Page 104

CHAPTER 102

BAO, brADY, ALVAREZ, Conklin, and I piled back into the war room for the post-interview wrap-up of Cappy and Chi’s interviews with Bernardi and Randall.

Some of us got comfortable. I hung my jacket on the back of my chair. Chi kicked off his shoes. Cappy took off his cap and fanned himself. I got up and turned on the air conditioner.

Alvarez typed on her phone, and Conklin asked Brady, “We have them, for what … another two days?”

“More or less. We want to use those hours well, so if we have to kick them, we’ll feel that we gave them the third degree without the rubber hose. Understand?”

Brady straddled his chair, facing us, and crossed his impressive arms over the chair back, saying, “Who wants to go first?’

Cappy said, “Me, of course. Look. I’m not attached to Bernardi or Randall, but I am still loyal to Jacobi. We’ve now interviewed two likely candidates for his murder, but we can’t charge them. Holding them for a couple of days isn’t enough.”

Brady thanked him, saying, “Right, Cappy. Most important is to have the right guys, and these two strike me as unmotivated to kill a sixty-year-old man who lost the fight to keep them on staff.”

Cappy agreed, saying, “We’ll keep talking to them.”

Brady turned his head toward me. “Boxer. You’ve still got those external drives with Jacobi’s digital media?”

“I do.”

“So, go over them again and screen for anything useful. More pictures of Bernardi and/or Randall would be especially helpful.”

“Will do, Brady.”

Brady gave out more assignments. Alvarez and Conklin were to go back to Julio’s as they’d done before.

“Wear your badges outside your jackets. And take copies of the FBI photos of Bernardi and Randall. Chi, Cappy, if you hook a whopper, call me.”

My phone rang.

I looked down at the screen, but for a long moment I couldn’t see it. It was the stark, crazy fear of learning something that would change my life forever. I pressed the talk button.

“Chief Steinmetz?”

“Yes. Sergeant Boxer? Are you with Lieutenant Brady?”

“He’s right here.”

“Put him on, please.”

I mouthed “Steinmetz” and handed my phone over to Brady.

He said, “Chief?”

I heard Steinmetz’s voice say, “You and Boxer can go into a private room, right?”

Brady excused the two of us from the group, saying he’d be available later. I couldn’t read his look. But once we’d entered Interview One and closed the door, Brady put my phone on speaker so we both could listen and talk.

Steinmetz sounded subdued when he addressed Brady.

“Lieutenant, I’ve gotten word that the Diablo cartel have learned the location of Dario’s trial. That’s the end of anonymity for legal counsel, the judge, the jury, court officers, and the defendant. I can’t explain how this got out.”

I raised my voice so that Steinmetz could hear me. “What are we doing about this?”

“In a word, security. The warden has put their prison guards, all shifts, on high alert,” Steinmetz said. “He’s assured me that all the access points are under heavy watch, that there’s no way to sneak over the walls, onto the grounds, get into the Judicial Building without being shot. If this is a rumor, the trial will be secure. If there’s a breach, it’s going to get loud.”

“Craig. Any word on Joe?”

“I haven’t heard anything. We’re being stalled, sidetracked, and lied to. We’re working on it, Lindsay. I’m not going to say, ‘thoughts and prayers,’ but understand that I am doing everything I can. I care a great deal about Joe.

“I’ll call you if I hear anything. Brady, your office has my number.”

I had questions, but typical of Steinmetz, he didn’t say good-bye, God bless, take care, or big hug. He just hung up.