Page 13 of The Writer

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Log 10/18/2018 22:41 EDT

Transcript: Audio/video recording (body cam of Detective Declan Shaw)

[Detective Declan Shaw] Uniforms in position?

[Detective Jarod Cordova] We’ve got two on the alley out back, another watching the stairs.

[Shaw] Transcriber, we’re at the registered address for one Ruben Lucero, aka Lucky to his coworkers at the park. He’s a member of the grounds crew. A watch believed to belong to him was found near the body of Maggie Marshall. We obtained this address from his employment records. Lucero has a sheet and is a registered sex offender. [ Pause. ] We go on my mark. You ready?

[Cordova] Yeah.

[ Three knocks .]

[Shaw] Ruben Lucero, NYPD. We’d like to speak to you. [ Eleven seconds of silence. ] Ruben Lucero! Open the door!

[Cordova] You hear that?

[Shaw] Yeah. He’s in there. Ruben Lucero!

[Radio] I’ve got him! Came out a window! He’s on the fire escape!

[Shaw] Shit! Go, go, go!

[ Loud bang—door breached? ]

[Radio] He’s going up! I repeat, he’s going up. Heading for the roof!

[Shaw] NYPD! Fuck. I’ll go this way—head back down, track him on the ground. [ Running. Rattle of metal. Climbing fire escape? ] I’ve got eyes on him! He’s on the roof. Heading east! Lucero, stop right there! Shit, he just jumped! Fucker’s fast! He’s on the next roof over! East! East! I’m following. [ Loud thump. ] Stop, damn it! [ Loud thump .]

[Cordova] Anyone see them?

[Shaw] We’re one building over! [ Heavy breathing. ] Rooftop door is locked from the inside. He just tried it and ran off when it wouldn’t open. Get up here—I’m tracking him around HVAC, but I’ve got no visual. I don’t think he’s—[ Multiple thumps. Struggle .] I got him, get up here!

[Cordova] On my way!

[ Struggle. Unintelligible sounds. ]

[Shaw] I got him! Hurry up!

[Radio] Coming up the stairwell!

[Shaw] Stop squirming. Give me your hand, now! Other hand! Stop fucking squirming! NYPD. You’re under arrest!

[Lucero] Get off me, man. I didn’t do nothing!

[ Detective Shaw reads Miranda rights .]

[Lucero] I didn’t do shit!

[Shaw] Then why’d you run?

[Radio] At roof level. There’s a dead bolt on this door. Code enforcement will love that. Declan, we’re coming out. Hold fire.

[Cordova] You see him?

[Radio] Affirmative. Suspect in custody. Assisting.

[Cordova] I’m on my way up.

[Shaw] We got this, Jarod. Secure his apartment. I’ll meet you there.

[Cordova] Understood.

[Lucero] I need a doctor. I think you broke my arm.

[Shaw] Your arm’s fine. Sit up. Hey, nice watch.

[Lucero] I ain’t wearing no watch.

[Shaw] No shit. I said sit up. Watch him. I’m gonna check his pockets.

[Lucero] Fuck! I told you, you broke my arm!

[Voice unidentified] Shit, Declan. I think you did. That’s bone, right? Sticking out?

[Lucero] Stop moving it! It fucking hurts! Get me a doctor!

[Shaw] Tell me about Maggie Marshall.

[Lucero] Who?

[Shaw] You know who. The girl in the park.

[Lucero] You gonna let him do this? Take me to a hospital! Get this fucker away from me.

[Voice unidentified] Should I call a bus?

[Shaw] In a minute.

[Lucero] Fuck in a minute! This hurts! Get the cuffs off me!

[Shaw] So you can run again?

[Lucero] It’s ten o’clock at night, and you come busting down my door. What the hell I’m supposed to do?

[Shaw] You recognize this girl? [ Silence. ] Look at the picture! You recognize her?

[Lucero] Fuck you. Get me a lawyer.

[Shaw] Thought you wanted a doctor. Tell me about the girl, then I’ll get you both.

[Lucero] I don’t know who that is. Ow, fuck! Let go! Let go my arm!

[Shaw] Stop resisting.

[Lucero] I ain’t resisting! You all just saw what he did!

[Voice unidentified] I know he knocked on your apartment door, and now we’re on the roof of the next building over because you ran. That sounds an awful lot like resisting to me.

[Lucero] I think I’m gonna be sick.

[Voice unidentified] That is bone for sure. Went right through his shirt.

[Shaw] Go ahead and call that bus. I’m thinking maybe we should push it back in and tape the wound. I’d hate to see him bleed out while we’re waiting. Just a little push and—

[Lucero] Aw, fuck! Stop! Don’t!

[Shaw] Tell me about the girl.

[Lucero] I don’t know no girl!

[Shaw] You hold his arm, I’ll push the bone back in. On three. Ready?

[Lucero] No! Stop! No! I don’t know her—I just seen her!

[Shaw] Seen her where?

[Lucero] She cuts through the park sometimes. Lots of kids do!

[Shaw] Where exactly did you see her?

[Lucero] Comes in from Fifth on the north end and cuts across near the hill.

[Shaw] That’s awfully specific. You follow her?

[Lucero] Fuck. I really need a doctor. I’m gonna pass out.

[Voice unidentified] Oh, there he goes.

[Shaw] Lucero! Wake up! [ Eight seconds of silence .] Wake up! [ Unintelligible mumbling .] Get him downstairs and wait for the bus. If they can’t patch him up, take the ride to Memorial. Stay with him. As soon as he’s ready for transport, I want him at the Twentieth.

[Voice unidentified] The nurses will ask how the arm got broke.

[Shaw] Tell them the truth: He resisted. I was forced to tackle him to get him to the ground, and he landed wrong. You saw that, right?

[ Response unintelligible .]

[Cordova via radio] Declan. You need to get over here.

[Shaw] On my way.

[ End of recording .]

/MG/GTS