by Baxter Clare
“What?”
Fubar was turning red and Frank wouldn’t have been surprised if the top of his head flew off like a jack in the box.
“I don’t have all the facts yet,” she said calmly. “That’s why I haven’t told you anything. But I didn’t want Bobby or Nook digging up any more on this. That’s why I took it over.”
“I see. Well that certainly casts the situation in a different light.”
Foubarelle looked sick and Frank almost felt sorry for him.
“Is it an officer from Figueroa?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, Christ,” he said. “We better call Langley.”
He was referring to his boss, the deputy chief.
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“Why the hell not?”
“Because I don’t have a lot to go on right now, just circumstance and second-hand testimony.”
“That’s enough that he should be told about it.”
Frank disagreed, suspecting Fubar just wanted someone to shoulder this heavy load with him.
“Just give me some time, John. Another day.”
As he grabbed for Frank’s phone he shook his head.
“Langley’s got to know.”
He got the DCs secretary, telling her he had “a situation” and to have Langley call ASAE.
“Tell me what you’ve got,” he said, biting on his thumbnail. As she told him, he paced and kept repeating, “Oh, Christ.” Frank declined to give the cop’s name and Fubar didn’t push it. He already knew more than he wanted to.
Two hours later she sat in Langley’s office, telling the story again. The DC listened intently, not saying anything until Frank was finished.
“Well,” he mused, leaning back in his large chair. Silver-haired, tanned and trim, Langley looked like a Beverly Hills surgeon. Like Foubarelle, the DC was a political animal, but at least he’d spent some time in uniform. His understanding of what happened on the streets was better than the captain’s, yet he too was disinclined to buck prevailing political winds. When he smiled indulgently, Frank felt her stomach roll over.
“Lieutenant, as you’re well aware, lately the department has had some rather serious setbacks. Mind you, some of these difficulties we’ve brought on ourselves. Others are … inadequacies with public perception. Regardless however of who’s at fault, it all adds up to give us a rather tarnished image.”
The DC chose his words carefully and deliberately, as if choosing steps through a yard full of dog shit. It was his media speech, the let’s-give-them-something-but-not-what-they-want talk and she knew what was coming next.
She barely listened as he said, “You must see, that with so little evidence we are in no clear position to proceed with these allegations. At this point your charges are highly speculative. Certainly if the officer in question has been involved in inappropriate activities he should be investigated. It’s the department’s responsibility to investigate all such allegations and take action dependent upon the outcome of said investigations. However, this is not a good time to bring certain of these charges to light, particularly with so little evidence to back them. Speculation at this stage is pointless, and should word leak out, the department could have a rather inflammatory incident on its hands. Surely you can appreciate the reaction to this?”
When Frank’s reply wasn’t forthcoming, he continued, “I appreciate the job you’re doing, Lieutenant. Credit is due you for your diligence. Though I’m sure it has pained you to implicate a fellow colleague, you have pursued a difficult line of inquiry to its logical conclusion. At this point however, I would deem it more fruitful to follow a different path. Various of these allegations have merit, and I can assure you they will be brought to IADs attention.”
Frank couldn’t look at the DC as he continued with a thinly disguised warning that should this somehow become public knowledge, that would be extremely unfortunate. Did both the captain and the lieutenant understand that? “Yes, sir,” Fubar piped up.
Langley waited, his paternalistic urbanity, turning cool. “Do you understand what we’ve discussed, Lieutenant?” Holding her teeth together, she said, “Yes, sir.”
“Very good,” he said standing to end their meeting. Shaking Frank’s hand he added with absolute sincerity, “Keep up the good work, Lieutenant.”
