“How’d you know it was me?”
“I always know when it’s you standing at my office door.”
“Why? Do I smell bad or something?”
He laughed and gestured for her to sit. “I didn’t know you smoked,” Wallace said.
“I don’t. It’s a story that you don’t want to know about.”
“All right,” he said, “give me a brief overview of your case. I’ve already spoken to Zeke. Not a very pleasant scene, I understand.”
“Not at all.” She removed her jacket and sat on the chair by his desk. “We have two suspects. The husband and the boyfriend.”
“Which one are you leaning toward?”
“You know, I’m still puzzled. We don’t have enough evidence yet. Each has their own set of issues. Barrett had a cheating wife, Hughes got jilted, both men wronged by the same woman.” She filled in the details of what they’d learned. “Got the surveillance from the Barrett household, but not from Hilary Gardens where the boyfriend lives. The security guys are playing hardball and want a warrant.”
“That is the proper protocol, Turner,” he said, smirking.
“Yeah, but I just thought we’d try. Being Sunday, I have to wait until tomorrow to call in the warrant, but Howie did try at my suggestion.”
“Speaking of which, I’m going to partner you with Neal Riley starting tomorrow. He’s getting a transfer from the NARC Unit and is ready to try something else.”
“That’s great, Lieutenant.”
The lieutenant chuckled. “My first thought was to pair you with Rosie”—he smirked again—“but I figured that might be rough sledding for the department when you two get into a squabble over who’s going to take the lead,” he said in a playful voice.
“That was definitely smart thinking, Lieutenant.”
He winked. “Just trying to get a rise out of you, Detective, but it doesn’t look like I succeeded.”
“No, you didn’t. Of course, I’ll do what you want, but I wouldn’t like it one bit . . . and frankly, neither would Rosie.” She blew out a breath. “Thank you for choosing Neal. I’ve seen him a few times on those rare occasions when I’ve gone to The Alibi, and from what I’ve seen he seems like a nice guy.” She also liked that he reminded her of one of her favorite actors, David Caruso, who played a law enforcer on CSI Miami.
“With Howie leaving in two weeks, I think it’s a good time to make the break, since you’re not that far along in the investigation.”
“Okay, but I don’t want Howie feeling like I’m just dumping him. He’s been very influential in making me the detective I am today.”
“What do you mean? He knows you’ll eventually be getting a new partner.”
“I know,” Max said. “But I actually suggested he do some flatfooting today to finish out his time. I don’t want him thinking I requested the change.”
“I’ll take care of it with him. But honestly, he hasn’t been looking so good lately. I don’t want his last days on the force to be more stressful. Let him ease out of his job in preparation for his retirement.”
“That’s very nice of you.” The lieutenant shrugged. “Have you told Riley yet?” she asked.
“Yeah. I talked to him this morning.”
“And he was okay with it?”
“He was more than okay.”
“Good.” She stood. “Thanks, Lieutenant.” Max sighed, concerned about her partner’s feelings. “Howie’s finishing up on some paperwork, so I think I’ll stop and give him a heads-up, then I’m heading home for the night. See you tomorrow.”
Max felt a twinge of guilt burning inside her over the change and what Howie would think. Returning to her desk, she was disappointed to find that Howie had already gone for the night and had left a note and his file folder in her center desk drawer. She took a fast look at the note, which stated Jack Hughes was on the brink of bankruptcy, and a notation in the file that he wanted to speak to her about something. She closed the file, deciding she’d had enough for one day. “Tomorrow’s another day.” Stretching her arms overhead, she yawned. It was definitely time to leave for the night. She reached for her jacket, zipping it up all the way, then shoved the files in her briefcase. The office was just beginning to fill up with the night detectives who shared their desks.
Outside, Max shivered when the wind picked up. Even though the days were warm, the evenings had begun to feel chilly, and she knew it was just a matter of time before the white stuff would begin to fall from the sky.
