SIXTY-EIGHT

I grabbed my printouts, scribbled Sophia a quick note in case she woke up. Then Matt and I hit the stairs.

We found Detective Lori Soles at a table by a rain-spattered French door, dressed in her usual crisp slacks and pressed blazer, which barely hid the bulky weapon at her hip. Her short blond curls looked damp from the downpour, her expression beyond agitated.

Between angry swipes of her smartphone screen, she gulped her Iced Vanilla Latte—which did little to cool her off.

We hardly slipped into chairs at her table before Lori let loose—

“Who the hell is this Hunter Rolf we arrested today?! Did he steal the Hope Diamond? Commit high treason? Plot to kill a world leader? What?”

Matt blinked, surprised. “And here I thought cops in this city actually knew who they were arresting and why—”

I laid a hand on Matt’s arm to silence him.

“I know his name, Allegro,” Lori shot back. “Now I’d like to know why our collar was taken away from us.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we’re out, Clare. No interview room questions. Not even a Thanks for your work, Detectives. Sue Ellen’s so pissed she went on a Tinder date. I feel sorry for the person she swiped right on this time!”

Lori’s loud voice was turning heads. “McNulty just marched in, took over, and had us relieved for the day. You know, some of us actually like to be kissed before we get—”

“Shhh. Calm down,” I said. “Are you talking about Lieutenant McNulty, the man who heads the Inside Job Squad?”

Now it was Lori’s turn to be surprised. “You know him?”

“We’ve met. I was a victim of the man’s brand of ‘witness correction.’”

“Do tell.”

I did. About the fireworks. And the panicked shooting outside the bar where McNulty and his men were drinking. I also confessed that I was the one who fingered Hunter when I spoke to Quinn about him.

“So, you think Hunter Rolf is the cop shooter?”

“Not now . . .” I explained how Hunter was the victim of circumstance, for the shootings and the poisoning of Gustavo Campana.

“Well, I can tell you that Lieutenant McNulty won’t be taking your word for it. All interviews and investigations of both crimes are under his command. And he did not want Sue Ellen and me on his team. We’re out.”

“What about Mike?”

“Last I heard, your fiancé and his squad have been temporarily diverted from their own casework and put under McNulty’s authority for the duration of the cop shootings investigation. As of this afternoon, Quinn and his people are scattered across the five boroughs, tracking down Panther Man ‘leads.’”

“Why are you putting finger quotes around the word leads?”

“Because they’re obviously bogus. McNulty’s not about to give anyone the chance to solve a case he’s running, especially his chief rival in the department. That’s why he sent me and Sue Ellen off to see the wizard. He knows we’re tight with Quinn, and he obviously believes Hunter Rolf is a prime suspect. He wants the glory of a confession all for himself and his detectives.”

“Well, he’s not going to get a confession! Hunter is not guilty!”

Now Matt put a hand on my arm. “Take it easy, calm down.”

But I couldn’t. I was livid!

“Why in heaven’s name is Lieutenant McNulty in charge of the investigation? Mike’s team was targeted before the Inside Job Squad. He’s been working the case longer than McNulty!”

“That’s true, Clare, but McNulty is in favor right now at One Police Plaza, not your fiancé.”

“Why?” I squeezed my eyes shut, already knowing the answer. “It’s because Mike embarrassed the mayor and police commissioner, isn’t it? They blame him for the newspapers publishing that Panther Man sketch.”

“I’m sure that’s part of it. But don’t forget, Quinn went off to DC to work for Justice. He may be back in New York now, but those bureaucrats downtown are all too human—they have resentful streaks and short memories, and some of these new appointments in the commissioner’s office seem to have amnesia.”

“Are you saying Mike’s career with the NYPD is in jeopardy?”

“No, of course not. Mike Quinn is a thoroughbred. He’s a decorated narcotics officers, highly valued. The brass is not about to risk losing him in their stable. But they are pissed. So they’re spanking him by temporarily putting him under McNulty, who has much more political power at One PP—”

“Okay! Enough with the career counseling!” Matt threw up his hands. “This pee-pee talk is pissing me off. It’s time we talked about my mother!”

“Shhhh,” Lori and I hissed in unison.

Then we all calmed down and got down to business.