Hollow Point

by Mike Ryan

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  They went straight back to the office so Haley could pick up his car as both went home for the night after that. Along with Jones, they’d already agreed that whatever was learned, they’d reconvene in the morning to go over it, as well as discuss their next options moving forward.

  Feeling like they were at the cusp of figuring the entire plot out, Recker got to the office earlier than normal the next morning to get a jump on things. As usual, Jones had already beaten him to the punch.

  “How long you been going at it?” Recker asked.

  “Oh, about since six.”

  “Heard from Chris yet?”

  “Yes, he just texted me a few minutes ago,” Jones said. “He’s picking up breakfast on the way in. Should be here in a half hour or so.”

  “Good. We have a lot to discuss.”

  Recker then told Jones about his conversation with Sivelski, letting him know everything that was said, as well as his own suspicions. After he was finished, Jones had a hard time believing it.

  “You really believe Vincent is behind this?”

  Recker nodded. “I do. No one else could pull this off. No one else would have the stones to do this.”

  “But why?”

  “I think he got wind of a growing threat and put an end to it quickly.”

  “But why play the game like he has no idea what’s going on?” Jones asked.

  “I’ve been thinking about that. Put yourself in his shoes. If it gets out that he’s the one behind the killings, how much heat will that bring him?”

  “A considerable amount.”

  “More than he wants. He’s not stupid. He’s got cops on his payroll. If they find out that he’s taking out cops, even ones that are dirty, who’s to say whether they’ll turn on him? Even the dirty ones tend to stick together. But just the same, he wants to take out anyone who’s competing against him. Just makes it trickier when they’re wearing badges.”

  “Makes it trickier to determine what we should do too,” Jones said.

  “From what I can tell, we have a couple options.”

  “Which are?”

  “We forget about this entire thing and let whatever happens happen. Or we barrel into it head on and go wherever it takes us.”

  “Meaning we take on Vincent.”

  “And probably throw away all the goodwill we’ve built up with him along the way in the process,” Recker said.

  “Or? Maybe we tell him what we know and see if he comes clean.”

  Recker didn’t think that was a wise idea though. “No. That would just put us on a collision course again. But there is another solution.”

  “And that is?”

  “That Sivelski and his bunch admit that they’re in over their heads and admit defeat.”

  “And just how likely do you think is that?” Jones asked.

  “I guess that depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On how much they want to live.”

  Recker asked for an emergency meeting with Vincent based on his conversation with Detective Sivelski. He didn’t let the crime boss know what the meeting was about in advance. Luckily, based on their past relationship, Vincent always made time for him. Since it was mid-afternoon, Vincent told him to meet him at his trucking business where they’d conducted so many meetings at before. Once Recker arrived, Malloy led him to the same office as usual. Like usual, Vincent was sitting behind his desk as Recker walked in. He took a seat, not wanting to waste any time on the subject.

  “So, what’s this about?” Vincent asked. “Seemed pretty urgent based on your call.”

  “I would just like to know from you where things stand.”

  “From me? In regard to?”

  “This whole cop thing,” Recker answered.

  “I thought we’d been over that.”

  “And I talked to a certain detective who’s involved in a group of cops who started going into business for themselves who told me that you’ve talked to them about their business.”

  Vincent stared at Recker for a few moments, taken slightly off guard. But he remained cool and calm like he usually did. “If you’re referring to a Detective Sivelski, then yes, I know all about him and his little operation.”

  “You told me before you didn’t.”

  “You showed me pictures and names of men who’d been killed. You asked me if I knew them. I did not.”

  “So, you didn’t know they were part of Sivelski’s crew?”

  “I did not.”

  “You know how it looks, right?” Recker asked. “You told me yourself that you don’t pay attention to people until they start getting bigger. Then suddenly, this crew, who looks like they could be a threat due to their positions, and they start dropping like flies.”

  Vincent grinned, knowing how it appeared, but not ready to admit any involvement. “I can see how it might look to some. I can’t really help outside appearances though, can I?”

  “So, you’re saying that you’re not responsible for taking these people out?”

