Final Justice (Badge of Honor 8)

“Thank you for calling, Phil,” the mayor of Philadelphia said. “It’s always a pleasure.”

“Thank you for taking my call, Mr. Mayor.”

The mayor put his phone in the cradle and signaled for Martinez to do the same thing.

“Gotcha, you bastard!” the mayor said, and extended his hand to Detective Martinez.

“Thank you very much, Detective. You did very well.”

“Yes, sir.”

In the studio, Mr. Donaldson turned off his microphone. “Shit,” he said aloud.

And then he had a second thought.

“Shit! I forgot to ask him about Wohl and Washington in D’Allesandro’s!”

A Pensacola, Florida, police officer watched the carousel delivering baggage and then stepped up to Matt when he saw him take the metal lock-boxes, which he recognized from previous use.

“That looks too small for a couple of shotguns,” he said, pleasantly. “If that’s handguns, why don’t you wait until you’re out of the airport before you open the box?”

“Sure,” Matt said. “You use the term ‘on the job’ down here?”

“Sure.”

“We’re on the job, from Philadelphia. Had to leave in a hurry. What we need is someplace where we can buy clothing for a couple of days, and some nice place for lunch.”

“Leave the airport, take a left at the second light. You’ll see a shopping mall on the left. Then, when you leave there, get back on the same street, go the same way as far as you can, then make another left. McGuire’s Irish Pub. Best place in town.”

“Thanks. And then we’re headed for Daphne, Alabama.”

“When you leave McGuire’s, you’ll have to turn right. Get on I-110 until you hit I-10. Turn west. It’s about forty miles.”

“You get the car, Matt,” Olivia said. “I have to-”

“Right the other side of the stairs,” the officer said, pointing.

When Olivia had walked away, the officer said, “Her, too?”

“Detective Olivia Lassiter.”

“Nice.”

“Yeah,” Matt agreed.

Hertz had a car waiting for them, a Ford Mustang convertible. And the clerk drew a Magic Marker route on a map showing how to reach the Marriott in Point Clear, Alabama. Matt saw that Point Clear was next to Fairhope, and Fairhope was next to Daphne, which was right on Interstate 10.

They found the shopping mall-a large one-without trouble, and went inside.

“Just what we’re looking for,” Matt said, happily, pointing to the entrance to Victoria’s Secret.

“I’m not going in there with you,” Olivia said. “I’m not going in there, period.”

“You told me on the plane you maxed out your credit card,” Matt said. “I have you in my power, Little Maiden.”

“You sonofabitch!”

“I’ll wait outside,” Matt said. “See what they have in translucent black.”