87th Precinct - The Frumious Bandersnatch Part 5

aThis may be nothing at all,a McIntosh said, aor maybe you can use it. Around nine-fifteen, nine-thirty last nightaa IT WAS NOToften that this precinct caught something as big as a celebrity kidnappinga"if, in fact, Tamar Valparaisowas a celebrity and not some figment of a record labelas imagination.

Neither Bert Kling nor Meyer Meyer had ever heard of her. Perhaps this was not too surprising in Meyeras case. His kids listened to rock, but he was tone deaf when it came to anything more recent than the Beatles. Kling, on the other hand, was familiar with all the new groups, and even listened to rap on occasion. He had never heard of Tamar Valparaiso, even though her face and her story were splashed all over that morningas tabloids.

The two men signed in at seven-forty-five, were briefed by Carella and Hawesa"who were exhausted after a long night on the watera"and then headed out at eight-thirty, to pick up where the departing team had left off.

Sandy McIntosh had reported stopping a twenty-seven-foot Rinker at around nine-fifteen, nine-thirty last night, heading inbound toward Capshaw Boats, its home marina, at Fairfield and the river, just off Pier Seven. Three pa.s.sengers aboard. Two men and a woman. Name on the boatas transom wasHurley Girl. Serial number stenciled on each of her sides was XL721G. Capshaw Boats was where Meyer and Kling were headed on this misty Sunday morning.

Today was the fourth of May.

Meyer had celebrated his wifeas birthday the night before, ordering champagne for everyone in the small French restaurant where theyad dineda"not an enormously big deal in that theread been only half a dozen other patrons. Head sure as h.e.l.l impressed Sarah, though. Sarah Lipkin when he met her all those years ago. an.o.bodyas lips kin like Sarahas lips kina was what the fraternity banter maintained, a premise Meyer was eager to test. Married all these years now, never tired of her lips. Married all these years now, he could still impress her with six bottles of champagne. Veuve Cliquot, though, donat forget.

Clear-eyed this morning, despite the full bottle of bubbly he and Sarah had shared last night, he was at the wheel of the police sedan, wondering out loud if the Feds would be coming in on this one.

aThing I donat like about working with them,a he said, ais they have this superioraa aWay I understand it, itas a dead cinch theyall come in,a Kling said.

aThen why arewe shlepping all the way downtown?a aWay the Loot wants it. Guess head like a heads up, case thereas static later on.a aWhatasher name again?a Meyer asked.

aTamar Valparaiso.a aNever heard of her.a This was the third time head said this.

aMe, neither,a Kling said.

Third time for him, too.

The two made a good pair.

Both men were some six feet tall, but Meyer presented a burlier look, perhaps because he was entirely bald, perhaps because he was possessed of a steady, patient demeanor that made him seem somewhat plodding in contrast to Klingas more open, enthusiastic country-boy style. Born and bred in this city, Kling nonetheless looked like head been found in a basket in a corn field. He was the perfect Good Cop to Meyeras Bad Cop, although often they switched roles for the fun of it, blond, hazel-eyed, fuzzy-cheeked Kling suddenly snarling like a pit bull, steely blue-eyed big bald Meyer purring like a p.u.s.s.y cat.

The man who owned Capshaw Boats and its adjoining marina was a one-eyed former Navy SEAL who called himself Popeye, not to anyoneas great surprise. He had opened the marina at a little before six this morninga aLots of skippers like to get out on the water before all the river traffic begins. Thatas a nice calm time of day, you know,a he said, athat time just before sunrise. Itas called morngloam, not many people know that.a Meyer certainly didnat know it.

