Special Operations (Badge of Honor 2)

“I’ve been there,” the mayor said. “And I know the one thing a commanding officer on the spot does not need is people looking over his shoulder and telling him what they think he should have done. So I won’t do that. I’ll tell you what I am going to do, Peter. I’m going to issue a statement saying that I have complete faith in the way you’re handling things.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter said.

“But you better catch this sonofabitch, Peter. You know what I’m saying?”

“Yes, sir.”

“This sonofabitch is making the Police Department look like the Keystone Cops. The Department can’t afford that. I can’t afford that. And you, in particular, can’t afford that.”

“I understand, sir,” Peter said.

“I don’t want to find myself in the position of having to tell Tad Czernick to relieve you, and making it look like Arthur Nelson and his goddamned Ledger were right all the time,” Mayor Carlucci said.

“I hope that won’t be necessary, sir.”

“You need anything, Peter, anything at all?”

“No, sir, I don’t think so.”

“If you need something, you speak up. Tad Czernick will get it for you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Tell your dad, when you see him, I said hello,” the mayor said. “Hang on, Tad wants to say something.”

“Peter,” Commissioner Czernick said. “I understand Miss Peebles was burgled again last night.”

“Yes, sir,” Peter said. “I’m working on it.”

“Good,” Commissioner Czernick said. “Keep me advised.”

Then he hung up.

Wohl took the telephone from his ear, looked at the handset, wondered for perhaps the three hundredth time why he did that, and then put it in its cradle. He got up and walked to his office door and pulled it open.

Matt Payne had been put to work collating some kinds of forms.

“Payne?”

“Yes, sir?”

“You look like death warmed over,” Wohl said. “Are you sick?”

Payne looked distinctly uncomfortable.

“Sir, I guess I had a little too much to drink last night.”

That figures, Wohl thought, McFadden and Martinez took him to the FOP and initiated him.

“Where are they?”

“Sir?”

“Where’s Sherlock Holmes and the faithful Dr. Watson?”

Matt finally understood that Wohl meant McFadden and Martinez.

“Sir, I don’t know,” he said.