Chapter Twenty-seven
Frank swore all the way back to her office. She had nothing on this bastard for the Estrella murders. She knew that. Nor could she substantiate Luis Estrella’s murder. But with Placa she’d had a better chance. He’d been taken by surprise and forced to make mistakes. Still, even if he’d been caught kneeling over Placa and firing into her heart the department would be reluctant to pursue charges against one of their own. Such a reluctance might almost have been noble if it were a matter of a brother protecting a brother, but the code of silence wasn’t about protecting a comrade; it was a sickening reflection of how many heads might roll if the truth got out.
Frank’s stomach cramped through her anger and she tried to remember the last time she’d eaten. Camped in traffic, she decided it was going to be a long night and that her first priority should be food and a drink so stiff it was rigored. She wasn’t far from USC and wondered if Gail was still at work. It’d be nice to talk to someone sane for a little while.
Frank dialed her office and got Rhondie, who said she’d page Gail. Frank hung up. Maybe she’d just go on over to the Marengo Grill. If Gail couldn’t make it she’d just eat without her. No big deal, she thought, swinging onto Cesar Chavez, but was glad when Gail called back a few minutes later.
“Hey. Interested in dinner at the Grill? I was close and thought maybe you could join me.”
“You thought right,” Gail answered. “Can you give me about forty-five minutes?”
“Is that Lawless time or real time?”
When Gail laughed the answer Frank knew how badly she wanted to see her. And it scared Frank. She’d gotten used to not wanting anything. It made life so much simpler. And duller, she admitted. Frank wondered what Clay would have her do, knowing the answer even before she finished the question.
“Jesus,” she let out with a deep breath. It was just dinner. She warned herself to quit nutting up, rationalizing that she was just wired from the afternoon and all she still had to do. Frank had wanted that bastard nailed five ways to Sunday before even whispering his name and now three other people knew. She needed damage control pronto. Her best scenario was that Langley wouldn’t follow through. But she doubted it. He’d pass something along to IAD just to cover his ass. Exactly what he offered and how far Internal went with it was unpredictable. She had to proceed on the assumption that her suspect would eventually know he was being investigated on extortion charges at the very least. That could either work against her or for her.
She slid into a parking spot at the restaurant and ordered a double scotch before the waiter had even finished seating her. Frank recognized a defense attorney at one of the tables and watched him laughing, thinking she needed to talk to McQueen. She could lay out what she had, tell Queenie it was hypothetical, and hope she wouldn’t give Frank her withering, “You’ve got to be kidding” look.
That was the damn frustrating part. When Tonio had first told her, Frank didn’t want to believe him. But all her little clues and circumstances had lined up to back his story and the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. But you couldn’t prosecute a case on common sense and instinct. And Frank couldn’t push like she would with a normal suspect. Truth was, if this guy was as smart as he should be, she’d never have enough on him. Langley was right. He could absolutely walk.
Frank seethed, wondering what the odds were of his even being fully investigated for trafficking. And then, the likelihood of prosecution and conviction if it got as far as that. Would he even get more than a slap on the wrist? The man was a decorated Vietnam vet and a great cop with citations and commendations to prove it. It was possible that what Langley told IAD would go
straight into one of their files and sit there, until if and when they ever needed it.
Compounding her lack of credibility were Luis Estrella and Ocho Ruiz. On the surface, they both still appeared to be the logical suspects. Ruiz still hadn’t fessed up to his actions on the night Placa died and she thought she’d have to get to him first thing in the morning. She needed supporting statements from him and Lydia and the homes that were in Eagle Rock with him.
Gail walked in just as Frank finished her first drink. The doc was only in scrubs but it was still nice watching her walk to the table. She had a sultry, long-legged sway, and Frank realized, not without some alarm, that this was the second time in less than an hour that she was glad the doc was around.
“What a nice surprise,” Gail said, sliding into her chair.
She handed Frank an envelope, saying hello to the waiter and ordering a gin and tonic. Frank got another double. She allowed herself the luxury of staring at the doc, who arched a brow and stated, “You look like hell. What have you been up to?”
“Wading in shit.”
“Placa’s shit?”
“None other. How about you? How’s your week going?”
