Part 76 (1/2)
”I'm sure that you do, inasmuch as you are calling me at my home-and on my unlisted number-at seven forty-five in the morning.”
”Believe me, it is.”
”You wouldn't care to tell me what it is that's so important?”
”I would rather do that when we meet.”
”And where, and when, Mr. Coughlin, do you suggest that we meet?”
”If this would be agreeable to you, I was thinking of the restaurant in the Hotel Warwick. I thought we could talk over breakfast.”
”You mean, right now?”
”I believe that it would be in our mutual interest, Mr. Savarese, if we met as soon as possible.”
”But you're not willing to tell me why you think it would be so?”
”I think it would be better if we talked privately.”
”And would you be alone, Mr. Coughlin?”
”I will have Inspector Wohl with me, but the conversation I hope we can have will be just between us. It's a rather delicate matter.”
”Inspector Wohl is a splendid police officer, as, indeed, was his father. What I think would be possible, Mr. Coughlin, is that I would come to the Warwick accompanied by my chauffeur, Mr. Pietro Ca.s.sandro. He and Inspector Wohl could have their breakfast together, and see that you and I are not disturbed while we are enjoying ours.”
”That would be perfectly satisfactory to me, Mr. Savarese.”
”Perhaps this might be a good omen, Mr. Coughlin,” Savarese said. ”But Pietro just walked in the door. Shall we say in thirty minutes? Would that be convenient for you?”
”Yes, it would. Thirty minutes it is. I look forward to seeing you, Mr. Savarese.”
”Good-bye, Mr. Coughlin.”
Coughlin hung the phone up and turned to look at the other people in his office. In addition to Inspector Peter Wohl, they were Jerry Carlucci, mayor of the City of Philadelphia; Chief Inspector Matt Lowenstein; Lieutenant Jack Fellows, the mayor's bodyguard; and Frank F. Young, a.s.sistant Special Agent in Charge (Criminal Affairs) of the Philadelphia office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Young had absolutely nothing to do with what was going on, but when Walter Davis had announced, at six-thirty-to everybody's initial relief-that he had things pending in the office that just could not be put off, and would have to leave, he finished the announcement by saying not to worry, he would call Frank Young and have him come to Special Operations to see what help he could be.
Coughlin could not think of any credible reason to suggest that all Young would do would be in the way. There was no question in his mind that Young's presence would be primarily to make sure the FBI didn't get left out of anything that would accrue to the interest of the FBI.
”Thirty minutes,” Coughlin announced. ”Peter gets to have breakfast with Pietro.”
”I can hardly wait,” Wohl said.
”You really think this is necessary, Denny?” the mayor asked.
”I don't want Prasko killed before we get the Five Squad to trial,” Coughlin said.
”We'd really look bad, Jerry,” Lowenstein said, coming to his aid, ”if somebody stuck a knife in Prasko in the Detention Center.”
The mayor threw up his hands, admitting he could not counter that argument.
”Frank,” Coughlin said, turning to the FBI official, ”we don't want to spook Savarese. Could you, without making many waves, see if you could keep the FBI-or, for that matter, any other feds-away from the Warwick from now until, say, nine-thirty?”
”FBI. No problem. I'll get right on that. Have you got any idea what other agency might be interested in Savarese?”
Coughlin saw Wohl's eyes roll before he answered for Coughlin.
”Frank, if Savarese sees anybody who looks like a cop, or a fed, doing anything at the Warwick, he will think they're interested in him. Whether or not they are. The safest thing to do is keep everybody with any kind of a badge away from the Warwick for an hour or so.”
”Well, I understand that, certainly,” Young said, a little lamely. ”I'll call around.”
”I'll put the word out that n.o.body is to go near the Warwick,” Matt Lowenstein said. ”Which will probably have the result that every cop in Philadelphia will show up to see what's going on.”
”What are we waiting for now?” Mayor Carlucci asked.
”To hear from Matt Payne in Harrisburg,” Wohl said. ”To see if he's got anything on Calhoun or not.”
”I've been thinking about that,” the mayor said.
”We should hear something in fifteen or twenty minutes, Mr. Mayor,” Peter said.
”A lot can happen in fifteen or twenty minutes,” Carlucci said. ”Why don't you do it now, Peter?”
”Mr. Mayor, we gave that a lot of thought. And we decided-”
”You're a good cop, Peter. And I love you. But the last time I looked, I was mayor of Philadelphia. Arrest the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds!”
”Yes, sir,” Wohl said.
Detective Matt Payne looked at his watch when there was a knock at the door. It was 7:59.
He opened the door. Lieutenant Paul Deitrich was standing there.
”Good morning, sir,” Matt said. ”Please come in.”
Deitrich nodded but didn't say anything.
”Lieutenant, these are Detectives McFadden and Martinez,” Matt said, making the introductions. ”Charley, Jesus, this is Lieutenant Deitrich.”
Deitrich nodded, just perceptibly, then looked at Matt for an explanation for the two detectives.
”They've got a warrant for Calhoun,” Matt said.
”We got lucky,” McFadden said. ”Somebody dumped the answer in our lap.”
”I got lucky here, too,” Deitrich said. ”I remembered that if you really want to find something out, ask the cop on the beat.”
”Our guy was a retired detective, who smelled something rotten.”