‘When Bicho Rodriguez’s junkie mom was dying of hepatitis, Toselli promised he’d take care of him,’ Peters said. ‘He took care of him a little too good.’
Kelson shook his head.
His lawyer said, ‘Toselli turned dirty five or six years ago, when he was on narcotics with you. Internal Affairs has been investigating him since you got shot. A lot of missing drugs.’
Venus Johnson said, ‘Toselli grabbed them off the street, but they never made it to the evidence room.’
Kelson kept shaking his head.
‘They’ve got video,’ his lawyer said. ‘I watched it.’
‘Toselli’s one of the good ones,’ Kelson said.
‘He told a CI it’s like dumpster diving,’ Peters said. ‘Reselling drugs headed for the incinerator.’
‘Dammit,’ Kelson said. ‘He brought me a Frisbee.’
Peters looked perplexed. ‘I’m sorry?’
‘In rehab. He brought me a Frisbee. We threw it outside the center. He smuggled in beer. Nancy and Sue Ellen bought snacks from the machine. Sue Ellen calls him Uncle Greg.’
Malinowski said, ‘I know this is—’
Kelson was sweating. ‘We had a party.’
‘I’m afraid it’s over,’ his lawyer said.
Kelson shook his head. ‘Bicho’s mom was Toselli’s sister?’
‘Half-sister,’ Peters said. ‘Five years older.’
‘But she was like a second mom to Toselli,’ Venus Johnson said.
‘How long have you known about his connection to Bicho?’ Kelson asked.
Malinowski said, ‘It didn’t seem like it would do you any good to know right after you got shot. Toselli looked like the hero in this. We needed one. You did. We figured he didn’t get to choose his family, and this kind of thing could be poison.’
‘How long have you known? Before I got shot, you had me investigate Bicho without telling Toselli. Did you know then?’
‘This thing tore Toselli up,’ Peters said. ‘I did the interviews after the shooting. Toselli’s nephew was dead, and you were dying almost. His loyalty was clear. He buried his nephew in a nice little ceremony, but he seemed more worried about you. Seemed like he couldn’t do enough for you.’
‘He helped when I needed it,’ Kelson said.
‘We thought he was a good cop,’ Malinowski said. ‘Tough but clean.’
Kelson’s lawyer said, ‘After Bicho shot you and Internal Affairs looked into Toselli’s relationship to him, they found piles of evidence.’
‘They found traces,’ Malinowski said. ‘They’re still putting together a case. In the meantime, we transferred him from narcotics to vice.’
‘Where he continued his drug dealing,’ the lawyer said. ‘And now, with his contacts in vice, he’s started a sideline of extorting pimps and massage parlors. He’s a busy man. Hard to believe he has time to pin on his badge.’
Kelson asked, ‘Is that how he met Doreen Felbanks?’
‘Seems likely,’ his lawyer said.
Malinowski glared at him. ‘You’re here at our invitation, Mr Davies.’
‘No,’ Davies said, ‘my client’s here at my say-so. I can advise him against cooperating at any time. If you try to bury the facts, that time is now.’
Kelson turned to Peters. ‘Why are you telling me all of this?’
Peters said, ‘You’ve done undercover work. You know how to handle yourself in the line of fire.’
‘So you’ve got a couple of options,’ Malinowski said. ‘We can put you up in a hotel room, keep you safe …’
‘Or,’ Peters said, ‘you can step back into the line of fire. We’ll be watching from a hundred yards away. Like when you worked undercover. We’ll be there in a second if things go bad.’
Kelson stared at him. ‘You mean like if someone shoots me in the head …’
Malinowski said, ‘We’d understand if you say no.’
Kelson’s lawyer said, ‘That’s my advice. Walk away.’
‘We hope you’ll agree to help,’ said Venus Johnson.
Kelson said, ‘You’ve had me in and out of the station for the last week and a half. You’ve pinned me to the wall. What made you change your mind?’
Peters said, ‘When I brought you to Dominick Stevens’s house this morning, I was making sure about you. We needed to know about you before we moved against another cop.’
‘I was a cop too.’
‘You left the department under suspicious circumstances,’ Peters said.
‘Because I got shot?’
‘Because,’ Peters said, ‘you shot first.’
The words slammed Kelson. ‘Says who?’
His lawyer looked at Peters with scorn. ‘Toselli.’
