Seven Ways to Die (14 page)

“Why do you want to get rid of him?” Stinelli asked.

“I don’t, but he needs to leave now. He needs to be on the street. He needs to go after these people face-to-face.”

“Send him up,” Stinelli replied.

Needless to say, Stinelli was blown away by the man’s knowledge.

“So? What did you think of the session?” Cody asked Kate as they walked toward the little man.

“Fascinating. I gather you and Wolf think we have a serial killer on our hands.”

“Worst case scenario,” Cody said. “When you catch one like this it crosses everybody’s mind. So far we don’t have that much to go on. We have to follow what we do have and see where it leads.”

They reached Simon’s desk but he kept doing what he was doing and didn’t look up.

“Bet you a buck I know what you’re up to,” Cody said.

“That little birdy tell you?” Simon said with a wry smile, still pecking at the keys. “I know better. I always lose whether it’s a little bird, the big bad wolf, or an owl and a pussycat that’s been banging on your ear.”

Winters frowned but said nothing.

“Deep six on Stembler?”

The little man stopped typing and leaned back in his chair. “Just backing you up. I think that crack about him looking for a new candidate for a son-in-law is on the money. I did a probe on Handley. A guy in the company named Louis Nevins made the initial recruiting interview when Handley was a junior at Princeton. But Stembler himself went over there for the final interview and nailed him that day. I mean, he had Handley married into the family when he hired him.”

The little man looked up at Kate. “Welcome to hell central.”

“Thank you,” she said, shaking the hand he offered.

“Picked a great day to start.”

“So I gather.”

Simon looked back at Cody. “What did that birdy tell you?”

“Be careful but work fast.”

Simon chuckled. “Obscure, as usual.”

“You had to be there.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s what you always say. I’ve already run all the names we’ve gathered through the names and moniker base, including the maid and Nevins. No hits, they’re all clean. And no reference to the sister.” He chuckled a bit and added: “The Staten Island Fairy didn’t make the cut either.”

“You gonna run ViCAP or NCIC yet?”

“Maybe. What I like best is bleeding the guy. That’s a new one on me. I may start the trail by entering all three of Wolf’s findings. Death by piercing, double dose of drugs and exsanguination and see what happens.”

“How about the crime scene?”

“Probably bring up a lot of bondage hits. Handcuffing to the chair, blah, blah, blah. All that crap isn’t that uncommon.”

He paused for a moment or two staring at the screen.

“Maybe this wasn’t a sex crime,” Kate pondered aloud. “That what the birdy meant?”

“Maybe he meant be careful but don’t waste time. Maybe Androg would like to lead us down a blind alley at this point.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“This is your part of the show, Si. Play the hand you feel we’ve been dealt.”

“S.O.P.”

“I’m gonna get Kate straightened away and pick up Charley. I’ll be back in thirty, maybe we can grab a sandwich.”

“Roger that.”

Cody and Kate headed for the elevator.

“Do you have wheels?” He asked her.

“No. I rent when I need to go out of the city.”

“Now is as good a time as any to pick up a chair and lamp and anything else you want for the office.”

She smiled. “My lamp and chair are at my apartment. We’ve been together a long time.”

“That’s on the west side, right? Ninety-fourth just off West End near Riverside Park?”

“I see I have no secrets,” she laughed.

“It’s on your application,” he said. “You’ll need transportation and a strong arm. I’ll get you one of the vans and one of the guys in the garage to help you.”

“Thanks. Question?”

“Fire away.”

“I’m not sure I got everything you two were talking about back there.”

“You mean about the bird?”

“Well, yes. For starters.”

“Ah, that’s just Si speak. You’ll catch on. Everybody in this squad has strong instincts. That’s one of the reasons we’re here. He was verbalizing his.”

“Was he talking about the falcon?”

“He didn’t know we saw the falcon,” Cody answered as they got on the elevator.

14

Police Commander Lou Stinelli was sitting in his office at One Police Plaza talking to himself. His lips moved silently as he scanned the speech he had to make in a few days. And he was in a crappy mood. He would have preferred walking through fire than address the Ladies Auxiliary of the Policeman’s Support Group or any other group for that matter.