Neither did Kling.

aI think itas a Scottish word,a Popeye said. aMorngloam. The opposite of it is evengloam. Thatas the time just before sunset. Evengloam. I think it comes from the word agloaming.a I think thatas a Scottish word. The derivation, I mean. I think itas Scottish.a aTell you what weare looking for,a Kling said. aHarbor Patrol stopped a boat from your marina last nightaa aOh?a Popeye said, his one good eye widening in surprise.

aNameasHurley Girl, serial numberasaa aOh, sure, the Rinker. She was already back in this morning, when I got here.a aWhose boat is she?a Meyer asked.

aMine. Well, Capshawas. I rent her out.a aThen she doesnat belong to one of your customers, is that it?a aNo, sheas mine. I just told you. Sheas a rental boat. I sell boats, and I store boats, and I service boats, but I also rent them.a aWhoad you rent this one to? Would you remember?a aOh, sure. Nice young feller. Iave got his name inside.a aCan you let us know who he was?a Kling asked.

aOh, sure. Just let me finish here a minute, okay?a He was washing down one of the boats. Soaping it, hosing it. Meyer watched him with interest. Kling looked upriver where early morning traffic was already moving steadily across the bridge to the next state.

aWhen you say she came back inaa Meyer said.

aShe was tied up at the dock when I got in this morning.a aWhen did she go out?a aEvengloam last night. Nice time of day.a aYou rented her out last night at sundownaa aJust before sundown. Twilight. Evengloam.a aWhen was she due back in?a aWell, she was a twenty-four-hour rental. Actually, she wasnat due back till this evening sometime. I was surprised to find her here this morning.a aWead like that name, if you can get it for us,a Kling said.

aOh, sure,a Popeye said, and turned off the hose. aCome on in.a They followed him inside. The office was hung with lobster pots and fishing nets. Through the windows facing the river, Meyer and Kling could see racks and racks of stacked boats. Popeye went behind the counter, vanished from sight for a moment as he knelt beneath it. He emerged again, plunked a long narrow black book onto the counter top, and began riffling through its pages.

aName was Andy Hardy,a he told them.

aAndy Hardy, huh?a Meyer said.

aThere it is, right there,a Popeye said, and turned the registry log so they could see the name.

aThatas Mickey Rooney,a Meyer said. aA character he played in the movies. Andy Hardy.a aYou know, youare right,a Popeye said, opening his one good eye wide in surprise.

aNever occurred to you, huh?a Kling said. aWhile this guy was renting the boat?a aWell, the name did sound familiar, but we get a lot of people in here, you know. Sometimes toomany d.a.m.n people, you ask me.a aHowad he pay for the rental?a aCredit card.a aShowed you a credit card with the name Andy Hardy on it?a aAndy Hardy was what it said. Same as on his driveras license. Picture matched his face, too. You rent a boat, itas the same as when you rent a car, you know. Youare responsible for it. Thereas more boating accidents, ratio of boats to cars, than there are automobile accidents, you know. Anything happens to the boata"theft, fire, accidenta"Iave got the manas credit card.a aAnd you got Andy Hardyas credit card for the littleHurley Girl out there, is that it?a aYou betcha,a Popeye said.

aThink we can get a line on Mr. Hardy?a Kling asked Meyer.

aFat Chance Department,a Meyer said.

aI saw his driveras license, too, I just told you,a Popeye said. aHe seemed legit to me.a aMaybe he is,a Kling said. aWeall hit the computers when we get back to the office.a aWeall want our people to look over that boat, too,a Meyer said.

He was already on his cell phone.

aWhy?a Popeye asked.

aIt may have been used in a crime,a Kling said.

