“It is odd, but . . .” Pallek stood up, and then he sat back down. “You didn’t drag me down here to ask where my brother-in-law is. So if that’s it . . .”
“I have a few more questions.”
“Well, if you have a few questions, I might be willing to answer them. If you have more than a few questions, then I might have to get a lawyer.”
“Up to you.”
“So is it a few or is it more?”
“Let me start with a few, okay?”
“Fine.” Pallek threw his hand up in the air and let it drop back down. “Ask your questions.”
“Do you want a lawyer?”
“Am I under arrest?”
“Did I arrest you?”
Pallek exhaled. “Fine. Ask your few questions and then I’ll decide if I want a lawyer.”
“Sure. First let me give you a little background.”
“So this isn’t about Bogat.”
“No.”
Pallek seemed to visibly relax. “Okay. Give me background.”
“A week ago I got a call about a missing Morse McKinley college student named Dana Berinson. I’m sure you heard about the incident.”
“Yeah, of course.” Eyes on the ground. “A car crash, right? Poor thing. I heard she’s in critical condition . . . in a coma.” When Decker nodded, Pallek said, “I heard she isn’t going to survive.”
“Who told you that?”
Pallek looked down again. “That’s what I heard.”
“Because the car went over the embankment.”
“Exactly.”
“And afterward, it caught on fire.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“Poor, poor thing. How do you survive that?”
“Only by a miracle.” Decker paused. “But miracles do happen, Dr. Pallek. Dana has come out of her coma. She’s groggy. She doesn’t remember everything. But she does remember some things.”
Pallek was quiet. Then he said, “Well, that’s wonderful.” He kneaded his hands. His eyes were everywhere except on Decker’s face. “That’s just great.” Silence. “Anything else? I’m really very busy.”
“I know. And I wouldn’t drag you down here unless I thought you could help.”
“Help? How?”
“Well . . .” Decker sat back and took a sip of water. “As we’re looking into this horrific accident, your name came up.”
“My name?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I don’t understand.” Pallek was biting his lip. “How did my name come up?”
“Well . . . Dana mentioned it in a hazy fog. Now yours wasn’t the only one, but she did say your name. I’m just wondering why.”
Pallek didn’t say anything.
Decker said, “Like I said, she’s still in a fog. So if you could just tell me where you were a week ago very early Sunday morning between twelve-thirty and five a.m., I can strike you off my persons of interest list.”
“That’s easy.” Pallek’s eyes twitched. “At that time, I was undoubtedly home sleeping.”
“Is there anyone who can verify that?”
“My wife, of course. I was home the entire evening.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“I mean, I might have gone out earlier in the evening, but I was definitely home later.”
“And you’re sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“Is that it?”
“A couple more questions.”
“You said a few questions.”
“So far I only asked you two questions—where your brother-in-law is and where you were in the wee hours of Sunday morning—and you answered them for me.” Pallek was quiet. Decker said, “So if you were home that Sunday morning between twelve-thirty and five a.m., can you tell something?”
“Depends on what.”
“Why did a rental car agent at Neweast Transportation near Hamilton identify you as the man who rented a Chevy Sonic at 1:17 a.m. under the name of James Dellek?”
Pallek was momentarily stunned. “I am not James Dellek.”
“No, you’re not. That’s why I brought you in . . . to help me clear this up.”
“If James Dellek rented a car, you should contact him.”
“But the agent identified you as James Dellek.”
“Obviously, she made a mistake.”
So the agent was a woman. Good to know. Decker thought about how to use it. “How’d you know it was a woman, Professor Pallek?”
Pallek stuttered. “You told me it was a woman.”
“No, I didn’t. I said an agent identified you as James Dellek.”
“It’s either a man or a woman and most of those rental car places are staffed with women. I don’t like what you’re implying. This isn’t a fact-finding mission. This is a setup. So either arrest me or I’m leaving.”
“Do you want me to arrest you?”
“No, I don’t want you to arrest me. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
“That is what I’m telling you, Dr. Pallek. We’re clearing up a few things. Like if you weren’t posing as James Dellek, why is the handwriting on the car contract so similar to your own handwriting?”
“What do you know about my handwriting?”
“How hard do you think it would be to get a complete sample of your handwriting and match it to James Dellek’s handwriting on the contract?”
“So you don’t have a complete copy of my handwriting.”
“I borrowed some tests from some of your students where you made comments. I have some samples.”
“Look, Detective, I didn’t rent any car and I’m not James Dellek. If you don’t get to the point, I’m leaving.”
“Another question. Why would Casey Halpern call you the Saturday night of the accident?”
Pallek turned pale. He stammered out, “He didn’t call me.”
“Your cell number is on his phone.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Why’s that?”
“Now I know you’re lying to me. This is probably all lies.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Because I know my cell number is not on his phone.”
Decker said. “I meant your burner phone number. Casey gave the number to me, sir, so there’s no sense denying it. If I call the number, will my cell ring in your house?”
Pallek was quiet. “I think I need to talk to a lawyer.”
“That is certainly your right. And it’s my right to arrest you for the attempted murder of Dana Berinson.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I’m very serious.”
