Murder 101 (24 page)

No response.

“Stay behind me.” As if to prove the point, he shoved her until she was hidden by his back. “I need to clear the rooms.”

Again, he yelled out Tyler’s name. In the ensuing silence, he heard a distant motor come to life. “Rina, call in a silver Hyundai Accent van. And no, I don’t have the license number, but if it’s in the area, I want it stopped.”

“I’m on it.”

Quickly, Decker went through the living room, the kitchen, and the bathroom: all empty. He went to the spare bedroom and by the time he hit the main bedroom, he could hear the distant sirens. He flipped on the lights. “Tyler! Are you here?” A pause. “Answer me, buddy.”

They both heard the groan at the same time, but it was Rina who saw blood seeping out from the bullet-ridden closet door.

It was locked.

Again, Decker shoved it with his shoulder. It didn’t budge. He took the crowbar and after three lumber jack swings, he managed to splinter the plywood. He unlocked the bolt, swung the door open, and pulled down the string to turn on the closet light.

The kid was crouched in the corner, his eyes wide open, his face covered in blood. Decker bent down, his eyes focused on the splatter on his temple. When he touched it, Tyler flinched.

A graze wound, thank God. Decker said, “Can you hear me?”

The kid didn’t respond, either frozen with fear or something worse. He was clutching his arm. “Let me see what’s going on, buddy.”

Decker had to peel his hand away to see the damage. He was hit with a through and through: a small hole in the front with a bigger exit hole. It seemed to be a flesh wound but he couldn’t tell for certain.

“Can you hear me?” He touched the kid’s face and locked eyes with him. “Can you hear me, Tyler? Answer me, please!”

“I’m woozy . . .” he panted out.

“You can talk.” To Rina, Decker shouted, “I hear the ambulance. Go direct them.”

“Right away.”

To Tyler, he said, “Can you move your fingers?”

He winced. “Yeah . . .”

“What about your toes? Can you wiggle your toes?”

Another grimace. “Yeah . . .” As if on autopilot, he tried to stand but immediately collapsed before he could get a knee off the ground. Blood was oozing out of his leg. His skin color was ashen. His forehead felt clammy.

“Tyler, you have to stay still. Real still. It’ll slow down the bleeding.” Decker ripped off Tyler’s pajama bottoms and to survey the damage to the legs.

He’d been hit in the thigh. On the surface, the bone didn’t look broken, but he had no way to assess the damage that the bullet made. A half foot higher and the kid would have had a lot more to worry about than a shattered femur.

Decker pulled a blanket off the closet shelf and covered Tyler to minimize the shock. He kept his voice low and soothing. “Can you feel pain?”

“Fuck yeah . . .”

“That’s good. You’ll be fine. Ambulance is already here.”

The kid lifted the blanket to look at his groin.

Decker said, “Your dick is fine.”

“Don’t lie.”

“I wouldn’t, Harvard. You’re totally intact.”

Tears were streaming down the kid’s cheek. “Not that it’s getting much use.”

Decker broke into nervous laughter. “You still have your wits.”

“I’m really dizzy.”

“Just hold on.” Decker attempted a smile. “You must be the only person in the world who has a locked closet.”

“I keep cash . . . the safe.” He was breathing hard. “The notebook is there.” Tears were blurring his vision. “I think I’m gonna pass out.”

“You’ll be fine, Tyler, I promise.”

The paramedics came into the bedroom, followed by several uniformed officers. Decker stood up and pointed inside the closet. The EMTs carefully lifted Tyler onto the gurney and then went to work: an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, an IV in his veins . . . dressing the wounds, trying to stanch the bleeding.

Tyler’s eyes beseeched Decker’s. Although the kid couldn’t talk with the mask over his mouth, Decker knew what he was thinking.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m riding with you.” He turned to Rina. “Have one of the officers drive you to the hospital.”

“I have the car.”

“Rina, you can’t be alone!”

“Right. Of course. I’ll meet you there.”

Several minutes later, the kid was loaded in the ambulance. Decker sat on the bench as the paramedics continued to work on him. Decker took the kid’s clammy hand and when he did, Tyler closed his wet eyes.

Thoughts jumbled inside Decker’s brain.

Detectives are seldom whacked. But seldom isn’t never.

For the first time ever, Decker wondered if he was truly over his head.

He had told the kid that he could walk away from the case. Maybe he should take his own warning. Going out with a whimper and long life were much better than going out with a bang.

