"Was he one of the Spiders?" asked Mr McKee.
"According to our findings, he was about to enter the inner circle," reported Harry Branson. "It is quite common for the perpetrators to commit any criminal acts that connect them to the gang."
"Kill a traitor, for example," concluded Mr McKee.
"Exactly."
"James Myer, a.k.a. Roger Sheldon, is in the hospital wing of Rikers Island until further notice and will be treated there. I spoke to the director on the phone this morning. "So far, he has refused to speak to his public defender."
"I hope he'll be more talkative if we stop by later," Milo said.
"I wouldn't expect too much from it," Branson threw in. "As soon as he is no longer a prisoner of conscience, but goes into normal custody, Sheldon must expect to meet with members of the Spiders who have already been arrested. So he'll be careful not to say anything that could be interpreted as treason."
"This gang seems to be the real linchpin in this case," says Mr McKee. "What's the status of the BOLO, Max?"
"The whereabouts of Monty Gordon, the current leader of the gang, are unknown," Max explained.
"So it comes down to a game of patience," Orry threw in.
"Exactly," confirmed Hary Branson. "Especially since we can hardly count on a great manhunt right now. The Spiders will be very careful. "And Monty Gordon is known for playing it safe anyway."
A little later, Dave Oaktree, our chief ballistician, arrived. "I'm sorry, Mr McKee, but I just got back from the SRD lab, and you know what it's like to drive from the Bronx to Manhattan at this hour..."
Mr McKee nodded. "If you want, you can present your results right away."
"You're welcome."
Dave Oaktree unpacked his laptop and connected it to the beamer that was part of Mr McKee's office inventory.
A little later we saw enlargements of detailed photos of the projectiles on the wall.
"We have three victims so far with a rope around their necks at the scene," Oaktree summarized. "George Rizzo was the last in the line. He was shot in the shoulder, chest and head. The gunshot to the shoulder was fired with a weapon that has been used in several gang shoot-outs in the Bronx."
"Probably all crimes around the Spiders," Harry Branson of the DEA suspected.
Dave Oaktree nodded. "Absolutely correct. On the other hand, the weapon that caused the other two - fatal - gunshot wounds is a weapon of significantly smaller calibre 9 mm, which has not yet appeared. As you can clearly see from these close-ups, the projectiles have two characteristic forms of grooves. Therefore, it is quite certain that a silencer was used. The distance the perpetrator stood to his victim was about one and a half yards."
"An execution," Mr McKee stated.
"We have the testimony of Jason Shaw, after which Monty shot Gordon in the shoulder and then instigated a kind of hunt for George Rizzo," I thought.
"Yes, but if one of his gang warriors had done the deed, you'd expect the weapon to have been used before," Dave Oaktree countered.
"That's true," Harry Branson clarified. "In gangs like the Spiders, mostly illegally procured weapons are used, often already passed through several hands."
"This is also true of the assault rifle that killed Wayne Smith," said Dave Oaktree. "This has also been used before in various shootings."
"That's a good fit," Branson thought. "The gang gave this Sheldon one of their weapons to execute a traitor."
"I don't know what you've already discussed about this case," Oaktree said, "but that seems to be the case. The assault rifle was last used in a shooting at a bar about a year and a half ago. At that time, however, Roger Sheldon, alias James Myer, was still in the military prison at Fort Levenworth. But back to the Rizzo case..."
Oaktree used the beamer to display three crime scene photos. They showed those victims we included in our rope series.
"The 9mm silenced gun that killed George Nelson Rizzo was also the murder weapon in the other two cases," Dave stated. "The gun that hit Rizzo in the shoulder was only used this time on Rizzo."
"Monty Gordon not only owns one weapon, but an arsenal!", explained Harry Branson. "Or it was one of his people... There are enough young boys who would be willing to kill for Gordon just to join the gang!"
"Thank you for your statement, Dave," Mr McKee turned to our Chief Ballistics Officer.
"Everything fits," Branson believed. "The men who have all been executed this way so far have all been associated with Paco Moreno, to our knowledge."
"It is said that Moreno and his Puerto Ricans are trying to sweep their competition off the market with cheap stuff," said Mr McKee.
"The Moreno syndicate has accumulated money like hay in recent years," Branson said. "They can hold out such a price war for a long time, but a gang like the'Spiders' can't. Crack has always been considered a poor people drug, but now cocaine and heroin are also offered at a price that is probably already below the level the'spiders' have to pay their own suppliers. So they have to do something. And it's not the first time they've shown they're not squeamish."
"Do you think it's possible that one of the other big syndicates is behind the'Spiders' and is encouraging them to crack down on Paco Moreno and his dealers?
But Harry Branson shook his head. "I don't believe in that, because then the'Spiders' would behave differently in the drug market and simply take up the price war. But on their own, they can't. Besides, I can't imagine a man like Monty Gordon subordinating himself to a syndicate the way it would be necessary in this case."
20
After the meeting with Mr McKee, we went with Branson to the duty room that I shared with Milo.
"It might be difficult to get hold of Monty Gordon at the moment," said Branson, who had taken another cup of Mandys coffee with him, for which our boss's secretary was known throughout the federal building.
