His last as he left the office for the day were, “Night Dave, sleep well.”?
Stinelli was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, running the speech one more time. He did not see the red light blinking on one of his telephone lines or when it steadied as his secretary, Gloria, answered it. When his phone buzzed it startled him. He snatched it up.
“I told you no calls, Gloria. Did I tell you that or was I dreamin’?”
“Yes you did, Commander, but…”
“I’m late for my first meeting already.”
“Actually you have thirty minutes before you have to leave, sir.”
“I’m still working on my speech.”
“It’s Jake Sallinger at Metro Magazine. He says he only needs a minute or two.”
“Since when did the press ever want a minute or two? What does he want?”
“He said it’s a matter of importance.”
Stinelli’s shoulders drooped. “It’s always a matter of importance with Sallinger. If the light’s on for five minutes cut in and tell me the car’s waiting.”
“Yes sir. Line one.”
He speared the button with his forefinger.
“I got a meeting in fifteen minutes, Jake. Keep it short or call back later in the day.”
“It’s no big deal, Lou. I’ve got a writer working on an article. He needs a little help.”
“What kind of help?”
“It’s about a cold case…”
“Cold case?” Stinelli cut him off. “What cold case?”
“Remember a homicide about two years ago involving a woman named Melinda Cramer?”
“Sure. A suicide that turned into murder.”
“We’re doing an article on her.”
“Why? That’s old news.”
“It’s, uh, part of a series. You know how my fact finders are. They’re real bloodhounds and my writer can’t locate the homicide and autopsy reports. He wants to check some details.”
Bells went off in Stinelli’s head.
“What writer?”
There was a pause. “Is that important?”
“Is it some kind of secret? I’m curious. Call it the cop in me. ”
“Ward Lee Hamilton.”
Stinelli rolled his eyes. “The smart alec who thinks he’s smarter than my cops? The one who dresses like a clown?”
“He’s a trend-setter,” Sallinger said.
“Trend for who, Barnum and Bailey? Nobody else in their right mind dresses like that.”
“What’s the difference who the writer is, Commander? We’re talking about a homicide report. Public record. Hamilton is a meticulous researcher. He’s just trying to do his job.”
“Why are you calling me?” Stinelli snapped. “Tell him to check the damn dead files.”
“He’s checked everywhere. Maybe it got misplaced. It’s a freedom of information thing. I thought a call from…”
“What the hell’s that mean? A freedom of information thing. That some kind of threat?”
“No, no. But he’s very persistent and…is there a problem?”
“Jake, I’m preparing for an important meeting at City Hall. After that I’m tied up for most of the afternoon.”
“Is that a no?”
“It’s an ‘I don’t know.’ I’m not a micro-manager. I’ll put Gloria on it and get back to you.”
“He’s on a tight deadline, Lou. Please don’t stonewall me on this…”
“Stonewall hell. I said I’ll check into it.”
“Hamilton’s going to Philly to accept some kind of award tonight and tomorrow’s Saturday. Can I expect a call back, say, Monday?”
“I said I’ll check on it.”
He slammed down the phone.
“Gloria.”
She stuck her head in the door.
“It was only three minutes,” she stammered.
“Has Captain Cody called in today?”
“Yes, sir, but you said to hold your calls.”
“Find him. Now. Then check with Manhattan North and South and the Cold Case Squad and see if they have the files on the Melinda Cramer case. And tell my car to come around.”?
Cody and Charley were headed toward the Loft when Gloria caught up with him. A second later Stinelli was on his cell phone.
“Where are you?” Stinelli asked.
“Walking east on Canal. Charley and I are headed for the office.”
“Head over to Broadway. I’ll pick you up in about two minutes. Put Charley up front with Berno.”
“Okay.”
Cody and Charley walked to Broadway and waited for a couple of minutes and then saw the black Cadillac a block away. He crossed to the far side of the street, waited until the Caddy pulled up, and opened the front door.
“Hi Berno,” he said to the policeman assigned to the Commander.
“Captain,” Berno nodded.
“Hop in, Charley,” Cody said and the big shepherd jumped in. Berno Adashek smiled and rubbed his ears as Cody got in the back. Stinelli was sitting upright, his fingers drumming his knees.
“Hi, kid,” Stinelli said. “Mind taking a drive down to City Hall with me? Berno will bring you back.”
“Whatever you say, Chief. Gloria tell you I called?”
“Yeah. Got something working?”
Cody nodded.
“We’ll get to that in a minute. You’ve heard of Ward Lee Hamilton, right?”
“I occasionally read the papers. Even a book when I have time.”
Stinelli chuckled. “Has he called your office in the last coupla days?”
“Nope.”
“Ever met him?”
“Nope.”
“What do you know about him?”
“Well, I don’t know a cop who’d shed a tear if he got run over by an eighteen-wheeler.”
Stinelli laughed and said, “Guess what? You’re about to join the club.”
“Already joined…Why?”
“Jake Sallinger has hired him to do a series on cold cases for Metro Magazine. Melinda Cramer is on top of the list.”
Cody’s expression didn’t change.
“Where’d you pick that up?”
“Sallinger called me. Hamilton’s whining because he can’t find any of the records on the case. Gloria checked with the 24 ^ th, Manhattan North and South, the detective bureau and the dead files. Hamilton has called them, all right. When he struck out he had Sallinger call me.”
“And he wants you to produce the records?”
“Probably. Or tell him where they are.”
“I’ve got the files.”
“I know that. Is it still active?”
“It’s our only open case.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“It’s a work in progress. Whenever one of us has some free time we take a look at it. The reports are in the computer.”
“And?”
“It was cold when we got it. If we send it to the dead bureau that’ll be the end of it.”
“Hell, Micah, it’s one case and it was already screwed up when it was dumped on you. He’s gonna write the piece anyway. Wolf did a great job on that second autopsy. Give Hamilton that to play with.”
“I’m not willing to sign off on it yet.”
“You’re being stubborn. He’s threatening to go to court. Invoke the Freedom of Information Act.”
Cody thought for a moment. He tugged on his ear then shook his head.
“Hamilton won’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“If he does the rest of the press will get on it. He wants an exclusive. The last thing he wants is The Times or The Post or Nancy Grace getting curious and jumping all over it.”
“Huh. Good point,” Stinelli replied. “You say you have something on the plate?”
Cody nodded. “As of seven a.m. So far it’s all verbal including Wolf’s initial autopsy. We’ll keep it that way as long as we can.”
“High profile?”
“Oh, yeah.”
The Cadillac pulled up in front of City Hall.
“We’re here, Commander,” Berno said.
“How about I stop by the Loft later in the day so you can fill me in?”
“Sounds good, sir. What’d you tell Sallinger?”
“That I’d get back to him. Hamilton’s out of town ‘til tomorrow. It’s the weekend so we don’t have to screw with it until Monday.”
“Sic Hamilton on me Monday.”
“You don’t have time for that.”
“Neither do you. We’ll make him chase his tail for a while.”
“You sure? I can tell Sallinger it’s still under investigation.”
“Nah. Have him call me to arrange a sit-down with Hamilton. Then let me fiddle while Hamilton burns.”