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What the hell could it be?

If they've really been looking for me, then it's serious. Christ! Mother? Dad? One of the kids?

He leaned on the Highway car so he could listen.

"Highway 19. We have located Officer Payne. We're on 1-95, near the Cottman Avenue exit."

"Wait one, Highway 19," radio replied.

"I really like your wheels, Payne," one of the Highway guys said.

"Thanks," Matt said.

"Highway 19, escort Officer Payne to City Hall. They are waiting for him in the mayor's office."

"This is 19, 'kay," the Highway guy on the radio said, and then turned to Matt. "What the hell is that all about?"

"I wish to hell I knew."

"Christ, if we had the lights and siren on that," the other one said, pointing at Matt's Porsche, "we could set a record between here and City Hall."

"We'll go ahead," the other one said, chuckling. "You can catch up, right?"

"I'll try," Matt said.

The Highway car was moving with its flashing lights on and the siren howling by the time Matt got back behind the wheel of the Porsche, but he had no trouble catching up with it.

Peter Wohl was waiting for him in the courtyard of City Hall.

"Well, you don't look hung over. Pull your necktie up."

"What's going on?"

"You ever hear that God takes care of fools and drunks? Just smile and keep your mouth shut. For once."

****

"Before we get thus press conference started here," the Honorable Jerry Carlucci, mayor of the City of Philadelphia, said, "let's make sure everybody knows who everybody is. You all know Chief Lowenstein and Chief Coughlin, I know.

Chief Coughlin's standing in for Commissioner Czernick, who's tied up and couldn't be with us, although he would have liked to. I'm sure most of you know the two who just came in: Inspector Peter Wohl, who commands Special Operations; and Officer Matt Payne, who is the Inspector's special assistant and who most of you will remember as the splendid young officer who… removed the threat to Philadelphia posed by the Northwest serial rapist. And standing beside me is a gentleman I 'm sure most of you know and who is the reason I asked you to come here this afternoon.

I would be very surprised if anyone here doesn't recognize Mr. H. Richard Detweiler, president of Nesfoods International, but in case. .. ladies and gentlemen, Mr. H. Richard Detweiler. "

Detweiler and Carlucci shook hands, which seemed to sort of surprise Mr. Detweiler, who then moved to a lectern.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for coming here this afternoon," he said, reading it from a typewritten statement. "I am sure that most of you are aware of the tragedy that struck my family recently, with my daughter very nearly killed not six blocks from here.

"I am not here to talk about my daughter but about the Police Department. I am somewhat ashamed to admit that before my daughter was shot and nearly killed, I never paid much attention to the police. They were simply there. But my experience with them since my daughter was injured, an innocent bystander in what seems to be an incident of gangland warfare, has taught me how devoted to the safety and welfare

of us all they are.

"Something even more shocking than the senseless shooting of my daughter has occurred in our city. I refer to the cold-blooded murder of Officer Joseph Magnella. That brutal, vicious act, the slaying of a police officer, poses a real, present, and absolutely intolerable danger to the entire fabric of our society, a threat we simply cannot tolerate.

"It came to my attention that one citizen, who wishes to remain anonymous, was thinking along the same lines. More important, she was prepared to do something about it. She was prepared to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the brutal murder of Officer Magnella. The reward she offered was in the amount of ten thousand dollars. My wife and I have decided to offer an equal amount for the same purpose. I have a check here with me.

"I call upon-"

He stopped and fished in his pocket and came up with a check, which he handed to Mayor Carlucci, who shook his hand while flashbulbs popped.