Fishtown: A Jack Regan/Izzy Ichowitz Novel

by Neal Goldstein

  “What are you thinking?” McElroy asked Ichowitz.

  “Let’s get in touch with the DA, maybe we can get a warrant to search his house.”

  “To search for what?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Izz, we need probable cause to get a warrant.”

  “I know, but he was acting suspicious. Like he was hiding something.”

  “Last I checked acting suspicious isn’t enough to get a judge to sign a warrant.”

  “I hear you. Let’s see what the DA has to say.”

  Chapter 49

  “Uncle Mike, can I ask you something about my Da?” Liam was helping his uncle put the glassware behind the bar. O’Malley didn’t really need any assistance. His niece was concerned that Liam was suffering from the effects of his ordeal, so she devised a variety of ‘errands’ for Liam to assure that he was always in the company of an adult. It had only been a few days since his rescue and Kate was taking no chances.

  “What is it ya want ta know?”

  The boy paused, collecting his thoughts underlining the seriousness of his question. “When we came here to live, my Mum told me she and my Da agreed that it was too dangerous for me to live in Dublin. She said Da’s family would take me away from her. She said we’d be safe here. And then those men took me and all those terrible things happened.”

  O’Malley placed his hand on Liam’s shoulder and said, “All that’s done now, ya don’t have to be worryin about that ever again.”

  Liam nodded. “Then my Da came and saved me.”

  O’Malley nodded and waited for the boy to continue.

  “So if it wasn’t safe for me to stay in Dublin, and my Da came here and saved me, wouldn’t it be safer for me to live with my Da?”

  O’Malley sighed, “Both yer mother and yer father love you and would do anything in their power to protect you. And the same goes for Jack and me too. You’re a lucky lad ta have so many people who care about you. I’d say you’ll be safe here with your mother and Jack. Besides yer gonna be a big brother soon, and you’ll have a brother or sister that will need you here.

  You’re a remarkable young man, wise far beyond your years. My advice is ta let things lie fer a while. In the meantime, we’ve some chores ta take care of.”

  O’Malley realized how confusing all of this must appear to a boy who was not even 10 years old. The trauma of being kidnapped and seeing his kidnappers’ slaughtered bodies had not yet fully impacted the boy. For the time being, Liam needed to have the people who loved him around to help him deal with the aftermath of those horrible events and to answer questions about the complicated hand he had been dealt.

  O’Malley watched the boy and marveled at how his own life had changed since Kate and Liam emigrated from Ireland 18 months ago. It was only supposed to be for a few weeks or so, time for Kate to sort out her issues with the Flynns. Now, with her marriage and the imminent arrival of her baby, the move was permanent.

  He realized that it was natural for the boy to want to have a relationship with his father. He’d have a sit down with Jack and figure out about the fortune Flynn had left in his safe keeping for Liam. Before he left for Belfast Flynn put his share of the money the crooked Saudi sheik had paid them, 500,000 euros, in a Swiss bank account for Liam and appointed O’Malley the trustee. Flynn assumed that Kate would never accept such a gift, for fear that there were strings attached. O’Malley took Flynn’s offer to provide for his son as genuine. He was confident that in time he would find a way to convince Kate it was all for the good. For now all he wanted was for the boy to be happy and safe.

  “Your boss told me to contact you to discuss the Kastanski case,” Ichowitz was excited with the prospect of working one more case with Jack.

  “Yes, she told me you wanted to get a warrant to search Jerry Kastanski’s house. Want to fill me in?”

  Ichowitz gave him the rundown on the investigation to date.

  “Did you try to speak with Paul again?”

  “Yes, but he’s been in a near catatonic state since we met with him. His caretaker doubts that he’ll ever come out of it.”

  “Tough break. So both you and McElroy think Jerry’s hiding something?”

  “Yeah, but we can’t figure what his deal is. We also think his mother knows a lot more than she’s letting on.”

  Regan paused as he digested Izzy’s observations. “We’re going to need more than a hunch to get a judge to sign off for a warrant to search Jerry’s house. What do you think he’s hiding there anyway?”

  “I don’t know, but he sure as hell didn’t want to let us in the other day. Jerry and his mother lived there for the last 40 years. Who knows what we might find. We have someone from the district sitting on the house in case he tries to make a move. But we can’t keep that up much longer. Got any ideas?”

  Chapter 48

  “What happened?” Jerry asked when he returned to the apartment and saw Bayani curled up in a fetal position on the sofa.

  “He came here! You told me you didn’t tell him you brought us here.”

  “I didn’t.”

  “Then how did he know where to find us?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What happened?”

  “I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and cut him. I should have killed the mother fucker!” and she started to cry.

  “It’s OK.”

  “No, it’s not! He’s going to come back. I should have killed him.”

  “Did the judge sign the warrant?” Ichowitz asked when Jack walked in the Cold Case unit.

  He nodded.

  “How did you get him to sign?”

  Jack gave him a sheepish look and said, “I called in a favor. So what do you think you’ll find? My guess is that if Helene performed abortions in her house, she stopped over thirty-five years ago or longer.”

