FORGOTTEN

by Hastings, Gary

  Karla Adams came in the conference room with a legal pad in her hand. Pat was curious.

  “Did you have any luck, Karla?”

  “Actually, we did, for a change. Daniel Pellegrino, AKA Daniel Klein, rented a car from National Car Rental at JFK. They gave him a white, Ford Explorer with Pennsylvania tags RD-6821. He has it rented until Monday night. He paid for it with a credit card in the name of Daniel Klein. Our financial surveillance team is getting the card flagged as we speak. We’ve put out a nation-wide alert for the Explorer as possibly armed and dangerous.”

  “That’s a step in the right direction, Karla. Do you have anything else, Bryan?”

  “We have Pellegrino’s picture added to the facial recognition cameras posted by the Anti-Terrorism Bureau. They should include most of the major attractions in New York, including One PP. We’ll get the tags of the Explorer added to the License Plate Readers as well.”

  “Talk to Angie after the meeting. Her husband, Mike, can probably help us.”

  “I’ll take care of it.”

  “Thanks, Bryan. Commissioner, do you or Chief Conrad have anything for us?”

  “Patty, this guy is a psychopath. I want him behind bars. If there’s anything you need, I’ll make it happen. We can’t afford to have more murders from this guy. I want you all to be safe, but we have to nail him soon.”

  “Thanks, Commissioner. Your support is important to me.”

  Commissioner Longstreet and Chief Conrad left the conference room. Pat continued the dialog. “I want everything possible done to apprehend this guy. Hit up your snitches; be creative; and visit the sister. Maybe if we rattle her chain, she’ll contact him and that’ll throw us a lead. Right now the white Explorer is our best lead. I want every cop in New York looking for it.”

  Pat ended the briefing. He was exhausted. The jet lag was kicking in.It had been 73 days since Margaret Butelli walked into his office. This case had been a whirlwind of highs and lows. He knew it was almost over. It had to be, but Daniel Pellegrino was still likely somewhere in New York City. It would be hard to sleep until this very dangerous man was arrested.

  Chapter 72

  Friday, April 1 - Day 73

  Chief of Detectives’ Residence

  Borough of Manhattan, New York

  2230 Hours

  Pat got home at 2100 hours and immediately went to bed. He was awakened by the door bell at 2030 hours and slipped his robe on, grabbed one of the .357’s, and walked to the door. He looked through the peep hole and saw it was Maggie Parker.

  He opened the door. Maggie was carrying a bag of groceries. Pat took the bag and Maggie stepped in. He sat the bag on the counter and gave Maggie a big hug.

  “It’s so good to see you, Maggie. I’ve missed you a lot.”

  “Me too, Pat. I thought you might be hungry. I picked up some snacks and some eggs and the thick-sliced bacon you like.”

  “That sounds great. I think the jet lag is kicking in.”

  “I hate that feeling. I used to get it all the time when I was on the detail with the President. Sometimes it takes days to get over it.”

  “That’s not encouraging.”

  “I know. Have you made any progress finding your fugitive?”

  “Not really, but we do have a tag and description of the car he rented at JFK. It was a white Ford Explorer.”

  “Do you want to eat something now or later? I brought some things with me from the office I need to work on tonight.”

  “We can eat later if you want, Maggie, unless you’re hungry.”

  “I’m fine, Pat. You can grab a few more winks while I read if you like.”

  “I don’t want to be inhospitable.” Pat said.

  “Don’t worry. I just want to be close to you. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “So have I. It’s good to be together.”

  “Do you have any big plans this weekend, Pat?”

  “Not unless the phone rings. What do you have in mind?”

  “I don’t know, I was thinking about going to the shore and just getting out of the city.”

  “I just got back from the other side of the world.”

  “I’m sorry, that’s a good point.”

  “But I don’t mind going somewhere if you want. I want my favorite person to be happy.”

  “Let’s just play it by ear and see what happens.”

  “Sounds great, Maggie, and if you don’t mind, I’ll take a little nap while you work.”

