Cathedral (50 page)

Doyle said, "But Bellini's Jike a yo-yo. He keeps changing his mind-" He looked sharply at Rourke. "Will he write such a statement?"

Rourke's tone was anxious. "He'll carry out any orders to attack . . .

but as for signing any statement . . . he's a difficult man. I know his position is that he needs more solid intelligence before he says he approves-"

Major Martin said, "Lieutenant Burke tells me he's very close to an intelligence breakthrough."

Everyone looked at Martin.

Martin continued. "He'll have at least the blueprints, perhaps the architect himself, within the next hour. I can almost guarantee it."

Martin's tone suggested that he didn't want to be pressed further.

Kline said, "What we need from Inspector Langley are psy-proffies showing that half the terrorists in there are psychotic."

Governor Doyle said, "Will these police officers cooperate?"

Spiegel answered. "I'll take care of Langley. As for Schroeder, he's very savvy and politically attuned. No problem there. Regarding Bellini, we'll offer a promotion and transfer to wherever he wants." Spiegel walked toward the telephone. "I'll get the media right now and tell them that the negotiations are reaching a critical stage and it's absolutely essential they delay on those Church appeals."

Doyle said almost smugly, "At least I know my man, Logan, will do what he is told." He turned to Kline. "Don't forget, I want a piece of this, Murray. At least one squad has to be from the Sixty-ninth."

Mayor Kline looked out the window. "Are we doing the right thing? Or have we all gone crazy?"

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Martin said, "You'd be crazy to wait for dawn." He added, "It's odd, isn't it, that the others didn't want to share this with us?"

Roberta Spiegel looked up as she dialed. "Some rats have perceived a sinking ship and jumped off. Other rats have perceived a bandwagon and jumped on. Before the sun rises, we'll know which rats saw things more clearly."

Bert Schroeder sat at his desk in the Monsignor's office. Langley, Bellini, and Colonel Logan stood, listening to Mayor Kline and Governor Doyle tell them what was expected of them. Schroeder's eyes darted from Kline to Doyle as his thoughts raced wildly.

Roberta Spiegel sat in her rocker staring into the disused fireplace, absently twirling a brandy snifter in her hands. The room had grown cold, and she had Langley's jacket draped over her shoulders.

Major Martin stood at the fireplace, occupied with the curios on the mantel.

Police Commissioner Rourke stood beside the Mayor, nodding agreement at everything Kline and Doyle said, trying to elicit similar nodding from his three officers.

The Governor stopped speaking and looked at Schroeder a moment. Something about the man suggested a dormant volcano. He tried to gauge his reaction. "Bert?"

Schroeder's eyes focused on the Governor.

Doyle said, "Bert, this is no reflection on you, but if dawn comes and there7s no compromise, no extension of the deadline-and there won't be-and the hostages are executed and the Cathedral demolished . . . well, it will be you, Bert, who'll get most of the public abuse. Won't it?"

Schroeder said nothing.

Mayor Kline turned to Langley. "And it will be you, Inspector, who will get a great deal of the official censure."

"Be that as it may-"

Bellini said heatedly, "We can handle criminals,' Your Honor, but these are guerrillas armed with military ord-419

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na nee--intrusion alarms, submachine guns, rockets, and . . . and God knows what else. What if they have flamethrowers? Hub? And they're holed up in a national shrine. Christ, I still don't understand why the army can't-"

The Mayor put a restraining hand on Bellini with a look of disappointment. "Joe . . . Joe, this is not like you."

Bellini said, "It sure as hell is."

Governor Doyle looked at Logan, who appeared uncomfortable. "Colonel?

What's your feel?"

Colonel Logan came to a modified position of attention. "Oh . . . well

. . . I am convinced that we should act without delay to mount an att-a rescue operation."

The Governor beamed.

"However," continued Logan, "the tactical plan is not sound. What you're asking us to do is like . . . Eke shoot ing rats in a china cabinet without breaking the china

. or the cabinet. . . ."

The Governor stared at Logan, his bushy eyebrows rising in an arc like squirrel tails. "Soldiers are often asked to do the impossible.-and to do it well. National Guard duty is not all parades and happy hours."

"No, sir . . . yes, sir."

"Can the Fighting Irish hold up their end of the operation?"

