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Link to [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] [Part 14] [Part 15] [Part 16] [Part 17] [Part 18] [Part 19] [Part 20] [Part 21] [Part 22] [Part 23] [Part 24] [Part 25]
“Anita.”
Van Buren half-turned, not stopping until she spotted the speaker lurking in the shadows in the hallway at One Police Plaza. “Andy?”
Sergeant Andy Sipowicz licked his lips and stepped forward. “I, uh, hear our new DA is on the warpath,” he began, shooting glances at her.
Reluctantly, she nodded.
“That’s gonna lead him straight into my house,” he continued. He looked and sounded worried. “That building was in my territory.”
She waited.
“You, uh … you know this guy McCoy, right?”
She nodded again.
“How do I, uh … handle … this?”
“You be straight with him,” she replied, meeting his eyes. “And if there’s something dirty at your house … you clean it.” She started walking again. “I suggest starting with Bob Johnson.”
He blinked, scowled, and fell into step beside her. “You have been running an investigation.”
There wasn’t a response to that that wouldn’t jeopardize the investigation, so she remained silent. After a moment, he sighed and rubbed a hand across his moustache and down his chin.
“Look, Johnson was assigned to me,” he growled. “It was a decision I had nothing to do with.”
“I’m not surprised,” she responded with a glance at the elevator, where several men in suits were waiting. She stopped just out of their earshot and continued, “Andy, you asked my advice, and I gave it. Something stinks at the One-Five. Unless you want to stink along with them, you’re going to have to help.”
He glanced away. After a moment, he said, “IA came through this morning.”
“And?”
He shrugged unhappily. “Who knows. The rat squad never tells anyone anything.”
“Who’d they talk to?”
“Me. And they glanced at the phone log.” He watched her surreptitiously. “So did your guy.”
“My guy?”
“Detective Cyrus Lupo. He’s yours. And that DA’s Squad investigator … Salazar.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s been running an investigation.”
They stared at each other silently for several seconds before he looked away, rubbing his moustache and chin again.
“How’s your boy?” she asked then. “Theo? How old is he now?”
He smiled a brittle smile. “He’s gonna be twelve. He’ll be a seventh grader next year.”
“Middle school.” She shook her head knowingly. He took the opportunity to change the subject.
“How’s that ADA doing?” he asked. “Cutter?”
She looked sympathetically at him. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Good,” he said, nodding nervously. “Good.”
Van Buren half-turned, not stopping until she spotted the speaker lurking in the shadows in the hallway at One Police Plaza. “Andy?”
Sergeant Andy Sipowicz licked his lips and stepped forward. “I, uh, hear our new DA is on the warpath,” he began, shooting glances at her.
Reluctantly, she nodded.
“That’s gonna lead him straight into my house,” he continued. He looked and sounded worried. “That building was in my territory.”
She waited.
“You, uh … you know this guy McCoy, right?”
She nodded again.
“How do I, uh … handle … this?”
“You be straight with him,” she replied, meeting his eyes. “And if there’s something dirty at your house … you clean it.” She started walking again. “I suggest starting with Bob Johnson.”
He blinked, scowled, and fell into step beside her. “You have been running an investigation.”
There wasn’t a response to that that wouldn’t jeopardize the investigation, so she remained silent. After a moment, he sighed and rubbed a hand across his moustache and down his chin.
“Look, Johnson was assigned to me,” he growled. “It was a decision I had nothing to do with.”
“I’m not surprised,” she responded with a glance at the elevator, where several men in suits were waiting. She stopped just out of their earshot and continued, “Andy, you asked my advice, and I gave it. Something stinks at the One-Five. Unless you want to stink along with them, you’re going to have to help.”
He glanced away. After a moment, he said, “IA came through this morning.”
“And?”
He shrugged unhappily. “Who knows. The rat squad never tells anyone anything.”
“Who’d they talk to?”
“Me. And they glanced at the phone log.” He watched her surreptitiously. “So did your guy.”
“My guy?”
“Detective Cyrus Lupo. He’s yours. And that DA’s Squad investigator … Salazar.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Looks like I’m not the only one who’s been running an investigation.”
They stared at each other silently for several seconds before he looked away, rubbing his moustache and chin again.
“How’s your boy?” she asked then. “Theo? How old is he now?”
He smiled a brittle smile. “He’s gonna be twelve. He’ll be a seventh grader next year.”
“Middle school.” She shook her head knowingly. He took the opportunity to change the subject.
“How’s that ADA doing?” he asked. “Cutter?”
She looked sympathetically at him. “He’s going to be fine.”
“Good,” he said, nodding nervously. “Good.”
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Link to [Part 27]