  Maggie kissed Pat and then laid her head against his chest.

  “I’ll feel better when you catch Daniel Pellegrino. It gives me the creeps.”

  “Don’t worry, Maggie. That’ll happen in due time. Every conceivable trap has been set.”

  Pat went back to bed, but couldn’t stop thinking about the investigation. Somewhere in this city, Daniel Pellegrino was a dangerous threat. In his head, he thought about everything which was now in place to trap him. Second-guessing himself, he kept wondering if he was missing something.

  Chapter 73

  Saturday, April 2 - Day 74

  Chief of Detectives’ Residence

  Borough of Manhattan, New York

  0730 Hours

  Pat woke up to the smell of frying bacon and coffee. He realized he had slept through the entire night without even having a bathroom break. The jet lag had obviously left him exhausted. He slipped on his robe and walked into the kitchen. Maggie had the table set and was cooking away.

  “Good morning. I was beginning to think you were hibernating.”

  “I guess the jet lag did a number on me.”

  “The coffee is ready. I made your favorite brew.”

  Pat poured himself a cup of the smooth Jamaican coffee. He opened his laptop, scanned through his emails, and answered a few messages. There were no new developments in the search for Pellegrino.

  Maggie served Pat a ham and cheese omelet with a hefty serving of crispy thick-sliced bacon and wheat toast. She refilled his coffee and joined him. She got directly to the point. “Can we get out of the city today? I’d like to go to the shore and just look at the ocean. It is supposed to be in the 70’s today.”

  “I think we can do that. Where did you have in mind?”

  “I know you’re not much of a gambler, but I was thinking about just driving down to Atlantic City. We could be there in a couple of hours.”

  “That would be fun. Maybe I can hear my old friend play the banjo.”

  Pat had an old musician friend who played banjo at a New Orleans themed casino. He had played his trumpet with her a few times at the casino, but the musicians union frowned on it, since he was not getting paid and was not a member of the Atlantic City local union. It would be fun just to listen. He would stick his trumpet in the car, just in case the opportunity presented itself. He liked having a horn with him.

  They finished their breakfast and Pat took a quick shower. He dressed casually in khakis and a forest green, long-sleeved shirt which fit loosely over his stocky frame. He strapped one of his revolvers in an ankle holster and dropped the second one in his right pocket. It was one of the advantages of the hammerless design of his guns, allowing them to be safely carried in a pocket.

  In about an hour, they were in Maggie’s Lexus heading south on the Garden State Parkway toward Atlantic City. Traffic was light for a Saturday morning. It should be a relaxing day, but Pat’s mind kept drifting to the fact that somewhere out there, Daniel Pellegrino was free and also able to enjoy the nice day. He had to do something to change that option. Patience was not Pat O’Connor’s best virtue.

  Chapter 74

  Saturday, April 2 - Day 74

  Atlantic City Boardwalk

  Atlantic City, New Jersey

  1200 Hours

  Pat could see the hotels and casinos of the Atlantic City waterfront ahead. The tall buildings looked like missiles pointed toward the sky. It was actually one of the few times he had been to Atlantic City during daylight hours. He had seen the neon extr
avaganza of lights many times at night.

  Maggie parked the Lexus in a public parking lot, and they walked out to the boardwalk. The crash of the ocean waves was a soothing and relaxing sound. It was warm, and they spotted a restaurant near the famous Steel Pier with outdoor seating for lunch. They both ordered burgers and fries.

  “I love the sound of the ocean, Pat. With all of the water around New York, I never seem to notice it. You just don’t think of New York as a beach town.”

  “You’re exactly right. Except for the occasional incident involving the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, New York seems detached from the whole ocean thing. We pull a few jumpers out of the Hudson River but that’s just different. Did you go to the shore often as a kid?”

  “Almost never, because we lived near Dallas and my folks were always so busy on the ranch. I probably spent the most time at the beach at Kennebunkport, working the details. You can’t really relax when you’re standing post, even though it’s a controlled environment.”

