35
The Caravan
Thursday, February 11, 12:57 a.m.
Boone heard rubber on metal behind him to the right and knew the unmarked squad had sustained damage in the crash with the pickup. The blue-and-white immediately caught up to Jack, aiming its spotlight at the rearview mirror.
“He doesn’t want to play with me,” Jack said, aiming his own spotlight directly back into the driver’s eyes.
“Clear out of the way, Officer!” came a voice from the PA speaker in the grille. “In pursuit of that truck!”
Jack grabbed the police radio transmitter. “Back off! We’re sentries for that vehicle. Do not interfere!”
When the marked squad car made a move to pass, Jack swerved into its path.
“You are impeding a police department operation!” the officer behind radioed.
“I was about to say the same!” Jack said. “Who am I speaking to?”
“Antoine Johnson of the 18th precinct. I’ve been given authority to apprehend this truck.”
“You’re a long way from your jurisdiction, Officer. As your superior, I am ordering you to cease and desist, and we will sort this out later.”
“No can do, Keller. Sorry.”
“You don’t know how sorry. Who are the gangbangers following you?”
There was a pause. Then, “I am alone, sir. But I am arranging for backup, so be prepared to stop.”
Boone was on the phone with Fletch. “So Johnson actually identified himself?” Galloway said. “That puts the nails in Wade’s coffin. I’ll get the superintendent to call off any roadblocks.”
Boone told him about the two cars behind Johnson.
“They won’t dare get caught in a roadblock anyway. I want them before they peel off. Where are you?”
Boone told him.
“I’ll get squads in the area to apprehend them. Have your man in the truck head for the precinct station house on North Sedgwick.”
“Roger. Just a few blocks from where the SWAT team is in place, right?”
“Correct. SWAT reports that Wade has left the condo. Somebody’s following him. And Haeley’s phone is still transmitting. On his way out Wade told his wife that if it rings, Haeley should answer it and say she’s back in her hotel, that she was in a shelter for a while and her phone was dead. From what we can tell, it’s only Thelma Wade and Haeley there now. We’ve got the phone transferring speech to text if you want to read it.”
“Impossible in the car, Chief. Where can I hear it?”
Fletcher gave him the IP address where he could access the audio.
And as the unlikely caravan made its way from the Eisenhower to the Kennedy, Boone punched in the numbers that gave him access to Haeley’s transmitting cell phone. It sounded as if it were within ten feet of the voices.
“. . . and you know all this about your husband and me and Officer Fox how?”
“I have my ways.”
“He told you?”
“I didn’t need him to tell me,” Thelma said. “I have eyes. And ears.”
“And you’re smart.”
“Yes, young lady, as a matter of fact, I am.”
“Then you know it’s all a lie.”
“Of course I do.”
“You can’t be happy about that,” Haeley said.
“I wouldn’t be happy either way. If it was true, I’d want to strangle him. That he made it up makes it worse. Would you be happy if you were me?”
“Happy about my husband using me?” Haeley said. “No, ma’am, I would not. If you’re as smart as you say you are, and as smart as you seem, I’m guessing you haven’t been happy for a long time.”
There was a lengthy silence. Finally, Haeley spoke again. “So, where did those two go?”
“I believe Peter went to his office. What could look more innocent than that? That’s where he likes to be found when everything has gone down just as he planned it.”
“And Fox?”
“Back into his hole. I don’t know. He’s got some ratty apartment downtown, and he has to lie low. He’s angling for some kind of a deal, but he won’t get it unless he sings real loud. And I don’t guess Peter will let him do that, if you know what I mean.”
“Let me ask you something,” Haeley said. “How long have you known, and why have you let it go on?”
Another pause. Then, “The truth about Peter? For years. But the kids don’t know. They don’t even know about this place. For all they know we got a good deal on a house in the suburbs and have two nice cars.”
“How do you live with it?”
“I knew he wasn’t behaving himself almost from the beginning of our marriage. And when he started putting stuff in my name, I thought he owed it to me. He did owe it to me. And I liked it at first. But no amount of stuff can make things all right. Before I knew it, I was as deep into everything as he was.”
“You can’t leave?”
Boone heard a long sigh and assumed it was Mrs. Wade’s.
Jack said, “Hey, Boones, check out behind us.”
Boone couldn’t turn around because of his shoulder, so he lowered the sun visor and adjusted the mirror to where he could see. Several squad cars had seemed to appear out of nowhere and were pulling over the two cars behind Johnson’s squad.
“That’s not going to end well,” Jack said. “Especially if one of ’em really is Villalobos. He’s got nothing to lose.”
