The Murderers (Badge of Honor 6)

“Tell me exactly what happened,” he said.

“My mother came into my room. I hadn’t heard the phone ring, it’s downstairs in the hall. And she told me I had a call—”

“When was this?”

“Just before I called you.”

“You were in bed?”

“Of course I was in bed. It was…God, I don’t know. Late. Of course I was in bed. Everybody was in bed. My mother had to get out of bed to answer the phone…”

“Take it easy, honey,” Milham said gently.

“I’m frightened, Wally.”

“Tell me exactly what happened.”

“He said, he said, ‘Keep your…’ Wally, he said, ‘Keep your fucking mouth closed, bitch, or you’ll get the same thing your fucking husband did.”

“Sonofabitch,” Milham said. “Did you recognize the voice?”

Helene shook her head.

“Honey, do you know something about—what your husband was doing, something dirty, that you haven’t told me?”

“No. But, Wally, they must know I went to see Sergeant Washington.”

“You did what?”

“Oh, God, I didn’t tell you, did I?”

“Didn’t tell me what?”

“That I went to see Sergeant Washington.”

“No, you didn’t,” Milham said. “What exactly did you tell Washington?”

“I told him that the Narcotics Five Squad is all dirty, that Jerry was dirty, and that they probably are the ones who killed him.”

“Jesus!”

“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to involve you,” Helene said.

“Honey, I’m involved,” Wally said, and added, “You’re probably right. Somebody knows you talked to Washington. What did you do, call him up?”

“I went to see him.”

“Well, somebody from Five Squad was at Special Operations, and recognized you, or somebody at Special Operations told somebody at Five Squad…”

“I went to his house,” Helene said. “I didn’t go to Special Operations. Which means that if Five Squad knows, he told them.”

Milham considered that for two seconds.

“No. Not Washington. He’s a straight arrow. He didn’t tell anybody, except maybe somebody at Internal Affairs.”

“What’s the difference? They know.”

“What are they afraid you’ll tell somebody?”