"None taken," Payne said. "Dutch was-Dutch."
"If I'd have known he was your uncle, I wouldn't have-"
"Lieutenant, it's all right," Matt said. "But I would like to make a suggestion."
"Shoot."
"I think we have seen enough of this ruin to know that without spending a hell of a lot of money on it, it's useless. Why don't we go back and tell the inspector that? Maybe there is money in the grant we could get."
"Agreed. I'm freezing."
"Presuming we can get the door to shut, let's go find a cup of coffee."
Inspector Wohl was walking to the door of the building at Bustleton and Bowler as Matt Payne and Jack Malone drove up. He saw them and waited for them to get out of their car.
"Well, if it isn't the real estate squad," Wohl greeted them. "How did that go?"
"Well, we cut it sort of short, sir," Payne said. "The building is falling down. Unless we can get the money to fix it from ACT Capital Improvement, I think we should tell the City 'thank you, but no thank you.'"
He did not get the smile he expected.
"How many rooms?" Wohl asked. "Did you find someplace that could be used as a holding cell? Will the roof take antennae?"
"We didn't get that far, sir," Payne said.
"Go that far this afternoon when you come back from the FBI," Wohl said. "I didn't send you over there for a casual look. The building is ours; and there is money in the ACT Grant."
"I'm sorry, sir," Matt said.
"It's my fault, Inspector," Malone said.
"No, it's not," Wohl said flatly. "Matt, for Christ's sake, do me the courtesy of listening carefully to what I'm saying in the future."
"Yes, sir," Matt said.
"We'll take care of it, sir," Malone said.
"No, 'we' won't," Wohl said, "Hewill.He will come in in the morning with a sketch of the building, including dimensions. Indicate on it where people might fit. See what shape the furnace is in.If there is a furnace. You get the idea, and I don't care if you're there all night, Matt."
"Yes, sir."
"I don't see Jason Washington's car. Did you get in touch with him?"
"Yes, sir. He said he would be here."
"I want you in on this, Malone," Wohl said, and walked ahead of them into the building.
Well, the kid fucked up, sorry about that was the first thing Malone thought. This was immediately followed by, Now he has to do it all himself, and finally with a sudden insight: If Wohl knows the kid can examine that building by himself, then there was no reason for him to send me over there in the first place. Except maybe to compare what the both of us had to say; in other words, to see if I am as smart as the kid. I'll be a sonofabitch.
Jason Washington was standing by the door to Wohl's office.
"Got a minute, Inspector?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure," Wohl said. He looked over his shoulder. "You two go on in."
Captain Mike Sabara and Captain Dave Pekach were in Wohl's office, sitting on the couch in front of a small coffee table.
"Slide over, Dave, and make room for Malone," Sabara said, "otherwise we'll have Washington on here with us. Malone isn't nearly as broad in the beam."
"Your pal McFadden was looking for you, Payne," Pekach said as he made room for Malone. "Did he find you?"
"When was he looking?"
"Last night."
"Yeah. And he came looking for me again this morning. I am to be the best man at his wedding."
Christ, Malone thought, maybe I'll get the worst possible scenario. If McFadden and Payne are pals, that's just as dangerous as McFadden telling his lieutenant he saw me staking out Holland's body shop. Damn!
"Are you going to ask me to be your best man, David?" Sabara asked innocently.
"What?"
"Well, a nice Polish boy like you can't just go on living in sin indefinitely, can you?"
"Fuck you, Mike!" Pekach flared.
What the hell is that all about?
"If you feel that way, you can just get somebody else to be your best man," Sabara said.
"Goddammit, knock it off!"
"Play nice, children," Wohl said, coming into the room.
"He's always on my ass about Martha," Pekach said.
"Get off Captain Pekach's ass about Martha, Captain Sabara," Wohl said.
"Yes, sir," Sabara said, seemingly chastised. "What time is it, David?"
Without thinking, Pekach held up his wrist and opened his mouth.
"Nice watch, Dave," Sabara said innocently. "Where did you say you got it?"
"You sonofabitch!" Pekach flared.
It was too much for Wohl; he started to laugh, and when he did, Payne joined in.
Pekach looked like he was about to erupt, but finally started to laugh too, shaking his head.
"You bastards!"
"Show Malone your watch, Dave," Wohl said.
Pekach looked uncomfortable, but finally held up his wrist.
Around it was a heavy gold strap attached to a gold Omega chronograph.
Jesus, Malone thought, that's worth three, four thousand dollars!
"My-lady friend-gave it to me," he explained. There was a touch of pride in his voice. "These guys are just jealous."
"I certainly am," Jason Washington said. "That's worth thirty-nine ninety-five if it's worth a dime."
There was more laughter, and then Wohl ended it. "Recess is over, children," he said, "class has begun."
They all looked at him.
"I might as well start with that, and get it out of the way. We now have the school building at Frankford and Castor. We have it because the Board of Education no longer wants it, and the reason they no longer want it-confirmed by Malone and Payne who were over there this morning-is because it's falling down. The up side of that is that as part of the ACT Grant there is money for capital improvements. So as soon as possible, say day after tomorrow, we're going to start making it habitable-"
Malone had noticed that Captain Sabara had raised his hand-like a kid wanting the teacher's attention.
"Yes, Mike?" Wohl asked, interrupting himself.
"Figuratively speaking, you mean, Inspector?"
"No."
"Inspector, we're going to have to let the City put out specifications, get bids, open bids, all that stuff."
"No. Matt read the small print and showed me where it says we don't have to go through that for 'emergency repairs.' 'Emergency repairs' was not more precisely defined. I have decided that it means anything but beautification and additions. Fixing broken windows, plumbing, getting a new furnace- that's emergency repairs because we can't use the building with no heat, or no plumbing, or broken windows. Okay?"
"Department of Public Buildings isn't going to like it. They have their list of friendly folks who do work like that."
"I can't help that. We have to get out of here. And Commissioner Czernick-not Public Buildings-has the authority to spend the ACT Grant money."
"And he knows what you're going to do?"
"He will when he gets the bills."
"Inspector, you're asking for trouble," Sabara said.
"The bottom line is that we have to get out of here, Mike. If it goes before the mayor, and I suppose it eventually will, I'm betting he'll decide that I did the right thing and will tell Public Buildings to shut up."
"And if he doesn't decide that?"
"Then the new commanding officer of Special Operations will have a heated and air-conditioned office in a building he would not have had if his predecessor hadn't screwed up."
"It's liable to cost you your promotion, Peter," Sabara said.
"I appreciate your concern, Mike. But (a) I'm not sure if I'm in line for promotion and (b) I've made this decision. Okay?"