“Hey, why so grumpy?” his wife Valerie had asked as he got ready to leave that morning.

“You know why,” he grumbled.

“The ladies are going to drool all over you,” she said, smiling. “They always do.” She straightened his tie as he was on his way out the door. “You’re the best-looking guy in the NYPD.”

“Hah,” he said walking toward the waiting car.

“Hey!”

He turned toward her.

“I love hearing your talks. You always knock ‘em dead.”

He gave her a look.

She blew him a kiss and he finally smiled.

“You could get a brick wall to smile,” he said. ”How about dinner tonight?”

“Love it, Commander.”

Δ

At 61, the Deputy Chief of Police Bureaus was everything the public wanted in a top cop. He was straight and tall, gruffly handsome, his jet black hair streaked white at the temples, his voice tough and commanding. The only son of Italian immigrants, he had climbed up the bureaucratic chain of command the hard way, rising from the meanest streets of New York to a position that many felt put him in line to be the next chief of the best police force in the country.

Stinelli was admired both as an innovative risk-taker and a devoted family man. His office was decorated with photographs of his family; his parents’ wedding photograph beside his own, his two daughters and son growing up, his mom always there in the background at first communions, high school graduations, weddings, frolicking with her seven grandchildren, standing beside her grandson, David, the day he was awarded his wings at the Air Force Academy.

 Lou’s first words upon entering the office every morning were, “Hi Pop, I love you.” His father had died on the beach in Omaha the day Lou was born.

His last as he left the office for the day were, “Night Dave, sleep well.”

Δ

Stinelli was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, running the speech one more time. He did not see the red light blinking on one of his telephone lines or when it steadied as his secretary, Gloria, answered it. When his phone buzzed it startled him. He snatched it up.

“I told you no calls, Gloria. Did I tell you that or was I dreamin’?”

“Yes you did, Commander, but…”

“I’m late for my first meeting already.”

“Actually you have thirty minutes before you have to leave, sir.”

“I’m still working on my speech.”

“It’s Jake Sallinger at
Metro Magazine
. He says he only needs a minute or two.”

“Since when did the press ever want a minute or two? What does he want?”

“He said it’s a matter of importance.”

Stinelli’s shoulders drooped. “It’s always a matter of importance with Sallinger. If the light’s on for five minutes cut in and tell me the car’s waiting.”

“Yes sir. Line one.”

He speared the button with his forefinger.

“I got a meeting in fifteen minutes, Jake. Keep it short or call back later in the day.”

“It’s no big deal, Lou. I’ve got a writer working on an article. He needs a little help.”

“What kind of help?”

“It’s about a cold case…”

“Cold case?” Stinelli cut him off. “What cold case?”

“Remember a homicide about two years ago involving a woman named Melinda Cramer?”

“Sure. A suicide that turned into murder.”

“We’re doing an article on her.”

“Why? That’s old news.”

“It’s, uh, part of a series. You know how my fact finders are. They’re real bloodhounds and my writer can’t locate the homicide and autopsy reports. He wants to check some details.”

Bells went off in Stinelli’s head.

“What writer?”

There was a pause. “Is that important?”

“Is it some kind of secret? I’m curious. Call it the cop in me
.
”

“Ward Lee Hamilton.”

Stinelli rolled his eyes. “The smart alec who thinks he’s smarter than my cops? The one who dresses like a clown?”

“He’s a trend-setter,” Sallinger said.

“Trend for who, Barnum and Bailey? Nobody else in their right mind dresses like that.”

“What’s the difference who the writer is, Commander? We’re talking about a homicide report. Public record. Hamilton is a meticulous researcher. He’s just trying to do his job.”

“Why are you calling me?” Stinelli snapped. “Tell him to check the damn dead files.”

“He’s checked everywhere. Maybe it got misplaced. It’s a freedom of information thing. I thought a call from…”

“What the hell’s that mean? A freedom of information thing. That some kind of threat?”

“No, no. But he’s very persistent and…is there a problem?”

“Jake, I’m preparing for an important meeting at City Hall. After that I’m tied up for most of the afternoon.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s an ‘I don’t know.’ I’m not a micro-manager. I’ll put Gloria on it and get back to you.”

