Chapter 95
ALMOST AS SOON as our interview with Spencer Owens ended, Maggie Chin had her Impala headed toward Yonkers while I quickly tried to verify the address and see if there were any listings of it in NYPD intelligence files.
All I learned was that the house was in fact used as an Airbnb, and it was currently booked through mid-January. At least that’s what the website said.
Maggie said, “Is there anyone you can call to sit on the house until we get there?” Traffic was relatively light and I appreciated how she leaned on the gas.
“I’d be worried about a patrol car scaring Owens off. It won’t take us that long, and we can wait if he’s not there.”
“How do you want to handle the interview? Charge right ahead or see if he wants to talk to us and give up his associates?”
“I always prefer to talk to someone. Who knows what this guy has seen and heard. No one likes to have an open case on the murder of a cop. Besides, I told Abby Boyd’s mother that we’d find who set the bomb in the Office of Technology. I like to follow through on my promises.”
“I’ve noticed. I was especially impressed with your willingness to fly out to Montana and help your partner. Whatever you did out there must’ve been pretty serious to have a crazy Albanian gangster be so angry about it.”
“I was just being myself,” I said, giving her a smile.
“I’m starting to see why everyone in the city bends over backward to help you. It’s a good lesson for cops coming on the job. You catch a lot more flies with honey.”
I always felt a wave of nerves before a big arrest. Or even a big interview.
I ran through some potential questions in my head.
Then I turned to Maggie and said, “I know we talked about the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski was discovered because his brother spoke to the FBI. This case seems to get more and more similar to that one.”
Maggie said, “This case is getting kind of creepy. But it’s certainly more interesting than my usual simple gun cases. This one is taking some real thought and effort.”
I chuckled. “I never thought of the ATF as working easy cases. You guys are in one of the toughest agencies out there, along with the DEA.”
“All I’m saying is that this case has more layers to it than the ones I usually work on.”
“Maybe you want to think about a career with the NYPD.”
Her smile and laugh told me I probably needed to recruit in another area.