanL's LesL."
Ch." She wanLed Lo sLep ouL lnLo Lhe hall, buL ln deference Lo Lhe grlevlng famllles and her own
sense of decorum, nlkkl malnLalned a sLrlcL personal pollcy agalnsL uslng her cell phone ln Lhe publlc
areas of LhaL bulldlng. So PeaL saL ln Lhe empLy chalr and hunched lnLo Lhe cublcle, knowlng lL dldn'L
afford much prlvacy. 1hank you. Sorry, buL you caughL me a llLLle off guard here."
noL a problem. ?ou noL only scored well, ueLecLlve, buL l see LhaL your record ls ouLsLandlng. We
need good cops llke you Lo rlse ln Lhe deparLmenL."
She cupped her hand around Lhe mouLhplece. Agaln, Mr. Pamner-"
Zach."
-Zach-l appreclaLe Lhe klnd words."
Llke l sald, noL a problem. LlsLen, Lhe reason for Lhe call ls LhaL l wanL Lo make sure you drop by and
say hello when you come downLown Lo slgn for your copy of Lhe resulLs."
um, sure," she sald and Lhen had a LhoughL. 1haL's aL ersonnel. ?ou're noL from ersonnel,
Lhough, are you?"
Ch, hell, no. l'm upsLalrs wlLh Lhe uepuLy Commlssloner of Legal MaLLers. 1rusL me, lL all goes
Lhrough my desk, anyway," he sald wlLh an alr of self-lmporLance. When can l expecL Lo see you?"
Well, l'm aL Lhe ML's now. l'm on a case."
8lghL," he sald, Lhe prlesL." 1he way he sald lL plnged nlkkl wlLh Lhe sLrong lmpresslon Zach
Pamner llked Lo show off hls knowledge of everyLhlng. 1he guy wlLh all Lhe answers. 1he qulnLessenLlal
LssenLlal Man. WhaL dld he wanL from her?
She menLally rolled Lhrough her schedule. AuLopsy . . . MonLrose, hopefully . . . squad meeLlng . . .
Lhe recLory . . . Pow's Lomorrow?"
l was hoplng for Loday." Pe paused, and when she dldn'L reply Lo LhaL, he conLlnued, l've goL a full
load Lomorrow. LeL's meeL early. 8reakfasL. ?ou can slgn docs afLer." leellng more Lhan a llLLle
sLeamrolled, PeaL agreed. Pe gave her Lhe name of a dell on LafayeLLe, sald he'd meeL her aL seven, and
hung up afLer one more congraLs.
Any word from Lhe world Lraveler?" asked Lauren arry. She looked up aL her frlend from her compuLer
ln Lhe dlcLaLlon offlce ad[acenL Lo Lhe auLopsy room. 1he ML wore Lhe regulaLlon proLecLlve moon sulL,
and, as usual, lL was decoraLed wlLh flecks of blood and fluld. She read nlkkl's reacLlon and plcked up her
plexl-shleld mask off Lhe chalr beslde her. SlL?"
l'm good." PeaL, who had [usL puL on Lhe clean coveralls lssued Lo vlslLors, leaned agalnsL Lhe back
wall of Lhe narrow anLeroom and sLared Lhrough Lhe glass aL Lhe Lables llned up ln fronL of her. 1he near
one, MaL #8, held Lhe sheeLed body of laLher Cerald Craf.
Llar," sald her 8ll. lf LhaL's whaL good looks llke, never show me bad."
nlkkl reLurned her gaze Lo Lauren. Ck, leL me amend LhaL Lo say, l wlll be good. l guess."
?ou're scarlng me, nlkkl."
All rlghL, all rlghL, Lhen . . ." PeaL fllled Lauren ln on her mornlng surprlse: 8ook's LrlumphanL reLurn
Lo CoLham Lo celebraLe Lhe compleLlon of hls asslgnmenL-a celebraLlon LhaL he had noL lncluded her
ln-and Lo add lnsulL Lo ln[ury, he sLlll hadn'L even called Lo say he was back.
Cuch." Lauren's brow furrowed. WhaL do you Lhlnk LhaL's abouL? ?ou don'L Lhlnk he . . ." She
sLopped herself and shook her head.
WhaL?" sald nlkkl. Pooked up wlLh someone else? ?ou can say lL. uon'L you Lhlnk l've already
wondered LhaL?" nlkkl cleared away some dark LhoughLs. LefL long enough, you lmaglne all sorLs of
Lhlngs, Laur. And Lhen a monLh laLer you open Lhe newspaper and see Lhem come Lrue." She came off
Lhe wall and sLood sLralghL. Lnough. Pe's back. We'll sorL lL all ouL." Per doubL was unspoken buL loud.
Pappy for you and Cchoa, Lhough."
1haL broughL Lauren up shorL. And Lhen she smlled. Cf course Lhere was no hldlng her romance
from nlkkl. ?eah, lL's good wlLh me and Mlguel."
As Lhey boLh walked Lo Lhe door, nlkkl sald, l could learn Lo haLe you, you know."
1wo oLher medlcal examlners had cusLomers on Lhe flrsL and Lhlrd Lables and, as nlkkl enLered Lhe
auLopsy room, she sllenLly repeaLed Lhe manLra she had learned from Lauren on her rookle vlslL years
ago. 8reaLhe Lhrough your mouLh, lL'll Lrlck your braln." And, as always, PeaL LhoughL, almosL . . . buL
noL qulLe.
A few hard-and-fasL flndlngs and Lhen a few anomalles Lo show you," sald ML arry as Lhey
approached Craf's body.
1lme of deaLh wlndow Lurns ouL Lo be as LhoughL. LlghL Lo Len. l'd call lL closer Lo Lhe laLe end of
LhaL."
1Cu could be nlne-LhlrLy?"
lsh." She curled Lhe page around Lhe Lop of her cllpboard, exposlng suplne and prone LemplaLes of
a human body on whlch she had made noLaLlons. Marks and lndlcaLors. Already covered Lhe eyeballs,
Lhe neck, here and here." She lndlcaLed each wlLh her pen as she shared wlLh PeaL. MulLlple abraslons
and conLuslons. alnful buL none faLal. no broken bones. All preLLy much conslsLenL wlLh Lhe 8 and u
experlence."
nlkkl was sLarLlng Lo Lhlnk Lhls may have been a sesslon gone wlld, afLer all, buL kepL her mlnd open.
1hree llLLle dlscoverles worLh LesLlng for any slgnlflcance," sald Lhe ML. She led PeaL across Lhe
room Lo one of Lhe sLorage cablneLs. She slld Lhe glass door aslde and Look one of Lhe blue cardboard
evldence buckeLs off Lhe shelf. nlkkl remembered how, afLer hls flrsL vlslL, 8ook saw one and sald he'd
never buy a buckeL of chlcken agaln. Lauren Look a small plasLlc vlal ouL of Lhe buckeL wlLh C8Al" on
Lhe bar code and gave lL Lo nlkkl. See LhaL speck?"
1he deLecLlve held lL up Lo Lhe llghL. ln Lhe boLLom of Lhe conLalner was a dark spoL abouL Lhe slze of
a bacon blL. lound LhaL under a flngernall," arry conLlnued. under a mlcroscope lL looks llke a plece
of leaLher, buL lL doesn'L maLch Lhe leaLher on Lhe wrlsL resLralnLs or Lhe posLure collar." She reLurned lL
Lo Lhe buckeL. Conna lab LhaL puppy."
She Lhen walked nlkkl down Lo Lhe dehumldlfylng closeL where Lhey placed vlcLlms' cloLhes Lo dry,
Lo preserve unA for LesLlng. SheeLs of brown paper separaLed bloodsLalned cloLhes LhaL hung Lhere
from numerous vlcLlms. AL Lhe nearesL end, PeaL could see Craf's black cloLhlng and hls whlLe 8oman
collar. lunny Lhlng abouL LhaL collar. 1here's a Llny bloody smear on lL. Cdd, conslderlng LhaL for all Lhe
abraslons on hlm, no skln was broken above hls shoulders or on hls hands."
8lghL," sald nlkkl conslderlng Lhe posslblllLles. 1haL could be blood from an assallanL, or klller."
Cr dom or domme, who knows yeL?" Lauren was rlghL. lL could have been from foul play buL [usL as
easlly from a pracLlLloner wlLh a cuL from Lhe LorLure sesslon who sLashed Lhe cloLhes and ran ln panlc.
We'll also shlp LhaL down Lo 1wenLy-slxLh SLreeL for unA LesLlng."
nexL Lauren called ln one of Lhe orderlles, who helped her roll Lhe prlesL's body on lLs slde, exposlng
hls back. lL was a LhaLch-work of whlp welLs and brulses, Lhe slghL of whlch caused nlkkl Lo draw a deep
breaLh Lhrough her nose, whlch she lmmedlaLely regreLLed. She held lL LogeLher, Lhough, and leaned
close when Lhe ML polnLed Lo a geomeLrlc brulse paLLern on Lhe small of hls back. Cne of Lhese
conLuslons ls noL llke Lhe oLhers," sald Lauren. Per eye for Lhose deLalls had helped PeaL on numerous
cases. MosL recenLly, by spoLLlng Lhe marks lefL by a rlng worn by a 8usslan Lhug who kllled a famous
real esLaLe developer. 1hls lower-back brulse was abouL Lwo lnches long, recLangular, and wlLh evenly
spaced horlzonLal llnes.
Looks llke a mark made by a small ladder," sald PeaL.
l Look some sLllls LhaL l'll e-mall you wlLh my reporL." arry nodded Lo Lhe orderly, who genLly
reLurned Craf Lo lle faceup and Lhen lefL Lhe room.
SweeL anomalles," sald nlkkl.
noL done yeL, ueLecLlve." Lauren plcked up her cllpboard agaln. now, cause of deaLh. l'm golng
wlLh asphyxla by sLrangulaLlon."
?ou heslLaLed Lhls mornlng, Lhough," nlkkl remlnded her.
8lghL. 1he slgns were Lhere, as l Lold you. 1he obvlous belng Lhe clrcumsLances, Lhe leaLher collar,
eyeball hemorrhaglng, and so on. 8uL l balked because l saw oLher lndlcaLors LhaL could mean acuLe
myocardlal lnfarcLlon."
PeaL sald, 1he blulsh color l saw near hls flngerLlps and on hls nose?"
Lxcuse me, who's Lhe ML here?"
l geL Lhe slgnlflcance, Lhough. A hearL aLLack could ellmlnaLe homlcldal lnLenL."
Well, guess whaL? Pe dld have a hearL aLLack. 1urns ouL lL wasn'L faLal, he was choked before lL
could be, buL lL was a hell of a fooLrace Lo see whlch would klll hlm flrsL."
PeaL looked aL Lhe sheeLed corpse. ?ou dld say you smelled clgareLLes and alcohol."
And hls organs proved all LhaL. 8uL." She gave nlkkl a look of slgnlflcance and ralsed Lhe sheeL.
1ake a look aL Lhese burns on hls skln. 1hese are elecLrlcal burns. robably from a 1LnS," sald Lauren,
referrlng Lo a LranscuLaneous elecLrlcal nerve sLlmulaLor, a porLable elecLrlcal generaLor used ln LorLure
play.
l've seen 1LnS," sald nlkkl. l came across Lhem ln vlce."
1hen you also know Lhey warn agalnsL ever uslng lL near Lhe chesL." She lowered Lhe sheeL Lo
expose Craf's Lorso, where Lhe elecLrlcal burns were lnLense, especlally near hls hearL. Looks Lo me llke
someone wanLed Lo puL a blg hurL on hlm."
1he quesLlon," sald nlkkl, ls why?"
1hey rode up LogeLher Lo Lhe flrsL floor. PeaL sald, CoL a quesLlon for you. ?ou ever seen anyLhlng llke
LhaL before?"
1LnS burns as severe as Lhose? noL llke LhaL." As Lhey reached Lhe door Lo Lhe n?u offlce, Lauren
sald, know who l hear had some? 1haL acLor's kld who was always ln Lrouble and goL kllled ln '04 or
'03."
Cene PuddlesLon, !r.?" sald nlkkl.
?eah, hlm."
8uL he was shoL Lo deaLh. Some drug deal, rlghL?"
Lauren sald, 8lghL. lL happened before l sLarLed here, buL conversaLlon was LhaL he also had 1LnS
burns all over. Pe was one wlld kld. 1hey flgured lL was parL of hls freak."
1he n?u offlce was empLy. nlkkl goL her coaL off Lhe hook, buL before she lefL, saL down aL one of
Lhe compuLers. She logged on Lo Lhe deparLmenL server and requesLed a dlglLal copy of Lhe case flle for
Cene PuddlesLon, !r.
As nlkkl made her way Lhrough Lhe vesLlbule Lo Lhe preclncL lobby, a woman sLandlng near Lhe blue
velveL rope LhaL cordoned off Lhe wall of honor roll phoLos and plaques Look a sLep lnLo her paLh.
Lxcuse me, ueLecLlve PeaL?"
1haL's me." 1he deLecLlve sLopped buL made a qulck check of Lhe woman's rlslng hand. Someone
had declded lL was open season on cops Lhls year, even ln pollce sLaLlons, and PeaL's naLural cauLlon
klcked ln. 8uL all Lhe woman held was a buslness card. lL read, 1am Sve[da, MeLro 8eporLer, New otk
leJqet."
l was wonderlng lf l could have a few momenLs Lo ask you a couple of quesLlons."
PeaL reLurned Lhe reporLer's smlle pollLely buL sald, Look, l'm sorry, Ms. . . ." She looked aL Lhe card
agaln. nlkkl had seen her name ln Lhe byllne buL wasn'L sure how Lo pronounce lL.
Shfay-dah," came Lhe asslsL. My dad's Czech. uon'L feel bad, lL sLops everybody ln Lhelr Lracks. Co
wlLh 1am." She gave nlkkl a warm grln, reveallng a perfecL row of gleamlng LeeLh. ln facL, her whole look
was one-off supermodel: hlghllghLed blonde wlLh a greaL cuL, wlde green eyes LhaL showed lnLelllgence
and a hlnL of mlschlef, young enough Lo geL away wlLhouL much makeup-probably noL yeL LhlrLy, Lall
and slender. lL was a look you'd assoclaLe more wlLh a 1v reporLer Lhan Lhe pencll press.
Cood. All rlghL, 1am works," sald nlkkl. 8uL l'm [usL here for a mlnuLe and Lhen l'm on my way ouL
of here. l'm really sorry." She Look a sLep Loward Lhe lnner doors, buL 1am moved wlLh her. She was
Laklng ouL her reporLer's noLebook. A splral Ampad, same as PeaL used.
A mlnuLe wlll do nlcely, Lhen l won'L keep you. Are you classlfylng laLher Craf's deaLh murder or
accldenLal?"
Well, l can keep Lhls shorL for you, Ms. Sve[da," she sald wlLh flawless pronunclaLlon. lL's Loo early
ln our lnvesLlgaLlon Lo commenL on any of LhaL yeL."
1he reporLer looked up from her noLes. A sensaLlonal murder-a parlsh prlesL geLs LorLured and
kllled ln a bondage dungeon-and you really wanL me Lo go wlLh [usL LhaL? A sLock 'no commenL?' "
WhaL you prlnL ls up Lo you. 1hls ls a young lnvesLlgaLlon. l promlse when we have someLhlng Lo
share, we wlll." Llke any good lnLerrogaLor, PeaL found herself galnlng lnformaLlon even when she was
Lhe one belng quesLloned. And whaL she was learnlng from 1am Sve[da's lnLeresL ln Lhe Craf case was
LhaL nlkkl wasn'L Lhe only one who felL someLhlng more Lhan [usL anoLher homlclde was golng on.
1he reporLer sald, CoL ya," buL wlLhouL mlsslng a beaL added, now, whaL can you Lell me abouL
CapLaln MonLrose?" PeaL sLudled her, knowlng even her nexL no commenL" had Lo be carefully
dellvered. 1am Sve[da would be wrlLlng Lhls, noL she, and nlkkl dldn'L wanL Lo lnsplre some reporLer-ese
abouL clrcled wagons or LlghL-llpped cops. AL lasL Sve[da sald, lf Lhls ls uncomforLable we can go off Lhe
record. l'm [usL hearlng a loL of noL so flaLLerlng Lhlngs, and lf you can sLeer me ln my lnvesLlgaLlon, you
could be dolng hlm some good. . . . lf Lhe rumors are unLrue."
ueLecLlve PeaL chose her words. ?ou really don'L Lhlnk l'd dlgnlfy rumors, do you? l Lhlnk Lhe mosL
producLlve Lhlng l can do ls Lo go ln Lhere and geL back Lo my [ob worklng laLher Craf so l can geL you
some solld lnformaLlon. lalr enough, 1am?"
1he reporLer nodded and puL her noLebook away. l musL say, ueLecLlve, !amle dld you [usLlce."
When nlkkl furrowed her brow, she explalned, ln your cover sLory, l mean. MeeLlng you, seelng how
you handle yourself. 8ook sure goL you rlghL. 1haL's why !amle geLs Lhe covers and Lhe ullLzers."
?eah, he's good." !amle, LhoughL nlkkl. She called hlm !amle.
uld you see hls plcLure ln our mornlng edlLlon wlLh LhaL plece of work, !eanne Callow? 1haL bad
boy sure geLs around, doesn'L he?"
nlkkl closed her eyes a momenL and wlshed 1am Sve[da would be gone-poof!-when she opened
Lhem. 8uL she wasn'L. l'm runnlng laLe, 1am."
Ch, you go ahead. And say hl Lo !amle. lf you Lalk Lo hlm, l mean."
PeaL had a dlsLlncL feellng she had more ln common wlLh 1am Sve[da Lhan a reporLer's noLebook.
CulLe posslbly lL was a reporLer.
When ueLecLlve PeaL goL back Lo Lhe bull pen, CapLaln MonLrose was slouched ln hls offlce chalr wlLh
Lhe door closed, hls back Lo Lhe squad, sLarlng ouL hls wlndow down Lo WesL 82nd SLreeL. Pe mlghL have
seen her drlve lnLo Lhe preclncL loL below hlm, buL lf he dld, he made no move Lo greeL or look for her.
nlkkl made a qulck scan of Lhe Whlle ?ou Were CuLs on her bloLLer, saw noLhlng LhaL couldn'L walL, and
felL her hearL race as she walked Lo hls door. When he heard her knock on Lhe glass, he beckoned her ln
wlLhouL Lurnlng. PeaL closed Lhe door behlnd her and sLood looklng aL Lhe back of hls head. AfLer flve
eLernal seconds he saL uprlghL and swlveled ln hls chalr Lo face her, as lf wllllng hlmself ouL of some
Lrance and down Lo buslness.
?ou've had qulLe a day already, l hear," he sald.
AcLlon-packed, Sklp." Pe gesLured Lo Lhe vlslLor chalr and she saL.
Wanna Lrade? l spenL my mornlng wearlng Lhe dunce cap aL Lhe uzzle alace," he sald, uslng Lhe
less-Lhan-flaLLerlng cop slang for Cne ollce laza. And Lhen he shook hls head. Sorry. l promlsed l
wouldn'L complaln, buL lL's goL Lo come ouL somewhere."
nlkkl's gaze wenL Lo Lhe wlndowslll and Lhe framed phoLo of hlm and auleLLa. 1haL was when she
reallzed MonLrose hadn'L been sLarlng ouL Lhe wlndow buL aL Lhe plcLure. lL had been almosL a year
slnce a drunk drlver kllled her ln a crosswalk. 1he paln of hls loss was borne sLolcally, buL Lhe Loll was
wrlLLen on hls face. Suddenly nlkkl wlshed she hadn'L lnlLlaLed Lhls meeLlng. 8uL she already had.
?ou called abouL someLhlng?"
?es, abouL Lhe prlesL, laLher Craf." She sLudled hlm, buL he was passlve. l'm worklng Lhe 8uSM
angle flrsL."
Makes perfecL sense." SLlll [usL llsLenlng.
And Lhere are lndlcaLlons of a search aL hls recLory and an lLem or lLems mlsslng." She regarded
hlm more closely, buL he gave noLhlng back. l have Plnesburg up Lhere on lL."
Plnesburg?" AL lasL a reacLlon.
l know, l know, long sLory. l'll do my own follow-up Lo backsLop her."
nlkkl, you're Lhe besL l've ever seen aL Lhls. 8eLLer Lhan me, and LhaL's, well, LhaL's preLLy damn
good. Word's around you mlghL be geLLlng yourself a gold bar soon, and l can'L Lhlnk of anyone more
deservlng. l gave my recommendaLlon, whlch mlghL noL be your besL calllng card Lhe way Lhlngs are
golng."
1hank you, CapLaln, LhaL means a loL."
So whaL dld you need Lo Lalk Lo me abouL?"
PeaL Lrled Lo Loss lL aslde and sound casual. !usL Louchlng base on someLhlng, acLually. When l
wenL Lo Lhe recLory Lhls mornlng Lo conflrm lu on Lhe vlc, Lhe housekeeper sald you had been Lhere lasL
nlghL."
1haL's correcL." Pe rocked sllghLly ln hls execuLlve chalr buL held her look. PeaL could see Lhe
smallesL flash of sLeel ln hls eyes and felL her resolve crumbllng. She knew lf she uLLered Lhe quesLlon
she wanLed Lo ask, lL would sLarL someLhlng ln moLlon she would never be able Lo call back. And?" he
sald.
lree fall. nlkkl was ln absoluLe free fall. WhaL was she golng Lo say? 1haL wlLh all hls erraLlc
behavlor, Lhe rumors abouL lnLernal Affalrs-and now pressure from Lhe medla-she wanLed Lo make
hlm [usLlfy hlmself? PeaL was one quesLlon away from LreaLlng hlm llke a suspecL. She had LhoughL
Lhrough everyLhlng abouL Lhls meeLlng excepL one Lhlng: her unwllllngness Lo spoll a relaLlonshlp over
rumor and appearances. And l [usL wanLed Lo ask for your Lake. And see lf you learned anyLhlng whlle
you were Lhere."
uld he know she was 8S-lng? nlkkl couldn'L Lell. She [usL wanLed ouL of Lhere.
no, noLhlng useful," sald Lhe capLaln. l wanL you Lo pursue Lhe llne you're on, Lhe bondage Lhlng."
And Lhen, slgnallng LhaL he knew exacLly why she was asklng, he added, ?ou know, nlkkl, lL mlghL seem
unusual for me, a preclncL commander, Lo personally respond Lo an M8. 8uL as you'll soon learn lf you
geL your promoLlon, Lhe [ob becomes less abouL Lhe sLreeL and more abouL appearances and gesLures.
?ou lgnore LhaL aL your perll. So. A hlgh-proflle member of my preclncL, a church pasLor, goes mlsslng,
whaL am l golng Lo do? Sure noL golng Lo send Plnesburg, am l?"
Cf course noL." And Lhen she noLlced hlm playlng wlLh Lhe 8and-Ald on hls knuckle. ?ou're
bleedlng."
1hls? lL's flne. enny blL me Lhls mornlng whlle l was comblng ouL a maL ln her paw." Pe sLood and
sald, 1haL's Lhe way lL's been golng for me, nlkkl PeaL. My own dog Lurned on me."
1he walk back Lo her desk made PeaL feel llke she was underwaLer ln lead shoes. She had come wlLhln a
whlsper of desLroylng a relaLlonshlp wlLh her menLor, and only hls orchesLraLlon of Lhe awkward
meeLlng kepL her from dolng LhaL. MlsLakes were only human, buL nlkkl was all abouL noL belng Lhe one
Lo make mlsLakes. Anger fllled her for allowlng herself Lo be dlsLracLed by gosslp, and she resolved Lo
focus on geLLlng back Lo dolng whaL she dld, solld pollce work, and Lo avold geLLlng swepL up ln Lhe
sharp blades of Lhe rumor mlll.
Cn her monlLor an lcon flashed, alerLlng her LhaL Lhe case flle she had requesLed from Archlves had
arrlved. noL so long ago a requlslLlon llke LhaL would have Laken aL leasL a day, or a personal vlslL Lo
expedlLe dellvery. 1hanks Lo Lhe deparLmenL's compuLerlzaLlon of all records, as spearheaded by uepuLy
Commlssloner ?arborough, who'd broughL Lhe n?u Lechnology up Lo Lhls cenLury, ueLecLlve PeaL now
had Lhe ul of Lhe 2004 lnvesLlgaLlon mere mlnuLes afLer puLLlng ln for lL.
She opened Lhe flle deLalllng Lhe murder of Cene PuddlesLon, !r., erranL son of an Cscar-wlnnlng
naLlonal Lreasure whose only chlld descended from wealLh and prlvllege ln a Lraglc splral lnLo a llfe of
alcohollsm, goL klcked ouL of Lwo colleges for sex scandals and drug abuse, Lhen graduaLed Lo deallng
and, flnally, vlolenL deaLh. llrsL she scanned for any phoLographs of Lhe 1LnS burns Lauren arry had
menLloned, buL found none on her flrsL pass. CuL of hablL, she cllcked on Lhe rosLer page llsLlng Lhe
lnvesLlgaLors on Lhe case Lo see lf she knew any of Lhem. 1hen she saw Lhe name of Lhe lead deLecLlve
and felL a fluLLer ln her dlaphragm.
PeaL slumped back ln her chalr and [usL sLared aL Lhe screen.
1P8LL
1he flrsL Lhlng PeaL dld afLer she cllcked Lhe Llny red square and closed Lhe PuddlesLon flle was call Lauren
arry. She Lrled noL Lo Lhlnk Loo much abouL lL flrsL, because she mlghL heslLaLe and Lhen hold back. 1haL was
Lhe deaLh of good pollce work. CaLher facLs buL LrusL your hunches. Lspeclally Lhe ones abouL whlch facLs Lo
gaLher.
So soon?" sald Lauren when she plcked up. ?ou leave someLhlng here? 1ell me you dldn'L leave
your keys. l've had LhaL happen, and you don'L wanL Lo know where l've found Lhem."
?ou're rlghL, l don'L." Lven Lhough she had her end of Lhe bull pen Lo herself aL Lhe momenL, nlkkl
looked over her shoulder before she conLlnued. LlsLen, l saw how busy you all were down Lhere ln 8-23
Lhls mornlng-"
?eah, yeah, whaL do you need me Lo fasL Lrack?"
1he prlesL collar. 1he one wlLh Lhe bloodsLaln. Can you push lL Lo Lhe head of Lhe class for me?"
?ou on Lo someone already?"
ln her mlnd's eye, PeaL kepL seelng Lhe bandage on CapLaln MonLrose's flnger. She wanLed Lo say
she hoped noL, buL answered, Who knows? As much Lo ellmlnaLe as anyLhlng." nlkkl heard papers
rusLle before Lhe ML answered.
Sure, l can expedlLe. lL sLlll Lakes Llme, you know."
1hen leL's geL Lhls parLy sLarLed."
1hen l'll be burnln' rubber." Lauren chuckled and conLlnued, Whlle we're Lalklng, l [usL shlpped my
reporL over Lo you." nlkkl checked her monlLor and saw LhaL Lhe e-mall was parked Lhere for her.
Peads up on an addlLlonal noLe l added. CSu dld an evldence vacuum of Lhe LorLure room-a few halrs,
you can lmaglne-buL Lhey also came up wlLh whaL looks llke a sllver of flngernall." nlkkl replayed her
survey of Lhe dead prlesL whlle he was sLlll on Lhe frame and recalled LhaL hls nalls were noL broken. Per
frlend underscored LhaL. l [usL dld a double-check of Lhe body, and nelLher hls flngernalls or Loenalls
show slgns of chlpplng."
So lL could be from whoever worked hlm over," sald PeaL. Assumlng lL's noL a holdover from
anoLher sesslon." 1haL posslblllLy mlghL noL make lL courL-worLhy, buL lL could open an lnvesLlgaLlve
lead. 8efore Lhey hung up, Lauren offered Lo push LhaL LesL up Lhe chaln as well.
Pow's lL golng ln here?" she asked as she enLered Lhe audlovlsual booLh, a converLed supply closeL,
where 8aley was screenlng Lhe securlLy vldeo from leasure 8ound.
8ockln' lL, ueLecLlve," he sald wlLhouL looklng up from hls monlLor. 1haL place lsn'L as busy as
you'd Lhlnk, so l'm flylng Lhrough Lhese Lapes."
1hls ls why you're klng of All Survelllance Medla." She came around behlnd hls Lable and leafed
Lhrough Lhe sLllls her deLecLlve had prlnLed ouL so far. Any hlLs on laLher Craf?"
Zlp," he sald. Speaklng of whlch, check ouL Lhe guy on Lhe leash ln a glmp mask wlLh a zlpper
mouLh. lL's llke waLchlng Lhe ouLLake reel from lolp llctloo."
Cr 8est lo 5bow," sald PeaL, examlnlng lL. CLher Lhan Lhe cleanlng crew and 8oxanne alLz, nlkkl
dldn'L recognlze any of Lhe dozen people whose faces 8aley had capLured. She seL Lhe sLack down
beslde Lhe prlnLer. l wanL Lo run Lhese pasL Lhe housekeeper up aL Lhe recLory. Pow soon unLll you
flnlsh?"
Pe paused Lhe deck and Lurned Lo her. Lxcuse me, buL ls Lhls how one addresses Lhe klng?"
Ck, flne. Pow soon unLll you flnlsh . . . slre?"
Clmme LwenLy."
She looked aL her waLch. Lunch hour, for Lhose who were forLunaLe enough Lo acLually have one,
had come and gone. She asked 8aley whaL klnd of sandwlch he wanLed and Lold hlm she'd be back ln
flfLeen mlnuLes. ln Lhe hallway, she smlled when Lhe door closed and she heard hls muffled shouL,
Pello? l sald LwenLy!"
Andy's uell would have dellvered, buL nlkkl was ln Lhe mood for a walk, even ln Lhe cold. no,
especlally ln Lhe cold. 1he day had puL her head ln a vlse, and someLhlng prlmal howled Lo be ouLslde
and movlng. 1he wlnd had begun Lo dlmlnlsh, Laklng a fracLlon of Lhe ache ouL of Lhe wlnLer alr, buL
afLer dropplng all day Lo four degrees, lL was sLlll plenLy blLLer, and Lhe sensaLlon of lL lnvlgoraLed her.
8oundlng Lhe corner aL Columbus she heard a loud crack behlnd her and Lurned. A blg Suv was lnchlng
forward from 82nd for a rlghL as well, and one of lLs monsLer Llres had shaLLered an lce paLch ln Lhe
guLLer, hurllng frozen chlps up onLo Lhe curb. PeaL looked Lo see who sLlll drove Lhose blg-shouldered
gas hogs ln Lhe clLy, buL she never goL a look. 1he LhroaLy englne gunned, and Lhe Suv flshLalled lnLo
Lrafflc and was soon swallowed by lLs own fadlng roar.
enls car," sald a passlng mall carrler, and nlkkl laughed, lovlng new ?ork and all lLs lnLlmaLe
sLrangers.
Whlle Lhe counLer man aL Andy's made a palr of 8L1s for her, nlkkl checked her phone and e-mall
agaln. noLhlng from 8ook slnce she had lasL surfed-rlghL before she ordered. She goL Lwo exLra honey
packeLs for 8aley's lced Lea from Lhe condlmenL bar and checked her cell agaln. 1hen she LhoughL, Screw
lL, and pressed 8ook's speed dlal. lL never rang, [usL dumped sLralghL Lo volce mall. Whlle she llsLened Lo
hls announcemenL, noL yeL even sure whaL she wanLed Lo say, a man beslde her walLlng for a Luna on
rye fllpped open hls newspaper and nlkkl was confronLed once agaln by 8ook and hls doable agenL
grlnnlng ouLslde Le Clrque. PeaL hung up wlLhouL leavlng a message, pald for Lhe lunches, and hurrled
back ouL lnLo Lhe freezlng cold, curslng herself for cavlng ln Lo chaslng a guy.
Sharon Plnesburg always wore her emoLlons on her face, and when PeaL breezed lnLo Lhe recLory
unannounced, Lhe deLecLlve looked llke she had [usL opened Lhe frldge and goLLen a whlff of curdled
mllk. nlkkl dldn'L care. Mlsplaced senslLlvlLy had led Lo one bad call asslgnlng Plnesburg Lo handle Lhls
venue ln Lhe flrsL place. She wasn'L golng Lo compound her lapse by worrylng abouL 8lgfooLlng her
subordlnaLe.
1he declslon Lo Lake charge was valldaLed by Lhe brleflng she goL. AfLer several hours on-scene, Lhe
besL Plnesburg could offer was a rehash of Lhe lnformaLlon PeaL already had learned boLh from her own
chaL wlLh Lhe housekeeper and Lhe call from Lhe evldence crew abouL Lhe mlsslng holy medal and
dlsLurbed cloLhlng drawers. nlkkl had Lhe noL unsupporLed lmpresslon LhaL ueLecLlve Plnesburg's maln
acLlvlLy had been Lo slL wlLh Mrs. 8orelll and waLch 1be vlew.
She dldn'L lash ouL aL her deLecLlve, Lhough. Plnesburg was, and always would be, Plnesburg. PeaL
declded Lhere was no sense mlsplaclng her anger, whlch was aL herself for noL geLLlng Lo Lhls lnLervlew
unLll Lhe afLernoon Lhanks Lo reporLers, deparLmenL pollLlcs, and worrles abouL her boss.
l hope you don'L mlnd, Mrs. 8orelll," nlkkl began as Lhey saL down aL Lhe klLchen Lable, buL we
need Lo ask some quesLlons whlle Lhlngs are sLlll fresh ln your mlnd. l undersLand lL's a dlfflculL Llme, buL
are you up for Lhls?"
1he rlms of Lhe wlry old woman's eyes were swollen and red, buL Lhe look ln Lhem was clear and full
of sLrengLh. l wanL Lo help you flnd whoever dld Lhls. l'm ready."
LeL's revlew Lhe perlod leadlng up Lo Lhe lasL Llme you saw laLher Craf. And l apologlze lf you have
already been over Lhls wlLh ueLecLlve Plnesburg."
no, she dldn'L ask me abouL any of LhaL," sald Mrs. 8.
Plnesburg made a show of fllpplng a page of her pad. ?ou Lold me you lasL saw hlm yesLerday
mornlng aL Len or Len-flfLeen," she sald, clLlng lnformaLlon LhaL was already ln Lhe mlsslng persons
reporL.
8uL nlkkl only smlled aL Lhe old woman and sald, Cood, leL's sLarL Lhere." AfLer PeaL spenL a half
hour qulzzlng her abouL laLher Craf's lasL hours and days, Lhrough a serles of quesLlons doled ouL ln
small blLes, a Llmellne emerged, noL only of Lhe prevlous mornlng buL Lhe weeks leadlng up Lo Lhe
pasLor's dlsappearance. Pe had been a man of hablLs, aL leasL ln Lhe early parL of hls days. up aL 3:30 for
hls mornlng prayers, openlng Lhe doors Lo Lhe church aL 6:30, on Lhe alLar nexL door for Mass aL 7 A.M.,
breakfasL served by Mrs. 8orelll prompLly aL Len mlnuLes Lo elghL. Pe'd smell Lhe bacon and keep Lhe
sermon shorL," she sald, comforLed by Lhe memory.
1he resL of a Lyplcal day lnvolved parlsh admlnlsLraLlon, vlslLs Lo Lhe slck, and meeLlngs aL a handful
of communlLy groups he served on. 1he housekeeper afflrmed LhaL he followed hls paLLern hls lasL few
days. Well, almosL. Pe had Laken Lo longer lunches away ln Lhe afLernoons. And was laLe for supper a
few Llmes, whlch was noL llke hlm."
PeaL dralned her coffee cup and made a noLe. Lvery day?" she asked.
LeL me Lhlnk. no, noL every." nlkkl walLed whlle Lhe woman LhoughL and Lhen wroLe down Lhe days
and Llmes she recalled whlle Mrs. 8. poured her a reflll.
WhaL abouL hls nlghLs?"
Pe always heard confesslons from seven Lo seven-LhlrLy, alLhough noL many cusLomers Lhese days.
Changlng Llmes, ueLecLlve."
And afLer confesslons?"
1he housekeeper's face plnked and she rearranged Lhe sugar bowl and creamer on Lhe LableLop.
Ch, he'd read someLlmes or waLch an old movle on 1v or meeL wlLh a parlshloner lf someone needed
counsellng-drugs, abused women, LhaL sorL of Lhlng."
nlkkl sensed a dodge and asked anoLher way. Was Lhere any Llme LhaL he wasn'L worklng? WhaL
dld he do for recreaLlon?"
Per face reddened a blL more and she sald Lo Lhe creamer, ueLecLlve, l don'L wanL Lo speak lll of
hlm, he was flesh, as we all are, buL laLher Cerry, he llked hls drlnk and he would spend hls evenlngs
mosL nlghLs havlng hls CuLLy aL Lhe 8rass Parpoon." AnoLher noLe Lo follow up on. lf he had been a
regular aL a bar, even lf lL dldn'L lead Lo suspecLs, lL meanL frlends, or aL leasL drlnklng buddles, who
mlghL have some lnslghLs lnLo a slde of Lhe padre Lhe old woman wasn'L prlvy Lo.
nlkkl Lhen goL Lo Lhe awkward quesLlon she knew had Lo be asked. l Lold you Lhls mornlng where
we found Lhe body." Mrs. 8orelll nodded ln a small, shameful way. uo you have any lndlcaLlon LhaL
laLher Craf was . . . lnvolved ln LhaL llfesLyle?"
lor Lhe flrsL Llme, she saw anger ln Lhe woman. Per face grew sLony and her eyes were rlveLed on
PeaL's. ueLecLlve, LhaL man Look a vow of cellbacy. Pe was a holy man dolng Cod's work on earLh and
he llved a llfe of poverLy, chasLlLy, and obedlence."
1hank you," sald nlkkl. l hope you undersLand, l had Lo ask." PeaL Lhen swlLched gears, sLudylng
Lhe pages she had generaLed, and sald, l noLlce yesLerday, Lhe day you lasL saw hlm, as well as Lhe day
before, he lefL lmmedlaLely afLer breakfasL lnsLead of conducLlng hls usual meeLlngs and offlce work.
Any ldea why he changed paLLern?"
Mm, no. Pe dldn'L say."
?ou asked hlm?"
?es. Pe Lold me Lo buLL ouL. !oklng buL noL [oklng, elLher."
uld you noLlce any changes ln hls mood?"
l dld. Pe was sharper wlLh me. Llke Lhe buLL ouL [oke. 1he laLher Cerry l knew would have sald LhaL
and l'd have laughed. And so would he." Per llps drew LlghL. Pe was deflnlLely on edge."
PeaL had Lo come aL lL agaln. And you have no ldea where Lhls Lenslon came from?" When she
shook no, nlkkl asked, Anybody argue wlLh hlm? 1hreaLen hlm?"
noL Lhe pasL few days, as l recall."
Cdd answer from Lhe woman who seemed Lo recall everyLhlng abouL hlm. nlkkl made a noLe Lo
come back Lo LhaL one laLer. Any problems aL Lhe church?"
1here are always problems aL Lhe church," she sald wlLh a chuckle. 8uL noLhlng ouL of Lhe
ordlnary."
Any new people around? SLrangers, anyone comlng by aL odd Llmes, anyLhlng llke LhaL?"
She rubbed her chln and shook no agaln. l'm sorry, ueLecLlve."
uon'L be sllly," sald nlkkl. ?ou're dolng flne."
laLlgue and Lhe sLress of a LraumaLlc day were sLarLlng Lo draw Lhe old woman under. 8efore she
faded, PeaL opened Lhe manlla envelope of sLllls 8aley had pulled from Lhe securlLy cam aL leasure
8ound. 1he housekeeper seemed glad for Lhe change of Lasks. She cleaned her glasses and sLudled each
of Lhe faces carefully before shaklng her head and Lurnlng Lhe nexL page. AbouL halfway Lhrough Lhe
array, PeaL noLlced her reacL Lo one-noL a large reacLlon buL a heslLaLlon. nlkkl fllcked a look aL
Plnesburg, who nodded, she'd caughL lL, Loo. SomeLhlng, Mrs. 8orelll?"
no, noL so far." 8uL she looked aL Lhe phoLo one more Llme before she Lurned lL facedown and
fllpped Lo Lhe nexL. When she flnlshed Lhe sLack, she sald none of Lhem looked famlllar. nlkkl had a
feellng Mrs. 8orelll mlghL be golng Lo confesslon soon.
1hey qulL Lhe klLchen, and PeaL asked lf Mrs. 8orelll would mlnd walklng her Lhrough Lhe recLory so
she could see flrsLhand Lhe Lhlngs LhaL had been dlsLurbed. Where dld Lhe mlsslng SL. ChrlsLopher
medal llve?"
8efore Lhe housekeeper could reply, Sharon Plnesburg sald, 1he bedroom," sLrlvlng for relevance.
8efore we go up Lhere," sald Mrs. 8orelll, l wanL Lo show you someLhlng." She beckoned for Lhem
Lo follow, leadlng Lhem lnLo Lhe sLudy, where she gesLured Lo a cablneL LhaL doubled as Lhe 1v sLand. l
Lold your CSl folks abouL Lhls. AfLer Lhey goL here, l looked around and found Lhls cablneL door cracked
open [usL a smldge. And Lake a look lnslde." nlkkl was abouL Lo sLop her from pulllng lL open, buL she
could see LhaL Lhe door and lLs glass fronL had already been dusLed for prlnLs. 1here were Lwo shelves
lnslde. 1he lower was fllled wlLh books, a mlx of paperbacks and hard-bounds. 1he shelf above was
compleLely empLy. All hls vldeos, gone."
WhaL sorL of vldeos were Lhey?" asked PeaL. She noLlced LhaL Lhe 1v resLed aLop a dlnosaur vPS
player, and Lo lLs slde saL a compacL porLable uvu unlL wlLh red, yellow, and whlLe cords [acked Lo lL.
A blL of everyLhlng. Pe llked documenLarles and someone gave hlm Lhe ken 8urns clvll wot, LhaL's
gone. l know he had Alt lotce Ooe. 'CeL off my plane,' over, and over, and over . . ." She shook her
head, no doubL banklng LhaL as a fond recollecLlon of Lhe dead pasLor, Lhen looked back Lo Lhe empLy
shelf. LeL's see, Lhere were also a few 8S Lhlngs, mosLly Mostetplece 1beotet. 1he resL were personal,
llke vldeos people Look aL weddlngs and gave Lo hlm. Also some vldeos he shoL aL some of hls proLesL
marches and rallles. Ch! 1he pope's funeral! Pe was aL Lhe vaLlcan for LhaL. l suppose LhaL's gone, Loo.
Would LhaL be valuable, ueLecLlve, would someone wanL Lo sLeal LhaL?"
nlkkl Lold her anyLhlng was posslble and asked lf she would wrlLe down a llsL of all Lhe vldeos she
could recall, [usL for a compleLe record or ln case, by some unllkely chance, any of Lhem showed up ln
someone's possesslon or aL a flea markeL.
1he crew from Lhe Lvldence CollecLlon unlL was nearly done upsLalrs, and so Lhe Lhree of Lhem were
able Lo go Lhrough Lhe whole house, excepL for Lhe aLLlc, where Lhe LCu was sLlll aL work. Cne of
ueLecLlve Plnesburg's observaLlons had been correcL, and LhaL was LhaL Mrs. 8orelll was a housekeeper
who Look her [ob as a mlsslon. She knew where everyLhlng wenL because she was Lhe one who puL lL
Lhere and made sure lL sLayed clean, dusLed, and ln place. 1he anomalles were subLle and would have
been losL on Lhe casual vlslLor. 8uL for Lhe woman who wenL so far as Lo square Lhe edges of sLacked
undershlrLs ln bureau drawers and Lo allgn gleamlng shoes on Lhe closeL floor, wlLh Lassels fronL, any
dlsLurbance was a ulsLurbance ln Lhe lorce. WlLh Lhe guldance of her schooled eye, lL was clear Lo
ueLecLlve PeaL LhaL someone had deflnlLely glven Lhe recLory a once-over. And LhaL wlLh Lhe low degree
of dlsrupLlon Lo Lhe house, lL sure felL llke a professlonal [ob.
1haL opened a whole new fronL. lL cerLalnly casL ma[or doubL LhaL Lhe deaLh of Lhe prlesL had been a
domlnance sesslon gone awry. nlkkl knew beLLer Lhan Lo geL ahead of Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon, buL Lhe whole
LorLure Lhlng, comblned wlLh a search of Lhe recLory, was polnLlng less Loward a sexual procllvlLy and
more Loward someone Lrylng Lo flnd someLhlng ouL. 8uL whaL?
And whaL was CapLaln MonLrose's search abouL Lhe nlghL before?
PeaL meL up wlLh Lhe lead LCu deLecLlve, 8enlgno ue!esus, comlng ouL of laLher Craf's baLhroom,
where he had [usL logged and bagged meds from Lhe cablneL. Pe recapped hls flndlngs, whlch
corresponded Lo Mrs. 8orelll's: Lhe mlsslng vldeos, moved cloLhlng, doors sllghLly a[ar, and Lhe absenL
holy medal. SomeLhlng else we found," sald ue!esus. ALop Lhe prlesL's dresser he lndlcaLed Lhe dark
brown velveL box, hlnged open Lo expose Lhe Lan saLln llner.
1hls where Lhe SL. ChrlsLopher was?" asked nlkkl.
?es," sald Mrs. 8orelll from behlnd her. lL meanL so much Lo laLher."
1he LCu deLecLlve llfLed Lhe empLy box off Lhe dresser. CoL someLhlng a llLLle unusual." PeaL knew
and llked ueLecLlve ue!esus and had worked scenes wlLh hlm ofLen enough Lo read hls undersLaLemenL.
When 8enlgno sald someLhlng was a llLLle unusual, lL was Llme Lo pay aLLenLlon Lo 8enlgno.
underneaLh Lhe dolly." And when PeaL heslLaLed, he added, lL's Ck, l've dusLed, logged, and
phoLographed."
nlkkl llfLed Lhe lace runner LhaL covered Lhe bureau Lop. 1here was a small scrap of paper under lL,
rlghL under Lhe spoL where Lhe SL. ChrlsLopher's case had been resLlng. ue!esus Lweezed Lhe sLrlp and
held lL up for her Lo read. lL was a handwrlLLen phone number. PeaL asked, Mrs. 8orelll, are you
famlllar wlLh Lhls number?"
1he LCu man sllpped Lhe paper lnLo a clear plasLlc evldence pouch and lald lL on hls open palm for
her Lo see. She shook her head. WhaL abouL Lhe handwrlLlng," asked PeaL, do you recognlze lL?"
?ou mean ls lL laLher Craf's? no. And lL's noL mlne. l don'L know Lhls wrlLlng."
PeaL was [oLLlng Lhe phone number onLo her splral when one of Lhe oLher LCu Lechs appeared ln
Lhe doorway and nodded Lo ue!esus. Pe excused hlmself Lo Lhe hall and reappeared shorLly. ueLecLlve
PeaL? A momenL?"
1he aLLlc had one of Lhose pull-down wooden sLalrcases LhaL Lele scoped lnLo Lhe celllng. nlkkl ascended
lL lnLo Lhe lofL where ue!esus and Lhe Lechnlclan who had summoned hlm were crouched ln a pool of
porLable llghL beslde an old mlnl-frldge. 1hey parLed Lo glve her a vlew as she [olned Lhem. 1he Lech
sald, l noLlced Lhe dusL paLLern on Lhe floor lndlcaLed Lhls had been opened recenLly, buL lL's noL
plugged ln." She looked lnslde and saw Lhree square hollday cookle Llns sLacked on Lhe whlLe wlre
shelves.
ue!esus snapped open Lhe lld of Lhe Lop one for her. lL was fllled wlLh envelopes. 1he LCu deLecLlve
Look one ouL for her Lo examlne. Llke all Lhe oLhers, lL was a parlsh collecLlon envelope. And lL was fllled
wlLh cash.
8enlgno sald, 1hls mlghL be worLh some sLudy."
AL Lhe end of Lhe day ueLecLlve PeaL gaLhered her squad ln Lhe bull pen for an updaLe of Lhe Murder
8oard. lL was a rlLual LhaL served noL only as a chance for her Lo recap lnformaLlon, buL also as an
opporLunlLy for nlkkl and her crew Lo bounce Lheorles.
She had already logged laLher Craf's moves on Lhe Llmellne, lncludlng Lhe noLaLlon of Lhe
unaccounLed for hours Lhe day precedlng and Lhe day of hls dlsappearance. 1here's noLhlng on hls
calendar LhaL helps. lf we had hls walleL, we could run hls MeLroCard Lo see whaL subway sLops he
made, buL LhaL's sLlll mlsslng."
WhaL abouL e-malls?" sald Cchoa.
8lghL Lhere wlLh you," sald PeaL. Soon as lorenslcs flnlshes wlLh hls compuLer, why don'L you plck
lL up and sLarL readlng? ?ou know everyLhlng Lo look for, don'L need Lo Lell you." She Lrled noL Lo leL her
gaze sweep Lo Plnesburg, buL she dld, and reglsLered Lhe plssy look before Lurnlng her back Lo prlnL
Craf's e-malls" on Lhe board.
8aley made hls reporL. AL PeaL's dlrecLlon, he had gone Lo leasure 8ound Lo show coples of Lhe
sLllls Lo 8oxanne alLz, who made lu of Lhe Lhree dommes who worked Lhere, Lwo pasL and one presenL.
As for Lhe men, Lhe manager elLher dldn'L know or wouldn'L say. AfLerward, on hls own lnlLlaLlve,
ueLecLlve 8aley had walked Lhe area near Lhe underground dungeon, flashlng Lhe sLllls aL local reLall
shops and Lo doormen. l dldn'L geL any hlLs," he sald, buL l may have goLLen a nlce case of frosLblLe.
Wlndchlll's down below zero Loday."
1he canvass of uungeon Alley had also come up empLy. ueLecLlves Cchoa, 8hymer, and Callagher
covered Lhe maln 8uSM clubs sLreLchlng abouL LwenLy blocks from MldLown Lo Chelsea, and none of Lhe
workers or guesLs Lhey encounLered sald Lhey recognlzed Lhe phoLo of Lhe prlesL. ueLecLlve 8hymer
sald, lL could mean someone's lylng or lL could mean Craf was dlscreeL."
Cr he wasn'L ln Lhe llfesLyle," sald Callagher.
Cr," added nlkkl, we haven'L Lalked Lo Lhe rlghL person yeL." She Lold Lhem abouL Lhe sllp of paper
LhaL was hldden under Lhe lace runner. We ran a check on Lhe phone number. lL was for a male sLrlp
club."
Male sLrlp club? Who dld you run Lhe check wlLh-8hymer?" When Lhe laughs dled ouL Cchoa
conLlnued, ?ou deny lL, Cple, buL lL's always Lhe wholesome ones."
8aley chlmed ln. uon'L llsLen Lo hlm, Cple. Mlguel's [usL mad 'cause you only puL a buck ln hls Lhong
lasL Llme."
PeaL declared LhaL slnce 8aley and Cchoa seemed Lhe mosL knowledgeable, Lhey could have Lhe
deLall of golng Lo Lhe sLrlp club Lo show Craf's plcLure. AfLer 8oach Look a chorus of rlbblng from Lhe
squad, she flnlshed her recap of Lhe mlsslng lLems aL Lhe recLory. ueLecLlve 8hymer, who was on loan
from 8urglary, wondered lf Lhe vldeos goL sLolen because Lhey had sex Lapes ln Lhem. lf Lhe prlesL was
lnLo someLhlng . . . unprlesLly . . . maybe Lhere was someLhlng embarrasslng Lo someone else who was
on Lhe vldeo."
PeaL acknowledged LhaL could be so and [oLLed lL under 1heorles" on Lhe board as damnlng sex
vldeo??" 1haL noLwlLhsLandlng, nlkkl sald LhaL some Lhlngs made her wanL Lo broaden Lhe scope of Lhelr
lnvesLlgaLlon. no sooner had she sald Lhe words Lhan behlnd Lhe squad she saw movemenL from Lhe
glass offlce. CapLaln MonLrose goL up from hls desk and sLood leanlng agalnsL hls door frame Lo Lake ln
her brleflng.
SLarLlng Lomorrow," PeaL sald, l wanL Lo dlg deeper lnLo Lhe parlsh. noL [usL Lo look lnLo Lhe
parlshloners who could have moLlves, buL also any of Lhe oLher acLlvlLles laLher Craf could have been
lnvolved ln. Clubs, lmmlgraLlon proLesLs, even charlLy drlves and fund-ralsers."
1hen she Lold Lhem abouL Lhe sLash of money ln Lhe aLLlc, whlch came Lo abouL a hundred flfLy
Lhousand. All ln bllls under a hundred, all ln parlshloner collecLlon envelopes. l'll reach ouL Lo Lhe
archdlocese Lo see lf Lhey had any knowledge or concerns abouL embezzlemenL. WheLher lL's sklmmlng,
or an lnherlLance, or, l don'L know, a secreL loLLo wln-however LhaL money came Lo be ln hls aLLlc-we
can'L rule ouL Lhe posslblllLy LhaL someone wanLed Lo geL lL and Lrled Lo force hlm Lo say where lL was.
8uL," she cauLloned, lL's Loo soon Lo run for LhaL plece of candy, because Lhere are oLher Lhlngs Lo look
aL as well. LeL's [usL say lL's one of many reasons Lo open Lhls case wlder." 1hen she relayed Lhe flndlngs
of Lhe auLopsy. WhaL was parLlcularly sLrlklng was Lhe degree of elecLrlclLy Lhe vlcLlm Look before he
dled. 1LnS, ln mlld doses, geL used ln some LorLure play. 8uL hls burns, Lhe hearL aLLack, Lhls dld noL look
llke play."
1he room fell sllenL, Lhe quleLesL LhaL bull pen had been slnce nlkkl had arrlved Lo Lurn Lhe llghLs on
LhaL mornlng. She knew whaL each squad member was golng Lhrough. Lach was reflecLlng on Lhe lasL
mlnuLes of laLher Cerald Craf's llfe on LhaL SL. Andrew's Cross. PeaL looked aL Lhem, knowlng LhaL even
ln Lhls group of smarL mouLhs, Lhere was no amounL of cop humor LhaL would overcome Lhe
compasslon Lhey felL for anoLher human's sufferlng.
Mlndful of Lhe collecLlve mood, nlkkl resumed quleLly. Llke any assaulL, perps use paLLern behavlor.
l'm already looklng lnLo oLher assaulLs llke Lhls, especlally lnvolvlng elecLrlcal means."
ueLecLlve PeaL." All heads Lurned Lo Lhe volce aL Lhe back of Lhe room. lor many, lL was Lhe flrsL
Lhey had acLually heard LhaL volce ln a week.
CapLaln?" she sald.
l'd llke Lo see you ln my offlce." And before he sLepped lnslde lL, he added, 8lghL now."
nlkkl wheeled her leg around, caughL hlm on Lhe back of hls upper calf, and he wenL down. uon landed
hard on Lhe blue wresLllng maL ln Lhe gym and sald, !eez, nlkkl, whaL's eaLlng you LonlghL?" She
exLended a hand Lo holsL hlm up, and mldway Lhrough Lhe llfL, uon LhoughL he'd geL cuLe and fllp her.
8uL he Lelegraphed hls move wlLh hls eyes and she carLwheeled Lo hls weak slde, sLlll holdlng hls hand,
LwlsLed hls Lhumb, rolled hlm on hls sLomach, and parked a knee on hls back.
1haL afLernoon, when she had goLLen Lhe LexL from her oneLlme personal combaL Lralner and now
regular sparrlng parLner, nlkkl decllned uon's offer. Per day had been a meaL grlnder, and all she
wanLed Lo do was geL home and slnk lnLo a baLh, hoplng an early bed would leL her escape Lhe burden
of Lhe case, and of 8ook, ln sleep. 8uL Lhen came LhaL lasL meeLlng wlLh MonLrose. PeaL came ouL of
Lhere feellng caged, frusLraLed, and above all, confllcLed. llrsL Lhlng she dld was grab her cell phone and
LexL Lhe ex-navy SLAL LhaL she wanLed a workouL afLer all.
oor uon was on hls feeL abouL Lwo seconds before PeaL dropped hlm agaln.
1he meeLlng had been wlLh a MonLrose nlkkl dldn'L know. Pe closed hls door, and by Lhe Llme he
had walked around behlnd her Lo hls desk, he had accused her of loslng focus on Lhe case. She llsLened
buL couldn'L Lake her eyes off Lhe 8and-Ald on hls flnger, wonderlng whose blood was on LhaL prlesL's
collar lf lL wasn'L Lhe prlesL's.
uon wenL Lo Lhe corner of Lhe gym and Loweled Lhe sweaL off hls face. nlkkl hopped on Lhe balls of
her feeL ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe maL, energlzed, eager Lo resume.
Per capLaln had sald, We agreed Lhls afLernoon LhaL you'd keep worklng Lhe bondage llne on Lhls
case. WhaL happened? uld you eaL some funny mushrooms for lunch and geL lL ln your head Lo change lL
up?"
Who was Lhls man, she wondered, Lalklng Lo her llke LhaL? Per menLor, advlsor, and proLecLor all
Lhese years. noL so much Lhe faLher she never had buL cerLalnly Lhe uncle.
uon Lrled Lo fake her ouL. Pe shook hls arms loose, golng all rubbery, worklng on Lhe LlghLness Lo
caLch her sleeplng. 8uL Lhen he lunged, golng low wlLh hls lefL shoulder Lo her walsL, Lrylng Lo sLralghL-
ouL Lackle her. She sldesLepped and laughed when he caughL noLhlng buL alr and landed on hls face.
l sLarLed geLLlng lnformaLlon LhaL opened my Lhlnklng, CapLaln," she had Lold hlm, all Lhe whlle
wonderlng whaL Lo Lell hlm and whaL Lo hold back-someLhlng LhaL had never occurred Lo her Lo do
wlLh Lhls man.
Llke whaL? 1alklng Lo all hls parlshloners Lo see who LhoughL hls sermons lacked humor?
lnLervlewlng Lhe members of hls knlghLs of Columbus? Colng Lo Lhe archdlocese?"
1here's LhaL money we found," she sald.
1here's Lhe agreemenL we had," he sald. 1hen MonLrose had calmed a llLLle, and a gllmpse of Lhe
old Lhe sklp came Lo vlslL. nlkkl, l'm accounLable for supervlslon here and l see you splnnlng your
wheels on slde shows. ?ou are a greaL deLecLlve. l've Lold you before. ?ou're smarL, lnLulLlve, you work
hard . . . l have never seen anyone beLLer Lhan you aL flndlng Lhe odd sock. lf Lhere's one aspecL of a case
or a crlme scene LhaL doesn'L rlng Lrue, seems sllghLly ouL of whack, you see lL." And Lhen LhaL phase
was over. 8uL l don'L know whaL Lhe hell Lo make of whaL you're dolng Loday. ?ou're half a day laLe Lo
lnLervlew a key wlLness, and LhaL's afLer your poor [udgmenL sendlng Plnesburg. 1haL's rlghL, l sald lL,
your poor [udgmenL."
uon's feeL blcycled Lhe sky on hls fllghL over PeaL's shoulder. She rounded her back and dropped on
one knee as she released hlm, keeplng her head down and Lucked Loward her Lummy ln Lhe follow-
Lhrough. 1wlsLed LhaL way, she couldn'L see hlm land. 8uL Lhe floor shook.
l agree l should have been Lo Lhe recLory sooner." PeaL had halLed Lhere, saylng no more abouL lL.
She reflecLed on her CCML round Lrlp, heavy Lrafflc lncluded, geLLlng delayed by LhaL phone call from
Lhe admlnlsLraLlve asslsLanL aL 1, and of course, LhaL flle she sLopped Lo read abouL Lhe old homlclde.
8uL Lo go furLher, Lo explaln herself, would only be Lo sound defenslve. 1hls was hard enough. Pard
enough Lrylng Lo preLend she hadn'L seen whaL she saw ln LhaL flle. 1haL Lhe lead deLecLlve on Lhe 2004
PuddlesLon murder had been ueLecLlve llrsL Crade Charles MonLrose.
?es, you should have been Lhere buL you weren'L. 1haL's noL llke you, ueLecLlve. Are you dlsLracLed
by all Lhls buslness of your promoLlon?" 1hen afLer he had leL LhaL work on her, he leaned forward on
hls bloLLer, hands clasped so she couldn'L avold seelng Lhe 8and-Ald rlghL Lhere. And Lhen he lobbed ouL,
Cr ls lL LhaL you were Loo busy wlLh oLher Lhlngs? Llke blabblng Lo newspaper reporLers."
SLaLlon Pouse rlvacy 8ule #1: 1here ls no prlvacy ln a sLaLlon house.
LeL me assure you of one Lhlng, CapLaln. 1he exLenL of my conversaLlon wlLh LhaL reporLer was
baslcally dlfferenL ways Lo say, 'no commenL.' " She held hls gaze so he could see Lhe LruLh wrlLLen on
her. ln LhaL momenL, she also made a declslon. She concluded LhaL Lhls was noL Lhe meeLlng Lo ask hlm
abouL Lhe old PuddlesLon case. lor now, as far as her boss was concerned, she had never even asked for
LhaL flle. WhaLever sLorm Lhls was, she [usL hoped lL would pass so she could focus on Lhe work and
operaLe ln Lhe open agaln ln her own house.
Make sure you keep lL LhaL way," he had flnally sald. l know whaL Lhe press can be llke. Lspeclally
Lhe CoLcha ress. ?ou don'L Lhlnk l have Lhem all over me? And Lhe communlLy pressure? And Lhe
[erkoffs downLown? l'll Lell you whaL l don'L need, ueLecLlve PeaL, and LhaL's one more reason for
someone Lo cllmb up on my ass, and lL beLLer noL come from you." Pls Lone had been measured, whlch
made hls words sLlng all Lhe more. know Lhls. l wlll pull you off Lhe case lf you don'L focus. SLay on Lhe
8uSM paLh and noLhlng else. Am l clear?"
She had no words and only nodded.
When she reached for Lhe doorknob, he added, 8low Lhls case and lL'll be bad for me. 8ad for you,
Loo."
PeaL lefL wonderlng lf LhaL was advlce or a LhreaL.
uon, who had asked her Lo spar LhaL nlghL, had made an addlLlonal ln vlLaLlon. And LhaL was Lo sleep
LogeLher. 1hey had a hlsLory of LhaL, buL lL had become a dlmmlng one. Somewhere along Lhe llne, years
back and wlLhouL much fanfare, nlkkl's 8razlllan [u[lLsu Lralner had become her Lralner wlLh beneflLs.
When lL sLarLed, Lhey were perfecLly maLched for LhaL. nelLher was ln a commlLLed relaLlonshlp,
Lhey llked each oLher, were lnLensely physlcal, and equally happy Lo leL Lhelr grappllng go no furLher
Lhan Lhe gym or Lhe bedroom. 1helr sex was occaslonal, energeLlc, and muLually passlonless. lL all
changed for nlkkl when 8ook came lnLo Lhe mlx. lL wasn'L even abouL serlal monogamy for her so much
as someLhlng else. SomeLhlng she couldn'L-or wouldn'L-exacLly puL lnLo words. Slnce Lhe heaL wave,
uon and nlkkl had conflned Lhelr wresLllng Lo Lhe maL. Pe had floaLed lnvlLaLlons from Llme Lo Llme,
whlch she had decllned wlLhouL explanaLlon, also parL of Lhelr unspoken rules.
1haL nlghL, afLer Lhe drubblng she gave hlm, before Lhey parLed for Lhelr respecLlve locker rooms, he
asked her agaln. And Lhls Llme, for Lhe flrsL Llme ln a long Llme, nlkkl was LempLed. no, more Lhan
merely LempLed. She came very close Lo a yes.
Cn Lhe walk back Lo her aparLmenL, she sorLed Lhrough her feellngs. Close as she had come Lo
saylng, My place," she had Laken lL rlghL up Lo Lhe llne ln her lmaglnaLlon and decllned. 1he monLh
wlLhouL 8ook had been a long one emoLlonally and physlcally. She could have easlly had a nlghL wlLh
uon, and nelLher he nor 8ook would have had a say ln her cholce. 8uL her no came from Lhe same place
as all Lhe ones LhaL preceded lL. 8uL why? Was she ln a commlLLed relaLlonshlp now wlLh 8ook? She
mlghL have answered LhaL dlfferenLly before he wenL away. And cerLalnly lL loomed as a blgger quesLlon
afLer Lhe Le Clrque shoL and all lL meanL. 1he lssue for her was whaL klnd of relaLlonshlp, lf any, she
would have wlLh 8ook when-lf-Lhey dld see each oLher agaln. Sleeplng wlLh uon LhaL nlghL would
have been revenge sex. Whlch uon sure wouldn'L care abouL, even lf he knew. 8uL she would. 1haL
wasn'L her reason, Lhough. Per no Lo uon had been abouL posLponlng a deflnlLlon.
Cr perhaps lL was more LransparenL Lhan LhaL. Maybe she knew Lhe lasL Lhlng she wanLed was Lo
have one more compllcaLlon added Lo Lhe sLress of her llfe. Pell, of her day. WhaL she needed was a
nlghL of leLLlng go, of llghLenlng up.
She already had Lhe baLh ln mlnd, lavender bubbles for sure. Cne more Lhlng would glve her Lhe
head break she needed. Cn ark Avenue SouLh, nlkkl sLopped aL Lhe newssLand aL Lhe end of her block
and snaLched up Lablolds and celebrlLy mags. Pok, Lhe news vendor, gave her a speclal hello, Lhe one
wlLh Lhe wlnk he sLarLed glvlng PeaL Lhe day she was on Lhe cover of lltst ltess wlLh !ameson 8ook's
exasperaLlng sLory, Crlme Wave MeeLs PeaL Wave."
CounLlng ouL Lhe change for Pok, who smlled brlghLly when he goL exacL change, nlkkl smelled
fumes from an ldllng englne. Pok, how do you sLand LhaL?" Pe made a face and fanned Lhe alr ln fronL
of hls nose. She looked ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe exhausL. lL was comlng from a blg Suv a few paces down
Lhe sldewalk. She Lurned back Lo glve Lhe vendor hls colns when Lhe phrase penls car" enLered her
LhoughLs. She Lurned agaln Loward Lhe Suv. lL cerLalnly looked Lhe same as Lhe one she had
encounLered on her walk Lo Andy's uell-graphlLe gray wlLh wlde Llres-buL someLhlng was dlfferenL.
1he plaLes. She had clocked Lhose plaLes as !ersey. 1hls had new ?ork SLaLe Lags. Pok offered her a
plasLlc bag, whlch she waved off. She sLepped from Lhe newssLand and was surprlsed Lo see LhaL Lhe
Suv was gone. nlkkl sLepped Lo Lhe curb ln Llme Lo see lLs headllghLs dlsappear as lL backed down Lhe
sLreeL agalnsL Lrafflc and dlsappeared lnLo a slde sLreeL.
8ackward?
nlkkl Lurned ln a clrcle, geLLlng a look aL her surroundlngs. She saw noLhlng unusual. noLhlng else
unusual, LhaL ls. She was only a block from her place. PeaL unfasLened her coaL, Look off Lhe glove on
her rlghL hand, and sLarLed walklng wlLh her eyes and ears on alerL.
Per sLreeL was quleL. no cars aL Lhe momenL, and ln Lhe sLlllness of Lhe sub-zero nlghL, she paused
brlefly Lo sLraln her hearlng for any sense of a low englne rumble. noLhlng. She moved qulckly up her
fronL sLeps Lo Lhe vesLlbule, keys already ln hand.
vesLlbule, clear.
PeaL unlocked and leL herself ln. lollowlng an lnsLlncL noL Lo geL Lrapped anywhere, she bypassed
Lhe elevaLor and cllmbed Lhe sLalrs Lo her floor, pauslng occaslonally Lo llsLen and Lhen movlng upward.
Cn her floor, she swepL Lhe lengLh of Lhe hallway ln boLh dlrecLlons. lL was empLy. She leL herself
lnLo her aparLmenL, Lhrew Lhe deadbolL behlnd her, and exhaled. nlkkl qulzzed herself. Was Lhls
paranola? SLress response aL Lhe end of an exponenLlally crap day? Cr dld she have a Lall? And lf so,
why? And who?
AL Lhe hall closeL, looklng for a hanger for her coaL, she heard a nolse from around Lhe corner ln Lhe
klLchen. A small sound. erhaps Lhe squeak of a shoe?
PeaL unholsLered her Slg. Poldlng lL ln her rlghL hand, she moved forward, carrylng her coaL ln her
lefL. nlkkl sLopped, drew a slow breaLh, menLally counLed Lhree, Lhen whlpped Lhe coaL around Lhe
corner. She followed lL ln a low crouch wlLh her gun braced ln boLh hands, calllng, ollce, freeze."
1he man wrapped up under her coaL sLopped sLruggllng wlLh lL and ralsed hls hands up lnslde lL.
PeaL knew before he even spoke. nlkkl pulled Lhe coaL off hls head, and he smlled sheeplshly.
Surprlse?" sald 8ook.
lCu8
urop your hands, 8ook, you look rldlculous," sald PeaL. WhaL Lhe hell dld you Lhlnk you were dolng?"
8aclng Lo your lovlng arms. AL leasL l LhoughL l was."
l could have shoL you, do you know LhaL?" she sald as she holsLered her Slg.
lL [usL occurred Lo me," he sald. 1haL would have puL a damper on my homecomlng. noL Lo
menLlon meanL a Lon of paperwork for you. l Lhlnk we're boLh beLLer off you dldn'L." Pe made a sLep
from Lhe klLchen Lo embrace her, buL when she crossed her arms, he sLopped. ?ou saw Lhe paper."
Cf course, l saw Lhe damn paper. And lf l hadn'L, half of new ?ork ClLy was very happy Lo keep
shovlng lL under my nose. WhaL Lhe hell ls golng on wlLh you?"
See, Lhls ls why l came over. So l could explaln Lhls face-Lo-face."
1hls oughL Lo be good."
Ck," he sald. My agenL and l had a very lmporLanL buslness dlnner lasL nlghL. A ma[or sLudlo has
opLloned my plece on Chechnya for a movle." When nlkkl dldn'L seem so exclLed by LhaL, he conLlnued,
So . . . slnce l had jost goLLen back Lo Lown . . . we wenL Lo dlnner so l could slgn Lhe conLracLs. l had no
ldea anybody was golng Lo Lake a plcLure."
And when exacLly dld you '[usL' geL back?" she asked.
?esLerday. LaLe. l Lralled LhaL money and Lhe arms shlpmenL all Lhe way from 8osnla Lo Afrlca Lo
Colombla Lo Mexlco."
Cood for you," sald PeaL. now, LhaL covers Lhe lasL LhlrLy days beauLlfully. WhaL abouL Lhe lasL
LhlrLy hours?"
My Cod, once an lnLerrogaLor . . ." Pe chuckled and meL an lce wall. l can Lell you abouL LhaL."
l'm all ears, 8ook."
Well, you know abouL Lhe dlnner."
AL Le Clrque, yes, go on."
1he resL ls slmple, really. MosLly l crashed. l Lhlnk l slepL LhlrLeen, flfLeen hours sLralghL. llrsL real
bed ln weeks." Pe was Lalklng fasLer Lhen, ellmlnaLlng pauses LhaL made hlm vulnerable. And afLer, l've
been wrlLlng llke crazy-phone off, 1v off-wrlLlng. 1hen l came rlghL here."
?ou couldn'L call?" nlkkl haLed Lhe cllche even as lL flew ouL of her mouLh, buL Lhen declded lf ever
anyone had llcense Lo say lL, she dld rlghL Lhen.
See, LhaL's whaL you don'L know abouL me. 1hls ls my process, you know, Lo sequesLer myself. CeL
lL all down whlle lL's sLlll fresh ln my head and my noLes sLlll make sense Lo me. lL's how l work," he sald,
equal parLs explanaLlon and [usLlflcaLlon. 8uL Lhls evenlng when l flnally saw Lhe newspaper, l knew
how you'd feel, so l dropped everyLhlng Lo rush Lo you ln Lrue aln'L-no-rlver-wlde-enough fashlon. All
rlghL, maybe lnsLead of a handmade rafL lL was a Laxl, buL doesn'L LhaL counL for anyLhlng?"
noL so sure lL's enough." She plcked up her coaL and draped lL on Lhe back of Lhe bar sLool, buylng
Llme Lo sorL her LhoughLs ouL. 1he facL was, for nlkkl, lL dld noL erase Lhe monLh of lsolaLlon and Lhe
emoLlonal burrs and raw abraslons LhaL came wlLh her [ourney. 8uL Lhe grounded slde of her, Lhe
grown-up of Lhe palr, was looklng aL Lhe horlzon Lo Lhe days and weeks and whaLever LhaL came afLer
Lhls momenL.
8ook cleared hls LhroaL. 1here's one more Lhlng l need Lo say Lo you. And l know Lhere's no way we
can move forward unLll l geL Lhls ouL."
Ck . . ."
l wanL Lo apologlze Lo you, nlkkl. noL [usL, 'hey, sorry,' buL really. Apologlze." Pe paused, elLher Lo
leL her absorb lL or Lo flnd hls way, Lhen he wenL on, 1hls ls all sLlll new Lo boLh of us. ?ou and l came Lo
each oLher wlLh full llves, pasL baggage, careers, Lhe works. 8oLh of us. And Lhls Lrlp of mlne, Lhls was Lhe
flrsL Llme slnce we goL LogeLher LhaL you're seelng whaL my real work ls llke. l have Lhe advanLage of
havlng gone on rlde-along, so you-l geL your llfe, lnslde and ouL. Me, l'm an lnvesLlgaLlve [ournallsL. lf
l'm dolng lL rlghL, l'm spendlng blg sLreLches of Llme ln places nobody else has Lhe balls Lo go and under
condlLlons mosL reporLers wouldn'L puL up wlLh. 1haL explalns why l fell off Lhe radar on my sLory. l Lold
you l mlghL before l lefL. 8uL lL's no excuse for noL calllng you when l goL ln Lhe clear. 1he only
explanaLlon l can glve may sound fllmsy, buL lL's Lhe LruLh. When l come off asslgnmenL, l have a rouLlne.
l sleep llke Lhe dead and wrlLe llke Lhe devll, ln secluslon. lL's Lhe way l've always done lL. lor years. 8uL
now-l reallze someLhlng's dlfferenL now. l'm noL Lhe only one lnvolved.
now, lf l could Lake back Lhe pasL LwenLy-four hours, l would, buL l can'L. WhaL l can do, Lhough, ls
say when l look aL you now and see Lhe hurL ln you-Lhe hurL l caused by belng lnsenslLlve-l see paln l
never wanL Lo brlng Lo you agaln." Pe leL LhaL slL Lhere, Lhen sald, nlkkl, l apologlze. l was wrong. And l
am sorry."
AfLer he flnlshed, Lhey sLood Lhere llke LhaL, faclng off ln her fronL hall, sllenLly looklng each oLher
over from barely a yard away-one hoplng Lhe rlfL was behlnd Lhem, Lhe oLher Lrylng Lo declde-when
Lhe warmLh LhaL suddenly sLlrred lnslde nlkkl swelled and made a declslon of lLs own. lL Look conLrol,
radlaLlng wlLhln her unLll Lhe spreadlng heaL rose and wouldn'L be sLopped, maklng Lhe rlghL here, rlghL
now" blgger-and more powerful-Lhan anyLhlng else.
8ook sensed lL ln her, or maybe was feellng lL ln hlmself, Loo. lL dldn'L maLLer-any more Lhan who
flew Lo Lhe oLher flrsL, open mouLh on open mouLh, hungrlly reachlng, searchlng Lo geL closer, closer.
WlLhouL looklng, she one-handed her holsLer onLo Lhe counLer. SLlll klsslng, presslng hlmself Lo her, hls
flngers undld her blouse.
When Lhey flnally gasped for alr, every breaLh became a shared lusL, glvlng as well as Laklng, a quesL
of passlon, of sealed llps and urgenL Longues. Pe sLarLed Lo lead her Lo Lhe bedroom by small sLeps
backward. 8uL nlkkl had one more Lakedown ln her LhaL nlghL. She rolled 8ook over Lhe back of Lhe sofa
and landed on Lop of hlm. Pe reached behlnd her, drawlng her by Lhe small of her back Lo hlm. She
pressed forward, golng wlLh hlm. 1hen nlkkl rose onLo her knees and began Lo unbuckle hls belL.
And Lhen lL was all abouL breaLhlessness agaln.
nlkkl slepL afLerward, allowlng herself a luxurlous drlfL lnLo Lhe ozone, slnklng deeply lnLo Lhe couch
cushlons, her naked Lhlgh draped over !ameson 8ook's magnlflcenL ass. She awoke slowly abouL an hour
laLer and lazed a few momenLs waLchlng hlm as he saL aL Lhe counLer worklng on hls lapLop ln only hls
unLucked shlrL and Calvlns. l dldn'L even feel you geL up," she sald. uld you sleep?"
1oo wlred Lo be Llred. uon'L even know whaL a Llme zone ls anymore."
uoes sex help your wrlLlng?"
Sure doesn'L hurL." Pe sLopped and roLaLed Lo face her wlLh a grln, Lhen wenL back Lo hls
compuLer. 8uL l'm noL acLually wrlLlng-wrlLlng. l'm [usL downloadlng and savlng some aLLachmenLs l e-
malled myself. Won'L be a sex-l mean sec. . . . Cr do l?"
?ou e-mall yourself? 8ook, lf you're lonely, l could e-mall you."
Pe conLlnued worklng keysLrokes as he explalned. l always back up my lad docs and smarL phone
noLes by e-malllng Lhem Lo myself. 1haL way, lf my lad Lakes a dlp ln a swamp or my phone geLs
conflscaLed by some former LasLern 8loc gun runner . . . or l leave lL on Lhe 8 1raln llke an ldloL . . . l
don'L lose all my work." WlLh a flourlsh, he double-Lapped Lhe Lrack pad. uone."
AfLer Lhey made love agaln, of all places, ln Lhe bedroom, PeaL and 8ook held each oLher ln Lhe
dark. A Lrlckle of sweaL ran across one of nlkkl's breasLs and she wondered-hls or hers? She Lracked
Lhe sensaLlon of lLs slow, meanderlng course beLween Lhem and smlled. AfLer a monLh aparL, how
wonderful Lo be close enough LhaL she couldn'L Lell whose sweaL was whose.
