Part 74 (1/2)
”Which, Sergeant,” Summers said, ”will not be lost on the two who think they're going directly to the slam, do not pa.s.s Go, do not collect two hundred bucks. They will wonder what they're missing out on.”
”I think three minutes will be sufficient time for Mr. Brownlee to inform Mr. Williams of the deal he was offered and rejected, and for Mr. Williams to conclude that Mr. Brownlee made a gross error in judgment in not accepting it.”
”You really think that will work?” the sergeant asked, smiling.
”Are you a betting man, Sergeant?” Detective Summers asked. ”I'll give you three-to-one that it will. I've seen this guy at work before.”
TWENTY-THREE.
Thank you, Jason,” Peter Wohl said, his voice very serious, even disappointed. ”It was worth a try.”
Wohl dropped the telephone handset into its cradle and looked, not smiling, at Dennis Coughlin.
He shook his head sadly, but said nothing.
”You might as well tell me, Peter,” Coughlin said.
”Mr. Amos J. Williams and Mr. Marcus C.-also known as 'Baby'-Brownlee,” Wohl began, and smiled broadly before going on, ”either having recognized the error of their sinful ways, or perhaps in the misguided belief that the charges against them will be dropped, have given statements to Sergeant Was.h.i.+ngton indicating that the amount of narcotics seized as evidence from them at the motel was approximately twice the amount Officer Grider and the rest of Five Squad turned in to the evidence room.”
”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” Coughlin said. ”You had me going.”
”I'm not finished,” Wohl said. ”Additionally, Mr. Williams has given a sworn statement that he had approximately three thousand dollars in his possession at the time of his arrest, which is fifteen hundred more than was turned in, and Baby Brownlee is about to sign his statement, in which he says he had approximately two thousand dollars more in his possession than Five Squad turned in, and and was wearing a Rolex wrist.w.a.tch which seems to have disappeared between the time it was taken from his person at the place of arrest and Central Lockup. He actually was wearing a Rolex wrist.w.a.tch which seems to have disappeared between the time it was taken from his person at the place of arrest and Central Lockup. He actually bought bought the watch, and is sure Bailey, Banks and Biddle has a record of the transaction, including the serial number. Do you suppose we'll get really lucky and find one of these-” the watch, and is sure Bailey, Banks and Biddle has a record of the transaction, including the serial number. Do you suppose we'll get really lucky and find one of these-”
”Forget it, Peter. These characters didn't get this far by being stupid.”
”I suppose . . .”
”And Was.h.i.+ngton didn't have to make a deal?”
”He a.s.sured both of them he would personally go to the judge and tell him, or her-it's a shame that won't be Hanging Harriet-how cooperative they have been.”
”They didn't give him anything that can tie Prasko to what he did to the Longwood girl?”
Wohl shook his head, ”no.”
”When do we lock them up, Peter?”
”The statements will be enough to get warrants for their arrest, which I think we should do as soon as we can, but I'd rather wait and see what happens in Harrisburg before we actually bring them in,” Wohl said.
”And what if there's nothing in Harrisburg?”
”If Matt says he saw Calhoun go into the bank, I think he did.”
”And what if Savarese is two steps ahead of us and already knows it was Prasko who raped the girl?”
”As angry as he is, I don't think he'll get reckless,” Peter said.
”This is his granddaughter. All bets are off.”
Wohl shrugged.
”Let's talk about Harrisburg,” Coughlin said.
”Okay,” Wohl said, ”what are you thinking?”
”I always look for the black cloud inside the silver lining,” Coughlin said. ”For the sake of discussion, Matt was wrong. The guy he saw go into the safe-deposit box was really a shoe salesman from Shamokin.”
”Chief, I don't think Matt would make that kind of mis-”
”Indulge me,” Coughlin shut him off.
Wohl nodded.
”Sorry.”
”But we have enough to arrest Officer Calhoun anyway.”
”And we know he's there,” Wohl said. ”Or at least his car is parked at his uncle's house.”
”I wonder what kind of favor Chief Mueller owes Walter Davis?” Coughlin said. ”That didn't take us long to find out, did it?”
”No. Maybe there is a role for the FBI in law enforcement, after all.”
”Don't get carried away,” Coughlin said. ”And say something you'll regret later.”
”Maybe I'm just carried away with the Jason Was.h.i.+ngton style of psychological interrogation-but I was thinking this before he called just now.”
Wohl waited for him to go on.
”Let's say I'm right. For whatever reasons, we can't tie Calhoun to the safe-deposit box, but we arrest him anyway. Matt Matt would arrest him anyway, on the warrant here. This guy is not stupid. He's not going to say a word until he talks to a lawyer, and he'll figure out that if we had something on him about the safe-deposit box, we would have used it.” would arrest him anyway, on the warrant here. This guy is not stupid. He's not going to say a word until he talks to a lawyer, and he'll figure out that if we had something on him about the safe-deposit box, we would have used it.”
”I don't see where you're going, Chief,” Wohl said.
”And Matt has no idea what's happened here,” Coughlin said.
”So?”
”McFadden and Martinez go to Harrisburg now, with the warrant. They're with Matt when Lieutenant Deitrich tells Matt what, if anything, he's come up with. If zilch, finding the black cloud, Deitrich has the Harrisburg police pick up Calhoun. After he's been in the holding pen an hour or so, here come McFadden and Martinez-who used to be undercover narcs themselves, and who Calhoun knows. That should upset Calhoun a little. McFadden and Martinez transport Calhoun here, and en route, they convince him how much trouble he's in. I would like to have Officer Calhoun in a very disturbed state of mind when Was.h.i.+ngton talks to him.”
”That makes sense,” Wohl said.
”And it leaves Matt in Harrisburg,” Coughlin said. ”I figure we owe Davis that.”
”Martinez and McFadden will be curious about that,” Wohl said. ”If Matt doesn't come back with them.”