Meyer was dialing a number he knew by heart.

aHowad this Andy Hardy get here?a Kling asked.

aWhat do you mean?a aDid he walk up? Drive up in his own car? Arrive in a taxi? Howad he get here?a aIn a black Ford Explorer. Two other people with him. They waited in the van while he filled out the rental papers.a aCan I take a look at those papers?a Kling asked.

aSure,a Popeye said, and went digging under the counter again. Meyer was just telling the Mobile Crime Unit where to find them.

aMan and a woman, right?a Kling said. aThese two other people with him?a aHowad you know that?a Popeye asked.

aHappen to see the license plate number?a aDidnat look. Here you go,a Popeye said, and put the rental folder for the Rinker on the counter top. Kling leafed through it. Andy Hardy, sure enough. Gave an address in Connecticut.

aWas the driveras license issued in Connecticut?a Kling asked.

aYep.a aThis address match the one on the license?a aYep. Thatas why I asked to see it.a Meyer pressed the END b.u.t.ton on his cell phone, looked over at the papers Kling had spread on the counter top.

aTheyare on the way,a he said.

aDid they leave the van here when they went out on the boat?a Kling asked.

aUnloaded it and left it, yes.a aUnloaded it?a aTook a carton from it.a aWhat kind of carton?a Meyer asked.

aThis cardboard carton. Not very big.a He showed the size with his hands.

aThink the masks mightave been in it?a Meyer asked.

aYou talking to me?a Popeye said.

aMy partner.a aCould be,a Kling said. aAny writing on the carton?a aDidnat see any.a aAnd you say they left the van here?a aIn the parking lot, yes.a aWas it gone this morning?a aDidnat notice.a aWhen you came in, I mean.a aDidnat notice,a Popeye said again.

They were trying to pinpoint the exact time the suspects might have dropped off the boat and departed in the van.

aDo renters usually return boats in the middle of the night?a Kling asked.

aNo, when their timeas up, usually. The rental period.a aAre all your rentals for twenty-four hours?a aNo, we sometimes rent for a week. Sometimes longer.a aBut this one was for twenty-four hours.a aYes.a aEvengloam to evengloam,a Meyer said.

aSupposed to be.a aBut Hardy brought it back early.a aYes.a aAnybody here to receive a boat in the middle of the night?a aWeave got a night watchman, but he doesnat check boats in, nothing like that.a aSo they just leave them at the dock, is that it?a Kling said.

aWith n.o.body here to check them in,a Meyer said.

aWe donat have too many people bringing boats back before theyare due,a Popeye said.

aBut Andy Hardy did.a aWhatad this guydo, anyway?a Popeye asked.

aMaybe nothing,a Kling said. aIs your watchman here now?a aLeft when I opened up this morning.a aHow do we find him?a aLet me get you his address,a Popeye said, and went over to a desk under a calendar of a girl wearing a sailor hat and hardly anything else.

aPhone number, too, please,a Meyer said.

THREE DETECTIVESfrom the MCU arrived at Capshaw Boats at twenty to eleven that morning. Meyer and Kling were waiting dockside for them. They hadnat yet boarded theHurley Girl because they didnat know how many, if any, rampant prints the perps may have left aboard her, and they didnat want to mess up anything for the technicians. The chief tech, a Detective/First named Carliea aFor Charles,a he explained.

aEpworth listened attentively while Kling told him that a Harbor Patrol Unit vessel had stopped two males and a female on the boat right here an hour or so before the abduction lasta aWhatasher name again?a Epworth asked. aThe vic?a aTamar Valparaiso.a aNever heard of her,a he said. aIs she supposed to be famous or something?a aSupposed to be,a Meyer said.

aNever heard of her,a Epworth said again.

aAnyway, it was only the two males who boarded theRiver Princess, is the name of the launch she was taken from. So we figure the female stayed behind on the boat here, at the wheel. And maybe she left some latents. On the wheel, is what Iam saying. The two males were wearing gloves, but they were up to no good. So maybe the female was more relaxed and got careless.a aOkay,a Epworth said.

aIs just a suggestion,a Kling said.

aWearing gloves when they boarded the launch, you mean, right?a aYeah, right, when they did the deed.a aBut maybe they took them off when they were on their way home, is another possibility,a Epworth said.

aOpportunities are running rife,a Meyer said.