“That’s what you have on me? Some agent’s misidentification and a phone number from a burner phone that no doubt can’t be traced to me?”
“I can’t talk to you anymore. You asked for a lawyer. I’m going to arrest you now and read you your rights—”
“Wait, wait, wait.”
Decker paused. “If you want to keep talking to me, you have to say explicitly that you’re willing to do so without legal representation. All this is being taped and I don’t want it messed up by procedural errors.”
Pallek was nervous, guilty, and furious all at the same time. Finally he said, “So what if Halpern called me? Is that a crime?”
“Are we still talking or do you want a lawyer?”
“Just listen, okay?”
“I can’t because you asked for a lawyer.”
“Okay. Forget the lawyer. What’s the big deal if an old student calls me?”
“It’s not a big deal. What did he call you about?”
“What he always calls me about,” Pallek exploded. “Girl problems. He took a shine to me while he was here. I was his confidant. So he calls me whenever he has girl issues. That was it. I talked to him for a little bit. So what?”
“What time was that?”
“You should know. You’re the one who claims I talked to hi
m.”
“It was a little past ten Saturday evening. How long did you talk to him?”
“You should know that, too.”
“Just answer the question, Professor.”
Pallek cleared his throat and took a sip of water. “Maybe twenty minutes . . . maybe a little longer.”
“A little late to call about girl problems.”
“Casey’s a jerk. But like I said, he imprinted on me. He’s always calling me. So I talked to him for around a half hour and then I suppose I futzed around the house until I went to bed. I don’t know anything about James Dellek. I certainly didn’t rent a car at that hour. I must have a doppelgänger.”
“A doppelgänger with your handwriting.”
“It’s not my handwriting because I’m not James Dellek.”
“Same handwriting, similar names . . .”
“It’s not me!”
“Do you have an identical twin?”
“Maybe, because James Dellek isn’t me. So unless you have other proof—”
There was a knock on the door. Both Decker and Pallek looked up as McAdams walked in. He was stifling a smile. “May I talk to you for a moment, sir?”
Decker got up and took his notes and folders. “Make yourself comfortable, Dr. Pallek. You’re not going anywhere.” He and McAdams went into another room and stared at a frantic man pacing behind a one-way mirror. “What’s up?”
“I found the agent who rented to Pallek,” McAdams said. “She lives about thirty minutes from here, but she’s willing to come in, God bless her soul. Do we do a lineup or a six-pack?”
“I can’t round up five guys who look like Pallek that soon. Go through the mug books and get a six-pack. Great job, Harvard. The case is going to rest on her ID.”
“Not quite.” McAdams broke into a wide smile. “Forensics got a few great prints off the plastic sleeve a half hour ago. We pulled in a fingerprint expert from Hamilton. She just arrived. First she’s going to see if any of the prints match to Cameron Snowe.”
“Are there other prints besides Cameron’s?”
“Forensics wrote that there are at least two types of prints: two types of right thumbprints!” When he got no response, McAdams said, “Didn’t you talk to Radar?”
“About what?”
“Oh man, you will truly appreciate my genius with this one. Pallek’s prints aren’t in any of our files because he doesn’t have a criminal record. His prints are on file with the colleges, but to get them, Radar said we’d need to file all sorts of paperwork. So I got a creative. Notaries take right thumbprints of their signatories and they don’t have the official duty of confidentiality like lawyers and doctors.”
“You got hold of Pallek’s right thumbprint.”
“Like I said, the expert is checking right now. I know you’ll get Pallek’s prints when we arrest him. But I thought it would be good to bag him while you’re still interviewing him.”
“A print and a witness ID. If it works out, we’re gold. In the meantime, I’ll use it. The guy is going to break. Would you like to come in and put the nail in the coffin with me?”
“I’d rather watch from behind the one-way mirror. It’s great blood sport and no one dies.”
Chapter 40
Just as Decker came up from booking Pallek, Radar said, “We have Diaz behind bars.”
Decker made a face. “What happened?”
“He had packed a suitcase and was ready to go somewhere. He said vacation, but I’m sure he heard about Pallek. I’ll probably have to spring him in the morning, so think of something before we have to open the cage.”
“As long as he’s in custody, let’s see if Diaz has a scar on his back.”
“I thought Erin told you that it wasn’t Diaz who tried to bury her.”
“Well, it wasn’t Pallek, either,” Decker said. “When both he and Cameron were booked, they changed into their jail oranges. We checked them for both and neither one have any back scars or anything on their shoulders.”
“Maybe it didn’t leave a scar.”
“If Erin hit the guy as hard as she said she did, there’d be a scar.”
McAdams stated the obvious. “How about our phantom?”
Decker said, “Yeah, how about him? That’s fucking great!”
“We’ll find Carter,” Radar said. “With Pallek and Snowe locked up for the night—”
“And Diaz,” McAdams said.
“Now we can concentrate on finding Carter,” Radar said.
“What’s Snowe’s bail?”
“Quarter mil. His parents should be able to get hold of the twenty-five grand by tomorrow.”
