Part 11 (1/2)
”Any hits on the Shot Spotter?” someone at the front of the room asked.
The superintendent stepped in. ”Many of you know about the system of sensors strategically placed in different spots in the city. These sensors are so sophisticated they can tell the difference between a back-fire, a firecracker, or gunfire. The Shot Spotter can triangulate the location of the shots within five seconds and the closest cameras will zip to that spot. To answer your question, Tenean Beach isn't exactly one of our hot spots,” she said. ”We don't have any sensors or cameras set up there.”
The system hadn't helped much in Ellis Thomas's case either, Connie thought.
Figgs continued, ”Tinsley was shot three times in the back. Looks like he was trying to get away from the shooter. Ballistics made a match to a forty-caliber semi that's been involved in a bunch of shootings over the last six months. Could be a stash gun. Last time we had a hit on this gun was the George Wheeler homicide, almost three weeks ago.”
”I don't think it's a stash gun,” a voice called out from the back of the room, one of the guys from the Strike Force. ”A few months ago that gun was involved in shots fired at some kids who are feuding with Castlegate. It doesn't make sense for one of the Castlegate shooters to get killed by the same gun, unless he was killed by one of his own.”
Figgs signaled to the young man sitting at the computer and another image appeared on the screen, a map of the city broken down into police districts. There were red dots and blue dots with names and dates written next to them, and black lines with arrows connecting all the dots. ”Let me clarify. It's a stash gun that's getting pa.s.sed around to different groups all over the city. The red dots are homicides. The blue dots are shots fired. Ballistics recovered, no one hit, probably kids doing drive-bys, shooting wildly, missing their targets.”
Connie was surprised by Figgs's presentation. As bad as he looked, he was able to pull himself together for this meeting in front of the superintendent. Too bad he was heading right back to the bottle as soon as the meeting was over.
”What do you need from us, detective?” the superintendent asked.
”Any information you have on Tinsley or Wheeler. Anything linking Tinsley to the Ellis Thomas murder would be helpful. I'd like to know how the .40's getting pa.s.sed around and who's doing the pa.s.sing.” Figgs stood for a few seconds to see if anyone was going to offer help, but the cops were a tough crowd. No one did any talking. ”Give me a call if you think of anything.”
The computer geek hit a key and Figgs's contact information filled the blue screen.
Figgs straightened his rumpled jacket and took a seat.
The superintendent took the podium again. ”There's been a lot of misinformation about the Shot Spotter. I'm going to turn the microphone over to the Deputy from Operations to explain the system in more detail. He'll speak about what this technology can and can't do for our cases.”
CHAPTER 40.
Figgs walked toward the exit of Police Headquarters. That had been one long meeting. It was already getting dark. He needed a cigarette. one long meeting. It was already getting dark. He needed a cigarette.
”Sergeant Figgs.” He heard his name as he reached the gla.s.s door. Behind him in the cavernous lobby he saw two familiar faces. ”Hi, Sergeant.” The ADA stuck out his hand. ”Connie Darget. I was at the Ellis Thomas murder scene.”
Figgs nodded.
”You remember Detective Mark Greene from District Two. We're investigating the Tracy Ward shooting. Whatever started that beef has led to your two homicides. Ward told us that Tinsley shot him. He named Ellis Thomas as a witness. The next day we had Thomas and his mother up the grand jury. A few hours later, he turns up dead. Seems obvious that Tinsley or someone in his crew was responsible for killing Thomas.”
”I know that,” Figgs said. ”But I don't have any witnesses putting Tinsley anywhere near Thomas. No one's talking about what happened.”
”Tinsley wasn't too cooperative with us,” Darget said. ”We served him with a grand jury subpoena. He blew it off. I went to see the judge in the first session and get a Capias for him. Detective Greene scooped him up the next night. We had him up the grand jury a few days after Thomas was killed.”
”He was a jerk,” Greene said.
Darget said, ”Part of the new generation of kids who aren't afraid of anything. When you're young, you do stupid things thinking you're invincible. Driving like a nut on the J-Way, jumping off a cliff at the Quincy quarries.”
”What's your point, Mr. Darget?” Figgs asked.
”First, I figured Tinsley was thinking the same way. But he wasn't. Just the opposite. He decided he didn't have much time left. He was what, seventeen years old? He believed by the time he was twenty, twenty-one, he was going to be dead or in jail for life anyhow. He said he'd rather be dead.”
”Got his wish,” Figgs said.
”We tried to get through to him,” Darget said. ”I told him to think about his mother. If he gets killed, she's the one suffering for the rest of her life. If he's in prison, she'll be doing the time too.”
”Tinsley wasn't buying it,” Greene said.
”He told us he wanted to sow his seed to carry on the family name. Needed to back his boys. His loyalty to his crew was more important than any bond he had with his mother,” Darget said.
”What did he tell you about the shootings?” Figgs asked.
”Said he didn't know anything about them,” Greene said. ”He had no trouble with Ward or Thomas.”
”We asked if he was beefing with anyone,” Darget said.
”Told us he could take care of himself,” Greene said. ”But we knew someone was going to retaliate against him. That's why the super ordered the Strike Force to follow him. See what he was up to. Did a day in the life, followed him around for a week.”
”They come up with anything?” Figgs asked.
”No. Tinsley must have known he was being watched.”
”That's one thing you got right,” Figgs said. ”Too bad he didn't catch on it was the bad guys following him.” He opened the door to leave. He lit his cigarette in the foyer and stepped out into the night.
CHAPTER 41.
Alves spotted Connie standing with Mark Greene in the main lobby of Schroeder Plaza. ”Not the person I want to run into right now,” Alves said. He'd taken a thousand calls from Connie trying to get the scoop on the case. of Schroeder Plaza. ”Not the person I want to run into right now,” Alves said. He'd taken a thousand calls from Connie trying to get the scoop on the case.
”I thought he was your bff,” Mooney sniped.
”Connie's getting to be a pain. Seems to think that he can catch the killer. Since the Blood Bath case, I've been more careful about giving out information on an open investigation.” Alves knew he had said too much to Connie during that case. And that Connie may have unwittingly fed that information to Mitch Beaulieu, the killer.
”Where's the third Musketeer?” Mooney asked.
”Ahearn?” Greene asked. ”Got stuck with the super after the meeting.”
”Hey, Angel, I've been meaning to call you,” Connie said. ”Anything new on Steadman and Kipping?”
”I haven't caught him yet. How's that for an update?”
”Thanks for ditching me with the super.” Ahearn joined them.
”These meetings would be vastly improved by the addition of an open bar,” Mooney laughed. ”No one shares information. No one trusts anyone else. Speaking of which,” Mooney turned to Connie, ”who are those two guys you were talking to before the meeting?”
”A couple of the mayor's Street Saviors. The white guy is Rich Zardino.”