Which was when he realized what was wrong with the picture the cops had shown him. "The bag," he said.
Carlyle turned from the stove, puzzled. "Yolande's bag. That red bag she has." "The patent leather," Carlyle said, nodding. "She was carryin it last night."
Carlyle sipped at her coffee. "But it wasn't in the pitcher." "What picture?"
"The one they showed me. Ain't them crime scene pitchers spose to show jus how everything was?"
"I don't know."
"They can't touch nothin before they take they pitchers, can they?"
"I don't know."
"So where was the bag?"
"Whoever done her must've taken it," Carlyle said. "Yeah, with my fuckin money in it," Jamal said.
He started making his calls at ten minutes past ten.
"Hello," the recorded voice said, "welcome to the Mayor's Action Center, the front door to city government If you are calling from a touch-tone phone and you want to continue in English, press One."
He had dialed 300-9600, and now he pressed One. "We aim to guide you if you don't know where to go, to listen thoughtfully to your opinions, and to help you if you have a problem. We can't promise to always solve what's wrong, but we can promise to do our best. By pressing selected buttons on your phone, this twenty-four-hour-a-day service can answer many of your questions without your speaking to an operator. It also allows you to leave your opinion of city policies. To speak directly to one of our representatives between the hours of nine and five, press Zero at any time. However, if you choose this option, please understand that you may need to hold for a while."
He chose the option.
He pressed Zero.
"You will experience a slight delay on the transl
Please do not hang up."
He did not hang up.
"Hello, you have reached the Mayor's Action Center. All service representatives are serving clients. Your call will be handled by the available representative. Please make sure that you have all the materials relevant to your request available. Please provide as much detail as possible that we can serve you promptly."
He waited for exactly thirty seconds.
"All service representatives are still busy.
continue to hold for the next available
He waited another thirty seconds.
The same announcement repeated itself.
He waited again.
Five minutes of utter silence. Then:
"Mayor's Action Center. How may I help you?"
"Hello, my name is Randolph Hurd? To whom do I speak about noise pollution?"
"What kind of noise pollution?"
"The honking of horns in the vicinity of Hamilton Bridge. Which I believe is against the law anywhere in the city."
"The honking of what?"
"Horns. Car horns, taxicab horns, truck horns..."
"You want Environmental Protection. Let me give you the number there."
She gave him the number.
3374357.
He dialed it.
"This is the Department of Environmental Protection. If you are calling about a water or sewer problem, air or noise pollution..."
Good, he thought.
"... asbestos or hazardous materials, please hold. Our customer service agents handle calls in the order they come in, twenty-four hours a day. We will get to your call as quickly as possible. Thank you for waiting."
He waited for a minute or so.
"All of our agents are still busy," the recorded voice said. "would. you please continue to hold?"
The announcement repeated itself a moment later. And then there was silence for two or three minutes. "Environmental Protection," a man's voice said.
"Hello," Hurd said, "I'd like some information about noise pollution?"
"What type of noise pollution?"
"The honking of automobile horns? Taxis, trucks,
cars? In the vicinity of the Hamilton Bridge?"
A silence. Then:
"What type of noise is that again?"
"Horns. Taxicab horns, track..."
"You want the Taxi and Limousine Commission,"
the man said. "That's 3078294."
He dialed the number.
"This is the Taxi and Limousine Commission," a recorded voice said. "If you are calling from a touch-tone phone, press One for further information."
He pressed One.
"If you are calling to report a complaint, press
If you are calling regarding property left in a press Two. All other inquiries, press Three." He had a complaint. He pressed One.
"All complaints must be made in writin recorded voice advised him, and then went on to give him an address to which he could write.
"To return to the main menu," the recorded said, "press Eight."
He pressed Eight.
He listened to the options again. "All other inquiries" suddenly sounded very good. He pressed Three. A recorded voice said, "if you are calling licensing or owner information, press One. If you have a question about a hearing, summons, or appeal, press Two. If you have an inquiry regarding medallion renewal..."
He thought it over for a moment, figured that he most certainly wanted was a hearing of any and pressed Two. There were yet more options. Did he want to reschedule a hearing? Did want to check his subpoena status? Did he... ?
"If you are calling regarding an appeal," the recorded voice said, "press Four."
He pressed Four.
"Please remain on the line. There will be a moment of silence."
He felt as if he were standing at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier.
He waited.
The brief moment of silence passed.
"Appeals," a voice said:
"Are you a recording?" he asked.
"No, sir, I am a person."
"God bless you," he said, and eagerly told her that he wasn't calling regarding an actual appeal as such, but that he just wanted to talk to a human being who might be able to give him some information about motor vehicles blowing horns in the vicinity of the... "You want Public Affairs," she said. "That's 3074738."
"Is that still the Taxi and Limousine Commission?" "Yes, sir, it is."
"Thank you," he said, and dialed the number. "Public Affairs," a man's actual voice said. He was on a roll.
"Sir," he said, "is it against the law for taxicabs to blow their horns?"
"Except in an emergency, yes, sir," the man said. "It's part of the Vehicle and Traffic Law."
"Are taxi drivers told it's against the law?" "They're supposed to know it, yes, sir."
"But who informs them? Is the information in a booklet or something?"
"They're supposed to familiarize themselves with the law, yes, sir."
"How?"
"They're supposed to know it, sir."
"Well, they don't seem to be too familiar with it."
"Do you have a complaint about a taxi driver blowing his horn, sir?"
"I have a complaint about ten thousand of them blowing their horns!"
"11,787, sir," the man corrected. "But if you have a specific taxi in mind, you can call 307-TAXI with complaint."
"I don't have a specific taxi in mind."
"Then you should call DEP-HELP. They'll be to take a nonspecific complaint."
He hung up, and immediately dialed DEPH realizing an instant too late that this was in 3374357... This is the Department of Environme Protection. If you, are calling about a water or problem, air or noise pollution, asbestos or materials, please..."
He waited through two more announcements which told him that everyone was still busy, and finally he got a customer service agent. He explained that he wanted to make a nonspecific complaint about the honking horns in the vicinity of the Hamilton Bridge between the hours of..."