Every Breath You Take
Page 21
*
"You're gonna love 'em. They're so comfortable, and they look great too." These were the first words Pepper heard as he strolled into the squad room. McTavish was doing the talking as he stood next to Wallace's desk, looking snappy as usual. Both men were looking down, and Pepper followed their gaze until his eyes landed on Wallace's shoes-the exact pair of shoes Wallace had commented on when McTavish had been wearing them a couple of days ago.
"Hey, Armani, what's going on?" Pepper said to Wallace as he joined the two men.
"Hey buddy, good morning," Wallace replied. "Ian told me where he got those shoes he had on the other day. I couldn't resist. What do you think? Pretty nice, eh?" Wallace stood up and preened around their desks, showing off his new footwear like a kid with a prize-winning calf at the state fair.
"Very nice." Pepper nodded. "You're all ready for the catwalk, pal."
"Hey, smart guy, these are definitely cool shoes. Let's see what you're wearing today."
"All right," Pepper said, playing along. "Take a gander at these babies." He stuck his foot out next Wallace's, showing off his tan Rockport lace-ups.
"Not bad, not bad," McTavish said, "but I've still got you both beat." He slid one foot forward next to the theirs-the office dandy showing off a pair of sleek-looking black shoes with two buckles that fastened on the outside of his foot.
"Nice," Wallace said, eyeing up McTavish's shoes enviously. "What do you call that strap thing?"
"That's a double Monkstrap."
"What are you idiots doing now?" Chin asked as she entered the room and walked up to them. The three men were standing with their feet pointed together, as if they were all stomping on a spider at the same time.
"We're comparing shoes," McTavish said. "Stick yours in here, Chin. C'mon."
Chin stuck out her arm, hand opened. "Sorry if I don't partake in any of your reindeer games. I've got better things to do than compare shoes with you clowns." She started to walk to her desk.
"Bock?b-b-b-bockkkk?." The sound of a clucking chicken echoed throughout the squad room.
Chin stopped dead in her tracks and turned, the three men pointing at each other accusingly. "I can't believe I'm doing this," they heard her mutter under her breath as she stepped towards them and stuck her foot out, sliding it into the space between McTavish's and Pepper's. She'd chosen to wear a trim-fitting navy pantsuit with a brilliant white shirt, and when she extended her longer slender leg, a black low-heeled slingback entered the ring, the rakishly pointy toe and stylish design leaving the men speechless, the smiles on their faces disappearing, like cocky amateurs realizing they'd been hustled by a pro.
"Uh?..I'm out," McTavish said, drawing his foot back.
"Me too," Pepper said, turning back to his desk.
"Looks like it's just you and me, Wallace," Chin said, eyeing him up challenging.
Proud of his new shoes, but realizing he wasn't even in her league, Wallace struggled to look for a way out that would save him some face. "Hey, there's the Inspector," he said, gesturing towards the squad room door as the Inspector walked in. The two detectives pulled their feet back as they watched the big man lumber in, carrying something in a slim rectangular cardboard box under his arm. The box was quite big-about three feet long by two feet wide-and in his other hand, he carried a hammer.
"Hey guys, check this out," the Inspector said, nodding towards his office. Like ducklings following the mother hen, they filed into his office in a row, one after the other. Caruso had set the hammer on his desk and was already busy sliding something out of one end of the box. They could see by now it was a framed picture of some sort, a thick frame of dark wood standing out boldly against a mostly white background. Once fully out of the box, he set it on the edge of his desk facing them, a smile on his face like a proud father at the birth of his first child.
"So, what do you think?" the Inspector asked, gesturing to the picture.
The four detectives stood in place, staring at a framed poster of about fifty watches, row upon row and column beside column. Finally, Wallace took a step forward and read the title at the top of the poster: "A HISTORY OF TIME".
"Yeah, isn't that great. Elisa got it for me. These are all classic watches, and underneath it tells you the name of the watch and when it was first made, and a famous person who's worn that watch." The Inspector stood next to the picture and pointed at one watch after another, excited as a kid on Christmas morning. "Like look here, this Cartier was worn by Princess Diana, and this one by Jacques Cousteau. There's even this digital one worn by Marty McFly in 'Back to the Future'. But this one has to be my favourite." He pointed to one on the top row, a stylish classic-looking watch with a round face and tan leather band.
It was a great-looking watch, Pepper had to give him that. His interest piqued, Pepper stepped forward and read the wording beneath the watch: "1949-Panerai Luminor?worn by Sylvester Stallone." Pepper paused and looked up at the Inspector. "Sylvester Stallone?"
The Inspector got a bit of a grimace on his face, like his underwear was too tight, but even with that, he couldn't contain his excitement. "Yeah, I know, but it is a great watch. That's what I care about." He picked the framed poster up in his big hands and stepped over to the wall opposite his desk. He held it against the wall and turned back, making sure it was in a prime location to be seen from his desk chair. "There, I think that's the spot. Does it look good there?" He shifted it a couple of inches to one side and then looked at the group of them, eager to get their approval.
"I think that's perfect, right there," Chin said, nodding towards her boss.