"You mean Gordon's going diving now!", I concluded.
"If he has a shred of brains, he does," Branson confirmed. "The only thing that could draw him out now would be any danger to his position in the drug business."
I shrugged my shoulders. "If all the victims so far have actually worked for Paco Moreno, the Puerto Ricans will react sooner or later," I said.
"Yes, I'm afraid things could escalate. It is impossible for Moreno to accept that his traders be liquidated in turn. "After all, they pay protection money to the syndicate to keep people like Monty Gordon off their backs."
"I think we should care a little more about the private environment of the three victims they put a noose around their necks," Milo said. "There must be a few more similarities we may have overlooked so far!"
Branson was a little confused about Milo's objection. He sipped his coffee and finally replied: "The same gun and the same rope - and all dealers under the thumb of the Puerto Ricans. What else do we need? Besides, the crime scenes are all in the same area."
"It's strange, though, that George Nelson went to Spiders territory," I thought. "I mean, two of his'colleagues' had already been found with a rope around their necks, so Rizzo's alarm bells had to ring," I thought.
Branson seemed thoughtful. "I can't tell you that either."
"Let's check out all the contacts we know about Rizzo. "While searching his apartment and checking the phone numbers in his notebook, some things may have come to light."
"Yes, and of course my office knows a thing or two about his dealings," Branson offered his help. "But don't expect too much of it. It's more important that Roger Sheldon be persuaded to testify. "If he was allowed to commit murder for the Spiders, he was close enough to Monty Gordon to maybe hear something about the knitting show!"
"What do you know about Cole Davis, Harry?" I asked Branson after a short break, which the DEA investigator used to empty the coffee cup completely. "He took off as soon as we showed up at the trap."
"Actually, we were hoping to shadow him for longer," Milo added.
Branson raised his eyebrows. "To lead your people to Gordon?"
>
"Why not?"
"Cole's a little light for the Spiders. I don't even think he belongs to the inner circle of the gang. A dealer who keeps his head above water and occasionally does some dirty work for the gang when many men are needed. If I may give you some advice, Jesse: Don't waste your time with that. He doesn't know where Monty Gordon is right now!"
21
Cole Davis woke up. Sunlight fell through the window and blinded him. He blinked.
Cole reached out his arm. The bed next to him was empty and rumpled. As quick as lightning he was wide awake and got up.
He put on a terry coat.
"Teresa?" he shouted.
Since he was currently wanted as a bailjumper, he thought it would be better to change accommodation more often.
A dark-haired young woman came out of the next room. She was already completely dressed. The dress reached just up to her thighs and was so tight that it hardly hid anything.
"You've already gotten ready?" Cole Davis wondered. "Hey, it's the middle of the night!"
"It's noon," she said dryly and tweaked her hair a little bit.
"Otherwise it wasn't your time to get up either!"
She turned to him and held her arms in her hips. "Listen, you can stay here for a while, but I don't want to get rules from you."
"Hey, get fed up with ´ne, then you might be a little looser," growled Davis irritated.
"This is just like you!"
"Admit it - without snow you're not even able to dress yourself!
"Compliments like that a woman always likes to hear, Cole."
"Oh, don't be so bitchy. "You better think about where you're getting your dope from..."
She breathed deeply and felt the carefully powdered wetness. "I'll never forget that, Cole."
"Why are you even on your feet?"
"Avenue A is opening a new table dance club and I have an appointment there to introduce myself. Maybe it'll be something!"
"Yes, maybe."
"Wish me luck!"
Cole rolled his eyes. "Good luck," he muttered.
"When you leave later, don't forget to lock the door. And if the mail is here, you could take it out of the box. "Here's a bunch of kids having fun throwing fireworks in mailboxes when there's something in them."
She put on a thin coat, took her handbag and turned to walk.
She stopped at the door and turned around again. "How do I look?"
"Great!"
22
Cole heard the door slam shut. He yawned. The fact that he was wanted didn't bother him much. After all, it wasn't the first time.
He was much more concerned that the FBI suddenly seemed interested in the Spiders.
Probably just a few too many deaths, Cole thought. First Rizzo, then Wayne Smith...
Traitors had to die, Cole was convinced of that too. In his opinion, there was no other way to maintain discipline in a gang.
But perhaps it would have been wiser to wait until things had calmed down a bit. Cole shrugged her shoulders. Monty Gordon made the decisions. And he wouldn't let anyone tell him.
The doorbell rang.
Cole froze. The doorbell rang a second time, this time impatiently.
Cole tied the belt of the terrycloth coat tighter and grabbed the pistol that was lying on the bedside table.
He left the bedroom, crossed the living room and finally reached the door of the apartment. Then he looked through the spy and breathed a sigh of relief.
What is he doing here?, he thought.
He opened the door.
A sound that sounded like a violent sneeze. Muzzle flashes twice from a silencer. Cole Davis collapsed like in a pocketknife. The white terrycloth coat turned red.
Cole's right wrestled for the grip of his weapon, but he had no control over his body. A tremor went through him. He looked up at his killer as blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
Then a third and final shot followed, right to the head.