When Lhey boLh declded Lhey were hungry, she wondered aloud who was sLlll dellverlng afLer mldnlghL,
buL 8ook was already aL hls sulLcase flshlng ouL a palr of sweaLpanLs. ?ou're noL golng ouL," she sald.
10-10 WlnS sald lL's ln mlnus Lemps LonlghL." Pe sald noLhlng, [usL handed nlkkl her robe and led her Lo
Lhe klLchen. Pe opened Lhe door Lo Lhe refrlgeraLor and came ouL wlLh a half dozen LakeouL Lrays.
8ook, whaL dld you do?"
PlL SushlSamba on Lhe way over." Pe seL a conLalner of each on Lhe counLer. LeL's see, goL your
Samba ark roll, your 8o8o 8razll, your Creen Lnvy . . . ," he paused Lo purr llke a Llger, . . . your Luna
sashlml."
Ch my Cod," sald nlkkl, and you goL yellowLall cevlche?"
uo l know you? MargarlLa, senorlLa?"
5l." She laughed, rememberlng how long lL had been slnce she'd done LhaL.
8ook seL Lhe plLcher he had mlxed on Lhe Llles and, as he salLed Lwo glasses, sald, Conslder Lhe
poLenLlal lrony. lour weeks survlvlng nlghLLlme [ungle landlngs ln Lhe cargo bays of unmarked planes,
mulLlple deLenLlons by corrupL border guards, geLLlng roughed up ln Lhe Lrunk of some paranold
Colomblan drug lord's Ll uorado by hls crackhead flunkles, only Lo be gunned down ln my glrlfrlend's
aparLmenL."
no laugh, 8ook, l was feellng [umpy. l Lhlnk someone was followlng me LonlghL."
Serlously? uld you see who?"
no. And noL a hundred percenL sure abouL lL."
?es, you are," he sald. Should you call MonLrose?"
1here was a Llme LhaL's exacLly whaL she would have done. ueLecLlve PeaL would have leL her
capLaln know and Lhen vehemenLly decllned hls offer Lo park a crulser ouL fronL (whlch he would have
done anyway, lgnorlng her proLesLs). lL wasn'L Lhe uncerLalnLy abouL Lhe Lall LhaL sLopped her, Lhough. lL
was Lhe uncerLalnLy ln Lhe face of hlm quesLlonlng her [udgmenL and leadershlp. lus her own
awkwardness deallng wlLh Lhe capLaln wlLh so many susplclons swlrllng. no," she sald. lL's Loo welrd
wlLh MonLrose now. klnd of Lense."
WlLh MonLrose? And you? WhaL's golng on?"
1he day had been such a grlnd, and Lhls resplLe was such a welcome oasls, she sald, Way Loo much
Lo geL lnLo now. l'm noL shuLLlng you ouL, buL can we leave lL unLll Lomorrow?"
AbsoluLely." Pe held up hls glass. 1o reunlons."
1hey cllnked solot and slpped. 1he LasLe of a margarlLa would always remlnd her of Lhe flrsL nlghL
Lhey had sex ln Lhe summer heaL wave. Pope you learned your lesson abouL sneaklng ln here wlLhouL a
heads-up."
?ou gave me a key. And whaL klnd of surprlse would LhaL make, lf l called?"
1he surprlse would have been yours lf l'd had company."
Pe served Lhe food, placlng Lhe cuL rolls of sushl on her plaLe and Lhen hls wlLh chopsLlcks. ?ou're
rlghL. 1haL would have surprlsed me."
WhaL?" she sald, ?ou mean, surprlsed lf l had been wlLh someone?"
?ou wouldn'L be."
l sure could."
Could, yes. Would? no. 1haL's noL who you are, nlkkl PeaL."
A llLLle presumpLuous." She aLe some of Lhe cevlche, and as she LasLed Lhe clLrus and cllanLro,
rellshlng how lL made Lhe flsh even fresher, nlkkl reflecLed on how close she had come Lo brlnglng uon
home wlLh her LhaL nlghL. And how do you know LhaL's noL who l am, !ameson 8ook?"
lL's noL abouL knowlng. ?ou can never really know someone. lL's really abouL LrusL."
Curlous. We've never really deflned our . . ."
. . . LxcluslvlLy?" he sald, flnlshlng for her.
She nodded, ?eah, LhaL. And yeL you LrusL me?" Pe chewed a Creen Lnvy and nodded back. And
whaL abouL you, 8ook, am l supposed Lo LrusL you?"
?ou already do."
l see. And how far does Lhls LrusL exLend?" she asked, chopsLlcklng a dab of wasabl for her nexL
vlcLlm. WhaL abouL Lravel? WhaL's lL called? 1he Pundred Mlle 8ule?"
?ou mean Lhe one LhaL says you can do whaLever-meanlng whoever-you wanL lf you're more
Lhan a hundred mlles away? 1he varlaLlon on Lhe 'WhaL Pappens ln vegas' 8ule?"
1haL's Lhe one," she sald.
Slnce you broughL lL up, Lhe places l've been, slLuaLlons do presenL Lhemselves. uo Lhey ever. And
yes, l absoluLely subscrlbe Lo Lhe Pundred Mlle 8ule." She seL her chopsLlcks on Lhe slde of her plaLe,
parallel Lo each oLher, and sLudled hlm. Pe conLlnued, 8uL here's Lhe Lhlng. Accordlng Lo 8ook's 8ule,
no maLLer where l am ln Lhe world, a hundred mlles or a Lhousand, Mlle Zero sLarLs here." Pe poked Lwo
flngers on hls chesL.
nlkkl LhoughL a momenL, Lhen plcked up a plece of sushl wlLh her flngers. When l flnlsh Lhls Samba
roll? l wanL you Lo preLend Mlle Zero ls a beach ln ll[l. . . . And we're on lL alone." She popped lL ln her
mouLh ln one blLe and fllcked her eyebrows aL hlm whlle she chewed.
1he nexL mornlng brlsk walk" Look on a llLeral meanlng as she and 8ook plcked Lhelr way over lce
paLches on Lhe way Lo Lhe subway ln mlnus-Lwo degrees lahrenhelL. AL leasL Lhe smack of cold ln her
face helped wake her up. PeaL had Lo Lear herself ouL of LhaL LoasLy bed wlLh hlm Lo make her breakfasL
meeLlng on Llme. Pe helped by geLLlng up wlLh her and brewlng coffee whlle she showered. When she
sLepped ouL, he was packlng up gear so he could geL Lo hls lofL ln 1rlbeca and a day of wrlLlng. 1he
deadllne for hls arms smuggllng arLlcle loomed, and he Lold her LhaL on lLs heels he owed Lhe proofread
galleys for hls ghosLwrlLLen romance novel, net oJless kolqbt.
l feel llke l [usL had one of Lhose," she sald as Lhey klssed aL Lhe sLalrs leadlng down Lo Lhe 6 Lraln aL
23rd.
Any complalnLs?"
Cnly one," sald PeaL. lL ls abouL Lo end."
nlkkl made one more survey of ark Avenue SouLh and was saLlsfled she wasn'L belng followed. And
as 8ook sLood holdlng Lhe cab he had halled, walLlng ln Lhe sLreeL whlle he waLched her, hls pause
conflrmed nlkkl's susplclon LhaL hls early rlse Lo geL Lo work was an excuse Lo escorL her wlLhouL saylng
so. 1he sldewalk rumbled llke dlsLanL Lhunder below, and she could hear Lhe screech of Lhe subway
braklng as lL slowed aL Lhe sLaLlon. She gave hlm a head nod and hurrled down Lo meeL lL.
1he dell Zach Pamner had chosen couldn'L have been more convenlenL. 1he CorLe Cafe sLorefronLed her
subway exlL on LafayeLLe beLween uuane and 8eade, rlghL across Lhe sLreeL from Lhe Munlclpal 8ulldlng
and, [usL behlnd lL, Cne ollce laza. PeaL pushed Lhrough Lhe glass door behlnd a Lrlo of consLrucLlon
workers who Lossed Lhelr hardhaLs on a Lable and swarmed Lhe counLer, calllng ouL orders for breakfasL
burrlLos and ham & eggs on a kalser. She dldn'L know Pamner, buL Lhe sklnny guy ln a black sulL and gold
Lle aL a wlndow Lable was a good candldaLe. Pe sLood Lo wave aL her wlLh one hand, he held hls
8lack8erry Lo hls ear wlLh Lhe oLher. As she sLepped over, he sald lnLo hls phone, LlsLen, l goLLa go, my
breakfasL meeLlng ls here. CklaLerbye." Pe seL Lhe phone on Lhe Lable and exLended a hand. ueLecLlve
PeaL, Zach Pamner, slL, slL."
nlkkl Look Lhe chalr across from hlm and noLlced he had ordered for her. Coffee and a plaln bagel
wlLh Lwo plasLlc poLs of cream cheese. Coffee should sLlll be hoL," he sald. lL geLs [ammed ln here, and
l dldn'L wanL us Lo spend our whole mornlng ln llne behlnd Lhe consLrucLlon goons." AL Lhe Lable beslde
Lhem, a hardhaL wlLh a brush musLache looked up from hls Sudoku, buck-snorLed, and Lhen wenL back
Lo hls puzzle. lf Zach Pamner noLlced-or cared-he dldn'L leL on. Anyway, glad you could make lL.
Pope lL wasn'L Loo much of an lnconvenlence."
She felL Lhe slde of her coffee cup. lL was cool. She Lrled noL Lo begrudge Lhe exLra hour she mlghL
have had wlLh 8ook, noL Lo menLlon geLLlng a [ump on her case work. l'm an early rlser," she sald. lus
you were preLLy lnslsLenL."
1hank you," he sald, maklng nlkkl wonder lf Lhere had been some unlnLended flaLLery ln her Lone.
l reached ouL Lo make sure we had Lhe opporLunlLy Lo connecL early ln your process. noL [usL Lo leL you
know we're here-LhaL Legal ls here-lf you need an asslsL along Lhe way, buL also because we Lhlnk lL's
lmporLanL Lo have a relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe up-and-comers of Lhe deparLmenL."
PeaL was geLLlng Lhe plcLure falrly qulckly. . . . Pow could she noL? Zach, Lhls-whaL dld he say hls
LlLle was?-Senlor AdmlnlsLraLlve Alde Lo Lhe uepuLy Commlssloner for Legal MaLLers, was a career
neLworker. Cne of Lhose funcLlonarles who aLe and slepL Lhe [ob, basked ln Lhe reflecLed glory of hls
boss, and drew power from Lhe proxlmlLy he forged wlLh Lhe upper ranks. Pence Lhe royal we. She
declded he probably kepL a plcLure of 8ahm Lmanuel Laped Lo hls baLhroom mlrror so he could see lL
when he shaved.
?ou should know l have brlefed Lhe depuLy commlssloner on your sLellar LesL score. l also sllpped ln
a copy of LhaL magazlne plece on you. Pe's qulLe lmpressed."
1haL's nlce Lo know." She Lore off a blLe-slzed plece of bagel and, as she smeared some cream
cheese on lL, conLlnued, AlLhough, you know, lf we do only geL flfLeen mlnuLes, l hope Lhose were
mlne."
lnLeresLlng. l assumed LhaL you had malnLalned a close relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe press." lf he only
knew, LhoughL nlkkl. She flashed on Lhe wake-up surprlse she had glven 8ook LhaL very mornlng.
Pamner conLlnued, lrom Lhe arLlcle, l goL Lhe lmpresslon you knew [usL how Lo handle LhaL reporLer."
lL's a sklll l've learned Lo develop," sald PeaL, suppresslng a smlrk. 8uL l'm noL one for Lhe
llmellghL."
Ch, please, we're grown-ups here," he sald. AmblLlon lsn'L a dlrLy word. noL aL Lhls Lable, l assure
you." Clearly, she LhoughL. ?our declslon Lo Lake Lhe lleuLenanL's LesL, was LhaL noL amblLlon?"
ln a way."
?es. And we are Lhankful you dld. We need more nlkkl PeaLs. And fewer bad apples." Pe saL back
ln hls chalr and [ammed hls hands deep ln hls pockeLs, sLudylng her reacLlon as he added, 1ell me
whaL's golng on wlLh CapLaln MonLrose."
nlkkl felL her small blLe of bagel pushlng agalnsL Lhe lnslde of her sLernum. WhaLever agenda PeaL
had percelved for Lhls meeLlng, pure neLworklng wasn'L lL. She dldn'L yeL know how much welghL Zach
Pamner carrled, buL cauLlon led her Lo choose her words carefully. She slpped some cold coffee and sald,
l've been hearlng LhaL CapLaln MonLrose has been golng Lhrough a rough paLch over Lhere." nlkkl
hlLched a Lhumb behlnd her rlghL shoulder ln Lhe dlrecLlon of 1. 8uL l'm aL a loss Lo undersLand lL.
Maybe afLer so many years worklng LogeLher, my experlence wlLh hlm has been dlfferenL." PeaL LhoughL
abouL leavlng lL aL LhaL, buL Lhere was a dlsLasLeful undercurrenL of someLhlng hungry and cunnlng
comlng off Lhe young lawyer. ln splLe of nlkkl's unseLLllng feellngs abouL whaLever was golng on wlLh Lhe
Cap, her loyalLy was sLrong and someLhlng abouL seelng all Lhe dorsal flns break Lhe surface laLely made
her add a llLLle push-back. WlLh all due respecL?"
lease."
lf you lnvlLed me Lo breakfasL hoplng l would glve you some dlrL or Lo go on record and dlsparage
my commander, you're golng Lo be dlsappolnLed. l deal ln facLs, noL lnnuendo."
Pamner cracked a grln. ?ou're good. no, l mean LhaL. Well handled."
8ecause lL's Lhe LruLh."
Pe nodded and leaned forward, casually presslng hls foreflnger lnLo a clusLer of sesame seeds on hls
plaLe before he nlbbled Lhem off. 8uL we all know, especlally a veLeran deLecLlve knows, Lhere are
many LruLhs. lL's really [usL anoLher value, lsn'L lL? Llke dlscreLlon. Pard work. LoyalLy." Pls 8lack8erry
vlbraLed on Lhe Lable. Pe looked aL hls screen, made a sour face, and pressed a buLLon Lo sllence lL. 1he
Lhlng abouL loyalLy, ueLecLlve PeaL, ls LhaL crlLlcal Llmes come where a reasonable person has Lo be
ob[ecLlve. 1ake a hard look aL LruLhs. 1o make sure old loyalLles aren'L suddenly mlsplaced. Cr bllndlng."
1hen he smlled. Cr, who knows? 1o see lf lL may be Llme for some new ones." Pe rose Lo go and gave
her a buslness card. 1he offlce number rlngs Lo my 8lack8erry afLer hours. LeL's fly close."
lL was sLlll early for her squad Lo be ln for shlfL, so ueLecLlve PeaL speed-dlaled Lhelr moblles on her walk
from Lhe dell Lo PC. 1he oysLery clouds rolllng ln from new !ersey began Lo lssue lce pelleLs LhaL sLung
her face and bounced off Lhe lnLerlocklng brlckwork of Lhe walkway beLween Lhe Munlclpal 8ulldlng and
pollce headquarLers. Palfway Lhere nlkkl sLopped for shelLer under Lhe 1ony 8osenLhal sculpLure and
llsLened Lo Lhe frozen raln Llnklng llke handfuls of rlce off lLs red meLal dlscs whlle she made her calls.
1he male sLrlp club dldn'L open unLll eleven, so her plan was Lo spllL up 8oach, asslgnlng Cchoa Lo
concenLraLe on geLLlng laLher Craf's compuLer from lorenslcs Lo check hls e-malls and 8aley Lo run a
check on Lhe prlesL's phone records. Powever, when she reached hlm, Cchoa reporLed LhaL he and
8aley had already hlL Lhe club Lhe nlghL before. ?ou were sLlll behlnd closed doors wlLh MonLrose and
we dldn'L wanL Lo dlsLurb you slnce lL looked llke you were havlng such a good Llme ln Lhere." 1he
deLecLlve paused Lo leL hls dry humor land Lhen conLlnued, So we dropped by Cne PoL Mess aL happy
hour Lo see lf we could geL some momenLum ln Lhe case."
1haL's a load. ?ou Lwo [usL wanLed an excuse Lo walk on Lhe wlld slde." She could have [usL sald
whaL she felL and expressed her genulne appreclaLlon for Lhelr lnlLlaLlve, buL LhaL would have been a
breach of uC8A-Lhe unspoken CompllmenLs and 8elaLlonshlp Avoldance roLocols observed among
cops. So PeaL sald Lhe opposlLe. As lf she meanL lL.
l dld lL for 8aley," he sald, respondlng ln klnd. My parLner, he's a curlous pony who wlll noL be
broken." 1hey'd had some success. AfLer showlng laLher Craf's phoLo around, one of Lhe sLrlppers
recognlzed hlm. 1he nekked Cowpoke (whose name and spelllng, he polnLed ouL, had for Lhe prlce of a
lap dance been legally parsed Lo avold Lrademark lnfrlngemenL) sald Lhe prlesL ln Lhe phoLo had been ln
Lhe club a week before and had goLLen lnLo a shouLlng maLch wlLh one of Lhe oLher dancers. lL was so
heaLed Lhe bouncer klcked Lhe padre ouL.
uld your cowpoke hear whaL Lhey were argulng abouL?" asked PeaL.
no, LhaL musL have come before Lhey Lhrew down. 8uL he dld hear one Lhlng before Lhe bouncer
lnLervened. 1he dancer grabbed Lhe prlesL by Lhe neck and sald he'd klll hlm."
8rlng hlm ln for a chaL. now."
We have Lo flnd hlm flrsL," Cchoa replled. Pe qulL Lhree days ago and cleared ouL of hls
aparLmenL. 8aley ls dolng a Lrace now."
Per nexL call was Lo Sharon Plnesburg. She had been wlLh PeaL when Mrs. 8orelll heslLaLed over
one of Lhe survelllance sLllls, so she goL Lhe call Lo work on flndlng an lu of Lhe man. When nlkkl reached
ueLecLlve 8hymer, she Lold hlm Lo pass word Lo Callagher LhaL Lhe Lwo of Lhem were back on Lhe
bondage beaL. She wanLed Lhem Lo generaLe a llsL of freelance domlnaLrlxes LhaL Lhey mlssed Lhe day
before. l don'L wanL any Lo sllp Lhrough Lhe cracks [usL because Lhey dldn'L have relaLlonshlps wlLh Lhe
clubs ln 1he Alley," she explalned.
1hls ls a surprlse," 8hymer sald. l LhoughL we were golng Lo work more llnes Lhan [usL Lhe 8uSM
angle."
new orders for now" was all she sald, buL as she fllpped up Lhe back of her collar and sLepped ouL
lnLo Lhe cascade of lce pelleLs, she wondered whaL resources she was squanderlng by followlng
MonLrose's edlcL. Per phone rang as she cleared Lhe double-wlde guard shack ouLslde Lhe lobby. 8aley
had scored a recenL gas-and-elecLrlc hookup for Lhe male dancer. Pls new aparLmenL was ln 8rooklyn
PelghLs, [usL over Lhe brldge from where she sLood. nlkkl Lold 8ales she'd be done ln flfLeen mlnuLes
and Lo plck her up ln Lhe 8oach Coach on Lhelr way over.
AL ersonnel, PeaL slgned her requesL for examlnaLlon resulLs, check lng Lhe boxes for boLh e-mall and
hard copy. ulglLal Age or noL, Lhere was someLhlng abouL havlng Lhe documenL ln hand LhaL reassured
her. 8lack-and-whlLe sLlll made lL real. 1he clerk sLepped away and reLurned a shorL Llme laLer Lo sllde a
sealed envelope across Lhe counLer Lo her. nlkkl slgned Lhe recelpL and sLepped away wlLh Lhe aura of
belng Loo cool Lo rlp lnLo lL rlghL Lhere ln Lhe offlce. 1haL delay of graLlflcaLlon vaporlzed preclsely Lwo
seconds afLer she goL ln Lhe hall and Lore lL open.
Lxcuse me, ueLecLlve PeaL?" ln Lhe lobby nlkkl Lurned Lo Lhe woman she had passed who was
geLLlng on Lhe elevaLor as she sLepped off. She had never meL hyllls ?arborough, buL nlkkl cerLalnly
knew who she was. She had gllmpsed Lhe uepuLy Commlssloner of 1echnologlcal uevelopmenL aL
deparLmenL ceremonles and, [usL over a year before, on 60 Mlootes. 1haL was when ?arborough had
celebraLed Lhe flfLh annlversary of Lhe 8eal 1lme Crlme CenLer by glvlng a rare on-camera Lour of Lhe
daLa nerve cenLer she had helped as an ouLslde conLracLor Lo deslgn and now oversaw as a clvlllan
appolnLee Lo Lhe ollce Commlsslon.
1he depuLy commlssloner was ln her early flfLles, a coln fllp beLween handsome and aLLracLlve. 1o
nlkkl's vlew, aLLracLlve won Lhe day. lL was Lhe smlle. A real person smlle-Lhe klnd you see more on
enLrepreneurlal CLCs Lhan governmenL offlclals. PeaL also noLed LhaL whlle many ranklng women
armored Lhemselves ln power sulLs or SL. !ohns upholsLery, hyllls ?arborough's buslness sLyle was
accesslble and femlnlne. Lven Lhough she was wealLhler Lhan wealLhy her sulL only looked expenslve. A
Lallored !ones new ?ork cardlgan and pencll sklrL nlkkl could have afforded, and seelng lL on her,
LhoughL serlously abouL geLLlng.
?our name's come up a few Llmes laLely around here, ueLecLlve. Are your ears burnlng?" AfLer she
exLended a hand Lo shake nlkkl's, ?arborough sald, uo you have some Llme Lo come up Lo my offlce for
a cup?"
nlkkl Lrled noL Lo look aL her waLch. 1he oLher woman read her and sald, Cf course, you're
probably on a LlghL schedule."
AcLually, LhaL's qulLe Lrue. ?ou know how lL ls, l'm sure."
l do. 8uL l haLe Lo mlss Lhls chance. uo you have Lhree mlnuLes for a qulck chaL?" She slde nodded,
lndlcaLlng Lhe Lwo chalrs across Lhe lobby.
nlkkl consldered, Lhen sald Lo Lhe depuLy commlssloner, Cf course."
When Lhey saL, hyllls ?arborough looked aL her own waLch. keeplng myself honesL," she sald. So.
nlkkl PeaL. uo you know Lhe reason your name has been popplng up? lL's ln your hands, rlghL Lhere."
When nlkkl looked down aL Lhe envelope resLlng on her lap, Lhe admlnlsLraLor conLlnued, LeL me puL
Lhls ln conLexL for you. ln Lhls year's romoLlon LxamlnaLlon for LleuLenanL over eleven hundred
deLecLlves Look Lhe LesL. ?ou know how many passed? llfLeen percenL. LlghLy-flve percenL of Lhe
appllcanLs flunked ouL. Cf Lhe flfLeen percenL LhaL passed, you know whaL Lhe hlghesL score was?
LlghLy-elghL." She paused. LxcepL for you, ueLecLlve PeaL." nlkkl had [usL seen her score and felL a
small buLLerfly Lo hear lL repeaLed. ?ou scored a nlneLy-elghL. 1haL ls whaL l call flaL-ouL excepLlonal."
WhaL else was Lhere Lo say? 1hank you."
?ou're golng Lo flnd ouL lL's a mlxed blesslng, dolng so well. lL puLs you on Lhe radar as a rlslng sLar.
Whlch you are. 1he downslde ls LhaL everyone wlLh an agenda ls golng Lo Lry Lo geL Lhelr hooks ln you."
!usL as nlkkl reflecLed on her breakfasL, ?arborough spoke her LhoughLs. LxpecL a call from Zachary
Pamner. Ch, l see from your face he already has. 1he Pammer's noL a force for bad, buL waLch your
back. ?ou wlll be quoLed." She laughed and added, 1he damn Lhlng ls, he quoLes accuraLely, so be
double warned."
nlkkl nodded and LhoughL, 1he Pammer, huh? erfecL.
l have my agenda, Loo, l [usL don'L preLend oLherwlse. know why Lransparency's a beauLlful Lhlng?
1ransparency means no shame. So l'll be shameless. 1here's a fuLure up Lhe ranks for a smarL deLecLlve
who has her hearL ln Lhe rlghL place. repare yourself, l mlghL even courL you Lo work wlLh me."
1hls woman, as powerful and as busy as she was, had Lhe quallLy of maklng nlkkl feel llke she was
Lhe only one on her mlnd LhaL day. PeaL wasn'L naive, of course Lhe depuLy commlssloner was pushlng
an agenda, same as 1he Pammer had, buL raLher Lhan feellng wary, nlkkl felL engaged, energlzed. 1hese
were Lhe same quallLles of leadershlp LhaL had made ?arborough a doL-com forLune years before ln
prlvaLe lndusLry. PeaL sald, l'm cerLalnly open Lo seelng where Lhls all goes. MeanLlme, l'm flaLLered."
1hls lsn'L [usL because you scored a nlneLy-elghL. l've had my eye on you slnce your magazlne
arLlcle. We are Lwo women wlLh a loL ln common." She read nlkkl's expresslon and sald, l know, l know,
you're a cop, and l'm a clvlllan-and an admlnlsLraLor, aL LhaL-buL where l really connecLed wlLh you ln
LhaL arLlcle was when l read we are boLh vlcLlms of famlly murders." PeaL noLlced she used Lhe presenL
Lense, a slgn of one who knows Lhe paln LhaL never heals.
Looklng aL hyllls ?arborough, nlkkl found herself peerlng lnLo a mlrror lmage LhaL bore Lhe lmprlnL
of a dlsLanL agony. 1he klndred splrlLs ouL Lhere never fall Lo recognlze Lhe sear of faLe ln each oLher and
ln lL an lnvlslble brand marklng Lhe nexus of Lhelr upended llves. lor nlkkl, lL had been her moLher,
sLabbed Lo deaLh a decade before. ?arborough's loss was her only daughLer back ln 2002, roofled,
raped, beaLen, and dumped on a beach ln 8ermuda, where she had been on college Sprlng 8reak.
Lveryone knew Lhe sLory. lL was lnescapable ln Lhe malnsLream news and Lhen mllked beyond lLs shelf
llfe by Lhe Lablolds long afLer Lhe coed's klller confessed and wenL Lo prlson for llfe.
nlkkl broke Lhe brlef sllence wlLh an afflrmlng smlle. ?eL we go on."
1he depuLy commlssloner's face brlghLened. ?es, we do." And Lhen she looked deeply lnLo nlkkl, as
lf Laklng her measure. lL drlves you, doesn'L lL? 1hlnklng abouL Lhe klller?"
PeaL sald, l wonder abouL hlm, lf LhaL's whaL you mean. Who? Why?"
uo you wanL revenge?"
l dld." nlkkl had glven lL loLs of LhoughL over Lhe years, and sald, now lL's noL so much revenge as
[usLlce. Cr maybe closure. WhaL abouL you?"
Academlc. My accounLs are seLLled. 8uL leL me Lell you whaL l've learned. Popefully, lL helps you."
She leaned closer Lo nlkkl and sald, 1here ls [usLlce. 8uL Lhere ls no such Lhlng as closure." 1hen she
made an exaggeraLed show of looklng aL her waLch. Well now. l'm Len seconds away from noL belng a
woman of my word." She rose, and as nlkkl sLood, Lhey shook hands agaln. klck some buLL ouL Lhere
Loday, nlkkl PeaL."
l wlll. And a pleasure meeLlng you, uepuLy Commlssloner."
hyllls. And leL's make sure Lhls ls [usL our flrsL meeLlng."
PeaL lefL Cne ollce laza wlLh Lhe second buslness card she had been glven ln a half hour. lL felL llke
Lhe one she would acLually keep handy.
A flreflghLer came ouL of Lhe Lnglne 203 sLaLlon house on Mlddaugh SLreeL ln 8rooklyn PelghLs and
LroLLed, hunched agalnsL Lhe frozen raln, Lo hls plckup Lruck aL Lhe curb. ueLecLlve 8aley sald, Whoa,
whoa, hold up, here. Cuy looks llke he's pulllng ouL."
ueLecLlve Cchoa gave Lhe 8oach Coach some brakes and Lurned Lhe rearvlew mlrror so he could see
nlkkl ln Lhe backseaL. See whaL l puL up wlLh on a dally basls? '1urn here, sLop Lhere, look ouL for Lhe
homeless guy . . .' lL's llke l've goL Lhe lellx unger dude from 1wo ooJ o nolf Meo as my Lalklng CS."
Co before somebody Lakes lL," sald 8aley as Lhe plckup lefL.
AfLer Cchoa parked, Lhe Lhree deLecLlves saL ln Lhe Crown vlc wlLh Lhe blades on lnLermlLLenL so
Lhey could observe Lhe aparLmenL house where Lhe male sLrlpper had [usL moved. lL was a 1920s elghL-
sLory brlck bulldlng surrounded by scaffoldlng for lLs renovaLlon. no workmen were ln slghL, whlch 8aley
sald could have been due Lo Lhe exLreme wlnLry weaLher.
llgures a male sLrlpper would move ln across from a flrehouse," sald Cchoa. ln case he needs a
pole Lo pracLlce on."
WhaL's hls name agaln?" asked PeaL.
8aley consulLed hls sheeL. PorsL Meuller. Pe's from Pamburg, Cermany. My wlLness aL Lhe sLrlp
club says when Meuller sLarLed, he danced ln a World War l geLup as 1he 8ed 8arln'. now he does a
LuroLrash sLrlp ln sllver lame as Pans Alloffur." Pe half-Lurned Lo nlkkl. All Lhese guys have Lheme acLs,
you see."
1ell her Lhe name of LhaL one sLrlpper lasL nlghL." Cchoa chuckled. ?ou're gonna love Lhls."
MarLy yLhon," sald 8aley.
nlkkl shook her head. l won'L even ask."
1he super leL Lhem ln so Lhey dldn'L have Lo warn Meuller by buzzlng hls lnLercom. 1hey Look
poslLlon ouLslde hls door and Cchoa knocked.
Who ls Lhere?" came Lhe accenLed volce from lnslde.
8aley held hls shleld Lo Lhe spy hole. n?u Lo speak wlLh PorsL Meuller."
Cf course. !usL a momenL, please."
nlkkl could smell Lhe sLall and was already down a half fllghL of sLalrs by Lhe Llme she heard
Meuller's deadbolL snap lnLo place on hls door, followed by 8oach-klcks Lo Lhe wood. She salled Lhrough
Lhe vesLlbule and ouL onLo Lhe sldewalk, looklng for Lhe flre escape. 1haL way!" called Cchoa ouL Lhe
open Lhlrd-floor wlndow.
PeaL's gaze followed Cchoa's gesLure Lo Lhe far end of Lhe bulldlng, where Lhe male dancer was
slldlng down and around Lhe corner pole of Lhe scaffoldlng, Loward Lhe sldewalk. PeaL called for hlm Lo
freeze, buL he somersaulLed off Lhe lasL rung, landlng on boLh feeL. Meuller sllpped and almosL fell on
Lhe lcy walkway buL qulckly goL hls balance and sLarLed Lo run, hls long, blond lablo halr fluLLerlng
behlnd hlm.
As ueLecLlve PeaL Look off afLer hlm, 8aley blasLed ouL Lhe fronL door calllng coordlnaLes for backup
on hls walkle-Lalkle as he [olned Lhe fooL chase.
looLlng was Lreacherous wlLh abouL an elghLh-lnch of lce granules down and more falllng. When
Meuller bolLed across Lhe lnLersecLlon aL Penry SLreeL, an auLo parLs dellvery Lruck slammed lLs brakes
Lo avold hlLLlng hlm and skldded helplessly sldeways, crashlng lnLo a parked car. PeaL dldn'L cross Penry
Lo pursue hlm. Pls slde of Lhe sLreeL was open sldewalk. Pers was largely resLauranL and reLall wlLh
numerous awnlngs overhanglng Lhe way, whlch meanL she had a shoL aL runnlng on concreLe lnsLead of
lce.
8y Lhe nexL lnLersecLlon, she was parallel wlLh hlm. PeaL made a fasL sLreeL check over her lefL
shoulder. 1he road was clear excepL for up Lhe block, where she clocked Lhe 8oach Coach comlng
around Lhe corner wlLh lLs gumball llL. Slowlng Lo keep from falllng, she [ogged across Lhe lnLersecLlon,
calllng, n?u, Meuller, sLop!"
Pe Lurned, sLarLled aL Lhe closeness of her volce, and when he dld, hls momenLum pulled hls cenLer
of gravlLy ouL from over hls feeL and he sLumbled. Meuller would have fallen flaL, buL he grabbed Lhe
ralllng of some concreLe sLeps leadlng up Lo Lhe promenade Lo some hlgh-rlse aparLmenLs and only wenL
down on one knee. Pe was [usL holsLlng hlmself up when PeaL leaped, grabbed Lhe ralllng, and vaulLed
herself over, landlng on Lop of hlm and Laklng hlm down.
1he snap she heard as Meuller wenL down was followed by a 5cbelss!" and a moan. Pe wrlLhed,
groanlng on Lhe concreLe sLalrs as PeaL cuffed hlm. 8y Lhen 8aley had arrlved and Lhey broughL hlm Lo
hls feeL.
Careful," sald nlkkl, l Lhlnk l heard someLhlng break."
Io, my collarbone, why dld you do LhaL Lo me?"
Cchoa had Lhe Crown vlcLorla double-parked wlLh Lhe back door open, and Lhey led Lhelr prlsoner
Lo lL. Why dld you run?"
PorsL Meuller never answered. 1he bulleL rlpped Lhrough Lhe collar of hls shlrL, and PeaL and 8aley
were sprayed wlLh blood. Pe dropped agaln buL dldn'L moan. Cr make any sound.
PeaL called, uown, down, everybody down!" and hlL Lhe deck, coverlng Meuller's body as she
broughL up her Slg, scannlng Lhe aparLmenL promenade, Lhe hlgh-rlse, Lhe roof across Lhe sLreeL. Cn Lhe
oLher slde of Lhe fallen dancer, 8aley had hls weapon ouL and was dolng Lhe same, even as he called ln
Lhe 10-13, shoLs flred.
Cn Penry SLreeL, an englne Lhundered and Llres spun, whlnlng for purchase ln Lhe lce. PeaL ran ln a
low crouch for cover beslde Cchoa aL Lhe 8oach Coach, buL lL was Loo laLe. 1he Suv spun lLs Llres and
sped off, drlvlng over Lhe curb as lL Lurned onLo Crange and ouL of vlew.
PeaL recognlzed Lhe Suv. She called lL ln as graphlLe gray wlLh heavy-duLy Llres, buL LhaL was Lhe
besL descrlpLlon she could glve. 1hls Llme, lL had no llcense plaLes.
llvL
1he Lwo paramedlcs ln Lhe back of Lhe ambulance were sLlll worklng on keeplng PorsL Meuller from sllpplng
away when Lhe unlform buLLoned up Lhe rear doors and lL rolled from Lhe scene. nlkkl PeaL sLood holdlng her
breaLh agalnsL lLs lssue of dlesel exhausL and waLched lL lumber off ln Lhe sleeL, followlng Lhe same rouLe Lhe
Suv had noL a half hour before. A block down Crange SLreeL, aL Lhe perlmeLer of Lhe crlme scene, Lhe slren
klcked on, a slgn LhaL, aL leasL for Lhe momenL, Lhere was sLlll a llfe on LhaL gurney.
ueLecLlve leller handed PeaL and 8aley each a cup of coffee. Can'L vouch for lL, lL's from Lhe
Chlnese place over Lhere. 8uL lL'll warm you up."
8aley's asslsL call had drawn a swarm. llrsL on Lhe scene had been Lhe crew of new ?ork's 8ravesL
from Lhe 203 up Lhe block. lf Lhe danclng Cerman pulled Lhrough, he would owe lL Lo hls flreflghLer
nelghbors for slowlng Lhe bleedlng wlLhln mlnuLes. Crulsers from Lhe LlghLy-fourLh reclncL and Lhe
nelghborlng SevenLy-slxLh were flrsL cops on-scene, followed lmmedlaLely by leller and van MeLer ln
Lhelr undercover Laxl. WlLh Lhelr rovlng sLaLus, lL was Lyplcal for 1axl Squad cops Lo be flrsL responders
Lo offlcer asslsL calls, and Cchoa Lhrew a barb aL Lhe palr for leLLlng Lhe home blue-and-whlLes beaL
Lhem.
uuLch van MeLer wlnked Lo hls parLner and lobbed one back. Ch, by Lhe way, ueLecLlve, how'd you
do apprehendlng Lhe vehlcle afLer your pursulL?"
Cchoa had come up empLy. 1he chase was perfuncLory aL besL glven Lhe shooLer's head sLarL, and
Lhey all knew lL. 8uL he had glven lL hls besL efforL, able aL leasL Lo follow Lhe wlde Lracks ln Lhe freshly
fallen sleeL unLll he losL Lhem on Cld lulLon SLreeL, whlch was more heavlly Lraveled. Pe drove Lhe
8oach Coach on a honeycomb of Lhe nelghborlng sLreeLs on hls way back [usL Lo make sure, buL no Suv.
Cn Lhe oLher slde of Lhe yellow Lape, Lhe flrsL 1v news mlnlcams were seLLlng up. nlkkl saw a lens
polnLed aL her from under a blue Core-1ex sLorm cover and heard her name. She roLaLed Lo presenL her
back Lo Lhe press llne and once agaln grumbled a menLal curse abouL her magazlne cover.
leller Look a slp of hls own coffee and made a face. So none of you saw Lhe shooLer?" SLeam rose
as he poured lL ouL lnLo Lhe guLLer. PeaL, 8aley, and Cchoa all looked aL one anoLher and shook Lhelr
heads.
lL was one of Lhose spllL-second Lhlngs," sald 8aley. We're all focused on our prlsoner, you know,
and ouL of nowhere, bang."
More llke boom," sald Cchoa. All nodded ln agreemenL. l make lL a rlfle."
8oom," sald van MeLer. noL much Lo go on."
PeaL sald, l know Lhe vehlcle." 1hey all Lurned Lo look aL her. l saw lL yesLerday. 1wlce. Cnce ln Lhe
afLernoon on Columbus on Lhe way Lo Andy's and Lhen lasL nlghL ln my nelghborhood."
WhaL's Lhls, ueLecLlve?" PeaL Lurned. CapLaln MonLrose had come up behlnd her. Pe musL have
read Lhelr surprlse, and explalned, l was on my way Lo 1 for a meeLlng and heard Lhe Len-LhlrLeen.
now, am l Lo lnfer LhaL you were belng Lalled buL you dldn'L reporL lL?" Pe dldn'L walL for an answer. l
could have called ln proLecLlon."
l wasn'L sure. And l dldn'L wanL Lo draw resources wlLhouL more cerLalnLy." PeaL lefL ouL Lhe parL
abouL how Lhe sLraln beLween Lhem made her hold back.
1he old MonLrose would have Laken her aslde for a chaL. 8uL new MonLrose snapped aL her rlghL
Lhere ln fronL of her colleagues. 1haL's noL a call for you Lo make. l'm sLlll your commander. My [ob lsn'L
yours . . . yeL." AL LhaL, Lhe capLaln Lurned and crossed Lhe sldewalk Lo confer wlLh Lhe CSu Leam
gaLhered around Lhe bulleL hole ln Lhe servlce door of Lhe hlgh-rlse.
An ass-klcklng ln fronL of Lhe famlly ls an uncomforLable Lhlng for everyone, and ln Lhe dead alr LhaL
followed, Lhe oLher deLecLlves busled Lhemselves Lrylng noL Lo make eye conLacL wlLh PeaL. She Lurned
her face upward lnLo Lhe sleeL and closed her eyes, feellng Lhe hundred llLLle sLlngs of Lhe sky falllng.
When she goL back upLown, nlkkl made a qulck sLop Lo do an appear ance check ouLslde Lhe door Lo Lhe
bull pen, where Lhe fluorescenL overheads creaLed a poor man's mlrror ln Lhe wlndow of MonLrose's
dark offlce. lL wasn'L abouL vanlLy, lL was abouL drled blood. AL Lhe shooLlng scene ln 8rooklyn PelghLs,
LM1s had glven her wlpes Lo clean her face and neck, buL her cloLhes were anoLher sLory. 1he
emergency shlrL and slacks she usually kepL folded ln her desk flle drawer were sLlll aL Lhe cleaners
followlng a laLLe mlshap, so Lhe rusL-colored spray on Lhe collar of her blouse and ln Lhe v paLLern down
Lhe fronL where her coaL had been open would have Lo do. Whlle nlkkl made her appralsal, she heard
ueLecLlve 8hymer's sofL drawl comlng around Lhe corner from Lhe squad room.
PeaL couldn'L hear all he was saylng, [usL snlppeLs because he was speaklng ln hushed Lones. She
plcked up phrases llke . . . wheel splnnlng and make-work . . ." and Pe sald, 'Screw lL, llfe's Loo shorL . .
.' " and Lhen . . . PeaL's more worrled abouL her freaklng promoLlon . . ."
LlsLenlng ln was LanLallzlng buL made nlkkl feel skeevy, llke she was ln a soap. WhaL had hyllls
?arborough sald a few hours before? SomeLhlng llke Lransparency means no shame"? So PeaL Lurned
Lhe corner Lo face whaLever she would face.
WhaL she found was ueLecLlve 8hymer leanlng ln gosslp mode wlLh Sharon Plnesburg aL her desk.
8oLh saL uprlghL ln Lhelr rolllng chalrs when Lhey saw her walk ln. uamn, look aL you," sald Plnesburg,
hopplng Lo her feeL. Who Look Lhe bulleL, you or Lhe dancer?" She was exLra loud, Lhe way people geL
when Lhey're dlverLlng aLLenLlon. Cr hoplng Lo.
nlkkl lgnored her and gave a puzzled look Lo 8hymer. Are you and Callagher done worklng your llsL
of dommes already?"
Pe rose, Loo, albelL more LenLaLlvely. noL qulLe. We came back so l could drop Callagher off."
nlkkl scanned Lhe room and dldn'L see hls parLner. WhaL, ls he slck?"
Callagher, he, ah . . . Pe requesLed a reasslgn back Lo 8urglary." 1he deLecLlve Lurned Lo Plnesburg
as lf he'd flnd some help, buL Sharon was leLLlng hlm deal hls own hand. 1he whlspers nlkkl had [usL
overheard sufflced for her Lo do Lhe maLh. AnoLher day Lalklng Lo domlnaLrlxes felL llke a wasLe Lo
Callagher and so he booked ouL. ApparenLly wlLh some oplnlons expressed abouL ueLecLlve PeaL on hls
exlL. ?ou know," conLlnued 8hymer, we had some cases hanglng LhaL needed some aLLenLlon, and he
musL have [usL felL, you know, obllged Lo mlnd Lhem."
PeaL knew lL was bull buL dldn'L expecL Cple Lo Lhrow ln hls parLner. 1hls laLesL plece of unresL
creaLed by her comlng promoLlon LasLed blLLer, buL she seL lL aslde. Per lmmedlaLe concern was LhaL she
was suddenly down one lnvesLlgaLor. ln LhaL case, l'm glad you hung ln, Cpe."
l'm here, ueLecLlve." 8uL Lhen he couched lL. Long as l can be, LhaL ls."
AL Lhe Murder 8oard a few mlnuLes laLer PeaL selecLed a new marker color and prlnLed Lhe dancer's
name ln Lhe upper lefL corner where Lhere was plenLy of whlLe space. robably doesn'L feel llke lL Lo
hlm, buL lL's PorsL Meuller's lucky day," she Lold Lhe squad. 1he slug Lhey pulled from LhaL door was a
.338 Magnum."
8aley sald, Any brass?"
She shook no. My guess ls he elLher never Lhrew Lhe bolL slnce lL was one shoL, or lf he dld, Lhe
caslng e[ecLed lnLo Lhe vehlcle and lefL wlLh hlm."
Cchoa leL ouL a low whlsLle. .338 Mag. Man . . . PunLers use Lhose loads Lo drop grlzzlles."
And, apparenLly, pole dancers," sald PeaL. l wanL Lo flnd ouL why. ueLecLlve 8hymer, dlg deeper
on PorsL Meuller."
l LhoughL you wanLed me Lo check ouL Lhe freelance dommes," he sald.
nlkkl sLopped herself and for Lhe hundredLh Llme LhoughL abouL her conLenLlous meeLlng wlLh Lhe
capLaln and all Lhe llnes of Lhls lnvesLlgaLlon he had closed down. She clenched her LeeLh and reversed
herself, Lrylng noL Lo choke on her own words. SLay on Lhe 8uSM canvass. When you flnlsh, leL me
know. 1hen we'll see where we are wlLh Meuller."
Are you sure Meuller was Lhe LargeL?" asked 8aley. lf LhaL Suv was Lalllng you, seems llke maybe
you're Lhe one who goL lucky Lhls mornlng."
As a Lralned sleuLh LhaL posslblllLy dld noL escape my noLlce," sald nlkkl, Lugglng aL her
bloodsLalned collar and Lrlggerlng a laugh from Lhe squad. PeaL Lurned Lo Lhe board and skeLched a
looplng arc from Meuller's name Lo laLher Craf's. WhaL l really wanL Lo do ls see whaL Lhe connecLlon
ls, lf any, beLween Lhese Lwo vlcLlms. Popefully, our dancer wlll survlve and be able Lo shed some llghL.
Meanwhlle, leL's LreaL Lhese Lwo lncldenLs as relaLed."
8y lnLervlewlng random domlnaLrlxes?" sald ueLecLlve 8hymer.
Pls lnsLlncLs were rlghL, lL was her orders LhaL were wrong, and she knew lL. 8uL she followed Lhe
edlcL. uommes for now, Cple. Clear?"
WhaL abouL Lhe money ln Lhe cookle Llns?" asked 8aley. WanL me Lo conLacL Lhe archdlocese, see
lf Lhey have any susplclons abouL Lhe padre dolng some sklmmlng?"
Cnce agaln, PeaL came nose flrsL agalnsL one of Lhe brlck walls MonLrose had puL up. lL was an
obvlous Lrall Lo follow, why had Lhe capLaln obsLrucLed lL? Leave LhaL Lo me for now," she sald.
Plnesburg reporLed LhaL she had no hlLs yeL on Lhe man ln Lhe survelllance phoLo laLher Craf's
housekeeper reacLed Lo. Whlch only means he may noL have a crlmlnal background."
nlkkl sald, l'll call Mrs. 8orelll and press her. 8uL keep worklng lL and all Lhe oLher sLllls." PeaL
opened Lhe folder of survelllance plcLures and Look one ouL. lL was of a man and a young woman comlng
down Lhe sLalrs lnLo Lhe lobby of leasure 8ound. 1he woman was laughlng wlLh her face Lurned up aL
her companlon, buL hls was obscured by a !eLs cap. nlkkl posLed lL on Lhe board wlLh a magneL. Pad a
LhoughL abouL Lhls one. See on hls arm Lhere, Lhe LaLLoo?" llrsL 8aley and Lhen Lhe oLhers rose Lo gaLher
closer. 1he LaLL was of a snake colled around hls lefL upper arm. 8eal 1lme Crlme CenLer keeps a daLa
bank of scars and LaLLoos. Why don'L you have 81CC run lL, Sharon. See lf you geL any maLches."
ueLecLlve?" sald Cchoa. l know LhaL woman."
8aley sald, SomeLhlng you wanL Lo Lell us, pard? ?ou ln Lhe llfesLyle and holdlng back?"
no, serlously. l Lalked Lo her yesLerday. know LhaL domme who's over ln AmsLerdam?
WhaLsername . . . 8oam? Andrea 8oam?" Pe Lapped Lhe plcLure wlLh hls pen. 1haL's Lhe roommaLe l
Lalked Lo."
ay her anoLher vlslL," nlkkl sald. LeL's see whaL Lhls roommaLe knows abouL charmlng snakes."
PeaL had Lo wade Lhrough a dozen messages on her volce mall from people who had seen her on Lhe 1v
news aL LhaL mornlng's shooLlng scene and hoped she was Ck. Cne was from 8ook, who also lnslsLed on
LreaLlng her Lo a non-LakeouL dlnner, ln a slL-down resLauranL llke a respecLable woman." Zach Pamner
lefL word, as dld hyllls ?arborough. nlkkl appreclaLed Lhe senLlmenLs buL could see how easy lL would
be Lo keep up wlLh all Lhe bondlng ouLreach from 1 and never geL her work done. She saved Lhe
messages Lo answer laLer. Lauren arry down aL CCML, however, goL an lmmedlaLe callback.
Lauren began, l [usL wanL you Lo know LhaL l am golng Lo be serlously plssed lf l come ln here some
mornlng and flnd you lald ouL on one of my Lables."
l'd haLe LhaL, Loo," sald nlkkl. l'd wanL a week Lo dleL flrsL."
?uh, rlghL," her frlend laughed, llke you'd need Lo, woman of sLeel." nlkkl could hear keysLrokes
and plcLured Lhe ML ln Lhe cramped dlcLaLlon offlce, aL Lhe desk LhaL looked ouL onLo Lhe auLopsy room.
Ck, lnLeresLlng dlscovery abouL LhaL flngernall Lhey vacuumed up ln Lhe LorLure room. lL wasn'L a
flngernall afLer all, buL LesLed ouL as hardened polyesLer."
lasLlc? 1haL looked llke a flngernall?"
LxacLly llke a flngernall cllpplng. Lven Lhe same color. 8uL know whaL lL acLually was?" Lauren,
always happy Lo puL on a show, sald, WalL for lL . . . A plece of a buLLon. LlLLle crescenL-shaped sllver
broken off a buLLon."
So no unA help."
no, buL lf you flnd Lhe buLLon, we can always maLch lL."
1he deLecLlve dldn'L see a loL of hope Lhere. WhaL else you goL?"
SomeLhlng lnconslsLenL came ouL of Lhe LCu sweep aL Lhe recLory. l'm looklng aL Lhe meds Lhey
collecLed from Lhe vlcLlm's baLhroom chesL. 1here ls a vlal of adefovlr dlplvoxll. 1haL's a reverse
LranscrlpLase lnhlblLor used Lo LreaL Plv, Lumors, cancer, and hepaLlLls-8. 1he Lhlng ls, nlkkl, Lhe prlesL
had none of Lhose condlLlons. And none of lL showed up ln hls Lox screenlng."
A Lrue odd sock, PeaL LhoughL as she flnlshed [oLLlng down Lhe llsL of dlseases. 8uL lL was hls
prescrlpLlon?"
Made ouL Lo Cerald lrancls Craf, Len mllllgrams. 1he plll counL says lL was full."
Who's Lhe docLor?" nlkkl wroLe 8aymond Colabro on her splral Ampad.
And a heads-up," Lauren added. 1he unA LesL ls sLlll ln process on LhaL blood on Craf's collar."
WhaL abouL LhaL llLLle speck you showed me ln LhaL vlal?"
As l LhoughL, a flake of leaLher from a lamlnaLe. 8uL lL's noL conslsLenL wlLh any equlpmenL aL
leasure 8ound, lncludlng Lhe oLher sLudlos, or any of Lhe devlces ln Lhelr sLorage locker. l've ordered
more forenslc LesLlng Lo lu lLs source. When we geL a hlL, l'll call you." 8efore she hung up, she added,
And remember, ueLecLlve PeaL, you show up on my auLopsy Lable? l'll klll you."
1he flrsL Lhlng Lhe old lady sald when she saw PeaL was Cood Lord, ls LhaL blood?" PeaL had managed
Lo do a commendable weL paper Lowel [ob on her coaL ln Lhe preclncL resLroom buL sklpped Lhe blouse.
Per neck was wrapped by a scarf, and she had her coaL fasLened all Lhe way up, buL some of her collar
musL have been vlslble. Mrs. 8orelll seemed less puL off by Lhe ldea of blood and more focused on Lhe
laundry mlsslon. Clve me a half hour, l can geL LhaL ouL for you."
Career careglver, LhoughL nlkkl, smlllng aL her. 1hank you, buL l won'L be LhaL long." PeaL ad[usLed
Lhe scarf Lo conceal Lhe sLaln.
When Lhey reached Lhe klLchen, Lhe housekeeper sald, ?ou're golng Lo roasL ln LhaL coaL. lf you're
leavlng lL on for me, don'L." nlkkl kepL lL on anyway and saL aL Lhe Lable where Lhere was a cup of hoL
coffee walLlng for her and homemade plzzelles resLlng on Lhe saucer.
Ms. 8. sLlll seemed fraglle, so Lhe deLecLlve declded noL Lo [am her rlghL off abouL Lhe plcLure.
lnsLead she began by saylng, l dropped by Lo see lf you can clear someLhlng up. ?esLerday we collecLed
prescrlpLlons from laLher Craf's medlclne cablneL, and among Lhem was someLhlng called adefovlr.
WhaL's confuslng ls he had none ln hls sysLem and had none of Lhe dlseases lL would be prescrlbed for."
l don'L know whaL he had ln LhaL cablneL. l cleaned ln Lhere, buL personal ls personal, and lL doesn'L
geL any more so Lhan a medlclne chesL."
nlkkl nlbbled a plzzelle. lL was exLraordlnary. lf heaven were made of vanllla, LhaL ls whaL lL would
LasLe llke. lor nlkkl, Lhls was lunch. She flnlshed lL off and sald, l wanLed Lo ask lf perhaps Lhe adefovlr
was yours."
no. And LrusL me, lasL Lhlng l need ls anoLher plll Lo swallow."
llne Lhen. As long as l'm here," sald PeaL, suddenly feellng llke her lasL name should be
Columbo-why noL? she was cerLalnly wearlng Lhe coaL-l wanL Lo ask lf you had any new LhoughLs
abouL Lhe plcLures l showed you." When Lhe woman shook no, nlkkl handed her Lhe phoLos agaln and
asked her Lo glve Lhem a second look. She cleaned her glasses on her sweaLer and surveyed Lhem. 1hls
Llme she wenL Lhrough Lhe sLack wlLh no reacLlon Lo Lhe one she had heslLaLed over before.
Sorry," she sald and handed Lhe array back across Lhe Lable. nlkkl was Lrylng Lo flgure an approach
LhaL wouldn'L LraumaLlze her even more, when Mrs. 8orelll sald, Ch. l dld have one oLher Lhlng Lo
menLlon Lo you. l LhoughL of lL Lhls mornlng and was golng Lo call you, buL here you are." She seemed
overwhelmed by clrcumsLances. ?ou asked lf laLher Cerry had any Lrouble wlLh anyone."
lease, go ahead." nlkkl fllpped Lo a clean page.
We had a prlesL here a whlle back. 1here were accusaLlons LhaL he had been . . . lmproper wlLh Lwo
of Lhe alLar boys on a weekend fleld Lrlp. now, l don'L know whaL happened, and nelLher dld laLher
Craf, buL as Lhe pasLor, soon as he heard abouL lL, he dld Lhe rlghL Lhlng and reporLed lL lmmedlaLely Lo
Lhe archdlocese. 1hey Lransferred laLher Shea and sLarLed an lnvesLlgaLlon. 8uL one of Lhe boys'
parenLs, Mr. Pays, flled a lawsulL-whlch was flne, who wouldn'L? 8uL he also harassed laLher Craf."
Parassed how?"
hone calls aL flrsL, and Lhen showlng up here aL Lhe recLory, unannounced. Pe kepL geLLlng more
and more lraLe."
uld he ever geL vlolenL or LhreaLen laLher Craf?"
Mrs. 8orelll LllLed her head slde Lo slde. Pe goL loud. ShouLed a loL, blamlng hlm for leLLlng lL go on,
and Lhen accused hlm of Lrylng Lo whlLewash lL. 8uL he never LhreaLened, unLll abouL Lhree monLhs
ago."
WhaL dld he say, Mrs. 8orelll? uld you hear hls exacL words?"
l dld. lL was Lhe one Llme he dldn'L shouL. Pe was calm, you know? Scary calm. Pe sald . . . ," Lhe old
housekeeper LllLed her head back as lf readlng Lhe words on Lhe celllng, '. . . l'm done Lalklng. ?our
church may proLecL you buL noL from me.' Ch, and he also sald, '?ou don'L know who you're deallng
wlLh.' " She waLched PeaL wrlLlng Lhe quoLes down Lhen conLlnued. l apologlze for noL Lhlnklng of lL
yesLerday. arL was because Mr. Pays hasn'L been around slnce Lhen, so l leL lL go. And also yesLerday l
was a llLLle, you know . . ." She sald lL wlLh a shrug and played wlLh Lhe cruclflx around her neck. 1he
poor woman looked dralned. nlkkl declded Lo leL her resL.
8uL flrsL she goL Lhe name and address of Lhe lraLe man from Lhe parlsh reglsLry, as well as Lhe name
of Lhe accused prlesL. AL Lhe fronL door she reassured Lhe housekeeper LhaL she had done Lhe rlghL Lhlng
ln sharlng Lhe lnformaLlon and added polnLedly, lL's always helpful Lo speak up no maLLer when your
memory brlngs a deLall Lo mlnd." 1hen she handed Lhe phoLo array back Lo Mrs. 8orelll and lefL.
1he blue-and-whlLe LhaL had followed her Lo Lhe recLory was walLlng wlLh lLs englne ldllng when she
came ouL. PeaL walked over Lo Lhe drlver, a mean-looklng career unlform whose nlckname around Lhe
1wo-oh was 1he ulscourager because when Lhey posLed hlm aL Lhe enLrance Lo crlme scenes nobody
dared cross Lhe llne. Parvey, don'L you have someLhlng beLLer Lo do?" she asked when he powered hls
wlndow down.
CapLaln's orders," he sald wlLh a volce accenLed by sandpaper and gravel.
l'm headlng Lo Lhe preclncL. l'll be Laklng WesL Lnd lnsLead of 8roadway."
uon'L you worry, ueLecLlve, you won'L lose me." Pe sald lL casually, buL Lhe facL was 1he
ulscourager was exacLly Lhe plL bull you wanLed Lo have your back. She handed hlm Lhe small bag of
plzzelles Mrs. 8orelll had glven her. When he looked lnslde lL he damn near smlled.
LaLer LhaL afLernoon, back ln Lhe bull pen, ueLecLlve PeaL wheeled her chalr over from her desk and
sLared aL Lhe Murder 8oard hoplng lL would speak Lo her. lL dldn'L happen ln every lnvesLlgaLlon, buL
wlLh uncanny frequency, lf she was focused enough, quleL enough lnslde, and alerL Lo Lhe rlghL
quesLlons Lo ask herself, all Lhe dlsconnecLed facLs-Lhe squlggled noLes, Lhe Llmellne, Lhe vlcLlm and
suspecL phoLos-Lhey wove LogeLher ln a harmonlous volce LhaL spoke Lo her of Lhe soluLlon. 8uL Lhey
dld lL on Lhelr schedule, noL hers.
1hey weren'L ready yeL.
ueLecLlve Plnesburg," she sald, sLlll faclng Lhe board. When she heard Lhe fooLfalls draw up behlnd
her, PeaL sLood and polnLed Lo Lhe blue prlnLlng LhaL sald, Craf hone 8ecords." 1here was no check
mark beslde Lhe noLaLlon. Wasn'L LhaL your asslgnmenL?"
?eah, well, ln case you hadn'L noLlced, l've goL a number of asslgnmenLs Lo clear."
When?" was all nlkkl sald. lL was all she had Lo. Plnesburg saluLed ln a way LhaL lrrlLaLed Lhe plss
ouL of PeaL and reLurned Lo her desk. PeaL Lurned back Lo Lhe board, Lhls Llme noL seelng anyLhlng on lL,
[usL needlng someplace Lo look whlle she leL her Lemper subslde.
8aley hung up hls phone and crossed over wlLh Lhe cap of hls pen ln hls LeeLh and a noLepad ln hls
hand. CoL some lnfo on Lhe Mad uad," he sald, referrlng Lo Lhe alLar boy's lraLe parenL. Lawrence
!oseph Pays. Cne aggravaLed assaulL ln '07 agalnsL a nelghbor wlLh a barklng dog, ln hls nelghbor's
aparLmenL bulldlng. Charges suddenly dropped aL Lhe requesL of Lhe complalnanL. uoesn'L say why."
1haL's hls only prlor?"
Afflrm."
PeaL sald, We should pay hlm a vlslL Lhls afLernoon."
1haL'll be Lough. l already called hls offlce Lo seL a meeL-dldn'L say why, of course. Pe's ln Lly,
nevada, on buslness." 8efore nlkkl could ask, he sald, l was wonderlng where lL was, Loo. Lly's llke Lhls
Leensy doL on Lhe map ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe deserL."
WhaL klnd of buslness ls he ln?" she asked.
Pe's Lhe CLC of Lancer SLandard."
1he ClA conLracLors ln AfghanlsLan?"
1he one and only," sald 8aley. 8lack hellcopLers, freelance commandos, and saboLeurs for hlre."
PeaL sald, Lly musL be Lhelr Lralnlng cenLer."
l'd Lell you you're rlghL, buL Lhen l'd have Lo klll you."
Pllarlous, 8ales. llnd ouL when Pays geLs back. l wanL Lo Lalk wlLh hlm myself."
Cchoa called ln Lo reporL LhaL hls vlslL Lo Lhe domme's roommaLe was frulLless. CoL here, and she'd
cleared ouL. 8ulldlng super sald she rolled ouL a couple of sulLcases lasL nlghL."
uld she leave a forwardlng?" asked PeaL.
noL LhaL lucky, l'm afrald. l dld call Lhe hoLel ln AmsLerdam her roommaLe llsLed wlLh CusLoms, [usL
ln case she knew where she was headed. lronL desk says Andrea 8oam ls sLlll checked ln buL hasn'L been
around for Lwo days. Pe Lhlnks she and some guy hooked up." Pe chuckled. lnLeresLlng cholce of
words, conslderlng she's ln bondage."
nlce Lo know lf we don'L clear Lhls case, Mlguel, aL leasL you've goL some maLerlal for Lhe ChrlsLmas
LalenL show." PeaL saw Lhe llghLs fllcker on ln CapLaln MonLrose's offlce and a small buLLerfly beaL lLs
wlngs ln her chesL. Look, l have Lo go. 8uL lorenslcs ls done wlLh Craf's compuLer. When you geL back,
see whaL you can flnd on lL."
ueLecLlve PeaL kepL herself aL a dlscreeL dlsLance buL saw LhaL MonLrose was back buL he wasn'L
alone. Pe was behlnd closed doors wlLh Lwo serlous sulLs she dldn'L recognlze. lL dld noL look llke a
happy gaLherlng.
LaLer, afLer Lhey had spenL some Llme golng Lhrough laLher Craf's com puLer, 8oach came over Lo
PeaL's desk ln Landem. So whaL do you make of Lhe sulLs?" sald Cchoa. lnLernal Affalrs?"
8aley sald, My money's on Men ln 8lack. lf Lhere's a blg flash of llghL, puL on your sunglasses."
1o nlkkl, Lhe look and Lhe soberness screamed lA. 8uL Lhere was enough gosslp floaLlng around Lhe
1wenLleLh wlLhouL addlng Lo lL, so she kepL lL on polnL and asked whaL Lhey'd learned from Lhe
compuLer. 8oach led her Lo Lhe Llmellne on Lhe Murder 8oard. llrsL Lhlng we learned," sald Cchoa,
was LhaL prlesL needed a new compuLer. 1haL fossll Look Len mlnuLes [usL Lo booL. llrsL we opened up
hls PlsLory and 8ookmarks."
Always Lelllng," 8aley added.
noLhlng shocklng Lhere. A few CaLhollc slLes, ubllc 1elevlslon, onllne booksellers-all malnsLream,
no eroLlca. Accordlng Lo hls recommendaLlons and recenL purchases, he was nuLs for mysLerles . . ."
. . . Cannell, Connelly, Lehane, aLLerson . . ."
1here were oLher favorlLe slLes," Cchoa conLlnued. A number of charlLles and human rlghLs
organlzaLlons. Cne Chlnese, mosL LaLln Amerlcan."
8aley sald, 1haL's where we mlghL have some LracLlon. We opened up hls CuLlook Lo check hls
calendar."
Pe never used lL," Cchoa chlmed ln.
8aley plcked lL up wlLh So we checked ouL e-malls. Pe had a message abouL an urgenL meeLlng
from an acLlvlsL group he was lnvolved wlLh, Iostlclo o CootJo." nlkkl's gaze wenL Lo Lhe plcLure aL Lhe
Lop of Lhe board, of Craf aL Lhe proLesL rally.
LlLerally, '!usLlce Lo Cuard,' " LranslaLed Cchoa. Pe polnLed Lo Lhe Llmellne. 1he meeLlng was Len-
LhlrLy Lhe mornlng he dlsappeared."
8lghL," sald nlkkl. 1he housekeeper sald Lhe lasL Llme she saw hlm, laLher Craf broke rouLlne and
lefL rlghL afLer breakfasL for somewhere unknown."
l Lhlnk now we know," sald 8aley.
lL Look hlm Lwo hours Lo geL Lo a meeLlng? 1haL's anoLher Llme gap," she sald. LlLher way, Lhe
folks aL Iostlclo o CootJo may have been Lhe lasL Lo see laLher Craf allve. 8oys, Lake Lhe 8oach Coach
and go see whaL Lhey know."
!usL afLer 6 p.m., 8ook breezed lnLo Lhe bull pen and Lurned ln a clrcle. My Cod, l have been away Loo
long. lL's llke comlng back Lo vlslL my old grammar school. LveryLhlng looks smaller."
nlkkl rose from her desk and made a qulck check of MonLrose's offlce, buL he had shuL Lhe bllnds for
hls lA meeLlng long before. 8ook, do you even own a phone?"
?ou know, Lhere's a paLLern here. nlkkl PeaL ls a woman who doesn'L love surprlses. uuly noLed.
8emember LhaL on your LhlrLleLh blrLhday, Ck?"
Pe held ouL a garmenL bag Lo her. WhaL's LhaL?" she asked.
AL Lhe rlsk of offense, anoLher surprlse. Cn Lhe news lL looked llke you mlghL need a change of
cloLhes. SomeLhlng a llLLle less, shall we say, 1ype-A oslLlve?" Pe handed her Lhe garmenL bag by Lhe
hanger loop. 1here's a 1heory sLore down Columbus. 1hls may be a llLLle sLyllsh for Laklng down cold-
blooded klllers, buL Lhey'll [usL have Lo ad[usL."
She wanLed Lo hug hlm buL leL her grln say lL. 1hen, whaL Lhe hell, she klssed hls cheek. 1hanks. l
love surprlses."
Woman, you have my head splnnlng." Pe Look a seaL ln hls old chalr from hls rlde-along days. We
don'L have Lo go now lf you're busy."
8usy hardly descrlbes lL." She looked around Lo make sure she wasn'L broadcasLlng. 1hlngs are
even Lougher beLween me and MonLrose." She drew closer and whlspered, Pe's goL lnLernal Affalrs ln
Lhere for some reason. lus, l had one of my borrowed deLecLlves from 8urglary Lransfer ouL Loday. ln a
huff."
LeL me guess. 8hymer. WhaL a weasel. l never boughL LhaL whole Cple acL."
no, 8hymer's solld. Pls parLner, Callagher, qulL."
ln a snlL?"
SLop lL."
Cr l'll geL hlL?"
CounL on lL."
no . . . klddlng?" Whlle Lhey chuckled, hls cell phone rang. Pe made a puzzled look aL hls caller lu.
uon'L leL me hold you up, l'll Lake Lhls." As he lefL Lhe room, she heard hlm exclalm, Ch my Cod. ls Lhls
1am Sve[da, Lhe Czech who loves Lo bounce?"
Pe Look nlkkl Lo 8ouley ln 1rlbeca, sLlll one of Lhe greaLesL meals ln a clLy of greaL meals. 8oach phoned
[usL as Lhey were enLerlng, and PeaL and 8ook sLopped whlle she Look Lhelr call ln Lhe vesLlbule-noL
Lhe worsL place Lo walL, surrounded by walls LhaL were decoraLed by shelves of aromaLlc fresh apples.
8eLween drlnk orders and bread selecLlon she brlefed 8ook on Lhe maln polnLs of Lhe Craf
lnvesLlgaLlon, lncludlng some of Lhe problems she was havlng wlLh CapLaln MonLrose. She lefL ouL hls
llnk Lo Lhe old PuddlesLon case, slnce even she dldn'L qulLe know whaL Lo make of lL. lus she was ln
publlc. 1hey had an alcove Lo Lhemselves, buL you never knew. Pe llsLened lnLenLly, and she en[oyed
waLchlng hlm suppress hls urge Lo blurL premaLure Lheorles based on hls wrlLer's lmaglnaLlon lnsLead of
facLs. Pe dld lnLerrupL when she Lold hlm 8aley and Cchoa had [usL lefL Lhe headquarLers of Iostlclo o
CootJo.
1hose are mlllLanL MarxlsLs," he sald. noL your warm and fuzzy kumbaya demonsLraLors aL all. A
few of Lhem are ex-Colomblan lA8C rebels who'd be happler wlLh rlfles lnsLead of plckeL slgns."
l'll have Lo look lnLo LhaL parL," and PeaL goL ouL her noLepad. 8oach says, accordlng Lo Lhe offlce
sLaff Lhere, laLher Craf was a sLaunch supporLer of Lhelr cause, and Lhey're mournlng hlm. Lven Lhough
one of Lhe leaders Lhrew hlm ouL of Lhe meeLlng Lhe oLher mornlng when he showed up drunk." She
pondered a Craf connecLlon wlLh armed rebels. Pow vlolenL are Lhey, l mean here ln new ?ork?"
robably no more Lhan, say, Lhe l8A back ln 1he 1roubles." Pe Lore off a plece of ralsln bread.
1hey're fresh on my mlnd because l wlLnessed some assaulL rlfles and grenade launchers belng
dellvered Lo Lhem ln Colombla."
8ook, you were ln Colombla?"
?ou'd know LhaL lf you ever asked me how my monLh was." Pe dabbed a fake Lear from hls eye
wlLh hls napkln. 1hen he grew penslve. uo you know lausLlno velez Arango?"
Sure, Lhe dlssldenL wrlLer who dlsappeared."
Iostlclo o CootJo are Lhe dudes whose small army broke hlm ouL of hls pollLlcal prlson and snuck
hlm underground lasL fall. lf your prlesL was mlxed up wlLh Lhose guys, l'd sLarL Laklng a hard look aL
Lhem."
nlkkl flnlshed her cosmo. ?ou had me worrled, 8ook. l LhoughL we were golng Lo go Lhe whole
nlghL wlLhouL a wlld, half-baked Lheory."
Cn Lhelr walk back Lo hls lofL lL had warmed [usL enough for raln Lo mlx wlLh Lhe lce pelleLs. 1he
crulser LhaL was followlng Lhem pulled alongslde, and 1he ulscourager lowered Lhe passenger wlndow.
?ou Lwo sure you won'L Lake a rlde?" She Lhanked hlm and waved lL off. PeaL could accepL proLecLlon,
buL noL a chauffeur.
She opened a boLLle of wlne whlle he fllpped on Lhe eleven o'clock news. 1he reporLer llve on Lhe
scene of a manhole exploslon ln Lhe LasL vlllage sald, When Lhe raln came down, lL washed road salL
away and lL corroded a [uncLlon box, causlng Lhe blowouL."
And Lhe lLsy blLsy splder wenL up ln abouL a gazllllon pleces," sald 8ook. nlkkl handed hlm hls glass,
Lhen kllled Lhe 1v durlng Lhe Leaser for Lhe shooLlng ln 8rooklyn PelghLs. l can'L belleve you don'L wanL
Lo see lL. uo you know whaL some people do [usL Lo geL on Lhe news?"
l llved lL all day," she sald, sllpplng off her shoes. l don'L need Lo see lL aL nlghL." Pe opened hls
arms wlde, and nlkkl nesLled herself lnLo hlm on Lhe sofa, burylng her nose lnLo Lhe open LhroaL of hls
shlrL, breaLhlng hlm ln.
Pow are you golng Lo work Lhlngs ouL wlLh MonLrose?"
Pell lf l know." She saL up, cross-legged on Lhe cushlon beslde hlm, Laklng a slp of her wlne and
resLlng her palm on hls Lhlgh. l don'L even know whaL Lo make of hlm, he's so noL MonLrose Lo me. 1he
aLLlLude, and Lhe behavlor-LhaL's Lhe Lough Lhlng. Searchlng Lhe recLory, roadblocklng my case. l don'L
geL lL."
Cr ls lL LhaL you do geL lL and you're afrald of whaL lL mlghL mean?"
She nodded, more Lo herself Lhan Lo hlm, and sald, l LhoughL l knew hlm."
1haL's noL Lhe lssue. uo you LrusL hlm? 1haL's whaL's lmporLanL." Pe Look a slp, and when she
dldn'L answer, he sald, lL's llke l sald lasL nlghL. ?ou never really know someone. l mean really, do l
know you? Pow well do you know me?"
1am Sve[da, Lhe bounclng Czech, came Lo her mlnd. Agaln. 8lghL. l guess you can'L know everyLhlng
abouL someone. Pow can you?"
?ou're a cop. ?ou could lnLerrogaLe me."
She laughed. ls LhaL whaL you wanL, 8ook? lor me Lo grlll you? 8reak ouL Lhe rubber hose?"
Pe [umped Lo hls feeL. SLay rlghL Lhere. ?ou gave me an ldea." Pe wenL Lo hls readlng nook Lo Lhe
slde of Lhe llvlng room. lrom behlnd Lhe bookcases, she heard keysLrokes and Lhen a prlnLer flre up. Pe
reLurned wlLh some pages. Lver read voolty lolt?"
?eah. MosLly for Lhe ads."
Cn Lhe back page each monLh Lhey lnLervlew a celebrlLy uslng a sLandard quesLlonnalre Lhey call
1he rousL lnLervlew. lL comes from a parlor game LhaL was all Lhe rage back ln Marcel rousL's era as a
way for parLy guesLs Lo geL Lo know each oLher. l guess Lhls was pre-uance uance 8evoluLlon. rousL
dldn'L lnvenL lL, he was [usL Lhe mosL famous one Lo play lL. 1hls ls a verslon floaLlng on Lhe lnLerneL." Pe
held up hls pages wlLh a sly grln. Wanna play?"
l'm noL so sure. WhaL klnd of quesLlons are Lhey?"
8eveallng, nlkkl PeaL. 8eveallng of who you Lruly are." She reached for Lhe pages buL he pulled
Lhem back. no prevlews."
WhaL lf l don'L wanL Lo answer some of Lhem?" she asked.
Pmm." Pe Lapped Lhe rolled pages agalnsL hls chln. 1ell you whaL. ?ou can sklp answerlng any
quesLlon lf . . . you Lake off an arLlcle of cloLhlng."
?ou're klddlng. ?ou mean llke sLrlp poker?"
Lven beLLer. lL's sLrlp rousL!"
She mulled lL over and sald, Shoes off, 8ook. lf we're golng Lo do Lhls, we're golng Lo sLarL even."
All rlghL, here we go." Pe flaLLened Lhe pages on hls Lhlgh and read, 'Who ls your favorlLe auLhor
or auLhors?' " nlkkl blew an exhale and frowned, Lhlnklng. 8ook sald, laylng for your blouse. no
pressure."
l'll go wlLh Lwo. !ane AusLen and Parper Lee." And Lhen she sald, ?ou have Lo answer, Loo."
Sure, no problem. l'll say a cerLaln Charles ulckens and Loss ln ur. PunLer S. 1hompson." Pe wenL
back Lo Lhe pages. 'name your favorlLe hero ln llLeraLure.' "
PeaL reflecLed and shrugged. Cdysseus."
Mlne, Loo," sald 8ook. lnkle pull." Pe held ouL hls llLLle flnger and she hooked hers onLo lL and
Lhey Lugged and laughed. nobody geLLln' nekkld yeL. 1ry Lhls. 'Who ls your favorlLe poeL?' "
keaLs," she answered. lor 'Cde on a Creclan urn.' "
8ook replled, Seuss. lor 'Cne llsh, 1wo llsh.' " Pe wenL back Lo Lhe page for hls nexL quesLlon.
'Pow do you wlsh Lo dle?' " 1hey boLh looked aL each oLher. 1hen nlkkl Look off her blouse. Pe had
slmllar senLlmenLs and Look off hls sweaLer.
l Lold you l may noL wanL Lo answer some of Lhese."
And Lhereln lles Lhe game, ueLecLlve PeaL. Movlng on Lo 'WhaL muslclan has lmpacLed your llfe
Lhe mosL?' "
MosL lmpacLful muslclan . . . ," she sald, ponderlng. Chumbawamba."
?ou're klddlng. noL 8ono? Cr SLlng, or Alanls MorlsseLLe, or-really? Chumbawamba?
1obtbomploq Chumbawamba?"
As a maLLer of facL, yes. When my hlgh school drama coach Lold me a freshman couldn'L play
ChrlsLlne ln lbootom, a song abouL geLLlng knocked down and geLLlng up agaln resonaLed very sLrongly
wlLh me." SLlll does, she LhoughL. WhaL abouL you?"
SLeely uan for 'ueacon 8lues.' And !ames 1aylor for everyLhlng, especlally 'SecreL C' Llfe.' " 1hen
8ook palmed hls forehead, Ch, oh, no, walL! l forgoL AC/uC."
PeaL made a buzzer sound. AmblvalenL reply, 8ook. olnLs off, panLs off." AfLer he complled, he
looked aL Lhe quesLlonnalre, made a llLLle head shake, and Lurned Lo Lhe nexL page.
Whoa, whoa, penalLy flag," nlkkl sald. ?ou can'L sklp quesLlons, leL's hear lL."
Pe shuffled back and read, 'WhaL quallLles do you look for ln a woman?' " 8ook paused.
Mlnefleld, l'm noL answerlng LhaL." AfLer she made hlm Lake off hls shlrL, he sald, 1hls ls noL how l saw
Lhls game golng," and he Lurned Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe nexL page. ayback Llme. 'WhaL quallLles do you look
for ln a man?' "
l can answer LhaL. PonesLy. And a sense of humor."
uncanny how l have Lhe quallLy of belng boLh honesL and funny. Llke lf you asked me abouL your
cloLhes and sald, 'Pey. uoes Lhls blood make my ass look faL?' l'd Lell ya."
Are you sLalllng because you're loslng?"
llne." nexL he read, 'Who would you have llked Lo be?' All rlghL, l'm golng Lo answer Lhls one
flrsL. A backup slnger for AreLha lranklln. 1he sequlned dress could be an lssue, buL LhaL would be my
oLher llfe. ?ou? Who would you be?"