‘It’s what he said at the time of the shooting,’ Malinowski said. He had the even voice of a man who never admits personal embarrassment. ‘We buried it. We didn’t want it to hurt you. We didn’t want it to hurt the department.’
‘Did I shoot first?’ Kelson asked.
None of the cops answered. His lawyer said, ‘They don’t know. They only had it from Toselli. He was the only witness.’
Malinowski said, ‘We didn’t know he was dirty yet. We made our decisions based on who we thought he was. The damage was done.’
‘To me.’
‘Yes,’ Malinowski said.
‘Have you gone after him now?’
‘We tried,’ Malinowski said. ‘We raided his house this morning.’
‘But missed him?’
‘He rigged a shotgun to the front door,’ Malinowski said. ‘The lead man took a chestful of buckshot. Toselli went out the back in the confusion.’
‘So now he knows you’re coming?’
‘We think he hooked up with another bad cop,’ Malinowski said. ‘Or an almost cop. A guy from your academy class – big guy, smart, strong, but a bad attitude. Name was DeMarcus Rodman. Dropped out. We’ve got him on security footage with Dominick Stevens outside the Omni.’
Kelson laughed. ‘What about Stevens’s call to WBEZ?’
Peters said, ‘We think Toselli and Rodman forced him to make it. If not, he would’ve called us.’
‘Maybe he knows you could trace the call and he wants to stay in hiding,’ Kelson said. ‘Maybe he knows there’s dirt in the department. Maybe he wonders who he can trust.’
‘Rodman’s dangerous,’ Peters said. ‘He grabbed Stevens. He’s capable of—’
‘Rodman’s the gentlest man I’ve ever known,’ Kelson said, then said to his lawyer, ‘Get me the hell out of here, will you?’
‘You’re at risk,’ Venus Johnson said. ‘So are Nancy and your daughter. When we raided Toselli’s house, we found a notebook.’
That stung Kelson. ‘What kind of notebook?’
‘Schedules. Sue Ellen’s school. Nancy’s work. When they come and go.’
‘I’ve got someone watching them. Don’t ask who because I’ll tell you and I don’t want to.’
‘Who?’ Johnson asked.
‘A little one-armed man named Marty.’
‘Don’t be an asshole,’ she said. ‘We’ve got a bad situation. Do you want us to pick them up and put them in a hotel?’
‘Nancy won’t go. Too hardheaded.’
‘We can try.’
‘You can.’
Peters said, ‘Work with us and we’ll watch you, or let us put you in a hotel too.’
‘Why don’t you give Toselli’s picture to the news?’ Kelson asked.
‘The higher-ups want him in our hands before the news hits.’
‘Control the story?’
‘A bad cop in custody is big news,’ Malinowski said. ‘A bad cop on the run is international.’
Kelson looked to his lawyer. Davies gave him the smallest head shake. ‘No,’ Kelson said, ‘I won’t play. You’ve had this wrong every step, and every time you stumble, I get a bullet in the head or you throw me in jail.’
‘Good choice,’ Davies said.
‘I understand,’ said Malinowski. ‘We’ll arrange for a hotel room and a guard. Keep you safe until we find Toselli.’
‘No,’ Kelson said again. ‘I’m out. You do what you need to do, but leave me alone.’
‘Bad choice,’ Davies said.
‘Stupid,’ Johnson said.
‘You’ve got the right to refuse,’ Malinowski said, ‘but we aren’t responsible if you do.’
‘I don’t like your idea of responsibility,’ Kelson said.
So Malinowski and Johnson left, followed by Peters, who said he’d arrange a ride back for Kelson. Davies tried to convince him to take protection and said he could file a civil suit for harassment and intimidation. Kelson told him again he just wanted to be left alone, and Davies left too.
For twenty minutes, Kelson waited alone for his ride. The overhead fluorescent lights buzzed. The windowless walls felt tight and tighter. Kelson looked for an air vent and saw none.
He waited another five minutes. ‘Forgotten already?’ he asked. He stared at the walls. ‘Closing in?’
Another three minutes. No one came. The fluorescent light buzzed. Kelson said, ‘Feels like a horsefly eating into my head.’
‘Huh?’ he asked himself.
‘Couldn’t they let me sit in the dark?’
‘Where I’ve always been.’
‘Percocet?’
‘Screw it.’ He got up and tried the door. Unlocked. He walked through the halls and out of the station.