“What about the bank heist?” I asked.
“Nobody’s talking. We all think Luke Trombatore was behind it but we don't have shit linking him to it. Tanzini is the buffer and we don’t have him. Not much chance of him talking, anyway. The cop killer in custody, James Bratton, won’t talk, and his partner is still at large. Even if he did talk, the best he could give us is Tanzini. The electric chair is a better alternative for him than squealing on mob guys.”
“Then it’s a dead end,” I said. “Cliff and Ritmo didn’t know where those notes came from. Of course, they didn’t care, either. Tanzini was the buffer between them and Trombatore. So, all we’ve got on them is possession and sale of the stolen securities. So be it.”
I stood up to stretch my back and asked, “What about the race fixing case?”
“Well, you know the criminal case went down the tubes,” Lyle said. “But we made a referral to the state racing commission as well as all the racing commissions in the country. We don’t yet know how much attention they’ll give the matter, but the Louisiana commission has begun testing random horses in addition to the winners. Our case will probably reform the industry so far as drug testing racehorses is concerned.”
Jim Fenton put down his smoking pipe and handed me a large stack of mail wrapped by several thick rubber bands. Some pieces were a few months old. “Here’s your stuff, Tony,” he said. “Your new orders are in the blue envelope.” I tucked the mail under my arm. Fenton and I shook hands, and we quickly disbanded. There was no fanfare, no “Thank you,” no “Well done,” no “Go fuck yourself.” There hadn’t been at the end of any of the previous cases I worked, so I didn’t expect as much. It was another day at the office for them.
After the small group exited the conference room, Lyle and I headed to a busy café nearby. He looked at me with an obvious question about my orders. I tore open the blue envelope on top of the stack and shared the news with him. “I’m headed back to my home office in Miami to depressurize for a couple of weeks. After that, I report to the Secret Service detail at the Democratic National Convention in New York.”
Lyle was agitated. “Those assholes couldn’t let you stay home for a while?” His voice calmed and he said, “If it makes you feel any better, I’m headed to the DNC myself. Maybe we can hook up with Ernie Chinn.” He drove me to the airport and walked with me all the way to the gate. The other passengers boarded the plane as Lyle gave me a good-natured but forceful punch on the arm. “You did okay. We gathered enough criminal intelligence to keep law enforcement in Acadiana busy for some time. We also got some bad guys off the street, and you found the assassin. Good thing for all around, it was you.”
About the Author
AUGUST PALUMBO is a former New Orleans homicide detective and a retired special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. He was awarded the NOPD Medal of Merit and received numerous commendations from the United States Treasury Department for intrepid service, as well as the Distinguished Firearms Expert award.
He holds a Criminology degree from Loyola University New Orleans; and currently serves as a consultant to the National Association of Federal Agents.
Table of Contents
This story is based on a recount of real events. Some of the names have been changed to protect the living.
Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
Dedication
Preface
ATF public relations personnel often stand alongside United States Attorneys and defer press releases to them. The sweeping jurisdiction of the agency and enforcement of unpopular laws has until recently kept ATF low profile in its perception, despite the hard-hitting and vital nature of its work. This policy has fostered the question, “Who are these guys?” as the jumpsuits emblazoned with ATF swarm over bomb scenes and storm buildings with search warrants.
Prologue
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
Chapter 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
About the Author
Assassin Hunter Page 21