The killer stepped in, closed the door with the heel of his brass-covered cowboy boots.
Then he put in his gun and pulled out a rope. He wore transparent latex gloves to prevent fingerprints or gunshot marks on his hands. With a few quick movements he tied the noose. He'd been practicing that for a long time. It always had to happen in exactly the same way.
He hesitated for a moment before finally bending over, pulling the dead man's head up by his bloody hair and putting a noose around his neck.
A cold smile played around his thin lips.
He looked up at the dead man for a full minute.
Then he turned around and left the apartment.
23
Milo and I went with Harry Branson to Rikers Island to speak with Roger Sheldon in the presence of a lawyer. Prosecutor Robert Thornton should also be present at the meeting. When it came to a statement, Sheldon finally expected a fine or a mitigation of the prosecution. For him, this probably meant that the public prosecutor's office refused to apply for the death penalty.
When we were led into the meeting room, everyone else was already present.
We greeted Robert Thornton and then Sheldon's defense attorney.
"Caroline Harcourt of the law firm Miles & Barringer", she introduced herself. Despite her delicate figure, she made an energetic and very determined impression.
"I hope you have convinced your client that it is better to put the cards on the table," Thornton said. "Otherwise, I'm just wasting my time here. I'll tell you right now. I will not be fobbed off here and now with any gimmicks. From what I've heard from the FBI, the evidence is very clean. Your client has virtually no chance of escaping a murder conviction."
"Dear colleague, that almost sounds like a plea," Caroline Harcourt replied with a slightly mocking expression. She wore the blond curls open and far over her shoulders. The business costume was very tight, but fitting. It seemed to be tailor-made.
She subjected all those present to a brief, disparaging examination. But secretly she had already decided that Robert Thornton was her main opponent in this case, to whom she had to devote the greatest attention.
"I suggest we first listen informally to what Mr Sheldon has to say to us,' I said to cool off the heated mood a little. "Then you can still talk about whether or not that's enough for a fine."
"Don't blame me," Thornton said.
Caroline Harcourt rolled her eyes as if Thornton in particular was getting on her nerves. "Let's get started!" she sighed at last.
Sheldon grinned at me. "You're the bastard who shot me," he growled his teeth. "I don't know if I'll get my lower leg right again. "The knee joint took some damage..."
"I'm sorry," I said.
"You're sorry, mister...?"
"Agent Trevellian," I interrupted him.
"However. You're not sorry at all. "You're just upset that your law doesn't allow you to just shoot me in the face."
"No, you're wrong," I replied, trying to keep the tone as objective as possible. Branson and Milo left the interviewing to me. I continued: "Incidentally, I would like to endorse the words of Prosecutor Thornton: "Our time is too precious for gimmicks."
"My client will tell you informally what he knows," assured Caroline Harcourt. "But on the terms that no charge of first-degree murder will be made and the sentence will be served in a prison outside New York."
"If your client's knowledge leads to the capture of Monty Gordon, we can consider it," Thornton assured.
"I thought we agreed that gimmicks wouldn't get us any further in this matter," the lawyer said cuttingly. "Anyway, that was your way of putting it..."
"Let's get started," I say. "Mr. Sheldon, we assume you killed Wayne Smith because you were told he was a traitor."
"He was a police informer. Someone saw him dating some rat from the cops. I think it was the DEA, but it doesn't really matter. No one's ratting out their gang! That's the law with us. "That's why it's important that I don't go to jail here in New York, or they might as well give me the lethal i
njection."
"What did they promise you for killing Smith?" I asked.
"That I'll be accepted into the gang as a full member and get my share of the business accordingly. "I would have made money not only from what I sell myself, but also from the fees that simple dealers have to pay to the gang."
"Did Monty Gordon give you the assignment personally?"
"No, that was one of his men."
"Who?"
"Kenneth Easton. He gave me the gun too."
"Where was that?"
"At the pool joint, "The Trap. I was ordered there, and Kenneth was waiting for me with the gun. That was almost a week ago. I had to wait for the right opportunity."
"And it came about when Wayne Smith thought she could crack George Rizzo's convertible."
"What did you hear about Rizzo's murder?" Milo checked.
"Nothing. "Of course I heard what happened and..." Sheldon was printing around. His lawyer took one look at him and nodded at him. "You can say whatever you discussed with me, Mr. Sheldon. I'm not usually in favour of doing the job for the prosecution, but in your case, it's really best if you don't get away with anything. "The more information you can provide here, the more interesting you are to Mr Thornton." She turned towards the prosecutor. "I'm right about that, ain't I, Mr Thornton?"
"No doubt," Thornton muttered monosyllabically.
He had his arms crossed in front of his chest. What he had heard so far did not seem to inspire him yet. In any case, in his opinion, there has been no reason to be generous in punishment or indictment so far.
Something had to be added. Information that was truly crucial to our continued investigation. What Sheldon had said so far was ultimately only a confirmation of what we had already roughly pieced together anyway.
"I can tell you a few places where the gang will meet if there's anything to discuss. But where Monty Gordon is right now, I don't know. I don't think he sleeps two nights in one place right now."
Strangled! Page 5