  “It was much the same for me in New Orleans. Our water was the muddy Mississippi River. I never swam in it, but my dad would take me on riverboat trips pretty often. The Gulf coast was not far, but we rarely went.”

  Pat and Maggie finished their burgers and just sat and continued talking for a while. It was one of those rare days. Neither one of them had received a cell phone call since leaving New York. They left the restaurant and walked over by the Steel Pier Amusement Park. The workers were painting and cleaning the carnival rides, getting ready for the park’s opening in a few weeks.

  They stopped by a casino to try to catch some music by Pat’s old banjo buddy, but she wasn’t playing until later. Instead, they listened to a hot, ragtime piano player for almost an hour and then took a leisurely walk down the boardwalk.

  The vendors were already out in full force, selling hot dogs, cotton candy and balloons. Pat and Maggie were walking hand in hand when their ambience was interrupted by a loud POW! Maggie instinctively pushed Pat back against a wall and jumped in front of him. She was starting to clear leather with her Sig, when she realized it was a balloon popping.

  Pat reassured her he was okay. “I’m okay. It was just a kid’s balloon, but the speed of your reactions was impressive.”

  Pat just laughed it off, but Maggie was embarrassed by it.

  “Let’s get out of here before someone recognizes me.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Maggie. I don’t think anyone noticed.”

  “They must be blind. I could’ve shot the guy with the balloon.”

  “But you didn’t. You reacted to what you thought might be a threat; you assessed it, found it not to be a threat, and took no further action. It was a textbook U. S. Secret Service conditioned response. Although, I never knew I was a protectee.”

  “I think I’m just a little on edge, with Daniel Pellegrino still out there somewhere. I’m worried about your safety, Pat. You’re the very best part of my life and I don’t want to lose you.”

  “Don’t worry, Gorgeous. Daniel Pellegrino will be caught and like every other thug I’ve dealt with, he’ll get his just reward. I’ve put away too many bad men over the years to let this lawyer scare me. He’s a common criminal and he’ll make a mistake. I just have to make sure we’re there when he slips up.”

  Maggie dropped Pat off at his apartment on Saturday night around 2100 hours. He got a call about 2230 reporting a cop had been shot on a car stop in Harlem. He had Dickie pick him up and they went to the scene. Precinct officers quickly located and arrested the suspect. It was a known crack-head. The officer was in good shape, having been shot in the leg. He was expected to fully recover. There wasn’t much for the Chief of D’s to do, so Pat and Dickie stopped by the hospital, and he was back at home by 0100 hours.

  On Sunday, Pat and Maggie went to church together, and then to a jazz brunch at the Newport Hotel. Pat enjoyed the music, but it was a little too modern for his nostalgic taste. Sometimes Pat felt younger jazz musicians thought they got paid by the note instead of trying to create meaningful music. Some of the older jazz players could make a whole note swing. However, the company was nice, and Maggie seemed to enjoy it.

  Pat got home, settled down at his computer and cleaned out some old emails. He practiced his trumpet for a couple of hours and then tried to catch up on some work-related reading. The Butelli case had kept him busy. He was preoccupied and had fallen behind. He turned into bed at 2230 after giving Maggie a goodnight call.

  Chapter 75

  Monday, April 4 - Day 76

  Chief of Detectives’ Residence

  Borough of Manhattan, New York

  0430 Hours

  At 0430 hours Pat was awakened by his cell phone vibrating across the nightstand.

  “Pat O’Connor.”

  “Good morning, Chief. It’s Bryan Flannery.”

  “What’s shaking Bryan?”

  “We’ve found the white Ford Explorer rented by our boy Pellegrino, AKA Daniel Klein.”

  “I assume it’s empty.”

  “Actually, it’s parked in a tiny apartment complex over in Queens near JFK.”

  “Are we setting up on it?”

  “That would be very hard to do without getting burnt. This complex has like eight parking spaces. However, we got the tech guys to put a GPS tracker on the car. If it moves, we’ll know it. We have a surveillance team about two blocks away.”

  “This sounds good. How about ESU?”

  “They’re responding and should be in position soon.”