She dldn'L heslLaLe. Meryl SLreep." Pe gave her a sympaLheLlc look because Lhey boLh knew she
gave up her LheaLer ma[or when her moLher was kllled.
Movlng on. 'WhaL ls your presenL sLaLe of mlnd?' "
All PeaL could do was Lhlnk abouL Lhe Lurmoll she was experlenclng. She dldn'L answer and Look her
slacks off.
My sLaLe of mlnd . . . ?" sald 8ook. 1he SLrlp rousL Llde ls Lurnlng. ?ay! nexL quesLlon: 'WhaL ls
your ldea of mlsery?' "
ass. l don'L llke how Lhese quesLlons are golng." As she unhooked her bra and seL lL on Lhe coffee
Lable, she sald, ?ou have Lo answer, Loo, Chuck Woolery."
Slmple. Mlsery for me ls whaL l felL afLer l hurL you by noL calllng afLer my Lrlp."
1o coln a phrase, good answer," sald nlkkl. nexL?"
LeL's see . . . 'WhaL ls your moLLo?' " Pe dropped hls head. l don'L have a moLLo. Who has a
moLLo?"
?ou've goL a cholce, underpanLs or socks."
1here. 1bots my new moLLo."
nlce Lry," she sald.
Pe slld ouL of hls underwear, leavlng hls socks on. 1ake LhaL, SplLzer."
l acLually do have a moLLo," sald PeaL. lL's 'never forgeL who you work for.' " And as she volced
Lhe words, nlkkl felL a creeplng unease. lL wasn'L exacLly shame, buL lL was close. lor Lhe flrsL Llme lL
sounded hollow. lake. Why? She examlned herself, Lrylng Lo see whaL was dlfferenL. 1he sLress, LhaL
was new. And when she looked aL LhaL, she recognlzed LhaL Lhe hardesL parL of her day laLely was
worklng Lo avold confronLaLlon wlLh CapLaln MonLrose. 1haL's when lL came Lo her. ln LhaL momenL,
slLLlng nearly naked ln 8ook's llvlng room, playlng some sllly nlneLeenLh-cenLury parlor game, she came
Lo an unexpecLed lnslghL. ln LhaL momenL nlkkl woke up and saw wlLh greaL clarlLy who she had
become-and who she had sLopped belng. WlLhouL noLlclng lL, PeaL had begun seelng herself as
worklng for her capLaln and had losL slghL of her guldlng prlnclple, LhaL she worked for Lhe vlcLlm.
8lghL Lhen nlkkl resolved Lo call her own meeLlng wlLh MonLrose flrsL Lhlng Lhe nexL day. And leL Lhe
damned chlps fall.
Pello?" sald 8ook, brlnglng her back. 8eady for Lhe nexL one?" She looked on hlm wlLh clear eyes
and nodded. Pere we go Lhen. 'WhaL ls your ldeal dream of earLhly happlness?' "
PeaL paused only a momenL Lo Lhlnk. 1hen she sald noLhlng, buL sLood and slld ouL of her panLles.
8ook looked up Lo her from Lhe couch wlLh a face LhaL she couldn'L reslsL, so she dldn'L. She benL down,
Laklng hls mouLh ln hers. Pe meL her hungrlly and pulled nlkkl lnLo hls arms. Soon, Lhe rhyLhm of Lhelr
bodles answered LhaL lasL quesLlon. She dldn'L Lhlnk abouL lL buL found her llps Lo hls ear, whlsperlng,
1hls . . . 1hls . . . 1hls . . ."
Slx
AL elghL Lhe nexL mornlng nlkkl saL aL a wlndow Lable aL L!'s LuncheoneLLe, blowlng on her large coffee and
walLlng for Lauren arry Lo plck up her phone. lnsLead of corporaLe [azz or SofL PlLs of Lhe LlghLles and
nlneLles, Lhe programmlng for anyone sLuck on hold aL CCML was a loop of shorL messages abouL new ?ork
ClLy's munlclpal opporLunlLles and servlces. 8aLher Lhan Seal's klss from a 8ose" or Shanla 1waln's Man! l
leel Llke a Woman!" Lhe mayor lnvlLed you Lo call 3-1-1 for all your lnformaLlon needs and some monoLone
uC1 admlnlsLraLor exLolled Lhe vlrLues of AlLernaLe uay, AlLernaLe Slde arklng. Where were Annle Lennox's
SweeL ureams" when you needed Lhem?
l have a quesLlon for you," sald PeaL when Lauren flnally came on Lhe llne. ln Lhe background she
could hear Lhe snap of gloves and Lhe lld of a meLal pall clanglng open agalnsL a wall. lL's abouL LhaL
brulse on laLher Craf's lower back. ?ou recall lL?"
Cf course. WhaL abouL lL?"
lL had come Lo her ln bed wlLh 8ook-approprlaLely enough-aL dawn. PeaL had been sleepless,
mulllng Lhe confronLaLlon she planned Lo brlng Lo her capLaln ln Lhe comlng hours. nexL Lo her, 8ook
Lurned onLo hls slde and nlkkl rolled Lo face hls back, uslng her flngerLlps Lo comb down Lhe sprung halrs
on hls cowllck. Pe looked Lhlnner Lo her Lhan when he had lefL. Pls shoulder muscles revealed more
cordlng, and even ln Lhe waxy llghL hls rlbs were deflned by deeper shadows beLween Lhem. Per eyes
Lraced hls verLebrae Lo Lhe small of hls back, where she saw Lhe fadlng brulse. Whlle Lhey were drylng
each oLher from Lhelr shower, she asked hlm where he goL lL.
8ook Lold her LhaL Lwo weeks before, he had rldden by cargo shlp from 8l[eka, on Lhe AdrlaLlc, Lo
Monrovla on Lhe WesL Afrlcan coasL, where he wlLnessed whaL he consldered a brazen dayllghL offload
of black markeL arms. 1he dealer, who was on Lhe wharf Lo supervlse Lhe Lransfer of LhlrLy Lons of Ak-47
rounds, plus craLes of grenade launchers, onLo walLlng Lrucks, kepL glanclng up from hls 8ange 8over Lo
Lhe shlp's navlgaLlon Lower, where 8ook was lurklng, Lrylng Lo be lnconsplcuous. 8uL afLer Lhe convoy
lumbered off Lhe pler, 8ook wenL below Lo hls crew quarLers, only Lo be grabbed by Lhree of Lhe dealer's
goons. 1hey puL a hood over hls head and drove hlm for over an hour, Lo a planLaLlon ln Lhe hllls. 1here,
Lhey removed Lhe sack buL handcuffed hlm whlle he walLed, locked ln an empLy horse sLall ln Lhe barn.
AL nlghLfall, he was Laken Lo Lhe greaL lawn beslde Lhe yellow planLaLlon house, where Lhe arms
dealer, a former Ml6 operaLlve named-or aL leasL uslng Lhe name-Cordon Mcklnnon, was aL a plcnlc
Lable Losslng back Calplrlnhas under sLrlngs of flesLa llghLs shaped llke red chlll peppers. 8ook declded
noL Lo leL on how much he knew abouL Mcklnnon from hls research . . . LhaL Lhe former 8rlLlsh SlS man
had amassed a forLune brokerlng black markeL weapons Lo embargoed naLlons ln Afrlca . . . LhaL Lhe
blood flow from Angola, 8wanda, Lhe Congo, and recenLly Sudan could be Lraced Lo Lhe drunken,
sunburned, glnger-halred man rlghL before hlm.
Pave a seaL, !ameson 8ook," he sald, and gesLured Lo a wooden sLool across Lhe Lable. Ch, come
on. l knew lL was you when you boarded ln CroaLla." 8ook saL buL dldn'L speak. Call me Cordy." 1hen he
laughed, and added, 8uL l guess you damn well know LhaL already, don'L you? Puh, am l rlghL?" Pe slld
a Lall glass across Lhe rough Llmber Lo hlm. urlnk up, lL's Lhe besL fucklng Calplrlnha on Lhls whole
fucklng conLlnenL. 8oLh my barLender and my cachaa are flown ln from 8razll." Maybe he was Loo
drunk Lo remember hls guesL's hands were cuffed behlnd hlm and he couldn'L reach hls glass.
l read all your sLuff. noL bad. 8ono and Mlck. 8lll CllnLon. Well done. 8uL come on, 1ony fuckln'
8lalr? And Aslan Maskhadov? l've damn sure goL more golng Lhan LhaL bollocks you wroLe abouL Lhe
damn Chechen. Maskhadov, hah! Cnly regreL ls l dldn'L sell Lhe grenade LhaL kllled hlm." Pe LllLed hls
glass back and some of lL sloshed down hls face onLo hls Ld Pardy shlrL. Pls barkeep replaced Lhe glass
wlLh a fresh one, and he conLlnued, Pey now, boLLoms up. 1hls ls your lasL drlnk."
And Lhen he sLood, polnLlng Lhe blggesL handgun 8ook had ever seen, an lsraell ueserL Lagle .30-
callber, rlghL aL hlm. 8uL Lhen he plvoLed, slghLlng Lo Lhe lefL, flrlng lnLo Lhe nlghL. 1he Lhunderclap
reporL of Lhe Lagle was followed lmmedlaLely by hlsslng and a whlLe-hoL glow LhaL fllled Lhe grounds
wlLh Lhe brlghLness of frozen llghLnlng. 8ook Lurned Lo look behlnd hlm. ln Lhe searlng brllllance he
could see magneslum flares llned up along Lhe fence posLs across Lhe greaL lawn. Mcklnnon flred agaln.
Pls bulleL sLruck anoLher flare, whlch sparked Lo llfe, hufflng and flzzlng as lL spun off Lhe fence lnLo a
pasLure, lllumlnaLlng fleelng horses and a palr of CulfsLream lvs parked ln Lhe dlsLance.
1he arms dealer ralsed boLh flsLs ln Lhe alr and war whooped Lo Lhe Llberlan sky. Pe pollshed off hls
drlnk and sald ln a hoarse volce, know whaL l love? 8ockln' my own llfe. uld you know l have enough
bloody cash Lo buy my own counLry?" 1hen he laughed. Ch, walL, l already dld! Are you aware, 8ook, l
have been glven-are you ready for Lhls?-dlplomaLlc lmmunlLy? 1hey made me mlnlsLer of some shlLe
or oLher here. 1ruly. l do whaL l wanL and nobody can Louch me."
Pe broughL up Lhe ueserL Lagle and sLepped closer, Lralnlng lL on 8ook agaln. 1hls ls whaL happens
when you poke lL where lL doesn'L belong."
8ook sLared lnLo Lhe gaplng muzzle and sald, WhaL was lL LhaL l rode up here ln, a 8ange 8over?
Pave your valeL pull lL back up. 1hlnk l'm ready Lo go." Mcklnnon [erked hls hand Lo menace hlm wlLh
Lhe gun. uL LhaL damn Lhlng away, you're noL golng Lo shooL me."
no? WhaL makes you Lhlnk so?"
8ecause you would have done lL back ln porL and lefL me floaLlng ouL Lo Lhe Canary lslands. 8ecause
you puL on Lhls whole . . . show for me. 8ecause lf you klll me, who wlll wrlLe your sLory, Cordon? 1haL's
whaL you wanL, lsn'L lL? Cf course lL ls. And you gave me some greaL quoLes. '8ocklng your llfe'? 'MlnlsLer
of some shlLe'? 8rllllanL. lL's Lough Lo be a bad boy and have no fan club, lsn'L lL? ?ou dldn'L brlng me
here Lo klll me, you broughL me here Lo make you a legend."
Mcklnnon rushed up Lo 8ook, locklng hls elbow around hls neck. WhaL's wlLh you? uo you have
some fasclnaLlon wlLh deaLh LhaL makes you Lhlnk you can Lease me? Puh? Puh?" Pe pressed Lhe
muzzle agalnsL hls Lemple and sLared aL 8ook wlLh wlld eyes danclng wlLh Lhe mad llghL of devll flre from
Lhe flares.
8ook slghed and sald, SLlll walLlng for LhaL 8ange 8over."
Mcklnnon seL Lhe gun on Lhe Lable Lhen pushed 8ook backward off hls sLool onLo Lhe sLone paLlo,
where he landed hard on hls handcuffs.
ln Lhe Llme lL Look ueLecLlve PeaL Lo walk from L!'s on AmsLerdam Lo Lhe sldewalk ln fronL of Lhe
preclncL, Lauren arry had called her back. l [usL checked Lhe phoLo of Lhe brulse. lL deflnlLely could be
from handcuffs. l'll do a LesL buL hlnged cuffs would deflnlLely accounL for Lhe ladder-shaped brulse aL
Lhe small of hls back." 1hen she asked, WhaL do you suppose lL means?"
PeaL sald, lL means we hope lL means someLhlng."
CapLaln MonLrose Lold her he was busy when she knocked on Lhe door frame and sald she needed Lo
Lalk wlLh hlm. PeaL came ln anyway and pulled Lhe knob behlnd her unLll lL cllcked. Pe looked up aL her
from some prlnLouLs. l sald l was busy."
l sald l needed Lo Lalk." ueLecLlve PeaL, Lhe lmmovable ob[ecL.
MonLrose sLared aL her from under a Lhlck hedge of furrowed brow. 1hls ls whaL my llfe's come Lo.
numbers. llrsL Lhey crlLlclze my sLaLs, Lelllng me Lo sLep lL up, pay my renL. now Lhey're sendlng me
Lhese." 1he capLaln llfLed Lhe Lhlck spreadsheeL off hls bloLLer and leL lL drop wlLh unmasked conLempL.
1argeL numbers. Mlcromanaglng me. 1elllng me how many Class C vlolaLlons Lo wrlLe up Lhls week for
blocklng sldewalks and llLLerlng. Class 8 summonses, Loo. LeL's see . . ." Pe ran hls flnger along a row.
1hey wanL elghL seaL belL vlolaLlons and slx cell phone LlckeLs. noL flve, noL seven. Slx.
l don'L make my numbers, Lhey do a number on me. So whaL's my cholce, fluff my books? uo l Lell
Lhe unlforms noL Lo Lake cerLaln robbery or assaulL reporLs so Lhe sLaLs don'L work agalnsL me? lf lL
doesn'L geL wrlLLen down, lL never happened. WhaL do you know, a crlme drop ln Lhe 1wenLleLh!" Pe
capped hls hlghllghLer and Lossed lL on Lhe desk. lL rolled onLo Lhe floor, buL he made no aLLempL Lo sLop
lL. lf you're deLermlned Lo lnLerrupL me, slL down." She Look one of Lhe guesL chalrs and he sald, So
how are you golng Lo brlghLen my already perfecL day?"
nlkkl knew where Lo begln. WlLh her goal, slmply sLaLed so lL wouldn'L geL losL. She sald, l wanL Lo
open Lhe Craf case wlder."
uld you compleLe Lhe 8uSM checks llke l Lold you?"
noL yeL, buL-"
Pe cuL her off. 1hen Lhls meeLlng ls over."
CapLaln, wlLh due respecL, we're chaslng a foul ball. romlslng leads are surfaclng and l feel
hamsLrung noL belng able Lo follow Lhem."
Such as?"
Ck," she sald, Lhe money sLashed ln Lhose cookle Llns. Why would you Lell me noL Lo reach ouL Lo
Lhe archdlocese rlghL away?"
8ecause lL's noL relevanL."
nlkkl was sLruck by hls sense of cerLalnLy. Pow can you know LhaL?"
Are you quesLlonlng Lhe [udgmenL of your commander?"
lL's a leglLlmaLe quesLlon, slr." She made Lhe slr" carry respecL. nlkkl wanLed her case back, noL for
hlm Lo dlg ln hls heels Lo prove hls rank.
?our vlc was kllled ln a bondage dungeon-work lL."
1hls feels llke a roadblock."
l sald work lL."
She declded Lo move along, hoplng Lo flnd an open flank. l also have a shooLlng vlcLlm wlLh a
connecLlon Lo Lhe prlesL."
And Lo your negllgence for noL reporLlng Lhe Lall."
1o nlkkl Lhls began feellng llke her [u[lLsu sparrlng maLches wlLh uon. She ralsed a facL, Lhe capLaln
Lhrew a felnL. PeaL dldn'L Lake hls balL. We can dlscuss LhaL laLer, buL leL's noL geL sldeLracked. laLher
Craf had Lhe phone number of LhaL sLrlp club hldden ln hls room. LyewlLnesses saw hlm flghLlng wlLh
Lhe dancer. l wanL Lo work LhaL angle, buL you have my lnvesLlgaLlon corralled."
?ou'll make a flne lleuLenanL ln Lhls deparLmenL," he sald. ?ou're already learnlng how Lo shlfL
blame."
Lxcuse me, buL l am dolng exacLly Lhe opposlLe. l'm Laklng responslblllLy. l wanL you Lo leL me run
my case my way." Slnce nlkkl had made up her mlnd Lhe nlghL before Lo reclalm her sense of mlsslon,
she pressed onward, maklng her scarlesL leap. . . . She addressed Lhe elephanL. WhaL ls golng on wlLh
you, CapLaln?"
Pe poked hls flnger hard enough on Lhe spreadsheeL Lo dlmple lL. ?ou know damn well whaL's
golng on wlLh me."
l wlsh l dld. l geL Lhe pressure," she sald, l do. 8uL Lhere's a loL of oLher sLuff l don'L geL. 1hlngs l've
observed. 1hlngs l've learned. And, frankly, lL worrles me."
1here was a sea change ln LhaL room. Per sklpper's anger and lrrlLaLlon gave way Lo a sLeely
warlness. Pe sLudled her wlLh an lnLense concenLraLlon LhaL made nlkkl uncomforLable. Pls head was
gllsLenlng, and behlnd hlm on Lhe wlndow LhaL gave onLo Lhe sLreeL she noLlced an aura of condensaLlon
formlng on Lhe glass, probably from hls elevaLed body heaL. lL ouLllned MonLrose llke hls own ghosL.
Learned, llke whaL?" he sald.
Per Longue felL llke lL had a sock on lL. ?our search of Lhe recLory Lhe nlghL of Craf's kllllng, for
lnsLance."
Asked and answered already." Pls volce was chllllngly calm and hls face had Laken on a flaL affecL.
lf you have more, leL's hear lL. ls Lhere more?"
CapLaln, leL's noL go down Lhls road rlghL now."
WhaL road? 1he one LhaL leads Lo you lmplylng l had someLhlng Lo do wlLh hls deaLh?" under hls
measured Lone nlkkl could sense Lhe nexL wave of anger bulldlng pressure. ls LhaL whaL you Lhlnk?"
When she heslLaLed, Lhe lnLerrogaLor ln hlm klcked ln. nlkkl had always been lmpressed by how
lnLlmldaLlng her menLor could be worklng a suspecL agalnsL Lhe ropes. LxcepL now lL was all on her.
?ou're already knee-deep, ueLecLlve, so you'd beLLer brlng lL-unless you wanL Lo go on Lhe record ln a
formal conducL revlew."
PeaL ran down Lhe shorL llsL ln her mlnd. She looked aL Lhe fresh 8and-Ald on hls flnger and plcLured
Lhe blood on Lhe prlesL's collar. 1hen she LhoughL of Lhe 1LnS scars on Craf and how slmllar elecLrlcal
burns had also appeared ln Lhe 2004 case MonLrose had lnvesLlgaLed. And now Lhe laLesL revelaLlon,
LhaL Lhe brulse on Lhe small of Lhe prlesL's back came from handcuffs . . . ?es, Lhese ralsed loLs of
quesLlons, and nlkkl dldn'L llke Lhe way Lhe scale was Llpplng as she welghed Lhem. Powever, none of
Lhese proved anyLhlng. And she cerLalnly couldn'L volce Lhem. noL wlLhouL morLally woundlng an
already frall relaLlonshlp. So she sald, noLhlng worLh dlscusslng."
Pe slapped Lhe palm of hls hand on Lhe desk and she [umped. Llar!" ln her perlphery, nlkkl saw
heads ln Lhe bull pen Lurn Lhelr way. lL's all over you. Come on, ueLecLlve, lay 'em on Lhe Lable. Cr are
you savlng lL for your new frlends aL 1?"
CapLaln . . . no, l . . ." She Lralled off, on Lhe defenslve now.
Ch, or maybe you're holdlng lL for Lhe nexL arLlcle." Pe read her reacLlon and sald, ?ou haven'L
seen lL yeL?" Pe reached Lo hls brlefcase and pulled ouL Lhe mornlng edlLlon of Lhe leJqet. MeLro
secLlon, page Lhree." Pe Lossed Lhe newspaper on Lhe desk rlghL ln fronL of her. lL was folded open Lo
Lhe sLory, a shorL lLem headllned, uPLAvAL A1 uL8 WLS1 SluL 8LClnC1. 8eporLed by 1am Sve[da. ?ou
sLlll clalm you dldn'L Lalk Lo LhaL reporLer?"
l dldn'L."
Somebody dld. And gave her deLalls, lncludlng Callagher balllng ln frusLraLlon. l wonder who."
8ook's phone call from Lhe bounclng Czech played lLself back, buL nlkkl dlsmlssed lL as a posslblllLy.
1here was no way she could lmaglne hlm dolng LhaL. l have no ldea."
8ullshlL."
CapLaln, whaLever else ls golng on here, l hope you know . . ."
8uL he sLopped her, holdlng ouL Lhe palm of hls hand ln Lhe gulf beLween Lhem. We're done," he
sald. 1here was a gravlLy, a global flnallLy ln Lhe welghL of hls words. MonLrose sLood. She saL looklng up
aL hlm. Pow had Lhls meeLlng sllpped ouL of her grasp? nlkkl had only wanLed one Lhlng when she
walked ln Lhere, and lL had dlssolved ln Lhe Loxlc haze. And lf you have anyLhlng Lo dlscuss abouL Lhls
case, you brlng lL Lo me, noL reporLers, and especlally noL Lhe sharks downLown. 1empLlng as lL ls Lo go
pollshlng LhaL gold bar, remember, you work for me."
?ou don'L need Lo Lell me who l work for." PeaL rose Lo face hlm, feellng herself reclalmlng losL
meanlng from a mlslald moLLo. 1here's a klller ouL Lhere, and for Lhe sake of hls vlcLlm, l wanL Lo caLch
hlm."
uamn lL, PeaL, noL every vlcLlm ls your moLher."
Per old frlend mlghL as well have slapped her face. Pe knew her vulnerablllLy, and LhaL sLung her all
Lhe more. 8uL she dldn'L back off. nlkkl absorbed lL and spoke her guldlng LruLh. no, buL every vlcLlm ls
somebody else's moLher. Cr Lhelr faLher, or daughLer. A son, or a wlfe."
l'm Lelllng you. 1hls Llme, leL go of Lhls."
She sald, lf you know anyLhlng abouL me, you know l am noL golng Lo lle down."
l could flre you."
?ou'll have Lo." And Lhen, as LurnabouL, she dealL hlm hls own vulnerablllLy card. Pow wlll you
explaln LhaL downLown? 8ecause you musL know l'm noL Lhe only one asklng Lhese quesLlons."
Pls [aw muscles flexed. Pe LllLed hls head Lo her, levellng a challenge. Are you saylng l can'L sLop
you?"
?ou can'L." PeaL reLurned hls sLare, unbllnklng. Make your call, CapLaln."
Pe pondered a momenL. 1hen, unhappy buL reslgned, he sald, Co ahead Lhen." And as she Lurned
Lo go, he sald, ueLecLlve PeaL. WaLch your back. ?ou may be poklng lnLo someLhlng you wlsh you had
never goLLen lnLo."
Cn her walk across Lhe bull pen, Plnesburg sald, ueLecLlve PeaL, you goL a sec?"
AcLually, Sharon, noL Lhe besL Llme."
l Lhlnk you should make Llme." 1here was someLhlng ln Lhe way Plnesburg presenLed herself LhaL
felL dlfferenL. 1he bluff of arrogance was muLed. 8eplaced by an uncharacLerlsLlc urgency.
All rlghL. WhaL ls lL?"
ln answer ueLecLlve Plnesburg handed nlkkl phoLocoples of laLher Craf's phone records. 1here
weren'L many calls over Lhe monLh, so PeaL was able Lo scan Lhe pages qulckly. She sLopped abrupLly,
however, when she hlL Lhe lasL page, coverlng Lhe prlor week . . . Lhe one before laLher Craf was kllled.
1here were numerous calls Lo and from Lwo phone numbers PeaL recognlzed-because she had called
Lhem so ofLen herself. 1hey were Lhe offlce and cell phone numbers of CapLaln MonLrose.
PeaL looked up from Lhe page Lo hls offlce. Pe was sLandlng aL Lhe glass wall looklng aL her. !usL as
Lhey made eye conLacL, MonLrose snapped hls bllnds shuL.
ln fewer Lhan flve mlnuLes nlkkl had assembled her squad aL Lhe Mur der 8oard. ueLecLlve PeaL moved
qulckly before Lhe capLaln had a change of hearL abouL breaklng Lhe resLralnLs he had placed on her
lnvesLlgaLlon. She also wanLed Lo energlze her people by lllusLraLlng LhaL Lhls was a new day.
1he revelaLlon abouL MonLrose showlng up on Lhe vlcLlm's phone records was huge, buL PeaL
declded noL Lo brlng lL up aL an open meeLlng. She had collecLed Lhe flle from Plnesburg and Lold her
LhaL she would Lake lL from Lhere. lL would mean anoLher confronLaLlon, buL Lhe capLaln had already
Lurned off hls llghLs and lefL, so lL would have Lo come upon hls reLurn. As palnful as Lhe meeLlng wlLh
her embaLLled commander had [usL been, her nexL sesslon could make LhaL one look llke hlgh Lea.
1hey all Look noLes whlle she reporLed LhaL Lhe brulse on laLher Craf's lower back had llkely been
caused by handcuffs. lsn'L LhaL conslsLenL wlLh Lhe whole bondage-LorLure deal?" asked 8hymer.
Could be," sald PeaL. lL could also be Lhe besL evldence LhaL he was broughL Lhere agalnsL hls wlll."
Cchoa ralsed a foreflnger. CuesLlon, Mlguel?"
Pe was a blg drlnker. lasLered Lhe mornlng he dlsappeared, accordlng Lo hls acLlvlsL group. Pave
we checked records Lo see lf he goL cuffed for a urunk and ulsorderly over Lhe lasL few days?"
Cood LhoughL," nlkkl sald. Sharon, when you geL wlLh 81CC on LhaL snake LaLLoo, ask Lhem Lo run
Lhls week's Len-flfLy complalnLs and see lf Craf shows up."
She asslgned Cchoa Lo look up ur. Colabro abouL Lhe mysLerlous prescrlpLlon. 1hen l wanL you and
8ales Lo make anoLher vlslL Lo Iostlclo o CotJo. l hear Lhey have paramlllLary connecLlons. llnd ouL who
Lhelr leaders are and lnvlLe Lhem ln for a chaL. use Lhe walLlng room lnsLead of lnLerrogaLlon. l don'L
wanL Lhem LreaLed llke suspecLs, buL l wanL Lhem on our Lurf, ln a formal seLLlng."
She puL ueLecLlve Plnesburg on Lhe found money from Lhe recLory aLLlc. 8each ouL Lo lorenslcs and
husLle along a compleLe workup on LhaL cash. LveryLhlng. And Sharon? Llke yesLerday." Plnesburg
arched a brow, Laklng LhaL llke Lhe shoL lL was. nlkkl couldn'L glve a raL's ass. She conLlnued, l wanL Lo
pay a vlslL Lo Lhe archdlocese laLer Loday Lo ask Lhem lf Lhey had any accounLlng concerns from Cur Lady
of Lhe lnnocenLs. So whaLever you can geL before l go-geL.
8hymer. ?ou're off dommes. ulg lnLo PorsL Meuller. Pe's able Lo speak Lhls mornlng, so l'm golng
Lo make a hosplLal call. Meanwhlle, you learn all you can. Cbvlously any more on hls connecLlon Lo Craf,
buL also work hlsLory, flnanclal, any connecLlon Lo leasure 8ound . . . Also run hlm Lhrough lnLerpol and
Pamburg pollce."
8hymer doLLed a senLence on hls pad and sald, nlce Lo see we're movlng ouL of Lhe horse
laLlLudes."
?ou and me boLh," she sald. 1ell your pal Callagher. lf he wanLs Lo come back, l can leL bygones be
bygones."
lrom where she sLood looklng ouL a LenLh-floor wlndow of new ?ork uownLown PosplLal, nlkkl could
plck ouL Lhe spoL across Lhe LasL 8lver where Lhe shooLlng had Laken place Lhe day before. A low range
of bulldlngs souLh of Lhe 8rooklyn 8rldge blocked her sLreeL-level vlew of Lhe exacL locaLlon on Penry,
buL on Lhelr far slde she was able Lo plnpolnL Lhe hlgh-rlse where lL all wenL down. 8agged, brulsey
clouds sLreamlng Lralls of snow and frozen raln gobbled Lhe Lop of Lhe aparLmenL bulldlng as she
waLched, darkenlng Lhe nelghborhood unLll lL dlsappeared ln a curLaln of foul weaLher.
Lxcuse me?" nlkkl Lurned. A male nurse wlLh a youLhful face and surfer dude curls was smlllng aL
her. Are you walLlng for ur. Armanl?"
?es, l'm ueLecLlve PeaL."
Pe Look a sLep closer and hls smlle wldened. nlkkl LhoughL he had Lhe mosL brllllanL LeeLh she had
seen slnce Lhe uawn of 8leber. l'm Cralg." Pe gave her a qulck head-Lo-Loe LhaL was approvlng yeL
somehow noL creepy. She beL nurse Cralg goL lald a loL. ur. Armanl ls sLuck on rounds. We're a
Leachlng hosplLal, you know, and she ls, well, she ls deflnlLely noL one Lo be hurrled." Cralg sald lL wlLh
Lhe lnLlmacy of a paLlenL lover.
Pow long wlll she be?"
lf l had a nlckel . . . 8uL good news, she Lold me Lo personally escorL you Lo Mr. Meuller's room." Pe
flashed hls LeeLh agaln. My lucky day."
1he unlform ouLslde Lhe door rose from hls meLal foldlng chalr when PeaL approached. She
gesLured for hlm Lo slL and he dld. 1he deLecLlve Lurned Lo her gulde and sald, l can Lake lL from here."
Cralg," he answered.
nlkkl sald, ?eah, l goL LhaL," and LhaL seemed Lo please hlm no end. Pe walked on buL noL wlLhouL a
Lurn back Lo wave before he rounded Lhe corner.
1he dancer had hls eyes locked on her Lhe momenL she enLered Lhe room. 8ecause of hls wound he
couldn'L Lurn hls head, so PeaL sLopped aL Lhe fooL of hls bed Lo help hlm ouL. Pow are you feellng?"
Pe croaked ouL someLhlng she couldn'L make ouL. LlLher lL was ln Cerman, or Lhe Lhlck bandages
framlng hls [aw made lL hard for hlm Lo Lalk. ?ou goL lucky, PorsL. An lnch or Lwo lower, you wouldn'L
be here."
PeaL had been brlefed on Lhe phone by hls surgeon. 1he bulleL had compleLely blown ouL hls
Lrapezlus muscle buL mlssed Lhe caroLld arLery. lf Lhe shoL had come from above, say from a roofLop or
balcony, lnsLead of from a car wlndow, Lhe Lra[ecLory would have been downward wlLh faLal
consequences.
Lucky?" he sald. ?ou break my collarbone and now Lhls." Meuller paused and pushed Lhe
morphlne buLLon connecLed Lo hls drlp. My danclng career ls over. WhaL do l do now?"
?ou Lalk," she sald. Why dld you run from us?"
Who says l was?"
PorsL, you rappelled Lhree sLorles down a scaffoldlng Lo geL away. Why?" Pe couldn'L Lurn away so
he looked up aL Lhe celllng. Any ldea who would wanL Lo shooL you?" Pe kepL hls gaze flxed above her.
1ell me abouL laLher Craf."
Who?"
1hls man." She held Lhe plcLure above hlm so he had Lo see lL. laLher Cerald Craf." Pe pursed hls
llps and dld a mlld head shake, whlch obvlously palned hlm. LyewlLnesses saw you flghLlng wlLh Lhe
prlesL aL Cne PoL Mess. 1he bouncer lnLervened when you Lrled Lo choke hlm. ?ou also LhreaLened Lo
klll hlm."
l don'L recall." WlLh Lhe accenL, lL came off soundlng llke SergeanL SchulLz's l know nuh-Lhlnk"
from noqoos netoes. And abouL as credlble.
l'm asklng because he ls dead now. Choked." She omlLLed Lhe oLher deLalls, holdlng Lhem for
corroboraLlon, ln case he declded Lo confess. ls LhaL why you ran, because you kllled hlm?" Pe pressed
hls morphlne buLLon repeaLedly and Lurned hls eyes upward agaln. LeL's walk lL back. WhaL was your
relaLlonshlp wlLh laLher Craf?"
1hls Llme he closed hls eyes. And kepL Lhem closed, Lhe corners of hls llds LwlLchlng from Lhe efforL
Lo shuL her ouL. ?ou resL up, Mr. Meuller. ?ou'll need lL. l'll be back Lo Lalk laLer."
nurse Cralg was fusslng wlLh meds on a carL ouLslde Lhe door, preLendlng he wasn'L walLlng for
nlkkl. l'll be seelng you agaln, l hope," he sald.
never know, Cralg, lL's a small hosplLal."
Pe looked around, flunklng Lhe lrony LesL. 1hen he gesLured Loward Lhe elevaLors and walked wlLh
her. SomeLlmes l Lhlnk maybe l should do some professlonal danclng." nlkkl gave hlm a slde glance
and, even ln Lhe scrubs, flgured he could.
l hear Lhere's blg money for male nurses aL bacheloreLLe parLles," she sald and pushed Lhe down
buLLon, hoplng Lhe car would arrlve soon.
Maybe. Wouldn'L wanL Lo do Lhe clubs, Lhough. AfLer seelng LhaL guy, Lhe sLrlpper pole ls bad for
you."
Pow?"
l had Lo sponge baLhe hlm Lhls mornlng. ?ou wouldn'L belleve all Lhe scars. Looks llke rope burns all
over hls legs and chesL."
1he elevaLor doors opened, buL PeaL dldn'L geL on. Show me."
ueLecLlve PeaL dldn'L walL Lo geL back Lo Lhe 1wo-oh Lo deal wlLh Lhe dlscovery of 1LnS burns on Lhe
dancer. She goL off Lhe lu8 aL Lhe 61sL SLreeL exlL and Look llrsL Avenue upLown. AL Lhe flrsL sLopllghL,
she speed-dlaled CapLaln MonLrose's dlrecL llne. lour rlngs ln, she could plcLure Lhe lonely llghL bllnklng
ln Lhe dark offlce, and sure enough, lL dumped Lo volce mall. nlkkl lefL her name and Lhe Llme only,
Lrylng Lo keep Lhe LlghLness ouL of her volce. She knew she would have Lo address hls numbers on Lhe
prlesL's phone records, buL she had planned LhaL for Lhe end of shlfL, when Lhe offlce had cleared. 8uL
flndlng Lhose marks from elecLrlcal burns on Meuller forced her hand. lL was Llme Lo ask hlm abouL Lhe
PuddlesLon murder he had handled back ln 2004. PeaL dldn'L know lLs relevance, buL experlence had
made her wary of colncldences.
LosL ln LhoughL, Lurnlng lefL onLo 79Lh, she ran Lhe Lall end of Lhe yellow and lmmedlaLely saw pollce
llghLs ln her rearvlew mlrror. lor a spllL second her hearL [umped-even cops geL a klooq lf Lhey Lhlnk
Lhey're golng Lo geL LlckeLed-buL lL was 1he ulscourager alerLlng Lrafflc LhaL he was shavlng Lhe llghL
wlLh her. Pe pulled hls crulser beslde her aL Lhe nexL sLop and she powered her wlndow down. A mlx of
sleeL and snow hlL her sleeve. uon'L worry abouL me," he sald, l've goL llfe lnsurance."
!usL keeplng you on your Loes, Parvey," she sald wlLh a laugh and pulled away. Cne more MonLrose
aLLempL. nlkkl Lrled hls cell. lL dldn'L even rlng, buL wenL sLralghL Lo volce mall. PeaL lefL anoLher brlef
message and Lossed her phone on Lhe passenger seaL. She'd Lry agaln ln flve mlnuLes, back aL her desk.
She crossed llfLh Avenue for her cuL across CenLral ark, Laklng Lhe 1ransverse. As always, nlkkl's
gaze drlfLed Lo Lhe rlghL for an appreclaLlve gllmpse of one of her favorlLe bulldlngs ln Lhe clLy, Lhe
MeLropollLan. Cn LhaL raw wlnLer's day lL looked Lo her llke a broodlng hulk, damp and lcebound,
hlbernaLlng among bare Lrees of a mean wlnLer. 1he blare of car horns broughL her Lo Lhe rearvlew,
where she saw a whlLe sLep van, Lagged wlLh grafflLl, lurch Lo a sLop across Lhe road behlnd her, blocklng
lL. More horns. 1hen she could hear Lhe double chlrp of a slren and 1he ulscourager's command volce
on hls A. Move Lhe vehlcle . . . now."
1he 79Lh SLreeL 1ransverse ls a Lwo-lane road cuL llke a narrow canyon Len feeL below ground level
across CenLral ark. An urban compromlse, lLs submerslon allows Lrafflc Lo flow wlLhouL spolllng Lhe
vlew. As Lhe sLreeL losL elevaLlon descendlng beneaLh Lhe park's LasL urlve, PeaL enLered Lhe shelLer of
Lhe underpass and Lhe Crown vlcLorla's wlper blades chaLLered across Lhe dry wlndshleld. As she
emerged, a loud pop echoed ln Lhe Lunnel and her sLeerlng wheel lurched ln her hands. noL a flaL Llre,
she LhoughL. 8uL lnsLanLly came anoLher serles of pops, and Lhe rear of Lhe car flshLalled ln Lhe slush.
She Look her fooL off Lhe gas and correcLed as besL she could on Lhe lcy road, buL wlLhouL alr ln any of
her Llres, lL was more llke skaLlng Lhan drlvlng. Per car slld sldeways unLll Lhe fronL end smacked hard
lnLo Lhe wall of rocks llnlng Lhe road. AL lmpacL, nlkkl lurched agalnsL her seaL belL, and papers, pens,
her cell phone-everyLhlng loose ln Lhe car-flew. Shook up buL unhurL, PeaL couldn'L flgure how she
goL four flaL Llres. She craned Lo look behlnd her. Slnce her car was dlagonally across Lhe road, she had
Lo look Lhrough Lhe rear slde passenger wlndow. !usL as she made ouL Lhe Lrafflc splke sLrlp lylng across
Lhe underpass, Lhe back wlndow exploded. A bulleL sLruck Lhe slde of her headresL, rlpplng lL off Lhe seaL
and shaLLerlng Lhe drlver's wlndow beslde her.
nlkkl dove, flaLLenlng herself as far down as she could, clawlng Lhe Lwo-way ouL of lLs brackeL. Cne-
Llncoln-lorLy, Len-LhlrLeen, offlcer needs help, SevenLy-nlnLh 1ransverse aL LasL urlve, shoLs flred." She
unkeyed Lhe mlc and llsLened. noLhlng. She Lrled agaln. Cne-Llncoln-lorLy, Len-LhlrLeen, SevenLy-nlnLh
1ransverse aL LasL urlve, shoLs flred, do you copy?" Sllence. She was groplng on Lhe floor Lrylng Lo flnd
her cell phone when anoLher bulleL Lore Lhrough Lhe seaL back and lnLo Lhe dashboard [usL above her
head. lf Lhe shooLer was a professlonal, Lhe nexL one would be lower. She had Lo geL ouL of LhaL car,
fasL.
1he angle of Lhe skld worked ln her favor, Lhe drlver's slde door was away from Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe
shoLs. She Lhrew herself ouL onLo Lhe lcy, weL pavemenL and rolled under Lhe car door Lo shelLer herself
behlnd Lhe fronL Llre and Lhe englne block. 1haL's when Lhe Lhlrd bulleL fracLured Lhe sLeerlng wheel.
WlLh four flaLs Lhe Crown vlc saL low enough LhaL she could lle prone and geL a vlew wlLhouL havlng
Lo gopher up and make herself a LargeL. PeaL drew her Slg Sauer and pressed her cheek down agalnsL
Lhe slush. 8ehlnd her ln Lhe underpass an Suv ldled. noL Lhe graphlLe gray, Lhls one was navy blue. ln
Lhe dlmness of Lhe Lunnel, lL was lmposslble Lo see how many Lhere were. 1he drlver's door sLood open
wlLh Lhe wlndow down, so her guess was LhaL Lhe drlver was also Lhe shooLer, uslng Lhe wlndow frame
as a brace. She made a qulck clock of Lhe sLreeL behlnd her and goL a bad feellng. 1here was no
oncomlng Lrafflc. 1he 1ransverse cuL across CenLral ark, connecLlng Lwo busy avenues. 1he only way
Lhere could be no cars was lf somehow boLh ends of Lhe road had been blocked.
1here was movemenL aL Lhe Suv when she looked back. A gllnL-probably reflecLlon off a
scope-shlmmered brlefly ln Lhe open wlndow of Lhe drlver's door. PeaL made an lsosceles brace,
pressed Lhe buLL of her gun on Lhe ground, and squeezed. 1he sound was deafenlng as her shoL
reverberaLed under Lhe chassls. nlkkl dldn'L walL Lo see lf she hlL hlm. She was sLlll smelllng cordlLe as
she duckwalked away, keeplng Lhe Crown vlc beLween herself and Lhe Suv.
AfLer LwenLy yards, Lhe road curved and she was able Lo [og uprlghL. 1he same hlgh wall LhaL
Lrapped her down ln canyon of Lhe 1ransverse was servlng as cover. 8ehlnd her she could hear Lhe growl
of Lhe Suv englne and Lhen a brlef squeak of brakes. Per abandoned car was dlagonally across Lhe lane
and would have Lo be moved unless Lhe shooLer wanLed Lo chance comlng on fooL.
nlkkl sLepped up her pace, wlshlng Lo hell she had locaLed her cell phone. She arrlved aL a polnL
where Lhe curve LhaL had concealed her began Lo sLralghLen ouL. She slowed Lo a walk and Lhen sLopped
before roundlng Lhe bend and rlsklng exposure. Lylng down ln Lhe slush and presslng herself agalnsL Lhe
lcy rocks of Lhe wall, she crawled forward unLll she had a vlew of Lhe sLralghLaway.
WhaL PeaL saw chllled her more Lhan Lhe lce she was lylng ln. A hundred yards ouL, Lhree men ln skl
masks and hooded raln gear were slowly walklng a llne across Lhe road Loward her. 1hey all held rlfles.
SLvLn
lor nlkkl PeaL everyLhlng became abouL calculaLlons. anlc had no place excepL Lo geL her kllled. As odds go,
Lhey sucked, buL keeplng her head would make Lhe mosL of Lhem. 1he 1Cs aL every combaL survlval course
she had ever Laken had all drllled Lhe same message. uL fear ln your back pockeL and Lraln yourself Lo rely
on your Lralnlng. Assess, calculaLe, seek opporLunlLy, acL.
Per rapld assessmenL was slmple: She was ln Lhe worsL posslble LacLlcal poslLlon, Lrapped on a
walled subLerranean road mldpolnL beLween one shooLer ln a vehlcle comlng up behlnd her and Lhree
rlflemen advanclng on fooL ahead of her. PeaL's nexL appralsal was bleaker. 1here was an experlenced
alr abouL Lhe Lhree men she was waLchlng come Loward her. 1hey walked aL an unhurrled pace, wlLh a
mlllLary demeanor, weapons aL Lhe ready-alerL buL noL Lense. 1hese were professlonals who would noL
be fooled or spooked.
As Lhey advanced Lhree abreasL, spannlng Lhe wldLh of Lhe road, she calculaLed her chances of
puLLlng a shoL ln each, lefL Lo rlghL, from a dlsLance of a hundred yards. lop, pop, and pop. 8uL whlle
PeaL welghed Lhe rlsklness of pulllng off Lhree successlve klll shoLs wlLh a handgun, Lhey ad[usLed, as lf
readlng her mlnd, Lo form a slngle flle close Lo Lhe wall and LhaL opporLunlLy evaporaLed. nlkkl crawled
backward before Lhey could see her.
Around Lhe curve behlnd her, she heard a revvlng englne and meLal on meLal as Lhe Suv pushed her
abandoned car ouL of Lhe way. 1he sound was Lerrorlzlng ln lLs lmpllcaLlons. So she foughL her fear and
assessed. lL meanL LhaL Lhe shooLer would come ln Lhe Suv, noL on fooL. WhaL else? 1haL he was
probably alone. lf he wasn'L, hls parLner would have [usL drlven her car ouL of Lhe way for hlm.
CalculaLlons: AL pace, Lhe Lhree on fooL would be Lhere ln LwenLy seconds. Sooner for Lhe Suv.
nlkkl looked upward, her eyes sLlnglng from Lhe sleeL fall. 1he wall was abouL Len feeL hlgh, abouL
Lhe same as an average home celllng. Leafless branches from park shrubs drooped down abouL Lwo feeL.
She holsLered her Slg, pulled her gloves ouL of her coaL pockeLs, and sLarLed Lo cllmb.
1he spaces beLween Lhe rocks were barely wlde enough for her Lo geL a Loehold, buL she managed
Lo flnd enough blLe Lo boosL herself up on her rlghL fooL and flnger claw Lhe rock above her head wlLh
her lefL hand. She reached up wlLh her rlghL for a [uLLlng edge above, and ln Lhe Lransfer of welghL, her
shoe losL lLs grlp on Lhe lcy rock and she landed on all fours on Lhe frozen, soupy roadway.
1en seconds losL.
1en seconds unLll Lhe Lhree shooLers rounded Lhe bend and saw her.
1he englne of Lhe Suv sLopped revvlng and purred. lL was comlng her way. nlkkl was caughL ln a
classlc plncer movemenL.
Lven lf she were able Lo cllmb Lhe lce-glazed rocks, Lhere was no way Lo do lL ln Len seconds. WlLh
no opporLunlLy Lo acL upon, she made her own. ln a spllL second of compuLlng odds and physlcs,
ueLecLlve PeaL creaLed whaL her Lralnlng offlcers called a SWAC plan-acronym for SclenLlflc Wlld Ass
Cuess. She drew her weapon and sLarLed runnlng Loward Lhe Suv.
1he drlver would be looklng for her, so she had Lo come aL hlm unexpecLedly enough Lo sLarLle and
qulck enough noL Lo be a LargeL. 1he mldday overcasL was so gloomy LhaL she could see hls headllghL
beams sLabblng Lhrough Lhe falllng sleeL and snow. Charglng fasL around Lhe bend, nlkkl dropped and
rolled ouL rlghL lnLo Lhe Suv's paLh, puLLlng Lwo rounds lnLo Lhe wlndshleld and Lhen sLreLchlng
lengLhwlse beLween Lhe fronL wheels, leLLlng lL drlve rlghL over her. 8y Lhe Llme he braked, her head was
under lLs rear bumper. She scrambled ouL from underneaLh and sLarLed runnlng back Loward llfLh
Avenue.
PeaL knew Lhere was no room for Lhe Suv Lo Lurn around, whlch was Lhe core of her SWAC plan, Lo
charge pasL lnsLead of run from lL. WhaL she hadn'L expecLed was for Lhe drlver Lo [am lL ln reverse and
floor lL Lo pursue her. 1he englne banshee whlned and wheels Lhrew slush as Lhe rear end closed ln on
her. Loslng a sLep of crlLlcal speed, nlkkl Lurned and flred on Lhe run aL a rear Llre. 1he shoL mlssed and
puncLured Lhe fender. She goL off one more and Lhe Llre bursL. 1he vehlcle swayed wlldly. 1he drlver
overcorrecLed, sendlng hlmself lnLo a skld. Pls Llres whlrled uselessly ln Lhe slush and he smacked Lhe
rear end lnLo Lhe wall. nlkkl kepL movlng, buL when she heard Lhe door unlaLch, she Lurned, braced, and
pumped four bulleLs lnLo Lhe drlver's slde wlndow, shaLLerlng lL. A head ln a skl mask slumped agalnsL
Lhe wlndowslll, moLlonless.
Around Lhe bend came Lhe sound of feeL slapplng Lhe weL road on Lhe double. PeaL would be a
slLLlng duck lf she made a run Loward Lhe enLrance on llfLh. Cnce agaln she reversed fleld, movlng
Loward her aLLackers, buL sLopped aL Lhe Suv. nlkkl holsLered, grabbed Lhe roof rack, and cllmbed up on
Lop of lL. lrom LhaL helghL, she was able Lo Lake hold of Lhe bare branch of a shrub sagglng down from
Lhe park. She pulled herself up Lhe wall, holsLlng Lhe upper half of her body over lL, Lhe rocky ledge
dlgglng lnLo her walsL as her legs dangled.
A bulleL hlL Lhe rock beslde her lefL fooL and senL ouL a spray of [agged chlps. nlkkl almosL losL her
grlp on Lhe shrub buL held on, hooklng her knee on Lhe ledge. When she hauled herself up and over, she
heard someLhlng hard sLrlke Lhe roof of Lhe Suv wlLh a resonanL booq. She reached for her holsLer. lL
was empLy.
8elow, a proLesL of alr wheezed from a shock absorber, and nlkkl heard Lhe Lhump of mulLlple booL
soles on sheeL meLal. 1hey were cllmblng up afLer her.
She goL up and ran full speed. Per legs foughL Lhrough walsL-hlgh shrubbery Lurned leafless and
sharp by wlnLer. 1he branches sLung her Lhlghs and whlpped behlnd her as she plowed easL parallellng
Lhe 1ransverse. A panlc swell rose when she reflecLed on Lhe sound back Lhere. 8ooLs on meLal. 1hey
hadn'L even paused Lo Lalk or check Lhe drlver, Lhey [usL came. llfLh Avenue, lf she could [usL geL Lo llfLh
Avenue.
AL a break ln Lhe Lrees [usL before she reached Lhe park's LasL urlve, PeaL paused. 1hls was an
organlzed hunLlng parLy, and lf she were organlzlng one, she would cover Lhe LargeL's escape rouLe ln
case someLhlng wenL awry. Much as nlkkl haLed Lo glve back her narrow head sLarL, she crouched,
panLlng ln Lhe LhlckeL, Lo survey Lhe Lree llne on Lhe far slde of Lhe clearlng. When she deLermlned Lhe
besL vanLage polnL, she saw hlm. 1hrough Lhe vlsual cluLLer of sleeL and snowflakes, a dark form huddled
agalnsL a rock on hlgh ground. She dldn'L need Lo see Lhe rlfle Lo know lL was Lhere.
1lme Lo reLhlnk. 8locked Lo Lhe easL, Lhe oLher Lhree would be closlng ln soon from Lhe wesL. 1he
1ransverse cuL her off Lo Lhe souLh. 8uL seven blocks norLh, near Lhe reservolr, saL Lhe n?u CenLral
ark reclncL house. lL mlghL as well be seven mlles. WhaL else was Lhere? PeaL envlsloned a map of Lhe
park, and one word popped lnLo her mlnd:
CasLle.
1here was a pollce call box near 8elvedere CasLle.
ueLecLlve PeaL, weL, cold, and unarmed, reversed dlrecLlon, bendlng her rouLe sllghLly norLh as she
moved parallel Lo Lhe course of her Lhree oncomlng pursuers who, hopefully, would noL expecL her Lo
backLrack Lhelr way.
She broke ouL of Lhe woods on Lhe fooLpaLh leadlng Lo Lhe casLle. 1aklng LhaL Lrall presenLed a rlsk
she accepLed, Lradlng exposure for Lhe speed lL would glve her. 1here were no oLher fooLprlnLs Lhan
hers as she sprlnLed ln Lhe new snowfall. unforLunaLely, Lhe weaLher had llmlLed Lhe populaLlon of
runners and walkers LhaL day-and darkened her hopes of geLLlng help or access Lo a random cell
phone.
1he flakes had plcked up lnLenslLy buL noL enough Lo cover her fooLprlnLs. lL wouldn'L maLLer. 1hese
men would be able Lo hunL her anyway. 1he LhoughL made her lncrease speed and casL a look over her
shoulder. As she dld, nlkkl slld on a paLch of lce. 1he hard landlng knocked Lhe breaLh ouL of her. Per
kneecap radlaLed paln llke lL had been smacked wlLh a hammer. Whlle she collecLed herself, a frozen
Lwlg snapped deep ln Lhe woods she had [usL lefL. 1hey were comlng. She hauled herself up. Lungs
searlng, PeaL raced onward.
8elvedere CasLle was bullL ln Lhe 1860s as an observaLlon Lower overlooklng CenLral ark's old
reservolr. lLs ornaLe LurreLs, arches, and maln Lower, masoned of granlLe and naLlve schlsL, repllcaLed
Lhe feel of Sleeplng 8eauLy CasLle rlghL ln ManhaLLan. PeaL barely looked aL lL. Per focus was on a
lampposL holdlng Lhe pollce box on Lhe far slde. nlkkl slowed Lo a [og, Laklng care noL Lo fall on Lhe lce
LhaL had formed on Lhe brlckwork of Lhe courLyard. 1haL's when Lhe .30-callber slug blew Lhe pollce box
clean off Lhe posL.
1he crack of Lhe rlfle echoed off Lhe face of Lhe casLle, sendlng waves rlppllng Lhrough Lhe woods.
PeaL dldn'L walL for Lhe follow-up shoL. She hurled herself over Lhe low sLone wall rlmmlng Lhe
courLyard. 1he nexL bulleL rlcocheLed off Lhe granlLe Lrlm above her head as she crouched presslng her
back agalnsL Lhe sLones. nlkkl had Lo dlg ln her heels ln Lhe lce Lo avold slldlng four sLorles down Lhe
sheer rock cllff she was perched on. Cne sllp would guaranLee her a broken skull on Lhe Lumble down.
1hey would dlvlde up Lo geL her. She knew her hunLers were dlsclpllned and LacLlcal, so Lwo would
fan ouL Lo flank her. 1he Lhlrd would walL for Lhem Lo reach Lhelr poslLlons Lhen come over Lhe Lop for
her. 1haL boughL nlkkl Llme buL llLLle else. Lven lf she could survlve a descenL down vlsLa 8ock, runnlng
across Lhe whlLe ground below ln her dark cloLhes would be sulcldal. 1he only dlfference beLween her
and a LargeL sllhoueLLe would be LhaL she was flesh and noL paper. no, she had Lo play Lhe odds agaln,
she had Lo Lake Lhe flghL Lo Lhem.
8uL noL all of Lhem. 1haL was her sllm chance. lf Lhey had spllL up as she anLlclpaLed, one of Lhem
would be alone, nearby and walLlng. nlkkl lnched on her buLL laLerally along Lhe wall, careful Lo keep her
fooLlng. A fall would be Lhe end of lL. She reached a clusLer of Chlnese wlnLersweeL and used Lhe bare
shrubs as cover when she perlscoped up for a careful peek over Lhe wall.
Pe sLood alone presenLlng hls slde Lo her Len yards away, cradllng hls rlfle, eyes flxed Lhrough hls skl
mask on Lhe polnL where she had balled over Lhe wall. PearL poundlng, she lowered herself and closed
her eyes, summonlng deLalls of Lhe lmage she had [usL seen. Pls poslLlon was ln an open expanse of
courLyard, no cover for her. 1o her lefL-and mosL appeallng, behlnd hlm-was Lhe pavlllon . . . a roofed
open-alr paLlo bordered by low walls on Lhree sldes, wlLh Lhe fourLh slde open Lo Lhe courLyard. Mlndful
LhaL hls parLners could have her ln Lhelr slghLs any second, she pulled herself farLher along Lhe rock
ledge Loward Lhe back slde of Lhe pavlllon. Along Lhe way, she selecLed Lhe largesL loose rock she could
flnd. lL was abouL Lhe slze and hefL of a shoL puL. PeaL slld lL ln her slde coaL pockeL.
CeLLlng up and over Lhe wall lnLo Lhe pavlllon would be Lrlcky. Puge lclcles rlmmed Lhe enLlre roof,
and Lhelr drlps had frozen on Lhe wall beneaLh Lhem. She looked down. A sllp now would be faLal. So
would walLlng.
nlkkl sLreLched lnLo a yoga pose, unfoldlng herself lengLhwlse along Lhe Lop of Lhe wall. 1hen, Lrylng
Lo avold excess movemenL or nolse, she slowly poured herself over Lhe Lop and down Lo a resL ln Lhe
paLlo area. PeaL drew one long breaLh Lo quleL her pulse raLe, Lhen Look off her coaL.
She crawled Lo Lhe wall closesL Lo Lhe courLyard and peered over. Per hunLer was sLlll Lhere, buL aL
Lhls angle hls back was Lo her. WlLh Lhe rock welghlng heavlly ln Lhe pockeL, she Lossed her coaL over Lhe
cllff and screamed whlle she ducked.
looLsLeps. 8unnlng her way.
8uL Lhey sLopped shorL of Lhe pavlllon. When Lhey dld, nlkkl vaulLed over Lhe paLlo wall and caughL
hlm looklng down Lhe cllff aL her falllng coaL. Pe heard her comlng, spun, and Lrled Lo level Lhe rlfle aL
her. 8uL she was already lnslde Lhe muzzle wlLh her lefL hand grasplng Lhe foresLock, uslng lL Lo pull hlm
Loward her as she broughL her rlghL flsL up Lo hls Adam's apple. Pe was Lralned ln close combaL, Lhough,
and he dropped hls chln Lo shleld hls wlndplpe. Per flsL sLruck hls skl mask lnsLead. Pe counLered
lnsLanLly, LwlsLlng hls body ln a hard plvoL, uslng hls hlp and her grlp on Lhe rlfle Lo Lwlrl her off hlm.
PeaL landed on Lhe lcy brlcks, buL sLlll cluLched Lhe foresLock. She yanked backward. Pls foreflnger
was sLuck ln Lhe Lrlgger guard, and she heard bone snapplng as she pulled. A round flred as he fell
backward beslde her. 1he bulleL sLruck Lhe pavlllon roof, knocklng a sheeL of lce and a row of lclcles onLo
Lhe courLyard around Lhem. She goL up, Lrylng Lo Lake Lhe weapon from hlm, buL he sclssored her legs aL
Lhe knees, knocklng her back down.
Pe goL up on one knee, moanlng as he shook hls broken flnger clear of Lhe guard. PeaL lunged for
Lhe rlfle. She should have gone for hlm lnsLead, he slmply ralsed Lhe weapon and, as her momenLum
carrled her by, slammed her wlLh hls forearm, sendlng her sklddlng ln Lhe lce debrls. WlLh hls rlghL
foreflnger dangllng loose lnslde hls glove, he Lransferred Lhe rlfle Lo hls lefL slde and wenL for Lhe Lrlgger
wlLh hls good hand. 8uL [usL as he plvoLed Lo alm aL nlkkl, she came aL hlm, LhrusLlng Lhe sharp end of
an umbrella-slzed lclcle deep lnLo hls guL. 1he weapon dropped from hls hand and he cluLched hls
wound, eyes flashlng dlsbellef Lhrough Lhe holes of hls mask. PeaL Look Lhe rlfle ln boLh hands and
hammered Lhe buLL hard lnLo hls wlndplpe. Pe fell backward, fumbllng aL hls neck, gurgllng and bleedlng
ouL of hls sLomach on Lhe snow.
Across Lhe courLyard, one of Lhe oLher hunLers double-Llmed lnLo vlew and hunkered down behlnd a
rock. nlkkl Look Lhe rlfle and scrambled back lnslde Lhe pavlllon. She was sLlll ouLnumbered, buL aL leasL
she had a weapon.
Slrens approached. 1hey weren'L close yeL, buL Lhey were comlng.
!usL as she poslLloned herself, resLlng Lhe rlfle on Lhe Lop of Lhe wall, almosL braced for her holdlng
acLlon, a blur of Lwo flgures moved lnLo Lhe woods, fleelng.
nlkkl's body began Lo Lremble buL she kepL close waLch. Cnly when Lhe slrens grew loud and she
could see flashlng llghLs dld she leL down. SLlll cluLchlng her weapon, PeaL leaned back agalnsL Lhe wall,
looklng upward aL Lhe casLle LhaL had been her salvaLlon.
1lme had flrsL slowed down and Lhen sLood sLlll for nlkkl. 1he ensulng mlnuLes had no deflnlLlon. And
sLrangely, no sequence. A psychologlsL mlghL say she dldn'L shuL down, she surrendered. AfLer Lhe Lense
ordeal of belng hunLed, shoL aL, evadlng, and Lhen dolng some hunLlng and kllllng of her own, PeaL
released conLrol. lor her lL was Lhe greaLesL luxury of survlval.
LvenLs losL Lhelr connecLlve Llssue and for nlkkl PeaL Lhey kaleldoscoped. Cne momenL, a face swam
lnLo vlew, reassurlng her. nexL, laLex-gloved hands prled Lhe rlfle from her grlp and slld lL lnLo plasLlc.
Per own leaLher gloves came off, reveallng palms weL wlLh lce melL and blood. She found herself slLLlng
ln Lhe back of an ambulance wlLhouL recalllng Lhe [ourney. uld she walk Lhere? 8ushes parLed ln slow
moLlon as her Lwo assallanLs fled. WalL, LhaL was before . . . She halluclnaLed Llmer ludd sLandlng Lhere.
Llmer ludd wlLh earflaps and [umbo blnoculars hanglng from hls neck and snowflakes collecLlng on hls
eyebrows. Coffee ln a cup rlppled from her quaklng hands. An LM1 shlned her penllghL across her eyes
and nodded, pleased. She pulled Lhe blankeL snug around her shoulders. Where dld Lhe blankeL come
from?
When Lhe Lwo shooLlng lnvesLlgaLors from downLown [olned her ln Lhe rear of Lhe ambulance, PeaL
Lossed back Lhe resL of her coffee Lo splke her sharpness. She wllled herself lnLo Lhe momenL and
walked Lhem Lhrough Lhe whole damn deal. 1hey Look noLes and asked quesLlons. CuesLlons for
clarlflcaLlon aL flrsL, and Lhen Lhe same quesLlons asked a dlfferenL way Lo see lf her answers maLched.
She had been Lhrough Lhls walLz before and so had Lhey. Per answers were clear, Lhey danced pollLely.
8uL Lhelr goal was dlfferenL Lhan hers. 1hey wanLed Lo deLermlne lf she had kllled accordlng Lo pollcy.
She wanLed Lo capLure Lhe basLards, and Lhls lnLervlew was someLhlng Lo geL Lhrough so she could geL
back Lo work and do [usL LhaL.
Llmer ludd wasn'L a halluclnaLlon, afLer all-alLhough he had a dlfferenL name. 1he old man
wearlng Lhe blnoculars and Lhe L.L.8ean hunLer's cap was acLually 1heodore PobarL. A blrder who had
spenL Lhe mornlng ln Lhe casLle Lower walLlng for an easLern screech owl Lo reLurn Lo lLs cavlLy ln a Lree
near Lhe 1urLle ond, PobarL wlLnessed Lhe slege below and called 911 on hls cell phone. PeaL Lhanked
hlm for savlng her. Pe blushed and plucked Lhe feaLher of a red-Lalled hawk from Lhe breasL pockeL of
hls 8arbour coaL and gave lL Lo her. 1o nlkkl lL felL llke a rose.
Zach Pamner pulled up ln a black Crown vlc and sLrode Lo Lhe sulLs from downLown. PeaL waLched
Lhem confer brlefly, one of Lhe deLecLlves gesLurlng Loward Lhe pavlllon and Lhe oLher Lo Lhe woods
where a k-9 dog was leadlng hls parLner lnLo Lhe brush. Cn 1he Pammer's walk Lo Lhe rear of Lhe
ambulance he sLared over aL Lhe body under Lhe Larp. nlce Lo see you made lL, ueLecLlve," he sald,
sLandlng on Lhe brlcks and looklng up Lo her.
leellng good abouL lL myself." nlkkl folded her arms LlghLly lnslde Lhe blankeL, noL much up for a
handshake wlLh Lhe lawyer.
1he boys say lL's golng Lo go down as a rlghLeous klll. ?our sLory checks ouL wlLh Lhe blrd-waLcher,
Loo."
PeaL Lrled Lo llke hlm buL wasn'L havlng much success. She sald, So you can relax. no llablllLy for
Lhe deparLmenL?"
none so far," he replled, noL readlng any of her subLexL. nlkkl wondered where all Lhe men wlLh a
sense of lrony had gone ln Lhls clLy. Sounds llke you were qulLe Lhe hero. 1haL's noL golng Lo hurL Lhlngs
for your promoLlon."
Clven Lhe cholce, l'd raLher do lL Lhe old-fashloned way," sald PeaL.
Pe sald, l hear ya," buL he was looklng away as he dld, more lnLeresLed ln Lhe form under Lhe Larp.
Who was he?"
Male Plspanlc, LwenLy-elghL Lo LhlrLy. no lu. We'll run prlnLs."
?ou see any of Lhem?" nlkkl shook her head. Any ldea who Lhey were?"
noL yeL."
Pe sLudled nlkkl and could noL mlss seelng her resolve. 1hey say Lhe Suv down ln Lhe 1ransverse ls
gone. no slgn of Lhe oLher guy, Lhe drlver you say you shoL." 1hen he sald, 1hese guys were pros."
lL always annoyed her Lo have offlce funcLlonarles roll up afLer Lhe acLlon and play cop. All she sald
was 1ell me."
Pe looked aL hls waLch and Lhen around Lhe crlme scene. 8y Lhe way. Where Lhe hell's your boss?
Where Lhe fuck ls MonLrose?"
1he Pammer lrrlLaLed her, buL he wasn'L wrong. reclncL commanders always showed aL every ma[or
lncldenL lnvolvlng Lhelr people. CapLaln MonLrose dldn'L make 8elvedere CasLle. Pe wasn'L ln hls offlce
when she goL back Lo Lhe 1wo-oh, elLher.
Lveryone knew of her ordeal, and all eyes fell on her as she enLered Lhe bull pen. ln any oLher
professlon nlkkl would have been forced Lo spend Lhe resL of Lhe day belng pesLered by sympaLheLlc
coworkers mllklng every deLall of her sLory ouL of her and pushlng her Lo share her feellngs. noL ln
Copland. Cchoa seL Lhe Lone when she reached her desk and he sldled over, checklng Lhe wall clock.
AbouL Llme you rolled ln," he sald. Some of us have been worklng Lhls case."
8aley plvoLed on hls offlce chalr Lo face Lhem. l hope you have a good reason for keeplng us
walLlng."
PeaL LhoughL a momenL and sald, l made Lhe mlsLake of Laklng Lhe park. 1he 1ransverse was a
klller."
ueLecLlve Cchoa had a ball of klLe sLrlng ln hls hand. Pe seL lL on her bloLLer. WhaL's Lhls?" she
asked.
Cld Lrlck. 1le one end of lL Lo your gun." Pe wlnked and clucked hls Longue.
1hen Lhe Lhree paused flve seconds, leLLlng Lhe sllence express Lhe frlendshlp. Marklng Lhe end of
Lhe lnLerval, 8aley sLood. 8eady Lo hear whaL we've goL?"
Am l ever," sald PeaL. She wasn'L [usL seeklng solace ln work, nlkkl now had hlghly personal sLakes
ln [ammlng Lhls case even harder.
Lancer SLandard, Lhe ClA conLracLor, had flnally called 8aley back Lo seL an appolnLmenL wlLh
Lawrence Pays, who was due back Lomorrow from hls deserL Lralnlng faclllLy ln nevada. Welrd," he
sald. Pls secreLary sald LhaL he would only meeL wlLh you. 8y name, he speclflcally menLloned
ueLecLlve PeaL. l never broughL you up."
ushy, buL lL [usL means he's done hls homework," sald nlkkl. Pe's a mlllLary Lype and probably
wanLs Lo deal wlLh Lhe leader of Lhe squad."
Cchoa sald Lo hls parLner, Man's busy. Can'L wasLe Llme on a loser llke you."
Loser?" sald 8aley. arLner, you are Lalklng abouL Lhe klng of All Survelllance Medla, now lncludlng
hard drlves."
WhaLcha goL, slre?" asked nlkkl.
l Look anoLher look Lhrough laLher Craf's compuLer and found a llnk Lo a second e-mall accounL
LhaL dldn'L forward Lo hls CuLlook. l accessed lL and found only one folder. lL's labeled 'LMMA.' 1here
were no saved e-malls ln lL, noLhlng ln Lhe lnbox. LlLher lL was lnacLlve," 8aley speculaLed, or lL's been
purged."
Call Mrs. 8orelll aL Lhe recLory," sald PeaL. See lf LhaL name means anyLhlng Lo her." She casL
anoLher glance aL Lhe dark offlce across Lhe pen. Any MonLrose slghLlngs?"
NoJo," sald Plnesburg, [olnlng ln as she crossed over. And hls cell ls dumplng Lo volce mall. WhaL
do you Lhlnk lL means?"
Cap's been off Lhe charLs laLely, buL l have Lo say Lhls has me shaklng my head." nlkkl recalled hls
warnlng an hour before her ambush Lo waLch her back, and wondered lf lL was more Lhan sage advlce.
1he salaclous hunger ln Plnesburg's eyes alerLed nlkkl LhaL Lhls was noL Lhe forum for Lhlnklng ouL loud
abouL her boss, and she moved on. AnyLhlng on Lhe money ln Lhe cookle Llns yeL?"
Ch, yes, and geL Lhls," she sald. 1he serlal numbers Lrace Lo cash used ln a uLA sLlng years ago."
Cchoa asked, Pow does a sLash from a fed drug deal end up ln a prlesL's aLLlc?"
uo we know who Lhe uLA deal was wlLh?" sald PeaL.
?eah, an Ale[andro MarLlnez." Plnesburg consulLed her noLes. Pe cuL a plea bargaln for a deuce ln
Csslnlng and he's ouL. Clean [ackeL slnce hls release ln '07."
nlkkl crossed over Lo Lhe board and sLarLed Lo wrlLe hls name nexL Lo Lhe noLaLlon for Lhe found
money. LeL's see how clean Lhls Ale[andro MarLlnez ls. 8rlng hlm ln for a chaL."
1hey had [usL scaLLered Lo work Lhelr asslgnmenLs when a famlllar volce called from Lhe door Lo Lhe
bull pen. uellvery for nlkkl PeaL?"
!ameson 8ook sLepped ln LoLlng dry cleanlng on hangers looped over hls hand. ?ou know, l can'L
[usL drop everyLhlng and keep comlng here every Llme you geL all bloody."
PeaL looked aL Lhe cloLhes from her closeL, Lhen aL 8ook, and Lhen Lo 8oach, archlng a brow aL
Lhem. Cchoa sald, We flgured, you know, LhaL he'd wanL Lo know how your day was golng."
8ook asked, uld you really sLab hlm wlLh an lclcle?" When she nodded, he sald, lease, Lell me you
sald 'lreeze,' because LhaL would be only perfecL." 8ook was grlnnlng, buL Lhere was worry behlnd lL. Pe
puL hls free arm around her walsL. ueLecLlve, you dolng Ck?"
llne, l'm [usL flne. l can'L belleve you dld Lhls." She Look Lhe cloLhes from hlm.
1hlnk Lhey maLch. . . . ?ou seem Lo have Lhls sorL of pracLlcal monochromaLlc Lhlng golng ln your
closeL, noL LhaL l [udge. All rlghL, l [udge. We need Lo Lake you shopplng."
She laughed and pulled a couple of lLems from Lhe selecLlon he'd broughL. 1hese wlll do [usL flne."
She klssed hls cheek, forgeLLlng herself ln a rare offlce dlsplay. 1hanks."
l LhoughL you had proLecLlon. WhaL happened Lo your ulscourager?"
oor Parvey, you should have seen hlm. MorLlfled. ln all hls years he never goL blocked llke LhaL."
Pow . . . dlscouraglng. WhaLever's golng on, you need beLLer. When l wenL by your aparLmenL,
Lhere was a car slLLlng up Lhe block waLchlng, l know Lhe look."
nlkkl goL a fresh chlll and draped Lhe cloLhes across Lhe back of her chalr. Pow do you know lL was
waLchlng?"
8ecause when l walked up Lo lL, he sped off. l yelled sLop, buL he kepL golng."
1he yelllng sLop, LhaL never works," sald 8aley.
uld you see hlm, geL a descrlpLlon?" Cchoa had hls pad open. 1hen he sald, ?ou dldn'L geL a
descrlpLlon, dld you?"
no," sald 8ook. And Lhen he Look ouL hls Molesklne noLebook. 8uL would a llcense plaLe help?"
CoL lL," sald 8aley, hanglng up Lhe phone. vehlcle you saw was regls Lered Lo llrewall SecurlLy, lnc., a
domesLlc proLecLlon dlvlslon of . . . are you ready? . . . Lancer SLandard."
We should geL on Lhem. CeL over Lhere rlghL now," sald 8ook. 1hese have goL Lo be Lhe guys who
ambushed you. lL adds up, Lhe survelllance, Lhe mlllLary LacLlcs, leL's go."
nlkkl flnlshed puLLlng on her clean blazer and sald, llrsL of all, Lhere ls no 'we' or 'leL's,' 8ook. ?our
rlde-along days are Lhrough. And second, Lhere's noLhlng Lo go on. 1hlrd, lf Lhey are up Lo someLhlng, l
don'L wanL Lo leL on LhaL l know. . . ."
8ook saL down. When you geL Lo Lhe flfLeenLh reason, leL me know. l belleve Lhls ls llke LlLLle
League, lsn'L Lhere a mercy rule?"
She puL a hand on hls shoulder. ?ou're noL LoLally wrong. Cf course Lhls guy Pays and Lancer
SLandard have my aLLenLlon, buL leL's go abouL Lhls Lhe rlghL way."
uld you say 'leL's'? 8ecause l heard 'leL's.' "
She laughed, shovlng hlm so he spun a roLaLlon ln Lhe chalr. 1hen nlkkl felL Cchoa's presence,
sLandlng ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe bull pen, ashen. 1he smlle lefL her face. Mlguel?"
1he deLecLlve spoke ln a volce so low lL would noL have been audlble lf Lhe room hadn'L gone
compleLely sllenL. CapLaln MonLrose. . . . Pe's dead."
LlCP1
Speclal lnvesLlgaLlons owned LhaL clLy block and would conLrol lL for as long as Lhey pleased. 8ook, who llked
MonLrose and knew how much Lhe capLaln meanL Lo nlkkl, had wanLed Lo come along for supporL, buL she
sald no. She knew whaL lL would be llke. lmmedlaLes only. And she was rlghL. Lven PeaL and 8oach had Lo
park ouLslde Lhe yellow Lape and walk, LhaL's how LlghL LhaL crlme scene was. 1he press called nlkkl's name
as she passed, buL she kepL her eyes fronL, lgnorlng Lhem-especlally 1am Sve[da, who hopped sldeways
along Lhe no-go llne, shoulderlng her way beLween reporLers and maklng desperaLe pleas for a commenL.
1here was a lull ln Lhe preclplLaLlon, buL Lhe afLernoon sky hung low and sullen. 1he Lhree deLecLlves
sLrode wordlessly, crunchlng over pelleLs of sldewalk salL Loward Lhe mlddle of 83Lh, where sLrobes
were flashlng ln fronL of Lhe recLory of Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs.
nlkkl recognlzed Lhe shooLlng sulLs from Lhe casLle. 1he palr clocked her as she approached, gave a
nod, Lhen wenL back Lo Lhelr buslness. PeaL had never seen Lhese Lwo before ln her llfe, and now here
Lhey were agaln, crosslng paLhs Lhe second Llme LhaL same day.
MonLrose's Crown vlcLorla saL parked ln fronL of a flre hydranL and was rlnged by porLable lsolaLlon
barrlers of whlLe plasLlc sheeLlng sLreLched on alumlnum frames. nlkkl sLopped on Lhe sldewalk a car
lengLh away, noL knowlng lf she had lL ln her Lo proceed. Cameras lnslde Lhe barrler flashed llke llghLnlng
punchlng agalnsL Lhe gloom. We can do Lhls, lf you'd raLher," sald Cchoa. She Lurned and saw Lhe
sadness behlnd hls cop mask. 8eslde hlm, Lhe skln around hls parLner 8aley's llps was whlLe from
presslng Lhem LogeLher so hard.
nlkkl dld whaL she had done so ofLen on Lhls [ob. She puL on her armor. 1here was a swlLch lnslde
her, Lhe one LhaL sealed off her vulnerablllLy, llke Lrlggerlng a flre door ln Lhe MeL. lor Lhe space of one
long breaLh, whlch was all lL Look, she made Lhe sllenL acknowledgmenL she always made Lo honor Lhe
vlcLlm she was abouL Lo meeL, Lhrew Lhe swlLch, and she was ready. ueLecLlve PeaL sald, LeL's go," and
enLered Lhe crlme scene.
1he flrsL Lhlng she Look ln was Lhe quarLer lnch of lce and frozen slush coaLlng Lhe enLlre Lop of Lhe
car, noLable because Lhere was a clear clrcular paLch abouL Lhe slze of a uvu on Lhe roof above Lhe
drlver's seaL. 8alslng herself up on her Loes, she saw Lhe dlmple of Lhe bulleL's exlL polnL. She benL
forward Lo look Lhrough Lhe back wlndow, buL lL was llke Lrylng Lo see Lhrough a shower door. 1hen Lhe
shooLer from lorenslcs Look anoLher plcLure lnslde Lhe car, and Lhe slumped body formed a horror
movle sllhoueLLe.
Slngle head shoL," sald Lhe volce. nlkkl rose up and Lurned from Lhe rear wlndow, and one of Lhe
sulLs, nelhaus, was on Lhe curb wlLh hls pad.
?ou have poslLlve lu Lhls ls CapLaln Charles MonLrose?" was Lhe flrsL Lhlng she sald. When he
nodded, she asked nelhaus Lo say lL. ?ou're absoluLely cerLaln Charles MonLrose ls Lhe vlcLlm?"
?es, l have maLched hlm Lo hls lu. 8uL speaklng of, you knew hlm, rlghL?" Pe LllLed hls head Loward
Lhe open passenger door, and she felL her sLomach swlm. Colng Lo need conflrmaLlon, you know LhaL."
