Page 74 of NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority

A black Ford Excursion pulled up. The door opened and Marko Horvat, deputy commissioner of Internal Affairs, stepped out. The head vulture had come for its pound of flesh.

“You should be flattered,” Kylie said. “He almost never shows up at a crime scene.”

Horvat was a large man who looked as though he ate well—and often. I doubt if he’d seen the inside of a gym since high school. One of his minions pointed at Kylie and me and gifted us with afull-frontalscowl.

“He looks a tad peevish, wouldn’t you say?” Kylie whispered.

“Don’t make me laugh,” I said. “I’m in enough trouble as it is.”

Horvat tried to stride my way, but his thighs were so thick, it was more of a waddle.

“Well, there’s your problem right there,” Kylie said. “The poor man is chafed. A little corn starch would turn that frown upside down.”

I put my hand over my mouth to stifle the smile, and as Horvat advanced, I braced myself for the harangue.

“Commissioner Horvat,” a voice called out.

It was Captain Cates.

“What?” he barked, slowing down but still coming my way.

“A word. In private, sir.”

“Make it fast.”

Horvat gestured to his minion to follow him because he knew how easily a private moment with a female cop could be twisted.

The conversation lasted less than thirty seconds. It ended abruptly with Horvat making a quickabout-faceandstride-waddlingback to his car.

Kylie leaned in and whispered, “I think she just neutered the fucker.”

“Jordan, MacDonald,” Cates called out. “Let’s go.”

We followed her to a mobile command center vehicle that was parked on the apron about fifty feet from the mangled bloodmobile. She opened the door, and the three of us stepped up into it.

“You guys okay?” It was Horvat’s boss, the only person who could have sent him packing: the PC himself.

“We’re good,” I said. “Thank you.”

“No. Thankyou,” he said. “That plane was ready to take off for Phoenix with two hundred and twelve souls on board. If he had rammed the fuel tank...”

He shook off the thought. “Look, you’re squared away with IAB.”

“Thank you, sir,” I said.

“For now,” he added. “You’re still going to have to answer questions, but it won’t be a witch hunt.”

“Much appreciated, sir,” I said.

“I spoke to Mayor Sykes. She called Brooke Hellman and gave her the news. According to the mayor, Ms. Hellman would like to personally thank the officers who got the job done.”

“Does she know it’s us?” Kylie asked.

“The mayor made sure she knew it was the two of you who took out the man who killed her husband. I guarantee you that your next meeting with Ms. Hellman will be a lot more congenial than the last one.”

We thanked him again.

“I also spoke to Mason Asher, the head of the hospital. There were a few minor injuries when the tent came crashing down on people, but nothing serious.”