A few blocks away from the precinct, she walked into Berg’s Deli. She’d been hankering for a Reuben sandwich for a week now, but hadn’t quite made it to the deli because she’d always gotten sidetracked by her investigations. Tonight though, she’d satisfy that desire.
“I’ll have one of those Reubens to go,” she said to the owner’s son, Sean, who appeared to be a little sweet on her. “And one of those barrel pickles to go with it.” She’d been to other delis in the city, but not one was as authentic as Berg’s. “Please pack it good, Sean.”
“You headed out to arrest someone, pretty lady?”
“Not tonight.” Sean was fascinated by the stories he’d heard about the NYPD and their old cases. He called them his collection of “takin’ down the bad guys.”
Sean handed her the bag with a wink. “Good to see you, Max. Don’t make it so long next time.”
“It has been a long time. I’ll try to remedy that.”
She knew her sandwich would be packed in a Styrofoam container with an overabundance of fries, and the pickle cut just the way she liked it, into bite-sized pieces. Sean liked her—she had no idea why—but if he was looking to cheat on his wife, she didn’t date married men.
CHAPTER FIVE
Max was awakened by the screeching sound of a siren, but stayed in bed a little while longer after a restless night worrying about Howie being hurt by her new partnership. In addition to her guilt keeping her awake, she’d also left the window open just to get some fresh air, but she’d never do that again. There was way too much noise outside. Using her elbows, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, adjusted the pillow behind her back, and sat there a few minutes, her eyes half-lidded, wishing she could sleep for another hour and sorry she hadn’t gotten up in the middle of the night and shut the window. But she’d been too lazy, and now she was going to be dragging her butt all day.
She grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand to check for messages and as she scrolled through, she decided they could all wait until she’d had her first cup of java. Tossing her legs over the side of the bed, she stood and shuffled off to the kitchen, started the coffeemaker, then headed to the bathroom for a shower.
An hour later, she was feeling more refreshed than she’d expected and ready to take on the day. She was filling her cup with the hot liquid when her cell phone rang. Surprised to see the lieutenant’s name, she clicked onto the call before the second ring. “What’s up, Lieutenant?”
“It’s Howie,” the Lieutenant said in a low voice.
The first thing that went through her mind was that Howie was upset about the changeover.
“He’s mad at me?”
“No. I wish that’s all it was.” He paused, and her insides stirred nervously, wondering what he was going to say. “God, I’m so sorry to tell you this, but Howie died last night from a heart attack,” he said in a somber voice.
Max gasped. “Oh, no, no, no, no.” Blinking her eyes shut, she looked skyward as tears ran down her cheeks. Guilt attacked her as she thought about every cross word she’d ever said to him. She dried her tears with a paper towel. “I have to go to Marina,” she said in a wobbly voice. “She must be a mess.”
“She said she’s doing okay, but you know how she puts on a strong front for everyone.” Hearing the emotion in the lieutenant’s voice surprised her, because the boss and Howie rarely agreed.
“We may have had our differences, but we respected each other,” he said.
“Did Marin
a tell you what happened?”
“She said she’d been packing to leave for the cabin, and Howie walked in complaining about being tired. He fell on the bed, and when his breathing became labored, she called 911 right away. By the time they got there, he was gone.”
Max heaved a heavy sigh. “I need to go over there.” She disconnected the call and let the waterworks erupt. She wished she could see Howie one more time so she could tell him she was sorry. Sorry for being so hard on him, and even sorrier they didn’t have more time together.
Walking up the steps into Howie’s living room, Max saw Marina, busily moving around the kitchen serving those who’d stopped by to express their sympathies. Howie’s daughter was standing close by Marina, trying to coax her mother to sit down. When Marina saw Max, she stopped what she was doing and walked over. They immediately held each other tightly and cried.
“I am so sorry for your loss,” Max said, drying her tears. “I loved him like a father.”