His head was throbbing, his heart was pounding, and he was sweating profusely even though it was cold and, in his rush, he hadn’t bothered with a jacket or coat. He continued holding Tyler’s clammy hand, hoping that his own body heat would warm the kid up. With his free hand, Decker wiped tears from his eyes.

Bumblefuck, USA.

He had been bored with the job, had longed for the excitement he had left behind.

Now his overzealous wishes were coming back to bite him in the ass.

CHAPTER 24

T
HE STORY BECAME
rote after repeated recitations. Decker was trashed in body and in mind. He sat on a hard plastic chair in the hospital, waiting to hear any news from the surgeon. Rina was next to him, curled up in a ball, dozing on and off. A half-dozen officers had been at the hospital when the ambulance had arrived. Mike had reassigned them to hunt down the Hyundai silver van after a reported sighting about four miles from Decker’s house. The quiet streets of Greenbury now crawled with black-and-whites. Unfortunately the silver van remained illusive.

Mike Radar had stayed on at the hospital. “So you have the codebook on you?”

“It’s in the kid’s safe. The code is his father’s birthday, which I don’t know.” Decker had already explained this all to the captain but Radar was talking from nerves. Every time there was a protracted silence, the captain asked another question. Decker checked his watch against the wall clock. Both timepieces said 4:45. It was Tuesday morning. “Even if it had been stolen from his safe, it wouldn’t have mattered. Summer Village has the original.”

“Maybe the thief wanted to see what was inside?”

“Yeah, of course. Did you get hold of Mulrooney?”

“About twenty minutes ago. I told him what happened and he thanked me. Don’t think he’ll be falling back asleep. He has the original codebook under lock and key.” Radar was still pacing, bleeding off adrenaline. “No news on the silver van, dammit. How could such a conspicuous car just vanish?”

“We’ll find it,” Decker said.

“That’s just wishful thinking.” When Decker didn’t answer, Mike said, “How did this
happen
? This is Greenbury, for God’s sake.”

“Bumblefuck, USA,” Decker said.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s what kids say when they’re talking about a place that no one has ever heard of. They call it Bumblefuck. McAdams asked the same question: How was this happening? I told him he should walk away from the case.” A sigh. “Actually told him he could walk away if he wanted to. And he didn’t want to. But it doesn’t matter now. We’re both in too deep.”

Rina inhaled and woke up with a start. She stretched. “Anything?”

“He’s still in surgery.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost five.”

“So he’s been in for two hours.”

“Yes.”

“That’s not so long when you consider he was hit twice. Actually three times including the graze wound on his temple.”

“I still think you should call his parents,” Radar said.

“He specifically told me not to call them as they were wheeling him in,” Decker said.

“What if something happens?”

“Mike, he’s twenty-six, he’s an adult, and he’s not going to die.”

“You never know.”

Decker gave him an angry glance. “He’s not going to die. He ordered me not to call his parents. The least I could do is honor his wishes.”

“The mayor won’t like it when he finds out.”

“So let the mayor call them.”

Rina patted his knee in an effort to calm him down. It didn’t work. Decker got up, paced a few steps, and then he gently hit the wall several times. “If I’m going to get whacked in the line of duty, I’d at least like to know why!”

Rina said, “I’m sure you’ll know a lot more once the codebook is squared away.”

“Who’s this guy that McAdams called?” Radar asked.

“Mordechai Gold. He’s a professor in the math department at Harvard.”

“How do we know he’s trustworthy?”

“If you or Mulrooney have a better person, make the call.”

“I still think you should call his parents.”

“Mike, we’re going around in circles.”

The captain scratched his head. Then he sat down. “The silver van, Decker. You first noticed it when you left Summer Village PD?”

The same questions over and over and
over
. Decker said, “I noticed it tailing me after I left Summer Village PD. After I got on the highway, it pulled back then I lost sight of it. Second time I noticed it was when Tyler and I grabbed a cup of coffee while we poked around the galleries on Newbury. When I heard a motor being gunned, I figured that maybe it’s the van. But I don’t know. I’m probably full of shit.”

“I doubt that.” Radar was still pacing. “If you first noticed the van in Summer Village, the main focus has to be Latham’s murder, not Angeline Moreau’s death.”

“I agree.”

“So . . .” Radar smacked his lips. “I think the time has come to let the pros handle it.”

“Excuse me?” Decker said.

