The Cold Moon (Lincoln Rhyme 7)

"I think it was during a robbery. But I won't know until I read the file."

Rhyme could see the frustration in Flaherty's face.

Sachs too was tense. He soon realized why. As soon as Flaherty said, "I'm going to hold off on Internal Affairs for the time being," Sachs relaxed. They weren't going to take the case away from her. Well, Lincoln Rhyme was happy for Sachs, though in his heart he would have preferred that she hand off the Other Case to Internal Affairs and get back to working on His Case.

Flaherty asked, "That young officer? Ron Pulaski? He's working out okay?"

"He's doing a good job."

"I'm going to report to Wallace, Detective." The inspector nodded at Rhyme. "Lincoln, it was good seeing you again. Take care."

"So long, Inspector."

Flaherty walked to the door and let herself out, walking just like a general on a parade ground.

Amelia Sachs was about to call Pulaski and find out what he'd learned about Sarkowski when she heard a voice near her ear. "The Grand Inquisitor."

Sachs turned to look at Sellitto, dumping sugar in his coffee. He said, "Hey, step into my office." And gestured toward the front hallway of Rhyme's town house.

Leaving the others, the two detectives walked into the low-lit entryway.

"Inquisitor. That's what they call Flaherty?" Sachs asked.

"Yup. Not that she isn't good."

"I know. I checked her out."

"Uhm." The big detective sipped coffee and finished a Danish. "Look, I'm up to my ass in psycho clockmakers so I don't know what's up with this St. James thing. But if you got cops maybe're on the take, how come it's you and not Internal Affairs running the case?"

"Flaherty didn't want to bring them in yet. Wallace agreed."

"Wallace?"

"Robert Wallace. The deputy mayor."

"Yeah, I know him. Stand-up guy. And it's the right call, bringing in IAD. Why didn't she want to?"

"She wanted to give it to somebody in her command. She said the One One Eight's too close to the Big Building. Somebody'd find out Internal Affairs was involved and they'd cut and run."

Sellitto jutted his lower lip out in concession. "That could be." Then his voice lowered even further. "And you didn't argue too much 'cause you wanted the case."

She looked him in the eye. "That's right."

"So you asked and you got." He gave a cool laugh.

"What?"

"Now you're walking point."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Just, you gotta know the score. Now, anything goes bad, anything at all--good people get burned, bad guys get away--the fuckup's on your shoulders, even if you do everything right. Flaherty's protected and IAD's smelling like roses. On the other hand, you get righteous collars, they take over and suddenly everybody forgets your name."

"You're saying I got set up?" Sachs shook her head. "But Flaherty didn't want me to take the case. She was going to hand it off."

"Amelia, come on. End of a date, a guy says, 'Hey, had a great time but it's probably better if I don't ask you upstairs.' What's the first thing the girl says?"

" 'Let's go upstairs.' What he had in mind all along. You're saying Flaherty was playing me?"