"Of coursel"

The Governor slapped Logan's shoulder soundly. "Good man."

The Mayor turned to Langley. "Inspector, you will have to come up with the dossiers we need on the Fenians."

Langley hesitated.

Roberta Spiegel fixed her eyes on him. "By no later than noon, Inspector."

Langley looked at her. "Sure. Why not? I'll do some creative wTiting with the help of a discreet police psychologist-Dr. Korman--and come up with psy-profiles of the Fenians that would scare the hell out of John Hickey himself."

Major Martin said, "May I suggest, Inspector, that you also show a link between the death of that informer-420

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Ferguson, I think his name was-and the Fenians? That will tidy up that business as well."

Langley looked at Martin and understood. He nodded.

Kline looked at Bellini. "Well, Joe. are you on our team?"

Bellini looked troubled. "I am . . . but

"Joe, can you honestly say that you're absolutely convinced these terrorists will not shoot the Cardinal and the others at dawn and then blow up Saint Patrick's Cathedral?"

"No . . . but---"

"Are you convinced your men cannot conduct a successful rescue operation?"

"I never said anything like that, Your Honor. I just won't sign anything.

. . . Since when are people required to sign something like that?"

The Mayor patted his shoulder gently. "Should I get someone else to lead your men against the terrorists in a rescue operation, Joe? Or should I just let Colonel Logan handle the whole operation?"

Bellini's mind was filled with conflicting thoughts, all of them unhappy.

Spiegel snapped, "Yes or no, Captain? It's getting late, and the fucking sun is due at 6:03."

Bellini looked at her and straightened his posture. "I'll lead the attack. If I get the blueprints, then I'll decide if I'm going to sign anything."

Mayor Kline let out a deep breath. "Well, that's about it." He looked at Langley. "You'll of course reconsider your resignation."

Langley said, "Actually, I was thinking about chief inspector."

Kline nodded quickly. "Certainly. There'll be promotions for everyone after this."

Langley lit a cigarette and noticed his hands were unsteady. Kline and Doyle, he was convinced, were doing the right thing in attacking the Cathedral. But with the sure instincts of the politician, they were doing it for the wrong reasons, in the wrong way, and going about it in a slimy 421

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manner. But so what? That was how half the right things got done.

Mayor Kline was smiling now. He turned to Schroeder. "Bert, all we need from you is some more time. Keep talking to them. You're doing a hell of a job, Bert, and we appreciate it. . . . Captain?" He smiled at Schroeder the way he always smiled at someone he had caught not paying attention.

"Bert?"

Schroeder's eyes focused on Kline, but he said nothing.

Mayor Kline regarded him with growing apprehension. "Now . . . now, Bert, I need a signed statement from you saying that it is your professional opinion, based on years of hostage negotiating, that you recommend a cessation of negotiations. Right?"

Schroeder looked around the room and made an unintelligible noise.

The Mayor seemed anxious but went on. "You should indicate that when you saw Flynn he made more demands . . . crazy demands. Okay? Write that up as soon as possibIe." He turned to the others. "All of you---2'

"I won't do that."

Everyone in the room looked at Schroeder. Kline said incredulously,

"What-what did you say?"

Roberta Spiegel stood quickly, sending the rocker sliding into Governor Doyle.

Doyle moved the rocker aside and approached Schroeder. "Those are true statements! And you haven't accomplished shit so farl"

Schroeder stood and steadied himself against the desk. "I've listened to all of you, and you're all crazy."

Spiegel said to Langley, "Get the backup negotiator."

Schroeder shouted, "No! No one can speak with Flynn but me. . . . He won't speak to anyone else. . . . You'll see he won't speak. . . . I'll call him now. . . ." He reached for the telehpone, but Langley pulled it away. Schroeder fell back in his chair.

Mayor Kline looked stunned. He tried to speak but couldn't get a word out.

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Spiegel moved around the desk and looked down at Schroeder. Her voice was soft and dispassionate. "Captain, sometime between now and the time Bellini is ready to move, you will prepare a statement justifying our decision. If you don't, I'll see to it that you are brought up on departmental charges, dismissed from the force, and lose your pension. Youll. end up as a bank guard in Dubuqueif you're lucky enough ever to get a gun permit. Now, let's discuss this intelligently."

