Ambush (Michael Bennett 11)

“I appreciate the information.”

“Use it well, and maybe we’ll both have an easier time of it. Good luck, Detective Bennett. You’re gonna need it.”

Chapter 51

Back at the office, I wasted no time running the names the regulator had given me, not seeking assistance from analysts and other detectives. This was a lead I wanted to follow up quickly, without input from anyone else.

All three of the men whose names the regulator gave me had a past with narcotics violations. All three had done time at Rikers Island or upstate. Their photos looked familiar, but booking photos are notoriously difficult to match with faces you see on the street. In the photographs, all the men had facial hair. No one who tried to shoot me in front of Holy Name had any facial hair. But that meant little.

What I found most interesting was that one man, named Julio Laza, had a car registered to him. A one-year-old Chevy Cruze. My guess was that the car was green.

Usually someone trying to commit a crime like murder or even armed robbery goes to the trouble of stealing a car or using a rental. In this case, it seemed like the suspects were overconfident—thought they could pull off the hit with no issues and save the money they would have spent on a car.

I considered grabbing someone to come with me as a partner. Then I thought about Antrole and decided that one dead partner was enough. This was something I was going to do on my own.

When I had a couple of addresses and some information I could use, I scooped everything up and turned from my desk, then almost ran into Harry Grissom.

My lieutenant said, “What have you got, Mike?”

“Still trying to put some leads together.”

“Just don’t do anything stupid by yourself.”

“I haven’t since I was a teenager and discovered girls.”

“Very funny. But I’m serious. I don’t want you to get all vigilante on me. You’ve got a job to do. That job should include finding out who killed Antrole. But I don’t want to have this talk with someone else working on your homicide. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.”

Thirty seconds later, I was out the door. As the regulator had said, I do what I have to.

Chapter 52

Alex Martinez leaned in close over the elegant table next to a window at Central Park’s Tavern on the Green. The colossal windows provided a grand view. Mostly of tourists strolling in the park, but she appreciated that her new police officer friend, Tom McLaughlin, was trying to impress her. He’d used his connections to get them into the very busy tourist spot.

He dressed well and had impeccable manners. That was hard to find anymore. Especially in New York. He opened doors for her and held her chair. All the things he’d been taught as a child.

She never would’ve guessed she’d be on two dates in two nights with the same man in New York City. She wasn’t complaining. This was fun. A lot of fun. Tom had proved to be charming as well as attractive and energetic. And he loved the NYPD. He was almost an expert on its history.

After their salads, Tom pulled out his cell phone and handed it to the young waiter. “Would you mind taking a quick photo of us with the window in the background?”

Alex thought of all the issues a photograph of her might cause. She scrambled for a quick excuse. Finally she said, “Tom, can we take the photo later? A lady needs to put herself together before she’s photographed.”

Tom laughed. “Spoken like a true professional photographer.”

Crisis averted. For now.

They chatted about horses and a little about their backgrounds. From force of habit in her professional life, Alex didn’t mention that she had two daughters.

Intrigued by what Alex divulged about her frequent travel, Tom told her about the international reach of the NYPD intelligence office.

Alex said, “How is that possible if they are New York police officers?”

“I don’t know the terms, but the city decided they were tired of relying on the feds to give them a heads-up on terror threats. After 9/11, the NYPD started to open offices in countries that were tied to threats. Mainly in Europe. We even have some uniformed officers at the Vatican during special jubilee years. It’s a cool job for a cop.”

Alex said, “Is that something you want to do someday?”

“No. If I’m not going to stay in the Mounted Unit, I’d like to go to Homicide. That’s where the sharp detectives are.”