Part 35 (1/2)
Jack knelt down next to Paolo. ”Who did it?”
Paolo glared at Jack. ”You'll never learn.”
”Screw your code. You won't go to the cops even if they kill you, I get it. Do you get that they'll kill Angelica? They'll kill her, Paolo.”
Paolo started to gag, and blood sprayed upward. His head rolled to the side.
Sirens filled the air.
”Paolo, d.a.m.n it. Tell me. Who?”
Paolo's mouth opened and closed.
”Hands on your head,” someone behind Jack ordered.
”Who?” Jack pleaded.
”Hands on your head,” he commanded again.
Paolo looked at him and mumbled, ”Traditore,” and closed his eyes.
”GUN,” the voice behind Jack screamed.
I have my gun in my hand- Jack convulsed as the Taser's charge coursed through his body. He fell sideways onto the b.l.o.o.d.y pavement and writhed in pain.
They're doing their jobs. I'd have just shot me.
He couldn't see who'd Tasered him, but he felt at least three policemen swarm him and work to put the cuffs on. Everything began to spin, and he knew he was blacking out.
That's a first. Normally it just hurts like h.e.l.l.
Everything went dark.
What you do best Jack sat at the metal interrogation table and didn't look up at the two-way mirror.
”Sheriff, can you come in so I can explain?” he called out.
From the sound of the m.u.f.fled thud behind the wall, he was sure Collins had heard him.
”Can you at least send in Rivers or Prescott?”
A minute later, the door swung open, and both of them walked through.
Prescott had a snarl on his face, and his rock-crus.h.i.+ng voice was even lower than usual. ”Way to go, smarta.s.s. Now we have two dead Mancinis. Why don't we start on what you were doing at Handle's?”
”I heard it on the scanner, so I went-”
The soft thud against the wall caused all three to turn and look at the two-way mirror.
Jennifer leaned forward and whispered, ”You have no idea how mad he is.”
”Okay. So the cowboy runs out on his own again when he hears a 911 call? Boy, you must have been real close. What was the response time of the officers on the scene, Rivers?”
Jennifer looked down at her clipboard. ”Seven minutes.”
”I heard you were fast, Stratton, but that's just a little too much of a coincidence for me.”
Jack leaned back in his chair and did his best to imitate Walter's gravelly voice. ”How far away is my apartment, Rivers?”
Walter slammed his hands on the table. ”You caused all this, and it's a joke to you.”
Jack cracked his neck. ”First off, the whole slamming the table and getting in my face won't help this. Secondly, you know I didn't start this. Marisa is missing. The Mancinis got a call.”
”I know they got a call. We have their phones tapped. Did you forget that part, Jack? Did you forget you're one of us? Did you forget about being a cop?”
”Since I'm the one looking in the right direction, ask yourself that question, Walter.” Jack sat up.
”We're supposed to be working together, and what do you do? You break into Marisa's apartment. You contact not only the Mancinis but Takeo Is.h.i.+kawa too. Now you're running around with a known Yakuza enforcer. You talked with Shawn Miller, and now he's in intensive care with a broken jaw and ruptured spleen. Arber de Lorme is also in the ICU, and we have a witness placing a blue big boat of a car on his road.”
A loud thump on the back wall made the whole mirror shake.
Prescott's face turned beet red, and he stormed out of the room. Jennifer looked down at Jack and shrugged.
”This is my d.a.m.n town.” He heard Collins yell from the hallway.
”Don't even try to pull jurisdiction on me, Collins.” Prescott was even louder. ”Stay the h.e.l.l out of that room. Put someone else in there to witness if you can't keep it on an even keel.”
Walter walked back into the interrogation room and slammed the door.
Keep it calm and get him talking.
”I need you to work with us, Jack.” Jennifer held up a hand when Walter opened his mouth. ”Save it, Walter.”
Jack smirked.
”You too, Jack.” She glared at him. ”I'm not doing the whole good cop, bad cop thing. We know the Mancinis got a phone call. One word: Darrington. Man's voice.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. ”Is that all you have?”
Walter slammed his hands on the table again. ”No. We know you talked to the tattoo kid but you're not the one who bashed his teeth in. That was Paolo. We know you went to de Lorme's house.”
Let that go. Don't even comment.
”Now de Lorme's in ICU, but I'm not particularly sympathetic there. We found his tapes. We know what he was accused of in France, too. I know you didn't neuter him. That appears to be the handiwork of the Mancinis too.”
Jack stared at Prescott but tried to read Jennifer's expression.
She didn't mention the other phone call to Takeo, and neither did Prescott.
”What about Marisa?” Jack tried to put his hand calmly on the table, but the metal still rang when his fist hit it. ”Have you found anything on her?”