The Witness (Badge of Honor 4)

“The other two guys in the car getting relieved didn’t say anything except that there was a car. When Kallanan got in the car, they drove off. They’re either all much better liars than I think is credible, or they’re telling the truth.”

“And the relief car?”

“The guy driving was John Wilhite. He said they were a little late—”

“Why? Did he say?”

“They stopped at a McDonald’s to get their coffee thermoses filled. They had to wait until they made coffee. He said it was five, six minutes after six when they got to the scene. And there was no car there.”

Wohl shrugged.

“The other two guys in the relief car were a guy named McPhail and a guy named Hennis. They’re white. So is Wilhite.”

“And Kallanan said the guy driving the relief car was black?”

“Right.”

“And he said it was a couple of minutes before six when the relief car got there? And Wilhite says he was five, six minutes late getting there? Which means we have ten minutes that needs explaining.”

“Scenario, Peter: The doers show up at five minutes to six, pretending to be the relief RPC. The guys on the job, who are expecting relief, see an RPC and think they’re relieved and drive off. When they are around the corner, somebody gets out of the RPC, rings Monahan’s doorbell, shoots him, gets back in the car, and they drive off. A couple of minutes after that, the real relief RPC shows up.”

“W-William Seven,” the radio went off.

Washington looked at Wohl, who gestured for him to reply.

“William Seven,” Washington said to his microphone.

“William Seven, have you a location on William One?”

Washington again looked at Wohl for instruction. Wohl nodded yes.

“I’m at the medical examiner’s. William One is en route to this location.”

“William Seven, advise William One to contact C-Charlie One by telephone as soon as possible.”

“Will do,” Washington said. “I expect him here in about ten minu

tes.”

“W-William One. W-William One,” the radio said. Washington reached to the controls and turned it off.

“Was it an RPC?” Wohl asked. “Or did Kallanan just presume it was an RPC because it was a four-door Ford or whatever?”

“He says there was no question in his mind that it was an RPC,” Washington said. “A new one. One of ours. I think, consciously or subconsciously, he would have picked up on it if it wasn’t a bona fide RPC.”

“Jesus, you know what we’re saying, Jason?” Wohl said.

“I’m not saying anything yet,” Washington said.

“Mrs. Monahan said she saw a cop shoot her husband,” Wohl said.

“Yeah, but the doctor said she could find no puncture wounds. Let’s find out about that first, before we start saying anything.”

He opened his door.

“What’s going on here?”

“The ME called me. He’s an old pal. He said I wasn’t going to believe what he had to show me.”