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I DIDN’T WANT to use my usual Impala, so I borrowed an unmarked Nissan Maxima to head back up to the Bronx. I was driving slowly and chugging the last few ounces of a Diet Coke when I looked to my right and recognized our suspect, Kevin Doyle, sitting in a Chevy Trailblazer. I think some Coke shot out of my nose, I was so surprised. I mumbled, “I can’t freakin’ believe this.” But actually I could. Things like this happen all the time in police work. Going the extra step often seems to give us the answer to an insurmountable problem.

Of course, I never expected this to be one of those times. Rob Trilling was never going to let me forget it. I wouldn’t, if one of my crazy ideas bore fruit this quickly.

I used my cell phone to get ahold of Trilling. He answered on the first ring. I said, “You’re not going to believe this.”

“I saw the way you passed the Trailblazer. Is he in the car?”

“I didn’t think I was that obvious, but it surprised me to see him so quickly.” I risked a quick glance up the street to make sure that moron, Jaime Nantes, wasn’t already walking toward the bodega. Although watching that scumbag get splattered by the SUV would make it an easy case against our suspect, Doyle.

I took a turn around the block, and as I came up the street, a Volkswagen Jetta in front of Doyle’s Trailblazer pulled away from the curb. I slipped the Maxima into the spot and backed up until I was almost touching the Trailblazer’s bumper. I’d noticed a Mercedes parked directly behind Doyle and knew he had no room to get out quickly. If the Mercedes moved, Trilling would get into place behind him. That way we’d have him trapped between us.

The dark tinting on the Maxima’s windows kept Doyle from seeing me clearly. I hoped my car didn’t look too much like what it was, an unmarked police car. I considered the pros and cons of calling for backup. I settled for getting on the radio and calling the dispatcher. “Manhattan North Homicide is going to attempt to make an arrest. Any marked units in the area can call me direct on the radio.” I gave them our exact location and the suspect’s SUV description.

I saw no reason why we couldn’t sit quietly for a few minutes until a couple of burly patrol officers stopped to help us. As long as we took Doyle into custody, there wouldn’t be many questions. It would be an interesting few minutes in the long, usually dull day of a patrol officer.

I called Trilling and let him know the plan.