  Ichowitz nodded. “We’ll find out pretty soon. One thing’s for sure, it will shake Jerry up. I know he’s hiding something. Anyway, Mac’s getting the Crime Scene Techs ready with his guys to execute the warrant immediately. You and I will have to wait it out on the sidelines until it’s safe.”

  “Are you going to question his mother again?”

  “We’ll do Jerry first, and then go back to his mother. If we can get either of them to give up the identities of the Jane Does, we can close three more cases.”

  “Before we go there’s one more thing I need to tell you. The Supreme Court denied Heilman’s appeal. The execution will proceed as scheduled, two weeks from today.”

  McElroy and his squad, along with two uniformed officers from the 26th District and six Crime Scene Technicians executed the warrant flawlessly. Jerry Kastanski stood speechless with the warrant in his hands as the squad methodically worked their way floor by floor from the basement to the second floor. McElroy stayed with Kastanski while the search continued. He noticed that Kastanski’s appearance deteriorated and his coloring became paler and his breathing more labored, as the searchers moved to the upper floors of the house.

  “Mr. Kastanski, you don’t look well. Do you want to go to the hospital?”

  He shook his head.

  “Mac, I think you’ll want to see this,” one of the squad yelled from the second floor.

  McElroy motioned for one of the uniformed officers to stay with Kastanski. When he got to the second floor the squad member who summoned him was standing in front of an open door that led to a narrow staircase. McElroy followed him up the flight of stairs, “Jesus it looks like some kind of operating room.”

  There was a gurney with stirrups in the center of the room with one of those devices that hold bags for transfusions. Beside it was a table with what looked like a rusted and filthy surgical instrument on it.

  “Get the techs up here and have them spray Luminal on the table and the gurney.”

  In te
n minutes the luminesced blood was visible all over the floor.

  Ichowitz and Regan arrived as McElroy walked down to the first floor. He filled them in on the discovery of the probable venue where Helene had performed the abortions. “I think it’s time for us to question Jerry. Izz why don’t you take the lead.”

  Kastanski was sitting on the sofa looking as if he was about to pass out.

  Ichowitz and Regan walked over to where he was seated. “Jerry, we need to ask you some questions about something we found in your house,” Ichowitz spoke softly.

  Without looking up to make eye contact with the detective Jerry asked, “Do I need a lawyer?”

  Ichowitz shook his head. “You’re not a suspect. We really don’t think you had anything to do with what went on here, but we’d like your help with our investigation. Look, we know having your home searched by the police is upsetting. Why don’t we go to the station house and we can ask you our questions there, by the time we’re finished the men will have completed their search. OK?”

  Kastanski sighed, “I guess so.”

  “OK, one of Detective McElroy’s men will drive you.”

  Chapter 49

  All conversation stopped the moment she entered the bar, just like the last time she had walked into Duffy’s establishment. She ignored the disapproving stares from the crowd that followed her every step as she made her way to the bar.

  “Can I help ya?” the bartender asked.

  “I’d like to speak with Mr. Duffy, if he’s in.”

  The patrons returned to their conversations at the mention of the proprietor’s name. The bartender put a pint glass of Guinness on the bar in front of her and nodded, “It’s on the house,” and walked away. She sat down and watched as her server went to the end of the bar and whispered to a young man who nodded, got up and went to the door next to the dartboard at the back of the room. She remembered that Danny Duffy had emerged from the back room when she met Michael Flynn here.

  The door opened and the young man spoke briefly with someone inside, who looked over at her, stepped back, reappeared seconds later and nodded his head. All of the bar’s patrons turned away, not wanting to appear interested in what they understood was none of their business.

  The young man approached her, “Miss, Mr. Duffy will see ya now.”

  He was seated at the head of a long conference table. Six other men were also sitting at the table, three on each of his flanks. He stood up when she entered, and the other men followed his lead.

  “Miss Wells, it’s grand of you to stop by,” he greeted her.

  “Mr. Duffy thanks for seeing me. I wonder if I might have a word with you in private.”

  “Gentlemen would ya excuse us.” The other men immediately left and closed the door behind them.

  “I hope I wasn’t interrupting an important meeting. I would have called, but the number of the bar is unlisted.”

  “Yes, so it is,” he smiled. “Tell me what is it ya wanted ta talk about?”

  “Michael Flynn.”

  He nodded, “I thought ya might want ta chat about that scoundrel.”

  “I assume he’s no longer here.”

  He nodded.

  “I need to speak with him. Can you tell me where I can find him?”

  “Miss Wells, if Flynn wanted ya to know where he is, I’m sure he would have told you himself.”

  She nodded.

  “If ya like I can get a message to him for ya,” Duffy added.

  “No this is something I need to tell him in person.”

  “It must be somethin rather important.”

  “Yes, it’s very important,” she replied and brushed the tear from her cheek.

  Duffy studied her. He could understand why Flynn was drawn to her. He was surprised when Flynn had left without so much as a good-bye. It wasn’t like him to be so hard hearted.

