Dead Cold Mysteries Box Set #2: Books 5-8 (A Dead Cold Box Set) Blake Banner (read out loud books txt) 📖

“You got other plans?”

She shook her head. “Nope. No other plans.”

“Good.”

I pulled into the parking lot at the station house and we climbed out into the heavy drizzle. I watched her run across the road in her long coat with her hat squashed on her head and run up the two steps into the porch. Then I made my way down to the deli on the corner to get lunch.

All the way there and all the way back, I kept turning over a single fact. It didn’t tell me anything, it didn’t lead me anywhere that I could see, but I knew it was important; not just important, it was central. Yet I couldn’t see what it meant.

Jackson Lee had not stolen the article and the laptop. Because the article and the laptop had disappeared from the apartment before David had been killed. That meant that David—and by the looks of it, only David—knew where his laptop and the article were.

Whoever killed him, did not kill him to get the article. And that fact was crucial, but I couldn’t see how.

Eleven

When I got back to our desk, Dehan was on the phone. I put her sandwich and her coffee down in front of her and she put the phone on speaker.

“Mr. D’Angelo, my partner Detective Stone has just joined me and I have put the phone on speaker so that he can hear us. “

“Indeed, good afternoon, Detective Stone. I was just explaining to Detective Dehan that Senator Hennessy has a very busy schedule and it will not be possible for her to speak with you at the moment.”

I dropped into my seat and said, “I am sure Detective Dehan made it clear that this was a murder inquiry.”

“Indeed she did, and I can assure you that Senator Hennessy is very concerned about the issue of law and order in our city. However, Senator Hennessy has no knowledge of any specific cases where crimes have been committed…”

“How do you know?”

“Excuse me?”

“How do you know that she has no knowledge concerning any specific cases?”

“Senator Hennessy does not have any personal knowledge relating to any particular cases where a crime has been…”

“Mr. D’Angelo.”

“… committed, because Senator Hennessy…”

“Mr. D’Angelo!”

“… does not have and never has had any connection with…”

“Mr. D’Angelo!”

A few of the detectives at the other desks turned to look. Several of them were smiling. D’Angelo finished. “… any criminal activities. Yes, Detective Stone?”

“Quit quoting copy at me.”

“Excuse me?”

I sighed. “Stop reciting at me. We are conducting a murder investigation, not writing an article for a college magazine. We believe Senator Hennessy may have information relevant to our investigation. We need to talk to her.”

“I am quite certain Senator Hennessy has no information relevant to your inquiry, detective.”

“Really?”

“Indeed.”

“Well, this might come as a surprise to you, D’Angelo, but I don’t actually give a rat’s ass about your opinion. I need to talk to Hennessy. Now, give me a date and a time or I am going to come down to your office with a dozen journalists in tow and we’re going to make the headlines on the six o’clock news.”

“Detective, are you threatening the senator?”

“I don’t know, why don’t you give me your opinion on that? And while you’re thinking about it, tell me when we can come and talk to her.”

“Please hold.”

I looked at Dehan. She was holding her sandwich in both hands and chewing while she watched me.

I said, “I want somebody who can interface between me and the world, and tell everybody what I know, what I don’t know, what I think, what I have and haven’t seen and done. And I don’t want anybody anywhere ever to question what my mouthpiece says. This is what we call democratic accountability.”

She listened without expression throughout my little speech. When I’d finished, she swallowed and said, “Indeed.”

I unwrapped my sandwich and bit into it. I was halfway through eating it when D’Angelo came back on the line.

“Detective Stone?”

I said something that sounded like a mouthful of “Yumph!”

“Senator Hennessy is not available to comment at this time…”

I sat forward, switched the phone off speaker and picked it up. I spoke very quietly. “Now you listen very carefully to what I am about to say, D’Angelo. I am going to be at Hennessy’s office this afternoon at three o’clock. I expect her to be there to answer my questions. If she is not, I am going to turn up the day after with six patrol cars, sirens wailing and lights flashing, and I am going to send six more to her house, and believe me, pal, hard as I try to keep it quiet, somehow the press will find out about it. So you had better think this through, and give your boss the right advice.”

I hung up.

We sat and chewed and stared at each other. She drained her coffee and sighed. “She won’t be there.”

“I know. D’Angelo will be there, and he’ll be instructed to find out what we know and what we are after.”

“What will you tell him?”

“I’ll be artfully vague.”

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Can you do that? Can you be artfully vague to somebody through a third party?”

“No, not really. But I will give him a message to carry to her.”

“Let me guess.”

“I’d be glad if you did.”

“That we know where the article is.”

“Too on the nose, after all, she might already have it, and the laptop.” I scratched my chin. “Though it’s unlikely.”

“That we know the contents, that there was a copy…”

“Better. Let’s play it by ear.” I stood. “We’d better tell Newman. He wanted to be kept in the loop.”

I put