Marina nodded. “And he felt the same way about you, Max.” She wiped her tears with a tissue she’d pulled from her apron pocket. “How am I going to manage without him?”
Max hugged her again. “Oh sweetie, try not to think about it today. There’s plenty of time to figure this out. Take the time you need to grieve with your family. That’s all that matters right now.”
Marina lowered her head and nodded, trying to compose herself. She released a heavy sigh. “Can I get you something to eat, sweetheart?”
“Marina,” Max said, reaching for her hands and holding them, “you need to start thinking of yourself.”
“I am, Max. That’s why I need to keep moving, because if I don’t, I’m going to fall flat on my face.” Marina turned to head in the direction of the kitchen. “You stay right here. I’m going to get you some coffee cake.”
As more neighbors walked into the house to comfort Marina, Max used that as her time to leave. She placed a quick kiss on Marina’s cheek, took the coffee cake to go, waved, and made her exit.
During the ride back to the precinct, Max reminisced about the six years she’d spent being Howie’s partner. She remembered their first meeting like it was yesterday, and it brought a smile to her face. At the time, she’d been a newly promoted detective.
Howie could be an overbearing mentor at times, and on more than one occasion, she had been annoyed at him for repeating things she already knew. After they’d arrested a suspect involved in a robbery, Howie had sent her to the interrogation room with the guy before joining her. The suspect seemed friendly enough, and that’s when she exercised her independence and intentionally ignored Rule Number One about keeping a suspect secured at all times. In the midst of a friendly conversation, she’d decided to remove the guy’s cuffs, and within seconds her rookie mistake had backfired on her. The suspect had tried reaching for her service revolver. Luckily, she was quick to react and remembered a grappling wrist hold that brought the suspect down to his knees, giving her enough time to re-cuff him just as Howie entered the room.
The expression on Howie’s face told her she was going to hear plenty of his wrath. Later, when they’d discussed it, instead of Howie pulling rank, he’d used the incident as a teaching tool. From that moment on, she had respected his knowledge. His fatherly advice had become a huge part of their relationship.
She used her shoulder to wipe the tears running down her cheek. Max said a silent prayer, made the sign of the cross, and threw a kiss toward the sky. “That’s for you, Howie,” she said aloud. “I will miss you forever.”
Lieutenant Wallace was the first to spot Max when she returned to the precinct. “How you doing, Turner? Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be.”
“Do you need some time to regroup?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’m better off working.” She took in a deep breath and released it. “So where’s my new partner?”
“He’s in the A/V room viewing the surveillance from the Barrett residence so he can catch up. I had Riley call in your warrant.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant. Hopefully the new ADA will hurry so we can get it today, but for right now, I’m anxious to find out if Riley found anything unusual we might have missed. A fresh set of eyes is always a good thing.” She waved as she walked away. “I’ll catch you later.” Max weaved through the crowded office, the boisterous chatter and phones ringing like the steady buzz of a bee. Along the way, several of her coworkers stopped her to extend their sympathies.
When Max opened the door, Detective Riley turned to see who was entering. “There she is,” he said and handed her a container of coffee. “I don’t know if this is still hot. It’s been sitting here for a while.”
She gladly took it. “Are you trying to butter me up, Riley?”
He laughed. “No. I wanted you to know how sorry I am over the loss of Howie.” She nodded. “Actually, I’m lying. I was definitely trying to get into your good graces.” His face reddened as bright as the color of his hair. “I know how close you and Howie were, and I want you to know that I understand if you’re reluctant to take on a new partner. It’s hard to fill someone’s shoes.”
“Thank you, Riley. That’s very nice of you to say. It’s true, Howie was a very large part of my career here at the precinct, but you have nothing to worry about. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
“Thank you.” Neal smiled. “Let me tell you where I’m at so we’re both up to speed.”
“Okay.” She grinned at the enthusiasm in his voice. “What did you find on the surveillance footage?” she asked.
