Erasing Memory Part 14

"Yep, but don't worry. The place is shut down tighter than a loan shark's heart." Swetsky pulled out his cellphone and moved over to the windows.

MacNeice studied the agitated young woman waiting at the reception desk, went over to her and held out his hand. "Rachel? Rachel Ingram?"

She turned to him, wide-eyed, and took his hand. "Yes. I'm here for-about-Michael Vertesi. He's a police detective. He's been hurt."

"The surgical team is trying to stabilize him before they operate." MacNeice let go of her hand.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"I've been told he's lost a lot of blood but that this is a very good team, so his chances are better than even."

"Who are you?" She met his eyes for the first time.

"I'm Detective Superintendent MacNeice, Michael's commanding officer."

"He's told me about you. He worships you, I think." She was doing her best to hold back tears. "What on earth was he doing out there?"

"He was gathering information for an investigation. It was expected to be a routine call. How did you hear about it?"

"My mother called me at school. The news was all over the lake. I guess Dennis Thompson was talking and then..." Her voice trailed off. "Michael was supposed to come and get me after school. I wanted to make a formal statement about what I saw the other night-when the girl died." She looked around the waiting room, past the clutch of police officers that had now grown to seven, in and out of uniform, to where Aziz was standing next to the Vertesis. "Are those his parents?"

"Yes. And his sister. Next to them is Detective Inspector Fiza Aziz, another colleague of Michael's. Would you like to meet them?"

"Oh G.o.d, I don't know. I hardly know Michael. I mean, it feels like I've known him all my life, though we only just met, but..."

"But what?"

"Do you think it's appropriate? I mean, I don't want to offend them."

"I don't think that's likely, Rachel. Come on, we'll meet them together." She nodded, and as he took her by the arm, a trail of tissues dropped from her jacket pocket onto the floor. MacNeice picked them up and put them in his pocket.

Aziz came towards them as they approached. "They're very upset, obviously, but they're dealing with it."

"Fiza Aziz, this is Rachel Ingram. I thought Rachel should meet Michael's parents and sister."

The two shook hands and Aziz said, "Michael told me about you. I'm glad you came." She put her arm around Rachel just as MacNeice's cellphone buzzed in his pocket. He wheeled away towards the windows.

"MacNeice."

"Yes, sir."

"What in the world is going on? I mean, we've got serious heat coming down and one of your people gets taken out by some cracker in the woods?" With each phrase the deputy chief's volume rose.

"At a marina, sir."

"I want to know what's going on with your crew. Are you in control over there?"

"Vertesi was at that marina for more information about the-"

"Are you saying you sent him there alone?"

"It was routine, sir. He just found himself in the wrong place when the old man snapped."

"Right out of the blue? The guy just snaps when he sees your man? Don't bulls.h.i.t me! What went on?"

"There was a slight altercation on his last visit, but nothing to indicate-"

"Indicate what? That the next time he was going to haul out a shotgun and blast away at Vertesi without warning? I'm sorry about your soldier, MacNeice, but this is a sideshow you've got us into. You've seen the headlines, heard the news. I want the killer of that girl, and you're back down to three people. Get it done!"

"Understood, sir."

The phone went dead. MacNeice slid it back into his pocket as Swetsky came to stand beside him. They both looked out the window, MacNeice following the flight line of several crows that were pedalling against the wind over the trees beyond the parking lot.

"You know, I've always thought crows were the biker gangs of bird land," he said.

"Is Wallace thinking this was your f.u.c.k-up? Did he even ask how Vertesi was doing?" Swetsky didn't seem the least bit interested in crows.

"Well, it is my f.u.c.k-up. No doubt about it-I own it. And in a moment I'm going to have to own it with his family."

"How so?"

"I knew the old man and Vertesi had had a go-round the last time he was out there. Gibbs called him a wop and Vertesi dumped his weapon and badge and was going to beat the prejudiced s.h.i.t out of him until he apologized. He apologized."

"So what? Let's say, for instance, I'd gone with him today. He gets out of the car, the old man pops him and maybe me, and we're here and they're working on both of us. The old man snapped. It would'na mattered a sweet G.o.dd.a.m.n if we had the Fifth f.u.c.kin' Cavalry there. I've said it before and I'll say it again-people get weird when they spend too much time at the lake."

"Nice try, Swets, but you know the rules as well as I do. I didn't even know he was headed out there today. He's keen-too keen."

Swetsky was looking out at several birds that had settled along the eaves of a building next to the parking lot. "What about those guys?" He nodded in their direction.

"Starlings-the mimics of the bird world. They want to be bad but they only end up comical." He turned away from the view, resting his hand briefly on Swetsky's shoulder before walking over to the family. Aziz introduced him.

"Mr. and Mrs. Vertesi, Lisa, this is Superintendent Detective MacNeice, our commanding officer." They all shook his hand, but the mother and father barely looked at him.

"I'm terribly sorry that we are meeting for the first time under these circ.u.mstances. Michael is a wonderful man, as no doubt you know better than I, and I can tell you he's an equally wonderful detective."