"Great. Ian, could you put the nail in for me." The Inspector nodded towards the hammer and nail he'd set on his desk. He held the picture in place until the last second and then stepped aside as McTavish hammered in the nail, and then the Inspector set the picture in place, adjusting it so it hung true and then stepped back, smiling like the curator at the Louvre hanging a newly acquired Monet. "Beautiful," the Inspector said, rubbing his hands together with satisfaction. He turned, his face serious all of a sudden. "Okay, let's get to work."
The detectives followed him back out into the squad room, the group of them gathering around the murder board. Caruso gestured across the room to DiCicco and Harris, who rounded up Wilson and Johannson. The group of them stood in a loose circle as the Inspector held forth. Caruso walked up to the murder board and rapped his knuckles on the name he'd written in big letters the day before, and then picked up a marker. "Okay, The Sandman, and Professor Robert Drummond," the Inspector said, adding the professor's name to the board, writing it underneath a picture Chin had found on the university's faculty list website. "Are these two guys one and the same?" He took the black marker and drew an arrow back and forth between the two names.
"Right now, I think he's our prime suspect," McTavish said. "He was in the right place at the same time the girl went missing, and he had a connection with her through the Devers girl. Plus, he has no alibi."
"He didn't come off as believable at all in the interview either," Chin added. "He just looked like a smug prick the whole time, as if he was laughing at us inside."
"All right then. We've got to find out everything we can about this Robert Drummond. McTavish and Chin, you get to work on that. You guys have the Redmond girl's coat, right?"
"Yes sir," McTavish replied. "We checked it out, there's nothing there, just a bit of change in the pocket."
"Okay. I want you to return it to her family, and I also want you to talk to the Devers girl again. See if there's anything else that she can remember that could help us. Dig into what she knows about Drummond as well." He turned to Pepper and Wallace. "I want you two to follow up on that website Bartolucci told you about, and also look into that drop location at the university where he said the guy left the drugs for him." Pepper and Wallace nodded. The Inspector faced Wallace. "Rupe, you got anything yet on those coded numbers at the bottom of that message the guy stuck in the Redmond girl's mouth?"
<
br /> "Nothing yet, sir. I've got a copy of the note right there on my desk. I want to get at that right away."
"All right then." The Inspector set down the marker and looked at his watch. "I've got a meeting with The Dick in half an hour-he's still on my ass about what we've got on the case."
"Just you and the mayor, or is his wife going to be there too?" Chin asked, making all of them smile while the Inspector frowned.
"The Chief's going to be there too. That better be all. All right, guys, get at it. Keep everybody in the loop if anything breaks. You can reach me on my cell. And let me know what the IT guys say about Bartolucci's computer and cell phone."
The detectives went back to their desks and started in on their assignments. Wallace got out the note with the series of numbers written at the bottom, and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. Within seconds, his brow was furled, his eyes focussed intently on the series of digits as he looked out through his wire-framed specs.
"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot," Pepper said, looking across at his partner. "I came up before my lesson with Chin and stuck something in the fridge for you."
"Yes!" Wallace hissed as he tore out of his seat. Like a heat-seeking missile, he made a beeline for the little fridge they had in the corner by the coffee station. He pulled open the door and drew out the Tupperware container Joanie Pepper had sent for him.
"Joanie, I love you," Wallace said as he looked down through the clear plastic top. He turned to Pepper. "So that's what Beef Wellington looks like?"
"That's it."
Wallace put the container back in the fridge and strode to his desk, smiling from ear to ear. "So tell me, you got any dirt on your dad? Does he belong to the left-handed plumbers' mafia, or something like that? I need to convince your mom to divorce him and run away with me."
"And you don't think Michelle and those two kids with another on the way would have anything to say about that?"
Wallace sat down, tapping pensively at his lower lip. "Hmm, you might have a point there. How about if I just buy your mom a new apron? I saw one with a picture of a mushroom on it that said 'Shitake Happens'."
Pepper looked across at his partner, slowly shaking his head from side to side. "Was there one there that said 'My Son's Loser Friend Gave Me This'? Now that would be appropriate. Why don't we just settle on you returning the container when you're done-she won't send anything home with me anymore unless I return the last one she gave me. She's like the Tupperware Police."
"She's probably a better cop than you. At least she doesn't get her ass kicked by a girl all the time."
"Hey," Pepper said, leaning forward and talking quietly. "I took Chin down today."
"What?" Wallace said, flicking his eyes over to Chin's desk before sitting closer.
"Yeah. I had a beautiful leg sweep when we were sparring, and she went right down on her ass."
"Hey Chin," Wallace spoke loudly as he turned in his chair. "Pepper said he made you kiss the mat this morning-is that true?"
"He got lucky," Chin replied, giving Pepper a look that would have frozen the waters of hell before sitting back and yawning loudly, her hand covering her open mouth. "I just wish I hadn't drunk all that cough syrup this morning."
Wallace looked over at Pepper, a big smile on his face. "Get a load of Chin-quoting Bill Murray from Stripes. I love it."
"I figured you'd pick up on that one, Wallace," Chin said. "But Pepper better watch how he shoots off his mouth, or Sergeant Hulka is gonna come with his big toe and see how far he can shove it up his ass."
"Lighten up, Francis," McTavish said, smiling across the table at Chin.