“I didn’t see much of anything, except when the back lights went out, I realized someone was probably removing the lightbulb from the spotlights on the garage. I couldn’t see anyone even though I replayed it several times. There weren’t any notes in the file about cars passing by on the street either, so I jotted down the things I observed to discuss with you.” Max gave an approving nod. “There was one car that did slow down in front of the residence. Fortunately, I was able to get a partial plate and, when I ran the numbers, it traced back to Jack Hughes.”
Max enjoyed seeing the eagerness in his eyes. “Well, you’ve certainly had a productive morning. Hughes is our disgruntled boyfriend,” she said. “Anything else?”
“Yeah, I took a quick ride over to the residence to familiarize myself with the location, and noticed the wooded areas that surround the house would make a good escape route,” Riley said with excitement in his voice.
“Excellent, Riley. Good job.” Max was already impressed. She removed the lid from the container and sipped the coffee. Despite its lukewarm temperature, it still tasted good. “Did the guest list arrive yet?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but I’m headed out to pick up the warrant for the Hilary Gardens surveillance, then I’ll talk to the guy who placed the 911 call. He’s the caregiver for his mother, so I offered to question him at his house. Bensonhurst and Santini are coming with me to run canvass in the neighborhood.
“And he’s off and running!” Max said. “Thank you. Your enthusiasm is contagious. All right, I’m off to check the financials.” They began walking in separate directions. “Hey, while you’re at it, stop at the residence and see when the maid’s two sons will be returning from Jamaica. If they’re there, interview them.”
“Absolutely.”
Max returned to her desk and fired up her database. Keying in Jeffrey Barrett’s name, she clicked on his bank information and did the same for Jack Hughes. Surprised by what she saw, she called Riley.
“This is Riley,” he answered. “I’m at the carriage house, where the maid and her family live, talking to her sons.”
“So they are home,” Max said. “Howie was planning to check with the airlines to figure out when they left for Jamaica, but with his death . . . well, please ask them for a printed copy of their itineraries.”
“They just told me they only visited for two weeks,” Riley said, “but I’ll ask for it. If they didn’t save it
, I’ll call the airlines.” He coughed. “Excuse me,” he said and continued, “I was also planning to introduce myself to Dr. Barrett, but while I was talking to these guys, I heard the roar of a sports car engine. The guys jumped up to look out the window and announced Barrett was driving a bright yellow Lamborghini. I saw it myself.”
Max humphed. “Boy, I can see how distraught he is over his wife’s death that he’s already replaced his car and he’s out of the house so soon.” The heavy sarcasm shot from her mouth. “I guess driving his wife’s Mercedes is below him, huh?”
“I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions here, Max. That car could be a loaner from the dealership.”
“You’re right. I suppose that’s a possibility.” A chuckle escaped her mouth. “Keep me straight, Riley.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I guess I’m surprised he’s out and about already,” she said.
“Everyone grieves in their own way,” Riley said. “Besides, he may have patients to check on.”
“Another good point. Hey, I’ve checked Barrett’s financials, and it looks like he froze his accounts on October 3 to stop his wife from withdrawing anything from all their holdings. I want to talk to him about it.” Max shook her head. “That’s fifteen days before they renewed their vows. Do you know where he was going?” Max asked.
“Hold for a moment.” She heard mumbling in the background. A few seconds later, Riley was back on the phone. “Maddie said the doctor went back to work . . . and she gave me the guest list.”
“Terrific. Why don’t you come back to the office and bring whatever you have and . . . did you get the surveillance from Hughes’s building?”
“No, the warrant wasn’t ready.”
“She’s a new ADA,” Max said, annoyed. “Okay, come back to the office. Then tomorrow, we’ll pay Dr. Barrett a visit.”
“Sounds like a good plan, Max. See you in a while.”
Noticing her boss walking down the corridor, she stopped him. “Riley’s on his way back with the guest list from the party. Do we have any rookies who are free to help with the calls?”
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