  Vincent leaned forward and put his hands on the desk. “Even if I said I did have a hand in it, and to be clear, I’m not saying I did, where would that put us?”

  Recker shrugged. “Same place as before. I don’t think it would change our deal at all. I’m just looking for answers.”

  Vincent smiled again. “Well that’s good to know. But in saying that, my answer still hasn’t changed. Whatever is happening to these officers is not my doing.”

  Recker nodded, feeling like they didn’t have much else to discuss. “He still couldn’t be sure whether Vincent was actually being truthful with him, but even if he wasn’t, it was obvious that he wasn’t going to admit to anything. Before he left, though, Vincent had some parting words for him.

  “I’ll tell you, Mike, since this is starting to look like I have a hand in it, that’s very concerning to me. Makes me look guilty.”

  “So?”

  “So, I’m going to start putting my people on it.”

  “To do what?”

  “To find who is responsible for this. Jimmy,” Vincent said, pointing toward the door. “Start making the arrangements.”

  “You got it, boss,” Malloy replied.

  Recker looked at him, not sure of his motives. But whatever they were, hopefully it would help resolve the situation sooner.

  “I guarantee you that we’ll find this person by the end of the week,” Vincent said.

  Recker went back to the office to talk to Jones and Haley about the meeting. Though he was initially convinced Vincent was the mastermind behind what was going on, now, he just wasn’t sure. Jones and Haley were equally as perplexed. They had their theories, several different versions of them, and they all made sense, but they couldn’t prove any of them. Not yet. And they weren’t sure they could. Unless more bodies dropped.

  16

  Recker was having another conversation with Vincent. This time it was on the phone, even though it wasn’t Vincent’s preferred method of contact. Recker was pacing around the office as he talked, with Jones and Haley working on computers, though both were keeping an ear out to try to get some inclination of what they were discussing. Even if they couldn’t hear any specifics, they had a good idea of what was being talked about.

  It’d been five days since Recker’s emergency meeting with Vincent. In that time, Recker tasked Tyrell with keeping an ear out on the street to see if he got wind of Sivelski throwing in the white towel. Tyrell reported back after a couple of days that he heard no such development. And they’d soon learn the consequences of that. Two days ago, news broke out Sergeant Barry Orwell had been killed on duty after responding to what was supposed to be a domestic disturbance. But when he arrived at the house in question, there was no disturbance. In walking back to his car, a shot rang out across the street, killing him instantly.

  Last night, they were greeted with the news Detective Sivelski had been murdered, only a few steps from his fro
nt door. Recker and company were reasonably confident that was the last of the police shootings. Though there were three other members of the police crew still at large, they weren’t the brains of the outfit. With the two leaders, Sivelski and Orwell, being killed, it was believed the others would cease operations. But it still left questions unanswered, such as, who was behind it. Most people didn’t know the reasonings behind the killings, and for them, it was still an uncomfortable time. For all they knew, some nutjob was targeting police officers. Most people would still need closure. That’s basically all Recker was still looking for to provide.

  Once Recker got off the phone, he kept walking around the office for a minute. Eventually, he came back over to the desk and tossed his phone on it. He stood there, not saying a word, leaning on the desk. Both Jones and Haley looked up at him, and both read him the same way. He didn’t look particularly pleased.

  “Would you care to tell us what that look on your face is for?” Jones asked.

  “He says they’re close.”

  “Close to what?”

  “Finding the person responsible,” Recker answered.

  “Well that’s good news.”

  “Yeah, so why don’t you look happy about it?” Haley asked.

  “I dunno. I guess ‘cause I just find it hard to believe.”

  “Why?” Jones said. “You know Vincent has plenty of contacts on the street, more than we do. What’s hard to believe about it?”

  “Just doesn’t feel right. This whole thing hasn’t felt right for a while.”

  “Well, regardless of that, it seems as though it might be coming to a head. And that’s what we want, isn’t it?”

  “I guess so.”

  “I’ll be glad when it is,” Jones said. “I’m ready to put all of this behind us. You know I wasn’t exactly thrilled about taking this case on to start with. I’ll be happy to not have to put any more time and resources into it.”