Decker said, “What about Casey Halpern?”
Radar said, “He’s been picked up by the NYPD on attempted murder, which of course won’t stick, but it’s enough to get him up here so you can question him. There’s nothing more to do right now.”
“I can look for Carter.”
“You’re better off going home, getting some rest, and taking care of Rina.” To McAdams, Radar said, “You might as well go back to school.”
“I’m not leaving until something is resolved.” He turned to Decker. “Ready?”
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
It was ten by the time they sat down to dinner. Rina was quiet and Decker commented on it. She said, “Long day. Not only physical, but it’s emotionally stressful to find someone to babysit me all the time. I feel like I’m imposing on everyone and I hate being an imposition.”
“It’ll be all over soon,” Decker said.
“Yeah, especially since Oli—” McAdams was kicked under the table. He looked at Decker and stopped talking.
“Especially since what?” Rina said.
“Since all of us are pretty close to the end.” Decker had yet to tell Rina about Oliver. He knew she’d resent the idea, and she would feel doubly bad about involving a friend. Decker just wasn’t up to the arguing when he was clearly right.
“So Pallek doesn’t have a scar on his back?” Rina said.
“No,” McAdams said. “And neither does Snowe or Diaz.”
“So it’s Carter?”
“He’s looking guiltier since he went missing.” Decker managed a smile. “We’re scouring the streets for him. We’ll find him.”
“I’m sure you will. I’m not worried, Peter. You know that.”
“Of course. Neither am I.”
“I have some cooking to do tomorrow in the house,” Rina said. “I’ll get way more done without another person to entertain.”
“I would think another person would be an extra set of hands.”
“It is nice having help, but cooking time is my thinking time. A few hours in the morning alone would go a long way. I’ll keep the doors locked and my gun out.”
Decker knew that Oliver would be in town around twelve. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”
“You’re right. We’ll talk about it in the morning.” She speared a green bean and managed a weak smile. There was nothing left to say. The meal was functional and quick. Sleep was even quicker.
At seven in the morning, as Decker was sipping coffee and eating toast, his cell rang.
Radar said, “Casey Halpern is coming into the station house with his lawyer in about an hour.”
“What’s going on?” Decker put down his coffee cup. “I thought we’d have to fight tooth and nail to get him here.”
“Something big must be on his mind. I haven’t had a chance to read any briefs or statements, so I don’t know what his angle is going to be. But I’m sure it’s some sort of plea bargain.”
“Who’s our D.A.?”
“Melinda Message will be here in a half hour. I suggest we all confer to see what our strategy is going to be.”
“I’ll be right there with Tyler.” Decker hung up and looked at McAdams. “Casey Halpern will be at the station house with his lawyer in an hour. I don’t know the specifics.”
“Delilah Occum?”
“He wa
s in school when she died. He alibied Snowe. We can hope.”
McAdams put down his coffee cup. “I’m ready.”
Decker looked at Rina. “I’m going to have to leave you alone.”
“I’m fine—”
“Can you invite someone over for the next couple of hours?”
“No, I can’t. I’ll be perfectly fine by myself. As a matter of fact, I’ll be better off by myself because I’ll only be thinking about myself. I’ll lock the doors, take out my gun, and I’ll phone you every hour.”
“Don’t open the door for anyone or anything. You don’t even answer the door. Be vigilant and if you feel anything is off, call the police. I don’t care how trivial it is. I’ll go do a quick check of the windows—”
“I can do that. You go solve some murders.” She was pushing him to the door. “I love you. And thank you for trusting me.”
“This may not be my finest hour.”
“Go!” After the two men left, Rina checked the doors, the windows, and anything else that might be a way into the house—like crawlspaces and attics. When she was satisfied, she took out a five-pound bag of sugar, a two-pound bag of brown sugar, two pounds of pareve margarine, salt, baking powder, vanilla, pareve chocolate chips, and ten pounds of all-purpose flour. When she finished, she’d have enough chocolate chip cookies to feed a small Caribbean island. She went back into the living room and peered out the windows for any signs of life.
All was quiet, all was still.
She went to her bedroom and took out a .22 from the gun safe. With care, she loaded the bullets and then took it back with her into the kitchen. She wasn’t a gun fan. If she had her druthers, all guns—even recreational guns—would be destroyed. Go back to the bow and arrow if you wanted to hunt.
But, being a cop’s wife, she did know how to shoot.
There was a time for idealism.
And there was a time for practicality.
Chapter 41
During interviews Decker liked to keep it cordial: nothing personal but he had a job to do. Even so, interviews often became adversarial. Once in a blue moon there was that sweet spot where the suspect was clearly burdened by a past event. Such was the case with Casey Halpern. Like Snowe, he was a good-looking and athletically built young man. He had auburn hair and dark troubled eyes that looked at Decker without flinching. He sat with his lawyer—a young man in his twenties named Nathan Borstein—on one side of the table while Decker, McAdams, and Melinda Message—a handsome woman in her fifties—sat opposite them. When all the procedure was done with, the plea-bargain haggling started in earnest. Halpern raised his hand, and the lawyers stopped talking.
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