  “Great! If the Explorer moves, we need to do a felony high-risk take down. He will be very dangerous.”

  “They’ve been made aware of that.”

  “Okay, Bryan, please do me a favor. Call Dickie Davis and have him pick me up as soon as possible, while I get ready. Let me know if there are any developments.”

  “Yes sir, Chief, and we’re on the Detective Bureau Surveillance Channel Bravo.”

  “I’ll see you shortly, Bryan. Thanks for the call.”

  Pat jumped out of the bed. He grabbed his portable radio and put it on the surveillance channel. He started the coffee pot, then quickly shaved, brushed his teeth, and jumped in the shower. He dried off and grabbed a blue blazer and some charcoal grey slacks. He pulled out a fresh white shirt and grabbed a tie. He put his revolvers on, grabbed his briefcase, and set it on the counter. He poured himself a big cup of coffee in one of Maggie’s Secret Service mugs and his phone buzzed.

  “Pat O’Connor.”

  “Good morning, Chief. It’s Dickie. I’ll be out front in about three minutes.”

  Pat grabbed the briefcase, his coffee, and his portable and headed for the elevator. When he reached the street, Dickie rounded the corner in the big black Chrysler. Pat jumped in, and they headed for Queens. Maybe this would be the end of the Daniel Pellegrino fugitive manhunt.

  Chapter 76

  Monday, April 4 - Day 76

  Carriage Apartments - 29 Colony Drive

  Borough of Queens, New York

  0515 Hours

  Traffic was light this time of morning. Pat and Dickie did not have to use the emergency lights and siren to maneuver through traffic. They were about two miles out from the staging area when the radio crackled.

  “Okay guys, heads up. We have movement.”

  “Does anyone have an eyeball?”

  Karla Adams responded. “The target is leaving the parking lot, heading south on Colony Drive. We’re on him.”

  Bryan Flannery came on the air next. “Let’s stay with him until we find a safe place to take him down. We have the tracker, so let’s get everyone in place before we get close.”

  The surveillance moved through the neighborhoods and finally ended up on I-678 West headed toward John F. Kennedy International Airport.

  “We’re south on I-678. Traffic is medium, and we’re in position.”

  Bryan Flannery called Pat for confirmation. “Car 3, did you copy, Chief?”

  “Car 3, 10-
4, I copy. If you’re in position, let’s take him down.” Pat commanded.

  “10-4, Chief. ESU, move up into position.”

  Pat and Dickie were just getting on to I-678 South. Dickie had the black Chrysler lit up and in the wind. As they zipped by the other traffic, Pat couldn’t help but get excited about the arrest of Daniel Pellegrino. Pat could see the red and white lights flashing up ahead. Dickie hit the red lights and went down the shoulder with the siren screaming.

  As they pulled up behind the caravan of marked and unmarked NYPD vehicles, Pat could see that the ESU team was doing what they do best, by handling the arrest tactically. He knew it was best to stay back and let the professionals make the arrest. An Aviation Unit helicopter was hovering overhead with the big searchlight turning darkness into daylight. The radio announced success.

  “ESU Lieutenant, we have the suspect in custody.”

  Pat and Dickie walked up past the vehicles and saw the handcuffed suspect being escorted by ESU to the waiting detectives. As Pat got closer, he could see the suspect arrested was NOT Daniel Pellegrino! He felt his heart sink.

  “Who is this guy?”

  Karla Adams was furious. “It seems we’ve been conned, Chief. Boy Wonder here says a dude gave him 300 bucks to drive the rental Explorer back to JFK.”

  “Was it our boy, Pellegrino?”

  “Probably so. The description he gave seems pretty close.”

  “Let’s take the probably out of it. Does anyone have a mug-shot?”

  Mary McDonald started toward her car.

  “I have a line-up photo array in my car.”

  Mary retrieved the photo array from her files and brought it to the suspect. The array consisted of six pictures including one of Daniel Pellegrino. The suspect looked at the photos and identified photo number two. It was a photograph of Daniel Pellegrino.