Schroeder stood and took a deep breath. His voice had the control and tone of the professional negotiator again. "Yes, let's do that. I'm sorry, I became overwrought for a moment. Let's discuss what Brian Flynn really said to me, not what you'd have liked him to say." Schroeder looked at Bellini and Logan. "It seems those forty-five corned beef dinners were not a ruse-there were people to eat those dinners. I saw them. And flamethrowers

. . . let me tell you about the flamethrowers . . . ... He lit a cigar with shaking hands, then continued.

Schroeder went on in cool, measured tones, but everyone could hear an undercurrent of anxiety in his voice. He concluded, "Flynn has assembled what amounts to the largest, best-equipped armed force of trained insurgents this country has seen since the Civil War. It's too late to do anything except call Washington and tell them we've surrendered what is in our power to surrender. . . ."

423

Langley found Burke lying on a bed in a priest's room. "They've decided to hit the Cathedral!"

Burke sat up quickly.

Langley's voice was agitated. "Soon. Before the Pope's appeal-before the church bells ring and Monsignor Downes comes to his senses-"

"Slow down."

"Schroeder spoke to Flynn at the gate-said he saw forty or fifty armed Fenians--2'

"Fifty?"

"But he didn't. I know he didn't."

"Hold on. Back up."

Langley paced around the small room. "Washington perceived a sinking ship.

Kline and Doyle perceived a bandwagon. See? Tomorrow they'll both be heroes, or they'll be in Mexico wearing dark glasses and phony noses-"

Burke found some loose aspirin in the night table and chewed three of them.

Langley sat down on a chair. "Listen, Spiegel wants to see you." He briefed Burke quickly, then added, "You're the negotiator until they decide about Schroeder."

Burke looked up. "Negotiator?" He laughed. "Poor Bert. This was going to be his perfect game. . . . He really wanted this one." He lit a cigarette stub. "So"-he exhaled a stream of acrid smoke-"we attack-"

"No! We rescue! You have to call it a rescue operation now. You have to choose your words very carefully, be-424

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cause it's getting very grim and none of them is saying what they mean anymore-they never did anyway-and they lie better than we do. Go on, they're waiting for you."

Burke made no move to leave. "And Martin told them I would produce Stillway!"

"Yes, complete with blueprints. That was news to me-how about you?"

"And he never mentioned Terri O'Neal?"

"No-should he?" Langley looked at his watch. "Does it matter anymore?"

Burke stared out the window into Madison Avenue. "Martin killed Jack Ferguson, you know."

Langley came up behind him. "No. The Fenians killed Jack Ferguson."

Burke turned. "Lots of phony deals going down tonight."

Langley shook his head. "Damned right. And Kline is passing out promotions like they were campaign buttons. Go get one. But you have to pay."

Langley began pacing again. "You have to sign a statement saying you think everything Kline and Doyle do is terrific. Okay? Make them give you a captain's pay. I'm going to be a chief inspector. And get out of ID.

Ask for the Axt Forgery Squad-Paris, London, Rome. Promise me you'll visit Schroeder in Dubuque-"

"Get hold of yourself."

Langley waved his arms. "Remember, Martin is in, Schroeder is out. Logan is in with Kline and Doyle but out with Bellini-are you following me?

Watch out for Spiegel. She's in rare form-what a magnificent bitch. The Fenians are lunatics, we're sane. . . . Monsignor Downes blesses us all.

. . . What else?" He looked around with wild darting eyes. "Is there a shower in this place? I feel slimy. You still here? Beat itl" Langley fell back on the bed. "Go away."

Burke had never seen Langley become unglued, and it was frightening. He started to say something, then thought better of it and left.

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Burke walked beside Roberta Spiegel up the stairs. He listened to her brisk voice as they moved. Martin was climbing silently behind him.

Burke opened the stairshed door and walked onto the flat rooftop of the rectory. A wind blew from the north, and frozen pools of water reflected the lights of the tall buildings around them. Spiegel dismissed a team of ESD snipers, turned up her coat collar, and moved to the west side of the roof. She put her hands on the low wrought-iron fence that ran around the roof s perimeter and stared at the towering Cathedral rising across the narrow courtyard.