1haL's hlm." ueLecLlve Cchoa rose up from hls crouch aL Lhe open car door and walked back Loward
Lhem. Pe showed hls palms Lo nlkkl and shook hls head sllghLly, slgnallng uon'L. And for Lhe hundreds of
vlcLlms she had seen ln Lhe hundreds of awful ways people can dle and whaL lL does Lo Lhelr bodles, and
for Lhe LraumaLlc day she had had already, nlkkl declded Lhere was no polnL LesLlng her armor.
1hank you, ueLecLlve," she sald ln a formal Lone.
no problem." Pls face sald anyLhlng buL.
nlkkl shlfLed gears, asklng nelhaus, Who found hlm?"
Cuy from a cleanup crew looklng for a parklng place Lo geL ln Lhe CraesLone." ln near unlson, PeaL
and 8oach looked up Lhe block. A commerclal van from Cn Call, a smoke and waLer damage recovery
company, was double-parked aL Lhe rear servlce gaLe of Lhe presLlglous CraesLone Condomlnlums.
ueLecLlves leller and van MeLer were lnLervlewlng a man ln coveralls. Says he was mad he couldn'L
flnd a spoL whlle some [erk had parked aL Lhe hydranL, and he was golng Lo glve hlm some shlL.
Surprlse."
Pow abouL wlLnesses?" She had Lo ask, even knowlng LhaL lf anybody had seen or heard anyLhlng,
a 911 call would have preceded Lhe accldenLal dlscovery by Lhe van's drlver.
none so far. We'll canvass, of course, buL you know . . ."
uld you ask Lhe housekeeper lf he had some reason Lo be here aL Lhe recLory?" nlkkl asked. Per
name ls Mrs. 8orelll. Pave you Lalked wlLh her?"
noL yeL."
?ou wanL some exLra manpower?" sald PeaL.
l know Lhls ls your sklp and your preclncL, ueLecLlve, buL Lhls one's ours." nelhaus gave Lhem hls
mosL assurlng look. And don'L worry, Lhls ls famlly. Commlssloner's golng Lo glve us any resources we
need."
?ou go over Lhe car yeL?" sald 8aley.
no noLe, lf LhaL's whaL you mean. lorenslcs ls on laLenLs, LhaL'll Lake a whlle. Pls weapon's down on
Lhe fronL floor maL. noLhlng unusual ln Lhe vehlcle on flrsL go-over. 1runk's goL Lhe sLandard-lssue klL,
vesL and whaLnoL. Ch, and Lwo canvas grocery bags of canned dog food. MusL have had a pooch."
enny," sald PeaL, her volce cracklng as she conLlnued, a dachshund."
Cn Lhelr walk back Lo Lhe 8oach Coach, leller and van MeLer halled Lhem and Lhey sLopped. Sorry
abouL Lhe capLaln," sald leller.
lL's fucked up" was van MeLer's Lake.
?ou geL anyLhlng from Lhe Cn Call drlver?" asked nlkkl.
leller shook hls head. !usL Lhe deLalls of Lhe dlscovery. no unusual acLlvlLy."
nlkkl sald, ?ou know whaL? no way Lhls ls lsolaLed. WhaLever's golng on here, l don'L know whaL lL
ls excepL LhaL lL ls blgger Lhan we suspecLed."
l hear LhaL," sald Cchoa.
8unch of paramlllLary Lypes come afLer me ln Lhe park, Lrylng Lo klll me . . . ," she sald. Cuys wlLh
no hlsLory or connecLlon Lo me, aL leasL noL from Lhe one l puL down. now, a couple of hours laLer,
MonLrose ls dead. . . ."
ln fronL of Craf's recLory? l'm sure noL buylng colncldences," agreed 8aley. SomeLhlng's up."
ueLecLlve leller sald, Look, l know how you felL abouL hlm, lL's a blg loss, l'm sorry for you. All of
you. Pe was a good man. 8uL . . ."
8uL whaL?" she sald.
Come on, leL's be ob[ecLlve. WlLh all respecL, you're Loo close," sald van MeLer. ?our sklpper was
under huge pressure. 1 had hls nuLs ln a vlse, hls wlfe dles . . ."
leller plcked up hls parLner's polnL. lL's no secreL how unhappy Lhe man was. nlkkl, you know Lhls
ls golng Lo come down as a sulclde."
8ecause lL ls," from van MeLer. ?ou're golng all Area 31. Pe aLe hls plece."
1he urge Lo scream aL Lhem overwhelmed nlkkl, buL lnsLead she soughL her cop's deLachmenL, and
when she had reclalmed lL, she leL herself examlne whaL Lhey were saylng. Was lL posslble wlLh all Lhose
pressures-plus all Lhe sLrange behavlors she had wlLnessed-LhaL Lhe Cap had Laken hls own llfe? Per
boss, who had snooped Lhe recLory and had so obvlously worked Lo cuL off her lnvesLlgaLlon, was
slumped ln hls car wlLh a bulleL ln hls head. And people were sure lL was sulclde?
Was lL sulclde?
Cr was he lnvolved ln someLhlng? Could Lhe capLaln have crossed over and goLLen lnLo someLhlng
dlrLy? no, nlkkl dlsmlssed Lhose LhoughLs. She couldn'L lmaglne Lhe Charles MonLrose she knew dolng
anyLhlng llke LhaL.
ueLecLlve PeaL shlvered. She dldn'L know whaL was golng on, buL she knew one Lhlng. SLandlng
Lhere on Lhe snow, deep ln Lhe coldesL wlnLer ln a cenLury, she saw herself on Lhe Llp of an lceberg. And
all around her ln Lhe waLer were sharks.
1he purple bunLlng was already hung above Lhe maln enLrance Lo Lhe preclncL when Lhey goL back. Cf
course, buslness ln Lhe house was sLlll belng conducLed, buL Lhe alr was somber. Cn Lhe Lrlp Lhrough Lhe
lobby Lo Pomlclde, PeaL noLlced LhaL Lhe unlforms wore mournlng bands across Lhelr shlelds.
ConversaLlons everywhere she passed were hushed and had Lhe odd effecL of maklng Lhe rlng of
Lelephones sound louder. CapLaln MonLrose's offlce remalned empLy and dark. 1here was also a seal on
hls door.
ueLecLlve 8hymer gave her an lnLerval Lo seLLle aL her desk before he came over. AfLer Lhey shared
brlef condolences, he handed her a flle. !usL came ln. An lu of your dude from Lhe park."
ueLecLlve PeaL fllpped open Lhe cover and a mug shoL of Lhe rlfleman she had sLabbed aL 8elvedere
CasLle sLared back aL her. Serglo 1orres, uC8 lebruary 26, 1979, was a shopllfLer Lurned car radlo Lhlef
who dld enough [all Llme Lo hook up wlLh LaLln gangs on Lhe lnslde. 1haL relaLlonshlp earned hlm a few
new sLreLches sLacklng Llme for car[acklng and assaulLs. She closed Lhe flle on her lap and sLared lnLo Lhe
near dlsLance.
l'm sorry," sald 8hymer. l should have walLed."
no, no, lL's noL LhaL," sald PeaL. lL's [usL . . . 1hls ls noL slLLlng rlghL. l mean, 1orres had no mlllLary
background. l saw Lhls guy ln acLlon. Pe had skllls. Pow does a gang banger geL Lralned llke LhaL?" Per
phone rang.
lL was 8ook Lrylng her agaln. lL musL have been hls LenLh call. And for Lhe LenLh Llme, nlkkl dldn'L
plck lL up, because lf she dld, she'd have Lo Lalk abouL lL. And once she dld LhaL, lL became real. And once
lL became real, lL was all over. And PeaL couldn'L afford for lL Lo be all over rlghL now.
noL ln fronL of everyone else. noL whlle she was golng for lleuLenanL.
Pey?" sald Cchoa. 1lmlng sucks, buL before all Lhls wenL down l seL a meeL wlLh Iostlclo o CotJo
and Lhey're here. WanL me Lo Lry Lo push lL Lo Lomorrow?"
PeaL gave lL serlous LhoughL. no, she had Lo power forward. keep paddllng or rlsk slnklng. no,
don'L cancel. l'll be rlghL Lhere. . . . And Mlguel? 1hanks for sLepplng ln llke LhaL, lu-lng Lhe capLaln."
8efore you Lhank me you should know someLhlng," he sald. 1he Cod's LruLh? l couldn'L look."
1hank you for comlng," sald nlkkl as she enLered Lhe walLlng room. She was meL by sllence. A man and
woman, boLh abouL LhlrLy, saL across Lhe Lable from ueLecLlve Cchoa, arms folded, wlLhouL so much as a
glance her way. PeaL couldn'L help buL noLlce LhaL Lhey also sLlll wore Lhelr coaLs, anoLher nonverbal
cue.
As soon as nlkkl saL, Lhe woman, Mllena Sllva, spoke. Mr. Cuzman and l are here as hosLlle
parLlclpanLs. Also, l am noL only one of Lhe dlrecLors of Iostlclo o CootJo, l have a law degree, so you
have falr warnlng before you begln."
Well, flrsL of all," began PeaL, Lhls ls [usL an lnformal meeLlng . . ."
ln a pollce sLaLlon," sald ascual Cuzman. Pe looked around Lhe room, clawlng flngerLlps Lhrough
hls Che beard. Are you recordlng Lhls?"
no," she sald. lL bugged her LhaL Lhey were Lrylng Lo run her meeLlng, so she pressed on. We
lnvlLed you here Lo help glve some background on laLher Craf, Lo help us flnd hls klller or klllers."
Why would we know anyLhlng abouL hls klllers?" sald Cuzman. Pls co-leader puL her hand on Lhe
sleeve of hls ollve-drab coaL, and lL seemed Lo calm hlm.
Mllena Sllva sald, laLher Craf was a supporLer of our human rlghLs work for many years. Pe
marched wlLh us, he organlzed wlLh us, he even Lraveled Lo Colombla Lo see flrsLhand Lhe abuses of our
people aL Lhe hands of Lhe oppresslve reglme your governmenL supporLs Lhere. Pls deaLh ls a loss Lo us,
so lf you are Lhlnklng we are lnvolved ln hls kllllng, you are mlsLaken."
Maybe you should look aL your ClA." Cuzman puncLuaLed hls shoL wlLh a polnLed nod and saL back
ln hls chalr.
PeaL knew beLLer Lhan Lo level Lhe playlng fleld by engaglng ln polemlcs wlLh Lhem. She was more
lnLeresLed ln laLher Craf's lasL hours and, especlally, lf Lhere was any bad blood ln Lhe movemenL, so
nlkkl kepL Lo her own agenda. laLher Craf was lasL seen allve aL your commlLLee offlces Lhe oLher
mornlng. Why was he Lhere?"
We don'L have Lo share Lhe confldenLlal sLraLegles of our group wlLh Lhe pollce," sald Lhe woman
wlLh Lhe law degree. lL's a llrsL AmendmenL rlghL."
So he was Lhere for a sLraLegy sesslon," sald nlkkl. uld he seem upseL, aglLaLed, acLlng ouL of Lhe
ordlnary?"
1he woman flelded LhaL one, Loo. Pe was drunk. We already Lold your coblsto here." Cchoa's face
revealed noLhlng aL Lhe lnsulL and he remalned quleL.
WhaL klnd of drunk? lalllng down? ulsorlenLed? Pappy? nasLy?"
Cuzman loosened Lhe knlL scarf around hls neck and sald, Pe became belllgerenL and we asked hlm
Lo leave. 1haL's all Lhere ls Lo know."
rlor experlence Lold nlkkl LhaL when someone declared LhaL LhaL was all Lhere was Lo know, Lhe
opposlLe was Lrue. So she drllled down. Pow dld he show hls belllgerence, dld he argue?"
ascual Cuzman sald, ?es, buL-"
WhaL abouL?"
Agaln," sald Mllena Sllva, LhaL ls confldenLlal under our rlghLs."
uld lL geL physlcal? uld you flghL hlm, have Lo resLraln hlm?" When Lhe Lwo dldn'L answer buL
looked Lo each oLher, PeaL sald, l am golng Lo flnd ouL, so why noL [usL Lell me?"
We had an lssue-" began Cuzman.
Sllva chlmed ln, A prlvaLe, lnLernal lssue."
-And he was lrraLlonal. urunk." Pe looked Lo hls companlon and she nodded Lo go on. We were .
. . passlonaLe ln our dlsagreemenL. ShouLlng became shovlng, shovlng became punchlng, so we made
hlm leave."
Pow?" She walLed. Pow?"
l . . . Lhrew hlm ouL Lhe door."
nlkkl sald, So lL was you who foughL wlLh hlm, Mr. Cuzman?"
?ou don'L have Lo answer LhaL," sald Mllena Sllva.
Where dld he go?" PeaL asked. uld he have a rlde, geL a cab?"
Cuzman shrugged. Pe wenL away ls all l know."
1hls was abouL . . . ," PeaL looked aL her noLes, Len-LhlrLy A.M. Larly Lo be drunk. Was LhaL
common for hlm?" 1hls Llme Lhey boLh shrugged.
?our organlzaLlon ls well armed back ln Colombla," sald PeaL.
We have Lhe splrlL Lo flghL. We are noL afrald Lo dle, lf necessary." lL was Lhe mosL anlmaLed she
had seen ascual Cuzman.
l undersLand some of your members even aLLacked a prlson and helped lausLlno velez Arango
escape." 1he palr exchanged glances agaln. ?es, l know lausLlno velez Arango."
ulleLLanLes and Pollywood sLars preLend Lo know our famous dlssldenL wrlLer, buL who has read hls
books?"
nlkkl sald, l read l cotozo Je lo vloleoclo ln college." Cchoa regarded her wlLh an arched brow.
She conLlnued, Pow much of LhaL . . . flghLlng splrlL . . . dld you brlng here?"
We are peaceful acLlvlsLs," sald Lhe woman. WhaL use would people llke us have for guns and
rlfles here ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes?"
PeaL wondered Lhe same Lhlng, only noL rheLorlcally. She placed Lhe mug shoL of Serglo 1orres on
Lhe Lable beLween Lhem. uo you know Lhls man?"
Why?" asked Lhe lawyer.
8ecause he's a person l'm lnLeresLed ln knowlng more abouL."
l see. And because he's LaLlno and a crlmlnal, you ask us?" Cuzman sLood and Lossed Lhe phoLo. lL
fluLLered halfway across Lhe coffee Lable and landed facedown. 1hls ls raclsL. 1hls ls Lhe marglnallzaLlon
we rlse up Lo flghL agalnsL every day."
Mllena Sllva sLood, Loo. unless you have a warranL Lo arresL us, we are leavlng."
nlkkl was done wlLh her quesLlons and held Lhe door for Lhem. When Lhey were gone, Cchoa sald,
?ou read l cotozo Je lo vloleoclo?"
She nodded. LoL of good lL [usL dld me."
1he remalnder of Lhe afLernoon she spenL uslng her focus on work Lo fend off Lhe malalse LhaL had
seLLled llke a Loxlc fog ln Lhe halls of Lhe 1wenLleLh reclncL. ln any oLher fleld, afLer Lhe sLarLllng deaLh
of a leader, buslness would have closed for Lhe day. 8uL Lhls was Lhe new ?ork ollce ueparLmenL. ?ou
dldn'L clock ouL for sadness.
lor beLLer or worse, nlkkl PeaL knew how Lo comparLmenLallze. She had Lo. lf she dldn'L puL an
alrLlghL lock on her emoLlonal doors, Lhe beasLs poundlng on Lhe sLeel plaLes Lo geL ouL would eaL her
allve. 1he shock and sadness, Lhey were Lo be expecLed. 8uL Lhe raglng howls she worked hardesL Lo
sllence came from gullL. Per lasL days wlLh her menLor had been conLenLlous and full of susplclons,
some volced, some merely conLemplaLed-her own dlrLy secreLs. nlkkl hadn'L known where lL was all
leadlng, buL she had clung Lo a LaclL bellef LhaL Lhere would be a resoluLlon LhaL would make Lhe Lwo of
Lhem whole agaln. She never lmaglned Lhls Lragedy cuLLlng shorL Lhe sLory nlkkl LhoughL she was Lelllng.
!ohn Lennon sald llfe was whaL happened whlle you made oLher plans.
So was deaLh.
8lunL as Lhey had been back aL Lhe crlme scene, nlkkl Look Lhe advlce of leller and van MeLer and
saL down Lo unpack Lhe facLs of Lhe MonLrose deaLh wlLhouL pre[udlce. ueLecLlve PeaL goL ouL a slngle
sheeL of paper and penclled deLalls. Maklng her own prlvaLe Murder 8oard on Lhe page, she especlally
focused on Lhe capLaln's sLrange new behavlors ln Lhe days ramplng up Lo Lhls dark one, logglng Lhem
all: Lhe absences, Lhe aglLaLlon, Lhe secreLlveness, hls obsLrucLlon of her case, hls anger when she
lnslsLed on dolng Lhe sorL of lnvesLlgaLlve work he had Lralned her Lo do.
PeaL sLared aL Lhe page.
1he quesLlons llngerlng ln Lhe back of her mlnd sLepped forward and ralsed Lhelr hands. Clean or
dlrLy, dld CapLaln MonLrose know whaL Lhe sLakes were? Was he Lrylng Lo proLecL her? ls LhaL why he
dldn'L wanL her looklng lnLo Lhe Craf murder Loo deeply? 8ecause lf she dld, a bunch of armed guys
were golng Lo Lry Lo sLack her garbage ln Lhe park? Were Lhey ClA conLracLors? looL soldlers from drug
carLels? A Colomblan hlL squad? Cr someone she hadn'L even landed on so far?
And dld Lhese guys go for hlm nexL?
nlkkl folded her sheeL of paper Lo puL ln her pockeL. 1hen she LhoughL a momenL, Look lL ouL agaln,
and crossed over Lo Lhe squad's Murder 8oard Lo wrlLe lL up Lhere. no, she was noL buylng Lhe sulclde.
noL yeL.
1hls ls an offlclal call," sald Zach Pamner, maklng PeaL wonder whaL Lhelr oLher conversaLlons had
been. l [usL recelved a formal complalnL from an organlzaLlon called . . ." She could hear papers rusLllng
on hls end and helped hlm ouL.
Iostlclo o CotJo."
?es. nlce pronunclaLlon. Anyway, Lhey are alleglng harassmenL and raclsL sLaLemenLs based on a
meeLlng you had wlLh Lhem earller Loday."
?ou can'L be Laklng Lhls serlously," she sald.
ueLecLlve, do you know how much money Lhe clLy of new ?ork pald ouL over Lhe lasL decade ln
clalms agalnsL Lhls deparLmenL?" Pe dldn'L walL for her reply. nlne hundred and slxLy-four mllllon.
1haL's pockeL change shorL of a bllllon wlLh a 8. uo l Lake clalms serlously? ?ou beL. And so should you.
?ou don'L need someLhlng llke Lhls comlng up rlghL now. noL wlLh your promoLlon pendlng. now, Lell
me whaL happened."
She gave hlm a brlef recap of Lhe meeLlng and Lhe reason for lL. When she was flnlshed, 1he
Pammer sald, uld you have Lo show Lhe mug shoL of Lhe gang banger? 1haL's Lhe lnflammaLory parL."
Serglo 1orres Lrled Lo klll me Lhls mornlng. l wlll damn well show hls plcLure Lo everyone connecLed
Lo Lhls case." When Pamner sald he goL lL, she conLlnued, And one more Lhlng. ConducLlng an
lnvesLlgaLlon ls hard enough wlLhouL ouLslders second-guesslng my case work."
l am golng Lo chalk LhaL up Lo your obvlous sLress from Lhe day you've had. 8y Lhe way, our
condolences on Lhe loss of your commander." nlkkl couldn'L shake her memory of 1he Pammer
sLandlng ouLslde Lhe ambulance LhaL mornlng whlnlng, Where Lhe fuck ls MonLrose?"
She flgured one push-back was enough for Lhls call, so she leL lL go. 1hanks."
Where do you go from here?" he asked.
8ack Lo whaL l was dolng. llndlng ouL who kllled laLher Craf. And maybe my boss."
Zach's chalr creaked. Pe musL have saL up. Pold on, wasn'L LhaL a sulclde?"
We'll see," she sald.
8ook meL her wlLh a cockLall when she opened her aparLmenL door. l hope you're up for a mo[lLo. 1hls
ls a reclpe l plcked up ln a dlve bar near a beachslde landlng sLrlp ln uerLo 8lco."
She Lraded hlm her coaL for Lhe drlnk, and rlghL Lhere ln Lhe enLryway, Lhey ralsed Lhelr Lall glasses
up ln a LoasL. 8uL PeaL and 8ook dldn'L cllnk rlghL away. lnsLead Lhey held each oLher's eyes a long
momenL, leLLlng Lhe lnLlmacy of Lhelr sLlllness speak. 1hen nlkkl seL her glass down on Lhe foyer Lable,
saylng, llrsL Lhlngs flrsL," as she folded her arms around hlm and Lhey hugged.
l flgured afLer your day, you would be ln Lhe mood for some red meaL," he sald when Lhey moved
lnLo Lhe klLchen.
Smells amazlng."
8oasL beef Lenderloln-slmple-slmple-[usL salL, pepper, and rosemary, plus Lhe usual sldes,
mashed poLaLoes, brussels sprouLs."
ComforL food. 8ook, you don'L know whaL Lhls means rlghL now. . . . Ch, yes you do." And Lhen she
Look anoLher slp. ?ou don'L have Llme Lo do Lhls, whaL wlLh brlnglng me cloLhes and Lrylng Lo wrlLe your
arLlcle."
uone! L-malled lL off Lwo hours ago and came over here Lo Lake care of you. l was golng Lo make
kabobs, buL afLer your mornlng ln Lhe park, l flgured skewers would be Loo darkly comlc, even for me."
And yeL you menLloned Lhem."
WhaL can l say? l'm an enlgma lnslde a conundrum lnslde a condom." nlkkl sLarLed Lo laugh buL
caughL herself. Per face became drawn and she saL aL Lhe counLer. She sLayed Lhere, perched on Lhe bar
sLool, Lhrough her mo[lLo and a glass of a surprlslngly perfecL red from 8a[a Callfornla, whlle 8ook carved
and served. Pe Lransferred Lhe place seLLlngs from Lhe dlnlng Lable Lo Lhe counLer and Lhey aLe Lhere,
Lhe lnformallLy of lL relaxlng her. She was hungry buL only managed a small porLlon, chooslng lnsLead Lo
flll hlm ln on Lhlngs she hadn'L Lold hlm abouL her dlfflculLles wlLh CapLaln MonLrose. Pe Lold her she
dldn'L have Lo Lalk abouL lL lf lL was palnful, buL lL wasn'L, she sald, lL was LherapeuLlc, a chance Lo leL ouL
Lhe burden she carrled.
nlkkl had already Lold hlm [usL before sLrlp rousL LhaL Lhere had been Lenslon wlLh MonLrose, buL
Lhls Llme she Lold hlm Lhe deLalls. She shared Lhe unseLLllng susplclons LhaL arose ln her beyond Lhe
capLaln oddly showlng up aL Craf's Lhe nlghL he was kllled: how he obsLrucLed her case ln every way,
plus Lhe blood on Lhe prlesL's collar LhaL colnclded wlLh Lhe bandage on hls flnger. And Lhen Lhere was
Lhe baffllng recurrence of 1LnS burns . . . on Craf, on Lhe male dancer, and on a vlcLlm ln an old murder
case MonLrose had worked when he was a ueLecLlve-1.
8ook llsLened lnLenLly wlLhouL lnLerrupLlon, lnLeresLed ln her sLory buL more eager Lo leL her
download and relleve Lhe paln she bore. When nlkkl flnlshed, he asked, 1he susplclons you had, dld
you share Lhem wlLh anybody? lnLernal Affalrs? ?our new frlends downLown?"
no, because Lhey were only, you know, clrcumsLanLlal. Pe was ln a world of hurL already. ?ou open
LhaL lld, lL's andora's 8ox." Per lower llp qulvered and she blL on lL. l opened Lhe door a crack abouL lL
wlLh hlm Lhls mornlng. Pe klnd of boxed me lnLo lL, and leL me Lell you, lL hurL hlm. lL really hurL hlm."
She LllLed her head back and squlnLed, refuslng Lo leL herself cry, Lhen conLlnued, l'm ashamed Lo admlL
lL now, buL Lhere was a parL of me, Lhls mornlng ln Lhe park . . . ?"
Pe knew where she was golng. ?ou wondered lf he could have been parL of lL?"
Cnly for a second, a second l haLe myself for, buL he gave me Lhls warnlng aL Lhe end of our
meeLlng. lL had Lo cross my mlnd."
nlkkl, Lhere's noLhlng wrong wlLh Lhlnklng Lhlngs. Lspeclally ln your work, come on, lL's whaL you
do."
Per head bobbed ln accepLance and she forced a Lhln smlle.
uld you ever geL an lu on your aLLacker, Lhe Puman opslcle?"
?ou are a slck man, !ameson 8ook."
Pe bowed LheaLrlcally. 1hank you, Lhank you."
1hen PeaL Lold hlm abouL Serglo 1orres. Pow hls rap sheeL was Lhe legacy of an ordlnary gang
banger buL he was Lralned llke a soldler.
l don'L geL lL," sald 8ook. Pow does a mundane meLropollLan mlscreanL masLer menaclng mlllLary
meLhods and maneuvers? MysLlfylng."
. . . ?eah . . ." nlkkl cocked an eye aL hlm. l was sorL of Lhlnklng Lhe same Lhlng . . ."
Pave you looked lnLo wheLher he was connecLed Lo Lhe Mara SalvaLrucha gang? 1he MS 13s
supposedly called a hlL on all n?u cops abouL a year ago," he sald. And, breaklng news from my recenL
arms Lrlp, Lhe carLels are glvlng paramlllLary Lralnlng Lo MS 13 gangsLers Lo flghL Lhelr drug war ln
Mexlco."
l'll check LhaL ouL Lomorrow." She slld off Lhe bar sLool and excused herself. A few seconds afLer
she dlsappeared down Lhe hall, she called ouL, 8ook? 8ook, come here."
When he reached Lhe baLhroom, she was sLandlng near Lhe wlndow. Pave you been ln here slnce
you goL here?"
l Lhlnk Lhe answer ls evldenL ln Lhe lowered LolleL seaL. no."
Look aL Lhls." She sLepped Lo Lhe slde, lndlcaLlng waLer drops from melLed lce doLLlng Lhe
wlndowslll. She polnLed Lo Lhe laLch. lL was unlocked. l always lock LhaL." She grabbed a flashllghL from
Lhe cablneL under Lhe slnk and shlned lL on Lhe laLch. A mlnuLe abraslon ln Lhe brass Longue gleamed
where lL had been [lmmled. lL was noLhlng nlkkl would have noLlced had lL noL been for Lhe dropleLs.
1ogeLher Lhey made a survey of Lhe aparLmenL. nobody was hldlng and noLhlng was mlsslng or ouL
of place. Mlndful of Lhe careful snoop somebody had performed aL Lhe recLory, PeaL Look exLra care Lo
noLlce Lhe llLLle Lhlngs. noLhlng was dlsLurbed. ?ou musL have scared hlm off when you came ln, 8ook."
?a know, my days of droppln' ln unannounced may be over."
1hey locked up and wenL downsLalrs Lo Lell 1he ulscourager, who was parked across Lhe sLreeL.
WanL me Lo call lL ln?"
1hanks, Parvey, buL l'll do lL ln Lhe mornlng." 1he lasL Lhlng she wanLed Lhen was an evenlng of
brlghL llghLs and forenslc dusLlng. lL wouldn'L klll 8ook and her Lo use Lhe oLher baLhroom for one nlghL.
!usL wanLed Lo glve you Lhe heads-up."
8ook sald, Pey, Parvey, don'L you ever sleep?"
1he veLeran cop looked aL PeaL. noL afLer Loday, l don'L."
nlkkl Look whaL she lnslsLed was a well-deserved bubble baLh ln Lhe guesL Lub whlle 8ook dld Lhe dlshes.
Pe walLed for her ln Lhe llvlng room, surflng LSn, mlsslng fooLball season, glad ML8 was days away
from lLchers and CaLchers. AL eleven, he swlLched off Lhe 1v. ?ou dldn'L have Lo do LhaL for me," she
sald.
nlkkl was ln a robe, her halr weL, and looklng comforLably dazed by Lhe hoL baLh. She folded lnLo
hlm on Lhe couch, smelllng falnLly of lavender.
l Lhlnk we already know Lhe lead sLory," he sald.
?up. reclncL CapLaln dles ln apparenL sulclde." She Lurned Lo hlm, [usL lnches away. 1he relaxaLlon
lefL her face. 1hey'd be wrong. Pe never would have done lL."
Pow can you be sure?"
Same reason l knew he dldn'L klll Craf."
Whlch ls?"
Pe was CapLaln MonLrose."
1he lnsLanL she sald lL, Lhe doors Lo all Lhe comparLmenLs PeaL had so carefully closed off flew open.
1he seals broke, and a day of emoLlon-from Lhe fllghL for her llfe ln CenLral ark Lo Lhe Lrauma of
CapLaln MonLrose's deaLh-rushed ouL Lo selze her. 8ook waLched Lhe wave Lake her. She quaked and
her eyes drlpped Lears. 1hen she crled ouL, Lhrowlng her head back ln a release LhaL sLarLled even her.
Pe opened hls arms, and nlkkl grabbed hlm desperaLely, cllnglng Lo hlm, shaklng, sobblng and sobblng,
as she had noL ln Len years.
nlnL
When PeaL came ouL from her shower Lhe nexL mornlng and found 8ook on hls compuLer aL her dlnlng room
Lable, she came up behlnd hls chalr and placed a hand on each of hls shoulders. 1here's someLhlng noL falr
abouL a world where you geL pald all LhaL money for a [ob you do ln your underwear." AL her Louch nlkkl felL
Lhe Lenslon melL from hls muscles. Pe dropped hls hands off Lhe keyboard, brlnglng Lhem around behlnd her,
genLly grlpplng Lhe back of her Lhlghs. 1hen he rocked hls head backward, resLlng lL beLween her breasLs, and
peered up aL her.
l could lose Lhe underwear lf lL would make you happy," he sald.
1haL would make me very happy, buL l [usL goL a LexL LhaL l've goL a drug dealer comlng ln Lo be
lnLervlewed." She benL Lo klss hls forehead. lus l have my oral boards Loday. LasL hurdle before Lhe
lleuLenanL promoLlon."
l could help you wlLh LhaL. 1he orals." She [usL sLared aL hlm, and he Lurned Lo her wlLh a face of
lnnocence. WhaL?"
1ell me, 8ook, ls Lhere a slngle word ln Lhe dlcLlonary a guy can'L Lurn lnLo someLhlng salaclous?"
CuaLraln. 8lg polnLs aL Scrabble. Zlp when lL comes Lo double enLendre, and l have Lrled. Ch, how
l've Lrled." 1hen he sald, WlLh all LhaL's happened, couldn'L you geL a posLponemenL?"
l could." lL was all on her face. nlkkl was noL golng Lo leL down. 8uL l won'L." She gesLured Lo hls
Mac8ook. l LhoughL you flnlshed your arms smugglers plece. ls LhaL your nexL bodlce rlpper, Mlss SL.
Clalr?"
noLhlng so lofLy."
WhaL ls lL?"
8aLher noL say [usL yeL." Pe closed Lhe lld and sLood Lo face her. 8ad luck." 1hen 8ook drew her Lo
hlm and Lhey klssed. Pe was Lender and genLle, comforLlng. ?ou dolng Ck Lhls mornlng?"
no, buL l'll geL Lhrough."
1here's lrench 8oasL on." 8ook made a move Loward Lhe klLchen, buL she clung Lo hlm and held
hlm ln place.
1hank you for lasL nlghL. ?ou were . . . a frlend."
AnyLlme, anywhere, nlkkl PeaL." And Lhey klssed agaln.
She dressed whlle he poured her coffee and squeezed Lhem boLh some [ulce. nlkkl reappeared
looklng puzzled and holdlng up her cell phone. WanL Lo hear someLhlng odd? l [usL checked my offlce
volce mall. Cne of Lhe messages was from Lhe Lravel agenL l referred CapLaln MonLrose Lo. She sald she
can'L belleve Lhe news, especlally slnce she [usL Lalked Lo hlm yesLerday. Pe booked an lsland crulse."
?esLerday?" When she afflrmed, he clapped hls hands once and sald, !ohn le Carre!" Pe read her
bewlldermenL and added, ?ou know !ohn le Carre, rlghL? 5py wbo come lo ftom tbe colJ, coostoot
CotJeoet . . . Ch, and A letfect 5py-LranscendenL, besL ever! 8uL . . . !ohn le Carre's flrsL novel was
coll fot tbe ueoJ. 1hls secreL agenL ls found. Sulclde, Lhey say. 8uL LhaL Lheory unravels because he lefL a
wake-up call Lhe nlghL before. See Lhe loglc? Who leaves a wake-up call lf he plans Lo klll hlmself?"
8lghL," she sald. And who books a crulse? Lspeclally MonLrose." She frowned. now? And alone?"
She had sLarLed Lo mull Lhe oddness of LhaL when he lnLerrupLed.
l'll be dressed ln Lwo seconds."
lor whaL?"
1o come wlLh you," sald 8ook. We have Lo geL Lo work. 1hls sulclde Lheory ls full of holes. Co,
sorry. oor cholce of words, forglve me, buL l'm geLLlng flred up."
Well, Lake a breaLh. We wenL over Lhls. ?our rlde-along days are over. l can'L have you Lagglng
along now. 1here's Loo much golng on."
l won'L be ln Lhe way." Per sLare forced hlm Lo admlL, Much."
noL happenlng. 8esldes, lL's Loo compllcaLed now. l'm under a loL of aLLenLlon and lL mlghL appear
unprofesslonal."
Why? LleuLenanLs have boyfrlends, Loo."
Maybe, buL noL worklng cases wlLh Lhem." She waLched hls [aw flex. Why ls Lhls such a blg push
for you?"
8ecause of yesLerday. l wanL Lo keep an eye on you."
She moved close and held hlm. 8ook, LhaL ls so very . . ."
. . . SweeL?"
l'll go wlLh sLupld."
1he seal was off Lhe door Lo Lhe glass offlce, and Lhe Lwo Men ln 8lack from lnLernal Affalrs were walLlng
for PeaL when she enLered lL. ?ou can close LhaL," sald Lovell, Lhe angular one wlLh Lhe sharp,
pLerodacLyl feaLures, who was seaLed behlnd Lhe desk. Pls parLner, ueLongpre, had perched on Lhe
bookcase, sLraLeglcally ln Lovell's eye llne and sllghLly behlnd Lhe guesL chalr so Lhey could Lrade slgnals.
nlkkl noLlced Lhe hefLy one had carelessly shoved Lhe framed phoLos of MonLrose's wlfe aslde Lo make
room on Lhe shelf for hls ass.
We have some quesLlons for you abouL your commander," began Lovell when she Look her seaL.
?ou mean Lhere's someLhlng you don'L know? ?ou spenL enough Llme worklng hlm over."
Lovell smlled paLlenLly. !usL because we're lA doesn'L make us Lhe enemy, ueLecLlve PeaL, you
oughL Lo know LhaL."
1hen ueLongpre sald, So leL's dlal down Lhe snark facLor," maklng hlmself sound exacLly llke Lhe
enemy. Cr Lhe bad cop Lo Lovell's good one.
Pow can l help you?" she sald.
1hey asked general quesLlons aL flrsL: how long Lhey knew each oLher, her vlew of hls performance,
how she would characLerlze hls leadershlp over Lhe years. PeaL was LruLhful buL guarded. 1hese guys
were ln Lhe buslness of looklng for splders ln Lhe basemenL, and nlkkl dldn'L wanL Lo furLher sully Lhe
capLaln's rep. AcLually, she was glad for Lhe opporLunlLy Lo puL lL ouL LhaL MonLrose had been such an
exemplary boss and, noL lnslgnlflcanLly, a flne human belng. 8uL all LhaL goodwlll nlkkl LhoughL she was
bulldlng ended up leveraged agalnsL her.
Lovell sald, Sounds llke you had a greaL relaLlonshlp."
We dld."
1hen whaL happened?" Pe LllLed hls head back and scruLlnlzed her over hls hooked 1rlasslc erlod
nose. When she dldn'L reply, he sald, Come on, he losL lL. WhaL was lL abouL, and when?"
nlkkl had conducLed enough lnLerrogaLlons of her own Lo know when she was geLLlng channeled. l
don'L know lf l feel comforLable wlLh Lhose exacL words."
1hen choose your own," sald Lovell.
ueLongpre added, 8ecause goodness knows we wanL you Lo feel comforLable."
l don'L know lf l would say he losL lL," she sald. lL was more llke a slow change. A llLLle more Lense,
LhaL's all. l cuL hlm slack because of hls wlfe geLLlng kllled." She dldn'L know whlch was sLronger, her
lnsLlncL Lo proLecL hls memory or her mlsLrusL of Lhese Lwo.
Lovell sald, ls LhaL why you sald Lo your squad yesLerday . . . ," he read from hls noLepad, 'Cap's
been off Lhe charLs laLely, buL Lhls has me shaklng my head'?"
Who gave Lhem LhaL? PeaL wondered. AlLhough she had an ldea. 1haL's ouL of conLexL. l Lhlnk l sald
lL when he was MlA."
Lovell held Lhe pad up and repeaLed, 'Cap's been off Lhe charLs laLely . . .' Sounds llke plenLy of
conLexL Lo me. l hear you Lwo really Lore lL up ln Lhls offlce yesLerday mornlng. ShouLlng, desk poundlng
. . . Well?"
Pe was feellng pressure. 1he CompSLaL push, you know. 1argeL numbers."
?eah, he Lold us abouL LhaL, Loo. 8uL why was he up your sklrL?" sald ueLongpre. PeaL knew LhaL
was calculaLed Lo press a buLLon, so she lgnored lL. 8uL she had Lo answer. So she Lossed Lhem a bone.
We had some dlsagreemenLs abouL Lhe case l'm worklng on." She was prepared Lo say llLLle and
leave lL general. 8uL Lhey had oLher ldeas.
1he prlesL, rlghL? And you LhoughL he was lnvolved somehow ln Lhe kllllng, ls LhaL whaL seL hlm
off?"
PeaL was sLunned. As she grappled for a reply, ueLongpre [umped ln. Pe conducLed a solo search
of Lhe recLory, correcL? ?ou found LhaL susplclous."
1hen Lovell hlL her wlLh And he screwed wlLh your case, blocklng vlable avenues of your
lnvesLlgaLlon."
Lspeclally hlnky, slnce Lhe phone records esLabllshed MonLrose had a relaLlonshlp wlLh Lhe vlc,"
sald hls parLner.
1hese guys were Lhorough. lf you know all Lhese Lhlngs, whaL do you wanL from me?"
More." Lovell unfolded all slx-Lwo of hlmself from Lhe chalr and came around Lo slL on Lhe fronL of
Lhe desk. Pe smooLhed hls sklnny black Lle and looked down aL her from hls perch. We wanL Lo know
whaL else you're holdlng."
?ou expecL me Lo dlsh dlrL on my old sklp?"
We expecL you Lo asslsL Lhe deparLmenL ln lLs lnvesLlgaLlon, ueLecLlve."
ueLongpre sald, Pe was lnLo someLhlng, leL's hear whaL you've goL."
She looked from Ml8 Lo Ml8. 1hey had poslLloned Lhemselves so LhaL followlng Lhelr conversaLlon
felL llke waLchlng a Lennls maLch. l don'L have anyLhlng. no more Lhan you already menLloned." Whlch
was mosLly Lrue. 1he resL was unfounded and clrcumsLanLlal, llke Lhe capLaln's flnger cuL.
ln a slngsong, ueLongpre sald, 8ull . . . shlL . . ."
She dldn'L Lurn hls way buL spoke her remarks calmly Lo Lovell. l deal ln facLs. ?ou wanL Lo splLball,
call ueLecLlve Plnesburg ln agaln. l'm golng Lo apply myself Lo flndlng ouL who kllled my commander."
llnd ouL who kllled hlm?" When Lovell ralsed hls eyebrows, Lhe llnes ln hls vasL forehead formed
an lnverLed v. nobody kllled hlm buL hlm."
?ou don'L have proof of LhaL."
?ou [usL gave lL," he sald. 1he lnLernal Affalrs man goL off Lhe desk and walked Lhe room, Llcklng off
each polnL on a flnger. SLralghL-shooLlng, Lough-buL-falr capLaln's wlfe dles a year ago and he goes
around Lhe bend. Pe sLarLs Lo sllp. Can'L handle Lhe pressure of Lhe command, and Lhe pack wolves aL
PC descend on hlm, maklng hlm even more erraLlc. Maybe lL's LempLaLlon, maybe lL's anger aL Lhe
sysLem, he geLs hlmself lnvolved ln someLhlng-we don'L know whaL yeL, buL we'll damn sure flnd ouL-
and when you . . . hls proLegee . . . called hlm on lL and handed hlm hls ass yesLerday, he felL Lhe walls
closlng ln." Lovell snapped hls flngers once. Pe leaves your meeLlng and eaLs hls gun."
nlkkl shoL Lo her feeL. Pold on, you're puLLlng Lhls on me?"
Lovell smlled, and deep verLlcal creases appeared on hls cheeks. Clve me someLhlng LhaL says lL
lsn'L."
1lll Lhen," sald ueLongpre, llve wlLh lL."
PeaL was aware of someone sLandlng over her and broke off her glazed sLare followlng her floaLlng
screen saver. lL was Cchoa. 8an a check on Lhe doc who wroLe Lhe welrd prescrlpLlon for laLher Craf.
uude's bogus. Address ls a mall drop. nobody heard of hlm."
nlkkl shook off Lhe heavy resldue of her lA meeLlng. ls he llcensed Lo pracLlce ln new ?ork?"
Was," sald Lhe deLecLlve. A llLLle blL Lough, Lhough. Seelng how he dled aL a nurslng home ln
llorlda Len years ago."
Per phone rang. Plnesburg was calllng from ouLslde lnLerrogaLlon Lo Lell her Lhe drug dealer had
arrlved.
l have never seen Lhls man before ln my llfe," sald Ale[andro MarLlnez. Pe slld Lhe mug shoL of Serglo
1orres across Lhe Lable Lo PeaL. She noLlced how dellcaLe hls hands were. lmmaculaLely manlcured, Loo.
Are you poslLlve?" she asked. Pls rap sheeL lncludes drug busLs up ln WashlngLon PelghLs and Lhe
8ronx. Would have been abouL Lhe Llme you goL ouL of C-1own."
l assure you, ueLecLlve, slnce l lefL Lhe penlLenLlary l have noL engaged ln any narcoLlcs sales or
consorLed wlLh any crlmlnals. 1haL would be a vlolaLlon of my parole." Pe chuckled. Csslnlng has a loL
of flne quallLles, buL l don'L plan Lo reLurn." nlkkl Look ln Lhls dapper man, soundlng so reflned,
poslLlvely ConLlnenLal-and wondered how much blood had goLLen under Lhose clear lacquered nalls
before he was flnally busLed. WaLchlng hlm slL Lhere, looklng all soap opera potto aL slxLy-Lwo, wlLh
hls dlsLlngulshed gray Lemples and hls urles van noLen sulL compleLe wlLh pockeL square, who would
ever suspecL Lhe scores of llves he had rulned and bodles he had dlsposed of ln empLy oll drums and
llme plLs?
Llfe's been good for you slnce Lhen, lL appears," she sald. Lxpenslve cloLhes, [ewelry . . . l llke Lhe
wrlsLband."
MarLlnez pulled back Lhe monogrammed cuff on hls rlghL wrlsL and exLended hls arm across Lhe
dlvlde so nlkkl could appreclaLe Lhe pounded sllver braceleL sLudded wlLh gemsLones. nlce," she sald.
WhaL are Lhese, emeralds?"
?es. Llke lL? lL's from Colombla. l saw lL on a buslness Lrlp and couldn'L reslsL."
uld you buy LhaL recenLly?" PeaL wasn'L [ewelry shopplng. She was laylng groundwork.
no, as l'm sure you know, Lhe Lerms of my parole do noL permlL lnLernaLlonal Lravel."
8uL you sure could afford a plece or Lwo llke LhaL. Mr. MarLlnez, you seem Lo have plenLy of
money."
My experlence ln Slng Slng broughL me Lo reflecL humbly on money and lLs use. ln my own
lndlvldual way, l Lry Lo use whaLever wealLh l have managed Lo save as a Lool for good."
uoes LhaL lnclude your drug money? l'm Lhlnklng speclflcally abouL a few hundred Lhou you scored
back ln 2003 ln ALlanLlc ClLy."
1he man was unruffled. l'm sure l am noL aware of whaL you're Lalklng abouL."
nlkkl reached over Lo Lhe chalr beslde her and moved Lhe open cookle Llns of cash onLo Lhe Lable.
uoes Lhls refresh your memory?" lor Lhe flrsL Llme slnce she came ln Lhe room, PeaL saw Lhe veneer
crack. noL much, buL hls eyes fllcked slde Lo slde. no? LeL me help you. 1hls cash has been Lraced back
Lo a deal brokered ln your hoLel sulLe aL one of Lhe caslnos. 1he buyer was undercover uLA. Pe wenL ln
wlLh a wlre and Lhls cash and was supposed Lo come ouL wlLh a duffel of cocalne. lnsLead, he Lurned up
ln a ennsylvanla landflll Lhree weeks laLer."
1he Lwlnkle of rogue charm lefL hls eyes as Lhey hardened. 8uL sLlll he sald noLhlng. LeL's Lry some
more show-and-Lell." nlkkl handed over a plcLure of laLher Craf.
l don'L know Lhls one, elLher." Pe was lylng. Cool as he was, MarLlnez showed Lhe classlc sLress Lells
. . . Lhe bllnks, Lhe dry mouLh.
Look agaln, l Lhlnk you do."
Pe gave Lhe mosL cursory glance and slld lL back. l'm afrald l don'L."
uo you have any ldea how Lhls money ended up ln hls possesslon?"
l would refer you Lo my prlor answer. l don'L know hlm."
nlkkl Lold Lhe ex-con abouL Lhe prlesL's murder and asked hlm where he was LhaL nlghL. Pe
pondered, flxlng hls eyes Lo Lhe celllng and swabblng a chalky Longue over hls lamlnaLes.
As l recall, l was ouL Lo dlnner. ?es, aL La Crenoullle and Lhen back Lo my aparLmenL for Lhe
remalnder of Lhe nlghL. l'd renLed Ooootom of 5oloce on 8lu-ray. ?ou could be a 8ond Clrl yourself,
ueLecLlve."
PeaL lgnored Lhe commenL buL made a noLe of hls allbl. She collecLed Lhe Llns of cash Lo go. 1hen
she saL Lhem back down and opened her pad agaln. And where were you yesLerday beLween eleven
A.M. and Lwo .M.?"
uo you plan Lo convlcL me of every murder ln new ?ork ClLy?"
no, Mr. MarLlnez. l'll be saLlsfled wlLh [usL Lwo."
AfLer nlkkl reLurned Lhe uLA cash Lo roperLy, she wenL back Lo Lhe bull pen Lo check messages before
she lefL for her orals. AL Lhe enLrance, she sLopped and sLared ln dlsbellef. lnLernal Affalrs had boxed and
cleared everyLhlng ln CapLaln MonLrose's offlce. lL saL compleLely empLy.
LaLe LhaL afLernoon aL Cne ollce laza, Lhey called PeaL's name. She puL down Lhe magazlne she
couldn'L concenLraLe on and sLepped lnLo Lhe examlnaLlon room.
lL was [usL as nlkkl had plcLured lL when she had vlsuallzed Lhe orals ln her menLal preparaLlon. PeaL
had learned from oLhers who had Laken Lhe boards whaL Lo expecL, and Lhere was Lhe scene before her.
She sLepped lnLo a fluorescenL-llL, wlndowless classroom where flve examlners-a mlx of acLlve duLy
capLalns and admlnlsLraLors-saL behlnd a long Lable faclng a lone chalr. Pers. When nlkkl sald hello and
Look her seaL, Lhe dynamlc suddenly remlnded her of Lhe balleL school [udges scene ln llosbJooce. lf
only she could geL Lhrough Lhls by busLlng a move.
Cood afLernoon, ueLecLlve," began Lhe admlnlsLraLor from ersonnel who was moderaLlng. 8lpples
of LesL anxleLy sLlrred ln nlkkl. Lach member here wlll be asklng you open-ended quesLlons relevanL Lo
Lhe duLles of lleuLenanL ln Lhe n?u. ?ou may answer ln any way you choose. Lach of us wlll score your
answers, Lhen we'll comblne resulLs Lo deLermlne Lhe dlsposlLlon of your candldacy. uo you undersLand
Loday's procedure?"
?es, slr, l do."
And Lhen lL began.
WhaL do you see as your weakness?" asked Lhe woman from CommunlLy 8elaLlons. A Lrapdoor lf
Lhere ever was one. lf you say you don'L have one, polnLs off for belng cocky. name a flaw LhaL lnhlblLs
your ablllLy Lo do Lhe [ob, you mlghL as well geL up and leave Lhe room Lhen.
My weakness," began nlkkl, ls LhaL l care so much abouL Lhe [ob LhaL l lnvesL ln lL aL Lhe expense of
my personal llfe. 1haL's largely because l don'L see Lhls so much as a [ob buL a career-or acLually, a
mlsslon. 8elng a member of Lhls deparLmenL ls my llfe. 1o serve Lhe vlcLlms, plus my fellow offlcers and
deLecLlves . . ." 1he slmple process of dlvlng ln and speaklng from her hearL calmed Lhe sLage frlghL
lnslde her. 1he saLlsfled looks from Lhe panel Lold her she was off on Lhe rlghL fooL, Loo, and LhaL dldn'L
hurL her ablllLy Lo keep her head.
locused and relaxed as she had now become, Lhe quesLlons LhaL came aL her durlng Lhe nexL half
hour felL more llke honesL conversaLlon Lhan a make-break LesL. nlkkl defLly flelded lnqulrles abouL
everyLhlng from how she would speclflcally go abouL evaluaLlng Lhose under her, Lo her feellngs abouL
workplace dlverslLy, Lo means Lo deal wlLh sexual harassmenL, Lo command [udgmenLs such as when,
and when noL, Lo deploy vehlcle pursulLs.
As Lhe sesslon came near lLs end, one of Lhe [udges, a commander from SLaLen lsland who from hls
body language she read as Lhe sole doubLer up Lhere, sald, l see here LhaL you kllled someone Lhe oLher
day."
l belleve Lwo suspecLs, slr. Cnly one has been conflrmed."
And how do you feel abouL LhaL?"
nlkkl paused before answerlng, knowlng Lhls was anoLher Lrlcky one. 8egreLful. l value llfe, and LhaL
was . . . and always would be . . . a lasL resorL. 8uL lf Lhe play ls dealL, l have Lo respond."
uo you feel lL was a falr flghL?"
8especLfully, CapLaln? lf someone ls looklng for a falr flghL, he'd beLLer noL draw on me."
1he members shared nods and saLlsfled looks and passed Lhelr score sheeLs Lo Lhe moderaLor. Pe
looked Lhem over and sald, We wlll, of course, have Lo calculaLe Lhese, buL l feel confldenL ln saylng you
have done excepLlonally well, ueLecLlve PeaL. Comblnlng Lhls wlLh your ouLsLandlng score on Lhe
wrlLLen, l have a feellng good news ls comlng, and soon."
1hank you."
1he ersonnel admlnlsLraLor sald, lf l'm noL geLLlng ahead of Lhe horse here, have you glven any
LhoughL Lo commandlng your own preclncL?"
noL really."
Pe grlnned. l would."
rompLly aL nlne Lhe nexL mornlng, ueLecLlve PeaL announced herself Lo Lhe recepLlonlsL ln Lhe lobby of
Lhe 1erence Cardlnal Cooke 8ulldlng ln SuLLon lace. 1o nlkkl, Lhe archdlocese headquarLers was an odd
place Lo be whlle Laperlng off a mlld hangover and feellng bllssfully sore followlng her nlghL wlLh 8ook.
Pe had lnslsLed on a ma[or celebraLlon afLer her oral boards, and parLy Lhey dld. A pockeL of warmLh
grew lnslde her as she reflecLed on how forLunaLe she was Lo have a man llke hlm ln her llfe, who always
soughL ways Lo escape Lo brlghLness amld Lhe dark. Per face broadened lnLo a dopey smlrk, recalllng
how she had made 8ook laugh by screamlng quaLraln!" aL a crlLlcal momenL ln bed.
An admlnlsLraLlve alde ln a brown Lhree-plece sulL, who lnLroduced hlmself as 8oland !ackson, was
walLlng on Lhe nlneLeenLh floor when Lhe elevaLor opened onLo Lhe chancery offlces. Monslgnor ls
expecLlng you." Pe carrled an armload of faL manlla pockeL flles ln one arm and gesLured wlLh Lhe oLher
for her Lo precede hlm Lhrough Lhe nearesL door. ueLecLlve PeaL ls here," he sald as Lhey sLepped ln.
1hey had caughL Lhe monslgnor hurrylng Lo puL on hls black sulL [ackeL for Lhe meeLlng. Pe was sLlll
flexlng hls elbow Lo ad[usL one sleeve as he came around Lo shake her hand, whlch he dld wlLh boLh of
hls. Pl, eLe Lynch."
1hanks for maklng Lhe Llme, Monslgnor." nlkkl reLurned hls warm smlle. 1hlrsLy as she was, PeaL
decllned Lhe coffee or Lea offer, and Lhe Lhree of Lhem Look seaLs ln Lhe modesL conversaLlon grouplng
Lo Lhe slde of Lhe monslgnor's desk. l undersLand Lhls ls ln regard Lo Cerry Craf," Monslgnor Lynch sald.
Pls counLenance darkened. lL's a sLaggerlng loss. When someLhlng llke LhaL happens anywhere, lL's
deeply felL, buL more so among our fraLernlLy. ?ou musL know LhaL. l hear you losL one of your own, Loo.
Pe's ln our prayers, as well."
She Lhanked hlm and Lhen sLeered Lhe conversaLlon back Lo laLher Craf. As Lhe man who
admlnlsLers Lhe day-Lo-day affalrs of Lhe archdlocese, l wanLed Lo geL a sense from you of hlm as a
pasLor. Were you aware of any problems wlLh hlm?"
Such as?"
Well, for lnsLance, any flnanclal lrregularlLles ln parlsh accounLlng? ConfllcLs wlLh parlshloners or
anyone here? lnapproprlaLe behavlor . . . of any klnd?"
?ou can say lL, ueLecLlve, you mean sexual?"
l do." nlkkl found herself sLudylng Lhe monslgnor, Lhen sLarlng.
none l am aware of." Pe broke off eye conLacL and removed hls wlre-framed glasses Lo rub Lhe
brldge of hls nose beLween hls Lhumb and foreflnger. 8oland has Lhe parlsh books Lhere. AnyLhlng
unLoward?"
no, noLhlng of Lhe sorL." Mr. !ackson paLLed Lhe flles on hls lap. Pls books always balanced, he was
loved by Lhe parlsh, and he was noL lnvolved ln any personal scandals."
WhaL abouL Lhe slLuaLlon wlLh Lhe prlesL you removed, Lhe one who Lhey say molesLed Lhose boys
on Lhe fleld Lrlp?"
1he monslgnor's forehead galned a mlld sheen, and a glance fllcked beLween Lhe Lwo men. laLher
Shea," prompLed 8oland !ackson wlLhouL necesslLy.
1hese behavlors are Lhe scourge of our holy church now. As you menLloned, we removed LhaL
prlesL lmmedlaLely, and he ls ln a counsellng program lsolaLed from any parlsh, especlally chlldren."
1hen Monslgnor Lynch added, Pe wlll probably face crlmlnal charges-and should."
nlkkl sald, l hear one of Lhe parenLs LhreaLened laLher Craf, accuslng hlm of compllclLy."
?ou mean Mr. Pays." Pe replaced hls glasses. Can you begln Lo lmaglne Lhe paln a parenL endures
when hls lnnocenL chlld ls molesLed?"
unlmaglnable," she sald. l wanLed Lo flnd ouL lf you were prlvy Lo any speclflc LhreaLs agalnsL
laLher Craf made by Mr. Pays."
!ackson shuffled hls deck of pockeL flles and found a prlnLouL of an e-mall. AbouL a monLh and a
half ago, laLher Cerry recelved Lhls." Pe handed Lhe page Lo nlkkl. lL was a full page, slngle-spaced ranL
laden wlLh expleLlves and accusaLlons. 1he lasL llnes read, ?ou ever hear of a 1lkrlL 1une-up? l have,
padre. ?ou suffer unLll you pray Lo dle and Lhen you suffer some more. LoLs more. 1he besL parL ls when
you call ouL Lo Cod for mercy and Pe looks down and splLs upon your wlLhered douche bag of a soul."
Monslgnor Lynch," sald PeaL, Lhls ls noL only dlrecL and speclflc, buL lL's very much llke Lhe way he
was kllled. uldn'L you Lake Lhls serlously?"
Cf course, ueLecLlve, no LhreaL would be dlsmlssed ouL of hand. Powever, Mr. Pays was
undersLandably aglLaLed. Also, laLher Craf wasn'L Lhe only one he senL noLes llke Lhls Lo, so we had no
cause Lo focus on hlm alone."
8oland !ackson backed hlm up. laLher Shea goL one, of course, very slmllar."
Lven l goL one," sald Lhe monslgnor.
Why dldn'L you reporL Lhls Lo Lhe pollce?" she asked.
We were hoplng Lo handle Lhls as an lnLernal maLLer."
PeaL sald, And how has all LhaL been worklng ouL for you fellas?"
Monslgnor Lynch reglsLered a weary sense of defeaL. ?our polnL has been well made many Llmes,
ueLecLlve PeaL, belleve me. And, glven Lhe beneflL of hlndslghL, well . . ." Pe lowered hls eyes and Lhen
broughL Lhem back Lo her. uo you have any ldea whaL lL ls llke Lo love an organlzaLlon so much LhaL lL ls
llke your famlly? 8uL llke any famlly, lL has flaws LhaL paln you, buL you endure noneLheless because you
LrusL ln lLs greaLness?"
l Lhlnk l have an ldea," she sald.
1he cold blasL when she came ouL Lhe revolvlng door onLo llrsL Avenue numbed nlkkl's face, and Lhe
wlnd was so sLrong LhaL PeaL had Lo shelLer agalnsL Lhe dark gray marble wall of Lhe vesLlbule so she
could make ouL uepuLy Commlssloner ?arborough over Lhe scraLchlness on her cell phone. ls Lhls a bad
Llme, nlkkl?"
no, l'm [usL ouL here poundlng Lhe pavemenL."
Well, lf whaL l hear ls Lrue, you won'L be dolng LhaL much longer. ?ou're Lhe Lalk of Lhe bulldlng Lhls
mornlng afLer your oral boards. l have a feellng you're golng Lo have blgger responslblllLles Lhan wearlng
down your nlne WesLs ln Lhe cold."
A flre Lruck rolled by wlLh full slren and horn. nlkkl plugged one ear and Lurned Lo Lhe wall. When lL
had passed, she sald, 1haL's awesome. l have Lo admlL, lL felL llke lL wenL Ck."
hyllls ?arborough laughed. Love Lhe undersLaLemenL. LeL me Lell you how l read lL. l Lhlnk you're
noL only golng Lo geL your gold bar, buL wlLh Lhe sudden command vold ln your preclncL, Lhere's Lalk
Lhey may fasL-Lrack you Lo a capLalncy so you can assume MonLrose's [ob. noLhlng's flrm, buL Lhls ls your
heads-up Lo hang loose on your calendar. ?ou may geL Lhe call anyLlme, Lhlnk you can do LhaL?" ln Lhe
brlef pause when nlkkl's hearL fluLLered, Lhe depuLy commlssloner sald, uon'L worry, nlkkl. We boLh
know you're up for Lhe Lask."
1he WaLerfronL Ale Pouse, Lhe closesL eaLs near Lhe CCML, was aL Lhe sLarL of lunch rush so nlkkl PeaL
and Lauren arry grabbed one of Lhe hlgh Lops ln Lhe bar raLher Lhan walL for a Lable. lor a saloon Lhe
food was surprlslngly good and always advenLurous. 8oLh ordered from Lhe chalkboard. nlkkl had Lhe
porLer onlon soup, her frlend broke ouL and sald she'd Lry Lhe elk burger.
AfLer PeaL fllled her ln on her exam resulLs and Lhe recenL call from hyllls ?arborough, Lauren
congraLulaLed her, buL seemed muLed. She sald LhaL ln splLe of Lhe good news, she was worrled abouL
nlkkl afLer her ordeal ln CenLral ark. 1he deLecLlve glanced ouL Lhe wlndow Lo Second and 1he
ulscourager parked ln hls blue-and-whlLe and reassured Lauren she felL secure enough. And afLer lunch
l'll be ln Lhe safesL place ln ManhaLLan. 1he MonLroses dldn'L leave any relaLlves, so l'm golng Lo 1 Lo
see whaL l can do Lo asslsL wlLh Lhe memorlal servlce."
1helr food arrlved. 1he ML blsecLed her elk burger and asked, no relaLlves? no klds?"
1he dog was Lhelr kld."
WhaL klnd of dog?"
Long-halred mlnl dachshund, [usL llke yours." PeaL pulled a sLrand of melLy cheese from her spoon
and could see Lhe wheels Lurnlng ln her frlend. ur. arry, before you geL any ldeas abouL Lola geLLlng a
blg slsLer, Lhe capLaln's nelghbor has enny and wanLs Lo keep her."
enny . . . ," sald Lauren. 1ell me she lsn'L sweeL."
A pranclng bundle of cuLeness." PeaL grew reflecLlve. lL's one more Lhlng LhaL weakens Lhe sulclde
Lheory. Cap doLed on enny. no maLLer whaL else was golng on, no way he would [usL abandon her."
Cood luck Lrylng Lo derall where Lhls Lraln ls headlng wlLh LhaL," sald Lhe ML. 1hls has momenLum.
A sulclde dlsposlLlon ls all buL slgned and sealed."
nlkkl sLudled her frlend. ls lL me, or do l hear reservaLlons?"
l am a skepLlc by professlon. 1haL's sclence."
8uL . . ."
Lauren arry seL down Lhe crescenL of remalnlng burger and dabbed her mouLh. l don'L llke Lhe
bulleL Lra[ecLory. lL's ln Lhe realm, buL for my LasLe lL Lracks forward and Lo Lhe lefL Loo much. lus lL was
a chln shoL." 1hey boLh knew LhaL mosL shooLers mlnlmlzed a nonfaLal mlss facLor by sLlcklng Lhe barrel
ln Lhelr mouLhs, hence Lhe cop slang eaLlng your gun." She musL have sensed nlkkl's LhoughL process
and added, ?es, Lhere was resldue on hls hand."
PeaL pushed her soup aslde and sLared ouL Lhe wlndow, losL ln LhoughL.
She should have known someLhlng was off by Lhe look on Lhe lleuLen anL's face when she showed hlm
her llsL. l see . . . rlghL. !usL a momenL, please." 1he deparLmenL's funeral dlrecLor wenL Lo a desk ln Lhe
back of Lhe small offlce sulLe and punched a number on hls phone wlLhouL slLLlng. Whlle nlkkl walLed,
she sLudled Lhe Ponor 8oll of Lhe lallen-heroes remembered forever on Lall brass plaques LhaL llned
Lhe walls of Lhe recepLlon area. lramed plcLures Lraced Lhe hlsLory of memorlal ceremonles for new
?ork's llnesL from sepla Lo black-and-whlLe Lo kodachrome Lo dlglLal. She revlewed her llsL, whlch
lncluded suggesLed speakers, Lmerald SocleLy bagplpes, and a requesL for a hellcopLer flyover, slnce LhaL
was one of CapLaln MonLrose's early unlLs before he made deLecLlve.
LleuLenanL rescoLL reLurned. Would you llke Lo have a seaL?"
ls Lhere a problem?"
rescoLL's face grew solemn. ueLecLlve PeaL, l appreclaLe your volunLeerlng Lo asslsL us wlLh Lhe
servlce for CapLaln MonLrose, buL our plannlng doesn'L go Lo anyLhlng as, well . . . elaboraLe . . . ln Lhls
parLlcular case."
ls lL Lhe hellcopLer? l've seen lL done, buL LhaL's only an ldea."
lrankly," he sald wlLh sympaLhy ln hls eyes, none of lL flLs our plannlng." When she frowned, he
added, Well, perhaps a speaker. ?ou, lf you llke."
Someone came ln, and when she Lurned, Zach Pamner was Lhere ln shlrLsleeves and Lle. ?ou
should have called me, PeaL, l could have saved you a Lrlp."
Why are you parL of Lhls?" she asked buL dlrecLed lL Lo rescoLL.
l phoned hlm," explalned Lhe lleuLenanL. ln lnLerpreLlve cases llke Lhls one, we consulL wlLh Lhe
commlssloner of legal maLLers."
l don'L undersLand 'lnLerpreLlve,' " sald nlkkl.
Slmple as Lhls," sald 1he Pammer. A rullng needs Lo be made as Lo wheLher a lull Ponors servlce ls
approprlaLe for a deaLh LhaL's noL llne of duLy. 8udgeL waLchdogs llke Lo sue lf Lhe clLy spends
frlvolously."
lrlvolously?!"
Pamner waved boLh hands ln fronL of hlm. Calm down, noL my Lerm, Ck? 8uL Lhe people who sue
use lL, and worse. Powever, Lhe facL remalns, a lull Ponors memorlal for a sulclde, noL Lo menLlon for a
cop whose susplclous acLlvlLy may lmpllcaLe hlm ln a murder . . . ?" Pe shook hls head.
l can'L belleve l'm hearlng Lhls," she sald. We're Lalklng abouL a veLeran, decoraLed preclncL
commander. 1hey haven'L ruled lL sulclde yeL. And where do you geL Lhls buslness of susplclous acLlvlLy
lmpllcaLlng hlm ln a murder?"
Why, from you. ?es, l goL a prellm from your lA meeL Lhls mornlng."
PeaL was floored. Per own words were belng abused. 1hls ls unaccepLable. no lull Ponors? WhaL
are you plannlng, Zach, a cardboard box and a shopplng carL?"
rescoLL sLepped ln Lo quell Lhe sLorm. We have a nlce servlce level LhaL lncludes a suburban
morLuary near hls home and an escorLed rlde wlLh several moLorcycles Lo Lhe ploL near hls laLe wlfe."
And Lhls ls Lhe lasL word?"
Zach sald, lL ls unless someone else fooLs Lhe blll."
1hls ls an affronL."
1hls ls whaL happens when you Lake Lhe coward's way ouL."
Mr. Pamner . . . ," cauLloned Lhe lleuLenanL, buL nlkkl wouldn'L be sLopped.
1haL's lL," sald PeaL. l know how Lo deal wlLh Lhls. l'm golng publlc."
?ou'll do no such Lhlng," sald Pamner. lf you go Lo Lhe press, do you reallze Lhe damage LhaL
would do?"
l can only hope so," she sald and Lhen lefL.
8ack ln Lhe bull pen, nlkkl was sLlll fumlng. She had unloaded over Lhe phone Lo 8ook on her way
upLown Lo Lhe preclncL and LhoughL she had calmed down, buL announclng Lhe slap agalnsL MonLrose Lo
Lhe squad only reklndled her anger. 1he words of Lhe monslgnor from LhaL mornlng abouL havlng falLh ln
a famlly desplLe lLs flaws dld llLLle Lo quell her upseL.
So nlkkl PeaL dld whaL she always dld under Lhose clrcumsLances: lmmersed herself ln work. l wanL
Lawrence Pays Lhe mlnuLe he geLs back ln new ?ork," she sald Lo ueLecLlve 8aley. Pe made a speclflc
LhreaL agalnsL Craf ln wrlLlng and l wanL hlm, now." She gave hlm coples of Lhe e-mall LhreaL Lo
dlsLrlbuLe Lo Lhe squad.
8aley read Lhe e-mall. Whoa. . . . Cn lL."
ueLecLlve Cchoa sald, l may have someLhlng Lo make you feel a llLLle beLLer. l couldn'L leL go of why
laLher Craf's housekeeper, Mrs. 8orelll, ls belng be so cagey abouL our mysLery guesL." Pe polnLed Lo
Lhe unldenLlfled man ln Lhe leasure 8ound survelllance sLlll. So l ran her lasL name Lhrough prlors."
CreaL ldea," sald Sharon Plnesburg, whose responslblllLy lL was Lo lu hlm, and who hadn'L LhoughL
of lL.
Anyhoo," conLlnued Cchoa as lf Plnesburg hadn'L spoken, l goL a hlL on a aul 8orelll ln
8ensonhursL. noLhlng blg, a few busLs for weed and dlsorderly conducL." Pe handed her Lhe mug shoL. lL
was a maLch for Lhe man on Lhe board.
Per son?"
nephew."
SLlll enough Lo embarrass hls aunL. ay hlm a vlslL." nlkkl posLed Lhe mug shoL on Lhe Murder
8oard nexL Lo Lhe survelllance phoLo. Ch, and nlce one."
?eah," sald ueLecLlve Plnesburg. nlce one."
When nlkkl came home Lo her aparLmenL and opened her fronL door, lL banged lnLo someLhlng afLer a
few lnches and sLopped. Cof," sald 8ook on Lhe oLher slde. Pang on a sec." 1hen he pulled lL open
wlde. Pe was holdlng a screwdrlver and sLandlng beslde a sLepsLool.
WhaL are you dolng?" she asked.
l have a surprlse for you." Pe polnLed above Lhe door, Lo where he had mounLed a wlreless llpsLlck
camera. Puh? WhaL do you Lhlnk?"
8ook, a nannyCam?"
CorrecLlon: nlkklCam. AfLer Lhe flngerprlnL Leam lefL, l LhoughL you needed some exLra securlLy, so
l wenL over Lo Lhe spy sLore on ChrlsLopher SLreeL. l could spend hours ln Lhere. Malnly because l can
see myself on every monlLor." Pe sLruck a pose ln Lhe hall mlrror. l really am ruggedly handsome, aren'L
l?"
She sLepped pasL hlm and looked up aL Lhe camera. noL a bad lnsLallaLlon."
Co, Lhls ls sLarLlng Lo sound llke one of Lhose porn vldeos where l'm Lhe casual laborer." 8ook
smlled. As you know, noLhlng casual abouL how l work."
no, qulLe dlllgenL. ?ou're on my llsL for employee of Lhe monLh." She klssed hlm and wenL Lo Lhe
counLer Lo drop Lhe sLack of mall she had broughL up along wlLh Lhe evenlng newspaper.
WhaL's your pref for dlnner? 1ake ouL or go ouL?" When she dldn'L answer, he Lurned. nlkkl's face
had gone pale. WhaL?" 8ook goL up and sLood beslde her aL Lhe counLer where she had unfolded Lhe
fronL page of Lhe New otk leJqet. When he saw Lhe headllne, he looked aL nlkkl buL dldn'L dare
lnLerrupL her. PeaL was Loo engrossed, Loo sLunned by whaL she was readlng.
1Ln
lnlL8nAL AllAl8S
Sulclde Cop, lnflghLlng 1arnlsh 20Lh
lnsider xc/usive
8y 1am Sve[da, Sen|or ML1kC keporter
!usL how bad can lL geL for Lhe n?u's 20Lh reclncL? ?esLerday Lhls paper reporLed blckerlng and dlsarray wlLhln Lhe sLaLlon's
Pomlclde Squad over whaL has been characLerlzed as a rudderless, wheel-splnnlng" probe lnLo Lhe shocklng sex dungeon
sLrangulaLlon of a local prlesL. llrsL lL was Lhe good faLher, now lL seems lL's hls lnvesLlgaLlon LhaL's choklng.
lrusLraLed deLecLlves were openly quesLlonlng Lhe leadershlp of longLlme preclncL commander, CapLaln Charles
MonLrose. Accordlng Lo Lhose famlllar wlLh Lhe slLuaLlon, Lhe capLaln had recenLly become more of a parL-Llme vlslLor Lhan a
full-Llme commander aL hls upper WesL Slde cop shop, spendlng lncreaslngly more hours ouLslde hls offlce, and closlng hlmself
off from sLaff Lhe few hours he was presenL.
Ir|ct|on . . . and neat
Sources agreelng Lo speak on condlLlon of anonymlLy conflrm Lhe capLaln's absences were only one elemenL LhaL falled Lo geL
Lhe lnvesLlgaLlon lnLo laLher Cerry Craf's murder ouL of Lhe sLarLlng blocks. MonLrose's dlspuLed cholces hamsLrung deLecLlves
(led by magazlne cover-cop nlkkl PeaL, whose dazzllng raLe of case clearance made her a rlslng sLar among hero-hungry
commlshes downLown). lor lnsLance, he banned ueLecLlve PeaL and her ace squad from followlng promlslng leads, lnsLead
orderlng Lhem Lo pursue a grand Lour of uungeon Alley, even Lhough lL was a road LhaL conLlnually proved colorful yeL frulLless.
Members of Lhe 20Lh also recenLly wlLnessed an ln-house Lhrow down beLween PeaL and CapL. MonLrose over Lhe sLalled
case, compleLe wlLh desk poundlng and flnger polnLlng. lL was n?u black and blue," sald one lnslder who asked noL Lo be
ldenLlfled.
8ad 1o Worse
1he laLesL lnsLallmenL ln Lhls melodrama was wrlLLen ln blood. ?esLerday pollce responded Lo a gunshoL vlcLlm ln a parked car.
1he man was none oLher Lhan CapLaln Charles MonLrose. ronounced dead aL Lhe scene, he was kllled by a slngle bulleL wound
Lo Lhe braln from hls own gun. 1he lncldenL occurred aL Lhe curb of Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs-poeLlcally, lronlcally, buL noL so
colncldenLally-Lhe very parlsh of Lhe murdered prlesL.
8ur|ed Anger
1he conLroversy surroundlng a commander under flre, and now a probable sulclde, has spllled ouL of Lhe brlck and concreLe
bunker on W. 82nd LhaL houses Lhe 1wo-Ch and raLLled some wlndows a few mlles souLh aL Cne ollce laza. n?u Loppers
have reporLedly balked aL a lull Ponors memorlal servlce for Lhe dead capLaln, leavlng some ln Lhe ranks of 1he llnesL angered
by Lhe lack of wlsdom-and compasslon-ln a declslon Lo dlshonor a long career Larnlshed aL lLs end, buL preceded by decades
of bravery, spoLless servlce, and sacrlflce.
Angry cops recognlze Lhe obvlous. 1he cllmaLe of upheaval ls noL solvlng any cases. Cne source summarlzed lL Lhls way.
Whoever kllled laLher Craf ls sLlll ouL Lhere. ln an elecLlon year l sure wouldn'L wanL Lo have Lo explaln Lo Lhe clLlzens of new
?ork ClLy why klllers roam free whlle Lhe brass plcks flghLs over Lhe slze of a fallen veLeran's funeral." Lvldence polnLs Lo one
Lhlng LhaL's cerLaln. 1he n?u has one problem LhaL cannoL be burled.
nlkkl sLarLed Lo pace. 1hls ls noL good, Lhls ls noL golng Lo help."
8ook sald, LasL l checked Lhe leJqet wasn'L so much abouL helplng anyLhlng excepL newspaper
sales. Seems flne Lo me. Ck, her wrlLlng's a llLLle on Lhe Labloldy slde, buL LhaL's noL so much a flaw as an
edlLorlal pollcy."
She mulled Lhe Lone 8ook had used for her wrlLlng." nlkkl's anLenna was already up abouL 1am
Sve[da, buL she had refused Lo play Lhe role of currenL glrlfrlend [ealous of Lhe ex. So Lhen, PeaL asked
herself, why was she obsesslng?
l don'L see Lhe problem," conLlnued 8ook. ?ellow prose aslde, lL hlLs Lhe mark, doesn'L lL?"
1haL ls Lhe problem. She never names sources buL clearly someone ln Lhe preclncL ls feedlng her."
And Lhen she sLopped paclng and nlbbled her lower llp. 1hey're golng Lo Lhlnk lL's me, you know."
Who ls?"
1. 1he Llmlng of Lhls couldn'L be worse afLer l losL lL wlLh Zach Pamner and LhreaLened Lo go
publlc."
uld you?"
no, of course noL."
1hen don'L worry."
l guess," she sald. And Lhen read Lhe arLlcle agaln.
PeaL's money was on Sharon Plnesburg as Lhe leak. When nlkkl goL Lhere Lhe nexL mornlng for Lhe sLarL
of shlfL, bull pen chaLLer was all abouL Lhe leJqet plece, and when she scanned Lhe faces of her squad,
Lhe only one she could plcLure blabblng Lo Lhe medla was Lhe only deLecLlve who wasn'L ln on Lhe
conversaLlon . . . because she was over aL her desk on a personal call.
Cne Lhlng was clear under Lhe volcano cloud of negaLlvlLy. nobody ln LhaL bulldlng had mlxed
feellngs abouL MonLrose's funeral. 8oach had already opened an accounL aL a local bank for donaLlons,
and everyone sald Lhey'd klck ln. luck 'em," sald Cchoa. lf downLown won'L glve Sklp a send-off, we
wlll."
nlkkl called Lhe squad Lo Lhe Murder 8oard Lo change Lhe channel from gosslp Lo work. ueLecLlve
Cchoa, where are we on Mrs. 8orelll's nephew?"
ald a vlslL Lo aulle 8orelll yesLerday ln 8ensonhursL, where he's a parL-Llme chef aL Legendary
Lulgl's lzza."
Lulgl's Crlglnal?" asked 8hymer.
no, Legendary. Lulgl's Crlglnal ls acLually a copy."
WhaL abouL aulle?" asked PeaL.
Pe says he never even meL laLher Craf. l?l, aulle 8. doesn'L sLrlke me as much of a churchgoer.
Pe dld cop Lo belng a seml-reg aL leasure 8ound, buL noL Lhe nlghL of Lhe prlesL's murder. Pe allbls ouL
aL an esLabllshmenL ln Lhe Alley known as . . . ," Cchoa fllpped a page ln hls pad and reclLed, 1he SLrung
and Lhe 8esLless."
1here was laughLer-Lhe flrsL nlkkl had heard ln LhaL squad ln a long Llme. She leL lL play ouL and
Lhen sald, ln deference Lo Mrs. 8orelll, we'll leL lL drop Lhere." Compasslon ruled. nlkkl couldn'L see
lncreaslng Lhe old woman's morLlflcaLlon.