The father nodded, the mother looked away and only the sister watched MacNeice as he was speaking. It was difficult for him to decipher whether it was with contempt or rage or both.

In heavily accented English, the old man spoke. "That man, he called my son a wop. Did you know that, Mr. MacNeice?" There was the fury of a lifetime in the question.

"I did, sir. And frankly, though I regret it now, I was proud of what your son did in response. He is a very courageous man, and I have tremendous respect for courage-and family."

"Maybe a bit too much courage, maybe. I think so."

"I'm proud of your son, Mr. Vertesi, and I'm confident he'll come through this, in part because of his courage."

MacNeice nodded again and retreated, pushing through the waiting room doors to the exit stairwell. He didn't check his watch as he tore down the stairs two at a time. Stepping outside, he leaned up against the wall facing the parking lot and tried breathing deeply. The sun was warm on his face and he closed his eyes.

The door opened slowly beside him and Aziz appeared. "What are you doing, Mac?"

"I'll be right up. I needed some air." He stood away from the wall with his hands in his pockets, looking out on the sea of shiny metal.

"Mac, this is not your fault. And Vertesi is going to come out of this a smarter cop." She put a hand on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes.

"I know. I couldn't say that to his parents, but I know."

"And you couldn't have known, any more than Vertesi did, that this guy was going to go ballistic."

"Funny thing, that. Do you remember, Aziz, we used to call it 'going postal'? Someone shows up one day at work with an a.s.sault rifle and runs amok.... Well, in every case, without exception, when you track back through the story, there is always immense human wreckage. No, the problem with Gibbs going postal is there's never enough attention given when the signs are presenting themselves."

"But we can't do that job."

"No, we can only become better at noticing those signs. I promise you, Michael will see more intensely, more...finely, from here on. At least, I hope so."

"I hope so too. Come on, let's go back up." She made a move for the door.

"I'll want Rachel Ingram to give her statement before she leaves, and I'd like you to take it."

"No problem, boss."

"She's already very attached to Michael. They may be a perfect match-a.s.suming he comes out of this with a healthy frame of mind."

"Yes, it's been a real Sidney Carton day."

MacNeice found himself smiling. "Now, when's the last time two cops got together and made a reference to Charles d.i.c.kens? Let's go and see how he's doing." He reached over and opened the door.

"I'll race you upstairs," Aziz said. "You want to time us?" She didn't wait for his answer but hit the stairs running. She opened the door at their floor a second ahead of him, breathless and grinning.

"How'd you know that about me?" He moved beside her.

"I get paid for being observant, sir."

IT WAS 8:46 A.M. LYING ON THE stone tiles, a ginger cat with white front paws rolled back and forth in the sun, kicking its legs about, playing with a piece of copper wire. MacNeice sipped his espresso and watched, happy to be distracted. He, Aziz and Swetsky were sitting on a bench outside the entrance to division headquarters. None of them could remember ever sitting there before, but the combination of sun and stress over Michael's shooting had made the office cubicles unappealing. stone tiles, a ginger cat with white front paws rolled back and forth in the sun, kicking its legs about, playing with a piece of copper wire. MacNeice sipped his espresso and watched, happy to be distracted. He, Aziz and Swetsky were sitting on a bench outside the entrance to division headquarters. None of them could remember ever sitting there before, but the combination of sun and stress over Michael's shooting had made the office cubicles unappealing.

After a long silence during which they watched the cat roll about, MacNeice said, "Aziz, get down to the Conservatory with a photo of the boyfriend. Let's see if anyone knows him."

She nodded. MacNeice looked over to Swetsky, who was sipping a large double-double. "Now that we have Rachel Ingram's statement, can you find out what happened to the second boat? It'll either be booked in back at the marina or it's still missing. And get back onto the doctor who owns the cottage."

Swetsky stood up with his coffee in hand. "Yeah, that got dropped yesterday. Okay, where can I find you?"

"I'm going over to see Petrescu." Both Aziz and Swetsky looked at MacNeice. "I want to check in on him, ask him more about his son, and maybe, if the time is right, why he failed to mention that he is also a microbiologist." He stood up and tossed his paper espresso cup into the bin next to the door.

"That's it?" Aziz squinted up through the sun at MacNeice.

"I want to know if he thinks his past has come to claim his daughter...and if it has, why it happened." He smiled, offered a hand to Aziz and hoisted her up.

Swetsky noticed the gesture, subtly raised an eyebrow and dropped what remained of his double-double into the bin.

"Do you want a lift?" MacNeice asked her as he walked towards his car.

"Nope, I'm going to take my bike. I could use the exercise." Aziz walked away, pulling her shoulders back and swaying from side to side with each step like an exaggerated tough guy, knowing they were both watching her. She smiled back at them when she reached the rack where her tall black Amsterdam bike was locked.

