Chapter 32

 

 

At eight-thirty the next morning, Derrick and Julie are sitting in Bill Bemis’s office giving him a summary of what they’d learned from Richie Delaney. Shaking his head Bill says, “This opens some doors for us, but it’s all hearsay and the word of a bookie isn’t going to fly very far if and when this case gets to court. We’re going to need a lot more to take these guys and whoever else is involved out of circulation.”

 

Derrick responds with, “Well, our next step is to walk through these new doors and see what’s on the other side. We just might find the proof we need. These guys aren’t infallible. If they keep doing what they’re doing, they’re bound to screw up somehow and when they do we’ll be there to open a new door for them, one to a cell.”

 

“Let’s hope you’re right and hope no one else gets killed while we’re waiting for them to screw up. By the way, how much did this information cost the citizens of Napa Valley?”

 

Derrick took the credit card receipt out of his wallet and handed it to Bemis. Seeing Bemis’s jaw drop open and his eyes blink rapidly, he grabs Julie’s arm, ushers her towards the door and says, “We’d better get a move on before those doors close on us.”

 

Before Bill can react, they’re out of there. Softly laughing Julie says, “I thought he was going to blow his stack when he saw that credit card receipt. I’ve never seen Bemis stunned before.”

 

Smiling Derrick says, “Oh, I’m going to hear about it before the day is over, but he’ll approve it. He may not be thrilled about it, but he’ll approve it.”

 

“If he doesn’t, I’ll split it with you.”

 

Looking at her with surprise in his eyes he says, “Thanks for the offer, but he’ll approve it. Don’t give it another thought. Let’s get to work on these names and see what we can shake loose.”

 

An hour later, they’ve come up with contact info on Collins and Sheldon and have determined that neither of them have a record. Maury has called back and has come up with nothing on Petrillo except a social security number, a passport and the information submitted by him to obtain it six years ago and a current Illinois Driver License with a Chicago address that may or may not be a current. However, what he dug up on Cordell was much more interesting. The man was a person of interest in the killing of the owners of an interstate trucking company based in Portland, Oregon ten years ago, but nothing but rumors could be substantiated. The case is still open.

 

With an expectant look on her face Julie asks, “Okay, what do we do first, have a talk with Collins then Sheldon to see what else we can learn, call the Chicago PD and the Portland PD with the hope of learning something new that might help us here or pay a visit to the concierge at the Westin Verasa Napa Hotel to see if he can gives us anything useful concerning Mueller and DiMaggio? You know, I’ve been thinking it might have been those two who waylaid us on our way to the Arlinghaus Winery.”

 

“It’s definitely a possibility. As for what we do first, I’ll call the Chicago PD and you’ll call the Portland PD. We’ll bring them into the loop and see what we can learn. Then we’ll pay a visit to the concierge at the hotel to see if he remembers anything else about Mueller and DiMaggio and then we’ll have a talk with Collins to see if he remembers anything else about his eavesdropping experience. Finally, we’ll call on Sheldon and try to intimidate him into ratting out the Paganelli brothers. If we pull that off, we’ll bring him in and get him to sign a statement revealing all. If we play it right, we should be able to get him to cooperate without him screaming for a lawyer.”

 

“You mean make a deal with him, his freedom for that of the Paganellis.”

 

“Something like that. I’ll have to run it by our legal beagles, but I think they’ll go along if they are convinced they can fry bigger fish than Sheldon.”

 

“Okay. Uh oh, here comes Bemis. I’m outta here.”

 

Bemis didn’t stop at Derrick’s desk or say anything. He just tossed the credit card receipt on the desk and like the song says, walked on by.

 

Derrick didn’t acknowledge it in any way, but instead picked up his phone and called information for the number of the Chicago PD. “Damn, I thought he’d have cooled off by now. The brass must really be on his back about our lack of progress in nailing the people behind what’s been happening at the wineries. Normally, he doesn’t sweat the small stuff.”

 

After calling the main number for the Chicago Police Department, he’s transferred to their records area and after introducing himself and explaining why he’s calling is handed off to an Officer Burgess who sounds like he’s got a bad cold and is difficult to understand.

 

“Officer, I’m trying to track down a man using the name Nicolas Petrillo. The only thing I have related to him is an Illinois Driver License and the information he provided when he applied for a passport six years ago. He’s a person of interest in a murder investigation I’m conducting involving the winery industry here in Napa Valley, CA. I’d like to know if he’s had any run-ins with you people and if you could verify the info I have.”

 

“Give me what you have and I’ll see what I can dig up. Do you want to hold or do you want me to call you back?”

 

“I’ll hold.” Derrick gives him the information he has and while he’s waiting checks out his email messages. Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete, and then, “I’ll be damned!”

 

Maria Conti has sent him a message. It’s short and somewhat cryptic, but he gets the message.

 

PARTIAL PACKAGE HAS ARRIVED. MESSANGER NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE!

URGENT!

Maria was able to get some names, but has gotten into some kind of trouble doing so. “Damn it, Burgess. Hurry it up.”

 

As if he hears Derrick, Burgess comes back on the line. “Detective, the phone number in the passport info is listed to a Patricia Petrillo and her monthly bill is sent to an address on the south side of Chicago. The address for Nicolas Petrillo shown on his passport is now occupied by a Robert Falcone. I got a copy of this guy’s passport and ran his picture through our system and got a hit. He was arrested for drunk driving and assaulting a police officer three years ago. He got off with a stiff fine. However, there’s something going on with this guy. He was arrested under the name of Salvatore Carolli because the driver license he had was in that name and the address shown on the license is one in Northbrook a suburb of Chicago. I could find nothing under the name of Nicolas Petrillo.”

 

“Email me what you have on Salvatore Carolli and Patricia Petrillo as well as on this Robert Falcone and I’ll see what I can come up with from my own resources. Thanks for doing this for me. If I can ever be of help to you guys, please don’t hesitate to give a holler.”

 

He gives Burgess his phone number and email address and when he hangs up Julie is just finishing her call to the Portland PD.

 

Nodding at Julie he says, “You first, what did you find out?”

 

“I talked with the detective heading up the investigation of the murders of the trucking company owners and he says they have several good reasons for suspicion where Cordell is concerned, but not a shred of proof. The owners were shot in their office around six in the evening and the office was trashed. They immediately ruled out burglary as there was nothing worth stealing except for a couple of beat up computers. The way the office was trashed they think it was something personal. One of the owners and Cordell were seen having a serious argument about something a week before the killings in the lobby of Nike corporate headquarters which is located just outside Beaverton, OR and Cordell was seen in Portland on the day the owners were killed. When they interviewed him, the detective said he had an explanation for everything and gave off vibes that were just too cool, like he had ice in his veins. He said the case is also cold.”

 

“That’s interesting. I wonder why the Paganelli brothers were meeting with him.”

 

“Maybe to arrange a hit? Maybe this guy has a side business going for him we know nothing about.”

 

“I wouldn’t put anything past these guys.”

 

“Okay, tell me what you found out.”

 

Derrick fills her in and then tells her about the email from Maria Conti. “The first thing I want to do is contact Maria and see what we’ll be dealing with there and then we can move on to the rest of our game plan with some additional folks to check out. Maybe, just maybe, we might be starting to make some headway.

“While I try to reach Maria Conti, call the Westin Verasa Napa Hotel and make sure the concierge friend of Richie’s is working now. If he is, we’ll head there next.”

 

“What’s the concierge’s name?”

 

“Cameron Brewster.”