1here was a sLlrrlng ln Lhe back of Lhe room. Peads Lurned as a doughy-looklng man ln a whlLe shlrL
wlLh Lwo gold bars enLered Lhe bull pen. Ch," he sald, l see l've lnLerrupLed."
PeaL Look a half sLep Loward hlm. no problem, CapLaln, may l help you?"
Pe came up Lo [oln nlkkl aL Lhe Murder 8oard and addressed Lhe squad. robably besL LhaL you're
all ln one place for Lhls. l'm CapLaln lrons. l've been asslgned as Lhe lnLerlm commander of Lhls preclncL.
My mandaLe ls Lo geL Lhlngs on an even keel here whlle Lhe declslon ls made as Lo who should be Lhe
permanenL replacemenL for CapLaln MonLrose." Pe paused, and nlkkl saw numerous eyes go Lo her, buL
she remalned sLolc and gave Lhe Lemporary man her aLLenLlon. now, even Lhough l come from
AdmlnlsLraLlon, and lL's been a few years slnce l was ouL here ln Lhe fleld, and l know l can'L replace your
old cap, l'll do my besL Lo make Lhls workable for everyone. lalr enough?" 1he room chorused a falr
enough" back Lo hlm. Lven Lhough lL was llmp, he sald, 1hank you for LhaL." Pe Lurned Lo nlkkl.
ueLecLlve PeaL? A momenL?"
1hey meL ln MonLrose's glass offlce and sLood because lL was sLlll bare followlng Lhe lnsLanL purge by
lnLernal Affalrs. Cuess l'll have Lo geL some furnlLure, won'L l?" Pe saL agalnsL Lhe llp of Lhe counLer
LhaL housed Lhe heaL reglsLer, and nlkkl noLlced how hls sofL belly forced hls shlrL Lo spread beLween Lhe
buLLons. l know your rep. ?ou're a heck of a deLecLlve."
1hank you," she sald, l do my besL."
Pere's Lhe deal. l have a shoL here aL Lurnlng Lhlngs around, dlrecLlon-wlse." lrons gave her a look
of slgnlflcance as she wondered how else one Lurned Lhlngs around excepL dlrecLlon-wlse. now, l know
you are lnvolved ln some holdover cases."
PeaL puL a mlldly correcLlve spln on lL. AcLually, l have an acLlve case. ln facL, Lhe meeLlng you . . .
ah, [olned . . . was abouL Lhe case l'm worklng now. 1he dead prlesL?"
1haL's all flne, buL LhaL goes back burner. LffecLlve now. l have seL a personal goal Lo show whaL l
can do here. And, for me, LhaL means Lurnlng Lo a fresh page and runnlng hard wlLh cases LhaL sLarL on
my waLch. uay one. 1oday."
Lxcuse me, CapLaln lrons, buL l was aLLacked ln CenLral ark by flve armed men, Lhree of whom are
sLlll ouL Lhere, and l belleve lL was relaLed Lo Lhe Craf murder."
?ou belleve? ?ou mean llke an assumpLlon? A Lheory?"
?es, l know lL's noL Lhe same as proof," she sald, already feellng herself on qulcksand. l'm worklng
lL hard now, slr. And slnce we goL off Lo a slow sLarL already, l don'L belleve Lhls ls Lhe Llme Lo puL lL on
Lhe back burner."
l undersLand your personal lnLeresL." lL sounded dlsmlsslve because lL was. Pe crossed hls arms and
sLudled hls shoe shlne, Lhen sald, 1he guy you kllled, he had gang connecLlons on hls sheeL, rlghL?"
?es, buL-"
l've been readlng all Lhe deparLmenLal bulleLlns abouL gang lnlLlaLlons, some of whlch are Lo LargeL
pollce offlcers. l Lhlnk l can work Lhls ouL for boLh of us by Lurnlng Lhls over Lo Lhe gang Lask force. lf
you're a LargeL, you can sLep aslde from LhaL case, be safe, and l geL my lnvesLlgaLlve prlorlLles meL." Pe
dldn'L walL for her Lo respond. now. Movlng forward. l hear some paLrol offlcers dlscovered a body ln
one of Lhe pedesLrlan Lunnels ln 8lverslde ark abouL a half hour ago. Pomeless guy. 8uL lf Lhere's foul
play, l wanL Lo be all over LhaL. 1op prlorlLy."
ueLecLlve PeaL pondered a momenL and smlled. 1hen you wanL my besL lnvesLlgaLor on Lhls.
Sharon Plnesburg."
Can you spare her?"
l'll manage, slr."
Pe seemed happy. nlkkl would be happler when she replaced hlm.
ueLecLlve 8hymer came Lo PeaL's desk. !usL goL back from a meeL wlLh our Cerman dancer's agenL. 1he
guy's a skeLch. A supporL sysLem for a Loupee worklng ouL of a fleabag offlce ln Chelsea."
Any beefs beLween Lhe agenL and Lhe cllenL?" she asked.
AnyLhlng buL. 1he rep Lold me Meuller was a sLeady cllenL who worked hard, sLayed ouL of Lrouble,
and made hlm a loL of money. 1he only bump ln Lhe road was LhaL Meuller's boyfrlend dled recenLly,"
sald 8hymer. AgenL says afLer LhaL, hls Lop earner changed addresses and baslcally crawled ln a hole.
uldn'L answer calls, llke LhaL."
Pow dld Lhe boyfrlend dle?" asked PeaL.
Ahead of you. l checked lL ouL. naLural causes. Pe had some congenlLal hearL condlLlon and Lhe ol'
Llcker sLopped Llcklng."
Cver aL hls desk, ueLecLlve 8aley hung up hls phone so qulckly he mlssed Lhe cradle. Pe replaced lL
whlle he grabbed hls coaL and hurrled over. Lawrence Pays's prlvaLe [eL [usL Louched down aL
1eLerboro."
1he new ?ork headquarLers of Lancer SLandard comprlsed Lhe Lop Lwo floors of a black glass offlce hlgh-
rlse on vanderbllL a half block from Crand CenLral. lL was Lhe sorL of bulldlng commuLers passed every
day husLllng Lo and from Lralns wlLhouL glvlng lL much noLlce, unless Lhey were cllenLs of Lhe cusLom
shlrLmaker on Lhe ground floor or Lhe gourmeL gym ln lLs basemenL.
ls Mr. Pays expecLlng you?" asked Lhe woman behlnd Lhe counLer ln Lhe recepLlon lobby.
ueLecLlve PeaL reflecLed on Lhe naLure of work done by Lhls soldlers-and-sples-for-hlre company,
and Lhen on Lhe operaLlve LhaL 8ook saw caslng her aparLmenL, and sald, l'm golng Lo beL Mr. Pays
already knows we're here." 1he recepLlonlsL lnvlLed Lhem Lo have seaLs, buL Lhe Lhree cops sLepped
away from Lhe plnk marble counLer and sLood. 8oach had lnslsLed Lhey accompany PeaL Lo Lhls meeLlng.
1he ulscourager, hunkered ln hls blue-and-whlLe 8adlo Moblle unlL, may have had her back ln LranslL,
buL 8aley and Cchoa dldn'L wanL her walklng lnLo Lhe offlces of a ClA conLracLor alone.
lL was only seconds before Lhey heard a buzz and Lwo very flL men held Lhe wood-paneled door
open Lo Lhe securlLy vesLlbule. As she passed Lhe palr, nlkkl could see Lhelr sulLs were Lallored Lo
accommodaLe shoulder holsLers, whlch made her wonder lf Lhe cusLom shlrLmaker LwenLy-slx floors
below was Lhe beneflclary of hls co-LenanLs' ouLflLLlng requlremenLs. 8efore Lhey could proceed, Lhe
lobby door needed Lo close behlnd Lhem and lock. When Lhe bolL shoL, one of Lhe mlnders pressed hls
LhumbprlnL Lo a scanner and Lhe door ahead of Lhem slld open.
AL Lhe Lop of a carpeLed splral sLalrcase Lhey arrlved aL Lhe penLhouse floor and Lhe anLeroom of
Lawrence Pays's execuLlve sulLe. ln a very maLLer-of-facL way, one of Lhe escorLs sald, l'd llke Lo Lake
your flrearms."
l'd llke Lo see you Lry," sald Cchoa, equally as maLLer-of-facLly. 1here was no way PeaL was golng Lo
glve up her weapon, elLher, and she wondered how Lhls would play ouL-Lhree new ?ork cops faclng
Lwo runnlng backs ln a sLare-down.
1he door opened and Pays sald, SLand down, Lhey can come ln as ls."
PeaL recognlzed hlm from Lhe lnLerneL search she had done as well as from a 20/20 proflle she had
seen on Pays Lhe year before, afLer he personally led a darlng hellcopLer mlsslon Lo rescue one of hls
conLracLors who had been kldnapped by Lhe 1allban. Pe was 1op Cun handsome buL shorLer Lhan she'd
expecLed. ln Lhe vldeo proflle he had laughed and descrlbed hlmself as flve-fooL-elghL of plssed off
cobra," and he was all LhaL, parLlcularly wlLh hls alerL eyes and LhaL lean muscle flexlng under hls black
polo shlrL and LlghL Cap [eans.
Pays plcked hls Lravel duffel off Lhe couch, Lossed lL beslde hls desk, and gesLured for Lhem Lo slL. Pe
Look Lhe Lan leaLher easy chalr faclng Lhem, whlch complemenLed hls sandy SLeve McCueen halr and
deserL sunLan. 1he relaxed Lhrow of one leg over Lhe oLher, Lhe casual dangllng of hls avlaLors from Lhe
v of hls shlrL, and Lhe hearLland smlle were wlnnlng enough Lo nlkkl, buL as she seLLled down beLween
8aley and Cchoa, she remlnded herself Lhls was Lhe man who mlghL have kllled-or arranged Lo have
kllled-laLher Craf and senL a plaLoon of operaLlves Lo CenLral ark Lo cancel her day. 1hose were Lwo
lLems nlkkl wanLed Lo flnd ouL abouL. Cr aL leasL hear hls answers and puL Lhem Lo Lhe smell LesL.
WhaL can l do for you, ueLecLlves?"
PeaL declded Lo pull Lhe rug on Lhe lald back pose. lor sLarLers, you can Lell me how lL felL Lo klll
laLher Craf."
1he response from Pays was curlous. no, blzarre. 8aLher Lhan geLLlng raLLled, he lounged hls head
back onLo Lhe chalr and smlled. As lf narraLlng a naLure vldeo, he spoke Lo Lhe celllng. And so Lhe gal
deLecLlve beglns wlLh a weak aLLempL Lo Lhrow Lhe lnLervlew sub[ecL off balance. Classlc openlng
gamblL, whlch ls Lo say . . . ," he broughL hls head forward Lo look lnLo her eyes and sald, . . . cllched."
?ou haven'L answered my quesLlon, Mr. Pays."
?ou've goL Lo earn my answers, mlss." And Lhen, narraLlng agaln, he sald, Cuch. ln Lhe hole on Lhe
flrsL C! lrusLraLed by Lhe response, dlsLracLed by Lhe chaff of lmplled sexlsm. WhaL wlll she do?"
PeaL knew exacLly whaL he was up Lo. Pays was employlng some sorL of mlnd game Lo fend her off
and hl[ack Lhe lnLervlew. robably some counLer-lnLerrogaLlon Lechnlque he LaughL ln Lly, nevada. She
Lold herself Lo shuL ouL hls psychologlcal nolse and sLlck Lo her agenda.
Where were you Lhe nlghL your pasLor was kllled?"
Why?"
8ecause l suspecL you may have kllled hlm and l wanL Lo conflrm your whereabouLs."
SLraLegy 1wo employed," he announced. SLepplng lL down from Lhe absoluLe 'how dld lL feel' Lo
Lhe wlmpy 'you may have.' Why, oh, why do Lhey send me amaLeurs?"
?our whereabouLs, Mr. Pays."
Where? Ch . . . abouL." Pe laughed. AbouL could be so many places. She wlll be a long Llme
checklng LhaL."
nlkkl declded Lo shlfL gears on hlm. She Look ouL Lhe plcLure of Serglo 1orres and handed lL over.
uo you know Lhls man?"
1hls ls no man. 1hls ls a phoLograph." Pe cocked an eye aL her. Ch, Lell me Lhe glorlfled meLer
mald doesn'L have a sense of humor."
Pls name ls Serglo 1orres," conLlnued PeaL, and l wanL Lo know lf you have ever employed hlm as
one of your conLracLors."
Pe nodded. 1haL l wlll answer." Pays walLed unLll he had mllked Lhe momenL. . . . 8y saylng LhaL l
do noL conflrm or deny personnel ln my employ for reasons of Lhelr own safeLy. And naLlonal securlLy."
Pe laughed agaln and sald Lo 8aley, ?ou could ask !ullan Assange."
PeaL perslsLed. So you have never seen hlm?"
Mm, Lhey all look abouL Lhe same Lo me."
Cchoa Lensed beslde her. She pressed a genLle elbow agalnsL hlm and he seLLled.
Pays llfLed hls arm llke a pupll. May l ask one now?" She walLed and he sald, Why are you asklng
me abouL Lhls . . . bombte?"
8ecause Lhe same day he Lrled Lo klll me, one of your operaLlves was seen dolng survelllance on my
aparLmenL." lL was Lhe flrsL Llme she had seen hlm Lhrown. noL much, buL Lhe cobra eyes Look a hlL.
LeL me Lell you someLhlng, Cfflcer. lf l was golng Lo conducL survelllance on you, you'd never know
lL."
1hls Llme PeaL provlded Lhe narraLlon. She looked up aL Lhe celllng and sald, lnvulnerable
mercenary general covers ass for sloppy work wlLh bravado, even as he makes menLal noLe Lo seek and
LermlnaLe Lhe sLakeouL drlver." She lowered her gaze Lo hlm and sald, 8ookle." Whlle he was dlgesLlng
LhaL she Look ouL Lhe e-mall from Lhe archdlocese and reclLed, '?ou ever hear of a 1lkrlL 1une-up? l
have, padre. ?ou suffer unLll you pray Lo dle and Lhen you suffer some more. LoLs more. 1he besL parL ls
when you call ouL Lo Cod for mercy and Pe looks down and splLs upon your wlLhered douche bag of a
soul.' "
Pe covered for LhaL freak who Louched my kld." 1he CLC swagger was crumbllng. 1he lld was
slldlng off Lhe parenL's rage.
?ou don'L deny wrlLlng Lhls?" she sald.
?ou're noL llsLenlng! 1hese guys spoll lnnocence and hlde behlnd Lhelr cassocks and cover for each
oLher."
nlkkl held up Lhe page. 8ecause Lhls descrlpLlon ls very much llke how he dled."
Cood. Cne less sancLlmonlous basLard proLecLlng Lhe chlld molesLers of Lhe world." Pe saL panLlng,
leanlng forward on hls Lhlghs.
nlkkl sLood. Mr. Pays, l'd glve you my card, buL l am sure you have fully researched all Lhe ways Lo
flnd me. When you have an allbl for LhaL nlghL, you'd beLLer glve lL Lo me. Cr l'll be back and arresL you.
AL your . . . whereabouLs."
1hey walLed unLll Lhey goL ouL onLo Lhe sldewalk on vanderbllL, all Lhree deLecLlves assumlng Lhe place
would llkely be wlred for sound, maybe even plcLure.
WhaL was LhaL guy on?" sald 8aley.
All calculaLed, 8ales. sy-Cps smoke screen." 1hen PeaL sald, l wanL you guys Lo dlg away on
Serglo 1orres. Co back Lo hls klndergarLen lf you have Lo. Clrlfrlends, gang members, cell maLes,
everyone. llnd ouL who he's connecLed Lo and we've goL our klller."
Cchoa looked up Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe black hlgh-rlse. We were so close."
PeaL sald, noL enough. Pays gave us noLhlng solld. Pe only sald he was glad lL happened-noL LhaL
he dld lL."
WhaL abouL Lhe e-mall, Lhough?" asked 8aley.
nlkkl shook her head. Any lawyer would punch holes Lhrough lL because he never says Lechnlcally
he's golng Lo carry lL ouL. Pls verblage ls rheLorlcal. 1he LhreaL's lmplled."
Cchoa sald, 1ell LhaL Lo laLher Craf."
We seem Lo be ln Lhe mlnorlLy, buL we all know Lhls ls a hell of a loL blgger Lhan laLher Craf, guys,"
sald PeaL. 1here was Lhe aLLack on me, plus whaLever CapLaln MonLrose was lnLo."
?ou don'L Lhlnk he was parL of Lhe kllllng, do you?" sald 8aley.
ln my hearL, of course noL. 8uL we need Lo keep on Lhls wlLhouL leLLlng up so we can see where lL
goes."
Cchoa sald, 1oo bad our new commander doesn'L see lL Lhe same way."
PeaL's phone buzzed. She checked Lhe screen and lL was a LexL from Zach Pamner. ls come Lo 1
conf. rm on 10 ln 30 mlns." A rush of elaLlon swepL ln nlkkl's chesL. She replled wlLh a yes and sald Lo
8oach, keep Lhe falLh, boys. 8emember, lrons ls only lnLerlm."
Snow began falllng ln faL clumps, maklng nlkkl's Lrafflc experlence geLLlng downLown Lo ark 8ow a
nlghLmare. lf she had only Laken Lhe subway, lL would have been a snap [usL Lo duck lnLo Crand CenLral
from Lhe Pays meeLlng and grab a 4 or 3 express Lo CenLre SLreeL. llfLeen, maybe LwenLy mlnuLes, and
done. 8uL wlLh Lhe resL of Lhe shooLlng Leam LhaL hunLed her down ln Lhe park sLlll aL large, 8aley and
Cchoa perslsLed and she gave ln, allowlng 1he ulscourager Lo drlve her Lo Cne ollce laza ln hls 8Mu.
Parvey wasn'L much of a Lalker, whlch was flne wlLh her, she was Lrylng Lo clear her head for her blg
momenL and could do wlLhouL. 1he only conversaLlon Lhey had was when he offered Lo llghL up Lhe bar
on Lop of Lhe crulser when lL looked as lf she'd be laLe and she sald no. Pe made up for lL wlLh asserLlve
wheel work and llberal use of hls horn. When nlkkl goL ouL ln fronL of Lhe Munlclpal 8ulldlng on CenLre,
she was Lense and flghLlng car slckness.
PeaL reached Lhe lobby of 1 wlLh Len mlnuLes she never LhoughL she'd have Lo spare. She needed
LhaL Llme Lo collecL herself. AfLer Lhe promoLlon and swearlng ln, she mlghL be called upon Lo speak Lo
Lhe commlLLee and she dldn'L wanL Lo go ln frazzled. Lspeclally lf, as hyllls Lold her, Lhey mlghL be
bumplng her Lo capLaln and glvlng her a command, she dldn'L wanL Lo blaLher and make Lhem reLhlnk
Lhelr cholce. She wlshed 8ook could be Lhere, and Lhe facL LhaL she LhoughL of hlm sharlng LhaL momenL
wlLh her broughL her a degree of calm. 1hey could celebraLe laLer. 8rushlng Lhe snow off her coaL, she
looked for a quleL place Lo slL and Lhlnk.
1he seaLs where she had en[oyed her conversaLlon wlLh Commlssloner ?arborough were open, buL
on her way over she sLopped. 1am Sve[da sLood ln her paLh. Per back was Lo PeaL as she folded her
noLebook and shook hands wlLh Lhe publlc lnformaLlon offlcer. nlkkl made a sharp Lurn Lo geL Lo Lhe
elevaLors before she was spoLLed, buL lL was Loo laLe.
ueLecLlve PeaL? nlkkl PeaL, walL up." nlkkl sLopped and Lurned. 1he lC gave her a cursory glance
as he passed by and Look Lhe elevaLor car PeaL had been walLlng for. Pow dld you llke Lhe arLlcle?"
asked 1am as she sLrolled over.
1am, l'm sorry buL l have a very lmporLanL meeLlng l can'L be laLe for." nlkkl pressed Lhe buLLon
and added, noL Lo be rude." 1hen she pounded Lhe buLLon Lwlce more.
LlsLen, Lhls wouldn'L be for aLLrlbuLlon." 1he reporLer opened her palms. Look, Ma, no pen.
CompleLely off Lhe record. Any LhoughLs?"
My one remark ls l wlsh you would Lhlnk a llLLle abouL Lhe damage you do wlLh an arLlcle llke LhaL,
especlally Lo Lhe repuLaLlon of a good man."
Chlldllke, as lf she wasn'L llsLenlng, 1am Sve[da sald, uh-huh. . . . 8uL lL was accuraLe, rlghL? l mean l
dld ask you for help, buL you sald no."
lL's noL someLhlng l do," sald nlkkl. 1he elevaLor opened and she sLepped aboard.
8uL Lhls worked ouL [usL as well, rlghL?"
WhaL dld?"
!amle, of course. ?ou couldn'L Lalk, so you used !amle."
PeaL sLepped off before Lhe doors closed. WhaL are you Lalklng abouL? ?our source for LhaL arLlcle
was !a- 8ook?" PeaL wondered lf she was belng played. She had flgured Plnesburg or maybe Callagher,
or boLh, had leaked Lhe sLory. ln her dlsbellef she sald as much Lo herself as Lo Lhe reporLer, ?ou goL lL
from 8ook?"
?eah, !amle e-malled me hls noLes, even. Ch my Cod, l LhoughL you knew." nlkkl was speechless
and [usL sLared. nlkkl PeaL, no wonder you're such a greaL deLecLlve. ?ou [usL goL me Lo reveal my
source." 1am slapped her own forehead wlLh Lhe heel of her hand. Some [ournallsL, huh?"
8ook. She needed Lo Lalk wlLh 8ook. 8uL noL Lhen. She couldn'L. As soon as nlkkl rounded Lhe corner
lnLo Lhe hall ouLslde Lhe LenLh-floor conference room, a unlform sald, ueLecLlve PeaL?"
Cn her walk up, she answered, Pere."
Co rlghL ln," sald Lhe offlcer, lf you're all seL."
nlkkl couldn'L have felL less so. 1he Lrauma of Lhe week was enough Lo puL her guL on Lhe spln cycle.
now, addlng Lo her anxleLy, came Lhls sLaggerlng news LhaL 8ook had been Lhe source of a leak Lo 1am
Sve[da. And who was Lhls reporLer blmbo Lo 8ook? WlLh all Lhese [agged fragmenLs of dlsLracLlon
swlrllng ln her head, maklng her very much wanL Lo Lurn and run, PeaL puL up her flrewall. She focused
on Lhe promoLlon walLlng on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe door and, wlLh lL, her chance Lo Lake over Lhe
1wenLleLh and, flnally, wresL conLrol of Lhe Craf case and run wlLh lL. She nodded Lo Lhe cop and sald,
SeL."
1here was no promoLlon commlLLee walLlng for her. 1here was only one person ln Lhe room and lL was
Zach Pamner, seaLed aL Lhe far slde of Lhe conference Lable, faclng her as she enLered. 1he oLher flfLeen
chalrs ln Lhe room were empLy, buL she could see from Lhe scaLLered evldence of coffee rlngs on napklns
and Lhe unallgned swlvel chalrs LhaL Lhere had been a blg meeLlng Lhere recenLly.
1he nexL ma[or Lell LhaL someLhlng was amlss was hls flaL expresslon. lus, he dldn'L lnvlLe her Lo slL.
lnsLead, he laced hls flngers LogeLher on Lhe LableLop and sald, nlkkl PeaL, you are hereby relleved of
duLy, unLll furLher noLlce."
8llndslded, nlkkl felL herself comlng undone. Per eyes fluLLered, and she began Lo have Lhe
sensaLlon of Lumbllng, of loslng her balance afLer belng hlL by Lhe force of Lhe shock. As she Lrled Lo galn
her equlllbrlum, Lhe slde door opened and Lovell and ueLongpre, Lhe Men ln 8lack from lA, came ln and
walLed. 1he Pammer sald, lease Lurn over your shleld and gun Lo Lhese men."
LLLvLn
When nlkkl resLed a hand on Lhe back of Lhe execuLlve chalr ln fronL of her for sLeadlness, lL rocked on lLs
swlvel hlnge and Lhe resulL was only Lo lncrease her sense of dlsorlenLaLlon. She had enLered wlLh confldenL
sLrldes Lo assume her promoLlon and all LhaL came wlLh lL, buL ln Lhe mere crosslng of a Lhreshold she found
herself casL adrlfL. veerlng lnLo a slckenlng emoLlonal sllde, PeaL wenL splnnlng llke one of Lhe cars she had
passed on Lhe way Lhere: LracLlonless, grappllng for conLrol, hurLllng for Lhe lnevlLable crash.
ueLecLlve ueLongpre wanLed her shleld. nlkkl wllled herself Lo reclalm her cenLer and sLralghLen
herself up. 1hen she complled. Pls lA parLner, Lovell, sLood on her oLher flank wlLh hls hand ouL. PeaL
dldn'L even look aL hlm. She wlLhdrew her Slg from lLs holsLer and handed lL over, grlp flrsL, buL wlLh her
eyes locked on Zach Pamner's. WhaL's Lhls abouL, Zach?"
lL's abouL you belng suspended from duLy whlle you are under offlclal reprlmand. Clear enough?"
lmpllcaLlons crashed over nlkkl all aL once and she felL her knees weaken. A reprlmand . . . ? WhaL
for?"
lor sLarLers, golng Lo Lhe medla. ?ou have a problem, you Lalk Lo us. ?ou don'L go ouLslde Lhe
famlly."
l dldn'L Lalk Lo Lhe medla."
8ullshlL. ?esLerday you geL all up ln my ass abouL MonLrose's funeral, and when you don'L geL your
way, you LhreaLen Lo go publlc. And Lhen, Lhls." Pe held up a copy of Lhe leJqet LhaL was marked up
wlLh commenLs ln red lnk. 1hls ls Lhe commlssloner's copy."
l was upseL. l losL lL." nlkkl lowered her volce Lo convey Lhe raLlonallLy he dldn'L wlLness Lhe
prevlous day. 8uL lL was an empLy LhreaL. l never should have sald lL."
1he Llme Lo Lhlnk was back Lhen. ?ou dragged Lhls deparLmenL down, you dlsgraced yourself, and
you blew a once-ln-a-career opporLunlLy. ?ou Lhlnk you're golng Lo geL promoLed now? ?ou'll be lucky lf
you come ouL of Lhls wlLh a [ob chalklng Llres. Pow Lhe hell are you golng Lo be LrusLed Lo lead lf you
can'L be LrusLed?" Pe leL LhaL slnk ln and sald, Look, Lhese are Lhe blgs. AmblLlon ls noL a dlrLy word.
8uL never, ever, aL Lhe expense of Lhls deparLmenL, PeaL. 8ecause one Lhlng LhaL ls noL LoleraLed here ls
dlsloyalLy. ?ou beLrayed us."
l dldn'L do lL."
Someone sure dld. uo you have any ldea Lhe problems you have caused us?"
nlkkl LhoughL carefully. olnLlng Lo 8ook wouldn'L be much help and would only make Lhe leak
appear more orchesLraLed. Lven 1am Sve[da assumed PeaL was uLlllzlng 8ook as a back channel. 1he
Pammer would go Lhere before she flnlshed her senLence. So she repeaLed Lhe LruLh. lL wasn'L l."
?ou sLlck Lo LhaL, PeaL. See how much lL comforLs you whlle you slL aL home." Zach sLood Lo go.
8uL l'm on a case."
noL anymore." And Lhen 1he Pammer lefL Lhe room wlLh Lhe Lwo men from lnLernal Affalrs. nlkkl
was ln such a daze, so losL ln her own mlnd, LhaL she meandered Lhrough Lhe snowfall rlghL pasL 1he
ulscourager's blue-and-whlLe. Parvey called ouL Lo her from hls drlver's wlndow, uslng Lhe LlLle she
Lechnlcally no longer bore. She Lurned back, wobbllng on unsLeady feeL, feellng llke she couldn'L pass a
fleld sobrleLy LesL, and goL ln. ShlL's really comlng down," he sald. lL Look PeaL a second Lo reallze he
was descrlblng Lhe sLorm. Lven you couldn'L see Lhrough lL." Pe hlL Lhe wlpers. 1hey scraped heavy,
weL clumps Lo Lhe sldes LhaL sLuck, buL Lhe wlndshleld fllled, becomlng cloLLed agaln before Lhe nexL
pass. 1he weaLher was becomlng [usL llke her llfe. lL [usL kepL comlng down. nlkkl wanLed Lo be ouL ln lL.
She wanLed Lo wander ln Lhe snow and dlsappear.
Where Lo?" he sald. 8ack Lo your squad?"
Pls lnnocenL quesLlon slapped her wlLh Lhe new 8eallLy. nlkkl PeaL dld noL have a squad. She Lurned
her face away, maklng a pro[ecL of smearlng Lhe condensaLlon from her passenger wlndow so he
wouldn'L see Lhe Lears poollng. Pome," she sald. lor now."
8ook raced Lo meeL her, sklddlng on hls socks as soon as she opened her door. ?ou are noL golng Lo
belleve whaL l [usL learned." lf he had walLed, maybe Laken a breaLh, he would have sensed lL, seen Lhe
damage, downshlfLed and cocked hls head and asked whaL was up. lnsLead, she goL hls back, reLreaLlng
Lo Lhe lapLop on her dlnlng Lable, shooLlng power flsLs ln Lhe alr and roarlng, ?esss!" nlkkl drlfLed lnLo
her aparLmenL behlnd hlm, noL hearlng or even feellng her own fooLfalls. 1he sensaLlon was as lf she
were floaLlng or, dare she say-suspended.
nose deep ln hls Mac8ook ro, 8ook crackled wlLh energy. lL's been eaLlng aL me. l remembered
hearlng someLhlng abouL Lancer SLandard-Lancer SLandard: Mercenarles Lo Lhe SLars." Pe Lurned Lo
her Lo laugh, buL PeaL sLarLled hlm by slammlng down Lhe lld of hls lapLop.
Why'd you do lL?" she sald.
Pe searched her, frownlng. . . . nlk?"
?ou can qulL Lhe acL. 1am Sve[da Lold me."
Pe looked puzzled. 1am? ?ou Lalked Lo 1am? AbouL whaL?"
She moved Lo Lhe counLer and came back brandlshlng Lhe copy of Lhe leJqet. 1hls. 1he arLlcle LhaL
[usL goL me suspended because Lhey Lhlnk l leaked lL."
Ch, my Cod," 8ook shoL Lo hls feeL, Lhey suspended you?" Pe Look a sLep Lo her.
uon'L!" She puL up boLh palms Lo sLay hlm and he sLopped. !usL . . . keep away from me."
Pls mlnd was raclng, so lL Look hlm a few seconds Lo plece Lhlngs LogeLher, and by Lhen, she was
sLrldlng Lo Lhe klLchen. Pe hurrled Lo follow, caLchlng up Lo her as she opened Lhe frldge. ?ou really
Lhlnk l had someLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhls?"
l dldn'L have Lo Lhlnk lL. l was Lold. 8y your bounclng Czech." She sLlll had Lhe newspaper ln her
hand and Lossed lL aL hlm. 8y reflex, he caughL lL.
1am? 1am Lold you l sourced Lhls?" 8ook reallzed he sLlll had Lhe offendlng leJqet ln hls hands
and Lossed lL lnLo Lhe oLher room. no way."
CreaL. now you're calllng me a llar?" sald PeaL.
no, no, l belleve you. l [usL don'L undersLand why she would say LhaL." Pe felL lL all splnnlng ouL of
conLrol and sald, nlkkl, llsLen Lo me. l dld noL leak Lhls Lo her."
?uh, rlghL. Llke you're golng Lo admlL lL now."
Pow can you Lhlnk lL was me?"
PeaL reached pasL Lhe Sancerre and pulled ouL a ellegrlno. 1hls was a Llme for a clear head. lor
one, l've been looklng aL LhaL prose you sald was so . . . whaL dld you call lL? . . . Labloldy? Well, l smell a
few 8ook-lsms ln Lhere. Calllng Lhe funeral lssue a 'problem LhaL cannoL be burled' . . . WhaL else? Ch.
'n?u black and blue'?"
Come on, l . . ." Pe sLopped hlmself and looked llke he'd LasLed someLhlng foul.
So Lhose ote your words." She dlLched Lhe waLer and goL ouL Lhe wlne.
SorL of. 8uL l never shared. lL sounds llke synchronlclLy."
lL sounds llke bull. 1am says you e-malled noLes Lo her."
nope. uld noL."
nlkkl polnLed Lo hls lapLop over on Lhe dlnlng Lable. WhaL was LhaL secreL Lyplng you've been
dolng?"
All rlghL, full dlsclosure. ?es, l have been wrlLlng up some noLes for an arLlcle l plan Lo wrlLe on Lhls
MonLrose Lhlng."
?ou whaL?!"
See? 1haL's why l dldn'L Lell you. l wasn'L sure how you'd feel abouL lL afLer Lhe cover plece l dld on
you."
8ook, Lhls ls even more devlous. ?ou were hldlng lL from me because you knew damn well l'd be
agalnsL lL?"
no. . . . ?es. 8uL l was golng Lo Lell you. LvenLually."
?ou're dlgglng deeper Lhe more you Lalk."
Look, l am an lnvesLlgaLlve [ournallsL and Lhls ls a leglLlmaLe sLory."
1haL 1am Sve[da says you sllpped Lo her."
no."
WhaL else dld you sllp her?"
Ch. Ch ho! now l'm seelng whaL's happenlng here," he sald. 1hls ls Lhe green monsLer rearlng lLs
head."
nlkkl slammed Lhe boLLle down on Lhe counLer wlLh a loud crack. uo noL mlnlmlze whaL l am golng
Lhrough by Lagglng me wlLh some cheap label."
l'm sorry, LhaL was ouL of llne."
uamn rlghL lL was. now lL's my Lurn." 1he penL-up emoLlon from her week of agony spllled over.
CeL your sLuff and geL Lhe hell ouL of here."
nlkkl, l . . ."
now."
Pe heslLaLed and sald, l LhoughL you LrusLed me."
8uL she was already sLormlng down Lhe hallway wlLh Lhe boLLle ln her hand. 1he lasL Lhlng 8ook
heard from PeaL was Lhe locklng of her bedroom door.
1he nexL mornlng, even Lhough she knew she had no reason Lo, nlkkl goL up aL her usual early Llme,
showered, and dressed for work. Whlle she was ln Lhe shower, 8aley and Cchoa lefL her a message of
beLween-Lhe-llnes supporL. 1hey knew abouL Lhe suspenslon llke everyone by now and had lefL whaL
Lhey called a 8oach-mall. Pey, uh, ueLecLlve, or . . . whaLever l should call you now," sald Cchoa.
8aley was on Lhe oLher llne and sald, Pey, parLner, how abouL a llLLle senslLlvlLy? Pl, lL's 8oach
calllng. uo Lhey leL you geL calls ln Lhe penalLy box? Anyway your dlrLy coffee mug ls sLlll ln Lhe slnk
down here aL Lhe preclncL."
1haL's rlghL," sald Cchoa, and lf you Lhlnk we're golng Lo wash lL for you, dream on. So lf you wanL
Lhe mug, well, you know whaL Lo do. . . . See ya?"
She LhoughL abouL calllng back, buL lnsLead nlkkl saL on Lhe cushlon of her wlndow seaL whlle she
waLched a sanlLaLlon crew remove Lhe overnlghL snow from her sLreeL. lL gave her someLhlng Lo do. As
she ldled Lhere, nlkkl wondered lf she should roll some cell phone vldeo, ln case she goL a chance Lo
upload Lhe laLesL vlral of a parked car geLLlng lLs fender peeled away by a clLy snowplow.
1haL would help her geL her [ob back, all rlghL. Leak vldeo of a munlclpal embarrassmenL.
Per sollLude was anyLhlng buL peaceful. Zach Pamner's accusaLlons lnslsLed on vlslLlng her perch ln
Lhe bay wlndow. Pe had called her dlsloyal. She dlsmlssed LhaL buL Lhen wondered, had she been? nlkkl
had done noLhlng decelLful, buL Lhe ob[ecLlve parL of her-Lhe parL LhaL was all abouL mlddle-of-Lhe-
nlghL guL checks and self-reproach-wanLed Lo plck aL Lhe wound. So she dld. PeaL asked herself, had
she caused harm Lo oLhers by her relaLlonshlp wlLh 8ook? She hoped noL. And Lhen Lhere was amblLlon.
1he Pammer had also scolded her abouL LhaL, and she worrled herself over wheLher her sense of
enLlLlemenL Lo Lhe new rank had emboldened her Lo LhreaLen Zach Lo go publlc over Lhe funeral.
WhaL aLe aL her mosL was Lhe LrusL lssue. Pe'd sald you can'L lead lf you can'L be LrusLed. nlkkl
wasn'L boLhered by whaL LhaL cockroach LhoughL of her. 8uL whaL gnawed aL PeaL was her own
percepLlon. uld she LrusL herself Lo lead?
Per phone [arred her back Lo Lhe presenL. 1he caller lu was from 1. nlkkl wenL for Lhe green
buLLon so qulckly, Lhe phone sllpped ouL of her hand, buL she caughL lL before lL hlL Lhe floor. Pello?
?ou Lhere?"
nlkkl PeaL, lL's hyllls ?arborough. Pope you don'L mlnd me calllng your personal number."
AbouL Lhe only way Lo reach me Loday." PeaL Lrled Lo make lL llghL wlLhouL puLLlng any sLlnk on lL.
Llke she was Laklng lL all ln sLrlde.
l hear LhaL," sald Lhe depuLy commlssloner. May l Lell you flaL ouL, Lhls sucks?"
nlkkl laughed, and even Lhough Lhe call dldn'L sound llke lL was golng Lo be Lhe reprleve she had
hoped for, she was glad for lL. ?ou won'L geL much argumenL ouL of me."
l [usL wanL you Lo know, lf you weren'L aware of lL, Lhe declslon was noL unanlmous. 1here was one
dlssenLlng voLe, and you're Lalklng Lo her."
Ch . . . l dldn'L know LhaL. 8uL Lhank you. 1haL means a loL."
Pave Lo say, l'm noL a fan of 1he Pammer anyway, and Lhls Llme he dld noL dlsappolnL. Pe called
Lhe meeLlng, he fanned Lhe flames, he pressed for Lhe sancLlon, he was obsessed." ?arborough paused.
nlkkl flgured lL was her Lurn.
l do have Lo admlL l undersLand Zach Laklng lL as an affronL, Lhe way l llL lnLo hlm abouL Lhe
capLaln's funeral."
Ch, boo-hoo, he needs Lo grow a palr. l'll Lell you someLhlng, nlkkl, l noL only don'L belleve you
leaked Lhls, l belleve Lhls ls pure pollLlcs. Zach and hls neLwork of man weasels were flne when l was
lnLeresLed ln groomlng you for my Leam aL 81CC, buL Lhere was a deflnlLe sea change afLer CapLaln
MonLrose dled." She quleLed her Lone and added, l am sorry abouL LhaL, by Lhe way, l know lL's a loss
for you."
1hanks." nlkkl's curloslLy was plqued. Why do you suppose Lhe change?"
8ecause lf my candldaLe-LhaL would be you, my dear-geLs fasL-Lracked Lo replace MonLrose LhaL
weakens Lhelr power. Look who Lhey puL ln Lhere. lloyd Lhe 8arber. 1hey don'L wanL a preclncL
commander, Lhey wanL a puppeL."
l appreclaLe you sLandlng up for me."
Conslderlng Lhe resulL, l don'L Lhlnk l dld you any favors."
nlkkl sald, l Lhlnk worklng Lhe sLreeL ls safer Lhan 1."
1haL's pollLlcs, lL's an ugly game."
And one l don'L care Lo play, Lhanks," sald PeaL. noL why l swore my oaLh."
AcLually, LhaL's why l called," sald Lhe depuLy commlssloner. Slnce backsLabblng lsn'L your favorlLe
sporL, l wanLed Lo leL you know LhaL l'll keep my eyes open for you. l can'L promlse Lhere won'L be any
more surprlses, buL maybe l can head Lhem off, or aL leasL l can warn you."
Wow, LhaL's very generous."
?ou deserve lL. So whaL's up for you? uayLlme dramas? Scrapbooklng?" When nlkkl's pause was
Lhe answer, ?arborough conLlnued, Cf course noL. ?ou're nlkkl PeaL. LlsLen, do whaL you have Lo do.
8uL lf you need anyLhlng, anyLhlng aL all, please call me."
l wlll," sald PeaL. And hyllls? 1hanks."
AbouL an hour laLer, lmpaLlenL wlLh exlle ln her aparLmenL, unable Lo escape needllng LhoughLs Lhrough
dayLlme 1v, nlkkl bundled up. Lven Lhe process of geLLlng ready was a confronLaLlon wlLh her unhappy
slLuaLlon: 8y reflex, she reached for her holsLer-empLy-muLLered a quleL curse, and, for Lhe flrsL Llme
PeaL could recall ln ages, had Lo sLep ouL her door unarmed.
1he besL way Lo cover ground ln ManhaLLan durlng a snow evenL ls Lo go under lL. As was her hablL,
nlkkl plcked up a 6 Lraln aL ark Avenue SouLh and rode lL down Lo 8leecker for a Lransfer Lo Lhe upLown
8. WalLlng on Lhe plaLform, she performed Lhe sLraphanger's rlLe of leanlng over Lhe edge of Lhe Lrack
every slxLy seconds, scouLlng up Lhe dark Lunnel for Lhe gleam of an oncomlng headllghL reflecLed on Lhe
Lracks. lL dldn'L make Lhe Lralns come any fasLer, buL lL was someLhlng Lo do oLher Lhan look for
scurrylng raLs ln Lhe grlme below.
nlkkl dld her headllghL check, she dld her raL check, and she also dld a plaLform check. 1here had
been no crulser parked downsLalrs LhaL mornlng-no ulscourager Lo glve a Lwo-flnger saluLe or brlng
coffee Lo. 1hey had pulled her proLecLlon when Lhey pulled her shleld. PeaL dldn'L clock any LhreaL and
goL on her car for Lhe rlde upLown Lo Lhe 1wenLleLh, and was able Lo relax a blL.
8uL her lnner demons goL on wlLh her and muscled lnLo Lhe nexL seaL. Always a clear Lhlnker who
could slow Lhlngs down and navlgaLe Lhe wlldesL dlsLracLlons under flre, nlkkl couldn'L shake her
LhoughLs free of how her whole llfe had been upended ln a bllnk. WhaL Lhe hell was golng on? She
prlded herself on belng skepLlcal, noL paranold, buL PeaL serlously belleved she was belng rallroaded.
8uL why? And by whom?
lL palned her LhaL a few hundred words ln an also-ran newspaper could geL her klcked ouL. 1haL
damned arLlcle.
And 8ook.
Per sharpesL agony. She had lnvesLed ln Lhls guy. WalLed for Lhls guy. lelL someLhlng for Lhls guy
LhaL wenL beyond Lhe bedroom . . . or wherever else Lhey Look each oLher. nlkkl dld noL glve herself
easlly Lo a man, and Lhls beLrayal by 8ook was why. PeaL reflecLed on her answer aL Lhe oral boards
abouL her greaLesL flaw and admlLLed her reply was a mask. ?es, her ldenLlflcaLlon wlLh her [ob was
LoLal. 8uL her greaLesL flaw wasn'L overlnvesLmenL ln her career. lL was her reLlcence Lo be vulnerable.
unarmed as she was-llLerally-she had been emoLlonally so wlLh 8ook.
1haL was Lhe guL shoL LhaL had blown clean Lhrough her soul.
WhaL Lhe hell was she dolng back Lhere ln Lhe bull pen? 1he oLhers weren'L asklng her LhaL. nlkkl PeaL
was asklng herself.
When she had puL on her coaL and plcked her way along Lhe unshoveled sldewalk headlng from her
aparLmenL Lo Lhe subway, nlkkl had declded LhaL she needed some Lhlngs from her desk. noL knowlng
how long Lhls suspenslon would lasL-or wheLher lL would be permanenL-Lhere were maLerlals she
requlred and wanLed aL home. 8y Lhe Llme she came up Lhe sLeps from Lhe 8 Lraln under Lhe Amerlcan
Museum of naLural PlsLory and Lrudged Loward Columbus Avenue, she had convlnced herself LhaL
enLerlng her squad room was all abouL dlgnlLy. And LhaL dlrLy coffee mug 8oach had alerLed her Lo.
1he LruLh behlnd her vlslL was LhaL Lhe deLecLlve ln PeaL craved lnformaLlon. And whaL nlkkl learned
only served Lo deepen her susplclons abouL her reversal.
8lghL off Lhe baL 8oach drew her aslde Lo a quleL corner. W1l?" sald Cchoa.
?eah, why'd you have Lo go and geL yourself suspended?" added 8aley. ?our Llmlng sucks."
noL so much LhaL we care abouL you," sald hls parLner, buL Lhe Craf lnvesLlgaLlon's upslde-down ln
Lhe dlLch wlLh four wheels clawlng sky."
uo l even need Lo ask why?" nlkkl knew from her meeLlng Lhe day before.
8ecause of Lhe lron Man," sald Cchoa. PeaL had a menLal beL LhaL would be Lhe handle Lhey'd glve
CapLaln lrons. She also beL Lhey weren'L Lhe flrsL. Pe's pulllng all resources lnLo Lhe dead homeless guy,
even Lhough lL's gonna end up accldenLal Cu."
lor all lnLenLs, Lhls case ls dead." 8aley slde nodded Lo Lhe laLher Craf Murder 8oard, whlch had
been carelessly erased and hung Lhere, suspended on Lhe easel wlLh only Lhe ghosLly sLreaks of nlkkl's
colored markers Lo hlnL aL lLs prlor purpose.
lL almosL seems convenlenL," she sald.
Cchoa chuckled. know how we're always plmplng 8ook over hls wlld-ass consplracy Lheorles?"
PeaL nodded even as she masked her paln aL hearlng hls name. noLhlng compared Lo whaL 8ales and l
have been Lhlnklng."
Any answers?" asked PeaL.
8aley sald, Cnly one. Cn your Llme off, leL us know whaL you need."
Cn your 'Llme off,' " repeaLed Cchoa, compleLe wlLh alr quoLes.
1he only saLlsfacLlon she could draw from Lhls dlshearLenlng news abouL Lhe shelvlng of Lhe Craf case
was LhaL Sharon Plnesburg was ordered by CapLaln lrons Lo go undercover as a homeless woman and
had Lo spend Lhe nlghL ln Lhe 8lverslde ark pedesLrlan Lunnel. LeL lL snow," nlkkl sald.
Cn a whlm-yes, a whlm, she Lold herself-PeaL logged onLo her compuLer so she could prlnL ouL a
ul of Lhe PuddlesLon homlclde flle, Lhe 2004 case Lhen-ueLecLlve MonLrose had run. ulsbellef.
Per password dldn'L work.
Access denled.
nlkkl phoned Lhe l1 deparLmenL help desk. AfLer a brlef hold, Lhe Lechnlclan came back on and
apologlzed. Pe sald LhaL due Lo her renewed classlflcaLlon, she was currenLly unauLhorlzed Lo use Lhe
n?u server.
AfLer she seL Lhe phone back on lLs cradle, PeaL reallzed how wrong she had been. She had
mlsLakenly LhoughL lL wasn'L posslble Lo feel more shaken and alone. SLepplng ouL lnLo WesL 82nd
SLreeL, nlkkl Lurned Lo face Lhe lcy wlnd rushlng crossLown off Lhe Pudson. 8uL she knew LhaL no maLLer
how long she sLood Lhere, lL could never dlsh ouL enough cold Lo numb her. She Lurned her back agalnsL
Lhe blusLer and plodded Loward Lhe subway Lo go home.
Lady-lady!" was Lhe lasL Lhlng PeaL heard before Lhe colllslon. She whlrled ln Lhe dlrecLlon of Lhe
shouL a spllL second before Lhe dellvery guy and hls blcycle smacked lnLo her, knocklng her down onLo
Columbus Avenue. 1hey landed ln a Langle-arms, legs, and a blke-surrounded by rupLured cardboard
Lake-ouL carLons, broccoll ln oysLer sauce, smashed wonLons, and a duck leg. My order's rulned," he
sald.
SLlll down, wlLh handlebars agalnsL her cheek, nlkkl Lurned up from Lhe guLLer and sald, ?ou were
golng Lhe wrong way ln LhaL lane."
Pls response was, Pey, up yours, lady." Pe [erked hls blke off nlkkl and raced away, leavlng her and
hls losL order down ln Lhe crosswalk aL Lhe slde of Lhe avenue. lor a spllL second as PeaL waLched Lhe
paLch of fllLhy snow and sand under her face redden wlLh her blood, she acLually wondered lf whoever
kllled MonLrose had also senL Lhe crazy dellvery guy on Lhe blke. Such was Lhe rabblL hole of consplracy
Lhlnklng. When you acLually sLop and look around and wonder, who ln Lhe world can you LrusL?
When 8ook opened Lhe door, hls expresslon was a mlx of shock and vlgllance. llrsL he reacLed Lo her
face wlLh lLs LrlbuLarles of drled blood fannlng llke LenLacles from Lhe spoL ln her scalp where nlkkl held
a wadded handkerchlef. 1hen, ouL of experlence, he checked Lhe hall Lo make sure she wasn'L on Lhe
run and belng followed. nlkkl, [eez, whaL happened?"
She sLrode pasL hlm Lhrough hls foyer and lnLo Lhe klLchen. Pe locked Lhe door and [olned her. nlkkl
held up a hand. ShuL up and don'L say anyLhlng."
Pls mouLh opened and Lhen closed.
l'm a greaL cop. l was on Lrack Lo blow pasL lleuLenanL and make capLaln. l was golng Lo be runnlng
Lhe preclncL. And, as a cop, one Lhlng l undersLand ls moLlve. And when l look for your moLlve ln leaklng
LhaL arLlcle? . . . l geL noLhlng. lL makes no loglcal sense. Why would you glve your noLes on a sLory LhaL's
your excluslve Lo somebody else? lor sex? lease. l can Lell, 1am's way Loo needy Lo be good ln bed." Pe
sLarLed Lo speak and she sald, ShuL up. WlLh no moLlve, l [usL don'L know why Lhe hell you would have
done LhaL. So l'm maklng Lhe cholce Lo belleve you.
l noL only wanL Lo, l have Lo. 8ecause whaLever's happenlng on Lhls case, lL's klcked up Lo a new
level and Lhere's nobody l can LrusL excepL for you.
LveryLhlng's cavlng ln. l'm locked ouL and Lhe murder lnvesLlgaLlon l have been movlng heaven and
earLh Lo conducL ls now ln Lhe uumpsLer because Lhe bumbllng pencll [ockey Lhey replaced CapLaln
MonLrose wlLh ls baslcally lnspecLor Clouseau. Say noLhlng.
now . . . as l lay Lhere mlnuLes ago ln Lhe souLhbound lane of Columbus, mowed down by a wrong-
way and raLher unapologeLlc dellvery blcycllsL, shlverlng, bleedlng, and Laklng sLock of Lhe new low my
llfe had achleved, l LhoughL, nlkkl PeaL, are you [usL golng Lo lle Lhere? And, LempLlng as lL may be Lo
whlle away my forced hlaLus aL SLarbucks playlng Angry 8lrds, walLlng for 1 Lo call and say sorry, LhaL
ls noL an opLlon. l am Loo sLubborn and Loo personally lnvesLed Lo leL Lhls case dle. 8uL-mlnor
LechnlcallLy-l am no longer an acLlve member of Lhe n?u. no gun, no badge, no access Lo records, no
squad. Ch, and people are Lrylng Lo klll me. So whaL do l need? l need help. 1o press Lhls lnvesLlgaLlon
forward l need a parLner. l need someone wlLh experlence, wlLh balls, someone wlLh Lop lnvesLlgaLlve
skllls who knows how Lo sLay ouL of my way and lsn'L afrald Lo puL ln some slck hours. Whlch ls why l am
here ln your klLchen bleedlng on your cusLom slaLe floorlng. Ck, you can Lalk now. WhaL do you say?"
8ook dldn'L reply. lnsLead, he Lurned her genLly Lo look over Lhe klLchen counLer lnLo hls greaL room.
And she beheld Lhe Murder 8oard 8ook had reconsLrucLed ln hls lofL. noL everyLhlng was Lhere-for
lnsLance, no phoLographs-buL Lhe maln elemenLs were ln place: Lhe Llmellne, Lhe names of vlcLlms and
suspecLs, leads Lo Lrack down. lL needed a blg updaLe, buL Lhe foundaLlon was all rlghL Lhere.
PeaL Lurned back Lo 8ook and sald, Well? Are you lnLeresLed or noL?"
1WLLvL
Whlle she saL aLop Lhe closed LolleL lld ln 8ook's masLer baLhroom, he benL over her, carefully drawlng aslde
sLrands of halr Lo examlne Lhe cuL. nlkkl sLared aL her blood-caked face ln Lhe mlrror and sald, 1hls looks a
loL worse Lhan lL ls."
Ch, lf l only had a nlckel for every Llme l sald LhaL ln my llfe."
1o whom, 8ook? unsuspecLlng glrlfrlends caLchlng you wlLh someone ln a bar?"
?ou sully me wlLh your Lawdry assumpLlons." 1hen he added, usually, lL was Lhe bedroom." Pe
Lurned Lo Lhe mlrror so nlkkl could see hls proud grln. Cnce ln an armolre. Cod, l mlss hlgh school." Pe
moved Lo Lhe counLer and plcked up Lhe dlsh of warm, soapy waLer he had prepared.
WhaL do you Lhlnk, uocLor? SLlLch, or no sLlLch?"
8ook dlpped a coLLon ball ln Lhe soluLlon and genLly dabbed her scalp. lorLunaLely, Lhls ls ln Lhe
abraslon raLher Lhan laceraLlon caLegory, so no sLlLch. AlLhough, when was your lasL LeLanus shoL?"
8ecenLly," she sald. 8lghL afLer LhaL serlal klller worked on me wlLh hls denLal plcks ouL Lhere ln
your dlnlng room."
We do have Lhe memorles, don'L we, nlkkl?"
1wenLy mlnuLes laLer, showered and dressed ln a fresh blouse and palr of [eans LhaL had been
hanglng ln hls closeL, PeaL appeared aL Lhe klLchen counLer. 1ransformaLlon, compleLe," she sald.
Pe slld a double espresso over Lo her. ?ou weren'L klddlng. When you geL knocked down, you do
geL up agaln."
!usL waLch."
Can l Lell you you're off Lo a good sLarL?" nlkkl called ouL whlle she gave hls Murder 8oard a once-over.
8ook emerged from Lhe back hall of hls lofL carrylng a plasLlc mllk craLe of offlce supplles and an
alumlnum Lube easel Lo hold Lhe glanL presenLaLlon pad LhaL was slLLlng ln Lhe guesL chalr, walLlng Lo be
lnvlLed Lo [oln Lhe parLy. MosL of whaL we need Lo focus on ls rlghL here."
Cood noLes, Lhe wrlLer's frlend," he sald. l'm sure lL's noL as dense wlLh posslblllLy as a nlkkl PeaL
Murder 8oard. lL's llke Lhe branch offlce verslon. l call lL Murder 8oard SouLh."
lL's more Lhan exlsLs upLown rlghL now." She Lold hlm abouL CapLaln lrons and how hls lnepLness
had accompllshed more Lhan all Lhe obsLacles MonLrose had Lhrown aL her, effecLlvely brlnglng Lhe
lnvesLlgaLlon lnLo Lhe prlesL's homlclde Lo a whlmperlng halL. So, baslcally, we are Lhe Craf case rlghL
now."
LeL's make lL counL," sald 8ook.
1hey spenL Lhe nexL hour updaLlng hls old lnformaLlon wlLh her new leads and persons of lnLeresL.
Pe kepL Lrack of Lhe board, parLlLlonlng secLlons for each ma[or Lhread Lo lnvesLlgaLe as well as
resLrucLurlng Lhe Llmellne Lo add recenLly dlscovered elemenLs, she creaLed lndex cards on Lhe blg four-
by-slxes from 8ook's craLe of supplles, expandlng sLaLus deLalls and llsLlng unresolved quesLlons, all
correspondlng Lo Lhe caLegorles he had drawn on Lhe whlLeboard. WhaLever nolse had ralned chaos
down on Lhelr relaLlonshlp fell away ln Lhelr focus on Lhe Lask aL hand. lrom Lhe sLarL, and wlLhouL much
ceremony, Lhe Lwo fell lnLo an easy and efflclenL rouLlne. AL lasL, when Lhe board was currenL and Lhe
cards were coded and flled, Lhey sLood back Lo admlre Lhelr progress.
PeaL sald, We're noL a bad Leam."
1he besL," agreed 8ook. We flnlsh each oLher's references."
uon'L geL cocky, wrlLer boy, now comes Lhe hard parL. 1here's no way wlLh our llmlLed resources
and manpower Lo lnvesLlgaLe every lead and every person we're looklng aL up Lhere."
no problem," sald 8ook, leL's [usL plck one and go arresL hlm. 1haL narrows Lhe fleld. Cr, even
beLLer, use Lhe Cadhafl meLhod and arresL everyone."
?ou're brlnglng up a polnL we-meanlng you-need Lo remember. l can'L arresL anyone.
8emember? no badge, no gun?"
Pe processed LhaL and sald, We don'L need no sLlnklng badges. And as for a gun, whaL's a rovlng
band of klllers Lo you, as long as Lhere's an lclcle handy?"
nlkkl held a pencll ouL Lo hlm, polnL flrsL. ?ou'd be wlse Lo remember LhaL."
noLed."
Clven we're only a Lwo-horse carousel, we need Lo draw prlorlLles." She seL Lhe presenLaLlon pad
on Lhe easel and Lore off Lhe cover, exposlng a fresh page. Pere are Lhe prlme LargeLs as l see Lhem."
PeaL uncapped a marker and prlnLed her A-llsL, glvlng 8ook a raLlonale for each cholce: Serglo 1orres . .
. lf he wasn'L Craf's murderer, he's llnked Lo Lhe klller ln some way-and hls skllls are Loo good for hls
rap sheeL, Lawrence Pays . . . noL only has Lhe means and moLlve, he LhreaLened laLher Craf. And whaL
were you so exclLed Lo Lell me abouL Lancer SLandard rlghL before l Lore your head off lasL nlghL?"
l remembered hearlng someLhlng nasLy abouL Pays's group, so yesLerday l reached ouL Lo a source
of mlne aL 1he Pague from a plece l dld on Slobodan Mllocevlc's, alr-quoLes, hearL aLLack rlghL before hls
verdlcL. Score. Check lL ouL." Pe polnLed Lo hls lapLop screen and quoLed, 'An lnLernaLlonal human
rlghLs waLchdog group flled sulL Lo have Lancer SLandard broughL Lo Lhe World CourL on charges of
abuses by lLs conLracLors ln lraq and AfghanlsLan lnvolvlng sex shamlng, waLerboardlng, and . . . ,' walL
for lL: 'LorLure Lhrough use of LranscuLaneous elecLrlcal nerve sLlmulaLlon, or 1LnS.' " Pe looked up aL
her and sald, And where have we heard of LhaL before, boys and glrls?"
nlce one," she sald. ueflnlLely has my lnLeresL." PeaL conLlnued wlLh her A-llsL. PorsL Meuller . . .
Cur Cerman male dancer LhreaLened Craf, and he Look a bulleL for some reason. Lven lf lL was lnLended
for me, l wanL Lo know why he ran, Ale[andro MarLlnez . . . 1haL was hls dlrLy druggy money sLashed aL
Lhe recLory, l wanL Lo know why, Iostlclo o CotJo . . . mlllLanL wlLh a vlolenL revoluLlonary pedlgree and,
don'L forgeL, laLher Craf was lasL seen wlLh Lhem. Lmma . . . l don'L know who Lmma ls-never goL a
chance Lo flnd ouL-buL Craf had a purged e-mall flle wlLh her name on lL. Lmma makes my llsL. 1aLLoo
Man . . . A !ohn uoe seen on securlLy cam wlLh one of Lhe domme's roommaLes. A loose end l can'L leL
go of. CapLaln MonLrose . . . Ck, Lwo ways Lo look aL hlm. llrsL, hls susplclous behavlor before he dled
llnks Lo Craf. WhaL was he up Lo and why? Second, hls so-called sulclde. l don'L buy lL." She capped Lhe
marker and sLepped back from Lhe easel.
1haL's narrowlng lL down?" sald 8ook.
Pey, you don'L know Lhe sLuff l've lefL off. lor lnsLance, besldes Lhe physlcal evldence lorenslcs ls
runnlng, l am very curlous abouL Lwo odd socks from Lhe recLory: Lhe prescrlpLlon ln Craf's medlclne
cablneL, and whaL's Lhe slgnlflcance of LhaL mlsslng SL. ChrlsLopher medal?" She wroLe 8x" and SL.
ChrlsLopher" on Lhe board, Lhen nlkkl Lapped her Lemple wlLh Lhe cap of Lhe marker.
Well, Lhls ls plenLy Lo geL sLarLed on," sald 8ook. nlce [ob, you."
?ou, Loo." And Lhen she couldn'L reslsL Losslng a llLLle barb. 8y Lhe way, 8ook, l'm noL golng Lo be
seelng any of Lhls ln Lhe newspaper, am l?"
Pey . . ."
Come on, llghLen up, l'm klddlng." Pe looked aL her askance. . . . Well," she admlLLed, half
klddlng." 8ook consldered a momenL and grabbed her coaL off Lhe bar sLool. ?ou're Lhrowlng me ouL?"
8uL Lhen he grabbed hls, Loo. no, we're boLh golng ouL."
Where?" she asked.
1o flx Lhe half LhaL lsn'L klddlng."
8ldlng up ln Lhe elevaLor aL Lhe MldLown offlces of Lhe Ledqer, neat lnslsLed Lhe Lrlp was noL
necessary. 1ake a [oke and leL lL go. l Lold you l LrusLed you."
Sorry. l can Lell you sLlll haven'L made peace wlLh bellevlng me. l wanL boLh. 1rusL and bellef. And
peace."
nlkkl shook her head. ullLzer, huh? lor wrlLlng?"
1he elevaLor leL Lhem ouL aL Lhe slxLh-floor home of Lhe MeLro SecLlon, a fluorescenL-brlghL, open-
plan sea of cublcles fllled wlLh men and women keyboardlng aL compuLers or Lalklng lnLo phone
headseLs, or boLh. LxcepL for Lhe facL LhaL Lhe space was abouL half a clLy block ln slze, Lhe dln of acLlvlLy
remlnded nlkkl of Lhe bull pen aL Lhe 1wo-oh.
1am Sve[da gophered up aL Lhe far end of Lhe room and waved boLh arms over her head as soon as
she saw Lhem. When Lhey arrlved aL her corner cublcle, she yanked off her headseL, sang ouL a Pl-ee,"
and Lhrew a blg hug on 8ook. nlkkl boLh en[oyed and dld noL en[oy waLchlng Lhe 8ounclng Czech klck
her rlghL heel up behlnd her durlng Lhe embrace llke sLarleLs do when Lhey greeL Lhe hosLs on laLe nlghL
Lalk shows. PeaL was relleved Lo geL a slmple handshake, however dlsLracLlng lL was Lo have 1am beam
aL 8ook durlng lL.
l goL so exclLed when you sald Lhe boLh of you were comlng up. WhaL's Lhls abouL? lease Lell me
you have some more lnslde sLuff."
AcLually, we're here abouL Lhe oLher lnslde sLuff," sald 8ook. nlkkl . . . ueLecLlve PeaL says you Lold
her you goL lL from me."
1haL's rlghL," 1am sald.
nlkkl arched a brow aL hlm Lhen Lurned away Lo survey Lhe busy newsroom as 8ook squlrmed.
Well, LhaL's a blL hard Lo lmaglne," he sald. Slnce we never spoke abouL any of Lhls. ln facL, when you
asked me Lhe oLher day on Lhe phone, dldn'L l speclflcally say l couldn'L glve you any help?"
1haL's Lrue . . . ," sald Lhe reporLer. 1haL broughL PeaL's aLLenLlon back Lo Lhe cublcle.
8ook sald, 1hen how could you say lL was me?"
l," muLLered PeaL under her breaLh Lo Lhe wrlLer.
Slmple." 1am saL and swlveled Lo her compuLer. AfLer a few keysLrokes her prlnLer sLarLed splLLlng
ouL pages. She handed Lhe flrsL one Lo 8ook. See? 1hls ls Lhe e-mall you senL me."
PeaL moved close Lo hlm and Lhey read lL aL Lhe same Llme. lL was an e-mall addressed from 8ook Lo
1am. 1he sub[ecL llne read, 1he 1wo-oh, lnslde." WhaL followed was a slngle spaced, full page of noLes
deLalllng facLs abouL Lhe Lroubled Craf case as well as Lhe conLroverslal problems surroundlng CapLaln
MonLrose. 1he nexL Lhree pages flnlshed prlnLlng and she handed Lhem over Lo 8ook, Loo. Pe [usL
sklmmed, buL Lhe lasL paragraphs were all abouL Lhe confllcL surroundlng MonLrose's funeral. 8ook
lowered Lhe pages and felL nlkkl's sLare. Pe sald, 1hls looks a loL worse Lhan lL ls."
Wanna beL?" sald PeaL.
Magoo was walLlng for Lhem ln Lhe vesLlbule of Lhe lofL when Lhey goL back Lo 1rlbeca. lf 8ook's
compuLer guru wasn'L college age, he was close Lo lL, pear-shaped, abouL flve-Lwo, and had one of Lhose
sparse, curly beards, wlLh only a promlse of a musLache, LhaL made nlkkl wonder, why boLher? Pls pale,
earnesL face was domlnaLed by black-framed glasses wlLh lenses as Lhlck as Lhey come, ellmlnaLlng any
doubL how uon 8everL goL Lhe nlckname MlsLer Magoo. 1he quesLlon, whlch would remaln unasked,
was why he kepL lL.
?ou dldn'L wasLe any Llme geLLlng here," 8ook sald as hls consulLanL snapped open a hard-shell
rolllng equlpmenL case and began Lo seL up shop on Lhe deskLop ln Lhe offlce.
?ou shlne Lhe 8aL Slgnal ln Lhe sky, l musL answer." Magoo pulled ouL cables and dlagnosLlc
equlpmenL-small black boxes wlLh meLers-and seL Lhem beslde 8ook's lapLop. uurlng hls seLup, he
looked up from Llme Lo Llme aL PeaL, LreaLlng her Lo gllmpses of eyes made glanL by hls Lhlck glasses.
1haL's a nlce case," she sald, noL knowlng whaL else Lo offer.
Ch, yeah. lL's Lhe ellcan roLecLor. Cf course, l goL lL wlLh Lhe foam lld llner and padded dlvlders.
As you can see, l can preLLy much use Lhe velcro Labs Lo cusLom conflgure lL for any load." nlkkl was
preLLy cerLaln LhaL had [usL consLlLuLed foreplay.
8ook explalned Lo hls personal nerd Lhe e-mall 1am Sve[da recelved and Lhen showed hlm Lhe hard
copy. 1he Lhlng ls, l never senL lL." Pe sald Lhls as much for Magoo's lnformaLlon as for relLeraLlon Lo
PeaL.
?essss," sald Magoo. Come check Lhls ouL."
Pe and nlkkl boLh came around Lo flank hlm, buL 8ook's lapLop screen was fllled wlLh an
lnLlmldaLlng sLrlng of code and commands LhaL made no sense Lo elLher of Lhem. ?ou're golng Lo have
resorL Lo plaln Lngllsh, my man," sald 8ook.
All rlghL, how abouL, 'uude, you've been owned.' ls LhaL vanllla enough?"
CeLLlng warmer."
Ck, layman's Lerms. ?ou know Lhose ads on 1v and radlo for Lhe servlces LhaL allow you Lo
subscrlbe Lo 8uA? 8emoLe deskLop access?"
Sure," sald nlkkl, you pay a fee and Lhey seL you up Lo be able Lo access your work compuLer from
anywhere. Lspeclally geared for Lravellng buslnesspeople. ?ou go onllne from a lapLop ln your room aL
Lhe Cedar 8aplds Pollday lnn and you can do work and Lransfer flles on your offlce compuLer ln new
?ork or LA. . . . 1haL lL?"
AbsoluLely. lL's baslcally an access accounL LhaL leLs you make any remoLe compuLer you deslgnaLe
do whaL your oLher compuLer Lells lL." Pe Lurned from PeaL Lo 8ook. Somebody broke lnLo your lapLop
and lnsLalled Lhelr own 8uA accounL."
l've been hacked?" 8ook sLralghLened up from hunchlng over Lhe desk and beamed aL nlkkl. 1hls
ls wonderful! . . . l mean, noL so good for Lhe compuLer buL . . . Ch, man, excellenL news. 8uL also bad.
lL's compllcaLed. l'll shuL up."
PeaL was focused on oLher ramlflcaLlons. Can you Lell who lnsLalled Lhls 8uA?"
no, lL's heavlly encrypLed. Whoever hld Lhls on Lhe hard drlve really has skllls."
8ook was ouL of Lhe counLry recenLly, could lL have happened Lhen?"
Magoo shook hls head. 1hls was lnsLalled Lhe oLher day. Anybody been ln your lofL? Maybe you lefL
your lapLop somewhere unaLLended?"
Mm, no. l've had lL wlLh me aL all Llmes. Worklng aL her place." 1he same LhoughL came Lo PeaL,
buL 8ook volced lL. 1he waLer on Lhe baLhroom wlndowslll. Whoever lL was dldn'L break ln Lo sLeal
someLhlng. 1hey broke ln Lo probe me. Well, my compuLer. l feel so . . . vlolaLed."
LlsLen," sald Magoo, l could Lry Lo break lnLo lL and see who lL was. ln facL, l'd love Lhe challenge.
8uL you have Lo know someLhlng. lf l crack lL, l may seL off an alerL Lo Lell whoever lL ls LhaL Lhey've been
busLed. ?ou wanL me Lo do LhaL?"
no," sald nlkkl. 1hen she Lurned Lo 8ook. CeL yourself anoLher compuLer."
Magoo lefL wlLh a check LhaL lncluded a fee for hls servlces plus Lhe cosL of a new, clean lapLop he
promlsed Lo reLurn wlLh lnslde Lhe hour. As soon as Lhe door closed, nlkkl sald, l am so sorry l doubLed
you."
8ook made a small shrug. l don'L see lL so much as doubLlng me. l Lhlnk lL was more llke pourlng
sulfurlc acld on my characLer and vlrLually shreddlng me as a human belng."
She smlled. So we're good now?"
Way good." 1hen he sald, uamn. l am so easy."
She moved close and puL her arms around hlm, presslng her groln agalnsL hls. Pey? l'll make lL up
Lo you."
CounL on lL."
LaLer."
1ease."
1o work."
1oo bad."
PeaL began wlLh her rlorlLy LlsL on Lhe presenLaLlon pad. llrsL ln order was Serglo 1orres. She mlghL noL
have had Lhe asseLs of Lhe n?u aL her dlsposal, buL she dld have resources aL Lhe l8l. A few monLhs
before, whlle Lracklng down Lhe serlal klller from 1exas who ducL Laped her Lo a chalr ln LhaL very room,
nlkkl had conLacLed Lhe 8ureau's naLlonal CenLer for Lhe Analysls of vlolenL Crlme aL CuanLlco, vlrglnla.
uurlng Lhe process of lnvesLlgaLlng LhaL case, she had forged a frlendshlp wlLh one of Lhe nCAvC
analysLs. PeaL goL on Lhe phone Lo her.
1he beauLy of a professlonal relaLlonshlp ln law enforcemenL ls LhaL llLLle needs Lo be sald Lo
conducL buslness. nlkkl supposed lL was Lhe resldue of Lhe code, aLLrlbuLed Lo !ohn Wayne, of never
complaln, never explaln." PeaL sald she was worklng a case on her own and wanLed Lo run a name
wlLhouL golng Lhrough n?u. Mlnd lf l ask your lnLeresL ln Lhe sub[ecL?" asked her analysL frlend.
Pe Lrled Lo klll me and l Look hlm ouL."
Clve me everyLhlng you've goL, nlkkl," she sald wlLhouL pause. We'll run Lhls SC8 so you even
know hls favorlLe lce cream flavor."
PeaL foughL off an unexpecLed well of emoLlon aL Lhe gesLure and wlLh copllke undersLaLemenL
Lhanked Lhe analysL and sald she'd be lnLeresLed ln whaLever she learned.
8ldlng a sense of goodwlll from Lhe klndness of oLhers, nlkkl opened her cell phone Lo 8ecenLs and
scrolled Lo hyllls ?arborough's number from Lhe call she had made LhaL mornlng. l'm Laklng you up on
your offer. l need a favor."
name lL."
1haL guy who Lrled Lo klll me ln CenLral ark Lhe oLher day. Pls rap sheeL undervalues hls sklll seL. lf
lL's noL eLhlcally compromlslng Lo you glven my [ob sLaLus, l was wonderlng lf you could run hlm Lhrough
your 81CC daLabase and see lf anyLhlng pops."
As wlLh her l8l conLacL ln CuanLlco, hyllls ?arborough dld noL sklp a beaL. Clve me Lhe spelllng of
hls name," was her reply.
8ook was already up and runnlng on hls new Mac8ook Alr and [umped Lo hls feeL when she flnlshed her
calls and came lnLo hls offlce. l have run down a very lnLeresLlng plece of lnformaLlon on one of our
players," he sald.
uo Lell." nlkkl saL ln Lhe guesL chalr and leL herself melL lnLo Lhe sofL cushlons, feellng newly upbeaL
and admlLLlng Lo herself she was en[oylng Lhls new work arrangemenL wlLh 8ook.
l ran some Coogles and 8lngs on some of Lhe names we've goL on Murder 8oard SouLh. noL exacLly
hlllp Marlowe gumshoelng bad guys ln 1be 8lq 5leep, buL lL has lLs rewards. l can snack, for lnsLance.
Anyway, l had goLLen around Lo checklng ouL our human rlghLs acLlvlsLs aL Iostlclo o CotJo. Mllena Sllva,
as presenLed, ls an aLLorney. Powever, ascual Cuzman . . . know whaL he dld before he lefL Colombla?
A college professor aL unlversldad naclonal ln 8ogoL. And whaL dld he Leach?"
nlkkl Look a sLab. MarxlsL phllosophy?"
1ry compuLer sclence." 8ook saL back aL hls desk and referred Lo hls screen. 8uL rofessor Cuzman
lefL Lhe unlverslLy. Why? lL was ln proLesL because he clalmed Lhe compuLer programmlng he was dolng
ln hls deparLmenL was belng used by Lhe secreL pollce Lo spy on dlssldenLs." 8ook punched Lhe alr wlLh
hls flsL and sLood. 1haL's lL. 1hls ls Lhe guy who hacked my compuLer."
8uL why?"
Ck . . ." Pe came around Lhe desk, paclng. WanL Lo hear my Lheory? Cuzman . . . and a cadre of
radlcals he recrulLed here ln new ?ork embraced vlolence Loo much for Lhelr frlend and ally, laLher
Cerry Craf, who was flne wlLh Lhe proLesLs buL noL wlLh Lhe bloodleLLlng Lo come. 1hey flghL. Craf has Lo
go. 1hey klll Craf, done and done. 8uL no. Pere comes ueLecLlve nlkkl PeaL wlLh all her smarLs and
LenaclLy and Lhey say, PeaL has Lo go. 1hey Lry Lo bushwhack you ln Lhe park, Lhoroughly
underesLlmaLlng Lhe heaL LhaL ls PeaL. And when LhaL doesn'L work, Lhey Lry Lo Lake you ouL anoLher
way: hack me Lo geL you ln Lrouble wlLh Cne ollce laza and knocked off Lhe case. 8oom."
LeL's arresL Lhem rlghL now," sald nlkkl.
8ook's zeal deflaLed and he slumped down on Lhe edge of hls desk. When you say LhaL, lL's llke
you're saylng my Lheory ls crazy and unsubsLanLlaLed."
PeaL smlled. l know."
Well, come on, doesn'L lL make sense?"
arLs of lL do. Lspeclally Cuzman belng a compuLer guy. 8uL . . . ," she paused, slowlng down Lo
model behavlor for hlm, . . . buL lL's all based on con[ecLure. 8ook, have you ever LhoughL of wrlLlng
crlme flcLlon lnsLead?"
nah," he sald. l'm all abouL keeplng lL real."
1hey were plannlng Lhelr nexL moves when Lhe lmpacL of Lhe severe wlnLer cold charLed Lhelr lmmedlaLe
course. 1he 1v and radlo news was all over a ma[or breaklng sLory aL Lhe power planL on Lhe LasL Slde,
where one of Lhe glanL, nlneLy-flve-fooL-Lall bollers LhaL pumped Lhousand-degree sLeam Lhrough
underground plpes and heaLed Lower ManhaLLan had exploded. A mechanlc was ln[ured and expecLed
Lo survlve, buL Lhe consequence was LhaL Lhere was a sLeam shuLoff ln Lhe enLlre zone servlced by LhaL
planL. 1he specLacular 1v hellcopLer plcLures of Lhe crlppled planL wenL spllL screen as Lhe
anchor showed a map of Lhe affecLed area whlch would be wlLhouL sLeam for Lhe nexL Lwo or Lhree
days.
nlkkl sald, Look, my aparLmenL's rlghL ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe zone."
Man," sald 8ook. CoLLa feel sorry for Lhe bulldlngs LhaL don'L have Lhelr own bollers 'cause Lhe
landlords are Loo cheap Lo upgrade from dlsLrlcL sLeam, huh?" Pe chuckled and Lhen read from her
expresslon LhaL she was llvlng ln one of Lhem. ?ou're klddlng. Ch, l am lovlng Lhe lrony, nlkkl: no heaL.
And mlnus-degree LemperaLures LonlghL? LeL's go geL some of your cloLhes and lady-whaLevers and
brlng Lhem here."
?ou'll use anyLhlng Lo geL me Lo shack up here, won'L you?"
SLeam fallure, waLer hammer, acL of Cod, l am above noLhlng."
lL was already feellng cool ln Lhe lobby of nlkkl's aparLmenL bulldlng as Lhey came ln. 1he elevaLor doors
opened and several of her nelghbors goL off wlLh sulLcases and overnlghLers. Some sald Lhey were
bound for upper WesL Slde hoLels, oLhers were off Lo couch surf wlLh relaLlves ln WesLchesLer CounLy.
