Part 16 (1/2)
”Was it a truck or a car?” I said calmly.
”No,” the old man said. He stood up and gestured for me to follow him to the front of the restaurant. Kylie stayed put.
”It was truck-car like that,” he said, pointing out the window to an SUV parked on the street. ”Only that one silver. The one that come for Kang is black.”
We walked back to the table. I sat down, but he remained standing.
”Thank you. You earned this,” I said, pointing to the two hundred.
He obviously agreed. He scooped up the money and gave us both a quick head bow. ”Happy you get your money worth. Thank you. I go.”
”One more thing,” I said. ”You've been very helpful. What's your name, old man?”
He grinned. ”This Chinatown. You NYPD. Better you just call me old man.”
Chapter 39.
”Should I write this all down?” Kylie said. ”Our witness's name is Old Man, and the g.a.n.g.b.a.n.ger we interviewed was John Doe. We're almost as good as Donovan and Boyle.”
The waiter cleared the table, then brought us the check along with fresh tea and a bowlful of fortune cookies.
”I guess any friend of the old man rates more than one cookie apiece,” Kylie said. She picked one out of the bowl, cracked it open, read it, and nodded. ”Hmm, very perceptive.”
”What does it say?” I asked.
”Partner think he very smart cop, but you know better.”
”Are you saying you don't appreciate my investigative genius?”
”No, I thought you were brilliant. I just think the cookie doesn't want it to go to your head.”
I picked up the check. ”I'll pay for lunch. I ate most of it.”
Kylie s.n.a.t.c.hed it from my hand. ”You already paid a hundred bucks for the old man. I'll buy lunch.”
We walked outside and stood in front of the restaurant. Neither of us was ready to get in the car.
”I don't get it,” Kylie said, staring at the park across the street. ”Two victims, Alex Kang and Evelyn Parker-Steele-polar opposites. In each case, two people pull up in a black SUV, and one of them-a white male-just says something like 'Get in the car,' and the victim gets in. We can't find a single common denominator between Kang and Parker-Steele, but they both must have known the guy who pulled up, because they both got in the car without an argument.”
And just like that, a ton of bricks fell on my head.
”Holy s.h.i.+t,” I said. ”I'm an idiot.”
”Two minutes ago you said you were an investigative genius. Now you're an idiot. When do I get to vote?”
”Shut up and listen. I think we've been looking for the wrong common denominator. We've got four victims-a g.a.n.g.b.a.n.ger, a political heavyweight, a drug dealer, and a s.e.x offender. We've been trying to figure out what's the connection-how do they all know the two men in the SUV? But what if the one thing they have in common is that none of the victims know these two guys?”
”Then none of them get in the car.”
”You see that guy over there-the one with the jeans and the gray sweats.h.i.+rt?” I said, pointing across the street to a young Chinese man on a park bench, tapping on his cell phone. ”You don't know him, and he doesn't know you. Now, how do you get him to jump in your car-no questions asked?”
Kylie shrugged. ”He looks pretty straight, so I don't know-take my top off?”
”Pretend I'm serious,” I said. ”You. How do you get a total stranger into your car?”
”Come on, Zach, I'm a cop. I just flash my-”
And then the ton of bricks fell on Kylie's head.
”Oh my G.o.d,” she said. ”They're posing as cops. Two guys in a black SUV. All they have to do is flash a phony ID or a fake piece of tin-who would even question it?”
”You think I'm right?”
”Detective Jordan, I not only think you're right,” she said, ”I'm going right back into this restaurant and find a fortune cookie that says 'My partner is a f.u.c.king genius.'”
Part Two
The Choke Pear
Chapter 40.
”Shut the door, cowgirl,” Cates said, glaring at us from her desk.
Apparently, our boss had heard about Kylie's run-in with Damon Parker.
We entered Cates's office, and Kylie closed the door.
”Are you under the impression, Detective MacDonald, that I don't have enough bulls.h.i.+t on my plate, and that I need you to generate more?”
”I'm sorry, Captain,” Kylie said. ”It's just that Damon Parker is such an a.s.shole that I-”
”Damon Parker is a professional a.s.shole,” Cates said. ”You behaved like an amateur. He's paid to get in people's faces. You're paid to avoid embarra.s.sing the department on camera.”
”It won't happen again,” Kylie said.