“Not that you’re not a pro, Peter. But I think it’s in all our best interests to let Summer Village and Boston handle the investigation. They’re bigger, they’re more equipped, and they have more manpower.”

“Mike, some son of a bitch broke into my house and would have shot me dead if I hadn’t gotten to him first. Someone thinks that I know way more than I do. They’re not going to stop until either they’re stopped or I’m dead.”

Radar made a face. “Then maybe you and your wife should take a vacation.”

“Mike, I’m a cop, for God’s sake. I’m not going to run away. They’d just track me down.” He turned to Rina. “You, on the other hand—”

“Oh, no you don’t!”

“I can’t babysit the kid, babysit you, and do my job.”

“Peter, since we’ve moved here, I’ve gone to the shooting range every time you’ve gone. I’m an excellent shot. And, FYI, I don’t need your babysitting.”

“Darlin’, maybe you should visit your parents. Your father is ninety-five.”

“Don’t you play the parent card on me.”

“Do you know the temperature in L.A. yesterday? A sunny, seventy-two degrees.”

“Well, bully for L.A. And someone has to keep an eye out for Tyler, because—like you said—if you’re watching him, you can’t do your job.”

“There’s no job for him to do,” Radar said. “I’m giving the case to Boston. Let them coordinate with Summer Village—”

“No, no, no,” Decker said. “That’s not going to happen—”

“You said you’d tell me if it was too much for you to handle.”

“I didn’t say it was too much to handle. I’ve been a detective for almost thirty years. I’ve been in combat. I can handle this. Let me just see this out.”

“Not on my watch.”

“That’s bullshit!”

“Don’t swear at me.”

Rina cleared her throat. The men turned in her direction. “Uh, as much as I hate to agree with my husband, I think he’s right, Mike. Pulling him off isn’t going to take the heat away from him. If anything, it’ll make it look like Peter really knows something and that you’re trying to protect him.” Silence. “And from a personal point of view, I might also add that you will never find a detective as good as Peter is.”

“Thank you,” Decker said. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Decker looked at Radar. “Well?”

“What about Tyler?” Radar said.

“We can send him back to New York.”

Rina said, “These guys are pro. Tyler’s way more vulnerable in an anonymous city than he is in Greenbury. It’s easier to take care of him here because anything unusual will stick out.”

Mike said, “I’ll put an officer on him.”

“Agreed,” Decker said. “But I still want Rina out of here.” He looked at his wife. “You need to go to L.A.”

“Peter, I’m not involving my parents in this mess.”

“I’ll put an officer on her, too,” Radar said.

Rina said, “Have Tyler move in with us. That way you only need one officer and I can shoot a gun should the occasion call for it.”

“You can’t be serious,” Decker said.

“It’s actually not a bad idea, Pete. It’ll be a lot easier to guard one house than two. And it’ll be easier to rotate people because we’ll have more manpower.”

“So it’s settled,” Rina said. “Tyler will move in, Mike will put a guard on the house, and Peter is still on the case.”

Radar said, “I don’t want you going at this alone.”

Decker said, “If I could team up with an old colleague from L.A., I’d agree with you. But it takes a long time to get a trust and a rhythm between two people. I’m better going solo.”

“No, no, no, no,” Rina said. “You are not doing this alone.”

“Last night, if I hadn’t been so worried about Rina or Tyler, I could have chased down the perp. I’m not training someone new.”

“Speaking of which, Marge called.”

“When?”

“Last night. I forgot to tell you.”

“Great.”

“I can’t think of everything!”

Decker said, “Sorry.”

“Who’s Marge?” Radar asked.

“An old colleague from L.A.”

Radar made a face. “So now you’re outsourcing?”

Decker felt sheepish. “We worked together for years. We keep in touch.”

“Decker, if she called you
back,
you must have asked her to do something.”

“He’s got you there,” Rina said.

“Whose side are you on?”

“Flexible.”

Radar said, “What did you ask her to do?”

“Look up Chase Goddard and see if he’s done anything arrest worthy in his past. Her police department has bigger databases than ours.”

“Well, as long as the cat’s out of the bag, she told me to tell you that she didn’t find anything on him. She’s going to try to see if the LAPD database might have something.”

“Chase Goddard,” Radar said. “The gallery man you visited yesterday afternoon when you saw the silver van.”

“Yep.”

“I’ll see what I can find out about him from Boston,” Radar said.

“Thank you.” No one talked for a moment. Then Decker said, “So it’s settled?”