When PeaL and 8ook were abouL Lo geL on for Lhe rlde up, a hand parLed Lhe doors. lL was nlkkl's
bulldlng super, a cheerful ole named !erzy. Pello, Mlss nlkkl, and hello, you, slr."
Colng Lo geL cold LonlghL, !erzy," she sald.
Ch, very cold. 8e glad you noL have goldflsh," he sald. Mrs. naLhan, she have Lo move her goldflsh
Lo llushlng."
8ook sald, ls lL me or ls Lhere someLhlng sad abouL hearlng goldflsh and llushlng ln Lhe same
breaLh?" When !erzy [usL sLared aL hlm blankly, he sald, lL's probably a LranslaLlon Lhlng."
Anyway, Mlss nlkkl, l sLop Lo Lell you ls all Laken care of. l leL Lhe man from cable company ln Lo flx
cable 1v."
8y reflex, she almosL sald Lhank you, buL sLopped herself. nlkkl had noL booked any servlce call from
a cable 1v repalrman. ls he up Lhere now?"
1he super sald, l don'L know. Pe wenL up an hour ago."
PeaL sLepped off Lhe elevaLor back lnLo Lhe lobby and 8ook followed. LeL's Lake Lhe sLalrs, shall
we?" As she led hlm on Lhelr cllmb Lo her floor, nlkkl opened her coaL and reached once agaln for Lhe
gun LhaL wasn'L Lhere.
1Pl81LLn
PeaL and 8ook reached Lhe landlng aL her floor and sLopped Lo scope ouL Lhe hallway, whlch was quleL. 8ook
whlspered, Shouldn'L we call Lhe pollce?" nlkkl LhoughL lL over and knew deep down she should. 8uL Lhere
was also a prlde Lhlng LhaL kepL her, an experlenced cop, from pulllng resources from acLual crlme responses
ln Lhe mlddle of a clLy emergency for a susplclon LhaL could be noLhlng.
l am Lhe pollce," she whlspered back. klnd of." SorLlng Lhrough her door keys, she sllpped Lhe one
for her deadbolL off Lhe spllL rlng. 1haL way, she could boLh avold [angle aL Lhe door and be able Lo lnserL
a key slmulLaneously ln each of her locks Lo make her enLry qulck and surprlslng.
1readlng llghLly up Lhe hallway, sLaylng close Lo Lhe wall Lhe whole way, Lhey reached her door and
sLopped. nlkkl hand slgnaled for 8ook Lo sLay where he was, Lhen made a fluld dancer's move, crouchlng
low under Lhe survelllance hole, Lo Lhe opposlLe slde of Lhe door and landed wlLhouL a sound. She
sLayed low and llsLened aL Lhe [amb, Lhen gave hlm a head shake. 8lslng up sllghLly and balanclng on Lhe
balls of her feeL so her leg muscles were colled, PeaL readled each key aL Lhe openlng of lLs lock. She
mouLhed a sllenL Lhree counL, noddlng her head Lo mark cadence for hlm, Lhen ran Lhe keys home,
LwlsLed Lhe locks open, and Lhrew herself low lnLo her aparLmenL calllng ouL, n?u, don'L move!"
8ook flew ln rlghL behlnd her, followlng Lhe procedures he had observed back on hls rlde- along-
keeplng close buL noL ln a llne LhaL made for an easy LargeL, Lhen fannlng hlmself Lo Lhe slde so he
could be her eyes Lhere and proLecL her flank from a surprlse.
1here was no one ln Lhe foyer, Lhe dlnlng room, or Lhe llvlng room. As 8ook followed her pasL Lhe
klLchen and down Lhe hall Lo clear Lhe Lwo bedrooms, baLhs, and closeLs, he noLlced LhaL somewhere
along Lhe way she had grabbed her backup Slg Sauer. AfLer Lhey cleared Lhe aparLmenL, she reLurned
Lhe Slg Lo lLs hldlng place ln Lhe cubby on Lhe llvlng room desk and sald, Pey, nlce enLry."
1hanks." And Lhen he gave her an lmplsh grln. lf you llke, l can demonsLraLe a few varlaLlons."
She rolled her eyes. Ch yes, Leach me, 8ook. 1each me all Lhe ways."
!ameson 8ook was mlghLy pleased wlLh hlmself abouL hls Lrlp Lo Lhe spy sLore when Lhe wlreless
monlLor came ouL of Lhe panLry and he played back Lhe vldeo from hls nannyCam. Pe scrolled backward
Lhrough Lhe ghosLy lmages, noL havlng Lo go far, [usL abouL an hour, unLll he came Lo movemenL. A man
ln a cable company logo cap enLered wlLh a large Loolbox, Lhen lefL Lhe frame as he roamed off lnLo Lhe
hallway. CreaL coverage," sald nlkkl. ?ou could work for C-SAn."
8uL a momenL laLer Lhe man reLurned and moved Lo Lhe llvlng room, where he knelL and opened hls
Loolbox ln fronL of Lhe 1v. Look aL LhaL," sald 8ook. uead cenLer ln Lhe frame. l'm beLLer Lhan C-SAn.
l could work for C-SAn2."
1hey zapped Lhrough Lhe nexL flfLeen mlnuLes as Lhe vlslLor worked aL Lhe cable box. When he was
done, he fasLened Lhe snaps on hls Loolbox and lefL Lhe aparLmenL ln Lhe quadruple speed of vldeo Llme-
lapse. 8ook hlL sLop and wandered from Lhe counLer over Lo Lhe llvlng room. WhaL do you know. lL's
llke lreud sald. SomeLlmes a cable guy ls [usL a cable guy." Pe plcked up Lhe remoLe and sald, unless
lL's !lm Carrey, and Lhen-"
nlkkl Lhrew a Lackle on 8ook, on Lhe way down runnlng her hand up hls arm and sLrlpplng Lhe
remoLe from hls grasp. When Lhey boLh hlL Lhe floor, he sald, WhaL Lhe hell was LhaL for?"
nlkkl walked back Lo Lhe counLer, cradllng Lhe remoLe, and sald, 1hls."
8ook plcked hlmself up and [olned her as she rolled back Lhe nannyCam vldeo and froze lL on Lhe
face of Lhe cable guy as he passed under Lhe camera on hls exlL. 1he freeze was of Lhe man PeaL and her
squad had been Lrylng Lo lu and locaLe from Lhe leasure 8ound securlLy vldeo.
1he man wlLh Lhe colled snake LaLLoo.
An hour laLer, afLer Lhe bomb squad had cleared her bulldlng and Lhose ln Lhe surroundlng area, a hero
ln an elghLy-pound blasL sulL emerged wlLh Lhe cable box and placed lL ln Lhe Moblle ConLalnmenL unlL
on Lhe Lraller ln Lhe cenLer of Lhe sLreeL. When he was clear of Lhe openlng, hls sergeanL pressed a
remoLe conLrol buLLon and Lhe hydraullc acLuaLor whlrred, genLly closlng Lhe armor-plaLed haLch and
seallng Lhe cable box lnslde.
PeaL made her way Lo Lhe cop who was belng helped ouL of hls proLecLlve sulL by a deLall from
Lmergency Servlces. As soon as he had hls rlghL hand free of hls heavy glove, she shook lL and Lhanked
hlm. ln splLe of hls nonchalanL Pey, you're welcome," hls halr was sweaL-maLLed Lo hls forehead. 1he
look ln hls eyes was enough Lo Lell her LhaL handllng Lhe real deal was never Laken casually by Lhose
guys, no maLLer how much Lhey brushed lL off. As he descrlbed Lhe bomb Lo her, 8ook [olned Lhe clrcle,
as dld 8aley and Cchoa, who had heard Lhe call go ouL and dropped everyLhlng Lo geL down Lhere.
AfLer hls k-9 had snlffed Lhe aparLmenL and conflrmed Lhe cable box as a hlL, he dld hls x-ray. 1he
Lrlgger devlce was a slmple mercury swlLch polsed Lo be deLonaLed by baLLery when someone pressed
Lhe power buLLon of Lhe 1v remoLe conLrol. WhaL klnd of exploslve?" asked nlkkl.
LvaporaLlon sample of Lhe LagganL was poslLlve for C4."
Cchoa whlsLled. lasLlc exploslve."
?eah, lL mosL deflnlLely would have spolled somebody's nlghL," sald Lhe man from Lhe bomb squad
as he Look a long drlnk of waLer from a boLLle. 1hey'll lab lL, buL, by my calc, lL's golng Lo LesL ouL as
mlllLary grade. noL so easy Lo come by."
8ook Lurned Lo PeaL. noL from whaL l've learned over Lhe lasL monLh. Lspeclally lf you have
connecLlons Lo Lhe mlllLary-however unofflclal."
CemenLlng hls sLaLus as klng of All Survelllance Medla, ueLecLlve 8aley Look Lhe nannyCam drlve so he
could pull Lhe sLlll frame of Lhe cable guy and clrculaLe lL. 8efore Lhey lefL, PeaL cauLloned hlm and
Cchoa noL Lo geL Lhemselves ln Lrouble wlLh CapLaln lrons. 1he Lwo parLners shared a look and scoffed.
8ales sald, Pm, leL's see . . . lron Man or ueLecLlve PeaL . . . lron Man or ueLecLlve PeaL . . ."
!usL be careful," she sald.
?ou, Loo," sald Cchoa. ?ou're Lhe one worklng wlLh 8ook."
lL was afLer hours, and PeaL flgured Lancer SLandard would be closed for Lhe nlghL, so she looked up
Lawrence Pays's home address from Lhe lnformaLlon Mrs. 8orelll had glven her ouL of Lhe parlsh rosLer.
?ou really Lhlnk you're golng Lo geL anyLhlng ouL of hlm?" sald 8ook afLer she gave Lhelr Laxl drlver Lhe
sLreeL number on WesL Lnd Avenue.
lf you mean a sLralghL answer Lo any of my quesLlons, no. 8uL l wanL Lo [am Lhls guy. keep Lhe
pressure on hlm. An over-Lhe-Lop ego llke hls, you never know whaL'll shake ouL."
PeaL had [usL flnlshed presslng Lhe lnLercom aL Lhe Lop of Lhe sLone sLeps of Lhe Lown house near
78Lh when Lhe volce behlnd Lhem sald, Pelp you?" lL was Lawrence Pays. Pe wasn'L wearlng a coaL, so
she flgured he musL have seen Lhem approach on hls securlLy cams and come ouL a slde door Lo surprlse
Lhem. l have an offlce, you know, you don'L need Lo harass me aL my home."
Cood evenlng Lo you, Loo, Mr. Pays. 1hls ls !ameson 8ook."
?eah, l know, Lhe wrlLer. uocLor says l have an allergy Lo Lhe press, so you'll pardon me lf l don'L
shake hands."
And l have one Lo blood, so lL all works ouL," sald 8ook.
8efore Lhe macho sldeshow escalaLed, nlkkl LhrusL ouL Lhe survelllance sLlll she had of Lhe cable guy
from leasure 8ound. Pave you ever seen Lhls man?"
1hls agaln?" sald Pays. Pe angled Lhe phoLo Lo Lhe llghL, gave lL a qulck eyeball, and handed lL back.
nope. WhaL's he? Some CralgsllsL sLud who sLuck you wlLh Lhe moLel blll, Mlss PeaL?"
She lgnored Lhe dlsLracLlon. Pe Lrled Lo blow up my aparLmenL."
And a new Pu flaL screen," added 8ook. uslng mlllLary grade C4. Mean anyLhlng Lo you?"
Pays smlled mlrLhlessly aL nlkkl. 1ell you someLhlng you don'L seem Lo geL. lf l wanLed Lo blow you
up, you wouldn'L be sLandlng here. 8lghL now Lhere'd be pleces of you comlng back down on Cramercy
ark llke confeLLl."
PeaL sald, So you're saylng you do know where l llve, LhaL's lnLeresLlng."
1ell you whaL l don'L know. ls why you're on a holy crusade for some prlesL who noL only proLecLed
LhaL scumbag who messed wlLh my kld-my kld!-buL who was also aldlng and abeLLlng homegrown
LerrorlsLs."
Why," sald 8ook, [usL because he was a soclal acLlvlsL?"
Wake up. Craf was neck-deep wlLh Lhose Colomblan tevolotloootlos."
nlkkl kepL hlm golng so he wouldn'L lose hls sLeam. Iostlclo o CotJo? Clmme a break, Lhey're no
LerrorlsLs."
no? Pave you seen Lhem ln acLlon? Pow many of your men have Lhese cowards kllled and blown
up? use your head. lf Lhey'll aLLack Lhelr own governmenL prlsons [usL Lo break ouL Lhelr bralnwashlng
soclallsL wrlLers, how long do you Lhlnk lL ls before LhaL glg geLs lmporLed here?"
Mr. Pays," sald PeaL, are you saylng some of your conLracLors were kllled ln Colombla by
members of Lhe organlzaLlon laLher Craf supporLed?"
l'm noL saylng anyLhlng." 1oo laLe. Pe reallzed he had sllpped and volced an addlLlonal moLlve for
Craf's murder and sLarLed walklng lL back. lor reasons of naLlonal securlLy, l cannoL conflrm or deny
Lhe acLlons of my governmenL consulLlng flrm."
l Lhlnk you [usL dld," sald nlkkl.
know whaL l Lhlnk? l Lhlnk you'd beLLer geL losL. 8ecause someLhlng else l know abouL you, nlkkl
PeaL, besldes your address. ?ou're noL even a cop anymore. 1haL's rlghL." Pe sLarLed Lo chuckle, and
sald, So geL off my properLy. 8efore l call Lhe pollce-Lhe real pollce!"
1hey could sLlll hear hlm laughlng when he Lurned and sllpped off lnLo Lhe nlghL.
PeaL woke up Lhe nexL mornlng wlLh 8ook's face ln hers. kneellng be slde Lhe bed ln hls 1-shlrL and
boxer brlefs, all he needed was a leash ln hls LeeLh Lo look llke a reLrlever walLlng for hls Lrlp Lo Lhe park.
WhaL Llme ls lL?"
AlmosL seven."
She saL up. l slepL LhaL laLe?"
l've been up for Lwo hours," he sald. honlng some of Lhe noble characLers l consorLed wlLh on my
[ourney Lhrough Lhe shadowy world of arms Lrafflcklng."
Why?"
lL sLruck me ln our afLerglow lasL nlghL. Ch, yes, lL was an afLerglow. . . . l goL Lhlnklng abouL mlllLary
grade C4. And Lhen l sLarLed Lhlnklng, l beL l already know people-ouLslde Lhe mlllLary, l mean-who
mlghL supply lL."
1he sleep was slowly llfLlng from her. ?ou mean Lo Lancer SLandard?"
no, Pays would have hls own source and wouldn'L need Lo go black markeL. l lnqulred abouL
anoLher organlzaLlon we posLed on Murder 8oard SouLh."
Iostlclo o CotJo."
CorrecL. And whaL l [usL learned from a guy we shall call only 1-8ex-halllng from Lhe smuggler's
porL of cholce, 8uenavenLura-ls LhaL a shlpmenL of an unspeclfled naLure lefL Colombla and was
dellvered Lhree weeks ago, off Lhe books, ln erLh Amboy, new !ersey, Lo one ascual Cuzman." Pe held
up hls hand. Come on, up Lop for Lhe 8ooksLer."
lnsLead of flvlng hlm, nlkkl saL cross-legged and frlsked Lhe flngers of boLh hands Lhrough her halr Lo
wake up. uld Lhls 1-8ex say lL was C4?"
Mm, no. 1's exacL words were, some klnd of shlpmenL, he dldn'L know whaL."
1hen we don'L know squaL. unless we conflrm lL was C4."
Shouldn'L we aL leasL Lalk Lo Cuzman?"
PeaL shook no. llrsL rule l learned from CapLaln MonLrose abouL lnLerrogaLlons was, don'L lnlLlaLe a
meeLlng bllndly. know whaL you wanL or are llkely Lo geL. WhaL l know abouL ascual Cuzman ls LhaL
he's a clrcumspecL sLone wall who wlll answer noLhlng aL besL, and aL worsL, llghL me up on Lhe radar Lo
Zach Pamner when he flles anoLher harassmenL complalnL. We'll have Lo go aL hlm anoLher way."
8ook was unfazed. l Lhlnk Lhls guy hacked my compuLer. lus he admlLLed he had a smack-down
wlLh Craf Lhe day he dled. l Lhlnk we should shake down ascual Cuzman and ask hlm abouL Lhe secreL
shlpmenL. Pe's smelllng Lo me llke our klller."
LasL nlghL you were sure lL was Lawrence Pays."
l know. l geL exclLed. Pays was Lhe brlghL, shlny ob[ecL of Lhe momenL."
nlkkl sald, And whaL ls Cuzman?"
Pe hung hls head. Agaln, you chasLen me wlLh your need for reason."
1wo hours laLer, nlkkl had a cab drop Lhem beLween 1enLh Avenue and 41sL, [usL blocks off 1lmes
Square. 1he forecasL promlsed lL would be sllghLly warmer LhaL day, buL aL 9 A.M. lL was sLlll under flve
degrees and Lhe shadows of Lhe low sun ran long and chllly on Lhe WesL Slde of ManhaLLan. Whlle
8oach worked Lhe phoLo of Lhe cable guy, PeaL's plan was Lo Lry Lo flnd hlm by locaLlng Lhe woman who
appeared ln Lhe leasure 8ound survelllance phoLo wlLh hlm. Accordlng Lo Lhe mlsslng woman's
landlord, Shayne WaLson worked as a prosLlLuLe ln Pell's klLchen. 1he former roommaLe of Lhe
domlnaLrlx was sLlll off Lhe radar, and PeaL's agenda for Lhe day was Lo hlL Lhe sLreeLs and show her
phoLo Lo oLher prosLlLuLes, hoplng Lo geL a llne on her.
l've goL Lhls one," sald 8ook. Pe Look a phoLocopy of Lhe survelllance shoL and sLepped up Lo a
woman leanlng agalnsL Lhe wall and smoklng ouLslde a dlner. Mornlng, mlss." She looked hlm up and
down and began Lo sLep away. lease, Lhls wlll [usL Lake a second. l'm Lrylng Lo flnd one of your
colleagues, a fellow prosLlLuLe and-"
1he woman fllcked her clgareLLe aL hlm and lL bounced off hls forehead. Asshole. Calllng me a
hooker . . ." She hurrled away, shouLlng someLhlng abouL calllng Lhe cops mlxed ln wlLh more curses
unLll she rounded Lhe corner.
As amused as PeaL was by 8ook's gaffe, she dldn'L have much beLLer luck. Sure, nlkkl was beLLer aL
spoLLlng Lhe worklng glrls, havlng worked vlce herself, buL Lhey smelled cop on her and elLher closed up
or [usL ran as soon as she approached. 1hls could Lake forever," sald 8ook.
lL's Loo early ln Lhe day for mosL of Lhem Lo be ouL, we'll do beLLer as we geL more Lo Lalk Lo." 1haL
was flne Lo say, buL nlkkl was sLlll sLrlklng ouL aL noon when Lhe sldewalks sLarLed fllllng ln fronL of Lhe
hoL sheeL moLels.
1hey ducked lnLo a coffee shop Lo warm up and 8ook conLlnued hls skepLlclsm abouL Lhe plan. All
Lhey do ls run. And you don'L have any auLhorlLy Lo sLop Lhem."
1hank you for deflnlng my newly lmpoLenL sLaLus," she sald.
l've goL Lhe soluLlon," sald 8ook. lL's lngenlous."
1hls worrles me."
Cne word: llshneLs." As she began Lo wag no, he lowered hls volce and pressed on. ?ou always
Lalk abouL how you worked undercover ln vlce, rlghL? Walk Lhe walk. uL your sLuff on Lhe sLreeL. . . .
unless you have a beLLer plan."
nlkkl consldered lL awhlle and sald, l suppose Lhere's a cheesy cloLhlng sLore around here
somewhere."
1here ya go," he sald way Loo loudly. ?ou'll make a greaL hooker." nlkkl dldn'L have Lo Lurn Lo
know Lhe whole coffee shop was sLarlng aL her.
8ook renLed a room for Lhe afLernoon aL Lhe lour ulamonds, whlch he observed was Lhe only way
LhaL number of dlamonds would ever be aLLrlbuLed Lo LhaL esLabllshmenL. lL smelled of sLrong
dlslnfecLanL and boasLed unllmlLed lce, no doubL Lo go along wlLh Lhe unllmlLed nlcoLlne burns dappllng
Lhe baLhroom counLer and Lhe nlghLsLand. nlkkl changed lnLo her new cloLhes, and whlle she slaLhered
on Lhe makeup she had chosen, 8ook called from Lhe bedroom, l feel llke we're ln ltetty womoo. l'd
Lake you rlghL now ln Lhe bubble baLh excepL Lhe cockroaches are sLlll uslng lL."
WhaL do you Lhlnk?" asked PeaL. She sLepped ouL of Lhe baLhroom and posed, showlng off her
heavy makeup, hoop earrlngs, leopard-prlnL uggs knockoffs, rlpped LlghLs, and a llme green plasLlc
ralncoaL.
8ook appralsed her from hls seaL on Lhe corner of Lhe bed and sald, So, Lhls ls whaL your llfe has
come Lo?"
CuL on Lhe sldewalk nlkkl kepL her dlsLance from Lhe oLher worklng glrls up Lhe block, glvlng Lhem Llme
Lo geL used Lo her. Some of Lhe women were LerrlLorlal, seelng nlkkl as an lncome LhreaL, and gave her a
hard Llme or moved along, wary of Lhe undercover cop vlbe LhaL sLlll came Lhrough Lhe mascara and
false lashes. MosL were cordlal, Lhough. lnLroduclng Lhemselves, asklng how she was geLLlng by. 1hen,
when she had Lhelr confldence, nlkkl sald she was looklng for a losL 8ll she was worrled slck abouL. CuL
came Lhe plcLure, whlch was sLudled and passed around, buL goL no response.
1he hardesL parL was fendlng off Lhe [ohns. !usL Lelllng Lhem as Lhey drove by-some whlsLllng or
paLLlng Lhe roof of Lhelr cars wlLh open palms-LhaL she wasn'L lnLeresLed dldn'L sufflce. A few Llmes she
had Lo duck lnLo Lhe lobby of Lhe lour ulamonds, and LhaL Look care of lL. Cnce, Lhough, a perslsLenL
guy, an lnLense consLrucLlon worker who sald he was off shlfL and had a blg drlve Lo Long lsland, double-
parked hls plckup and followed her lnLo Lhe lobby. 1here, 8ook appeared, announclng congraLulaLlons,
LhaL he was on Lhe plloL of a new reallLy show, 1o cotcb o Iobo. roblem solved.
nlkkl was sLandlng on a corner wlLh a few of Lhe glrls when her phone buzzed. lL was uepuLy
Commlssloner ?arborough. ls Lhls a bad Llme?"
no, hyllls, never a bad Llme for you." nlkkl was glad Lhls wasn'L Skype.
!usL wanLed Lo leL you know l had Lhem run Serglo 1orres Lhrough Lhe daLabase. Sorry, buL no hlLs
beyond whaL appears on hls rap sheeL."
Ch. Well, Lhanks for Lrylng." lL was hard Lo mask her dlsappolnLmenL.
?arborough sald, uoesn'L seem llke 1orres ls your problem, anyway. Saw on Lhe mornlng reporL
you had a vlslL from Lhe bomb squad." AfLer PeaL fllled her ln brlefly on Lhose evenLs, Lhe depuLy
commlssloner asked, Any ldea who your perp ls?"
noL by name," sald PeaL. Pe's a !ohn uoe l've had my eye on ln Lhe Craf case. ln facL, he's goL a
dlsLlncLlve LaLLoo we ran Lhrough your 81CC buL came up empLy."
l'll flnd Lhe requesL and have Lhem puL lL Lhrough agaln. And Lo make sure we Lurn over all Lhe
sLones, l'll supervlse Lhe run myself."
nlkkl was [usL Lhanklng her when a horn blared and a carload of drunk fraL boys shouLed, Aw-woo!
Pey baby! ?o, skank!"
Where Lhe hell are you, nlkkl?"
Ch, [usL hanglng wlLh some frlends. We're waLchlng Ietty 5ptloqet."
AbouL four o'clock, when nlkkl was dlscouraged, cold, and ready Lo pack lL ln, a young woman wlLh a
klnd face and a greenlng brulse below one eye looked aL Lhe plcLure and sald, 1haL's Shayna. uoesn'L
do her [usLlce, buL LhaL's Shayn, for sure." nlkkl Lurned Lhe folded page over and asked lf she recognlzed
Lhe man wlLh her, Lhe one wlLh Lhe colled snake LaLLoo on hls blcep. She dldn'L. 8uL she had seen her
frlend recenLly. Shayna WaLson was roomlng aL Lhe 8ounders MoLel ln Chelsea.
SomeLlmes Lhey run, someLlmes Lhey hlde, someLlmes Lhey [usL don'L answer Lhe door, hoplng you'll go
away. Shayna WaLson slld Lhe chaln, opened up, and lnvlLed Lhem ln. She seemed dralned of emoLlon-
or self-medlcaLed, nlkkl couldn'L deLermlne whlch. 8uL when Lhe hollow-eyed woman moved some
laundry off Lhe bed so Lhey could slL, PeaL was relleved LhaL Lhls dldn'L look llke lL would be a flghL.
8ook leL hlmself fade lnLo Lhe background, leavlng lL Lo nlkkl Lo connecL. Mlndful of her fraglllLy,
PeaL spoke genLly and sLeered away from any lnformaLlon LhaL mlghL spook her. lor lnsLance, omlLLlng
LhaL Lhls was parL of a murder lnvesLlgaLlon enLlrely. Shayna WaLson dldn'L need Lhose parLlculars Lo Lell
nlkkl Lwo slmple Lhlngs. ?ou are ln no Lrouble of any klnd, Shayna, Ck? l'm [usL looklng for Lhls man,"
she sald, holdlng ouL Lhe plcLure. l'd llke Lo know hls name and where l can flnd hlm, Lhen we'll be on
our way."
Pe's a bad dude," she sald ln a dlsLanL volce. When Andrea . . . she's my roommaLe . . . lefL for
AmsLerdam, he made me sLeal her keys Lo Lhe bondage place she works aL. 1haL's why l dlLched my
aparLmenL. And l llked LhaL place. l had Lo hlde from hlm. Ch, Cod . . ." Per face paled and her brow
knoLLed wlLh worry as she surveyed Lhe door, llke she was playlng ouL a prlvaLe nlghLmare. ?ou found
me. uo you Lhlnk he wlll now?"
nlkkl gave her a reassurlng look. noL lf you help me flnd hlm flrsL."
Cn Lhelr cab rlde Lo PunLs olnL, PeaL declded Lhls was noL a mlsslon Lo bluff Lhrough wlLh mascara and
spunk. She called Lhe pollce. roLocol would have been Lo phone Lhe lorLy-flrsL reclncL, slnce LhaL's
whose Lurf Lhey were headlng Lo. 8uL LhaL would requlre some awkward explanaLlon of her
deparLmenLal sLaLus unless she wanLed Lo lle and preLend she was sLlll offlclally on Lhe [ob. So Lhe pollce
she called was 8oach.
1he guy ln Lhe phoLo wlLh Lhe snake LaLLoo ls named 1ucker SLel[ess, no mlddle name yeL," sald
PeaL. She spelled Lhe lasL name so Lhey could run lL and see lf any prlors or lasL known addresses splL
ouL. 8ook and l are geLLlng off Lhe 8ruckner now on our way Lo Lhe address we goL for hlm. lL's a
moLorcycle repalr shop on PunLs olnL Avenue where lL crosses Spofford. uon'L have Lhe sLreeL number,
buL you can dlg lL ouL."
Wlll do," sald Cchoa. And you're qulLe Lhe good clLlzen Lo phone ln Lhls Llp."
Pey, l supporL our local pollce," nlkkl sald. Speaklng of whlch, mlghL do a courLesy heads-up Lo Lhe
lour-one."
8aley's on lL now. WhaL's your plan?"
l'm Lwo mlnuLes from Lhe locaLlon. Cood clLlzen LhaL l am, 8ook and l are golng Lo observe unLll
you arrlve. uon'L wanL Lhls SC8 sllpplng away."
Cchoa sald, !usL waLch your back, clLlzen. LeL Lhe pros handle Lhls."
1he wlnLer darkness fell early, and from Lhelr wlndow seaLs aL Colden ulp'd uonuLs, PeaL and 8ook
waLched llghLs shuLLlng off across Lhe sLreeL, ln Lhe back of Lhe repalr shop's garage. 1hen Lhey saw
movemenL. Wlfe beaLers were ouL of season, so Lhey couldn'L geL a poslLlve lu of Lhe snake LaLL under
Lhe long-sleeved waffle Lee, buL nlkkl's hearL double plnged when Lhe blg man pulled down Lhe
corrugaLed rolllng door and she eyeballed 1ucker SLel[ess.
Pe's golng Lo leave," sald 8ook.
PeaL speed-dlaled Cchoa. WhaL's your L1A?"
We're [usL clearlng Lhe 8lk Loll plaza."
Sub[ecL's geLLlng ready Lo go on Lhe move," she sald.
We've already puL lL ouL on Lhe alr," replled Cchoa. ?ou should see unlLs any mlnuLe."
When she hung up, 8ook was already ouL Lhe door, crosslng Lhe sLreeL. She cursed Lo herself and
caughL up wlLh hlm ouLslde Lhe rolllng door. WhaL do you Lhlnk you're dolng?"
Slowlng hlm down. ?ou can'L, he knows you. l can go ln and play losL drlver looklng for dlrecLlons.
Cr beLLer yeL, mld-llfe orLhodonLlsL seeklng advlce abouL Parleys versus 8MWs."
8ehlnd 8ook, keys [angled. SLel[ess sLepped ouL Lhe offlce. And made nlkkl.
Pe pushed 8ook lnLo her and Lhey boLh sLaggered lnLo Lhe meLal rolllng door, whlch Lhundered and
shook as Lhey crashed lnLo lL. SLel[ess was roundlng Lhe corner when Lhey recovered. PeaL sllpped 8ook
her cell phone and, as she ran, called ouL, PlL redlal. 1ell Cchoa l'm pursulng easLbound on Spofford."
Pe had a block on her by Lhe Llme she Lurned Lhe corner. lor a blg man he was fasL, buL nlkkl was
fasLer. She poured lL on and was soon galnlng. Slnce she was unarmed, her sLraLegy was Lo sLay only
close enough Lo keep hlm ln slghL unLll backup arrlved, so she gave lL enough Lempo Lo LlghLen Lhe
dlsLance yeL lag far enough back Lo evade lf he was carrylng.
SLel[ess dld whaL mosL fleelng suspecLs do, losL speed by looklng back Lo see how he was dolng, and
soon PeaL had a sweeL LwenLy-flve-yard pace Lo malnLaln. Pe dldn'L llke Lhe company and Lrled Lo sllp
Lhe lnvlslble leash. AL urake he made a sudden lefL, Lhreadlng hlmself across Lhe sLreeL Lhrough rush
hour Lrafflc. nlkkl losL a few yards on hlm dodglng cars buL plcked hlm up agaln as he ducked lnLo Lhe
drlveway of an auLo salvage yard.
She sLopped ouLslde Lhe gaLe and llsLened. 1hls would be a good place Lo lose her, especlally lf he
knew Lhe layouL and could use a back exlL. lL would also be a good place Lo make herself vulnerable lf
she blundered ln unarmed. So she eased closer Lo Lhe slde of Lhe open gaLe Lo hear lf she could plck up
any fooLfalls.
PeaL caughL Lhe flash of moLlon ln Lhe convex mlrror overhead, buL lL was Loo laLe. 1ucker SLel[ess
plvoLed around Lhe edge of Lhe fence she was hldlng behlnd, cluLched Lhe fronL of her coaL wlLh boLh
hands, and swung hls welghL, llfLlng nlkkl up off her feeL and Losslng her across Lhe yard.
She landed back-flrsL agalnsL a deLached car door LhaL was leanlng agalnsL a meLal palnL locker. Pe
Lhrew her wlLh such force LhaL Lhe sLeel locker Llpped forward, landslldlng small cans of palnL and
supplles down on Lop of her.
nlkkl grabbed a palnL can and Lhrew lL aL hlm, mlsslng, buL hls fllnch gave her a preclous second Lo
clear Lhe oLher cans off her so she could geL up before he came aL her. 8uL he dldn'L come. lnsLead,
SLel[ess was sLarLlng Lo crouch ln whaL she recognlzed as a shooLlng poslLlon as he reached lnslde hls
down vesL. She Lhrew anoLher can LhaL hlL hlm ln Lhe shoulder, buL dldn'L deLer hlm.
ln facL, he smlled.
PeaL saw Lhe Clock clear hls vesL and felL sLupld and helpless. ln a fuLlle move she clawed for Lhe car
door, hoplng as a shleld lL would aL leasL slow Lhe bulleL. As soon as nlkkl pulled lL over herself, she
heard Lhe crack of Lhe gunshoL.
lCu81LLn
She dldn'L feel Lhe bulleL hlL Lhe door or her body. ln Lhe bllnk beLween synapses, ln whlch nlkkl wondered lf
she dldn'L sense lL because she was already dead, she heard Lwo famlllar volces shouL, n?u, freeze!" Lhen
Lhree rapld shoLs followed by a body falllng heavlly agalnsL her lmprovlsed shleld. As she lay Lhere, plnned,
feeL pounded Loward her. 1hen came Lhe welcome sound of a gun belng klcked and sklLLerlng away across
asphalL.
Clear." 1he relaxed volce belonged Lo uuLch van MeLer.
ueLecLlve leller called, PeaL, he's down. ?ou all rlghL? PeaL?"
leller holsLered hls weapon and goL her ouL from under Lhe plle. Lven Lhough nlkkl lnslsLed she was
flne, he made her slL down on a raLLy offlce chalr LhaL was roLLlng ln Lhe yard beslde a plasLlc Lub of
spenL clgareLLe buLLs. 8lue-and-whlLes from Lhe lorLy-flrsL were pulllng up ouLslde Lhe gaLe behlnd Lhe
undercover Laxl. 1he emergency llghLs flashed lnLo Lhe enLrance Lo Lhe salvage yard, glvlng Lhe nlghL a
surreal quallLy, especlally as Lhe colored llghLs sLrobed on van MeLer. SLlll holdlng hls SmlLh & Wesson
3906, he sLood up beslde 1ucker SLel[ess's body, afLer Lrylng ln valn for a pulse. Pe made a smooLh
sldeways palm chop Lo hls parLner, slgnallng a flaL llne.
uon'L worry abouL me, fellas, l'm flne. l'm [usL Lhe one who goL shoL aL." 8ook pulled hlmself up
from hls hldlng place behlnd a corrugaLed cardboard carLon labeled 8rake roLors-lalr Lo Ck" ln black
marker. 8ook was puLLlng on a show of mock lndlgnaLlon, buL nlkkl knew Lhe slgns, havlng seen Lhem . .
. havlng experlenced Lhem herself. . . . Pe was shaken. CeLLlng shoL aL does Lhlngs Lo you.
ln hls sLaLemenL Lo Lhe lncldenL commander, 8ook sald he had phoned Cchoa whlle he was on Lhe
run behlnd PeaL, glvlng block-by-block scouLlng LhaL 8oach relayed over Lhe radlo. AfLer followlng her
across Spofford Avenue, he saw nlkkl geL pulled lnLo Lhe salvage yard. 1haL was Lhe lasL of hls play-by-
play. Pe pockeLed her cell phone and snuck up Lo peek ln Lhe gaLe [usL as Lhe palnL locker spllled down
on her. WlLhouL heslLaLlng, he sLarLed ouL for SLel[ess, flgurlng he could bllndslde Lackle hlm. 8uL half Lhe
dlsLance Lo hlm, [usL as PeaL pegged Lhe blg man wlLh a palnL can, 8ook saw Lhe gun clear Lhe vesL. And
Lhen SLel[ess musL have seen hlm ouL of Lhe corner of hls eye because he spun, sLarLlng Lo brlng Lhe
Clock up ln hls dlrecLlon. noL knowlng whaL else Lo do, 8ook Look a dlve behlnd some boxes [usL as he
flred. 1he cops from Lhe lorLy-flrsL, plus 8aley and Cchoa, who were also ln Lhe semlclrcle around 8ook,
Lurned as one Lo look aL one of Lhe boxes. lndeed, Lhere was a faL, nlne-mllllmeLer's worLh of bulleL hole
ln lL.
8ook had LhoughL boLh he and nlkkl were flnlshed, buL Lhen he heard ueLecLlves leller and van
MeLer ldenLlfy Lhemselves, followed by Lhree shoLs ln qulck successlon.
When Lhey were done wlLh hlm, 8ook [olned PeaL and leller, who had already glven Lhelr
sLaLemenLs. uuLch van MeLer had flred Lhe Lhree shoLs and was sLlll belng debrlefed. Cake," sald leller.
1hls'll come down as rlghLeous."
nlkkl sald, CoL Lo Lell ya, lf lL hadn'L been for you . . ."
?ou're welcome," sald 8ook. Pe saw Lhelr amused expresslons. . . . WhaL? lf LhaL box had been
fllled wlLh alr fllLers lnsLead of brake roLors, l mlghL noL be sLandlng here rlghL now."
ln LruLh 8ook dld dlsLracL hlm enough Lo glve us Llme Lo geL ln," sald ueLecLlve leller. Wasn'L Lhe
smarLesL play l've ever seen run, buL effecLlve."
8ook gave nlkkl a look of vlndlcaLlon and sald, 1hank you, ueLecLlve. And from now on, l'll never
waLch anoLher eplsode of cosb cob wlLhouL Lhlnklng of you and uuLch. lor me, Lhe Moblle ShouL-CuL
wlll forever be Lhe Moblle ShooL-CuL."
leller Lurned Lo nlkkl. Couldn'L have been a box of alr fllLers, huh?"
Serlously, leller," she sald, Louchlng hls shoulder. ?our Llmlng dldn'L suck."
1urnlng lnLo our prlmary mlsslon, PeaL, savlng your buLL. 1hls whaL you call suspenslon?"
uon'L know whaL you mean," PeaL sald. l was [usL belng a good clLlzen."
8aley and Cchoa gave Lhem a rlde back Lo 1rlbeca ln Lhe 8oach Coach. As soon as Lhey lefL Lhe scene,
Cchoa hopped on hls cell phone Lo Lhe preclncL Lo geL Lhe resulLs on Lhe background check he had
requesLed on SLel[ess. ?eah, l can hold." 1hen he Lurned over hls shoulder Lo nlkkl. ?ou don'L mlnd lf l
do Lhls wlLh you ln Lhe car, do ya? l know you're noL dolng any sorL of pollce work, so lf you happen Lo
plck up any lnformaLlon, l LrusL you won'L pay aLLenLlon Lo lL."
Ch, absoluLely," sald PeaL, reLurnlng hls wlnk.
8aley gave lL some gas as he sLeered onLo Lhe 8ruckner and sald, WhaL's Lhe deal wlLh you, 8ook? l
mean, you flgure you have some sorL of superhuman powers, you can [usL hero-sLrlde lnLo Lhe llne of
flre and repel slugs?"
Somebody had Lo sprlng lnLo acLlon, seelng how you genLlemen Look your sweeL Llme arrlvlng. 1ell
me, lf l looked on Lhe floor up Lhere, would l see some WhlLe CasLle wrappers from your sLop on Lhe
way?"
nlkkl was amused by how easlly 8ook fell lnLo Lhe undersLaLed cop Lalk, Lradlng barbs lnsLead of
overL compllmenLs or Lhanks. 8uL she wasn'L feellng qulLe llke belng so obllque ln her graLlLude for whaL
he dld Lrylng Lo save her. She sllpped her hand over hls and gave a squeeze. And Lhen she leL go and slld
lL up Lhe lnslde of hls Lhlgh. 1hey were sLlll holdlng radar eye conLacL when Cchoa flnlshed hls call.
As l sald, pay no aLLenLlon Lo Lhls back Lhere whlle l brlef my parLner, all rlghL?" 1he deLecLlve
flnlshed [oLLlng a noLe on hls pad and Lurned Lo 8aley. 1ucker Lee SLel[ess, male cauc, LhlrLy-Lhree, has a
few assaulLs ln hls [ackeL. MosLly beefs ln blker bars plus he recenLly goL early release servlng flfLeen
days of a forLy-day senLence for breaklng Lhe fronL wlndow of a llquor sLore. 8y Lhe way, know whaL he
used Lo break Lhe wlndow?"
8aley sald, l love lL when you splce Lhe sLory, pard. WhaL dld he use?"
A plmp."
Cnly awesome."
!usL walL. ?ou ready? ulgglng back, Mr. SLel[ess was once a cop." Cchoa gave nlkkl a qulck glance
over hls shoulder. 1haL's rlghL. unlform for a long Llme before he flnally made u-3, Lhen worked
undercover narco ln Lhe 8ronx." Pe consulLed hls noLes agaln. 8eporLs are he was volaLlle and preLLy
much a loner. nlckname was Mad uog. Servlce dlscharge says he, quoLe 'ldenLlfled excesslvely wlLh hls
undercover narcoLlcs sub[ecLs' unquoLe. Also known Lo harass hookers. ln splLe of LhaL sLellar record,
Lhey cuL hlm loose ln '06."
Co flgure," sald 8aley.
Cchoa sald, 8uL nelLher of you heard LhaL." 1hen he handed hls noLes over Lhe seaL Lo nlkkl.
1he Lwo of Lhem sald noLhlng on Lhe elevaLor rlde up Lo 8ook's lofL. 1hey [usL sLared aL each oLher as
Lhey had ln Lhe backseaL of Lhe 8oach Coach. 1he alr beLween Lhem flowed Lhlck wlLh a longlng LhaL had
no words, and Lhey boLh knew LhaL Lo Lry Lo flnd Lhem or speak Lhem would only weaken Lhe
overwhelmlng magneLlc pull each of Lhem felL. 1hey sLood close. noL Louchlng-LhaL would break Lhe
spell, Loo. !usL near enough Lo almosL Louch . . . [usL enough Lo each LasLe Lhe breaLh of Lhe oLher as Lhe
rocklng moLlon of Lhe rlde broughL Lhem Lo almosL brush bodles.
When he closed hls fronL door, Lhey Lhrew Lhemselves aL each oLher. 1he force of Lhe heaL LhaL
engulfed Lhem plus Lhe wave of exhllaraLlon from Lhelr close call propelled PeaL and 8ook lnLo a
dlmenslon of sexual longlng LhaL was as unsLoppable as lL was prlmal. Casplng, nlkkl pulled her mouLh
away from hls and leaped up onLo hlm, hooklng her legs behlnd hls. 8ook flexed hls leg muscles for
balance and sLeadled hlmself, pulllng her LlghLly Lo hlm. She pressed her face Lo hls ear and blL. Pe
moaned wlLh surprlse and exclLemenL and Lurned her Lo slL up on hls klLchen counLer. As he undld her
coaL fronL, nlkkl recllned herself backward onLo her elbows so she could waLch hlm, flnally speaklng.
now," she sald, l need you rlghL now."
1hls ls where peLLlng leads," he sald laLer.
eLLlng? WhaL cenLury are you from?" She unfolded herself from Lhelr lazy, naked Langle on hls
couch and poured each of Lhem anoLher glass of wlne from Lhe boLLle on Lhe coffee Lable.
uo noL mock me because l am a wordsmlLh. Would you raLher l called lL groplng? 8ecause LhaL's
whaL you dld ln Lhe 8oach Coach, you know."
Ch, l know." nlkkl handed hlm hls glass and Lhey tloked. ?ou say LhaL llke you've never been
groped ln a pollce car."
Well, only yours." Per cell phone rang, and as she goL up Lo reLrleve lL from her knoL of a coaL, he
conLlnued, 8uL lf you have some noLlon abouL sLarLlng some slck sexual game where we do lL ln pollce
cars, l'm all for lL."
Lauren arry sald, Pope l'm noL lnLerrupLlng sump'n-sump'n. Mlguel says by Lhe look of you Lwo
when he and 8aley dropped you off, l should walL a decenL lnLerval. AcLually, he called lL an lndecenL
lnLerval." nlkkl looked down aL herself, noL wearlng a sLlLch, and 8ook, [usL Lhe same, hls flne ass maklng
lLs way down Lhe hallway.
no, we were [usL relaxlng."
Per frlend sald, anLs on flre."
WhaL panLs?"
1he Lwo had a nlce laugh abouL LhaL, Lhen Lauren sald, LlsLen, slnce l'm beLLlng you don'L have a
pen anywhere on you, l'll glve you a second Lo flnd one. l have some lnLeresLlng off-Lhe-record sLuff Lo
share. . . . Lven Lhough ueLecLlve Cchoa Lells me you are anyLhlng buL sLlll lnvolved ln case work due Lo
your suspenslon."
nlkkl plucked a rollerball from one of Lhe numerous coffee mugs LhaL 8ook had converLed Lo pencll
cups and scaLLered around hls lofL. Cne of Lhe perks of sleeplng wlLh a wrlLer. l'm ready."
llrsL off," began Lhe ML, and Lhls ls why l really called, because l knew lL would glve you some
peace of mlnd. . . . 1he bloodwork on laLher Craf's 8oman collar came ln and lL was a negaLlve maLch
for CapLaln MonLrose."
?essss."
?eah, l LhoughL LhaL would be a llfL. l'm already havlng Lhem run Serglo 1orres, and now l'll add Lhls
guy you Look on LonlghL-oootmeJ." Lauren puL an underscore on Lhe word LhaL made lL sound as
boldly comlcal as lL dld lnsane. 1he ob[ecLlve vlew of her besL frlend wasn'L losL on PeaL.
Ck, l do have Lo admlL l goL a llLLle sloppy. SLlll ad[usLlng Lo Lhe whole unarmed prlvaLe clLlzen
Lhlng."
uon'L know whaL Lo say, nlkkl. l'd Lell you Lo geL a hobby, buL we boLh know whaL Lhe chances are
of LhaL."
uon'L be so sure," sald PeaL. ls vlgllanLe consldered a hobby?"
?ou've been hanglng ouL wlLh !ameson 8ook Loo long, you're sLarLlng Lo Lalk llke hlm." Whlch gave
nlkkl Lhe second reason Lo smlle ln LhaL conversaLlon. Lauren conLlnued, l also have lab resulLs LhaL
came ln on LhaL llLLle chlp of leaLher. 8emember LhaL?"
PeaL plcLured lL, looklng llke a Llny bacon blL ln Lhe boLLom of Lhe vlal when Lauren had showed lL Lo
her ln Lhe auLopsy room. Sure, Lhe fragmenL you found under laLher Craf's flngernall."
1haL's Lhe one. lL came back sourced from a commerclal brand of leaLher."
8ondage gear?" asked nlkkl.
no. 1he manufacLurer may be famlllar Lo you. 8lanchl."
1he brand was well known Lo PeaL as lL was Lo anyone who geared up for law enforcemenL. lL
came from a pollce belL?"
Always preclse, Lauren clarlfled, Cr a securlLy guard's. lL came from elLher a holsLer or a cuff case.
?ou're Lhe one who Llpped me Lo Lhe handcuff brulslng on Lhe vlcLlm's lower back, so, lf you wanL Lo
speculaLe, cuff case ls a good beL."
l wonder . . . LhaL ls, lf you knew anyone who could posslbly have a word wlLh ueLecLlve Cchoa aL
Lhls laLe hour of Lhe nlghL . . ."
Co on," she sald, en[oylng nlkkl's counLer Lo her Leaslng abouL 8ook.
l wonder lf a search of a cerLaln dead ex-cop's home or hls moLorcycle repalr shop would show an
old 8lanchl cuff case wlLh a new scraLch on lL."
PeaL heard Lhe mouLhplece geL covered and hushed volces. Cne of Lhem was Mlguel Cchoa's. Wlll
do," sald Lauren when she came back on. Pe and 8aley wlll head Lo SLel[ess's place Lomorrow flrsL
Lhlng. uo you wanL me Lo also have hlm look aL CapLaln MonLrose's case and holsLer?"
Lauren's quesLlon was Lhe one PeaL was afrald Lo ask ouL loud. l suppose. l mean, lL would be nlce
Lo ellmlnaLe LhaL posslblllLy." And Lhen, feellng dlsloyal Lo hls memory, she added, Powever remoLe."
As 8ook drlfLed back ln Lhe room wlLh a robe on and carrylng one for her, nlkkl sald, And Lauren, as
long as we're Lalklng abouL Lhe capLaln, would you mlnd lf l pesLer you abouL one oLher Lhlng?"
name lL."
l know Lhey musL have run hls gun by now."
1haL's rlghL. lL had been flred, buL Lhey never recovered Lhe slug. lL was a Lhrough-and-Lhrough and
ouL Lhe roof."
PeaL recalled Lhe dlmple around Lhe hole ln MonLrose's Crown vlc. And LhaL's LhaL?"
Cf course noL," sald Lhe ML. 1he gun had hls blood and Llssue on lL. Also hls hand LesLed poslLlve
for powder resldue and Lrace meLals."
Pow many bulleLs ln Lhe magazlne?" asked PeaL.
8eporL sald all buL one . . . l Lhlnk."
Pumor me, Ms. arry. Would you ask Mlguel Lo look lnLo lL hlmself? And by hlmself, l'm noL saylng l
don'L LrusL Lhe LesLlng. l'm [usL saylng nobody comes close Lo a ueLecLlve Cchoa-quallLy [ob." And Lhen
nlkkl sald wlLh a Lease, And you musL know whaL l mean by LhaL, rlghL, Laur?"
?es, l do," she sald wlLh a laugh. Pe's a very Lhorough lnvesLlgaLor." Lauren was sLlll laughlng
when she hung up.
8ook ordered ln some chlcken scarparlello and a salad from Clglno's for Lhem Lo share, and sLlll hanglng
ouL ln Lhelr robes, Lhey aLe a laLe supper aL hls counLer whlle nlkkl fllled hlm ln on Lhe newesL
lnformaLlon from Lauren arry.
lL all lays ouL, doesn'L lL?" Pe Llcked each off on a flnger. SLel[ess caughL on survelllance ln Lhe
bondage dungeon, SLel[ess was a flred ex-cop, SLel[ess would have handcuffs and a cuff case, he sure
had a gun, SLel[ess ls our klller."
nlkkl poked a grape LomaLo from Lhelr salad wlLh her fork. 1haL's preLLy deflnlLlve. 1hen Lell me
why he dld lL. And why dld all Lhe shooLers come afLer me ln CenLral ark? And whaL ls Lhls all abouL?"
l goL nuLhln'."
She popped Lhe LomaLo ln her mouLh and gave hlm a sly smlle. l'm noL saylng you're wrong . . ."
When you say Lhlngs llke LhaL Lo me, l call lL a kardashlan. know why? 8ecause l'm looklng for Lhe
buL."
Powever . . . ," she sald, lL's sLlll clrcumsLanLlal. lf 8oach comes up wlLh a maLchlng flngernall
gouge on Lhe maLchlng cuff case, LhaL's aL leasL a solld connecLlon. Lven LhaL's sLlll noL proof. l need
facLs."
8ook served anoLher plece of chlcken onLo her plaLe. Whoever sald facLs are funny Lhlngs? uead
wrong. Can'L recall Lhe lasL Llme l was ever amused by a facL. now, lnLulLlon and con[ecLure . . . LhaL's
llke fllllng Lhe bouncy casLle wlLh laughlng gas."
!usL so you know, l Lhoroughly agree LhaL SLel[ess ls our prlme suspecL." Per face clouded. lL's Loo
bad he had Lo be Laken ouL. l was hoplng Lo sweaL hlm. ln my hearL, l belleve he kllled MonLrose."
now lL was 8ook's Lurn Lo look doubLful. lL's noL LhaL l'm saylng you're wrong . . . buL why?"
PeaL smlled. now you're Lhlnklng llke a cop."
PeaL woke up Lo an empLy bed. ueLecLlve LhaL she was, she felL 8ook's slde and Lhe sheeLs were cold.
She found hlm on Lhe compuLer ln hls offlce. ?ou're shamlng me, 8ook. 1hls ls Lhe Lhlrd mornlng Lhls
week you've goLLen up before l dld."
As l lay Lhere waLchlng Lhe dlglLs change on Lhe clock on my nlghLsLand, sLumped and more Lhan
[usL a blL frusLraLed by Lhls case, l goL up and Look a page from your book, nlkkl PeaL. l wenL ouL Lo sLare
aL Lhe Murder 8oard."
And whaL dld you learn?"
1haL ManhaLLan ls very nolsy, even aL four A.M. l'm serlous. WhaL's wlLh all Lhe slrens and horns?"
She saL ln Lhe easy chalr across from hlm, walLlng, knowlng he was ramplng up Lo someLhlng. Pe had Lhe
look of Lhe guy holdlng cards. 1haL's why she always beaL hlm aL poker. So l walLed for one of Lhe lLems
on Lhe board Lo [ump ouL aL me or connecL Lo anoLher. uldn'L happen. So l wenL Lhe oLher way. l asked
myself, 'WhaL don'L we have?' l mean besldes closure.
And Lhen lL came Lo me. lL was probably why l couldn'L sleep ln Lhe flrsL place-because lL was a
Louchy area lasL nlghL."
CapLaln MonLrose," she sald.
LxacLly. ?ou sald he was always Lelllng you Lo look for Lhe odd sock. nlkkl, he was Lhe odd sock.
1hlnk abouL lL. noLhlng he dld was llke Lhe man you knew. . . . Llke Lhe man anybody knew." She shlfLed
ln her seaL, buL lL wasn'L from upseL aL Lhe sub[ecL, lL was because energy was movlng Lhrough her. She
dldn'L know where 8ook was golng, buL her experlenced sense Lold her he was asklng Lhe rlghL
quesLlons. So wlLh LhaL ln mlnd, l Lrled Lo flgure ouL whaL he was up Lo. Pard Lo know. And why?"
8ecause he had goLLen so closed, so secreLlve."
reclsely. Cdd sock behavlor. Pe'd losL hls wlfe, so he wasn'L Lalklng wlLh her, elLher. 8uL guys, no
maLLer how sLolc we appear-unless we're moody loners, or Lhose Cueen's Cuards aL 8ucklngham
alace-have Lo Lalk wlLh someone."
laLher Craf?" she asked.
Mm-maybe. Padn'L LhoughL of hlm. l was Lhlnklng more llke some exlsLlng personal bond. A
llfeLlme confldanL. 1he morLgage buddy."
Lxplaln?"
1he one pal you can call, no maLLer whaL Llme of nlghL lL ls and no maLLer whaL you've goLLen
yourself lnLo, who would morLgage hls house Lo save your rear, no quesLlons asked." Pe saw her gllnL of
undersLandlng. 1ell me, who ls a cop closesL Lo?"
She dldn'L heslLaLe. Pls parLner." nlkkl was [usL abouL Lo say Lhe name, buL he beaL her Lo lL.
Lddle PawLhorne."
Pow could you know abouL Lddle?"
WrlLer's frlend. A llLLle Lhlng called an lnLerneL search englne. CoL mulLlple hlLs on clLaLlons of valor
for Lhose Lwo, boLh as unlforms and deLecLlves. l flgured lf Lhey found a way Lo sLlck LogeLher when Lhey
goL Lhelr gold shlelds, Lhey'd be LlghL."
Lddle reLlred and moved away, Lhough." A dlsLanL memory broughL a smlle Lo her. l was aL hls
reLlremenL parLy."
!uly 16, 2008." Pe lndlcaLed hls lapLop. l loves me my Coogle." 1hen 8ook pressed a few keys and
hls prlnLer came allve.
WhaL's LhaL, Lddle PawLhorne's cholesLerol level?"
Pe Look Lwo pages from Lhe Lray and walked over Lo nlkkl, handlng her one of Lhem. lL's our
boardlng passes. 1he car servlce plcks us up for LaCuardla ln a half hour. We're havlng lunch wlLh Lddle
ln llorlda."
Lddle PawLhorne pulled up ln hls Mercury Marquls as soon as Lhey sLepped from Lhe Lermlnal ln lorL
Myers. Pe goL ouL and gave nlkkl a blg hug, and as Lhey parLed and looked aL each oLher, nlkkl's eyes
gleamed as Lhey hadn'L ln a long, long Llme.
Pe Look Lhem Lo a flsh Laco place Lwo exlLs wesL of lnLersLaLe 73 off Lhe uanlels arkway. lL's local,
lL's good, and lL's close enough Lo Lhe alrporL so you don'L have Lo sweaL maklng your reLurn fllghL Lhls
afLernoon," he sald.
1hey aLe aL a paLlo Lable shaded from Lhe sun blare by a uos Lquls umbrella. 1he flrsL parL of Lhe
lunch conversaLlon was remlnlscence abouL Lhelr losL frlend. Charles and l were parLners so long
people dldn'L see us as Lwo people afLer a whlle. l walked by our sarge once-all by myself, you
see-and he looks rlghL aL me and says, 'Pl, fellas.' " 1he old cop laughed. 1haL's Lhe way lL was.
PawLhorne and MonLrose, Lhe Lhorn and Lhe rose, LhaL was us, man. uamn, LhaL was us." Lddle
PawLhorne seemed more lnLeresLed ln Lalklng Lhan Lhe food, whlch was excellenL, and so PeaL and 8ook
[usL llsLened, en[oylng fresh grllled flsh and shlrLsleeve weaLher whlle he remlnlsced. When Lhe sub[ecL
Lurned Lo MonLrose's wlfe, Lhe laughLer over glory days faded. So sad. never saw Lwo people so close
as he and auleLLa. lL's a sLunner for anyone, buL man . . . lL hollowed Charles ouL, l know lL dld."
l klnd of wanLed Lo ask you a llLLle abouL LhaL, l mean Lhe pasL year," sald nlkkl.
1he ex-deLecLlve nodded. uldn'L Lhlnk you flew all Lhe way down here for Lhe botcboto."
no," she sald, l'm Lrylng Lo make sense of whaL wenL on wlLh Lhe Cap."
?ou won'L be able Lo. uoesn'L make any sense." Lddle's llp quaked brlefly, buL Lhen he saL up,
wllllng some sLeel lnLo hls body, as lf LhaL would help.
8ook asked, uld you have much conLacL wlLh hlm slnce hls wlfe was kllled?"
Well, you could say l made a loL of aLLempLs. l flew up for her funeral, of course, and we saL up
Lalklng mosL of Lhe nlghL afLer Lhe servlce. ln LruLh, maybe more slLLlng Lhan Lalklng, llke l say, l made
aLLempLs, buL he wenL Lo sLone ln Lhere." Lddle poked hls hearL wlLh Lwo flngers. Who couldn'L
undersLand LhaL?"
nlkkl sald, lL's noL uncommon Lo sorL of sllde a rock over you for a Llme afLer you suffer a Lrauma
llke LhaL. 8uL afLer a perlod of lnLense grlevlng mosL people come ouL of Lhe funk. And when Lhey do, lL's
sorL of sLarLllng, Lhe new energy."
Lddle nodded Lo hlmself. ?eah, how'd you know LhaL?" nlkkl felL 8ook's hand Louch hers under Lhe
Lable brlefly. PawLhorne conLlnued, lL was ouL of Lhe blue, llke Lhree monLhs ago. Pe calls and Lalks
awhlle. Cld Llmes small Lalk, LhaL klnd of sLuff. More conversaLlon Lhan l'd heard from hlm ln ages. 1hen
he says Lo me LhaL he's been sleeplng poorly, Losslng LhoughLs all nlghL. l Lold hlm Lo [oln a bowllng
league, and he [usL says, '?eah rlghL,' and keeps on abouL hls lnsomnla.
Pe asks me, 'Ldward, you ever geL boLhered by any of Lhe old cases?' And l sald, 'ShlL, man, why do
you Lhlnk l reLlred?' and we had a good laugh abouL LhaL, buL he came rlghL back Lo lL, llke he was
scraLchlng aL polson lvy. And he geLs Lo Lhe polnL, saylng LhaL he's been Lhlnklng more and more abouL
1he !ob and how he's havlng doubLs abouL hls purpose. Lven sald-geL Lhls-wonderlng abouL how
good a cop he was. Can you belleve LhaL?
So he says he's been slLLlng up nlghLs chewlng on Lhls one case we worked LogeLher, saylng he was
never saLlsfled we goL lL rlghL, and Lhe deeper Lhe hole geLs dug around hlm wlLh all Lhe admlnlsLraLlve
bullshlL he has Lo deal wlLh, Lhe more he feels Lhe lLch Lo do someLhlng. SomeLhlng Lo prove LhaL he's
sLlll Lhe cop he belleved he was. l Lold hlm Lo open Lhe ScoLch and waLch some WeaLher Channel,
anyLhlng Lo geL hls mlnd clear, and he geLs plssy wlLh me, saylng he LhoughL LhaL l of all people would
undersLand Lhe lmporLance-Lhe duLy, he says-of geLLlng lL rlghL. l dldn'L know whaL else Lo say Lo LhaL
excepL, leL's hear abouL lL Lhen. Charles says he never belleved lL was a bad drug deal. lL dldn'L flgure for
Lhe vlcLlm and hls prlors Lo be ln wlLh LhaL low end of a dealer, or ln LhaL parL of Lown. And l sald whaL l
sald back Lhen, drugs ls dangerous buslness, lf Lhey don'L geL you, Lhe dealers wlll. And Lhen l remlnded
hlm l always LhoughL lf lL wasn'L a busLed deal lL was a LaLln gang lnlLlaLlon." 1here lL was agaln, LhoughL
nlkkl. 1he caLch-all explanaLlon for unsolved crlmes. 8uL Charles, he sald he was plcklng up pleces LhaL
smelled llke a planned kllllng and a cover-up. Pe sald he was looklng for a revenge moLlve. LlLher way,"
he shrugged, whaL are you golng Lo do? ?ou glve lL your besL shoL and don'L look back. 1haL's whaL l
dld, anyway. 8uL he wasn'L one Lo leL anyLhlng go unflnlshed." 1he sLeel lefL hlm and hls llp qulvered
agaln. l dunno, maybe LhaL's whaL flnlshed hlm."
1he case," sald nlkkl. WhaL was Lhe case LhaL boLhered hlm so much?" 8uL she knew Lhe answer
before she asked lL.
1he PuddlesLon kld," answered Lddle.
lll1LLn
lf nlkkl couldn'L have access Lo Lhe PuddlesLon flle, she would have Lhe nexL besL Lhlng. She asked Lddle
PawLhorne Lo walk her Lhrough Lhe case. 1he ex-deLecLlve leaned far back ln hls plasLlc chalr, and when hls
head lefL Lhe shade of Lhe umbrella, Lhe sunllghL LhaL hlL hls halr made Lhe black dye shlne purple. Pls eyes
worked back and forLh as he searched hls memory, and he exhaled loudly, glrdlng hlmself for Lhls unexpecLed
heavy llfLlng. 1wo Lhousand four," he sald. Charles and l were worklng Pomlclde ouL of Lhe lour-one and
goL Lhe call abouL a gunshoL vlcLlm ln a car over on Longwood. 1haL zone was preLLy much [unkle cenLral, you
know? !oke among Lhe unlforms was, you hlL a perp wlLh your baLon and Lhe crack vlals come falllng ouL llke
a plnaLa. Anyway, so CharlesLon and l roll, flgurlng Lhls was [usL anoLher garden varleLy crack whack.
We reseL LhaL noLlon preLLy qulck, Lhough, as soon as we drove up and clocked Lhe M3. 1he only
8eemers ln LhaL zlp code belonged Lo dealers and we knew Lhem by hearL. So we goL ready Lo check ouL
Lhe vlc, flgurlng on a kld from maybe 8ye or Creenwlch who saw 5cotfoce one Loo many Llmes and
made Lhe mlsLake of comlng Lo Lhe blg clLy Lo bypass hls pharmacologlcal mlddle man. roflle was rlghL,
Loo, when we saw Lhe body. very early LwenLles, expenslve cloLhes, Creen uay Cu sLlll blasLlng an
endless loop on Lhe cusLom sound sysLem. 8uL Lhen lL klcks up a noLch when MonLrose says he knows
Lhls kld. noL personally, buL from 1v. WalleL and reglsLraLlon boLh lu hlm as Lugene PuddlesLon, !r., son
of Lhe movle sLar, and Lhen lL all sLarLs Lo Lumble ln place for us. Pe'd been all over Lhe news, especlally
Access and 1, for hls drug splral. noLhlng llke Charlle Sheen, buL enough for me and my parLner Lo
palnL Lhe plcLure. And why wouldn'L lL make sense?" Lddle wasn'L [usL belng rheLorlcal. nlkkl could see
he was seeklng her undersLandlng. She gave a mlld shrug, enough Lo acknowledge how lL could happen,
buL mlndful, Loo, LhaL a deLecLlve follows evldence and doesn'L lead lL, whlch was probably Lhe same
homlly LhaL kepL her capLaln awake ln hlndslghL.
Pow was he done?" asked PeaL.
Slngle head shoL."
Pow, face? LxecuLlon sLyle ln back?"
1emple," sald PawLhorne.
Llke a drlve-up buy where Lhe dealer sees Lhe gourmeL car and Lhlnks faL walleL and puLs one . . .
here?" She polnLed a flnger plsLol aL 8ook's lefL sldeburn.
See, LhaL's where lL sLarLed Lo flghL our Lheory." Lddle puL a flnger Lo hls own rlghL Lemple.
LnLrance wound on Lhls slde. assenger slde."
All Lhese years laLer, PeaL was back Lhere ln her mlnd wlLh MonLrose and PawLhorne, processlng
LhaL flrsL odd sock. ?ou sure he was done ln Lhe car?"
no doubL. 8ralns and broken glass on Lhe drlver's slde."
1he wlndow was up?" Cdd sock number Lwo for nlkkl, noL lnherenLly slgnlflcanL, [usL . . . odd.
WhaL abouL Lhe passenger wlndow, open or closed?"
Lddle's eye rolled upward whlle he LhoughL. Closed, yeah for sure, closed."
So whoever shoL hlm was probably lnslde Lhe car wlLh hlm," sald PeaL.
8ldlng shoLgun," offered 8ook. Pe saw Lhelr expresslons, crossed hls arms, and sald, All yours."
nlkkl conLlnued, And l assume no prlnLs?"
none LhaL dld us any good. !usL hls clubblng and parLy buddles, a few glrlfrlends, and plenLy of no-
maLches." Whlch meanL no crlmlnal records for Lhe unknowns. All Lhe maLched prlnLs allbled ouL," he
sald, a sLep ahead of nlkkl.
AnyLhlng else abouL hls body? no slgns of beaLlng?" She wanLed Lo know lf Lddle knew abouL Lhe
1LnS burns.
noL beaLlng, per se. Pls wrlsLs had marks llke he'd been Lled up."
Cr cuffed?"
Pe grew LhoughLful. PonesLly, never LhoughL of cuffs, buL here's whaL we dld aLLrlbuLe lL Lo. We
check ouL Lhe nelghborlng bulldlngs, of course, and we come upon Lhls empLy loadlng bay lnslde a low-
rlse lndusLrlal space. Cld slgn sald lL had been one of Lhose LexLlle renLal places LhaL supply unlforms and
coveralls Lo hoLels and consLrucLlon. uoor's unlocked and, lnslde, Lhere's noLhlng ln Lhe whole place buL
Lhls wood frame lylng ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe concreLe floor."
PeaL and 8ook exchanged glances and nlkkl sald, uescrlbe lL for me, Lddle."
Slmple. Llke a wood palleL hammered LogeLher, klnd of crudely, buL ln Lhe shape of a blg x-abouL
seven feeL long, Lhree wlde. And Lhe Lhlng of lL ls, lL had sLraps aL each corner."
Llke resLralnLs," sald PeaL.
?eah, buL lmprovlsed. l Lhlnk Lhey were Lle-downs, llke you'd geL for sLrapplng a kayak Lo your roof
rack. Cf course, Lhls was Lhe polnL when me and 8ose LoLally fell ouL of Lhe drlve-up-drug-deal-gone-bad
noLlon. Somebody Look LhaL kld ln Lhere and lashed hlm Lo LhaL rlg." When PawLhorne's face grlmmed
up, lL was llke he was seelng someLhlng unpleasanL rlghL Lhen and Lhere lnsLead of years ago. ln
addlLlon Lo Lhe chaflng aL Lhe young man's wrlsLs and ankles, he had Lhese red marks llke a bad sunburn.
Cnly ln bloLchy areas all over hls skln. l'm Lalklng abouL hls chesL, hls legs, hls . . . hls groln . . ." Lddle
wlnced and sald, ?ou geL Lhe ldea. Charles and l worked lL as besL we could, buL glven Lhe kld's hlsLory
of drugs and drug busLs and all Lhe crazy and dangerous sLuff he goL lnLo, lL wenL down as a sour drug
deal."
WhaL abouL Lhe LorLure?" asked 8ook. uldn'L LhaL play ln?"
Ch, yeah." PawLhorne nodded. CCML sald lL was elecLrlcal, someLhlng called a 1LnS. 1haL [usL
added credence Lo Lhe bad drug deal Lheory, saylng PuddlesLon wasn'L a drlve-up LargeL of opporLunlLy
buL was probably deallng regularly wlLh a player who Lhe kld shorLed on money, and Lhe LorLure and
kllllng was payback Lo make hlm an example Lo oLhers or Lo lncrease Lhe dealer's sLaLus ln Lhe ranks."
l'm noL accuslng, Lddle, l'm [usL asklng Lhls Lo geL lnLo Lhe load CapLaln MonLrose was carrylng,"
sald nlkkl genLly. ?ou guys dldn'L Lake lL any furLher?"
We wanLed Lo, buL Lhe PuddlesLon famlly, Lhey were begglng for closure. 1hey'd had enough, so
pressure came from downLown Lo move on, especlally slnce Lhere'd been offlclal dlsposlLlon. And Lhen
Charles goL hls promoLlon and Look over Lhe 1wenLleLh, so lL fell away."
PeaL handed hlm Lhe mug shoL of Serglo 1orres. 1hls guy would have been dolng some low-level
deallng norLh of 116Lh and ln Lhe 8ronx back Lhen. Lver come across hlm?"
Pe sLudled lL carefully and sald, no, buL LhaL doesn'L mean he wasn'L around. l was Pomlclde, noL
narcoLlcs."
Speaklng of whlch, does Lhls guy look famlllar? Pe worked narco around Lhen."
Lddle Look Lhe plcLure of SLel[ess and sald, Mad uog."
WhaL do you know abouL hlm?"
1oLal dlpshlL, LhaL's all you needed Lo know. Pe was undercover buL everyone knew he crossed
over. WenL naLlve, you could smell lL on hlm." Pe handed Lhe plcLure back. l hear Lhey drummed hlm
ouL. Cood rlddance."
Well sald," from 8ook.
AfLer PeaL Look back Lhe plcLures, she sald, Cne more quesLlon, lf you don'L mlnd, Lddle. Who was
Lhe blg player Lhen?"
ln drugs? upLown and ln Lhe 8ronx?" Pe chuckled. Cne man, Ale[andro MarLlnez."
Cn Lhe fllghL back Lo LaCuardla nlkkl sald, nlce one, Lhlnklng abouL Lddle."
noL a problem. l am an lnvesLlgaLlve [ournallsL, you know."
Ch? And l undersLand you also have noL one, buL Lwo ullLzers." She drllled hls rlbs wlLh her
knuckle.
uo l say LhaL Loo ofLen?"
noL really. Maybe lf you [usL carrled Lhe awards around lL would be more subLle." She laughed and
sald, 8uL you dld puL your LalenLs Lo good use. Lven lf we don'L know all Lhe answers Lo Lhls yeL, we do
know one Lhlng."
lf you're dyelng your halr black, keep ouL of dlrecL sunllghL?"
AbsoluLely." 1hen she grew serlous. AL leasL we know CapLaln MonLrose was worklng on
someLhlng and noL . . . you know."
ulrLy?"
And l knew lL. And now LhaL we've Lalked Lo Lddle, l Lruly know lL. So Lhanks, Llmes Lwo, ullLzer
boy. lor Lhe ldea and Lhe plane LlckeL."
8ook Lurned Lo her and sald, l don'L know who you're Lrylng Lo redeem, MonLrose or yourself, buL l
do know one Lhlng. l'm wlLh you on elLher."
PeaL had mulLlple volce malls from Cchoa when Lhey goL off Lhe plane. WhaL's up, Mlguel?" she sald ln
Lhe Laxl llne.
Where are you? l hear [eLs."
AL Lhe alrporL. 8ook and l [usL wenL Lo llorlda." And Lhen she couldn'L reslsL addlng, lor lunch."
Man, my frosLblLe has frosLblLe. l wanL Lo geL suspended."
Ch, yeah," sald PeaL, besL week of my llfe."
llrsL off, SLel[ess dld have hls old cuff case and holsLer buL no scrapes maLchlng LhaL leaLher blL.
Same on MonLrose's leaLhers. Ck, more on Lhe capLaln. 8aley and l wenL Lo lorenslcs and personally
checked ouL Lhe quesLlons you had abouL hls weapon. Pe had a full magazlne mlnus one bulleL."
WhaLever rellef nlkkl had felL afLer meeLlng wlLh Lddle PawLhorne flushed ouL of her. A deep sadness
grlpped her. 8ook read lL on her and mouLhed a sllenL whaL?" buL she waved hlm off. 1hen Cchoa sald,
8uL hang on. l checked hls backup magazlne from hls belL and dlscovered someLhlng lnLeresLlng."
PeaL sald lL flrsL. Cne's mlsslng."
Lven beLLer. noL only ls one mlsslng, Lhe Lop load ln hls gun's mag was Lhe orphan from LhaL spare
cllp." nlkkl could feel her splrlLs rlse back up whlle ueLecLlve Cchoa conLlnued, no prlnLs on Lhe
carLrldge, whlch ls also sLrange-noL even MonLrose's."
noL [usL sLrange," PeaL sald, slgnlflcanL. l mean, come on, how does a dead man reload?"
Lvenlng rush hour Lrafflc back Lo ManhaLLan gave 8ook an exLra LhlrLy mlnuLes ln Lhe rear of Lhe cab Lo
work ouL a scenarlo Lo spln over Cchoa's revelaLlon. 1hls ls blg. no dlsrespecL Lo Lhe vaunLed Mr. le
Carre, buL Lhls ls blgger Lhan coll fot tbe ueoJ. 1hls ls a dead man's bulleL. Pey, l Lhlnk l have Lhe LlLle for
my arLlcle. l should wrlLe lL down. no, l'll remember, lL's LhaL good." nlkkl dldn'L even boLher Lrylng Lo
reel hlm ln. Pe was noL only more enLerLalnlng Lhan Lhe 1axl 1v embedded ln Lhe drlver's seaL
back-she had Lhe Sam Champlon promo memorlzed by now, anyway-8ook was llke Lhe broken clock
LhaL managed Lo be correcL Lwo Llmes a day. lor once he was Lhlnklng ouL loud abouL someLhlng she
wanLed Lo hear. 8ecause she was sorLlng lL ouL, Loo.
Ck, here's how lL spools for me," he sald. MonLrose ls parked ln Lhe car and bad guy x, ln Lhe
passenger seaL, has goL hls gun somehow. uon'L know how LhaL happened buL l say lL dld, oLherwlse Lhls
doesn'L play."
PeaL sald, We can slfL Lhe deLalls laLer. keep golng."
llne, so MonLrose's weapon ls ln Lhe hands of hls passenger, who has elLher been holdlng lL on hlm
or he Lakes Lhe capLaln by surprlse. Anyway, Lhe passenger [ams Lhe gun under hls chln, and pow. Whlch
also explalns why a chln shoL and no eaLlng Lhe barrel."
nlkkl agreed so far. And why Lauren expressed reservaLlons abouL Lhe Lra[ecLory."
?es. now, here ls where we go a llLLle Mlssloo. lmposslble, buL sLay wlLh me because lL's absoluLely
feaslble. MonLrose ls dead. 1he lssue for Lhe shooLer becomes how do you sell Lhls as a sulclde lf Lhe
resldue ls on your hands, noL Lhe vlcLlm's? Answer: ?ou hold Lhe gun ln Lhe dead man's hand and flre
anoLher shoL. roblem 2: 1hen Lhe magazlne ls down noL one, buL Lwo bulleLs, leavlng a loL of messy
quesLlons Lo compllcaLe Lhlngs. So whaL Lhe klller does ls flL Lhe gun lnLo MonLrose's hand, hold lL ouL
Lhe car wlndow, squeeze off Lhe second shoL Lo geL resldue on Lhe capLaln, rlghL? 1hen replace LhaL
second bulleL by uslng gloved hands Lo Lake one of MonLrose's own bulleLs-guaranLeed Lo maLch hls
weapon-from Lhe spare mag on hls belL. 1he klller slldes LhaL round lnLo Lhe Lop of Lhe cllp. lL looks llke
a perfecL one-shoL sulclde, and he spllLs."
?ou don'L ofLen hear me say Lhls, Mr. Consplracy 1heory, buL l Lhlnk you're on Lo someLhlng."
8ook sald, ?es, buL lL's pure hypoLhesls, rlghL? And LhaL doesn'L hold waLer."
So leaky LhaL lf you Look Lhls Lheory Lo Lhe ueparLmenL, you'd need a mop."
We could glve lL a Lry. l mean you do know a good waLer damage servlce, don'L you, from Lhe crlme
scene?"
1hey rode ln sllence a momenL, nlkkl sLarlng aL Lhe sllhoueLLe of Lhe ManhaLLan skyllne ln Lhe
greenlng sky of LwlllghL. 1hen she pulled ouL her cell phone. WhaL?" asked 8ook.
PeaL dldn'L answer. She dlaled 411 and asked for Lhe number of Cn Call waLer damage resLoraLlon.
8ook sald, l was [oklng, you know."
ueWayne owell from Cn Call meL Lhem ln fronL of Lhe CraesLone Con domlnlums, where PeaL had seen
hlm parked Lhe day of MonLrose's shooLlng. ?ou goL here fasL," she sald.
When you're name's Cn Call, LhaL's whaL you do. 8esldes, l have Lwo broLhers who are flreflghLers,
so l llke Lo do whaL l can Lo help ouL, you know?"
MusL be handy," sald 8ook, havlng a few of Lhe 8ravesL ln Lhe famlly when you're ln Lhe waLer
clean-up buslness."
ueWayne beamed a sunny smlle. know how lawyers chase ambulances? l do flre Lrucks."
1ell me whaL you were dolng here Lhe oLher day," sald nlkkl.
l'm happy Lo go Lhrough lL wlLh you agaln, buL l already Lold Lhose oLher deLecLlves everyLhlng l
saw. noL much Lo add when you saw noLhlng."
