Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Four hours later, when the call came in that Harding Fellows had been arrested, Gina and Jane flew out of the office and into Gina’s car. Jane wanted to get their mandatory togetherness over with, so she didn’t argue about who drove.
They reached the department in record time and went to interrogate him. On charges of first-degree robbery, a class A felony, Fellows would do hard time once convicted since he’d already been on probation for larceny.
Or rather, if convicted. How had Fellows gotten free if not for some grand connections in the first place?
“Let me do this,” Gina said before they went inside the interrogation room. “Let’s see what he’ll tell me without the woman who kicked his butt watching.”
Jane nodded, all about the job. As she’d stated, she only wanted to get answers and return to finding the Code Blue Killer. Who made Fellows talk didn’t matter—so long as he did. She also happened to agree that her presence might not make him chatty.
She stood in the observation room, accompanied by three other people.
A moment later, after conferring with the detective accompanying her, Gina entered the interrogation room where Fellows sat, looking sullen and bruised.
An additional officer, one made of nothing but grit and muscle, stood inside for security. Intimidation be thy name.
To Jane’s surprise, Gina did a decent job grilling Fellows. The detective with her followed her lead. The two women asking questions finally managed a few pieces of information that told Jane two things.
One, Fellows had no idea how upper management in the Mazzuca family worked. His only tie to the crime organization was a huge debt he’d incurred while gambling, a thing the detective with Gina happily pointed out. Fellows insisted he only knew the Mazzucas from their reputation.
He claimed he’d already paid back his debt, but when Gina accused him of paying it back by trying to shoot Jane, his panicked expression betrayed him. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t confess. And other than his gambling debt, nothing tied him to the crime family.
Frustratingly, this crime appeared to have nothing to do with Code Blue.
Fellows had no idea why anyone would care about some stupid car burned up in an abandoned warehouse.
Everyone knew about the place. Cars found there were usually torched for insurance purposes.
Tons of criminals had used the warehouse prior to Code Blue’s Toyota ending up there.
One of the detectives watching the interrogation next to Jane murmured, “Unfortunately, he’s right.”
Another nail in the coffin of that lead.
“I need to speak to Jane Cannon.” Fellows nodded at the one-way mirror on the wall inside the room. “I bet she’s back there.” He said something else uncomplimentary about Jane, but she’d heard worse.
Gina nodded to the officer in the corner, who left and brought Jane in. The other detective departed, leaving Jane with Gina to question Fellows, while the massive officer stood back, watching with narrowed eyes.
“You got lucky with my nose.” Fellows’ eyes had blackened, and his swollen nose, covered in tape, had to hurt.
“I didn’t get lucky. I hit you exactly where I’d intended.
” Jane sat back, her arms folded over her chest. At ease but ready to strike back if he made a move.
Though the deterrent with massive biceps said he wouldn’t.
“Had you hurt any of the people in the store, I’d have broken your trachea, and you likely would have died, unable to breathe. ”
He stared at her. “That’s illegal.”
“No, that would be exercising lethal force to prevent innocent deaths by a violent criminal already on probation. No one would have looked twice at my actions.” She could feel Gina glancing at her but didn’t react.
She just watched Fellows, needing him to know that she was the real threat in the room, not the officer in the corner. “What did you want to see me about?”
“I, ah, well, I just wanted you to know I got nothing to do with any of it. Not really.”
“I was there. I took your gun away. Try again.”
“No, I mean, I just wanted to show off for my friends. The gun wasn’t even supposed to be real.”
Obvious lies, but he was showing off for someone right now, speaking without his lawyer. For her, or for someone else watching?
“What friends?” Gina asked.
“They took off before the cops got there. They were watching from outside.” He nodded at Jane.
“I just wanted them to see how dangerous it can be if you mess around with other people’s lives.
Looking into stuff not your business.” He stared into Jane’s eyes.
“You should have left me alone. Sometimes you need to back off before something happens. Like you get shot. Or you drown. Or worse.”
Drown—a reference to Simmons.
She didn’t react to the threat, watching in silence until he squirmed. Then she said, “So you’re telling me you’re working for the Mazzucas. Is that what I’m hearing?”
“What? No. A guy like me? I’m nobody. You gotta be something to work for a class outfit like that.” He looked nervous. “I’m just saying a person can’t be too careful in this city.”
“People who talk about the Mazzucas don’t live long, Fellows.” Jane shook her head. “I really wouldn’t share if I were you.”
Gina listened quietly to the interplay.
“Hey. I didn’t say anything.”
“You said everything.” Jane nodded. “Thanks. And good luck surviving a night here without cutting a deal.” Jane leaned toward him and whispered, “They’re everywhere. Watching. Listening.” She subtly tilted her head toward the officer in the corner of the room, who frowned back at her.
Fellows’ eyes widened, and he cursed at her. Then he yelled at the officer about how he’d said nothing. “You heard me. I said nothing. Nothing. I’m not a snitch!”
She stood to leave, and he screamed he wanted a lawyer. He wanted out. He stood, saw the giant officer take a few steps in his direction, then had a meltdown.
She left him to Gina and the detective who rushed back into the room.
In the hallway, she called Sullivan and finally got through.
“What do you want, O Suspended One?”
Jane huffed. “I’m coming back soon.” She gave Sullivan a brief summary of the convenience store robbery. “I think the robbery was an attempt on me, courtesy of the Mazzucas. Be on your guard, and let the team know, okay?”
“Damn. Will do. Thanks. We’ll look into Harding Fellows.”
You will, and who else?
But at least Jane knew the Code Blue Killer had no ties to Fellows and, apparently, no ties to the Mazzucas.
No ties that she could see, anyway. Not yet.