“Wasn’t a complaint,” Kirk said as he and Dawkins donned plastic gloves. While she got the gun, Kirk stooped down to check Atlera’s pockets. “Just what I was looking for.”
“What’s that?”
“Cell phone in his pocket,” Kirk said holding it up before putting it in an evidence bag. Dawkins bagged the weapon and Kirk called to get a team down there.
The Detectives then searched the apartment while they waited for the crime scene technicians to arrive. Once they wrapped things up at the crime scene, Kirk and Dawkins went back to the precinct to check Altera’s phone.
“You thinking about getting a warrant?” Dawkins asked as they drove.
“I wasn’t planning on it, but it would be a good thing to have in the long run.” Kirk paused. “Why; you gonna call Clarence again?” Kirk asked sarcastically.
Dawkins shook her head and smiled. “I can call Judge Peterson to expedite a warrant. What, in particular are we looking for in case the judge asked for specifics.”
“We’re looking for who hired him,” Kirk said as they arrived at the precinct.
An hour later, Judge Peterson signed off on the warrant, but by that time, Kirk had already been through the phone. What he found was that Altera only received one call the day of Doc’s murder and he only made one call that day. That call occurred about an hour after Doc was murdered.
Those calls were from and to Joachim Eisenbraun, a known contractor with access to a number of freelance hitmen. “We’re gonna need another warrant,” Kirk said as the Detectives left the precinct for the lower Manhattan office of Eisenbraun Real Estate and Venture Capital Investments.
It was late in the afternoon when Kirk and Dawkins arrived at Joachim Eisenbraun office with warrant in hand. His business was exactly what it claimed to be, a legitimate real estate and venture capital investment company. The fact that you could arrange to have somebody killed was just an added service that they provided certain clients.
“Detectives Kirkland and Dawkins to see Mr. Eisenbraun,” Dawkins said, and they showed the receptionist their shields.
“If you’d have a seat, I’d be happy to let Mr. Eisenbraun know you’re here,” the receptionist said.
“Is his office still the same place?” Kirk asked and pointed down the hall.
“Yes, it is.”
“Then were gonna just go on,” Kirk said and walked in that direction.
“You can’t just go back there like that,” she protested.
“Yes, we can. We’re the police,” Dawkins said as she followed Kirk down the hall, and they walked into Eisenbraun’s office.
“Hello, Jocko.”
“Oh fuck. What do you want, Kirk?”
“I wanna talk to you about the murders of Rephael Hickey, Irving Spencer, and Edward Weatherly and the attempted murder of Chao Hassan,” Kirk said.
“I don’t know any of those people, Kirk … especially the dead ones,” Eisenbraun laughed and stood up. “So, if there is nothing else.”
“That’s not what Giulio Altera told us. He was rather chatty about what you knew before I put the cuffs on him for Rephael Hickey’s murder,” Dawkins lied and Eisenbraun sat back down. “I see I have your attention now, Mr. Eisenbraun.”
“What did Altera say?”
“What do you think he said, Jocko? He told us that you hired him to kill Rephael Hickey,” Kirk said. “And we have his phone records which shows a three-minute call to him from this office at eight-twelve PM on the night proceeding the murder and there is also a call that he made to you on the night of the murder.”
Dawkins smiled. “Would you mind standing up, Jocko.”
“Stand up; for what?”
“I’m about to arrest you for conspiracy to commit murder, Jocko,” Dawkins said, stood up and took out her handcuffs. When she did, Kirk stood up.
“Now, get up,” Dawkins ordered and put her hand on her holstered weapon.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down a minute here.” He looked at Kirk. “Where’d you get her?”