Gail’s eyes rolled and she frowned, “I’ll tell you about that in a minute. Open that first,” she said to the envelope.
“Another Christmas present?” Frank asked, extracting a sheaf of papers. It was Placa’s lab results and Frank whistled, impressed.
“Damn. What’d this cost you?”
“I had to promise Suzie it was the last one I’d harangue her about for a while.”
“Harangue,” Frank repeated. “Big word.”
Gail sipped her water, saying, “Look what was under her nails. The right hand in particular.”
Frank flipped a couple pages until she found the section. Tan automotive upholstery fibers. Traces of horse manure and alfalfa. Human skin and horse hairs. Lots of wool fibers and a few silk.
The trace evidence created a clear picture for Frank. He and Placa in his front seat, he on top of her. The skin under her nails showed she’d have fought him first, then she’d have had to give in; he was bigger, stronger, and maybe holding her own .25 to her head. Her right hand had clenched into the debris on the floorboard. The samples from the left hand were cleaner. Only human skin and wool fibers. Meaning non-upholstered seats. The leather in the Lincoln.
“Have we compared these to Luis’ samples?”
“Suze is working on it.”
“How about DNA profiles? Do the skin and sperm match?”
“We ran PCR strips,” Gail said, leaning over to turn pages. She found the strip pictures, showing a match.
“We’ve developing RFLPs too. That’ll increase the accuracy of the match.”
“Beautiful. I owe you big time.”
“Yes you do,” Gail grinned, but Frank was still absorbed in the technicalities of the various reports.
The waiter brought their meals, a healthy salad for Gail and a not so healthy cheeseburger with bacon for Frank.
Gail shook her head, scolding, “You’re diet’s reprehensible.”
“Sound like Nancy,” Frank said swirling her ice cubes. “Only she wouldn’t have used such a big word.”
“When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked?”
“Me? Never.”
“Never?” Gail repeated, aghast.
“Nope. Why should I? I’m only forty.”
“Hello? That’s my point.”
“You doctor’s worry too much,” Frank dismissed.
“That’s because we know what can happen.”
“All right then. How often do you get any cardio-vascular exercise?”
Gail pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes.
“Gotcha,” Frank answered. “Still haven’t told me how your week’s going.”
“Shitty,” Gail said propping herself on the table with her elbow. She stabbed a cucumber, asking, “You heard about the mayor’s daughter?”
Frank nodded. His twenty-two year old crashed head on into another vehicle at one in the morning on the 405. She was dead on scene and so were the three teenagers in the Jeep she’d flipped. None of them had been in seat belts and all three were scattered onto the highway.
Gail checked the room before confiding, “Between you and me? Hizonor is not going to be happy. His daughter had a point three-six blood-alcohol level.”
“Hizonor might ask for a favor,” Frank warned.
“No kidding,” Gail said. “Why do you think Rhondie is screening all my calls?”
“What are you going to do?”
“Worry about it when it happens. In fact I don’t even want to think about it right now. Tell me about your day. Why the circles under your eyes? And how many of those doubles have you had?”
“Very observant, doc. There’s hope for you yet.”
Gail waited for Frank to continue, and she finally conceded, “It’s bad. I talked to Placa’s brother. He dropped a name. A cop. I can’t say much else. Probably shouldn’t have said as much as I already have. Fubar found out I took Nook and Bobby off Placa. Came up to my office and wanted to know why. I had to tell him. He called the DC right away. Surprise, surprise, they don’t want to move on it. Too inflammatory. Might further tarnish our already dulled image. Told me he’d pass it on to IAD. Time for me to drop the case and move along like a good little girl. Let the big boys handle it.”
“That’s all?” Gail squawked.
“That’s all,” Frank snapped her fingers. “Eight people and a dog. No big. We’ll pass it on to IAD and fuck you very much.”
Frank swallowed half her drink, not liking the bitter tone in her voice.