HE SAW IT THE MOMENT he turned the corner-a black Range Rover parked outside Petrescu's grey mansion. MacNeice pulled over and tucked the Chevy in behind a parked car so he could check it out. One of the st.u.r.dy black-jacketed blonds from the surveillance video stood beside the vehicle, his hands in front of him like a soccer player lining up for a penalty shot. MacNeice shut off his engine and took out his cellphone to call it in, but then thought the better of it. What was he calling in? He got out of the car to walk the short distance to the house and regi-stered exactly when the blond became aware of him. The heavy reached into his right pocket-the one closest to MacNeice-and took out cigarettes and a lighter. Most people's attention would shift to his hands. MacNeice stayed focused on his face. he turned the corner-a black Range Rover parked outside Petrescu's grey mansion. MacNeice pulled over and tucked the Chevy in behind a parked car so he could check it out. One of the st.u.r.dy black-jacketed blonds from the surveillance video stood beside the vehicle, his hands in front of him like a soccer player lining up for a penalty shot. MacNeice shut off his engine and took out his cellphone to call it in, but then thought the better of it. What was he calling in? He got out of the car to walk the short distance to the house and regi-stered exactly when the blond became aware of him. The heavy reached into his right pocket-the one closest to MacNeice-and took out cigarettes and a lighter. Most people's attention would shift to his hands. MacNeice stayed focused on his face.

Stopping shy of the rear of the Range Rover, MacNeice took out his notebook and pen and wrote down the plate number. The blond came slowly towards him. "What you doing?"

"And you are?" MacNeice said, putting the notebook away and looking up at him.

"What business you have with the truck?"

MacNeice pulled out his shield, showed it to him and said, "I asked you who you are."

"f.u.c.k off." The blond smiled, put the cigarette in his mouth and turned back to take up position at the rear door of the vehicle.

Looking at the bulk of the man, MacNeice didn't think he'd fare well in a fair fight, and he doubted that fair fights were the man's style. His thoughts turned to Vertesi and he suddenly felt naked without his service weapon. He decided to ignore the insult and head for the gate.

As he reached for the ornate metal handle, a heavy hand slammed down hard on his right shoulder. Instinctively he dropped with the weight of it, spun low to the right and drove his fist up and into the man's groin. The blond let out a deep howl, bending into the pain. MacNeice grabbed him by the shoulders of his leather jacket and jerked his face down to meet his right knee coming up. The man's nose blew apart on impact, and as MacNeice released him, he sagged sideways to the ground, groaning and clutching at his crotch, sputtering something foreign through the blood streaming from his nose into his mouth.

MacNeice walked quickly back to the Chevy, where he retrieved his service weapon from the glove compartment. When he returned, the blond was struggling to get up, still spitting blood onto the sidewalk. MacNeice took the weapon out of its holster and levelled it at the man's head as he clipped the holster into his belt.

"I'm asking again-who are you?"

"His name is Uri Bavorich. He's my bodyguard." MacNeice turned to see a young man on the other side of the gate; he was wearing a black suit with a tight burgundy T-shirt and shiny black shoes. Next to him was the second blond, whose right hand was behind him, presumably resting on a weapon.

"And you are-?" MacNeice kept his gun on the man sitting on the sidewalk, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"I am Colonel Petrescu. This is my father's house." He nodded towards the grey mansion. His father stood in the doorway, looking very pale.

"Why would you need a bodyguard, Mr. Petrescu?" MacNeice moved aside so he could cover the man on the ground and be ready for anything from blond number two. His right leg was shaking slightly inside his pant leg. This sometimes happened to him, though it was rare these days that he found himself in a physical confrontation. He wondered whether it was fear or simply an animal nerve instinct, like the twitching tail of a cat just before it pounces on a sparrow. He hoped it was the latter, but he wasn't sure.

The whurp whurp whurp whurp of approaching squad car sirens interrupted the discussion. Within seconds four patrolmen with their weapons drawn approached the Range Rover, two from the front and two from the rear. MacNeice recognized the older of the two at the back. of approaching squad car sirens interrupted the discussion. Within seconds four patrolmen with their weapons drawn approached the Range Rover, two from the front and two from the rear. MacNeice recognized the older of the two at the back.

"MacNeice. You okay?" Patrolman Bolton asked.

"I am. Check these two for weapons and get their identification."

"Will do. Stephens, you check buddy on the ground. I'll take the one behind the gate. Hutchings, you cover me. Poznansky, cover Stephens."

"You're making a mistake, Officer." The colonel pushed the gate open and stepped through.

"Detective. Your man made the mistake, Mr. Petrescu." To Bolton he said, "When you're done with him, check Mr. Petrescu."

"I am a colonel in the Romanian army, Detective, and I demand the respect due to my rank." Petrescu stood in front of MacNeice, apparently unperturbed.

"I know who you are, and I don't believe I'm compelled to call you anything but mister. I asked why you needed a bodyguard."

"I'm not compelled to answer you, detective." Petrescu smiled, took a cigarette out of a silver case, tapped it against the top of the case and slipped it into his mouth. From his jacket pocket he took out a lighter and, without taking his eyes off MacNeice, lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply.

"Some kind of stick." Bolton held up a foot-long hardwood dowel he'd retrieved from the back pocket of the bodyguard standing near Petrescu. It was roughly an inch and a half in diameter. "His name's Petrov, Nicolai Petrov, a Romanian national."