“That’s a pretty ballsy thing to do,” Milt said. “To just walk away from federal protection and practically live out in the open. He had to know something the Feds didn’t know. He had to have protection from somewhere.”
Dantzler stood and stretched his legs. After taking another sip of water, he returned to his seat and said, “Jeff Walker said the same thing. He suspects the hit on Richards was likely taken off because his wife had been included in the original deal. All bosses saw that as a cardinal sin.”
“Still, though, a guy like Richards, a modern-day John Wesley Hardin, had to keep looking over his shoulder,” Milt said. “I don’t care how much he changed his looks. Guy with a reputation like his, there is always some young punk looking to make a name for himself. I can’t imagine Richards living a peaceful life.”
“Peaceful or not, he’s still alive,” Dantzler said. “And he’s guilty of these four murders. That’s the only thing that matters to us.”
“Okay, Jack,” Bird said, pushing away from the wall. “Where do we go from here?”
“We take all this to a judge and get search warrants for Richards’s house, the tavern, and his vehicle. Shouldn’t be difficult getting a warrant, given what we know about him. Then we bring him in for questioning. We gather evidence and start building a case against him.”
“Does he have any protection from the Feds?” Eric asked.
“No,” Dantzler answered.” And even if he did, the protection doesn’t cover crimes he committed here.”
“Get those notes typed in readable form and bring them to me,” Bird ordered. “I’ll take them to Judge Tucker. She’ll sign anything I put in front of her.”
“Shouldn’t we go grab Richards now?” Eric said.
Dantzler shook his head, said, “No. Let’s wait for the search warrants. I want to do everything by the book. We cannot screw this up.”
“And keep in mind who we’re dealing with,” Bird added. “This ain’t Rocky Stone. This is a cold-blooded assassin who knows every trick in the book. He will put you down without blinking an eye.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
At a little past noon, search warrants in hand, Dantzler gathered his troops in the War Room. He hadn’t eaten since yesterday, and dark circles ringed his eyes, but he was wired to the max. Anticipation and excitement pulsed through his body like electric currents, elevating his energy to off-the-chart levels. He always felt charged when a mystery was about to be solved, but rarely had he experienced this kind of excitement. This was something different.
Not wanting to sound supersonic, he took a slow, deep breath, and said, “Milt and Eric will go to Richards’s house. If-”
“Take as much back-up as you need,” Captain Bird interrupted. “SWAT is on alert, if you want to use them. That’s your call, Milt. But make no mistake about it-all of you. I do not want another one of my detectives getting shot. That’s an order.”
Dantzler waited until he was certain Bird had finished before continuing. “Laurie and I will go to the tavern. This time of day, that’s most likely where Richards will be. We’ll have back-up, but I want them out of sight. Laurie and I will go in alone. I don’t want to spook Richards. We’ll tell him-”
“Hell, Jack, you’re gonna serve the guy with a search warrant,” Eric noted. “You don’t think that’ll spook him?”
“If it does, it does,” Dantzler conceded. “How he chooses to play it is up to him. If he cooperates, great. If not, we don’t play nice.”
“You’re nuts if you think he’s gonna cooperate,” Milt said. “A guy as wary as Richards will go on the offensive in about two seconds. You need to go in barking, not asking.”
“Jack, I have to agree with Milt on this,” Bird said. “I think the smart play is to go in with back-up. A show of force is not necessarily a bad thing.”
“We’re not there to arrest the guy, Rich,” Dantzler argued. “At this stage, we don’t have enough hard evidence to arrest him. We’re only there to talk to him and to search the premises. Unless he fails to cooperate, I see no need to go all Atilla the Hun on him.”
“Play it the way you feel most comfortable,” Bird said. “Just don’t take any unnecessary chances. That’s all I’m saying. And keep in mind who we’re dealing with. The guy was Carlo Gambino’s right-hand man. He’s bound to have a few deadly tricks up his sleeve.”
Dantzler and Laurie drove away from downtown, in the direction of Meadowthorpe Shopping Center, with three police cruisers tailing close behind. Turning right off Leestown Road, Dantzler led the procession to a service station, parked, got out of the car, and met with the six uniformed officers. He ordered two officers to position themselves at each end of the shopping center, two stationed in the front parking lot, and two in the alley behind the tavern. After giving the six men a detailed description of Johnny Richards, he and Laurie got back in the Forester and drove to the tavern.
“That’s Richards’s Lexus,” Laurie said, pointing. “Means he’s here.”
“Stay alert,” Dantzler warned, although he knew the warning was not necessary. “And never take your eyes off Richards. If anything looks even the least bit hinky, do what you have to do. Don’t let him shoot first. He won’t miss.”
Inside the tavern, Sally, the big-bosom bartender, was conversing with two male customers standing at the end of the bar where Richards normally sat. Judging by the intense look on her face, and the interest shown by the two men, the tone of the conversation was serious. As Dantzler moved closer to the trio, he thought he detected tears in Sally’s eyes.
When Sally looked up and saw Dantzler, she immediately came out from behind the bar, threw up her hands, and began to weep openly. “I don’t know where Johnny is. He’s not here, and he’s not at his house. Something bad must have happened to him.”
Dantzler gently took her by the arm and led her to a chair. He sat across from her, while Laurie remained standing behind him.
“Isn’t that Richards’s Lexus in the parking lot?” Dantzler asked.
“It is,” Sally said, sobbing.
“Does Richards have a second vehicle?”
“Not anymore. He had a Mazda, but he sold it when Maggie died.”
“You’re positive he sold it?”
Sally nodded. “Yes. To my nephew Eddie. Eddie Clayton.”
Dantzler said, “When was the last time you saw Richards?”
“Two nights ago.” Sally pointed at Laurie. “The night she was in here.”
“Do you have a key to the upstairs apartment?”
“Yes. But he’s not up there. I’ve checked.” She wiped her eyes with the front of her apron. “I’m not related to Johnny, but am I allowed to file a missing persons report? If so, you can get a real search underway.”
Dantzler looked up at Laurie. “Call the officers and have them meet in the parking lot. Tell them to go ahead and search the vehicle. Then phone Milt and let him know what Sally has told us. Have him make sure Richards is not in the house. Tell him-”
“He’s not at his house,” Sally insisted. “I know, because I went by there last night and again this morning.”
“The house on Summershade?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a key to the house?” Dantzler said.
“No. But I knocked until my knuckles bled. And I looked in all the windows. He’s not there.”