  “Before he left I asked him about you,” Duffy said.

  “You did? “

  He nodded.

  “Why?”

  He smiled and his features softened, “I don’t know, there was something about the way he looked at you and the sound in his voice when he spoke of you. I’ve known Michael since he was a lad. He’s always had his way with the ladies if ya get my meaning. With you he seemed different somehow.”

  She blushed. “When you asked him about me what did he say?”

  “He said you were out of his league, and that ya were better off without the likes of him.”

  She shook her head, “He was wrong about that; all of it,” she replied and stared at him with a glint of fire burning through the smoky blue gray of her eyes. “Mr. Duffy, I’m going to find Michael Flynn, with or without your help. I have the resources and no matter what it takes I will find him.”

  Duffy held up his hands in mock surrender and said, “It must be something very important ya need to tell him.”

  “It is. Will you tell me where I can find him?

  Duffy was convinced that this young woman would do whatever was required to accomplish her goal. “He’s back home in Belfast. I’ll give ya his address,”

  “Thank you.”

  “Will ya do me one favor?”

  “Certainly, if I can. What is it?”

  “When ya see the boyo don’t be too harsh on him.”

  She gave him a quizzical look. “And why shouldn’t I?”

  “Because Michael Flynn is head over heels in love with you.”

  She smiled, “Why Mr. Duffy, I didn’t know you were such a romantic.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’m Irish.”

  “Commissioner, Special Agent Valdez asked if he can speak with you,” his secretary stood at his door. He nodded.

  “Rico, I thought that with Liam’s safe return you’d be going back to your regular duties at the bureau.”

  “My boss asked me to see you.”

  “Why do I suspect I’m not going to like what it is he wanted you to see me about?”

  “You won’t.”

  He waited.

  “Sir, it appears that our friend Mr. K from the Agency wants to meet with you about certain parties that your department has arrested and are presently in your custody,” Valdez said sounding almost apologetic.

  “Jesus Christ, not that guy again.”

  “Don’t kill the messenger.”

  Regan sighed, “I know. Let me guess, he wants to discuss Ben-Ali and his men.”

  Valdez nodded.

  “Those men are being held for murder and kidnapping and a host of other felonies. Don’t tell me he’s planning on playing the national security card again.”

  “Commissioner, the U.S. Attorney, the Acting Director of Homeland Security and my boss have all gotten the word from D.C. that the Agency has the authority to take them to Guantanamo. This Mr. K character apparently has a lot of juice since the al-Zawanhiri take down. I know these men are being held on capital offenses, but…”

  “Will all of them be at the meeting?”

  He nodded. The commissioner laughed, “Izzy would say the whole mispocheh is coming! So when are we meeting?”

  “This afternoon. They’ll be here at 2 PM.”

  The meeting went pretty much as Regan expected. The Agency needed Ben-Ali and his people to infiltrate an Al Qaeda network in North America. The U.S. Attorney had a written directive from the Attorney General authorizing the release of all of the men currently being held by the Philadelphia Police to the custody of the federal authorities. Regan had no recourse. The meeting lasted less than 15 minutes. The inscrutable Mr. K did not utter a single word. When the meeting was about to break the commissioner stood up and said, “Gentlemen, make sure none of these bastards ever step foot in my jurisdiction again,” and walked out of the room.

  Chapter 50

  When she s
aw him standing at her door her eyes narrowed into slits and she snapped at him, “What in the hell are you doing here?”

  Heilman responded with a crooked yellow tooth smile, “Sister Kastanski I thought you would like to know what your son has been up to.”

  She hesitated and fixated on the weeping cut under his left eye. “What would you know about my son?”

  “Why don’t you check out the apartment your brother-in-law owns on Norris Street, and see for yourself. I’ll take you there.”

  “Go fuck yourself,” she said and slammed the door on his face. She knew her worthless son was up to something, but what would that piece of shit phony churchman have to do with it? Maybe she should take a walk over there and find out.

  Two of the 26th District officers transported Jerry Kastanski to the Cold Case Unit to continue the interview. Before Regan and Ichowitz left the house McElroy told them he found the address of a garage Kastanski rented around the corner on East Laurel Street. “I’ll check it out and catch up with you at Cold Case and let you know if there’s anything there.”

  When Ichowitz and Regan arrived Kastanski was already seated in one of the interview rooms. They sat across from him and Ichowitz asked, “Jerry can I get you anything?”

  Kastanski shook his head.

  “Are you sure?”

  He shook his head again.

  “Alright, but if you need anything, or if you need to use the rest room let me know OK? Jerry, let me make it clear that you’re here voluntarily as a witness. You are not a suspect. You’re here to assist us in our investigation of the bodies that were found in the properties owned by your uncles in Fishtown.”

  Kastanski nodded.

  The interview was being videotaped and Ichowitz was establishing for the record that Kastanski was not under arrest, was a voluntary witness, and thus not, at that point in time under suspicion of any crime.

  Ichowitz continued, “We know that your mother performed illegal abortions many years ago. Based on what we discovered in your house, she probably performed them there.”