aMight turn out to be my lucky day,a Epworth said, grinning. aWhatad you say that launch was called?a aTheRiver Princess. a aI think I saw a file on her back at the office.a aAnybody get anything yet?a aI donat know. It was on another desk.a aCause this case is getting a lot of play, you know.a aWhat do you mean?a aThe papers, the media.a aYou gonna need us here?a Kling said.

aLeave me your card. Iall get back one way or another.a aWe wonat be back in the office for a few hours,a Kling said. aPossible witness weave got to see.a aTo what? The s.n.a.t.c.h?a aWeave got a hundred and twelve of them.a aBold mother-f.u.c.kers, werenat they?a aDepends how you define it.a aI didnat say abrave,a I said abold.a a aThat they were. So when do you think youall be done here?a Epworth looked at his watch.

aOne, two oaclock, in there,a he said. aDepends on how clean she is.a aWe should be back home by then.a aIall find you, donat worry,a Epworth said. aAre the Feds in this yet?a aNot yet,a Kling said.

aBut you said itas getting a lot of play, right?a aRight.a aTheyall come sniffing, you can bet on it,a Epworth said, and opened the gate on theHurley Girl as transom entry, and signaled to his crew. aAnybody been aboard her yet?a he asked.

aJust the possible perps,a Meyer said.

aMakes it easy then, donat it?a Epworth said, and grinned.

CARELLAwas sound asleep when Lieutenant Byrnes called him at twelve-thirty that Sunday. He waited a respectable four rings before remembering that this was f.a.n.n.yas day off and Teddy was taking the twins to the park, and then hastily yanked the receiver from its cradle.

aCarella,a he said.

aSteve, itas Pete.a aYes, Pete.a aI spoke to the Commish. First off, youad better get that tape back to Honey Blaineaa aBlair.a aWhoever, before the city lands a very big law suit. Channel Four has already contacted the Mayor, who is not particularly known for courageous stands, anyway, and he got on his lawyerly high horse and lectured the Commish about illegal search and seizure and all that bulls.h.i.taa aYeah,a Carella said wearily.

aSo youad betterawhere is it, anyway, that tape?a aIn my bottom desk drawer.a aIall call in, have a uniform run it over to theaa aNo, the draweras locked. Iave got the key here.a aThis Blaine womanaa aBlair.a aais sitting down there in the Channel Four offices with a battery of network lawyers, waiting for us to deliver that tape. Weave got till three oaclock. Otherwise, they file. Can you get the tape over there by then?a aYes. But I still think itas evidence.a aThe network thinks itas a scoop worth forty million dollarsaa aMore than I make in a week,a Carella said.

aawhich is what theyall sue for if they donat get that tape by three oaclock. Can you run down to the squadroom? Messenger the tape over?a aSure,a Carella said, and yawned. aWhat time is it?a aTwelve-thirty-five.a aShall I wake Cotton? Are we still on this case, or what?a aFar as I know. n.o.bodyas heard a peep from the Feds, so I guess itas still ours. Ainat we lucky?a aOh my yes.a aI guess this singer isnat very important, huh? Did Meyer and Bert get anything on the boat?a aIave been asleep, Pete.a aRight, Iam sorry. Stick with it, the four of you. Call Loomis, see if thereas been a ransom demand yet. If this is really oursaa aYou just said it was, Pete.a aWell, it is.a aBut you sound dubious.a aIam just surprised. I thought the Feds wouldave come knocking by now. Anyway, call Loomis. Is his office open today?a aI have no idea.a aYou said he thought the perps might ask him for the money.a aThatas what he told me, yes.a aSo how will they know where to reach him? Did you get his home number?a aYes, Pete.a aDo you thinkthey have his home number?a aI doubt it.a aSo theyall call at his office tomorrow, right? So letas get our Tech Unit to set up some stuff for us. We wonat need a court order for a Tap and Trap, Loomis is a friendly, itas his own phone. But youall need one for a Trap and Trace, maybe more than one. Try to get the equipment set up today, ready for when they call tomorrow, if they call.a aIall get on it right away.a aI hate kidnappings,a Byrnes said, and sighed.