“Well you can’t just drop it. Not a thing like this.”
“Who said anything about dropping it?”
Frank rattled her ice cubes.
“This is just going to make it that much harder.”
Chapter Twenty-eight
Frank had flicked off her pager but turned it back on as she finished her coffee.
“Thanks for having dinner with me, doc. You were a welcome, if only temporary distraction.”
Gail flirted, “I could be more permanent, you know.”
“So you’ve said,” Frank nodded into her napkin. Gail chuckled at Frank’s subtle discomfort, and Frank smiled, warmed from the scotch, the burger, and that sound. She fingered the check as Gail’s hand closed over hers.
“You got the last one.”
“Shoot bullets through me,” Frank said, glancing at the number scrolling across her hip. “Shouldn’t have turned this back on so soon,” she muttered.
“Who is it?”
“The desk. Probably a body I so do not need right now. We going to fight over the bill all night?”
“I’m not fighting,” Gail said, her hand still on Frank’s.
“Hate to, doc, but I’ve got to get going. Let me get this one and you get the next, okay?”
“Deal.”
They settled the tab and walked outside together. Gail told Frank to call her and Frank agreed. She dialed the desk, watching Gail walk across the street. She liked watching Gail walk. Coming was better but leaving was pretty good too.
“Romanowski. Franco. What’s up?”
“There you are!” the old sergeant boomed. “Everybody’s been trying like fuck to find you.”
Frank didn’t like the sound of that, but waited patiently while he shuffled some papers.
“Somethin’ about some boy, yeah, here we go. You got calls from half the squad about a kid named Tonio Estrella.”
Frank’s heart fell onto the pavement and split open.
“Guess he’s at King/Drew and not doing so good. Looks like he got a pretty bad beat-on-sight.”
“Room number?”
“ICU.”
Frank swore and dialed Bobby’s cell number. He picked up immediately.
“What’s going on, Bobby?”
“Damn, Frank. Tonio’s all messed up. Somebody
kicked the shit out of him. Gloria brought him in about six AM. He was bleeding inside pretty bad. They did a splenectomy and his liver’s pretty messed up.”
“Who did it?” Frank asked, feeling her dinner sliding around.
“We don’t know. Gloria and Claudia, neither of them are saying a word. The hospital called us in case …”
“In case what?”
“In case he doesn’t make it.”
“He’s that bad?”
“Yeah. I guess he had some sort of clot right after the surgery, and went into arrest. They had to take him back in.”
Frank ground her teeth together, squeezing out, “Who’s there with you?”
“The whole Estrella clan. At least what’s left of them. All the babies, a grandma.”
“And nobody’s saying how he got hurt.”
“Gloria just said she heard some fighting, came into the living room and found him like that with the front door open. Sounds bogus to me.”
“Is Nook with you?”
“Yeah.”
“Who else? Any uniforms?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Listen, Bobby. I don’t want anyone in Tonio’s room, except you, do you understand?”
“Sure, but why?”
“Not Nook, not Foubarelle, not God. Understand? Just you and the doctors.”
“Sure.”
“You stay until I get there, okay? I’m on my way.”
“Okay, Frank.”
“And don’t let Claudia or Gloria out of sight. I want Nook pasted to them. Is that clear?”
“Yeah, sure.
“Okay. Hang tight. I’ll be there in a little bit. I’ll explain everything then.”
Growling, “Motherfucker,” Frank laid rubber in the parking lot.
She could hear Gloria screaming and cursing before she was even out of the elevator. Jogging down the hall, Frank saw her struggling with Nook and two uniforms, the other Estrella’s crying around them, trying to hang onto Gloria.
“What the hell’s going on?” she barked, causing all three cops to jerk around and lose their grip on Gloria. Bobby had just come out of the ICU ward and Gloria ran to him. The big detective blocked Gloria easily and Frank repeated her question. Bobby shouted over her head, “She wants to go in.”