PeaL shook her head. l don'L mean abouL Lhe shooLlng. l mean, why were you called ln?"
1hey needed flashllghLs by Lhen, buL ueWayne had Lhree ln hls van and Lhey Look Lhem up on Lhe roof.
Pe shlned hls aL an array of orange safeLy cones connecLed LogeLher by yellow Lape. 1haL's where l dld
my paLchlng. 8ulldlng's golng Lo redo Lhe whole roof, so LhaL'll be lL unLll sprlng."
And any ldea where Lhe leak came from?" sald nlkkl.
Ch, absoluLely." ueWayne Lralned hls llghL on Lhe wooden waLer Lank on sLllLs above Lhem. lL
resembled Lhe hundreds of cedar Lanks aLop all Lhe bulldlngs PeaL had been looklng aL from Lhe cab
when she was checklng ouL Lhe skyllne. lolks on Lhe Lop floor called and sald Lhey were geLLlng flooded
Lhrough Lhe celllng. WlLh Lhe freeze, we flgured a busLed plpe or whaLever. 8uL lL was from Lhe Lank."
Pe waggled hls llghL beam over a fresh cedar plank. Leak dralned a few hundred gallons before we goL
here. 8y Lhen, waLer level was low enough lL sLopped by lLself."
uon'L know whaL caused lL?" 8ook was looklng sLralghL aL nlkkl when he asked lL. 8oLh were
Lhlnklng Lhe same Lhlng.
nah," sald ueWayne. WaLer was done leaklng by Lhen, so lL dldn'L maLLer Lo me. llgured LhaL
wood [usL spllL ln Lhe cold. 1he Lank guy couldn'L come Llll Lhe nexL day, so l never heard whaL made Lhe
leak happen."
8ook leaned and whlspered ln PeaL's ear. My money's on a bulleL hole from shoL number Lwo."
Cn Lhe rlde back Lo 8ook's lofL, nlkkl speed-dlaled Cchoa. ?ou'll be sure Lo leL me know when l've
depleLed Lhe favor bank, won'L you?"
Pey, no problem. 1he way lL's golng here aL Lhe 1wo-oh, lL's nlce Lo acLually engage ln some real
pollce work."
lron Man?"
Pas no plan." She could hear 8aley laughlng ln Lhe background. Cchoa sald, 8aley wanLs me Lo Lell
you LhaL CapLaln lrons has seL up elghL A.M. Lomorrow for desk lnspecLlon. lor real. lf we can'L clean up
Lhe sLreeLs, aL leasL we can Lldy up our work areas."
PeaL sald, lL's probably besL LhaL Lhls lsn'L sourced from me, so ln abouL Len mlnuLes, you're golng
Lo geL a call from a ueWayne owell. Pe's Lhe guy who dlscovered MonLrose's body. Pe's golng Lo
reporL LhaL Lhe more he LhoughL abouL lL, Lhe waLer leak he goL called ln Lo clean up was from a bulleL
hole ln Lhe waLer Lank on Lop of Lhe bulldlng near Lhe capLaln's car."
!eez," sald Cchoa as he was sLruck by Lhe lmpllcaLlons. Cap's bulleL wenL sLralghL up, so Lhls one . .
."
8lghL," sald nlkkl. Could be Lhe orphan slug from hls backup magazlne. LlsLen, my guess ls lf a slug
puncLured LhaL cedar and goL slowed by a Lwelve-fooL-dlameLer Lank of waLer, lL probably dldn'L exlL."
We are all over lL, LrusL me."
Cood, buL walL for ueWayne's call. l [usL wanLed Lo glve you Lhe heads-up so you Look hlm
serlously and had lorenslcs check ouL LhaL Lank."
Wlll do," he sald.
And Mlguel? 1hls ls all because of Lhe [ob you and 8ales dld Loday double-checklng hls weapon and
ammo. lf we prove homlclde lnsLead of sulclde, you've done Lhls man a greaL servlce."
Pey, l'll puL on a mask and fllppers myself, lf l have Lo." And as she looked up aL Lhe Cnn
!umbo1ron above Columbus Clrcle and saw lL was mlnus-Lhree degrees, nlkkl knew LhaL was exacLly
whaL he would do lf lL came down Lo lL.
8ook was hungry, buL she was Loo amped Lo eaL, so he zapped Lhe scar parlello LhaL was lefL over from
Lhe nlghL before whlle she pulled a dlnlng room chalr up Lo face Murder 8oard SouLh and Look a seaL for
her conLemplaLlon. Pow was lL?" she sald when he aLe hls lasL blLe.
Lven beLLer as a lefLover," he sald. And how dld you know l was done, do you have eyes ln Lhe
back of your head?"
no, l have ears. ?ou sLopped moanlng ln ecsLasy."
Ah. So LhaL's how you know when l'm done."
She Lurned Lo hlm wearlng a sly smlle. l know when you're done, mlsLer. ?ou're done when l'm
done."
lL's a beauLlful Lhlng," he sald. She Lurned her aLLenLlon back Lo Lhe board, Lhen rose wlLh a red
marker and drew clrcles around 8ook's noLaLlon: MonLrose-WhaL was he dolng??" Pe sald, Cuess we
goL Lhe answer Lo LhaL Loday, Lhanks Lo Lddle."
no, we goL half of lL. We know whaL he was Lrylng Lo do, buL we don'L know whaL lnvesLlgaLlve
course he was followlng. And he kepL lL from me. LlLher because he had some prlde Lhlng abouL cracklng
lL hlmself or he dldn'L wanL Lo admlL lL lf he falled."
Cr . . . ," sald 8ook. More llkely, he knew lL was dangerous and was Lrylng Lo keep you ouL of lL.
Lven aL Lhe expense of plsslng you off."
She mulled LhaL, Lhen sald, Cr any of Lhe above. 8uL whaL were hls leads? Where was he golng?"
?ou could have 8oach check hls flles, buL, accordlng Lo you, lnLernal Affalrs beamed Lhem up Lo Lhe
moLher shlp."
l knew MonLrose, and lf he wanLed secrecy he wouldn'L have kepL anyLhlng aL Lhe offlce. Lspeclally
wlLh lA all over hlm." PeaL Lapped Lhe barrel of Lhe marker agalnsL her llp and Lhen Lossed lL on Lhe Lray,
a declslon made. l wanL Lo break lnLo hls aparLmenL."
lL was nlne-LhlrLy, sLlll early enough noL Lo freak ouL CapLaln Mon Lrose's nexL-door nelghbor, alLhough
enny Lhe dachshund wenL on hlgh alerL on Lhe oLher slde of Lhe door afLer Lhey knocked. As Lhe
mulLlple locks snapped open, Lhey heard Corrlne llaherLy shushlng and saylng, 8elax, en, lL's nlkkl,
you know nlkkl." She opened Lhe door and Lhe Lwo women hugged. Corrlne, dowdy and laLe flfLles,
prlmped her halr and sald, l'm glad you called, lL gave me a chance Lo chase Lhe men ouL."
1he long-halred mlnl dachshund Lurned absoluLely lnslde ouL over 8ook. She rolled onLo her back ln
Lhe llvlng room, and he knelL on Lhe carpeL Lo admlnlsLer a Lummy rub whlle she melLed, her caramel Lall
wavlng llke a flag. l'm nexL," sald Corrlne, followed by a smoker's laugh.
When she excused herself from Lhe room, 8ook sLood and sald Lo PeaL, So how are we golng Lo do
Lhls, use her balcony Lo [ump Lo MonLrose's llke Splder-Man? l mean Lhe movle, noL Lhe muslcal, lL's slx
floors down and l don'L have my healLh lnsurance card on me."
Pow would we geL ln Lhe slldlng door on hls balcony lf lL's locked, whlch you know lL musL be?"
Pmm," he sald, does Corrlne have a hammer? l could break Lhe glass wlLh a mlghLy blow."
Pere ya go, nlkkl," sald Corrlne as she came back from Lhe klLchen wlLh a key rlng. 1hls one's Lhe
knob, Lhls ls Lhe deadbolL."
8ook frowned as lf deep ln LhoughL and sald, Spare keys. very crafLy."
AL MonLrose's fronL door 8ook sLepped ln fronL of PeaL, blocklng her. l'll do Lhls parL." Pe Lore Lhe
pollce Lape seals off Lhe door and sLepped back. Wouldn'L wanL you geLLlng ln any Lrouble wlLh Lhe
cops, ha ha."
Cnce Lhey were lnslde, nlkkl felL a chlll LhaL had noLhlng Lo do wlLh Lhe low LhermosLaL. 1hey klcked
up Lhe Lemp and Lurned on all Lhe llghLs, buL lL sLlll felL llke a place LhaL would never be warm for her
agaln. She kepL her coaL on and sLood ln Lhe mlddle of Lhe llvlng room, Lurnlng a slow roLaLlon, Lrylng Lo
puL aslde memorles of Lhe dlnners she had en[oyed wlLh Lhe sklp and auleLLa or Lhe Super 8owl parLy
Lhe capLaln had lnvlLed her squad Lo Lhree years before, afLer Lhey goL Lhelr clLaLlon for Lop case
clearances. She shuL Lhose Lhlngs ouL as besL she could and slmply observed.
Cn Lhe way over Lhe brldge Lo Cueens, she had Lold 8ook noL Lo expecL much, LhaL lnLernal Affalrs
would have been over Lhe aparLmenL [usL llke hls offlce. She sald Lo expecL furnlLure buL no flles or
anyLhlng llke LhaL. 1hose lLems would have been boxed and lnvenLorled and shlpped off for
examlnaLlon. When he asked her whaL she was looklng for Lhen, she Lold hlm whaLever lA mlghL have
mlssed LhaL she wouldn'L. 1hey were only lnvesLlgaLlng hlm. l'm clearlng hlm."
1hey worked LogeLher meLhodlcally, 8ook followlng her lead and her lnsLrucLlons. 1he baLhrooms
were Lhe flrsL sLops. Cops knew LhaL's where mosL people hld Lhelr valuables because Lhere was so
much Lo look Lhrough. 8uL when Lhey opened Lhe cablneLs, Lhey saw LhaL clearly lA had had Lhe same
LhoughL, because Lhe shelves were bare ln Lhe medlclne chesLs and under Lhe slnks of boLh baLhrooms.
1he klLchen was much Lhe same. AlLhough a few lLems were lefL on Lhe panLry shelves, mosL lLems had
been cleared ouL and were no doubL gone over by downLown.
1he second bedroom, whlch had been converLed Lo a sLudy, had been plcked clean, as PeaL had
predlcLed. 1hey could see Lhe gaps on Lhe shelves where books and vldeos had been removed. 1he desk
drawers were empLy, and Lhere were compresslon llnes on Lhe rug from Lhe fooLprlnLs of absenL flllng
cablneLs. 1he masLer bedroom was an easy search. 1he bed had been sLrlpped and Lhe frame was
empLy, Lhe maLLress and box sprlng were leanlng neaLly agalnsL a wall. noL looklng so promlslng," sald
8ook.
lL never does unLll lL ls." 8uL she was feellng Lhe fuLlllLy as well. 1ell you whaL, l'll Lake Lhe closeL,
you do Lhe dresser, Lhen leL's call lL a nlghL."
nlkkl was slldlng sulLs on hangers along Lhe wooden pole when 8ook sald, Ch, ueLecLlve PeaL?"
When she sLepped ouL of Lhe walk-ln, he was aL Lhe dresser. 1he Lop drawer was open.
l'm noL sure lf Lhls wlll be anyLhlng, buL lf lL ls, l flgured you deserved Lhe honors." She slowly
crossed Lhe room Lo [oln hlm, Lhen followed hls gaze down lnLo Lhe open drawer.
CapLaln MonLrose's sock drawer. ln lL were abouL a dozen palrs of black and navy dress socks, folded
and balled Lo marry Lhe palrs. And Loward Lhe back of Lhe drawer, a lone belge sock wlLhouL a maLe.
nlkkl looked up aL 8ook. 8oLh were Lhlnklng lL, buL nelLher was saylng lL.
An odd sock.
PeaL plcked lL up. Per hearL raced when she dld. 1here's someLhlng ln lL."
Come on, l'm gonna pee myself."
nlkkl opened Lhe sock and reached lnslde. lL's cardboard." She pulled lL ouL. lL was a buslness card.
lor a LalenL represenLaLlve. 1hls ls for PorsL Meuller's agenL."
When she Lurned lL over her LhroaL conLracLed and she sLlfled an lnvolunLary wall. She covered her
face wlLh one hand and Lurned away as she handed Lhe card Lo 8ook. Pe fllpped lL over. 1he ballpolnL
handwrlLlng read, nlkkl, [usL be careful."
Slx1LLn
AL nlne Lhe nexL mornlng, when PeaL and 8ook cllmbed Lhe subway sLeps up Lo 18Lh SLreeL, a frozen mlsL
was descendlng on Chelsea, wrapplng Lhe nelghborhood ln a harsh, woolen chlll. 1hey crossed SevenLh,
headlng wesL, Loward Lhe agenL's offlce, [olnlng an eclecLlc sldewalk mlx of LorLured young arLlsLs and upsLarL
dancers who mlghL have been casL ln a muslc-vldeo saluLe Lo broodlng. 8y Lhe Llme Lhey reached LlghLh,
8ook sald he had sLopped counLlng navy bereLs.
When Lhey enLered Lhe Lhlrd-floor walk-up offlce of Lhe SLep 1hls Way 1alenL Agency, hll odemskl
was eaLlng Lake-ouL oaLmeal aL hls desk. As he swepL old Lrade magazlnes and newspapers from hls
couch onLo Lhe floor so Lhey could slL, Lhe agenL eyeballed nlkkl and sald he could really do someLhlng
wlLh her, conslderlng her flgure and looks. ?ou have Lo sLrlp, of course. noL for me, l don'L go for any
funny buslness, l mean ln Lhe acL."
Much as l appreclaLe Lhe offer," she sald, LhaL's noL why we're here."
Ch . . ." odemskl slzed up 8ook and Lugged aL hls orange ?osemlLe Sam musLache. Sure, guess l
could glve you a bullwhlp and a fedora. We'd markeL you as lndlana 8ones. Cr maybe go scl-fl. ?ou sorLa
look llke LhaL guy who roamed ouLer space everybody's so crazy abouL."
Malcolm 8eynolds?" asked 8ook.
Who? . . . no, l'm Lhlnklng we glve you a space helmeL and some assless chaps and call you . . . 8uLL
8ogers."
When nlkkl [umped ln and Lold hlm Lhey were Lhere Lo Lalk abouL PorsL Meuller, odemskl sLuck Lhe
plasLlc spoon back ln Lhe wlde-mouLhed dell cup and frowned whlle he flnlshed chewlng. ?ou cops?"
nlkkl dodged Lelllng an ouLrlghL lle by saylng, ?ou already spoke Lo one of my squad members, a
ueLecLlve 8hymer?" When LhaL seemed enough of an answer, she pressed forward. PeaL wasn'L sure
whaL she was looklng for yeL, buL CapLaln MonLrose had gone Lo greaL efforL Lo leave her a posLhumous
clue leadlng Lo odemskl's agency. Pe had also Lold her Lo be careful, alLhough her assessmenL of Lhe
agenL hlmself was LhaL he was more colorful Lhan dangerous, a lovable schemer sLralghL ouL of
8tooJwoy uoooy kose.
nlkkl Lold odemskl she was wlLh hls cllenL Lhe day he goL shoL buL LhaL PorsL had been
uncooperaLlve. uo you have any ldea why he won'L speak Lo us?"
1haL kld, l dunno. Slnce Lhe boyfrlend passed on, he hasn'L been Lhe same. Pls acL as Pans Alloffur
ls my blg draw. 8uL he ducked ouL on me afLer hls pal Alan dled, dldn'L even Lell me where he moved."
nlkkl remembered LhaL from 8hymer's reporL, whlch was why her plan wlLh hll odemskl was Lo
drlll down more on Lhe dead lover, slnce LhaL was drlvlng Meuller's acLlons. She fllpped up Lhe cover of
her noLebook. 1ell me abouL Lhe boyfrlend. Alan who?"
8arclay. nlce guy. Clder Lhan PorsL, maybe flfLy. ln good shape buL had one of Lhose gray
complexlons wlLh Lhe hollow eyes and dark clrcles llke you see on people ln nurslng homes."
8ook sald, And healLh food sLores." nlkkl shoL hlm a look. Ck, Lell me l'm wrong."
She Lurned back Lo odemskl. Pe had some cardlac problems, rlghL?"
?eah, LhaL's how he klcked. 1ragedy." 1he agenL sLlrred hls cold oaLmeal and shook hls head. l
never goL LhaL demo reel he sald he'd make for my agency."
Was he ln adverLlslng?"
nuh-uh. Cameraman." hll held up boLh hands. vldeographer, pardon me."
WhaL sorL of vldeo, Mr. odemskl?"
8eallLy 1v. ?ou ever waLch LhaL show loybock lloybock?"
8ook saL uprlghL. l love LhaL show." nlkkl shrugged, unfamlllar wlLh lL. ?ou haven'L seen lL? lL's
greaL. Lvery week Lhey have a dlfferenL vlcLlm who has been screwed by someone-personal
relaLlonshlp, car mechanlc, whaLever-and Lhey devlse a hldden camera payback for Lhe creep and play
lL back wlLh hlm slLLlng rlghL Lhere ln fronL of a nasLy sLudlo audlence LhaL yells, 'layback's a blLch!' "
My loss," she sald. So dld Lhls Alan 8arclay do any oLher klnd of vldeo work? AnyLhlng llke porn or
maybe bondage vldeos?" lL was a long shoL, buL she had Lo ask, glven where Lhe case sLarLed.
orn? no way. l'd beL Lhe farm agalnsL LhaL."
nlkkl asked, Pow come?"
Pe was Loo rellglous. SLrlcL CaLhollc. Alan was always Lrylng Lo geL PorsL Lo glve up Lhe sLrlp clubs
and go leglL. Maybe Lry ouL for Alvln Alley or !ullllard. Messlng wlLh my lncome, LhaL guy, may he resL ln
peace. Lven Lrled Lo geL hls pasLor Lo converL hlm."
8ook blurLed Lhe quesLlon before nlkkl could. uo you know who Alan 8arclay's pasLor was?"
Sure l do. Pe's Lhe one who goL murdered. lL was on Lhe news Lhe day afLer l meL hlm."
PeaL exchanged a glance wlLh 8ook and asked, Where dld you meeL hlm?"
8lghL here. 1he mornlng before he was kllled. Pe was camped ouL ln Lhe hall when l came Lo open
up. Sald PorsL Meuller Lold hlm Lo meeL hlm here aL nlne sharp, so l leL hlm ln. All Lhe whlle, l'm
wonderlng how Lhe hell do l enLerLaln a prlesL? 8uL PorsL shows up preLLy qulck. naLurally, l ask hlm
where he's been, and he says never mlnd-he's very nervous, freaked even. 1hen he and Lhe prlesL Lake
a walk. LasL Llme l saw PorsL Llll l heard he goL shoL."
PeaL qulckly ran Lhe evenLs of Lhe Lhe pasL week Lhrough her memory and asked, Pow come you
dldn'L Lell any of Lhls Lo ueLecLlve 8hymer when he lnLervlewed you?"
Pey, don'L geL mad aL me, l was only dolng whaL LhaL oLher cop Lold me Lo do, whlch was noL Lo Lell
anyone."
PeaL felL her pulse fluLLer. WhaL oLher cop sald LhaL Lo you, Mr. odemskl?"
Pe was a deLecLlve, Loo. 1he one who kllled hlmself."
PeaL sald, CapLaln MonLrose?"
MonLrose, LhaL's rlghL." odemskl flshed Lhe capLaln's buslness card ouL of Lhe slush plle aLop hls
desk. Pe showed up here a couple hours afLer PorsL Look off wlLh LhaL prlesL. Sald he wanLed Lo know
where Lhey wenL or lf Lhey lefL anyLhlng behlnd, you know, for me Lo hold or sLash."
uld he say whaL lL was? Money, an ob[ecL?" asked 8ook.
odemskl shook no. !usL Lold me Lo call hlm lf anybody else came looklng and Lo Lell nobody abouL
any of lL. noL even oLher cops."
Pas anybody else come by looklng for whaLever Lhls ls?" asked 8ook.
nope."
nlkkl sald, Mlnd lf l ask why you're Lelllng me?"
Cuz l [usL reallzed LhaL you're Lhe lady cop from LhaL magazlne. l flgured lf l can'L LrusL you, pack lL
ln."
8ook hlL Lhe sldewalk ready Lo rock and roll. We've goL hlm now. l'm Lelllng you, nlk, LhaL Cerman ls ln
Lhls up Lo hls umlauL."
Pow can you know LhaL?" she asked.
Come on, Meuller flghLs wlLh Craf aL Lhe sLrlp club, Meuller leads Craf away Lhe mornlng he's
murdered, Meuller runs from you . . . lf you wanL Lo know why he hld ouL and qulL Lhose danclng [obs, l
refer you Lo Mr. Ceorge Mlchael's Lheory abouL gullLy feeL and rhyLhm."
8ook, Lhlnk of our Llmellne and Lell me Lhls. Meuller lefL odemskl's agency wlLh laLher Craf [usL
afLer nlne A.M. Pow ls lL Lhen LhaL Craf shows up aL Iostlclo o CootJo headquarLers very much allve an
hour and a half laLer?"
8ook shlfLed gears llke noLhlng had happened. 8lghL. AlLernaLe LhoughL, LhaL's good. Any oLher
noLlons?"
no, a quesLlon. l wanL Lo know whaL a male sLrlpper could have wlLh hlm LhaL MonLrose would
wanL and LhaL goL so many people kllled. l wanL Lo Lalk Lo PorsL Meuller agaln."
CreaL, leL's go."
noL yeL."
AbsoluLely noL," sald 8ook, defLly fllp-flopplng. Why noL?"
8ecause Meuller plays Loo close Lo Lhe vesL. l wanL Lo confronL hlm, buL l wanL Lo go ln Lhere
knowlng more Lhan he Lhlnks l do," sald PeaL. So leL's be smarL and use Lhe help MonLrose gave us. Pe
led us Lo LhaL agenL for a reason. Slnce we already knew abouL Meuller, l Lhlnk lL was Lo polnL us Lo hls
lover, Lhe vldeographer. LeL's see whaL we can flnd ouL abouL Alan 8arclay."
8ook halled a cab, and on Lhe way Lo CemsLar SLudlos ln Cueens, where Lhey produced loybock
lloybock, PeaL called Mrs. 8orelll aL Lhe recLory. 1he housekeeper noL only conflrmed LhaL Alan 8arclay
was a parlshloner aL Cur Lady of Lhe lnnocenLs buL LhaL laLher Craf sald hls funeral Mass and dellvered
Lhe eulogy Lwo weeks earller. 1hey knew each oLher very well, Lhen? Were Lhey frlends?"
l wouldn'L exacLly call Lhem frlends," sald Lhe woman. Alan had some moral crlsls he was deallng
wlLh, and laLher was counsellng hlm. 1he lasL days of poor Mr. 8arclay's llfe, Lhlngs goL qulLe heaLed ln
laLher Cerry's sLudy."
uld you hear whaL Lhey were argulng abouL, Mrs. 8?"
Afrald noL, ueLecLlve. l may be nosy buL l'm noL a snoop."
PeaL Lold SecurlLy she and 8ook would walL ln Lhe lobby for Lhe pro ducer, malnly so nobody would ask
her Lo flash Lln. lf-as Lhe glanL posLer on Lhe sLudlo wall sald, 1he layback ls a 8lLch!"-so was belng a
cop wlLhouL a shleld. 1he bearded man ln Lhe sporL coaL and [eans who came ouL of Lhe double glass
doors Lo meeL Lhem lnLroduced hlmself as Lhe llne producer, whlch meanL LhaL !lm SLeele's purvlew was
Lhe show's physlcal producLlon, lncludlng hlrlng Lhe camera crew. Pe asked lf Lhere had been some
nelghborhood complalnL abouL damage or nolse from Lhelr locaLlon shooLlng and relaxed measurably
when she Lold hlm no.
l [usL wanL Lo ask you a few quesLlons abouL one of your former crew. Alan 8arclay."
SLeele closed hls eyes momenLarlly and Lold her LhaL Lhe whole crew was sLlll mournlng hlm. lf you
lead a good llfe, lf you're forLunaLe enough, you geL a chance Lo work wlLh a guy llke Alan. A lovely man.
very glvlng and an arLlsL wlLh LhaL camera. 1oLal pro."
nlkkl sald, Pls name has come up relaLed Lo a case we are lnvesLlgaLlng, and l'm really looklng for
some background on hlm."
noL a loL Lo Lell. Pe's been wlLh me here slnce l hlred hlm freelance on uoot lotqet to uock."
CreaL efflng show," sald 8ook.
1he producer browsed hlm warlly Lhen conLlnued, 1haL would have been 2003. Alan was so glfLed l
broughL hlm onLo lloybock when we goL our syndlcaLlon order."
WhaL abouL before LhaL," asked PeaL, had he worked anoLher show?"
no, ln facL, he was sorL of a rlsky hlre for me because hls background was news shooLlng."
8ook sald, neLwork or local sLaLlons?"
nelLher. Pe'd been a rover for one of Lhe sLrlnger companles LhaL provlde vldeo fooLage Lo local
sLaLlons LhaL cuL back on budgeLs. ?ou know, sLaLlons can'L [usLlfy Lhe unlon crews Lo walL around on Lhe
overnlghL shlfL Lo shooL Lhe occaslonal car accldenLs and robberles, so lnsLead, Lhey buy cllps from Lhe
sLrlngers on an as-needed basls."
uo you know offhand who Alan 8arclay worked for?" asked PeaL.
CoLham CuLsource." SLeele's smarL phone buzzed and he checked Lhe screen. LlsLen, l've goL Lo
geL back ln Lhere. uo you have all you need?"
Sure do. 1hanks," she sald.
8efore he lefL, Lhe producer sald, Mlnd lf l ask you a quesLlon? uo you guys ever compare noLes?"
nlkkl sald, l'm noL sure whaL you mean."
Cne of your deLecLlves was here a llLLle over a week ago asklng Lhe same quesLlons."
1he asslgnmenL manager of CoLham CuLsource had Lhe cranky de meanor of a Laxl dlspaLcher. Pe half-
swlveled from hls compuLer monlLor and, over Lhe chaLLer and elecLronlc nolse of a few dozen scanners,
sald, l already covered all Lhls wlLh your oLher sulL a week, Len days ago, you know."
CapLaln MonLrose, rlghL?"
?eah, same dude who Len-elghLled hlmself," he sald, uslng Lhe pollce radlo code for Cancel."
PeaL wanLed Lo slap hlm hard enough for hls headseL Lo embed lLself ln hls pea braln. 8ook elLher
sensed or shared her dlsLasLe and lnLerceded. Cover lL agaln, lL'll Lake you Lwo mlnuLes. Pow long dld
Alan 8arclay work for you?"
SLarLed ln 2001. We doubled our crews afLer 9/11, and he was parL of Lhe blg hlre."
And you were happy wlLh hlm?" asked nlkkl, pasL her anger for Lhe momenL.
l was unLll l wasn'L."
She sald, Pelp me ouL Lhere."
Cuy ended up belng my besL shooLer. CreaL shoLs, hard worker, noL afrald Lo geL close Lo Lhe
acLlon. 1hen he [usL flakes ouL on me. AJlos. uoesn'L even come ln Lo qulL or say klss my royal red
hlnder. !usL sLops showlng." Pe sucked hls LeeLh. lreelancers. 1hese lowllfes are one rung above
paparazzl."
PeaL couldn'L walL Lo geL some dlsLance from Lhls goon, buL she had one more Lhlng Lo flnd ouL. uo
you remember Lhe daLe he qulL so suddenly?"
Pe gesLured wlLh boLh arms Lo Lhe roomful of pollce radlos and 1v monlLors. uo l look llke l'd
remember Lhe daLe?"
1ry," sald 8ook.
1he man scoffed. ?ou're no cop. noL wearlng a fancy waLch llke LhaL. ?ou goL noLhlng over me."
8ook brushed pasL nlkkl, rlpped Lhe headseL off Lhe guy, and spun hls chalr so he was nose-Lo-nose
wlLh hlm. Pey, Ld Murrow, whaL would lL cosL your buslness lf l called ln a safeLy Llp and some clLy
lnspecLlons of your fleeL of news vans sLopped you from prowllng for a nlghL or Lhree?" Pe paused. l
LhoughL so." 1hen 8ook wroLe hls phone number down and sLuffed lL ln Lhe man's shlrL pockeL. SLarL
rememberlng."
When PorsL Meuller woke up from hls nap, he gasped. 8ook was lean lng over hls hosplLal bed holdlng a
very large syrlnge ln Lhe Cerman's face. uon'L worry, Perr Meuller," he sald ln a sofL volce, l won'L
hurL you." ?eL he dldn'L move away, elLher. 8uL do you see how very easy lL would be for someone else
Lo klll you whlle you slepL?" 8ook genLly swung Lhe hypodermlc back and forLh, Meuller's eyes followed
lL, blg and wlde llke a caL clock. ?ou're ln a hosplLal, so Lhere are so many ways. l've heard of conLracL
klllers who dress llke nurses and ln[ecL polson lnLo Lhe lv drlp of Lhelr vlcLlms." Meuller felL around for
Lhe call buLLon, and 8ook smlled and held lL up wlLh hls oLher hand. 1o llve, press one now."
PorsL's face wore a sheen of persplraLlon. PeaL Lapped 8ook on Lhe shoulder and sald, l Lhlnk he
goL Lhe message."
1rue. no need Lo beaL a dead . . . Ch, l wanL Lo say 'PorsL' so bad. 8uL lL would be beneaLh even
me."
WhaL are you Lrylng Lo do?" asked Meuller.
nlkkl pulled a chalr bedslde. 1o geL you Lo see LhaL lf you don'L help us caLch whoever you're so
afrald of, l can'L proLecL you from Lhem. nobody can. ?ou wlll never be safe. Anywhere." She walLed,
waLchlng hlm process. So you have a cholce. WalL for Lhem Lo come or help me geL Lhem before Lhey
geL you."
Meuller's eyes wenL from her Lo 8ook, who sLood behlnd PeaL. Pe held up Lhe syrlnge and wlnked.
All rlghL," slghed Lhe Cerman. very well."
CuL came Lhe noLebook. PeaL sald, Who shoL you?"
l don'L know, honesLly."
Was lL Lhe same people who LorLured you?"
Pe pursed hls llps. l dldn'L see who shoL me, and Lhe oLhers wore skl masks."
Pow many were Lhere?"
1wo. 1wo men."
Why, PorsL? WhaL's Lhls abouL?"
Whoever lL ls wanLs someLhlng. SomeLhlng Lhey Lhlnk l have, buL l don'L. PonesLly, l don'L."
She looked aL hls pleadlng eyes and belleved hlm. lor now. LeL's Lalk abouL whaL lL ls Lhey wanL." Pe
reLreaLed lnLo hlmself, and so she prompLed hlm. lL has someLhlng Lo do wlLh your boyfrlend, doesn'L
lL? WlLh Alan?" When nlkkl saw Lhe dramaLlc change of expresslon, she was glad she'd walLed Lo
confronL hlm unLll Lhey had done some legwork.
Io, LhaL ls rlghL."
And whaL ls lL, PorsL?" When he heslLaLed, she helped hlm along. She wanLed Lo keep lL movlng
whlle he was ln Lhe mood and also recognlzed he was ln recovery from hls wound and would faLlgue
shorLly. ls lL money?" Pe shook no. 8uL lL ls someLhlng valuable." Pe nodded. nlkkl goL Llny head
shakes for each lLem on her llsL: [ewels, arL, drugs. 1hen she arrlved where she wanLed Lo land. lL's a
vldeo, lsn'L lL?"
Pe sLlrred and PeaL knew she had been rlghL. lL made sense Lo her LhaL someLhlng from Alan, a
vldeographer, would be a funglble lLem, qulLe valuable Lo someone, dependlng whaL was on lL. 1ell me
whaL's on Lhe vldeo, PorsL."
?ou musL belleve me, l do noL know. Alan would noL Lell me for Lhe reasons we have seen. Pe sald
lL was Loo dangerous for me Lo know. 1haL ls why he kepL lL secreL all Lhese years. Pe sald people would
klll Lo geL lL. And now . . ." Pls mouLh was dry and nlkkl held ouL Lhe waLer cup so he could slp from Lhe
sLraw.
PeaL asked, uld someone klll Alan, ls LhaL how he dled?"
no, he had a bad hearL. lrom blrLh defecL. A few weeks ago he had an eplsode and had Lo be puL ln
Lhe hosplLal."
nlkkl made a noLe. And Lhls eplsode, was Lhere a cause for lL?"
SomeLhlng came over hlm. AccepLance? no, PeaL had seen lL ln lnLerrogaLlon many Llmes before. lL
was reslgnaLlon. ?ou are golng Lo make me Lell lL all, aren'L you?" When she [usL walLed, Meuller's eyes
closed and opened. Ck. ?es, Lhere was an lnqulry made by a pollce deLecLlve. Pls name ls MonLrose."
nlkkl caughL hls use of Lhe presenL Lense. WhaL was he asklng abouL?"
lL was Lhe vldeo. Somehow Lhls MonLrose had Lraced lL Lo Alan afLer all Lhese years. Can you
belleve lL? Pe sald he had [usL Lalked Lo a securlLy guard who saw Alan Lhe nlghL he made Lhe vldeo. Pe
denled lL and senL hlm away, buL my Alan, dear Alan, he freaked. Pe was so upseL. We wenL Lo bed, and
a half hour laLer l have Lo call 911 because of hls hearL. lL was bad. ln Lhe hosplLal Lhey gave hlm lasL
rlLes."
laLher Craf?"
Pe nodded. 1haL ls when he made a confesslon abouL hls sln of hldlng Lhe vldeo. 8uL Lhe prlesL, he
sald, 'no, no, Alan, you musL absolve yourself by comlng forward wlLh Lhls Lo Lhe pollce.' 8uL Alan
refused. l know Lhey argued abouL Lhls many Llmes afLer he goL ouL of Lhe hosplLal. l guess Lhe prlesL
conLacLed Lhe pollce deLecLlve Lo hypoLheLlcally explore dellverlng someLhlng Lo hlm on behalf of Alan,
buL my boyfrlend refused Lo Lurn lL over. Pe also refused Lo release laLher Craf from hls . . . whaL ls lL
called . . ."
Seal of confesslon?" sald 8ook.
1haL, jo. 1he church law LhaL makes a prlesL keep confesslon an absoluLe secreL, no maLLer whaL.
8uL when Alan was dylng from hls second hearL fallure, he Lold me Lo pass Lhe vldeo along Lo laLher
Craf Lo do as he wlshed."
8ook sald, Why dldn'L laLher Craf [usL hand lL over Lo MonLrose?"
1haL was Lhe plan. 8uL l had Lo geL lL Lo hlm flrsL. l heslLaLed a few days because l, Loo, was scared.
llnally, l meL hlm aL my agenL's offlce and handed lL Lo hlm Lhen, Lhlnklng lL was all done."
So now nlkkl undersLood Lhe phone calls beLween MonLrose and laLher Craf. And why Lhe capLaln
had searched Lhe recLory. Cnce Craf Lold MonLrose he was golng Lo geL Lhe vldeo from Meuller aL Lhe
agenL's offlce, Lhe Cap was looklng for lL llke everyone else. AfLer you gave laLher Craf Lhe vldeo LhaL
mornlng, where dld he go?"
1haL l do noL know. l was paranold abouL my safeLy and boogled, you know?" Pls accenL made lL
sound llke boo-geeL."
1hey found you, Lhough, dldn'L Lhey?" sald 8ook.
l made Lhe mlsLake of golng back Lo Lhe old aparLmenL, Lhe one Alan and l shared. l LhoughL now
LhaL Lhe vldeo was flnally gone, l could chance lL. l had some phoLos of hlm l wanLed noL Lo leave behlnd.
l mlss hlm so." nlkkl offered some more waLer, buL he waved lL off. 1hey were walLlng."
Are Lhese Lhe men who aLLacked you?" She held up Lhe phoLos of 1orres and SLel[ess.
l cannoL be sure. 8oLh of Lhem wore skl masks. 1hey Lurned up my sLereo and lashed me Lo my
bed. 1here was a meLal wand Lhey used Lo LorLure me LhaL shocked me and burned. ?ou have Lo
undersLand, lL was a Lerrlble paln. 1errlble."
PorsL? Pow dld you manage Lo geL away?"
When Lhey lefL me Lo call someone ln Lhe nexL room, l sllpped my resLralnLs. ?ou see, ln Pamburg l
was once a maglclan's asslsLanL for Zalman Jet Aosqezelcboet. l used Lhe flre escape ouL Lhe wlndow
and ran for my llfe."
Why dld Lhey sLop Lhe LorLure Lo make a call?" She closed her noLebook and sLudled hlm. Pe grew
uncomforLable under her gaze and sald, 1haL elecLrlclLy, lL was Lhe mosL awful Lhlng ln my llfe, ever.
?ou can see, l sLlll have scars."
PorsL was sLlll selllng Lhe paln. nlkkl knew why. She dldn'L [udge hlm, buL she wasn'L golng Lo say lL
for hlm, elLher, so she walLed.
lL hurL Lhrough and Lhrough, you see." 1ears pooled ln hls eye sockeLs and Meuller slurped back
mucus. l am so very sorry buL l . . . l Lold Lhem. l Lold Lhem l gave Lhe vldeo away. . . . 1o laLher Craf."
1hen he sobbed ln shame.
PeaL and 8ook had a sober, conLemplaLlve rlde across Lown Lo 1rlbeca. Palfway Lo hls lofL, 8ook sald,
laLher Craf on hls consclence. 1haL's a blg load Lo carry."
l feel sorry for hlm. 1ruly, 8ook, who knows whaL any of us would do under Lhose clrcumsLances."
1hey rode ln sllence agaln. A block laLer her cell phone buzzed. 8aley," she reporLed when she dld a
screen check. Pey, 8ales, whaL's up?"
Coupla Lhlngs l know you'll be lnLeresLed ln. llrsL, your man ueWayne dld call. lorenslcs ls dralnlng
and slevlng Lhe Lank on Lop of Lhe CraesLone as we speak. Cchoa's Lhere supervlslng."
1haL's greaL. LeL's hope Lhere's a bulleL ln Lhere somewhere."
now, l've goL one more lLem ln Lhe breaklng news caLegory. ln my spare Llme, when noL focuslng
on malnLalnlng an orderly work area, l ran a flnanclal on laLher Craf." Cod, LhoughL PeaL, how much she
loved worklng wlLh 8oach. Cuess whaL klcked ouL. 8emember LhaL folder for Lmma on hls compuLer? l
dlscovered LhaL an Lmma Carroll and Craf had a [olnL bank accounL. lL's only goL a few hundred ln lL
now, buL lL's flucLuaLed as hlgh as LwenLy, LhlrLy grand over Lhe pasL year."
8ales, you're Lhe besL. AL leasL you wlll be lf you also have an address for Lmma Carroll." 8aley gave
lL Lo her, and when Lhey hung up, nlkkl leaned forward Lo Lhe cabdrlver. Change of plans, lf you don'L
mlnd. ark Avenue aL SlxLy-slxLh."
lrom a hlgh floor ln any bulldlng ln ManhaLLan you can scan Lhe sur roundlng aparLmenL roofLops and
flnd a sunroom or Lwo. Lmma Carroll meL Lhem ln hers, and nlkkl was amazed aL how warm and brllllanL
lL was ln Lhere, even Lhough lL was near zero ouLslde. 1he llghL dld llLLle Lo brlghLen Lhe woman's face,
however. Lmma Carroll was qulLe aLLracLlve ln whaL some would call a cougarlsh way, buL Lhe skln was
swollen around her eyes, whlch had a dullness from medlcaLlon or despondency, or boLh. l'm sLlll
reellng," she Lold Lhem as soon as Lhey saL. laLher Cerry was a greaL prlesL and a greaL man."
Were you close?" PeaL surveyed her, wonderlng lf Lhere was any forbldden romance lurklng, buL
she couldn'L Lell, whlch usually meanL Lhere wasn'L any. nlkkl prlded herself on havlng flnely Luned lay-
dar.
?es buL noL llke LhaL, oh, please. WhaL Lhe faLher and l had was a shared vlslon for dolng work
Lhrough Lhe church Lo fosLer human rlghLs and soclal [usLlce." She Look a slp of whaLever she had on lce
on Lhe coffee Lable. Why spoll Lhe fun wlLh someLhlng Lawdry?"
l do see LhaL you and laLher Craf shared a bank accounL. An occaslonally large bank accounL," sald
nlkkl.
Cf course we dld. l am noL only a conLrlbuLor, buL also Lhe Lreasurer of Lhe accounL we held for
donaLlons Lo fund a human rlghLs organlzaLlon we belleved ln passlonaLely."
8ook asked, And LhaL would be Iostlclo o CotJo?"
Lmma Colllns perked up for Lhe flrsL Llme. Why, yes. l'm so glad you know of Lhem."
noL so well, really." More for PeaL's beneflL, he sald, We have whaL l belleve ls more of an e-mall
relaLlonshlp."
nlkkl lgnored 8ook's susplclons abouL ascual Cuzman and asked Colllns, So you would do boLh Lhe
fund-ralslng and banklng for Lhls cause?"
Well, lL began LhaL way. 8uL more recenLly, l do less admlnlsLraLlon and more of Lhe developmenL
of new donors. l don'L even use Lhe bank accounL much anymore, buL sLeer our paLrons Lo glve dlrecLly
Lo Lhe llalson for Iostlclo. 1hey seem Lo en[oy Lhe sense of hands-on fundlng and Lhelr caplLal
admlnlsLraLor ls a very charmlng man."
nlkkl opened her noLebook. May l ask you hls name?"
Sure. lL's Ale[andro MarLlnez. uo you need me Lo spell LhaL?"
no," sald PeaL, l've goL lL."
SLvLn1LLn
8ook forLlfled hls flrsL cup of coffee of Lhe mornlng wlLh a shoL of espresso and sald, MoLher, are you sure
you are up for Lhls?"
up for playlng Lhe role of a wealLhy soclallLe? up for lL lsn'L Lhe phrase. 8orn Lo lL would be more
accuraLe, klddo."
nlkkl plucked Lhe mug shoL of Ale[andro MarLlnez from Murder 8oard SouLh and sald, 1hlnk lL over,
MargareL, Lhls ls Lhe man you'd be meeLlng. Pe's a noLorlous drug dealer who's done prlson Llme. Pe
clalms he's reformed, buL he's also funnellng drug money Lhrough a church. Pe may even be responslble
for a prlesL's LorLure and murder."
Look aL LhaL noble chln, wlll you?" sald MargareL 8ook. And lf you Lhlnk l'm passlng up a chance Lo
have Lhose eyes squeeze me across a mlmosa, you're crazy."
When 8ook had come up wlLh Lhls noLlon of asklng Lmma Carroll Lo seL up a fake donor brunch
meeLlng wlLh MarLlnez, PeaL was all for lL as a way Lo balL hlm wlLh some cash Lhey could Lrack and see
where lL ended up. 8y Lhe Llme she reallzed Lhe sLlng would be played ouL by hls moLher, Lhe
momenLum was Loo sLrong and Lmma had already made her call. lL's noL Loo laLe Lo back ouL," nlkkl
cauLloned. lf you have any worrles, don'L be proud."
My greaLesL worry ls whlch wealLhy soclallLe from my 8roadway career l shall reprlse. erhaps Llsa
Schraeder from 5oooJ of Moslc?"
lsn'L she Lhe one von 1rapp elghLy-slxed for Marla?" sald 8ook.
Ch . . ." MargareL made a sour face. l've losL Loo many men Lo Lhe nanny Lo endure LhaL agaln. l
know. l could brlng back vera Slmpson from lol Ioey." She examlned Lhe mug shoL agaln. no, he won'L
spark Lo her, Loo sulky. LeL's see . . . Ah! l have lL. Murlel Lubanks from ultty kotteo 5coooJtels. She goL
seduced by a con arLlsL. erfecL."
WhaLever works for you, MoLher, buL you are dolng Lhe seducLlon."
?ou beL l am."
WlLh Lhls." 8ook placed a vulLLon epl leaLher keepall on Lhe dlnlng Lable. 1here's Len Lhousand
dollars of my movle opLlon for Lhe Chechnya arLlcle ln here. nlkkl and l spenL all lasL nlghL recordlng
serlal numbers, so no Llpplng, no dlpplng."
!ameson, you are deLermlned Lo spoll MoLher's good Llme, aren'L you."
1hey arrlved ln Lhelr renLal car an hour early so Lhey could clalm a parklng spoL close Lo Cassls on
Columbus Avenue. PeaL and 8ook had chosen lL because lL was small and Lhe amblance was quleL, so
Lhey could hear beLLer from Lhe car. Pow's Lhls golng Lo work?" asked MargareL from Lhe backseaL. Cn
1v Lhey always wear wlres."
1ada," sald 8ook. lrom my new frlends aL Lhe spy sLore, l goL you Lhls." Pe handed her a smarL
phone.
1haL's lL? uarllng, l was hoplng l could wear a wlre."
So 21 Iomp 5tteet. 1hls baby has sLaLe-of-Lhe-arL nolse cancellng and sound plckup. !usL seL lL on
Lhe seaL beslde you and we'll hear everyLhlng. lL also has a CS. l had beLLer noL need Lo Lrack you, buL lf
someLhlng happens, l wanL Lo be able Lo."
l approve," nlkkl sald ln a 8rlLlsh accenL. very Lhorough, C."
?ou don'L know half of lL." Pe handed her a cell phone. Slnce my e-mall goL hacked, l've been
worrled abouL our phones, Loo. So whlle l was Lhere, l goL us new ones. l already dld a CS sync and
programmed our speed dlals."
PeaL pressed a buLLon on her new phone. 8ook's rang. Pello?"
nerd," she sald. And Lhen hung up.
lrom Lhe fronL seaL of Lhelr Camry Lhey waLched Mrs. 8ook esLabllsh herself early aL Lhe wlndow Lable
Lhey had Lold her Lo Lake. She also clalmed Lhe lnslde seaL, as lnsLrucLed by nlkkl, so LhaL from Lhe curb
Lhey could keep an eye on MarLlnez and have a clear vlew of hls hands. l'll Lell you now," came her
volce Lhrough Lhe speaker phone, Lhls blocklng may work for you buL lL's far Loo drafLy for me."
8ook made sure hls phone was muLed and sald, AcLors."
Whlle Lhey walLed ln sllence for Lhe drug dealer Lo arrlve, PeaL's cell buzzed and 8ook sald, ?ou
sure you sLlll wanL Lo use your old phone lnsLead of Lhe new one l gave you?"
lL's Lhe l8l, l Lhlnk l can Lake Lhls."
Per conLacL aL Lhe vlolenL Crlme unlL ln CuanLlco began wlLh an apology for Lhe delay. lL Look me a
whlle Lo geL anyLhlng for you on Serglo 1orres because l hlL a flrewall and had Lo geL some approvals." A
Llngle of adrenallne sLlrred ln PeaL. 8uL lL's for you, so l kepL banglng on lL Llll l goL clearance. ?our
man's records were classlfled because he was deep-cover law enforcemenL."
nlkkl sald, Serglo 1orres was a cop?" 8ook sLopped flnger drummlng Lhe sLeerlng wheel and
whlpped hls head Lo her.
Afflrm," sald Lhe l8l analysL. now, hls whole [ackeL, Lhe [all Llme he served, LhaL was all real. arL
of Lhe legend LhaL was bullL Lo glve 1orres sLreeL cred."
WhaL agency was he wlLh?"
1orres was ln narcoLlcs, n?u, asslgned Lo Lhe lorLy-flrsL reclncL. 1haL's ln-"
-1he 8ronx," sald PeaL, l'm famlllar." !usL Lhen she saw Lhe dapper flgure of Ale[andro MarLlnez
walklng down Lhe sldewalk Loward Lhem. nlkkl qulckly Lhanked her nCAvC conLacL, hung up, and
grabbed 8ook. Make ouL wlLh me."
She pulled hlm Lo her and Lhey klssed deeply, and Lhen, [usL as abrupLly, she pulled away. l dldn'L
wanL MarLlnez Lo clock me."
no complalnLs here." 1hen whlle Lhey waLched MarLlnez klss MargareL's hand as he saL, 8ook sald,
uld l hear Lhe human popslcle ls acLually a copslcle?"
1he conversaLlon ln Lhe resLauranL was lnLroducLory small Lalk, so PeaL qulckly fllled hlm ln on her
1orres brleflng. 1hen nlkkl sald, Whoa, whoa, l'm noL llklng Lhls."
Cn Lhe cell phone speaker, MarLlnez was saylng he wanLed Lo move Lo a Lable Loward Lhe back. l
am noL so comforLable slLLlng ln wlndows."
PeaL sald, We should geL her ouL of Lhere."
no." She had never seen 8ook appear so cowed. ?ou don'L know MoLher. lf l lnLrude on her
momenL, l wlll pay dearly."
MargareL, savvy Lo Lhe arrangemenL, Look care of lL herself-and ln characLer. Ch, buL you don'L
undersLand. 1hls ls my usual Lable, where l llke Lo see and be seen. Lspeclally wlLh you, Mr. MarLlnez."
very well Lhen," came Lhe smooLh volce. 8uL only lf you call me Ale[andro."
lL means Alexander, does lL noL? l'm fond of LhaL name. l have a son, hls mlddle name ls
Alexander." nlkkl gave 8ook a Leaslng glance.
?ou're rlghL, nlkkl, we should geL her ouL of Lhere."
no, no," sald PeaL. l'm learnlng all sorLs of Lhlngs."
MargareL and Ale[andro's brunch conLlnued llke any flrsL daLe, whlch ls Lo say repleLe wlLh surface
banLer and felgned lnLeresL ln Lhe mundane sLorles of each oLher. l've always found lL creepy Lo llsLen
ln on my moLher's prlvaLe momenLs wlLh men," 8ook sald. 1hen he lmmedlaLely walked lL back, saylng,
noL LhaL l ever do. uld." Pe changed Lhe sub[ecL. l'm Lhlnklng Lhls news LhaL 1orres was a narc ln Lhe
lorLy-flrsL makes perfecL sense."
1hls oughL Lo be good."
Pear me ouL," he sald. 1hen you can evlsceraLe my hypoLhesls." When she gesLured llke a game
show model for hlm Lo conLlnue, he dld. Cne: Who else worked narco ln LhaL preclncL? SLel[ess. 1wo:
Who goL kllled ln LhaL preclncL? PuddlesLon. 1hree: Who was Lhe drug klngpln ln LhaL preclncL Lhen? My
mom's daLe. Same genLleman whose uLA sLash was ln laLher Craf's aLLlc. So yes, nlkkl PeaL, l am seelng
a connecLlon or Lwo."
nlkkl smlled aL hlm. l'll haLe myself for saylng Lhls, buL go on. WhaL are Lhese connecLlons polnLlng
Lo?"
l'm smelllng some klnd of hlghly organlzed narc brlbery rlng LhaL's been operaLlng ln Lhe 8ronx. 1he
way l see lL, Lhe drug dealers ouLsmarLed Lhe sysLem and sLarLed fundlng crooked cops wlLh uLA money
so Lhey wouldn'L have Lo cuL lnLo Lhelr own proflLs. LleganL, l'd say. Pang on a sec." Pe llsLened Lo Lhe
Lable ln Cassls. MarLlnez was laughlng abouL Lhe Llme MargareL wenL sklnny dlpplng ln Lhe founLaln aL
Llncoln CenLer. 8ook sald, lf only she had done lL aL nlghL. . . ."
?our Lheory's noL LoLally ludlcrous, 8ook. 8uL how does Craf flgure ln? And Iostlclo o CotJo? . . . Cr
don'L Lhey?"
8een Lhlnklng abouL boLh. 8emember how my man ln Colombla, 1-8ex, sald ascual Cuzman from
Iostlclo recelved LhaL secreL shlpmenL Lhree weeks ago? WhaL's Lhe secreL? urugs? 1o quoLe Charlle
Sheen, 'uuh.' And l'm Lhlnklng . . . [usL llke our frlend ln Lhere wlLh hls hand on my moLher's knee . . .
Cuzman launders Lhe drug money Lhrough laLher Craf, who lnnocenLly Lhlnks lL's phllanLhroplc
donaLlons for lo tozo jostlclo. Pe flnds ouL lL's drug money, and bye-bye padre."
nlkkl sLared lnLo Lhe mlddle dlsLance, ponderlng. Ck. 1hen why boLher wlLh Lhe Lmma Carrolls and
MargareL 8ooks of Lhe world?"
Slmple," 8ook sald. llrsL, lL's more money Lo fund Lhe brlbes. And more lmporLanLly, lL keeps up
Lhe faade. lL's probably whaL prevenLed laLher Craf from looklng Loo deeply."
unLll?"
8ook frowned, wllllng Lhe answer Lo come. Suddenly hls face brlghLened. . . . unLll he heard abouL
Lhe vldeo. 1haL's lL, l'll beLcha. l beL LhaL vldeo Lhey wanL so bad blows Lhe lld off Lhe brlbery rlng ln Lhe
lorLy-flrsL."
osslble," she allowed.
?ou're noL convlnced?"
l'm convlnced we have a Lheory. And noL a bad one-for once. 8uL we sLlll need someLhlng solld. l
can'L go Lo Lhe deparLmenL wlLh a yarn. Lspeclally wlLh my dlsclpllnary sLaLus."
So whaL do we do?" he asked.
l belleve we are dolng lL. WalLlng for some money Lo follow."
AfLer a brunch of mou/es fritesand afrise ou /ordonsa|ad, wh|ch MargareL proclalmed Lo be perfecL,
she pald Lhe blll. 1hrough her blnoculars PeaL noLlced LhaL MarLlnez made no efforL Lo even preLend Lo
grab lL. AfLer Lhe walLer plcked up Lhe check folder, conversaLlon dlpped lnLo LhaL awkward lull LhaL
slgnals Lhe LranslLlon Lo buslness. lL dldn'L lasL long. Ale[andro MarLlnez was noL a shy man. Lmma Lells
me you are ready Lo supporL our cause."
Ch, l am. very lnLeresLed. ?ou belleve ln lL sLrongly?"
Cf course. l am noL myself Colomblan, buL as Lhe greaL Charles ulckens once wroLe, 'CharlLy beglns
aL home and [usLlce beglns nexL door.' "
8ook Lurned Lo PeaL. rlson llbrary."
MarLlnez conLlnued, 8uL, as wlLh all Lhlngs valuable, Lhls comes aL a prlce." Pe paused. lL requlres
money." And Lhen he sald, ?ou broughL Lhe cash, rlghL?"
Cnce Lhey were on Lhe sldewalk ouLslde Cassls, nlkkl sald, SmarL. ?our moLher has Lhe sense Lo
sLand so MarLlnez has Lo have hls back Lo us Lo face her."
1rusL me, LhlrLy years on 8roadway, one Lhlng my moLher knows how Lo do ls upsLage Lhe oLher
person."
MarLlnez Look Lhe Louls vulLLon bag from MargareL, benL Lo klss her hand, and Lhe Lwo parLed. She
walked souLh, as planned, MarLlnez hefLed Lhe sLrap over hls shoulder and headed upLown. nlkkl gave
Mrs. 8ook a Lhumbs-up as she passed, and MargareL gave a mlld bow, her verslon of a curLaln call.
1hey had declded on renLlng a car, flgurlng lL would be Lhe besL way Lo Lall hls moLher's daLe. 1hey
could spllL up on fooL lf he Look a subway, buL lf a man llke Ale[andro MarLlnez felL vulnerable ln
wlndows, publlc LransporLaLlon would be unllkely. up aL 72nd SLreeL he goL lnLo Lhe backseaL of Lhe
black Lown car LhaL was walLlng for hlm, and Lhe Lall was on.
lL was well before lunch hour, wlLh [usL enough Lrafflc Lo hlde ln buL noL so much Lo make lL a
dlfflculL shadow. Approachlng 112Lh SLreeL, MarLlnez's drlver gave plenLy of rlghL bllnker for Lhe Lurn
easL. 8ook lagged before he made hls rlghL and kepL a few cars beLween hlmself and Lhe Llncoln all Lhe
way Lo llrsL Avenue ln Spanlsh Parlem. When Lhe Lown car made a sharp rlghL aL Marln 8oulevard and
pulled over beLween a hubcap sLore and a funeral parlor, 8ook drove pasL so Lhey wouldn'L geL spoLLed.
Palfway up Lhe block, he pulled over and checked ouL Lhe slde mlrror. nlkkl unbuckled and knelL on her
seaL Lo waLch ouL Lhe rear wlndow, and saw MarLlnez whlsk across Lhe sldewalk and lnLo Lhe doorway of
Iostlclo o CotJo, carrylng Lhe bag of cash.
A parklng spoL opened ahead of Lhem rlghL ln fronL of a topoetlo, and 8ook eased lnLo Lhe space,
whlch afforded a flne vlew of Lhe sldewalk from boLh mlrrors. As Lhey walLed and waLched, 8ook's cell
vlbraLed. Sure you wanL Lo answer LhaL LalnLed phone lnsLead of your new one?" nlkkl Leased.
ShuL up."
no, you shuL up."
1hls ls 8ook," he sald, answerlng hls call. ?eah? . . ." Pe mlmed for a pen. She gave hlm one and
held ouL her noLebook for hlm. Pe [oLLed down a daLe. May 31, 2004. LlsLen, Lhanks, l-" And Lhen he
held ouL hls phone and sLared aL lL. Ass. Pung up on me."
?our pal from CoLham CuLsource?" 8ook nodded and PeaL sald, Puh. And here l LhoughL you Lwo
hlL lL off."
1hey boLh dld a mlrror check. no slgn of MarLlnez, alLhough hls drlver was sLlll ldllng, double-parked
ouLslde Lhe bulldlng. 8ook sald, May 31sL of '04 was Memorlal uay. Mr. Pappy Lold me Alan 8arclay
qulL and lefL hlm ln Lhe lurch on a legal hollday, when all Lhe 1v sLaLlons reduce Lhelr unlon crews and
he's mosL busy."
PeaL sald, noL lnslgnlflcanLly, Lhe same day Lhey dlscovered PuddlesLon's body ln LhaL 8eemer."
Pere's whaL l've been Lrylng Lo flgure ouL." 8ook made anoLher mlrror check and conLlnued. 1he
1LnS burns on PuddlesLon. When Lhey zapped PorsL Meuller and laLher Craf, Lhey were Lrylng Lo geL
Lhem Lo glve up Lhe vldeo. Why LorLure Cene PuddlesLon, !r.?"
PeaL shrugged. Maybe he was connecLed Lo Lhe vldeo?"
l'm llklng LhaL," sald 8ook. 1hls was a Pollywood kld, rlghL? ls lL posslble he and Alan 8arclay made
some secreL goLcha vldeo Lo busL Lhe narcs who were on Lhe Lake?" When she wagged her head slde Lo
slde slgnallng doubL, he added, noL for publlc servlce reasons. l mean for exLorLlon. 1rylng Lo cuL a
beLLer deal on producL uslng Lhe vldeo as leverage."
?ou don'L leverage guys llke LhaL."
My polnL," agreed 8ook. l Lhlnk he found LhaL ouL Lhe hard way, and meanwhlle, hls vldeographer
sllpped away under Lhe radar-wlLh Lhe vldeo as hls lnsurance pollcy lf he was ever found ouL."
l'm freaklng ouL here," PeaL sald. LlLher your Lheorles are geLLlng beLLer, or worklng wlLh you, l'm
sLarLlng Lo lose lL."
Pe cupped hls hands and breaLhed llke uarLh vader. nlkkl . . . Come Lo Lhe uark Slde . . ."
She goL ouL her phone and, whlle scrolllng her address book, asked, Pow confldenL are you LhaL
you can keep Lhe Lall on our frlend?"
Pey, LhaL's my Len grand. Plghly."
And do you Lhlnk you can reslsL geLLlng yourself lnLo Lrouble and call me when he sLarLs Lo move?"
Why," he sald, where are you golng?"
A llLLle dlvlde and conquer." She found Lhe number she was looklng for and pressed Send. Pello,
eLar? lL's nlkkl, how are you dolng?" Whlle she llsLened Lo her old boyfrlend celebraLe hearlng from
her, she waLched Lhe mlrror. AL one polnL PeaL flashed a glance aL 8ook and meL Lhe eyes of fear and
loaLhlng. Lver slnce 8ook crossed paLhs wlLh her former college llve-ln on a recenL case, he could barely
keep a lld on hls [ealousy. Lven Lhough nlkkl ulLlmaLely shuL down eLar's aLLempL Lo reklndle, she could
see LhaL Lhe green beasL llved on ln 8ook. LlsLen, eL," she sald, l have a favor Lo ask. ?ou were
freelanclng for Lhe gosslp mags back around 2004, 2003, rlghL? lf l Look you Lo coffee Loday and plcked
your braln abouL Cene PuddlesLon, !r., would you have any dlrL Lo Lell me?"
When she hung up, 8ook sald, 1haL CroaLlan reprobaLe doesn'L know squaL abouL Cene
PuddlesLon, !r., he [usL wanLs Lo have sex wlLh you." When she goL ouL of Lhe car, he sald, Pey, you
forgoL Lhls." Pe held ouL Lhe new cell phone he goL her and sald, Call me afLer?"
PeaL leaned ln Lhe passenger door and Look lL from hlm. Would lL make you feel beLLer lf l had a
chaperone? l could maybe ask 1am Sve[da."
nlkkl was sLlll grlnnlng when she seL ouL for Lhe subway.
nlneLy mlnuLes laLer 8ook was sLlll on sLakeouL ln Spanlsh Parlem when hls cell phone buzzed. Any
movemenL?" she asked.
noLhlng. Lven hls drlver shuL off hls englne. Say, LhaL was a qulck coffee."
l goL whaL l needed and eLar had Lo geL back Lo a producLlon meeLlng." Per old boyfrlend was a
segmenL producer for lotet Oo, one of Lhe numerous desk-and-couch shows LhaL foughL over
lnsomnlacs afLer uave and !ay and !lmmy.
1haL's good," he sald.
8ook, you are so LransparenL. ?ou don'L even know whaL l learned from hlm, you're [usL relleved he
wenL sLralghL back Lo work."
Ck, flne. 1ell me whaL you goL from hlm."
SomeLhlng LhaL connecLs PuddlesLon, l Lhlnk."
1ell me."
l need one more plece, and Lo geL LhaL l need Lo Lake a llLLle Lrlp ouL of Lown."
now?" he sald.
lf lL weren'L crlLlcal, l wouldn'L go. 1hls ls why Cod lnvenLed homlclde squads, so we could spllL up
duLles. ?ou're my squad now, 8ook, can you cover LhaL base unLll l geL back laLer Lhls afLernoon? WlLh
Lraln Llme l should be back by four, four-LhlrLy."
Pe paused. Sure. 8uL where are you golng? And don'L say ulsney World."
Csslnlng," sald PeaL.
WhaL's ln Csslnlng, Lhe prlson?"
noL whaL, 8ook. Who."
1here was a small blue plasLlc llLLer bag ln Lhe glove comparLmenL, and 8ook was calculaLlng how much
urlne lL could hold. lmages of hlm kneellng above lL ln Lhe drlver's seaL, Lrylng Lo deal wlLh Lhe poLenLlal
overflow made hlm chuckle, whlch only made hls bladder press all Lhe more. Pe LhoughL, 1hls musL be
whaL lL's llke for Lhose mlddle-aged dudes ln LhaL commerclal, mlsslng Lhe blg play aL Lhe ball park
havlng Lo geL up and run Lo Lhe can. Pe was serlously Lhlnklng abouL a dash lnLo Lhe topoetlo when he
spoLLed moLlon ln Lhe rearvlew.
MarLlnez sLepped ouL of Lhe door Lo Iostlclo o CotJo. Pe was followed by a man ln a cammy [ackeL
wlLh a Che Cuevara beard, who was carrylng Lhe vulLLon money bag. 8ook remembered Lhe face from
Murder 8oard SouLh as ascual Cuzman's.
As before, 8ook kepL hls Lall loose, errlng on Lhe slde of noL belng made, alLhough Lhelr drlver sLlll
dldn'L seem concerned abouL anyLhlng buL hls own rlde. AfLer he looped a few Lurns and headed souLh
on Second Avenue, Lhe bllnker came on afLer crosslng LasL 106Lh, and 8ook eased back Lo a sLop aL Lhe
corner and walLed as Lhe Lown car sLopped mld-block. Cuzman goL ouL wlLhouL Lhe black bag and
LroLLed lnLo a mom-and-pop fotmoclo. Whlle he walLed, 8ook dlaled PeaL, goL lmmedlaLe volce mall,
and lefL her an updaLe. 8y Lhe Llme he was done wlLh Lhe call, ascual Cuzman was back ouLslde flsLlng a
small whlLe prescrlpLlon bag. Pe goL lnLo Lhe rear of Lhe Llncoln wlLhouL looklng back and Lhe [ourney
resumed.
1hey convoyed down Second unLll Lhe lead car worked a rlghL aL LlghLy-flfLh LhaL evenLually fed
Lhem lnLo a CenLral ark Lransverse much llke Lhe one ln whlch nlkkl goL ambushed days before. Comlng
ouL Lhe oLher slde, 8ook almosL losL Lhem aL Columbus when Lhe Laxl he was followlng as a buffer
sLopped shorL Lo plck up a fare. Pe [acked Lhe wheel and sped around Lhe cab, managlng Lo caLch up
wlLh Lhe Llncoln aL a red llghL aL AmsLerdam. 1he llghL changed Lo green, buL Lhe car dldn'L move.
lnsLead MarLlnez and Cuzman goL ouL and enLered a bar. Cuzman had Lhe black leaLher case wlLh hlm.
1he Lown car lefL and 8ook pulled lnLo a loadlng zone around Lhe corner from Lhe pub.
Pe knew Lhe 8rass Parpoon for several reasons. llrsL, lL was one of Lhose legendary wrlLer's bars of
old ManhaLLan. 8ooze-lnfused genluses from Pemlngway Lo Cheever Lo C'Para Lo Lxley lefL Lhelr
condensaLlon rlngs on Lhe bar and on LableLops aL Lhe Parpoon over Lhe decades. lL was also a myLhlcal
survlvor of prohlblLlon, wlLh lLs secreL doors and underground Lunnels, long slnce condemned, where
alcohol could be smuggled ln and drunks smuggled ouL blocks away. 8ook knew Lhls spoL for anoLher
reason. Pe could plcLure lLs name ln nlkkl's neaL block caplLals on Murder 8oard SouLh as Lhe preferred
hangouL for laLher Cerry Craf. Pe rumlnaLed on Lhe prlesL's mlsslng hour and a half beLween geLLlng Lhe
vldeo from Meuller and showlng up drunk aL Lhe Iostlclo headquarLers and Lhe maLh wasn'L hard Lo do.
8ook was quesLlonlng whaL hls nexL move should be. Pls bladder answered. Cn hls way Lo Lhe door
he reasoned LhaL nelLher MarLlnez nor Cuzman had meL hlm, so hls chances of belng recognlzed were
sllm. unless he walLed Loo long and walked ln wlLh weL khakls, he shouldn'L aLLracL any noLlce. 8uL Lhen,
Lhls was Lhe 8rass Parpoon, so weL Lrousers were probably Lhe norm. Safe elLher way Lhen.
lL was [usL afLer four and Lhere were only slx cusLomers ln Lhe place. All slx swung Lhelr heads Lo
check hlm ouL when he sLepped ln. 1he Lwo he had followed were noL ln slghL. WhaL can l do you?"
asked Lhe barkeep.
!ameson," sald 8ook, eyelng Lhe boLLle of CuLLy Sark on Lhe Lop shelf under Lhe small shrlne LhaL
had been creaLed ln honor of laLher Craf. Pls framed laughlng phoLo was adorned ln purple bunLlng,
and a rocks Lumbler wlLh hls name eLched ln Lhe glass resLed on a green velveL plllow underneaLh. 8ook
puL some money down and sald he'd be rlghL back.
1here were no feeL under Lhe sLalls ln Lhe genLs'. 8ook hurrled Lo hls buslness, achlevlng blessed
rellef as he read Lhe sampler hung above Lhe urlnal: 'WrlLe drunk, edlL sober.' -LrnesL Pemlngway."
1hen he heard Lhe volce he had been llsLenlng Lo aL brunch LhaL mornlng. Ale[andro MarLlnez was
laughlng and [oklng wlLh someone. Pe zlpped buL dldn'L flush, lnsLead roamed Lhe resLroom Lo hear
whlch wall Lhe volces were comlng Lhrough. 8uL Lhey weren'L comlng Lhrough Lhe wall.
1hey were comlng Lhrough Lhe floor.
Laslng ouL Lhe men's room door, 8ook scoped Lhe bar and saw a !ameson aL hls place, buL nobody
seemed lnLeresLed ln hls whereabouLs. Pe backed hls way lnLo Lhe hall, and pasL Lhe manager's offlce,
comlng Lo a brlck wall. Pe had read Lhe legends-whaL wrlLer worLh hls or her hangover hadn'L? Pe
squared hlmself Lo LhaL wall, scannlng lL, hls flngers fluLLerlng before hlm llke a safecracker's. Sure
enough, one of Lhe brlcks had a sllghL dlscoloraLlon, a paLlna of flnger grlme on lLs edglng.
Pe LhoughL abouL calllng nlkkl, buL someone was comlng. Maybe Lo use Lhe resLroom, or perhaps
Lhe manager. 8ook plnched Lhe brlck beLween hls Lhumb and foreflnger and pulled. 1he wall opened, lLs
brlckwork was [usL faclng over a door. 1he alr comlng ouL was cool and smelled of musL and sLale beer.
Pe sllpped Lhrough Lhe doorway and pushed Lhe wall closed. ln Lhe murky llghL he could barely make
ouL a fllghL of exposed wooden sLalrs. Pe LlpLoed down, keeplng hls feeL close Lo Lhe slde Lo mlnlmlze
Lhe chance of Lhe sLeps creaklng. AL Lhe boLLom he paused Lo llsLen. 1hen hls eyes were bllnded by
flashllghLs. Pe was grabbed by hls [ackeL fronL and spun agalnsL a wall.
?ou losL, buddy?" lL was MarLlnez. And he could smell hls moLher's Chloe on hlm.
1oLally." 8ook Lrled Lo laugh lL off. Were you looklng for Lhe men's room, Loo?"
WhaL Lhe hell do you Lhlnk you're dolng?" came Lhe volce of someone beslde MarLlnez who 8ook
flgured Lo be Cuzman.
8ook squlnLed. 1hlnk you could cool Lhe hlgh beams? 1hey're kllllng me."
1urn Lhem off," sald a Lhlrd volce. 1he flashllghLs lowered from hls eyes. Pe heard a swlLch Lhrown
and Lhe overheads came on. 8ook was sLlll bllnklng Lo ad[usL when Lhe Lhlrd man came lnLo vlew llke an
apparlLlon. 8ook recognlzed hlm from Lhe news and from hls books.
1here before hlm, sLandlng ln Lhe mlddle of a makeshlfL aparLmenL ln Lhe secreL basemenL, among
old kegs and carLons, was Lhe exlled Colomblan auLhor lausLlno velez Arango.
?ou know who l am, l can Lell by Lhe way you look aL me," sald velez Arango.
nope, sorry. l'm [usL geLLlng my vlslon back afLer your frlends gave me Lhe eye exam." 1hen he
sLarLed backlng Loward Lhe sLalrs. l'm obvlously Lhe buzz klller aL your llLLle parLy, so don'L leL me
lnLrude."
Cuzman braced hlm by Lhe shoulders agalnsL an old refrlgeraLor and frlsked hlm. no weapons," he
sald.
Ale[andro MarLlnez asked, Who are you and why dld you come here?"
1he LruLh? Ck, aL brunch Lhls mornlng my moLher gave you Len Lhousand dollars of my money ln
LhaL black case over Lhere and l wanL lL back."
Ale[andro, he followed you?" ascual Cuzman's aglLaLlon manlfesLed ln scannlng Lhe basemenL as
lf Lhelr lnLruder had arrlved wlLh a plaLoon of nln[as.
lL could have been a grave LacLlcal error, buL 8ook gauged Lhe auLhor as Lhe mosL powerful ln Lhe
group and keyed off hlm for cues. Pe Look a chance and sald, 8elax. 1here's nobody else, l came alone."
Cuzman Look 8ook's walleL and opened lL Lo hls llcense. !ameson A. 8ook."
1he A ls for Alexander," he sald, eyelng Ale[andro MarLlnez, hoplng LhaL would lend credlblllLy Lo
hls sLory abouL followlng Lhe money. nlce name." 8uL 8ook's aLLenLlon was drawn Lo lausLlno velez
Arango, whose Lhlck brow had lowered over a glare flxed on hlm. As he approached, worklng hls [aw,
8ook braced for a blow.
1he exlle sLopped lnches from hlm and sald, ?ou are !ameson 8ook, Lhe wrlLer?" 8ook nodded
LenLaLlvely. lausLlno velez Arango's hands came up aL hlm, boLh suddenly cluLchlng hls rlghL hand and
shaklng lL wlLh dellghL. l have read everyLhlng you ever wroLe." Pe Lurned Lo hls companlons and sald,
1hls ls one of Lhe besL llvlng nonflcLlon wrlLers ln prlnL Loday." 1hen back Lo 8ook, he sald, An honor."
1hanks. Comlng from you, LhaL's-well, l especlally llke Lhe parL abouL 'llvlng' because, l plan Lo do
a blL more of lL."
1here was an lmmedlaLe sea change. velez Arango gesLured for 8ook Lo slL ln Lhe easy chalr, and he
pulled up a wlcker seaL beslde hlm. 1he oLher Lwo were noL yeL aboard buL seemed Lo relax a blL as Lhey
sLood by. l musL say, Mr. 8ook, LhaL lL Lakes courage noL only Lo galn Lhe access Lo a sLory as you do
from all sldes buL Lhen Lo overcome dangerous obsLacles Lo geL Lhe hard LruLh lnLo malnsLream medla."
?ou're Lalklng abouL my plece on Mlck !agger's blrLhday, rlghL?"
velez Arango laughed and sald, l was Lhlnklng more of Lhe ones on Chechnya and also Lhe
Appalachlan coal mlners, buL yes, Mlck ln orLoflno was brllllanL. Lxcuse me one momenL." lrom Lhe
end Lable Lhe novellsL Look a vlal beslde Lhe whlLe bag from Lhe fotmoclo and shook ouL a plll. Whlle he
washed lL back wlLh some waLer, 8ook noLed Lhe prescrlpLlon label. Adefovlr dlplvoxll, Lhe same drug
unaccounLably found ln laLher Craf's medlclne chesL. So now lL was accounLable. Craf was beardlng for
velez Arango's meds. AnoLher bonus of belng a guesL of Lhe governmenL ln prlson," he sald as he
screwed Lhe cap back on Lhe boLLle. An lnmaLe cuL me wlLh a blade and l conLracLed hepaLlLls-8."
lL musL be hell Lo llve Lhe llfe of Salman 8ushdle."
l hope Lo wrlLe as well and llve so long," he replled.
Pow dld you end up here?"
ascual Cuzman cleared hls LhroaL ln an obvlous manner. lausLlno, lf he's a reporLer . . ."
Mr. 8ook ls more Lhan LhaL. A [ournallsL. Whlch means he can be LrusLed. May l LrusL you noL Lo
reveal my secreLs lf l Lell you abouL Lhem, how ls lL sald, off Lhe record?"
8ook LhoughL lL over. Sure, noL for publlcaLlon."
ascual and hls herolc group aL Iostlclo o CotJo saved me from cerLaln deaLh. l was Lhe LargeL of a
conLracL klller ln prlson-LhaL was Lhe man wlLh Lhe blade-and more were belng recrulLed. As you
know a rescue llke mlne was loglsLlcally compllcaLed and qulLe expenslve. Senor MarLlnez, who ls a man
of slncere reform, ralsed funds here ln new ?ork Lo mounL human rlghLs legal efforLs ln Colombla, as
well as Lo galn safe passage for me here Lo my glorlous exlle." Pe chuckled and gesLured Lo Lhe
basemenL he was llvlng ln.
When dld you geL here?"
1hree weeks ago. l arrlved ln new !ersey afLer deparLlng ln a wooden cargo craLe on a shlp from
8uenavenLura, you know Lhe place?" 8ook nodded and LhoughL of hls Llp from 1-8ex ln Colombla abouL
Lhe secreL shlpmenL senL Lo Cuzman from Lhere. 8uL Lhe secreL shlpmenL wasn'L C4, afLer all-lL was
lausLlno velez Arango! As conflnlng and dlsmal as my basemenL llfe appears, lL ls a paradlse compared
Lo whaL l lefL. And l have been much helped by openhearLed new ?orkers, especlally Lhe pasLor and
parlshloners of one of your churches."
Pe reached lnLo hls shlrL collar and pulled ouL a large rellglous medal on a Lhln meLal chaln. 1hls ls
SL. ChrlsLopher, Lhe paLron salnL of Lravelers. !usL lasL Monday a wonderful man, a prlesL who
champloned our cause, came here [usL Lo glve Lhls Lo me." 1he auLhor became drawn, creases appeared
on hls forehead. l undersLand Lhe poor man has slnce dled, buL whaL a klnd gesLure, don'L you Lhlnk?"
laLher Craf gave LhaL Lo you Monday?" 8ook knew lL had Lo be soon afLer Lhe prlesL meL PorsL
Meuller aL hls agenL's.
5l. 1he padre, he sald Lo me, 'lL ls Lhe perfecL medal for hldlng.' "
8ook dldn'L speak. Pe [usL repeaLed Lhose words ln hls head as he waLched Lhe medal swlng on lLs
chaln. Pls cell phone buzzed, sLarLllng hlm. lL was PeaL. May l Lake Lhls? lL's my glrlfrlend and l know lL's
lmporLanL. . . . Look, l won'L say where l am."
MarLlnez and Cuzman shook no, buL velez Arango overruled Lhem. All rlghL, buL use Lhe
speakerphone."
8ook answered [usL before she dropped Lo volce mall. Pl, you," he sald.
nlkkl sald, 1ook you long enough. Where are you?"
MarLlnez moved a sLep closer. ?ou flrsL," sald 8ook, and MarLlnez backed off a halr.
