Chapter 61

 

 

The manhunt blitz didn’t get launched until Monday morning and it was probably a good thing because there were not enough men on duty at the precinct on Sunday to handle the volume of calls that started to come in about a half hour after the story broke. At around eleven in the morning, the insurance companies start to return his calls and by noon they are all on board and have agreed to offer a $1,000,000 reward for the capture of Feldman and Kadden if their capture leads to the recovery of all the stolen gems or at least a significant portion. Families and employers of the people killed during the commission of the robberies are also getting together to put up their own rewards for the capture and conviction of the deadly duo.

 

By five Monday evening, the manhunt story which now includes the rewards being offered has pushed every other major news item of the day off the air during prime time all across the country. If the FBI hadn’t offered assistance with following up on the leads that were coming in and keeping track of what has already been checked out, the precinct would have been completely overwhelmed and the purpose of the blitz might have been jeopardized. Even with the FBI’s help, Mickey is worried that the lead that would take them directly to these men will be overlooked or not gotten to in time to be of any use.

 

Clancy has called every available man into the precinct to man the phones and has arranged with the phone company to temporarily provide additional phones and phone lines to handle the continuing increase in the volume of incoming calls.

 

At around six-thirty, Vicki and Chuck show up to offer their help with answering phones and bring twelve boxes of extra-large pizza of various kinds to fuel the bodies of those on the phones.

 

Looking around and seeing people everywhere Vicki says, “Wow, if the pressure from this media blitz doesn’t have these guys jumping out of their skin, they’re not human.”

 

Mickey responds with, “I’ve heard and read about the power of the press, but I’ve never had a ring side seat before. In a way it’s kind of scary. The misuse of this kind of power could create some very serious problems not only for individuals but entire countries. Right now though, I’m ecstatic that they’re on our side on this one.”

 

Chuck asks, “Where do you want us?”

 

“Follow me.”

 

Mickey leads them to a long table in the back of the room and says, “With all of these phones ringing the only way you’ll know for sure when yours is ringing is by the flashing light. There are plenty of pads and pens on the credenza behind you and if you need anything else just shout.”

 

Chuck and Vicki barely sit down when their phones start to ring. Mickey says, “You’re on. Include in your notes on every conversation, the name and contact info of the caller, the time of the call and the key items the caller is passing on to you. You can ad lib, but make sure you get all of these items.”

 

Mickey’s figuring that the precinct will really be hopping for the first few days of the blitz, but then things should taper off to a level that will be easier to handle as the kooks are weeded out and they can concentrate on legitimate leads.

 

Mickey is wrong. On Wednesday afternoon the precinct is still a madhouse. Between answering phones, taking notes and trying to gulp down a burger and fries all at the same time Mickey has learned that he has an ambidexterity he never knew he possessed. Around three in the afternoon Mickey gets a call from a Richard Morris at the New York Federal Reserve Bank that makes the bedlam seen like a day at the ball park.

 

Mr. Morris is calling to let Mickey know that he has been in contact with the central banks listed in a communique received from the CFO of one of the major banks in town and is happy to report that they have agreed to cooperate in trying to locate the bank accounts in question and if able to do so without any doubt they have tagged the correct ones will put a hold on all balances. Mr. Morris has agreed to be the channel of communication between these central banks and the NYPD.

 

Thanking Mr. Morris for his participation, he breaks the connection and lets out a hoop and a holler that momentarily puts a hush over the entire squad room, but only for a moment as people began firing questions at him about his excitement. Once word gets around about the central banks offering to kick the targets of their manhunt in their financial gonads, the precinct seems to get a new shot of adrenaline, a new boost of energy that raises the enthusiasm and noise level to new heights.

 

Mickey has been surfing the internet to learn what is required from people wishing to open numbered bank accounts in other countries and is finding that anti-money laundering legislation has made it a bit more involved than it used to be when it comes to required documentation. Passports and other identifying documents must have things like apostilles, seals of authenticity, usually supplied by a notary public, explanations and means of verification must be supplied as to the source of the funds and how they will be used such as business contracts. They also require your name, date of birth and proof of residency.

 

There are companies that act on your behalf to open these accounts and Mickey’s convinced that Feldman, Kadden and Kessner used one to open theirs. That’s an avenue that can be explored if the banks can’t or won’t be willing to try to come up with something. He’s also fairly convinced that when they opened their accounts they believed they would never be identified as the people behind the precious stone robberies and would have had no reservations about using their real identities to do so. Why lie if there’s no need?

 

“Okay, you two, it’s party time and you’re the guests of honor.”