Both men fell silent.

aI sure would like a look at that tape,a Carella said.

aI have a feeling youall be seeing it on television. Over and over again. But youave got till three oaclock. Play it before you take it back. Whoas to know?a aIs that an order?a aItas a suggestion,a Byrnes said.

THE WATCHMANaSname was Abner Carmody.

He was asleep when Detectives Meyer and Kling knocked on his door at one that afternoon. He complained that he hadnat got to bed till eight this morning, time he got home from the marina and all, and he usually slept till three or four, had a late lunch (or early dinner, depending how you looked at it), and went to work again at six, putting in a twelve-hour day (or night, depending how you looked at it), from sixP.M. to sixA.M.

a aA man works from sun to sun,a a he quoted out of the blue, a abut a womanas work is never done.a So why are you waking me up?a Carmody was in his sixties someplace, the detectives guessed, wearing striped pajamas and eyegla.s.ses head put on when he came to answer the door. He hadnat invited the detectives in yet. They didnat care to go in, either. The man wasnat a suspect, there was nothing they wanted to see in his apartment.

aSometime last night, maybe eleven-thirty, twelve oaclock,a Meyer prompted. aTwenty-seven-foot Rinker came in, pa.s.sengers tied her up and drove off in a black Ford Explorer. Happen to see them?a aWhatas this about?a aMaybe nothing.a aSo whyare you waking me up the crack of dawn, itas nothing?a aWe can come back later, if you like,a Kling said. With a warrant, he almost added, but didnat.

aWell, Iam up now,a Carmody said.

aDid you see the boat come in?a aNo, I mustave been making rounds, other end of the marina. But I saw them carrying the box to the van, and driving off in it.a aWhat box, sir?a aThis carton, maybe yay big,a he said, using his hands. aTwo by two, three by three, no biggeran that.a aHeavy box? Did it seem to be heavy?a aNot especially. Woman was carrying it. Couldnat have been too heavy, could it?a aThe masks,a Meyer said.

Kling nodded.

aWhatad they look like?a he asked.

aWas only one of them. Just a plain cardboard box. Brown, you know. What they call corrugated.a aI mean the people who got in the van. Did you happen to get a look?a aOh, yeah, the van was parked right under one of the sodium lights.a aTwo men and a woman, were they?a Kling asked.

aYessir, two men and a woman. All of them wearing black all overa"jeans, sweatshirts, jogging shoes. One of the men had curly black hair, the other one straight blond hair. The girl was a redhead.a aHow old would you say?a aThe girl? Early twenties.a aAnd the men?a aIad say late twenties, early thirties.a aI donat suppose you happened to notice the license plate on that van, did you?a Kling asked.

Carmody looked offended.

aIam a watchman,a he said. aThatas my job. To watch.a And reeled off what head seen on that plate, letter for letter, numeral for numeral.

A PATROLMANwith his back to them was sleeping on a cot in the swing room when Carella and Hawes came in to play the Channel Four tape. The television set down here in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the old building was a relic of the eighties, with a screen much smaller than either of the men had at home, but it had a VCR attachment, and it would serve the purpose. They kept the volume low, so as not to awaken the sleeping patrolman.

Watching the tape was an odd experience.

They had heard this crime reported a hundred different ways by a hundred and twelve different people, so in a sense it was familiar to them. In a sense, they were seeing it all over again. But they were also seeing it for the very first time, objectively, no one telling them whether the men were short or tall or wearing black or blue or green, no one describing the action in often erroneous detail. There it was for them to see and to hear. It was rather like witnessing an actual address to the nation, rather than watching a bunch of talking heads commenting on it minutes later.

Hawes and Carella immediately agreed that the girl was a star.

Hawes voiced it first.

aSheas good,a he said.

But they werenat talent scouts.

Nonetheless, shewas good.

aVerygood,a Carella agreed.