8ack aL Crand CenLral Lrylng Lo geL a cab. Csslnlng was blg, 8ook. Puge." Pe was afrald Lo say Lhe
wrong Lhlng ln such a pressure slLuaLlon, and as he LhoughL, she sald, 8ook, are you Ck?"
?eah, [usL eager Lo Lalk Lo you. 8uL leL's do lL ln person."
1ruly, Lhls ls golng Lo blow you away. Shall l come Lo you? Are you sLlll followlng your money?"
1here was a rusLllng sound and she groaned. Pey, whaL are you-?" nlkkl sLarLed Lo scream.
And Lhen her phone wenL dead.
LlCP1LLn
8ook bolLed Lo hls feeL and flnger sLabbed Lhe face of hls phone, desperaLe Lo launch a callback. PeaL's cell
rang and rang as he Look a sLep Loward Lhe sLalrs. Cuzman blocked hlm. uon'L," sald 8ook, l have Lo go." 8y
Lhen he was geLLlng volce mall, nlkkl, lL's me, call back, Ck? LeL me know whaL's happenlng. Soon as you
can."
nlkkl . . ." ascual Cuzman sampled Lhe name aloud and Lurned Lo MarLlnez. l LhoughL l knew her
volce. 1haL was Lhe pollce deLecLlve who called me ln."
Me, Loo," MarLlnez sald as he shouldered up Lo Cuzman. 8ook Lrled Lo sllde around Lhe palr, buL
MarLlnez pressed Lhe palm of hls wlde, manlcured hand flaL on hls chesL and sLopped hlm.
Cuys, l need Lo go help her, come on."
And whaL's Lhls abouL Csslnlng?" asked MarLlnez, who had done Llme Lhere.
lrom momenLs before, when he dlscovered LhaL hls money Lrall surprlslngly led Lo Lhe exlled human
rlghLs novellsL, 8ook had been waLchlng hls narcoLlcs brlbe launderlng Lheory come unsLlLched before
hls eyes. Comblnlng LhaL wlLh Lhe facL LhaL nobody ln LhaL basemenL had drawn a weapon on hlm-noL
even MarLlnez-he Look a chance ouL of urgency. Ck, here lL ls," he sald, dlrecLlng hlmself malnly Lo
lausLlno velez Arango, who waLched quleLly from hls chalr. My glrlfrlend ls a cop who's worklng a
murder case LhaL l don'L belleve has anyLhlng Lo do wlLh any of you."
1hls ls sLlll Lhe murder of laLher Craf?" asked Cuzman.
8ook LhoughL lL over and nodded. Cuzman pulled aL hls Lhlck beard and spoke Lo velez Arango ln
Spanlsh. 8ook couldn'L undersLand all Lhe words, buL Lhe Lone was emoLlonal. 1he exlled auLhor nodded
solemnly a few Llmes. When Lhey were done, 8ook pleaded. A llfe may be ln danger. l can'L belleve you,
of all people, Senor velez Arango, would hold a wrlLer capLlve agalnsL hls wlll."
1he man sLood and crossed over Lo 8ook. l know LhaL laLher Craf dld more Lhan glve me Lhls holy
medal. ascual Lells me LhaL whoever kllled Lhe poJte Look away a salnL on earLh, devoLed Lo our
cause." 1hen a Lrace of a smlle eased some of hls gravlLy. And, of course, l have read your proflle of Lhls
nlkkl PeaL." Pe gesLured Lo Lhe sLeps. Co. uo whaL you can Lo save her."
8ook sLarLed off, buL MarLlnez blocked hlm agaln. lausLlno, he wlll glve you up."
1he novellsL Look hls measure of Lhe [ournallsL and sald, no, he won'L."
8ook dashed Lo Lhe sLalrs and Lhen, as an afLerLhoughL, sald Lo velez Arango, Cne more favor?"
Oo?"
l'll need all Lhe help l can geL. Any chance l could carry LhaL SL. ChrlsLopher?"
velez Arango folded hls hand around Lhe medal. lL ls valuable Lo me."
8ook sald, 1ell you whaL. keep my Len grand, we'll call lL even."
nlkkl PeaL ran up vanderbllL Avenue, Lhreadlng herself upsLream be Lween Lhe LlghL flow of pedesLrlans
maklng Lhelr way Lo Crand CenLral. She glanced over her shoulder and could see hlm comlng, hls black
skl mask asLonlshlng Lhe laLe afLernoon buslness commuLers who sLopped and Lurned Lo look aL Lhe man
who rushed Lhrough Lhem. 1hose who weren'L sLunned looked around, elLher for cops or Lo see lf
somebody was maklng a movle.
lL had happened so qulckly. Lager for a cab, nlkkl had deployed her secreL weapon ln LhaL
nelghborhood, whlch was Lo sklp Lhe organlzed Laxl cue on lorLy-second SLreeL, a greaL place Lo make
frlends because Lhe llne ls slow. lnsLead, she walLed on vanderbllL near Lhe ?ale Club, a favored drop-off
spoL and, Lherefore, an equally favored spoL Lo snag a rlde on Lhe fly.
As she was on Lhe phone Lo 8ook, walLlng ouL a suburbanlLe counLlng colns for Lhe drlver's Llp, Lhe
guy came up behlnd her. PeaL dldn'L noLlce where he came from. She only saw moLlon behlnd her
reflecLed Lhrough Lhe haze of road salL on Lhe cab wlndow. 8efore she could Lurn, one hand was
sLrlpplng her of her cell phone whlle Lhe oLher pulled her shoulder. 1he surprlse of lL Look her off her
game a beaL, buL PeaL's combaL sense klcked ln, and she spun, golng wlLh Lhe momenLum of Lhe grab
and Lhen uslng her shoulder Lo ram her assallanL backward lnLo Lhe green llghL pole near Lhe enLrance of
Lhe club. uown on hls ass on Lhe sldewalk, her aLLacker sLarLed hls hand Loward Lhe lnslde of hls coaL,
and nlkkl ran.
Palf a block norLh now, he was closlng ln. PeaL bolLed across vanderbllL, rlsklng exposure ln Lhe
open road, so she wove and dodged Lo presenL a poor LargeL. Per goal was Lo Lurn Lhe corner aL 43Lh
and geL lnslde Lhe lobby of Lhe MeL Llfe, where securlLy guards could help. 8eyond LhaL, Crand CenLral
was repleLe wlLh cops and Pomeland SecurlLy.
8uL Lhen, Lhe besL of all worlds-an n?u crulser pulled up Lo Lhe sLop slgn aL 43Lh. Pey!" she
called. 1en-LhlrLeen!" AsslsL pollce offlcer.
1he unlform aL Lhe wheel had hls wlndow open, and when she was Len yards from Lhe car and
closlng, he Lurned Lo face nlkkl. PeaL, geL ln." lL was 1he ulscourager. AL flrsL she wondered lf Parvey
sLlll had her back-unllkely. Cr lf Lhls was [usL luck-less llkely, Lhls wasn'L hls preclncL. She sLarLed
puLLlng her brakes on as she reached Lhe car and saw Lhe gun on hls lap, polnLed ouL Lhe wlndow aL her.
CeL ln," he sald once more.
PeaL was calculaLlng Lhe odds of ouLmaneuverlng hls alm by bolLlng Lo Lhe rear of hls blue-and-
whlLe when a gloved hand came from behlnd her and clamped a rag over her mouLh and nose.
nlkkl LasLed sweeLness and Lhen blacked ouL.
8aley came back on Lhe llne and Lold 8ook LhaL he checked, and sure enough, Lhere had already been
several 911s abouL a female belng chased by a man ln a skl mask ouLslde Crand CenLral 1ermlnal. Cchoa
was geLLlng lL ouL on Lhe alr LhaL Lhe female was nlkkl PeaL. 8aley expecLed Lhe surroundlng sLreeLs
would be swarmed by unlLs by Lhe Llme 8ook goL Lhere.
1ranslaLlon: 1here wasn'L much for 8ook Lo accompllsh Lhere, buL slnce lL was Lhe lasL place he had
heard from her, he conLlnued down 8roadway. WalLlng for Lhe llghL aL Columbus Clrcle, hls hearL raced
as 8ook drew Lhe parallel Lo her pursuer ln Lhe skl mask and Lhe crew LhaL had Luned up PorsL Meuller
ln hls aparLmenL. Pe rellved nlkkl's lnLerrupLed phone call: her exclLemenL aL whaL she had dlscovered
upsLaLe, Lhen Lhe suddenness of Lhe assaulL, her cell probably Laken or smashed.
8ook opened Lhe 8ecenLs screen on hls phone. CuL of hablL or splLe, nlkkl had used her old phone Lo
call hlm. Whlch meanL LhaL, posslbly, she sLlll had Lhe spy sLore phone he gave her Lo call for help. 8ook
wondered lf she had lL and, lf so, wheLher she had lL Lurned on. Pe goL ouL hls own new phone and
began Lo flgure ouL how Lhe hell Lo enable Lhe CS.
Per Lemples were Lhrobblng when she came ouL of lL. nlkkl was en gulfed by a fog Lhlck enough Lo make
her feel underwaLer. Per head seemed Loo heavy for her neck, and she couldn'L move her arms or legs.
Comlng Lo," sald Lhe volce LhaL seemed Lo drlfL ln from anoLher dlmenslon. PeaL Lrled Lo open her eyes,
and Lhe llghL, comlng from unforglvlng whlLe-blue fluorescenLs ln overhead Lubes, plerced her so harshly
LhaL she closed Lhem rlghL away.
WhaL had she seen ln LhaL llLLle gllmpse? She was somewhere lndusLrlal. A deflnlLe workshop or
warehouse. unflnlshed walls wlLh exposed sLuds and meLal sLorage racks full of boxes, and . . . Lools and
parLs of some klnd. AnoLher look, LhaL would Lell her more, buL noL lf she had Lo sLare lnLo Lhose lamps
agaln. She Lrled Lo Lurn over buL couldn'L and so lolled her head and peeked once more. Parvey, sLlll ln
hls unlform, leaned wlLh hls arms folded agalnsL a workbench, waLchlng her. Pe was wearlng blue plasLlc
gloves. 1haL dlsconcerLlng vlew pumped enough adrenallne Lo llfL some of Lhe haze. She resLed her llds,
chasLlslng herself for noL seelng Lhe posslblllLy before LhaL 1he ulscourager hadn'L been Lalllng her for
proLecLlon buL Lo keep Labs on her. Parvey had been hldlng ln plaln slghL. nlkkl remembered brlnglng
hlm Lhe plzzelles and felL an ache ln her guL.
Someone else was movlng around Lhe room. WlLh greaL efforL, she rolled her eyes and recognlzed
Lhe [ackeL of Lhe guy who had grabbed for her on vanderbllL. Pe was wearlng blue gloves, Loo, buL noL
hls skl mask anymore, whlch was even more dlsLresslng because lL meanL he was no longer concerned
abouL nlkkl's ablllLy Lo lu hlm laLer. 1he oLher man Lurned and walked up Lo her and leaned hls face lnLo
hers. uuLch van MeLer sald, Pey, PeaL. 8lse and shlne."
She Lrled Lo Lurn away from hlm buL couldn'L, and Lhen reallzed why. lL wasn'L from Lhe chloroform
hangover. She was lashed down. 8oLh wrlsLs and ankles were handcuffed. PeaL sLruggled Lo llfL her
head. 1hey had afflxed her Lo a palr of wooden crossbeams, Lhelr own lmprovlsed SL. Andrew's Cross.
van MeLer musL have seen Lhe reallzaLlon dawn on her. 1haL's rlghL, cover glrl. And you're such a
hoLshoL deLecLlve, l'll beL you even know whaL comes nexL."
A swlLch cllcked and Lhere was a low elecLronlc hum. She spun her head Loward hlm. uuLch was
holdlng up a sLalnless sLeel wand Lhe slze and shape of a dlldo. lL had an lnsulaLed grlp wlLh Lwo corded
[acks-one black and Lhe oLher red-plugged lnLo Lhe handle. WanL Lo Lalk lrony? 1hese Lhlngs were
developed as a means Lo relleve paln. See?"
PeaL fllnched and Lurned away, braclng for Lhe shock as he Louched Lhe 1LnS Lo her forearm. AL
conLacL, her skln buzzed sllghLly and Lhe muscle underneaLh conLracLed only mlldly. Cuess l don'L need
Lo Lell you whaL else Lhls can do." Pe removed lL and swlLched Lhe unlL off. So. Whlch way does Lhls go,
hard or easy?" nlkkl was sLlll Lurned from hlm. Ck, leL's flnd ouL. llrsL, easy. Where ls Lhe vldeo?"
She swlveled her head back Lo face hlm. 1haL ls easy. 8ecause l don'L know."
van MeLer nodded Lhen Lurned over hls shoulder Lo 1he ulscourager. 1hey never make lL easy, do
Lhey, Parv?"
Parvey sald, ueLecLlve, my advlce? !usL Lell hlm, Lhen we can make Lhls qulck."
Pe's rlghL. aln or palnless, you choose."
l Lold you Lhe LruLh. l don'L know."
LeL's flnd ouL, shall we?" uuLch saL on a rolllng work sLool and fllcked Lhe swlLch. 1he hum, a llLLle
louder, reLurned. We'll sLarL small and glve you a chance." Pe Louched Lhe same spoL on her arm, only
Lhls Llme Lhe vlbraLlon was greaLer and Lhe muscle conLracLed lnvolunLarlly, forclng her elbow Lo bend
agalnsL her wlll unLll he removed Lhe wand. And LhaL was a low level," he sald. Any new LhoughLs?"
lenLy," she sald. l'm Lhlnklng back Lo CenLral ark. When Parvey convenlenLly losL me. Who was
drlvlng Lhe Suv?"
uave lngram," sald 1he ulscourager from across Lhe room. Cuy logs flfLeen years on Lmergency
Servlces. A sharpshooLer, and you wasLe hlm wlLh a lucky shoL."
uuLch swlveled hls chalr Lo Parvey. Pe goL sloppy."
Pe underesLlmaLed me," sald PeaL. She gave van MeLer a look of deflance.
Well, l haven'L. 1haL's why my llLLle black box has so many seLLlngs." Pe LwlsLed Lhe knob and Lhe
hummlng lncreased.
PeaL Lrled Lo lgnore Lhe awful sound and rlveLed uuLch wlLh her gaze. WhaL dld Alan 8arclay
record? WhaL was on hls vldeo LhaL was worLh kllllng everybody?"
ueLecLlve van MeLer chuckled. We're noL Lalklng, you are." Per eyes darLed Lo Lhe wand whlch was
now lnches from her face. Parvey, do Lhey all Lalk?"
1hey all Lalk."
1hey do," sald uuLch. All of Lhem. 1he krauL dancer? Pe gave up Lhe prlesL. 1he prlesL, he gave up
MonLrose." Pe paused. MonLrose, we dldn'L geL a chance Lo sLlmulaLe. Pe goL all herolc, so l gave hlm
some AfflrmaLlve AcLlon. 8lghL here." Pe suddenly [abbed Lhe Llp of Lhe wand under nlkkl's chln. 1he [olL
caused her head Lo shudder unconLrollably and her [aw muscles Lo Lense, clenchlng her LeeLh LogeLher
so hard Lhey ground agalnsL one anoLher. !usL as qulckly, he pulled lL away.
PeaL gasped for alr and foughL nausea. SalL from her own sweaL sLung her eyes. When she had
gulped enough breaLh, she sald, lL was you guys, wasn'L lL? ?ou guys dld someLhlng Lo Lhe PuddlesLon
boy. ?ou were Lhe ones who kllled hlm." nlkkl pulled ln a deep lungful. Cod, she felL llke she was
drownlng. 1haL was on Lhe vldeo, rlghL?"
nlkkl PeaL. Always Lhe deLecLlve. ?ou're handcuffed, we're LorLurlng you, and you're asklng Lhe
quesLlons." uuLch waved Lhe wand before her eyes and sald, l only have one quesLlon. l know whaL
was on Lhe vldeo. All l wanL Lo know ls one Lhlng-where ls lL?"
Pe knew lL was an exerclse, buL 8ook lefL her one more volce mall. As he pressed Lnd, he flgured lL was
probably more for hlm and hls need for conLacL, even lf lL was one-slded. no, he Lold hlmself. lf he lefL
her volce mall, maybe she would survlve Lo hear lL.
AL 1welfLh Avenue and WesL 39Lh SLreeL, he gave up uslng Lhe car. Pe pulled Lhe Camry over lnLo
Lhe nearesL spoL he could flnd, and even Lhough Lhe posLed noLlce warned LhaL lL was an acLlve
drlveway, he had blgger concerns Lhan a LlckeL and a Low. 1he problem was LhaL hls phone CS worked
flne, buL lL only gave an approxlmaLe locaLlon wlLhln flve hundred feeL, roughly a LenLh of a mlle. Pe
sLood aL Lhe corner where Lhe WesLslde Plghway ramp elevaLed and waLched Lhe bllp on Lhe dlglLal map
as he Lurned ln a clrcle. 8y hls reckonlng, nlkkl's phone could be ln one of four bulldlngs: Lhe palnL
warehouse, Lhe slgn manufacLurer, a nameless pale brlck sLrucLure LhaL looked llke prlvaLe sLorage, or
across Lhe hlghway aL Lhe ClLy SanlLaLlon dock on Lhe Pudson.
A frozen drlzzle sLarLed Lo fall. 8ook pulled hls collar up agalnsL Lhe nlghL. Pe began hls search by
walklng Lhe perlmeLers of Lhe Lhree bulldlngs on hls slde of Lhe sLreeL. AfLer LhaL, he'd cross over Lo Lhe
SanlLaLlon pler.
1ell me someLhlng," sald PeaL. Per LhroaL was raspy, and when she ran her Longue along her LeeLh, she
felL a new [agged chlp on a molar. ?ou puL Lhree ln SLel[ess Lo shuL hlm up, dldn'L you?"
van MeLer adopLed a pose of mock lnnocence. nonsense. l dld lL Lo save your llfe, PeaL."
?uh, rlghL. AfLer you senL hlm Lo bomb my aparLmenL. Where'd you geL Lhe C4?"
1he ulscourager sLarLed Lo speak, buL van MeLer cuL hlm off. ShuL up, Parvey. Lnough."
MlllLary grade exploslve ls hard Lo geL, even for cops," she conLlnued. Who's behlnd Lhls?
Somebody blg, rlghL? ls lL somebody ouLslde Lhe force? Somebody blg who has pull? Somebody down aL
ClLy Pall? Somebody naLlonal?"
uuLch sald, ?ou abouL done? 'Cause now lL's Llme Lo llghL 'em up. Where ls Lhe vldeo?" Pe LwlsLed
Lhe red Leardrop-shaped knob half a Lurn clockwlse, and a buzz fllled nlkkl's ears llke all Lhe beehlves ln
Lhe world.
8ehlnd hlm, Parv sLood and Lurned hls back, unwllllng Lo waLch. lrom LhaL angle, PeaL could see Lhe
deep flngernall gouge ln hls handcuff case, whlch was empLy.
LasL chance," sald uuLch. Pe paused. 1hen he rolled on hls sLool down Loward her walsL and ouL of
her vlew. PeaL felL her blouse belng unbuLLoned.
And Lhen Lhe llghLs wenL ouL and Lhe buzzlng sLopped.
ShlL. Parvey, you sald Lhere was enough [ulce here for Lhls Lhlng."
1he fuck l know. Should be, buL lL's an old bulldlng, so shlL happens. We need Lo flnd Lhe clrculL
breakers, l guess."
1he glow of Lhe clLy agalnsL Lhe clouds fllLered Lhrough skyllghLs and casL Lhe workroom ln a pale
lunar radlance. AL Lhe door, van MeLer paused and sald, uon'L go away." 1hen he and 1he ulscourager
lefL.
nlkkl pulled agalnsL Lhe handcuffs. All Lhey dld was blLe her skln. She was resLlng, Lrylng Lo suppress
panlc, when Lhe door opened agaln. She llfLed her head and saw ueLecLlve leller. Pe wasn'L wearlng a
skl mask, elLher.
?our parLner qulL and gave up," she sald.
leller puL a flnger Lo hls llps and whlspered, l screwed wlLh Lhe power Lo geL Lhem ouL of here." She
felL Lhe handcuff openlng on one ankle, Lhen Lhe oLher. When he came up beslde her Lo unlock her
wrlsLs, she saw Lhe gun he held aL hls slde. Can you walk?" he asked.
l Lhlnk so," she whlspered as she saL uprlghL. 1hey musL have Laken my shoes."
ueal wlLh lL," sald leller, who was already on hls way Lo Lhe door. Pe made a check ouLslde and
beckoned her forward. Pe sllpped ouL ahead of her, and when she sLepped ouL lnLo Lhe drlzzle, she
recognlzed lmmedlaLely where she was. 1he bulldlng she had come ouL of, abouL Lhe slze and shape of a
rallroad frelghL car, was a work shed aL Lhe far end of Lhe ClLy SanlLaLlon pler on Lhe Pudson 8lver. lL was
afLer hours, and all Lhe parklng spaces were empLy excepL for Parvey's blue-and-whlLe and van MeLer's
Laxl. leller hand-slgnaled Loward Lhe oLher end of Lhe pler and mlmed a sLeerlng wheel.
1hey moved as qulckly as Lhey dared wlLhouL maklng nolse. nlkkl was more sllenL crosslng Lhe lcy
concreLe ln her bare feeL. AfLer flfLy yards Lhey sLopped suddenly. !usL ahead of Lhem volces were
comlng from one of Lhe shacks LhaL llned Lhe wharf. 1ry lL agaln anyway." lL was van MeLer barklng aL
Parvey, hls volce full of lrrlLaLlon. 1he door sLarLed Lo open.
leller Lugged her arm and Lhey ran across Lhe pler and ducked behlnd a uumpsLer. Pe puL hls face
Lo her ear and whlspered, 1haL's Lhe elecLrlcal closeL. 1hey'll never flx lL." Pe craned Lo survey Lhe
dlsLance Lo hls car aL Lhe oLher end of Lhe wharf. l radloed for backup so we're probably beLLer off
slLLlng LlghL here Llll Lhey show." 1hey boLh Lurned Lo scope 1welfLh Avenue, hoplng Lo see red and
whlLe llghLs. none yeL.
She whlspered, Sorry l accused you of belng wlLh Lhem. l [usL flgured you and van MeLer were
aLLached aL Lhe hlp."
Were. 8uL somehow he goL on lA's radar and Lhey asked me Lo mole. ShlLLy Lhlng Lo do Lo a
parLner, l know, buL . . ." Pe shrugged.
no complalnLs here," she whlspered. Pow dld you flnd me?"
l was down aL courL when l heard Lhe call go ouL abouL you aL Crand CenLral. l Lrled Lo ralse uuLch
buL goL no reply. l wasn'L sure, buL LhoughL-whaL Lhe hell-and Lracked Lhe Lransponder from our cab
here."
nlkkl smlled. WhaL Lhe hell."
8ack up Lhe pler Lhere was a loud crack as Lhe door Lo Lhe work shack flew open agalnsL Lhe wall.
van MeLer musL have sllpped up Lhere, and he was calllng ouL, Parv! She's loose!"
leller cursed. 1he ulscourager emerged from Lhe elecLrlcal room and called back, Pow?"
Who cares, sLarL looklng. now!" Across Lhe parklng loL a beam from Parvey's flashllghL swepL Lhe
bulldlngs. uuLch called ouL agaln, Check ouL LhaL uumpsLer."
leller pressed hls car keys ln nlkkl's palm. 8un." WlLhouL walLlng, he bolLed ouL from behlnd Lhe
bln and charged aL Parvey wlLh hls gun up. As PeaL ran for lL, she heard Lwo shoLs. She made a qulck
check over her shoulder. leller was down. Parvey's flashllghL scanned hlm. 1he beam came up, flndlng
her. A shoL followed and Lhe slush exploded off Lhe pavemenL a yard ahead of her.
And Lhen Lhe englne of Lhe Laxl roared Lo llfe. van MeLer flshLalled ouL of hls spoL, chaslng nlkkl
down Lhe pler.
1here was no way she could ouLrun LhaL cab. PeaL shoL desperaLe glances Lo boLh sldes, searchlng ln
valn for a space beLween bulldlngs she could sllp Lhrough and dlve lnLo Lhe rlver.
1he pollce-modlfled englne rumbled, drawlng ever closer, Lhe Llres swlshlng, klcklng up Lhe lcy slop
LhaL had Lurned her feeL numb.
lnsLead of runnlng a zlgzag, nlkkl Look a bold gamble and ran ln a sLralghL llne, leLLlng van MeLer
galn speed, leLLlng hlm forgeL Lhe sLeerlng condlLlons. She sprlnLed, her lungs searlng, Loward Lhe
convoy of garbage Lrucks parked ln a row ouLslde Lhe off-loadlng hangar. She held her course, walLlng,
walLlng, as Lhe hlgh beams drew closer, baLhlng her back ln hoL llghL. When she could see her own
shadow casL on Lhe slde of Lhe flrsL sanlLaLlon Lruck, PeaL dove hard rlghL, her body sklmmlng prone
across Lhe waLer and lce accumulaLed on Lhe concreLe llke lL was a Sllp 'n Sllde.
8ehlnd her, uuLch van MeLer, who had Laken her balL, mashed hls brake pedal and [erked hls wheel,
buL Lhe mlx of preclp LhaL was lclng LhaL pler senL hlm hydroplanlng. 1racLlon gone, hls cab floaLed lnLo a
sldeways skld, slammlng hlm broadslde aL Lop speed agalnsL Lhe garbage Lruck. nlkkl goL up off Lhe deck
and saw hlm slumped moLlonless over Lhe alrbag on hls sLeerlng wheel.
A gunshoL cracked and hlL Lhe fender of Lhe Laxl beslde her. PeaL wanLed uuLch's SmlLh & Wesson,
buL 1he ulscourager was bearlng down and hls nexL shoL mlghL noL mlss. nlkkl hurrled lnLo Lhe open
hangar door of Lhe garbage recelvlng sLaLlon and Look cover behlnd Lhe slx-fooL-Lall bales sLacked Lhere
for barglng.
When she heard Parvey's feeL slapplng Lo a sLop aL Lhe door, she crouched down and peered ouL
beLween rows of compacLed Lrash. Pe had Lurned off hls slx-cell so he wouldn'L glve hlmself away, buL
Lhere was enough amblenL llghL from Lhe WesL Slde LhaL she could see hlm wlnce as he rubbed a Lender
spoL on hls chesL. When he Look hls hand away, nlkkl made ouL Lhe puncLure ln hls [ackeL [usL below hls
shleld, where hls kevlar had sLopped leller's bulleL.
!usL as PeaL renewed her plan Lo escape wlLh a dlve lnLo Lhe rlver, 1he ulscourager worked hls way
around Lo her lefL flank, wlLLlngly or unwlLLlngly blocklng her rouLe Lo Lhe open slde of Lhe hangar where
Lhey loaded bales onLo barges bound for landfllls. So nlkkl crepL Lo her rlghL ln Lhe crevlce beLween Lhe
sLacks and made her way Lo Lhe end of Lhe row, where Lhere was a small workbench.
1ools, she LhoughL.
She sLudled Lhe open dlsLance Lo Lhe workbench. lL was rlsky exposure buL beLLer Lhan walLlng Lo
become LargeL pracLlce. PeaL was abouL Lo Lake a LenLaLlve sLep ouL of her hldlng place when she heard
hls breaLhlng. lmmedlaLely, she crouched low ln Lhe openlng beLween Lhe bales and made herself sLlll.
Parvey was belng quleL, Loo. Where Lhe hell was he?
Cn a shelf above Lhe workbench, among Lhe glrlle calendars and chlpped coffee mugs, Lhere saL
some klnd of Lrophy cup from Lhe clLy or maybe Lhe unlon. nlkkl flxed her gaze on lL and walLed. Sure
enough, afLer a few seconds, ln Lhe brass-plaLed reflecLlon, she saw slow movemenL. 1he dark blue
unlform was approachlng Lhe gap ln whlch she was hunkered.
ueLecLlve leller's car keys were sLlll ln her hand. 8elng careful noL Lo [angle, PeaL made a flsL around
Lhem so LhaL Lhe Lwo keys proLruded from her knuckles. noL exacLly Wolverlne, buL lL would have Lo do.
aLlence agaln, always paLlence. 1he cop LlpLoed sldeways Lo Lhe openlng, searchlng for her ln Lhe
gap. 8uL hls mlsLake was Lo look eye-level. PeaL was crouched low, and when he was cenLered ln fronL
of her she sprang up aL hlm, drlvlng Lhe keys lnLo hls lefL cheek whlle she grabbed for hls gun wlLh her
rlghL hand. Pe crled ouL ln shock and paln. She [erked hls wrlsL upward and Lhe gun flred. 1he bulleL hlL
harmlessly, eaLen by Lhe garbage bale behlnd her.
PeaL Lhrashed hls face agaln wlLh Lhe keys and Lrled Lo wresL Lhe weapon away. Pls grlp was sLrong,
and when, on her Lhlrd Lry, she dld manage Lo wresL Lhe gun free, lL flew and claLLered on Lhe floor.
nlkkl benL Lo grab lL, buL he Lackled her from behlnd. She LwlsLed and used hls momenLum agalnsL
hlm, rammlng hlm back-flrsL lnLo Lhe workbench. She elbowed hlm Lhree Llmes aL Lhe sore spoL under
hls badge. Pe walled wlLh each blow, unLll he palmed Lhe slde of her head and shoved her lnLo Lhe wall,
where her shoulder crashed, breaklng glass. PeaL looked up lnslde Lhe shaLLered case and hauled ouL
Lhe flre ax.
Parvey was comlng up from hls sLoop, Lhe gun back ln hls hand. PeaL qulckly reared Lo swlng.
Mlndful LhaL he was wearlng body armor, she wenL for hls gun arm. And severed lL aL Lhe elbow.
Pe wrlLhed on Lhe floor moanlng and bleedlng ouL. SpenL, PeaL dropped Lhe ax and scanned Lhe
surroundlng area for someLhlng Lo use as a LournlqueL. 1hen she heard sudden movemenL beslde her.
nlkkl spun, brlnglng her hands up.
Someone was dlvlng aL her, she braced herself for a blow, buL ln Lhe same flash LhaL she heard Lhe
gunshoL, she recognlzed LhaL Lhe man pushlng her aslde was 8ook. 1hey boLh landed on Lhe ground
beslde Parvey. PeaL clapped a hand on hls loose servlce weapon, came up wlLh lL, and puL Lwo rounds ln
uuLch van MeLer's forehead as he sLood ln Lhe doorway holdlng hls smoklng S&W.
nlkkl seL Lhe gun down and hugged 8ook, who was sLlll ln her arms. Ch, man, l don'L know how you
found me, 8ook, buL your Llmlng dld noL suck."
8uL 8ook dldn'L answer.
8ook?" nlkkl's hearL sLopped and her skln flushed wlLh alarm. She shook hlm, buL he dldn'L
respond. When she rolled hlm over ln her lap and Louched hls cheek, she smeared lL wlLh blood.
1haL's when she reallzed lL was 8ook's blood on her flngers.
lranLlc, she rlpped open hls shlrL, looklng for Lhe wound, and found lL rlghL away, a .9mm enLry
gushlng red below hls rlb cage.
Slrens drew closer.
nlkkl foughL Lears, comlng around Lo kneel over 8ook, she compressed Lhe wound wlLh one hand
and sLroked hls face wlLh Lhe oLher. Pang on, 8ook, you hear me? Pelp's comlng, you hang on. lease?"
1he slrens sLopped rlghL ouLslde and flashlng llghLs fllled Lhe hangar. ln here!" shouLed nlkkl.
Purry, l'm loslng hlm." verballzlng Lhe LhoughL crushed PeaL, and she barked ouL an lnvolunLary sob as
hls face losL more color.
1he LM1s rushed ln and Look over. nlkkl reLreaLed ln a daze and wepL, her bloody hand coverlng her
mouLh. She waLched, Lrembllng, as Lhey cuL 8ook's shlrL off and wenL Lo work on hlm. 1haL's when PeaL
saw someLhlng she had never seen on 8ook before.
1he blg SL. ChrlsLopher medal around hls neck.
nlnL1LLn
1hey're ready for you now." nlkkl had been sLarlng aL noLhlng because LhaL's whaL she needed, a glazed,
checked-ouL, mlddle-dlsLance flx on Lhe posLers and memos on Lhe bulleLln board across from her seaL ln Lhe
hallway aL Cne ollce laza. 1he admlnlsLraLlve asslsLanL came around Lo sLep lnLo her llne of slghL, saw her
swollen eyes, and gave her a Lender smlle. SympaLhy. lease, no more sympaLhy. nlkkl had had her flll of lL ln
Lhe lasL Lwelve sleepless hours and dldn'L know whlch was worse, Lhe plLylng faces or Lhe consollng words.
8uL she sLood and reLurned Lhe woman's well-lnLended smlle anyway. 1hen nlkkl sealed Lhe flrewall
once more. lf she LhoughL abouL 8ook now, she couldn'L hold her emoLlons. 8eady," she sald. 1he alde
opened Lhe door for her. PeaL drew a long breaLh and Lhen sLepped Lhrough lL.
8ooms dldn'L come much more sLony or lnLlmldaLlng Lhan Lhe LenLh-floor conference room aL 1
LhaL mornlng. 1he lasL Llme nlkkl had been ln Lhere lL had been [usL she and Zach Pamner-wlLh Lhe
added aLLracLlon of Lhe duo from lnLernal Affalrs Lo conflscaLe her shleld and plece. 1haL had been frosLy
enough. now she was belng scruLlnlzed by a full conference Lable of depuLy commlssloners, chlefs, and
admlnlsLraLors, who halLed Lhelr conversaLlons Lo glve her 1he 8lg Appralsal as she enLered.
Zach had been walLlng for her lnslde Lhe door and led her Lo Lhe empLy chalr aL Lhe head of Lhe
conference Lable. Cn her way along Lhe row of weaLhered faces belonglng Lo Lhe n?u's Lop brass, her
eye caughL a frlendly wlnk from hyllls ?arborough. PeaL nodded her acknowledgmenL Lo Lhe depuLy
commlssloner and Look Lhe seaL.
1odd ALklns, Lhe depuLy commlssloner for legal maLLers, faced PeaL from Lhe opposlLe end. As soon
as 1he Pammer perched on Lhe foldlng chalr behlnd hls boss, ALklns began quleLly, saylng, 1hank you
for comlng ln. l know Lhls musL be an awful Llme for you, and you have all our besL LhoughLs."
nlkkl foughL away anoLher wave of crushlng sorrow and managed Lo say ln her mosL professlonal
volce, 1hank you, slr."
We wanLed you ln Lo address Lhls maLLer lmmedlaLely," conLlnued Lhe ueparLmenL's lawyer. 1he
commlssloner would be here hlmself, buL he ls ln a commlLLee meeLlng on CaplLol Plll abouL now and
we felL lL was lmporLanL Lo remedy Lhe mlscalculaLlon made by Lhls body vls-a-vls your sLaLus." Whlle he
conLlnued on, speaklng ln hls coded language for Lhelr screwup, nlkkl felL herself Lumble lnLo Lhe
kaleldoscoplc Lunnel LhaL had swallowed her aL 8elvedere CasLle ln Lhe afLermaLh of her aLLack. She held
eye conLacL wlLh ALklns, buL all Lhe whlle random lmages LurnLabled around hlm. 8ook draped on her
afLer Lhe gunshoL . . . MonLrose curslng aL hls performance daLa prlnLouLs . . . 8ook's ashen face . . . van
MeLer pulse-checklng SLel[ess ln Lhe auLo salvage yard . . . 8ook's blood ln Lhe slnk when she flnally
washed her hands . . . Lhe Murder 8oard afLer CapLaln lrons carelessly erased lL, leavlng red smears from
her marker . . .
A wrap-up Lone ln ALklns's volce pulled her back Lo Lhe momenL. lL was a rush Lo [udgmenL," he
sald, and for LhaL, we slncerely apologlze."
AccepLed, slr." And Lhen she added, And appreclaLed." 1he MounL 8ushmore of faces around Lhe
Lable relaxed. Some even smlled aL her.
lL's our declslon Lo relnsLaLe you lmmedlaLely Lo acLlve sLaLus, ueLecLlve PeaL," conLlnued ALklns. l
should also say lL's no secreL LhaL you had one ma[or champlon Lhrough Lhls ordeal."
no secreL because she won'L leL us forgeL lL," blurLed Lhe ersonnel chlef, wlLh a laugh LhaL
llghLened Lhe mood around Lhe room.
And so," ALklns sald, l'm golng Lo glve Lhe floor Lo Lhe uepuLy Commlssloner of 1echnologlcal
uevelopmenL. hyllls?"
Mldway up Lhe mahogany, a beamlng hyllls ?arborough leaned forward, LllLlng her head for a
beLLer vlew of nlkkl. ueLecLlve PeaL . . . nlce Lo be able Lo say LhaL agaln, lsn'L lL? Well, don'L geL used
Lo lL. l have been glven Lhe prlvllege and personal honor Lo lnform you LhaL you are noL only relnsLaLed
as a deLecLlve, buL Loday you wlll be glven your gold bar and sworn ln as a lleuLenanL ln Lhe n?u."
nlkkl's hearL galloped ln her chesL. hyllls walLed for Lhe applause Lo seLLle. CongraLulaLlons. And may l
add LhaL we have no doubL LhaL Lhls ls [usL one rung on Lhe ladder of your ascenL wlLhln Lhls
deparLmenL."
1he applause grew louder and lncluded a number of hear, hear"s. When lL dled down, heads
swlveled Lo nlkkl, and lL was clearly her momenL.
PeaL rose.
l wanL Lo repeaL whaL l Lold Lhe Crals 8oard a few days ago. ollce work-pollce work on Lhe
n?u-ls more Lhan a [ob Lo me, lL's my llfe's work. 1o whaLever degree l am a professlonal, lL ls
because l Lake lL so personally. Whlch ls why l wholehearLedly accepL relnsLaLemenL and Lhank you for
LhaL." 1here was brlef clapplng, whlch she lnLerrupLed by holdlng her hands ouL. When Lhey were quleL
agaln, she sald, lL ls Lhe same reason LhaL l respecLfully decllne Lhe promoLlon Lo lleuLenanL."
AsLonlshmenL hardly descrlbed Lhe reacLlons before her. Sober, llfe-worn, career cops wlLh poker
faces were vlslbly sLunned. noL Lhe leasL of whlch was hyllls ?arborough, who shook her head no Lo
nlkkl and Lhen searched Lhe oLhers for some sorL of undersLandlng.
So LhaL l don'L seem ungraLeful-because l Lruly am Lhankful-l can help you undersLand why l
made Lhls declslon by golng back Lo whaL l sald a momenL ago. 1hls ls my llfe's work. l [olned Lhe n?u
Lo help vlcLlms of crlme. And over Llme, l have grown Lo love lL even more because of Lhe proud
assoclaLlon and frlendshlp l have worklng wlLh Lhe flnesL cops ln Lhe world. 8uL Lhe process of galnlng
Lhls promoLlon, as well as some lnslghLs l've galned over recenL weeks, has made me reallze LhaL
sLepplng up Lhe ladder ls a sLep away from Lhe sLreeL. A sLep away from why l am a new ?ork cop.
AdmlnlsLraLors do lmporLanL work, buL my hearL ls noL ln CompSLaL daLa, or schedullng, and all LhaL. lL's
ln dolng whaL l'm born Lo do. Solve crlmes. CuL Lhere. l Lhank you for your confldence and for hearlng
me ouL."
nlkkl surveyed Lhe Lable one by one and saw ln mosL of Lhelr faces cops who knew all Loo well whaL
she meanL. 1hey mlghL noL say lL, buL Lhey admlred Lhe courage of her cholce. And, Lo be honesL, she
also saw one or Lwo who could noL mask Lhelr blLLer annoyance. So," she asked, am l really a cop
agaln?"
uepuLy Commlssloner ALklns sald, l Lhlnk l can speak for Lhe group when l say, Lhls lsn'L how we
expecLed Lhls Lo Lransplre, buL yes, ueLecLlve PeaL, yes, you are." Pe gesLured Lo Zach Pamner, and Lhe
pollLlcal cockroach who had so callously sLrlpped her of her [ob and proLecLlon goL up and sLrode Lo her
end of Lhe Lable Lo presenL PeaL wlLh her own shleld and weapon, grlnnlng as lf Lhey were glfLs from
hlm.
nlkkl reached lnLo her coaL, pulled ouL her empLy holsLer, and held lL up for Lhem Lo see. l was
hoplng." 1haL drew some chuckles. AfLer she cllpped her badge and her Slg Sauer Lo Lhe old famlllar
places on her walsL and ad[usLed Lhem, ueLecLlve PeaL sald, And now LhaL l am offlclally a sworn
offlcer, l would llke Lo make an arresL."
1WLn1?
AL flrsL Lhey acLed llke PeaL was [oklng. Maybe Lhls was a follow-up Lo Lhe qulp abouL her empLy holsLer. 8uL
one by one Lhey absorbed Lhe serlousness of her expresslon, and nlkkl found herself wlLh Lhe rapL aLLenLlon
of Lhe conference room of pollce brass she sLood before.
1he murder of laLher Craf was a case wlLh numerous compllcaLlons. l won'L go lnLo Lhem all, you
can read Lhem ln my reporL, buL Lhe essenLlal obsLacle we faced was an uncommon amounL of
reslsLance from wlLhln Lhe ueparLmenL." Zach Pamner leaned forward, Lrylng Lo whlsper someLhlng Lo
hls boss, buL ALklns shooed hlm away. 1he Pammer saL back wlLh a deep frown dlrecLed aL nlkkl, whlch
she reLurned unLll he melLed off and sLared aL Lhe papers ln hls lap.
l developed leads LhaL evenLually broughL me Lo a solld Lheory LhaL Lhe prlesL's kllllng was Lled Lo a
narcoLlcs brlbery rlng ln Lhe lorLy-flrsL.
1here's greaL credence for Lhls ldea. ?ou all know Lhe names of Lhe flve who noL only Lrled Lo klll
me ln CenLral ark as l dug deeper, buL are also lmpllcaLed ln Lhe Craf kllllng, Lhe MonLrose murder . . . ,"
she paused Lo leL Lhe M-word slnk ln, Lhen conLlnued, . . . as well as Lhe snlper aLLack of PorsL Meuller."
PeaL counLed each on her flngers, Serglo 1orres, 1ucker SLel[ess, karl 'uuLch' van MeLer, Parvey
8allance, and uave lngram. AL one Llme, all served ln Lhe lour-one. 1he key Lo my Lheory abouL narco
brlbes Lo LhaL group was Lhe sLash of uLA money ln Lhe pasLor's aLLlc.
l was wrong." She paused. 1he uLA cash Lurned ouL Lo be for a human rlghLs group Lhe prlesL was
lnvolved ln-unrelaLed Lo Lhe case. So Lhen whaL was Lhe connecLlon Lo Lhese bad cops? lf lL wasn'L
drugs, whaL was lL? Well, lL was anoLher klnd of consplracy, and one LhaL, sadly, reaches Lo Lhe hlghesL
floors of Lhls bulldlng."
1he heaL came on and Lhe hlsslng of Lhe venL fllled her pause.
LeL's go back Lo CapLaln MonLrose," she sald. ln 2004, he worked a famous homlclde, Lhe son of
Lhe movle sLar, Cene PuddlesLon. When Lhe case cleared as a sour drug deal, MonLrose never boughL lL
and recenLly sLarLed Lo dlg ln agaln on hls own." nlkkl Lurned Lo Pamner. ?ou know all abouL LhaL, rlghL,
Zach? uld your pals ln lA Lell you he was snlfflng around PuddlesLon when Lhey checked hlm ouL?"
MonLrose llL up lA's radar by acLlng ouL of paLLern. 1helr probe was leglLlmaLe due dlllgence."
Pamner sald lL as lf lL was so SC LhaL lL bored hlm.
Clearly LhaL's noL Lhe only radar my sklpper goL on." PeaL Lurned back Lo Lhe group. l couldn'L
access Lhe offlclal PuddlesLon case flles, buL l dld have an enLerLalnmenL lnslder," she sald, referrlng Lo
eLar. My source ls hlghly credlble and shared a number of secreL rumors abouL Lhls young man. 1he
mosL sLrlklngly relevanL was LhaL Lwo years before hls murder, Cene PuddlesLon, !r., was ln 8ermuda on
Sprlng 8reak and LhaL he was one of Lhe boys LhaL raped your daughLer, hyllls."
?arborough gasped and her hand flew up Lo cover her mouLh. 1ears welled ln her eyes.
ueLecLlve PeaL," sald ALklns, Lhls ls feellng way ouL of llne."
l'm sorry, slr, buL Lhere's no easy way Lo go abouL Lhls."
8uL lL's gosslp," sald Lhe ersonnel chlef. Pe handed hyllls a Llssue.
Whlch l have lndependenLly verlfled," PeaL replled.
uepuLy Commlssloner ALklns sald, Co on."
!eremy urew, who confessed Lo Lhe assaulL and murder of Amy ?arborough, was exLradlLed ln
2002 and began a llfe senLence ln Slng Slng, where l vlslLed hlm yesLerday. ln our meeLlng urew
conflrmed for me whaL l had heard from my source. 1haL Lhe PuddlesLon famlly had pald several mllllon
Lo hls parenLs, who were on dlsablllLy. All ln exchange for hls sllence abouL Lhe parLlclpaLlon along wlLh
hlm by Cene PuddlesLon, !r., ln Lhe gang rape on Lhe beach LhaL nlghL."
Why would he Lell you?" asked Lhe depuLy commlssloner of legal maLLers.
Pls parenLs have passed away and he has had a rellglous converslon. 1hls was hls flrsL opporLunlLy
Lo clear hls consclence. 8y Lhe way, l checked wlLh CusLoms, and PuddlesLon's passporL shows he was ln
8ermuda Lhen and lefL Lhe lsland on Lhe flrsL fllghL ouL Lhe mornlng afLer Lhe dlscovery of Amy's body ln
uockyard.
?ou know someLhlng, hyllls? Lven when l found ouL !eremy urew wasn'L alone LhaL nlghL wlLh
your daughLer, Lhere was a parL of me LhaL dldn'L wanL Lo belleve you were behlnd all Lhls. 8uL Lhen l
couldn'L geL pasL Lhe crulse MonLrose booked. A guy ln mournlng Laklng a slngles crulse? And ln Lhe
mlddle of a career crlsls whlle he's also conducLlng a secreL lnvesLlgaLlon? l called back Lhe Lravel agenL.
1he crulse was Lo 8ermuda."
As a roomful of Lhe besL pollce mlnds ln new ?ork were dolng Lhe moLlve maLh, hyllls ?arborough
[arred Lhem by speaklng. nlkkl . . ." She shook her head mlldly ln dlsappolnLmenL. Per volce was hoarse
and papery. l can'L belleve Lhls of you, overreachlng llke Lhls. And so hurLful. Are you Lrylng Lo make me
Lwlce a vlcLlm wlLh some Lablold consplracy Lheory abouL me?"
l am sorry for Lhe loss of your daughLer, you know LhaL. 8uL Lhls ls noL a Lheory anymore. 1he
leaLher fragmenL from under Craf's flngernall maLches Parvey 8allance's cuff case, and Lhe buLLon
fragmenL from Lhe crlme scene ls from one of hls shlrLs. Parvey ls ln Lhe hosplLal and he ls Lalklng. AbouL
you. And all Lhe money you offered flve cops ln 2004 Lo Lake care of PuddlesLon."
ueLecLlve, come on," sald ?arborough, Lrylng Lo reclalm her composure and dlsLance, poslLlonlng
herself as [udge raLher Lhan Lhe accused, leL's sLop all Lhls, please? ?ou know crlmlnals Lalk all sorLs of
bull Lo cuL deals. 1hls ls hearsay and con[ecLure. WhaLever happened Lo Lhe nlkkl PeaL who deals ln
proof?"
roof," sald PeaL. She crossed Lo Lhe door and rapped llghLly. Lovell and ueLongpre enLered. Whlle
Lhe lnLernal Affalrs deLecLlves rounded Lhe Lable Loward Lhe flaL-screen on Lhe slde wall, nlkkl
swallowed Lhlckly, revlslLlng her grlm memory of Lhe paramedlcs cuLLlng 8ook's shlrL off. SpoLLlng Lhe
holy medal she had never seen before. And afLer, llsLenlng Lo hls flnal, pleadlng volce mall urglng her Lo
call hlm back and saylng LhaL he had Lhe vldeo on hlm. nlkkl saved LhaL call, hls lasL words before he was
shoL. 1hen she examlned Lhe SL. ChrlsLopher, whlch was noL [usL a medal buL a lockeL. And hldden
lnslde-a black mlcroSu vldeo chlp abouL Lhe slze of a plnkle nall.
Lovell sLood, havlng flnlshed hls uvu seLup, and walLed.
LeL me seL Lhe sLage," resumed PeaL. Memorlal uay weekend, 2004, Alan 8arclay, a news vldeo
shooLer, followed Cene PuddlesLon, !r., from a nlghLclub ln Lhe MeaL acklng ulsLrlcL. PuddlesLon was
[usL ouL of rehab-agaln-and 8arclay Lralled hlm Lo Lhe 8ronx, hoplng Lo score some salable fooLage of
Lhe bad boy maklng a drug purchase. 8oLh he and PuddlesLon goL more Lhan Lhey bargalned for.
WaLch." Lovell sLarLed Lhe uvu as ueLongpre dlmmed Lhe llghLs.
1he vldeo began wlLh Lhe camera ln moLlon. !erky fooLage of a dashboard and Lhen a blur as Lhe
vldeographer goL ouL of hls car-sLlll rolllng vldeo-and crossed a dark sLreeL. 1hls was Lhe raw sLuff
Lhey edlLed ouL of cops.
A block laLer, Lhe lens moved Lo a hldlng place behlnd a low wall. 1he shaky plcLure seLLled as Lhe
shooLer resLed hls camera on Lhe Lop clnder block, uslng lL as a brace. 1he lens zoomed ln and focused
on a car parked abouL LhlrLy yards away ln fronL of a warehouse. under Lhe orange sodlum lamps lL was
easy Lo make ouL a man PeaL recognlzed as Serglo 1orres approachlng Lhe M3. PuddlesLon goL ouL and
Lhey chaLLed. 1helr volces were Loo low Lo undersLand buL Lhelr conversaLlon was easy, PuddlesLon
seemed famlllar wlLh 1orres. 1hen everyLhlng changed.
PeadllghLs approached from boLh ends of Lhe block as Lwo cars wlLh pollce llghLs flashlng roared ln
and screeched Lo a halL, sandwlchlng Lhe 8MW. Cne was a blue-and-whlLe, Lhe oLher a plaln-wrap
Crown vlcLorla. PuddlesLon shouLed for 1orres Lo run, buL he dldn'L. lnsLead, he grabbed Lhe kld by hls
shlrL and slammed hlm facedown over Lhe hood of hls M3, cufflng hlm whlle 1he ulscourager
approached from hls crulser and van MeLer and SLel[ess [olned Lhe parLy from Lhe undercover vehlcle.
nobody seemed ln a hurry. lL had Lhe menaclng feel of someLhlng LhaL had been worked ouL.
PuddlesLon was Lhe only one aglLaLed, whlnlng, Aw, come on, don'L busL me, my dad'll klll me," and
uo you have any ldea who my dad ls?"
SLel[ess could be heard now, ShuL Lhe fuck up," rlghL before he klcked hlm ln Lhe ass as he benL
over Lhe car. PuddlesLon shouLed curses LhaL were lgnored as Lhey hauled hlm uprlghL by Lhe cuffs and
sLarLed Lo lead hlm Loward Lhe warehouse.
1he bravado of prlvllege Lurned on a dlme Lo fear. PuddlesLon freaked. Pey, where are you-? !usL
Lake me Lo [all Lhen . . . WhaL are you dolng?" Pe Lrled Lo make a break. Pey?!" 8uL Lhe four cops held
hlm ln check easlly.
1he vldeo shook as Lhe camera ad[usLed lLs angle Lo Lrack Lhe group. When lL seLLled agaln, Lhey
were nearlng Lhe warehouse under Lhe grafflLl-Lagged slgn for Lhe unlform renLal company LhaL once
operaLed Lhere. 1he door opened from Lhe lnslde and a man held lL wlde for Lhem. nlkkl dldn'L
recognlze hlm buL flgured he compleLed Lhe seL of flve-lngram, Lhe Suv drlver she kllled ln Lhe
1ransverse.
When lngram pulled Lhe warehouse door shuL, 8arclay kepL rolllng, buL Lhere was a lull. PeaL used
Lhe lnLerval Lo assess Lhe room. Lyes were Lransflxed. nobody made a sound. hyllls ?arborough was Lhe
only one noL sLarlng. Per head was bowed Lo her lap.
PuddlesLon's screams bursL lnLo Lhe nlghL, [arrlng everyone ln Lhe conference room. 8odles shlfLed,
leanlng ln Loward Lhe flaL-screen. ln lLs own way, Lhls polnL of vlew of a desolaLe lndusLrlal zone ln Lhe
mlddle of Lhe nlghL, whose sollLude was cuL by shrleks and crles, seemed more chllllng Lhan waLchlng hls
acLual LorLure. 8uL everyone Lhere had heard abouL Lhe 1LnS. And Lhey all knew whaL was happenlng Lo
Lhe kld ln Lhere. And as bad as lL sounded Lo Lhem, lL had Lo have been hell on earLh lnslde. 1he
uncomforLable mlnuLes Lhey endured as Lhe elecLrocuLlon conLlnued musL have seemed eLernal Lo Lhe
howllng vlcLlm.
ln Lhe eerle quleL when lL was done, a dog barked ln Lhe dlsLance. 1he door opened, and a sobblng
PuddlesLon, llmp and spenL, was carrled ouL. 1hey bore hlm uprlghL by Lhe armplLs wlLh hls Loes
dragglng Lhe ground behlnd hlm. van MeLer broke off from Lhe pack and held a walkle-Lalkle up Lo hls
mouLh. Pls words dldn'L plck up, buL Lhere was a squelch when he was done. Seconds laLer anoLher
meLalllc Crown vlcLorla pulled up.
And hyllls ?arborough goL ouL.
1hey had hlm lnslde hls car by Lhen, 1orres even uslng hls gloved hands Lo buckle Lhe seaL belL. Pe
sLepped aslde Lo leL her sLand faclng PuddlesLon, who was beseechlng her, lease, help me, please . . ."
uo you know who l am?" she sald.
Pe peered aL her and became suddenly anlmaLed. Ch, fuck me, oh no . . ."
Cood, you do." Pe crled and muLLered droollng pleas, and when hls words degeneraLed lnLo quleL
sobs, she sald, 1ake Lhls momenL Lo hell, you fllLhy son of a blLch."
She sLepped away, and Serglo 1orres slammed Lhe car door. 1hey boLh [olned Lhe oLhers on Lhe
oLher slde of Lhe car. klll hlm," sald hyllls ?arborough.
SLel[ess opened Lhe passenger door and leaned lnslde. Soon Ametlcoo lJlot came blasLlng hoL from
Lhe car speakers. under Lhe blare of Creen uay, Lhe lnLerlor was lllumlnaLed by a muzzle flash and Lhe
glass blew ouL of Lhe drlver's slde wlndow.
1he vldeo [osLled as Lhe camera moved from lLs perch on Lhe wall. 1he nexL shoL was a blur of
moLlon as 8arclay slowly backed away from hls hldeouL. Pls fooL musL have knocked over a boLLle. AfLer
Lhe glass tlok and roll came a shouL from Lhe cops. Somebody's Lhere!"
8arclay dldn'L heslLaLe buL ran full-bore up Lhe sLreeL, Lhe vldeo whooshlng and shaklng llke
earLhquake fooLage as he sprlnLed. ln Lhe dlsLance came Lhelr volces, blendlng LogeLher: SLreeL . . ."
Camera!" and SLop!"
8uL Alan 8arclay dldn'L sLop. 1he lasL of hls vldeo was Lhe camera flylng onLo hls passenger seaL and
rolllng onLo Lhe floor as rubber squealed and Lhe vldeographer escaped. Pe goL away LhaL nlghL carrylng
Lhe deadly secreL he would hlde unLll years laLer when CapLaln MonLrose canvassed Lhe old crlme scene
and an elderly nlghL waLchman aL a bakery Lold hlm abouL Lhe man he'd seen runnlng away wlLh Lhe
camera.
1he llghLs came up and ?arborough was glarlng aL PeaL.
1here's your proof, uepuLy Commlssloner. roof LhaL you walLed Lwo years for Lhe dusL Lo seLLle
before you goL your revenge. roof LhaL you pald off Lhose cops and Lhen consplred all Lhese years Lo
keep a lld on lL. And l'm golng Lo make an educaLed guess LhaL, along Lhe way, you uLlllzed your [ob as
Lech czar Lo monlLor for any slgns of dlscovery. Llke MonLrose reopenlng Lhe old case, llke me pulllng
PuddlesLon's compuLer flle, llke hacklng !ameson 8ook's e-mall and sendlng lL Lo LhaL reporLer Lo geL me
suspended when l was geLLlng Loo close. . . . AfLer your boys weren'L up Lo Lhe [ob of kllllng me." PeaL
shrugged. 1haL parL l don'L have Lo prove.
?ou know, Lhe flrsL Llme l meL you, l remember we Lalked abouL revenge and [usLlce. And do you
recall Lelllng me LhaL all your accounLs were seLLled? l Lhlnk we [usL goL conflrmaLlon."
uamn you for Lhls." 1o hyllls ?arborough lL was as lf she and nlkkl were Lhe only Lwo ln Lhe room.
Per lndlgnaLlon had been sLrlpped away, leavlng only Lhe raw hurL and a wound, a decade old and sLlll
open. Per face was composed, buL Lears fell down boLh cheeks. ?ou, of all people, should know how lL
feels Lo be a vlcLlm, nlkkl."
PeaL felL her own ache, sadly presenL every day. l do, hyllls," she sald sofLly. 1haL's why l'm
sendlng you Lo [all."
A searlng blue sky freshened ManhaLLan as a brllllanL rlslng sun warmed Lhe clLy for Lhe flrsL Llme ln a
week. lL reflecLed on row upon row of badges faclng Lhe caLhedral on llfLh Avenue, maklng Lhe
Lhousands of chesLs LhaL wore Lhem sparkle llke a slngle vasL Lreasure of radlanL dlamonds. new ?ork's
llnesL-plus cops from orL AuLhorlLy and new ?ork SLaLe-sLood shoulder Lo shoulder, fllllng boLh
sldewalk and sLreeL, Lhelr numbers obscurlng pavemenL, wlndows, and walls.
When ueLecLlve nlkkl PeaL emerged aL Lhe Lop of Lhe sLeps, bearlng Lhe fronL corner of Lhe caskeL,
Lhere was noLhlng Lo see LhaL mornlng ouLslde SL. aLrlck's buL an ocean of dress blue and whlLe gloves
ln saluLe. A lone bagplpe played Lhe openlng noLes of Lhe sober, [oyful Amazlng Crace" and was soon
[olned by Lhe full plpes and muffled drums of Lhe n?u's Lmerald SocleLy. 1he only Lhlng mlsslng LhaL
mornlng was 8ook. As PeaL beheld Lhe specLacle, she could only lmaglne how !ameson 8ook would have
capLured lL. And made lL llve beyond Lhe day.
She and Lhe oLher pallbearers, lncludlng ueLecLlves 8aley and Cchoa, and Lddle PawLhorne,
descended slowly, carrylng Lhe fallen commander under Lhe LradlLlonal flag of green and whlLe sLrlpes.
Cnce hls body was ln Lhe hearse, PeaL, 8aley, Cchoa, and PawLhorne moved across Lhe avenue Lo
fall ln wlLh Lhe grlm block of deLecLlves ln Lhelr Lan overcoaLs. nlkkl chose Lhe spoL beslde ueLecLlve
leller, who had sLubbornly abandoned hls wheelchalr for Lhe momenL Lo sLand ouL of respecL.
1he mayor, Lhe commlssloner, and all Lhe oLher Lop brass descended from Lhe caLhedral Lo Lhe curb
and sLood, elLher saluLlng or wlLh hands over hearLs, before Lhe remalns of CapLaln Charles MonLrose aL
Lhe lull Ponors funeral nlkkl had aLLalned.
AL Lhe concluslon of Amazlng Crace," Lhe ellLe moLorcycle brlgade formed up for escorL aL Lhe fronL
of Lhe car whlle Lhe band made Lwo columns behlnd Lhe vehlcle. 1he muffled drums began Lhelr somber
cadence, Lhe moLorcycles rolled slowly, and Lhe hearse followed.
1hen nlkkl heard Lhem comlng. 1he low drone sounded [usL llke Lhe plpes aL flrsL, buL Lhe sound
grew, expandlng unLll Lhe Lhunderlng vlbraLlon shook Lhe concreLe canyons of MldLown. ulsclpllne
wavered as all eyes ascended Lo see four n?u hellcopLers zoom up llfLh Avenue. 1he lnsLanL Lhey were
above Lhe caLhedral, one of Lhe choppers pulled up and broke away. 1he oLher Lhree conLlnued on ln
Mlsslng Man lormaLlon.
As soon as Lhey were gone, she reLurned her aLLenLlon Lo Lhe passlng hearse, saluLlng her capLaln,
menLor, and frlend. As lL moved by Lhe dlgnlLarles, Lhe pollce commlssloner caughL PeaL's eye and gave
her an approvlng nod. AL leasL LhaL's whaL lL looked llke Lhrough Lhe haze of her Lears.
1he flrsL Lhlng nlkkl dld when she enLered 8ook's room ln lCu was Lo check Lhe screen for acLlvlLy.
PearLened Lo see regular green splkes, she sLood over hlm and Look hls hand. She squeezed llghLly and
walLed, hoplng, buL her only feedback was hls warmLh, whlch was someLhlng, anyway. Leanlng carefully
over hls breaLhlng Lubes, she klssed hls forehead, whlch felL dry Lo her llps. Pls eyes were closed, buL
when Lhe llds fluLLered, she Look hls flngers ln hers agaln. noLhlng. Cne of Lhem musL have been
dreamlng.
LxhausLed from Lhe day, she pulled Lhe plasLlc guesL chalr bedslde and saL, resLlng her eyes. She
awoke wlLh a sLarL an hour laLer when her cell phone vlbraLed. lL was a LexL from Cchoa, who had [usL
goLLen conflrmaLlon from 8alllsLlcs LhaL Lhe bulleL he had recovered from Lhe waLer Lower checked ouL
as MonLrose's, maLchlng Lhe reloads from Lhe belL mag. She had [usL LexLed back Lo congraLulaLe hlm
when Lhe nurse came ln Lo hang a fresh bag on Lhe lv Lree. 1he nurse sLepped ouL, only Lo reLurn a
momenL laLer. She placed a conLalner of orange [ulce and a chewy granola bar on Lhe Lray for nlkkl and
lefL agaln.
PeaL saL Lhere for anoLher hour, slmply waLchlng Lhe rlse and fall of 8ook's chesL, glad for LhaL
mlracle and knowlng LhaL she would so never hear Lhe end of Lhls.
lf he pulled Lhrough.
uurlng Lhe eleven o'clock news she aLe her snack, and when lL ended, she muLed Lhe 1v. WlLh Lhe
reporL LhaL sLeam servlce had been fully resLored Lo all of ManhaLLan by now, she could flnally go back
Lo her aparLmenL. nlkkl LhoughL of her own bed . . . of Lhe bubble baLh LhaL awalLed her. She goL up and
plcked up her coaL, buL dldn'L puL lL on. lnsLead, she pulled ouL Lhe paperback from Lhe slde pockeL and
saL back down.
Are you ready for some culLural sLlmulaLlon, Mr. 8ook?" PeaL glanced up aL hlm and Lhen back Lo
Lhe cover of Lhe novel. 'costle of net oJless looqloq, by vlcLorla SL. Clalr.' Llke Lhe LlLle. . . ." She
Lurned Lo Lhe flrsL chapLer and began Lo read aloud, 'Lady kaLe SackeLL sLared forlornly ouL of Lhe
carrlage as lL bounced along Lhe muddy, ruLLed byway ouLslde her ancesLral vlllage ln Lhe norLhland. She
was conLemplaLlng Lhe broodlng form of Lhe casLle bullL lnLo Lhe cllffs when a young man on horseback
canLered up Lo her wlndow and kepL pace. Pe was handsome ln a rogulsh way, Lhe sorL of rascal who
would charm a more naive woman for hls own sporL and be gone. leasanL, mornlng, m' lady," he sald.
1hese are dangerous woods [usL ahead. Could l offer Lo rlde along?" ' "
PeaL reached ouL and genLly laced her flngers beLween 8ook's, waLched hls breaLhlng once more,
and Lhen reLurned Lo Lhe book. Pappy Lo read Lo hlm endlessly.
ACknCWLLuCMLn1S
A chef never makes a meal alone. l learned Lhls Lhe hard way as a laLchkey kld, bored and hungry wlLh a
cravlng for cherrles flambe. Who knew cognac could Lake off llke LhaL? Cr LhaL my moLher wouldn'L
appreclaLe Lhe lrony of comlng home from her LrlumphanL 8roadway performance ln 8oto 1bls Lo charred
walls and a dlsapprovlng hook-and-ladder crew?
Much llke culslne, you need help maklng a book (alLhough Lhere's less rlsk of flre-unless you counL
Lhe unforLunaLe book burnlng of one of my early uerrlck SLorm novels). So Lhese pages are reserved for
me Lo Llp my blg, Lall, chef's Loque Lo Lhe many cooks who acLually lmproved Lhe broLh.
As ever, l am ln Lhe debL of Lhe Lop professlonals aL Lhe 12Lh reclncL who LoleraLe me sLlll.
ueLecLlve kaLe 8eckeLL has shown me Lhe ropes of homlclde lnvesLlgaLlon, noL Lo menLlon how Lo make
sense of songs. Per colleagues, !avler LsposlLo and kevln 8yan, have welcomed me llke Lhe broLhers l
never had. And Lhe laLe CapLaln 8oy MonLgomery, Lo whom Lhls book ls dedlcaLed, was a greaL menLor
Lo all who worked under hlm and an even greaLer man Lo all who knew hlm.
ur. Lanle arlsh aL Lhe Cfflce of Chlef Medlcal Lxamlner has glven me almosL as many lnslghLs as she
has eye rolls. l may be a paln ln Lhe ass someLlmes, buL l do llke Lo Lhlnk l break up a day when you work
ln a refrlgeraLed envlronmenL.
Whlle my LhoughLs are on 30Lh SLreeL, leL me glve speclal Lhanks Lo Lllen 8orakove, Lhe ulrecLor of
ubllc Affalrs for Lhe Cfflce of Chlef Medlcal Lxamlner ln ManhaLLan, who gave generously of her Llme
whlle l researched Lhls book. She ls a shlnlng example of Lhe compasslon, dlgnlLy, and respecL evldenL
LhroughouL Lhe sLaff Lhere. l am graLeful Lo Lllen for all she LaughL me on my gulded Lour of Lhe
faclllLy-especlally how Lo breaLhe.
1he folks ln Lhe CllnLon 8ulldlng aL 8alelgh remaln my heroes. ?ou amaze, surprlse, and keep lL fresh
always. And 1errl Ldda Mlller, ever by my slde, Lhank you for chooslng Lhe LlLle. So much beLLer Lhan
neot, neot, neot.
1he lovely !ennlfer Allen conLlnues Lo Leach me Lhe secreL o' llfe. May lL be a long lesson.
1o naLhan, SLana, Seamus, !on, 8uben, Molly, Susan, and 1amala-you remaln Lhe embodlmenL of
dreams LhaL come Lrue relenLlessly and Llrelessly. ?ou always brlng Lhe heaL.
l have gone Loo long wlLhouL menLlonlng my darllng Alexls, whose every glowlng, beauLlful, pure,
and wlse momenL causes me Lo soar wlLh prlde and Lo recheck Lhe blrLh cerLlflcaLe. ?es, Lhankfully, she
ls my daughLer. And leL me also celebraLe my moLher, MarLha 8odgers, who LaughL me LhaL a sLory can
be performance, LhaL llfe can be arL, and LhaL Lhe cognac goes ln Lhe pan when lL's off Lhe burner.
1hanks Lo 8lack awn ubllshlng and, especlally, Lo Clna Cowell for glvlng me Lhe space Lo follow my
bllss. CreLchen ?oung, my edlLor, conLlnues Lo be a sLaunch ally and cherlshed colleague. A shouL ouL Lo
her, LllzabeLh Sabo Morlck, and Lo everyone aL Pyperlon for bellevlng. Mellssa Parllng-Walendy and her
Leam aL A8C conLlnue Lo make Lhls a dream assoclaLlon.
My agenL, Sloan Parrls aL lCM, has been ln my corner slnce our flrsL handshake years ago. Pe
deserves my deepesL graLlLude for Lhe unwaverlng supporL and falLh he has shown.
1here ls an empLy chalr aL my weekly poker game. Connelly, Lehane, and l declded Lo keep deallng
you ln, Mr. Cannell, and somehow you keep wlnnlng. As lL was ln llfe, my frlend and menLor. ?ou had me
aL 8ockford.
Andrew Marlowe ls a glfL. Pe lnsplres, he guldes, he creaLes, he performs, he slmply makes lL all
work. Pow many people are you glad Lo hear on Lhe oLher end of your phone when lL rlngs? Andrew, for
your LalenL, bravery, and, mosLly, your frlendshlp, Lhank you. And 1om, you had a hand ln Lhls one agaln,
Loo. Llke l sald, bad Lhlngs can happen when Lhe chef's alone ln Lhe klLchen. 1hanks for worklng Lhe llne,
bravlng Lhe burners, and pulllng your share of laLe shlfLs along Lhe way.
llnally, Lo Lhe fans, please know how you are admlred and honored. ?ou are Lhe reason for lL all.
8C
new ?ork ClLy, !une 2011
AbouL Lhe AuLhor
Amer|can 8roadcast|ng Compan|es, Inc.
k|chard Cast|e ls Lhe auLhor of numerous besLsellers, lncludlng neot wove, NokeJ neot, and Lhe
crlLlcally acclalmed uerrlck SLorm serles. Pls flrsL novel, lo o noll of 8ollets, publlshed whlle he was sLlll
ln college, recelved Lhe nom uelume SocleLy's presLlglous 1om SLraw Award for MysLery LlLeraLure.
CasLle currenLly llves ln ManhaLLan wlLh hls daughLer and moLher, boLh of whom lnfuse hls llfe wlLh
humor and lnsplraLlon.
8eaders Croup Culde
neot wove, Noked neot, neot kises, three nove|s by k|chard Cast|e
8lchard CasLle has generaLed Lhree edgy crlme dramas for beauLlful, whlp-smarL lead deLecLlve nlkkl
PeaL. ln Lhem all, wlLh Lhe help of her LrusLed Leam, PeaL navlgaLes Lhe challenglng sLreeLs of new ?ork
ClLy, Lhe pollLlcs of blg clLy pollce work, and an evolvlng professlonal and personal relaLlonshlp wlLh
lnvesLlgaLlve [ournallsL !ameson 8ook. urlven ln large parL by Lhe emoLlonal Lrauma of her own moLher's
murder, PeaL dedlcaLes herself Lo her work ln a way LhaL ofLen puLs her personal safeLy aslde so LhaL she
mlghL flnd [usLlce for Lhe vlcLlms. 8uL wheLher flghLlng a 8usslan former boxer Lwlce her slze, a grlmy
1exan who uses denLal lnsLrumenLs Lo LorLure hls vlcLlms, or an lnLernaLlonally Lralned snlper ln CenLral
ark, PeaL relles on her Lralnlng and lnsLlncLs Lo Assess. lmprovlse. AdapL. Cvercome."
D|scuss|on uest|ons
1. WhaL are Lhe effecLs of CasLle chooslng a woman for hls lead deLecLlve? Pow does lL lnfluence Lhe
acLlon? WhaL subploLs resulL from havlng a herolne lnsLead of a hero?
2. WhaL ls Lhe lmporLance of ego ln a deLecLlve's work? When does PeaL dlsplay a sLrong ego and when
does she seem humble or shlfL aLLenLlon away from herself?
3. ln NokeJ neot, how does 8ook's proflle of PeaL ln a naLlonal magazlne affecL her efforLs Lo balance
leadershlp and Leamwork? ln whaL ways does lL make her [ob more dlfflculL? uoes lL beneflL her ln
any way?
4. Lvery Llme nlkkl ls abouL Lo confronL a new homlclde vlcLlm she Lakes a momenL Lo breaLhe deeply
and focus her aLLenLlon. WhaL are Lhe reasons for Lhls rlLual? WhaL effecL does lL have on Lhe scene?
WhaL does lL add Lo PeaL's characLer?
3. Conslder PeaL's Lralnlng manLra when she flnds herself ln a very dangerous slLuaLlon: Assess.
lmprovlse. AdapL. Cvercome." Would Lhls be a helpful approach Lo more everyday challenges, or [usL
exLreme ones?
6. 1hroughouL Lhe novels, PeaL has a conLenLlous professlonal relaLlonshlp wlLh ullLzer rlze-wlnnlng
[ournallsL !ameson 8ook. 8oLh are skllled lnvesLlgaLors. When lL comes Lo worklng a crlmlnal case,
whaL's dlfferenL abouL Lhe approach of a deLecLlve and LhaL of a [ournallsL?
7. WhaL professlonal skllls does 8ook possess LhaL are helpful Lo Lhe lnvesLlgaLlons? uo any of Lhese
skllls hlnder Lhe Leam's effecLlveness? WhaL professlonal Lendencles of hls seem conLrary Lo pollce
work?
8. ulscuss whaL 8ook's personallLy brlngs Lo Lhe sLorles.
9. PeaL's personal relaLlonshlp wlLh 8ook ls ln dlfferenL sLages of lnLlmacy ln each of Lhe Lhree novels.
Pow does each new sLage affecL PeaL personally and professlonally? ln whaL ways ls Lhe ploL of each
sLory affecLed by Lhelr relaLlonshlp sLaLus?
10. Pow does 8ook's presence affecL Lhe lnLeracLlon of Lhe Leam? WhaL does lL Lake for hlm Lo flnally be
accepLed by Lhem?
11. ln whaL ways are parLners 8aley and Cchoa-affecLlonaLely referred Lo by PeaL as 8oach-essenLlal
Lo Lhe Leam? Pow are Lhelr personallLles dlfferenL? WhaL parLlcular sLrengLhs does each possess?
12. Conslder Lhe role of humor ln Lhe dally lnLeracLlon of Lhe Leam. ls lL slmply Lhe resulL of cerLaln
personallLles, or ls lL a more lmporLanL parL of Lhe [ob? uoes lL ever seem lnapproprlaLe or
lnsenslLlve?
13. 8oach occaslonally glve nlcknames Lo vlcLlms Lo serve as conversaLlonal shorLcuLs. PeaL sLernly asks
Lhem noL Lo. lor a homlclde deLecLlve, whaL seems a proper balance beLween lmpersonal ob[ecLlvlLy
and emoLlonal respecL for Lhe vlcLlm?
14. WeaLher ls ofLen an lmporLanL parL of any sLory. WhaL effecL does Lhe weaLher-LhaL of a scorchlng
summer, a coollng fall, or an lcy wlnLer-have on Lhe mood of each novel? ln whaL ways ls lL
slgnlflcanL Lo Lhe seLLlngs, scenes, or overall acLlon of Lhe sLorles?
13. 1hlnk abouL Lauren, Lhe medlcal examlner. Pow would you descrlbe her personallLy? WhaL does her
frlendshlp wlLh PeaL brlng Lo Lhe novels?
16. newspapers, magazlnes, and Lablolds are parL of all Lhree novels. ln addlLlon Lo 8ook, Lhere's
noLorlous gosslp columnlsL Cassldy 1owne ln NokeJ neot, and senlor Metto reporLer 1am Sve[da ln
neot klses. WhaL are Lhe dlfferences beLween Lhese dlfferenL klnds of publlc wrlLlng? ln everyday
llfe, how does Lhe medla effecL how we vlew crlme?
17. As a wrlLer, whaL mlghL be Lhe challenges ln Lrylng Lo weave and balance a sub[ecL as welghLy as
murder wlLh romance? Pow does CasLle declde Lo arrange and LranslLlon beLween Lhem?
18. WhaL Lype of person do you Lhlnk would make an lnLeresLlng vlllaln for PeaL Lo encounLer ln Lhe
fuLure?
CopyrlghL
costle A8C SLudlos. All 8lghLs 8eserved.
All rlghLs reserved. LxcepL as permlLLed under Lhe u.S. CopyrlghL AcL of 1976, no parL of Lhls publlcaLlon may be
reproduced, dlsLrlbuLed, or LransmlLLed ln any form or by any means, or sLored ln a daLabase or reLrleval sysLem,
wlLhouL Lhe prlor wrlLLen permlsslon of Lhe publlsher. lor lnformaLlon address Pyperlon, 114 llfLh Avenue, new
?ork, new ?ork 10011.
1he Llbrary of Congress has caLalogued Lhe orlglnal prlnL edlLlon of Lhls book as follows:
PeaL rlses / 8lchard CasLle.-1sL ed.
p. cm.
llcLlLlously aLLrlbuLed Lo 8lchard CasLle, a characLer on Lhe A8C Lelevlslon show, CasLle.
lS8n 978-1-4013-2443-8 (hardback)
1. Women deLecLlves-new ?ork (SLaLe)-new ?ork-llcLlon. 2. !ournallsLs-new ?ork (SLaLe)-new
?ork-llcLlon. 3. Murder-lnvesLlgaLlon-new ?ork (SLaLe)-new ?ork-llcLlon. 4. new ?ork (n.?.)-llcLlon. l.
CasLle (1elevlslon program)
S3600.A1P423 2011
813'.6-dc22
2011018733
e8ook LdlLlon lS8n: 978-1-4013-0391-4
Pyperlon books are avallable for speclal promoLlons and premlums. lor deLalls conLacL Lhe ParperColllns Speclal
MarkeLs ueparLmenL ln Lhe new ?ork offlce aL 212-207-7328, fax 212-207-7222, or emall
spsales[harpercolllns.com.
Cover arLwork Amerlcan 8roadcasLlng Companles, lnc.
llrsL e8ook LdlLlon
Crlglnal hardcover edlLlon prlnLed ln Lhe unlLed SLaLes of Amerlca.
www.-Pyperlon8ooks.-com
www.-abc.-com