“You are not working solo, Peter,” Rina said. “I’m in your corner but you have to be reasonable.”

“I agree,” Radar said. “You’re a target. You can’t handle this alone.”

“I’m not going to involve anyone on the force, Mike. Not with this bull’s-eye on my head.”

“For God’s sake, Decker, we’re all cops! We know what we signed up for. I am the captain of Greenbury PD and I’m calling up Ben Roiters. You cannot work alone.”

“Then I’d rather you pull me off the case than involve Ben,” Decker said.

“Peter, why don’t you call Scott?” Rina said.

“Am I senile or wasn’t he just shot a year ago.”

“Who’s Scott?” Radar asked.

“Peter, every time you talk to him, he complains how bored he is with retirement.”

“That doesn’t mean he wants to start working again.”

“Who’s Scott?”

“Why don’t you ask him? What harm would it do?”

“Who the fuck is Scott?” Radar asked.

“Scott Oliver,” Rina said. “He and Marge Dunn were partners.”

“The woman you’re using to outsource,” Radar said.

“Old relationships die hard, Captain,” Rina said. “Marge is currently working as a detective but Scott had retired. He’s not married, he doesn’t have any hobbies, and he’s going out of his mind with boredom. When he isn’t yakking to Marge about how tedious life is, he’s calling Peter. The main thing is he’s a great detective.”

“He’s old,” Decker said.

“He’s the same age as you are.”

Radar said, “He’s good?”

“Great,” Decker admitted. “Very experienced.”

“And he’s cool under pressure. You’ve always told me that he’s the one guy you’d want in a hot situation.” Rina turned to Radar. “What do you think?”

“It’s a possibility. I’ll need to interview him.”

Rina said. “At least
call
him, Peter. If he doesn’t want to do it, he’ll say no.”

“He won’t say no. He’d do it for me. I know that because I’d do it for him.”

“He’d do it for the joy of feeling alive again . . . like someone else I know.”

At that moment, a doctor in green scrubs came out to the group. Decker, Rina, and Radar stopped talking and looked anxiously at the man who introduced himself as Doctor Alex Harrow.

“He’s out. And he’s a very, very lucky man. A few millimeters more and the bullet would have hit the femoral artery.”

“Thank God,” Rina said. “He’s going to be all right, then.”

“After a fashion. He’s still got some recovering to do. The bullet in his leg did knock some bone. It’s cracked—a little bigger than a hairline fracture, but the bone didn’t break apart. The orthopedic surgeon thinks there’s enough bone to regenerate what the bullet nicked away. If not, he may need a bone graft. It’s too early to tell.”

“I take it he won’t be able to walk,” Radar said.

“He’ll be in a leg cast for six weeks. He’ll need a wheelchair. When he gets his strength back in his arm, he can probably manage with crutches.”

“Can we talk to him?” Radar asked.

“In a couple of hours. He’s still in recovery.” The surgeon looked around. “Any wife or parents?”

“No wife,” Decker said. “He didn’t want me to call his parents.”

“Yeah, he probably didn’t want to worry them. But it might be a good idea to call them now that he’s out.”

“Thank you and of course, you’re right.” Radar waited until the surgeon left and then he eyed Decker. “Call them.”

“Mike, he doesn’t want them here.”

“This isn’t a request, it’s an order.”

“He told me—and I quote—‘I fucking hate my parents. Don’t call them.’ ”

“He was delirious. They have to be notified, Decker.”

“He’s a grown man.”

“I’m not going to argue about this. I said it’s an order.”

“Fine. I’ll call them.”

“Good.” He exhaled forcefully. “I’m going back to the station house. I’m going to bring everyone up to speed with what I know—and they’re going to bring me up to speed with what I don’t know. We’ll get a murder board going because it’s clear this isn’t going to be a simple solve. Then, after that, I’m going to work out a watch rotation for your house. I don’t want your lovely wife to feel endangered.”

“I appreciate that, Captain,” Rina said.

“And I’ll be damned before I’ll be the first captain in this quaint city to lose a man in the line of duty. I have my pride. And I do care about all of you.”

“I feel the love, Mike.”

“Don’t get mouthy on me, Decker.”

“Just trying to add a little levity.”

“I suppose I should find out about this codebook. I’ll call Summer Village.”

“If I’m still on the case, let me do that.”

“Fine, make the call while you’re waiting for Tyler’s parents to arrive. You’re not going anywhere until you talk to them, understood?”