From the other direction a half dozen lit-up squads screamed through the darkness, exiting and coming across the bridge to enter the expressway from the other side. The gangbangers had waited too long to make their move. There would be no escaping now. Boone hoped there wouldn’t be a gunfight, but he could hardly imagine another scenario.
“Antoine Johnson sticks with us and he’ll have an awful lot of answering to do,” Jack said.
“He’ll claim he was just following orders and had no idea.”
“Yeah,” Jack said. “And the sun might rise in the west tomorrow.”
Boone watched the sea of blue flashing lights until they disappeared behind him, as he listened for more between Haeley and Mrs. Wade. He was amazed at Haeley’s poise.
“They think I can be bought?”
“Believe it or not,” Mrs. Wade said. “You’re going to get offered a lot of money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be optimistic about your future.”
“Ironic, isn’t it, trying to buy me off when I’m accused of taking a bribe?”
“I’ll say.”
Boone dialed Haeley’s cell. He heard someone approach, then Mrs. Wade read off the number.
“That’s probably Boone,” Haeley said. “I’d better take it.”
“You know what to do.”
Click.
“Hi, Boone!”
“‘Hi, Boone’? Awful cheery for someone I’ve been trying to reach since—”
“I’m sorry. There was a fire alarm at my hotel, and since I didn’t have my coat on, I was one of many the Salvation Army took in. And when I got back, my phone went dead. Guess I’d been charging it from an outlet that had a switch, and I didn’t know it was off.”
“So where are you now?”
“Back at the hotel. Everything’s fine.”
“Can anybody else hear me?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Tell her you’ll take the deal.”
“Sorry?”
“Tell her you could use the money. Who couldn’t?”
“But, what, how—?”
“We’re monitoring it; now play along.”
“Okay then, Boone. I’ll see you tomorrow. . . . Love you too.”
“Very good, missy,” Thelma Wade said.
Boone listened carefully but didn’t hear the phone being set down. Maybe he could risk texting her.
“I don’t need any more trouble,” Haeley said. “Anyway, how much money?”
“Depends. I think Peter wants you to testify against Fox. Say Garrett forced you, extorted you, tried to ruin your new relationship.”
“In a way, that’s true.”
“Then take the money,” Thelma said. “That’s the only thing that will make all this worth it.”
“Worth it? All I’ve been through? How about you? What makes it worth it for you?”
Mrs. Wade snorted. “Nothing. I just don’t care anymore. Whatever I ever hoped for, that ship has sailed. But if I don’t play this all the way out, I wind up in jail myself.”
“But come on, ma’am. Talk about being intimidated, forced.”
“I let Peter do it. I’m an accomplice.”
“So testify against him to keep yourself free.”
“Against my own husband. Against the father of my children.”
“How different is that from what you’re suggesting I do?”
“It’s not going to happen,” Mrs. Wade said.
“Where are we, anyway?” Haeley said. “I’m brought here blindfolded with no idea—”
“You’re not far from where you started.”
“So all those turns . . . I tried to keep track, but I was getting dizzy.”
“They just don’t want you getting any ideas.”
Boone took a chance, believing from the relative clarity of the voices that Haeley still had the phone. He texted her.
“Getting a message?” Mrs. Wade said.
“My girlfriend. I can call her later.”
Her phone rang. “My mother,” she said. “Should I take it?”
“Yes, but remember—”
“Hi, Mom!”
“Order a pizza,” Boone said.
“Sorry?”
“Tell her you’re hungry.”
“Doing fine. Hoping to get back to work soon. I’m kind of busy right now. Can I call you tomorrow?”
“SWAT will bring the pizza.”
“Love you too, Mom!”
Fletch texted:
Boone tapped in, wondering whether Jazzy had come out shooting, forcing the police to return fire.
Boone dialed, and when Fletch came on, Boone told him of the pizza idea.
“Perfect. Just tell us when. Wade’s taking calls from Johnson; Johnson is telling him where you guys are. We followed Fox home, Wade to the office. Tell Jack we’ll have backup at Sedgwick even though we don’t think Johnson is dangerous. He’s influenced by Wade. We’ll intervene there so Jack and Antoine can have it out while PC and his family are being extracted. Then I’ll meet you in the garage at our office.”
“What’s your plan, Chief?”
“Just going to show up in Pete’s office. His look will tell me all I need to know, not that there’s any mystery left.”
“And I can come with you?”
“I may need backup.”
“No, you won’t.”
“But you wouldn’t want to miss this, would you, Drake?”
“Not for a million dollars.”