“He’s on a tight deadline, Lou. Please don’t stonewall me on this…”

“Stonewall hell. I said I’ll check into it.”

“Hamilton’s going to Philly to accept some kind of award tonight and tomorrow’s Saturday. Can I expect a call back, say, Monday?”

“I said I’ll check on it.”

He slammed down the phone.

“Gloria.”

She stuck her head in the door.

“It was only three minutes,” she stammered.

“Has Captain Cody called in today?”

“Yes, sir, but you said to hold your calls.”

“Find him. Now. Then check with Manhattan North and South and the Cold Case Squad and see if they have the files on the Melinda Cramer case. And tell my car to come around.”

Δ

Cody and Charley were headed toward the Loft when Gloria caught up with him. A second later Stinelli was on his cell phone.

“Where are you?” Stinelli asked.

“Walking east on Canal. Charley and I are headed for the office.”

“Head over to Broadway. I’ll pick you up in about two minutes. Put Charley up front with Berno.”

“Okay.”

Cody and Charley walked to Broadway and waited for a couple of minutes and then saw the black Cadillac a block away. He crossed to the far side of the street, waited until the Caddy pulled up, and opened the front door.

“Hi Berno,” he said to the policeman assigned to the Commander.

“Captain,” Berno nodded.

“Hop in, Charley,” Cody said and the big shepherd jumped in. Berno Adashek smiled and rubbed his ears as Cody got in the back. Stinelli was sitting upright, his fingers drumming his knees.

“Hi, kid,” Stinelli said. “Mind taking a drive down to City Hall with me? Berno will bring you back.”

“Whatever you say, Chief. Gloria tell you I called?”

“Yeah. Got something working?”

Cody nodded.

“We’ll get to that in a minute. You’ve heard of Ward Lee Hamilton, right?”

“I occasionally read the papers. Even a book when I have time.”

Stinelli chuckled. “Has he called your office in the last coupla days?”

“Nope.”

“Ever met him?”

“Nope.”

“What do you know about him?”

“Well, I don’t know a cop who’d shed a tear if he got run over by an eighteen-wheeler.”

Stinelli laughed and said, “Guess what? You’re about to join the club.”

“Already joined…Why?”

“Jake Sallinger has hired him to do a series on cold cases for
Metro Magazine
. Melinda Cramer is on top of the list.”

Cody’s expression didn’t change.

“Where’d you pick that up?”

“Sallinger called me. Hamilton’s whining because he can’t find any of the records on the case. Gloria checked with the 24
^th
, Manhattan North and South, the detective bureau and the dead files. Hamilton has called them, all right. When he struck out he had Sallinger call me.”

“And he wants you to produce the records?”

“Probably. Or tell him where they are.”

“I’ve got the files.”

“I know that. Is it still active?”

“It’s our only open case.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It’s a work in progress. Whenever one of us has some free time we take a look at it. The reports are in the computer.”

“And?”

“It was cold when we got it. If we send it to the dead bureau that’ll be the end of it.”

“Hell, Micah, it’s one case and it was already screwed up when it was dumped on you. He’s gonna write the piece anyway. Wolf did a great job on that second autopsy. Give Hamilton that to play with.”

“I’m not willing to sign off on it yet.”

“You’re being stubborn. He’s threatening to go to court. Invoke the Freedom of Information Act.”

Cody thought for a moment. He tugged on his ear then shook his head.

“Hamilton won’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“If he does the rest of the press will get on it. He wants an exclusive. The last thing he wants is The Times or The Post or Nancy Grace getting curious and jumping all over it.”

“Huh. Good point,” Stinelli replied. “You say you have something on the plate?”

Cody nodded. “As of seven a.m. So far it’s all verbal including Wolf’s initial autopsy. We’ll keep it that way as long as we can.”

“High profile?”

“Oh, yeah.”

The Cadillac pulled up in front of City Hall.

“We’re here, Commander,” Berno said.

“How about I stop by the Loft later in the day so you can fill me in?”

“Sounds good, sir. What’d you tell Sallinger?”

“That I’d get back to him. Hamilton’s out of town ‘til tomorrow. It’s the weekend so we don’t have to screw with it until Monday.”