Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

“What can I do for you?” O’Hara asked. He was making an effort to regain his poise.

“You’d better deal with the phone call first,” Rick said. Immediately, the phone rang.

The secretary’s voice came over the intercom. “Mr. Regenstein for you,” she said.

“Tell your secretary to go to lunch,” Rick said.

“She’s already been to lunch,” O’Hara replied, his hand on the phone.

“Tell her to go again.”

“Robin,” O’Hara said into the intercom, “go over to Office Supplies and stock up on everything. Give me an hour here.” He picked up the phone. “Lou? How are you?”

Stone and Rick could hear Regenstein’s voice blaring over the instrument; he was clearly very angry.

“Wait a minute, Lou,” O’Hara was saying, “let’s talk about this.”

Regenstein went on at some length, and O’Hara wasn’t getting a word in edgewise. “All right,” he said finally, then hung up.

“Billy,” Rick said, “even though you no longer work for Centurion Studios, we have Mr. Regenstein’s permission to use this office for as long as it takes.”

“As long as what takes?” O’Hara said shakily. Most of the color had drained from his face.

“Billy, you were a good cop, maybe even an outstanding one, but that’s not going to help you now, unless I have your complete cooperation.”

“About what?” O’Hara asked.

“Here’s how it is: you’re under arrest for kidnapping and murder one; there’ll be other charges later. You know your rights, but consider that I just read them to you.”

“Kidnapping? Murder? What are you talking about, Rick?”

“Shut up and listen to me. I’m going to give you an opportunity you’ll never have again after this meeting. I’m going to go out on a limb and offer you complete immunity from prosecution, if you tell me everything right now. You’ll have to testify against Ippolito, Sturmack, and Barone, and anybody else involved, but after they’re convicted, you’re off the hook.

“You certainly have the right to remain silent, but if you do, I promise you, from the bottom of my heart, that you will have spent your last day on this earth as a free man. You know there won’t be any bail. In addition to that, I promise you the roughest ride in the joint that I can muster, and that’s pretty rough. I’ll personally see to it that you do the hardest possible time in the worst prison this state has to offer, and that’s pretty bad; I’ll see that you’re put on the same cell block with some of the people you sent up when you were a cop.” He paused for effect. “That’s my offer, and time is running out. What’s it going to be?”

Stone tensed as O’Hara’s hand went inside his jacket, but he came back with a handkerchief and mopped his face. “You said complete immunity?”

“I

did.”

“From everything? I’ll walk?”

“That’s right. I don’t give a shit what you did.”

“Can I have it in writing?”

“I’m the only friend you’ve got, Billy; don’t abuse my friendship.”

O’Hara opened his desk drawer, causing Stone concern again, but he came up with a bottle of pills. He poured himself a glass of water and took one, then he sat back in his chair, a beaten man. “Okay, Rick: I’ll play it your way. Ippolito can go fuck himself.”

59

Rick placed a hand-held tape recorder on the desk between himself and Billy O’Hara and switched it on. He counted to ten aloud, played back the sound to be sure he had a level, then rewound it and pressed the RECORD button.

“My name is Richard Grant,” he said. “I am a lieutenant of detectives of the Los Angeles Police Department attached to the chief of detectives. I am interviewing William O’Hara, a former police officer and, until recently, chief of security at Centurion Studios. Mr. O’Hara has agreed to give me a full statement of his activities without counsel present and to testify against others, in return for guaranteed immunity from all prosecution. Also present, as a witness, is Mr. Stone Barrington, a retired New York City police officer.” He stated the date and time, then looked up at his interviewee. “Are you William O’Hara?”

“Yes, I am,” O’Hara replied.