Matt turned and saw her standing in the doorway. She looked a little stunned by Lowenstein’s greeting.
“And what is so important that you felt you could just barge in here like this?”
“I just left the victim’s mother,” Olivia said. “She understands why the uniforms couldn’t take the door. I thought I should tell Sergeant Payne. I heard about Philadelphia Phil- or whatever his name is-on my way back here.”
“The victim’s mother understands why the uniforms couldn’t take the door?” Dennis V. Coughlin asked, and then, before she could answer, asked another question. “What were you doing with the victim’s mother?”
“I sent her with the victim’s brother when he went to tell the mother,” Matt said.
Matt happened to be looking at Washington, whose expressive eyebrows rose in surprise.
“You sent her?” challenged the lieutenant from Northwest Detectives who had been standing with Smith and others when they first had gone outside.
“Yes, sir.”
“You gave one of my detectives orders?”
“Not now,” Lowenstein said, sharply, then turned his attention to Detective Lassiter. “You’re sure the victim’s mother understands about the door?”
“Yes, sir. I told her how that works,” Olivia said. “She seemed to understand. She even calmed the brother down about it. All she wants is for us to catch the doer.”
“What’s in the envelope?”
“A picture of the victim, sir,” Olivia said, and handed it to him. “I borrowed it from the mother.”
Lowenstein looked at it, then handed it to Coughlin.
“It’ll come in handy,” Lowenstein said. “You know about the doers’ camera?”
“No, sir.”
“You ever been on television, Detective?” Lowenstein asked.
“No, sir.”
“Well, unless I’m mistaken, when Commissioner Coughlin goes outside in a couple of minutes, to tell the press why the officers couldn’t take the door, he’s going to want you to go with him, to repeat what you just said about the mother understanding. Could you handle that?”
“I’d rather not-”
“That’s not what I asked,” Lowenstein snapped.
“Yes, sir, I can handle that.”
“I haven’t said I’m going outside to talk to the press,” Coughlin said.
“Oh, excuse me, Commissioner, I thought you had.”
“I just had a brilliant idea, Chief Lowenstein,” Coughlin said. “Since you’re so good at it, I’ll reassign you to Public Relations.”
“Unless we do something, we’ll all look as stupid as the mayor thinks we are,” Lowenstein replied, unabashed. “You got a better idea, Denny?”
“No,” Coughlin said. “As a matter of fact, I was trying to think of a way to thank you that wouldn’t go directly to your head.”
“You’re welcome,” Lowenstein said. “Can I make another suggestion?”
“How can I stop you?”
“Detective Lassiter has dealt very well with the mother and the brother. We don’t know that possible problem has gone away permanently…”