Rayesh shrugged her shoulders. “Usual. Asked about the homicide. Said the mayor needed the newest information. The usual BS.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“Active investigation. Yada, yada, yada.” She paused for a moment, then added, “I did tell him it was too early to connect my homicide to the others. And he said he heard the killer stabbed the victim’s eye. I had to tell him I didn’t know why the killer did that, beyond a thirst for control.”
I mumbled, “The world is full of crazy, scary people, Raina. The public usually doesn’t see it. Maybe an occasional story about someone who went wild. Never the day-to-day nasty things that go on around us everywhere.”
Rayesh said, “Macy’s just looking to tell the mayor we’ve caught someone. He wants something to quiet the news media. An arrest would be just what they need. It’s like in the movie Jaws. The administrators at City Hall just want the problem to go away before tourist season gets screwed up.” She sighed, then perked up. “In all this confusion, I forgot that you’re getting married really soon,” she said.
“A week from Saturday. If Mary Catherine doesn’t leave me before then.”
“That’s a possibility, because she’s really smart. But I’ve seen the way she looks at you. You tricked her into believing all the press clippings. She’s in for the long haul.” Then she shook her head. “I don’t know, Mike. Maybe we’ve been on the job too long.”
“How do you figure that, Raina?”
She said, “Because all I want to do is move to Boca Raton and tell people how brave I was for the last twenty years in New York City.”
“Good plan.”
We both started laughing, knowing neither of us actually had any intention of leaving the job any time soon.
Chapter 32
I’d told Raina Rayesh the truth—that while I’d avoided an invitation to One Police Plaza for my rude behavior to the mayor’s aide, my boss, Harry Grissom, had been issued his own invitation. That’s why I was in the lobby outside the chief of detectives’ office, waiting for Harry at about ten o’clock in the morning, a few hours after I’d compared notes with Rayesh.
When he came through the double glass doors that led from the conference room and other administrative offices, Harry shook his head at the sight of me. “I thought you understood it would be better if you were nowhere near here this morning.”
“I came to support you.”
Harry said, “Mr. Macy will be visiting our office this afternoon.”
“What for?”
“To see how Task Force Halo is operating.”
“Hollis and I, we’re not really a task force. But we’re happy to let the FBI call us one if we can get access to their resources as we work the case.”
“It’s a subtle difference we’re not going to explain to the mayor’s office.” Harry smiled as we stopped and waited for the elevator. “We’re going to convince Macy that our task force is fully staffed. We’re going to grab a couple of plainclothes and pull some patrol officers to help Hollis run down all the leads we’re getting from the tip line.” He slapped me on the back. “You’re going to make the operation look convincing, and Macy’s going to buy it. Got it?”
All I could do was grin. Harry knew more about dealing with administrators and politicians than I could ever hope to understand. He also understood how investigations worked and what motivated detectives. When I thought about it, I realized what a rare combination that was. I hadn’t been exaggerating when I’d told Rayesh I had a secret weapon in Harry Grissom.
Harry turned serious as he looked at me. “I will make this clear, Mike. Do not provoke this asshole when he comes to our offices this afternoon. I know he’s a pompous jerk, but he’s doing his job. He works for the mayor. Understand?”
I nodded. Harry was right. He’s also about the only person besides Mary Catherine who can talk to me like that. Well, that’s not exactly true. A lot of people can, and do, talk to me like that. Harry and Mary Catherine are the only ones I’ll listen to.
Then Harry said, “Give me a rundown on the status of the case.”
This was unlike Harry. He tried to keep up with investigations as they were proceeding. It worried me that he wanted to be ready for this mayor’s aide. I finally asked him, “What’s the real problem here, Harry?”
He looked down at the dirty linoleum floor. Then he said, “That asshole Macy’s been trying to have you replaced as lead detective. I don’t want to give him any reason to push for that again.”
“Does he think he’d be hurting me by taking me off a case that’s distracting me from my family and my wedding? A wedding that’s happening in less than two weeks?”
“You and I both know it would kill you to be removed from a case. Especially this one.”
I thought about it for a moment, then admitted Harry was right. As usual. So I decided to show him I was on board. I gave him a full rundown of the case. Most of it he knew already. But I wanted to underscore some important points.
I said, “There doesn’t seem to be any connection between any of our victims. That doesn’t mean they were selected at random, but they don’t seem to have known one another. Hollis has an interesting theory that our mope travels, maybe for work. We’re looking seriously at homicides in other cities that may match ours. Which also reminds me,” I said, “can we give Hollis a chance to supervise the task force for real, not just for show? All he’ll really do is farm out the leads. He’s been running down a lot of them himself. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the help.”
Harry nodded. “What about the Staten Island homicide? I hear you don’t think that case is related to the others. Why not?”
“The scene just feels different from the ones we’re already investigating. It was orderly. There was no blood spread over the walls, and the body wasn’t really mutilated. A single puncture in the chest, and a stab to her eye. But it was the right eye, when all the others have been the left.”
“Any other insights on our killer?”
“Aside from the fact that he typically seems to spend hours at crime scenes? If our theory’s correct, he’s killed in other cities too. We’re thinking it could be close to a dozen victims altogether. Maybe even more. That makes him smart enough not to have been caught already. And dangerous.”
Harry nodded, then said, “About this afternoon. Answer any direct questions Macy puts to you, but don’t volunteer any information, and don’t expand on any points you do make.” He patted me on the back. “I need you. We’re making progress, even if the mayor’s office doesn’t believe it.”
Chapter 33
Daniel Ott didn’t mind working at a desk in the corner of the loading dock. He liked all the sound and activity at this job in Queens. He had an affinity for the workingman. Yet another lesson he’d learned from his first employer.
The men at work on this loading dock and the ones who drove the trucks were definitely hardworking men. Yet as much as he admired them, he also didn’t mind lying low for a few days. He needed a chance to rest, gather his thoughts, and plan his future.