CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cole arrived at the station a little early, got some coffee, and was shooting the breeze with one of the detectives when Flanigan approached and poured himself a cup. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” Cole said. “Let’s roll.”
They were en route to interview a witness of an armed robbery. Espinoza had stayed back to finish some paperwork, so Cole rode shotgun.
“So, you pissed you went all the way up to Podunkville for nothing?” Flanigan said.
“Huh?” Cole looked up from the case file he was reviewing.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“The witness you went up there to babysit. She backed out before they could get her before the grand jury. They cut Cruz loose this morning.”
“What?” Cole said, sitting up straight. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“I don’t know.” Flanigan shrugged. “Figured you knew. Plus, it just happened.”
Cole’s head spun. How? Why? Why now? So many questions ran through his mind. And only one person had the answers.
As soon as they parked, he took a pass on sitting in on the interview. Told Flanigan he had a call to make. Holly answered after three rings.
“You heard,” she greeted.
“Holly. What in the actual hell?”
“I’m sorry, Cole. I didn’t have a choice.”
“No choice? That bastard walked because of you.” He tried but failed to contain his anger. “Why did I spend all that time up there protecting you if you were never going to testify?”
“I was going to,” Holly said, voice stiffening. “I just can’t now.”
“Why not?” he bellowed. There was a long pause before she answered.
“He threatened my team.” Her voice cracked. “Left a message in my mailbox—a picture of all of us together with a note saying he’d kill us if I testified.”
Cole blew out a heavy breath, trying to summon patience. “Holly, if he’s put away, he won’t be able to hurt you. Or your friends.”
“He has a whole gang of thugs to do his bidding. You told me that yourself.”
“I did. But…but…your testimony was the only thing the DA had.”
“That’s the other thing,” Holly said. “What if that’s not enough? You don’t have the gun, he has an alibi—sure, it’s bogus, but he’s got people swearing to it. A jury may very well have enough doubts to let him walk, even if I do testify. Then what happens to me?”
“The DA thought your eyewitness testimony, along with what we have from Nick’s undercover reports, would be sufficient. We need you.”
Another long pause followed by a heavy sigh. “My friends and I joke that we’d take a bullet for each other. And honestly, I believe they mean that. But I can’t make that a literal possibility. I won’t risk their lives. They’re all I have left.” Her voice broke again. “I’m really sorry.”
“You’re not sorry,” Cole said coolly. “You’re a coward.”
He hung up and fumed, shoving the phone into his pocket with unnecessary force. Too angry to continue the ride along with Flanigan, he texted to tell him he was bailing and caught a cab back to his place.
Later, after he cooled off, he realized he’d been a bit harsh. Well, maybe a lot harsh. Of course Holly was scared. Cruz was a scary guy. She’d watched him kill someone. And he’d already come for her once. Holly was tough and independent, but no match for a New York City gang banger.
He stomped around his apartment in frustration. He couldn’t make Holly testify. And he couldn’t guarantee her safety. But there was no way to convict Cruz without her.
After he calmed down enough to think straight, he had to admit Holly had some valid points. Even with her testimony, this wasn’t a slam dunk. If only they could find the gun. Or another witness. Or someone in Cruz’s gang that would turn on him.
All those thoughts got him thinking. How had Cruz figured out Adams was an undercover cop in the first place? And how had he known about Lambert before that? He picked up the phone and called Flanigan. After apologizing for skipping out, he asked, “Do we have any idea how Adams was outed? Why did Cruz record that phone call?”
“No,” Flanigan said. “And I don’t know. Could be anything. Adams could’ve said something wrong, made a call when he thought no one was listening, or been seen by a Fire Viper with someone suspicious. Maybe Cruz is just paranoid. We may never know.”
“Yeah, okay,” Cole said. All that was plausible. “Any leads on the gun?”
“Pft. Dude, that thing’s at the bottom of the Hudson for sure.”
“You’re probably right.”
Cole spent the next few days stewing. Mad at Holly for backing out. Mad at himself for being so rude to Holly. Mad at the system for letting Cruz out of jail. He had too much time on his hands. He needed to go back to work but still had another week of mandatory vacation. Riding with the detectives was his only link to the job, so he called Flanigan and arranged to ride along again.
“You’re not gonna just bail on me?”
“No,” Cole said. “I promise.”
“Uh-huh. You heard Bennett’s comin’ back to town. Is that why you called? To get in on that action?”
“What? No. What action?”
“Guess she had second thoughts. Called the DA and told him she’d testify after all. They got with us to make a plan to rearrest Cruz.”
“That’s fantastic,” Cole said. Finally, some good news. “Yes, I want in. What’s the plan?”
“We’re gonna have a CI leak information that Holly’s coming to town to talk. He’ll tell Cruz she’s staying at the Hotel New York again, but instead of her, he’ll find us.”
“You’re gonna use Holly as bait?” Cole’s enthusiasm dampened, souring on the plan immediately. “What if something goes wrong?”
“She won’t be anywhere near the Hotel New York. We’ve put her up in the Stay and Play on Madison. Once Cruz is in custody, she’ll meet with the DA. This is all going down soon. If you want in, you better get over here.”
“Wait for me.” Cole clicked off and gathered his things. He wore khakis and a black polo, but hung his badge on his belt. He felt like a detective wannabe but didn’t want to stand out in a uniform. Technically, he wasn’t on duty anyway. He put one gun in a holster on his waist and strapped another to his ankle. He rushed down to the station, where they had already mobilized.
“Four plain clothes in the lobby to spot. Two of you in the room. And two pairs of you on each stairwell. As soon as he finds out Holly’s not there, he’ll retreat. We’ll take him in the hallway. Questions?”
“Who’s guarding Holly?” Cole asked.
“She’s fine. Cruz has no idea where she is.”
“That seems risky.”
“You’re not even a detective, and you think you should be in charge now?” The detective sergeant glared. Cole shook his head. “All right. Let’s go.”
“That’s not a good career move,” Flanigan said under his breath.
“Dude. Holly’s a sitting duck if Cruz finds out where she really is.”
“How’s he gonna figure that out?”
“I don’t know.” All of a sudden, Cole didn’t trust anyone. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if the PD had a rat. Sure, there were lots of ways Adams and Lambert could have been exposed, but the whole thing wasn’t sitting right. “Yeah. Never mind.”
Flanigan exited with the other officers. But rather than follow, Cole slipped out a side door. And hit the street running. The Stay and Play was only two blocks from the precinct, but it felt like two miles. Cole arrived at the front doors and slowed, taking in everything on the street before entering.
He put his badge in one pocket and slipped his gun in another. It was midafternoon, and the lobby was sparsely populated. He saw Holly first, turning away from the front desk and heading toward the elevators, dragging a roller suitcase behind her.
Then he saw Cruz. A baseball cap hid most of his face, but Cole watched as shrewd eyes followed Holly from just a few feet away.
Cruz was so focused on Holly that he didn’t notice Cole easing in behind him. Holly pushed the call button for the elevator and waited, tapping her foot to something playing in her earbuds. Cole was still closing in from several feet away when the doors opened, and Holly stepped in.
Cole’s heart jumped into his throat as Cruz ran over and pointed his gun directly into the elevator. An ear-piercing scream rang out.