  “Do we even need to keep looking into it?” Haley asked. “I mean, if Vincent’s close, then it seems like he’s further ahead of things than we are right now. Maybe we shouldn’t even bother checking anymore.”

  Recker wasn’t too keen on that idea. “Well, let’s keep on it a few more days, just in case Vincent isn’t as close as he thinks he is.”

  Jones was only too happy to oblige Haley’s suggestion and started shifting some of his time to other things, though he still kept an eye on things. But from his vantage point, there wasn’t much else he could do. It seemed as though all the computer work that was necessary had already been done. While Jones started looking into other upcoming cases, Recker and Haley stayed on their current assignments. They were still working on those assignments when Tyrell called about six hours later.

  “What’s up, Tyrell?”

  “Hey, got something big for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “Might have a name for you,” Tyrell said.

  “Name of who?”

  “Of the guy who’s been shooting cops.”

  “What?” Recker said, almost in complete disbelief.

  “I think I got the guy.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Jeffrey Flowers.”

  Recker snapped his fingers to get his partner’s attention. Once he did, he repeated the name to them, so they could start digging up his background information.

  “How’d you get this?” Recker asked.

  “Well you said to keep digging, keep pressing. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

  As was his nature, Recker was still skeptical. “And someone just finally came to you and volunteered the information?”

  “I dunno, man. I’ve just been continuing to work it.”

  “The guy who told you, you know him?”

  “Yeah, I’ve dealt with him a time or two over the years.”

  “You trust him?”

  “Yeah, you know, as much as you trust anybody out here,” Tyrell answered.

  “What’s your take on it?”

  “I think it’s good.”

  “All right, we’ll start checking it out,” Recker said.

  “It is kind of strange now that I think about it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, this dude does a lot of work for Vincent. Even more than I have. Kind of weird that he’d come to me with the info instead of just giving it to him.”

  “Vincent told me he was getting close. Maybe this is what he meant.”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?” Recker asked.

  “Because he told me he didn’t mention it to him.”

  “How much did you have to give him for it?”

  “Only five hundred,” Tyrell said.

  “Five hundred? That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  “A tip like that is worth a ton more than that. Why would he just give it to you for such a low amount?”

  “Beats me. People out here do some strange things from time to time. Can’t always figure out someone’s motivations.”

  “I’ll go along with that.”

  As soon as Recker was done on the phone, he checked out the computer to see what Jones had on Flowers. As they ran down his list of prior criminal offenses, the red flags in Recker’s mind were going off. It didn’t seem to match up with the type of person he was expecting to be behind the killings.

  “There’s nothing on there that indicates he’s the guy we’re looking for,” Recker said. “I mean, there’s not a violent crime on there.”

  “That does not mean he hasn’t upped his game,” Jones said.

  “David.”

  “I know it does not seem likely. But nevertheless, it needs to be checked out, does it not?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well then, let’s see if I can pin down an address for him and investigate. Then we can come up with our own conclusion.”

  “Kind of funny, guy with the last name of Flowers doing stuff like this,” Haley said, appreciating the irony.

  “Yeah. A lot of funny things seem to be going on here,” Recker replied.

  “Besides his history, what else is bothering you about him?” Jones asked. “Or is that it?”

  “A guy who’s known to associate with Vincent, one of his contacts on the street, and he doesn’t go straight to him with it? Instead he comes to us? And for only five hundred dollars? That just screams all kinds of nonsense to me.”

  “As I said, let’s just check it out and see what comes of it.”

  Recker agreed, and even if he thought it was a false lead, it was still a lead that needed to be run down. Jones spent roughly thirty minutes on the computer before he came up with something. He printed it out and handed it to Recker.

  “Lives in an apartment off the boulevard,” Jones said.

  Recker looked at the time and figured it was best to wait another hour or two for darkness to really set in before heading over there. He went over to his cabinet and pulled out a couple weapons for his next rendezvous, then looked at Haley.

  “Feel like having some fun tonight?”

  “I think I could be persuaded to join the party,” Haley replied.

  “Please just exercise some caution when you get there,” Jones said. “I realize he doesn’t have a violent past on paper, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t graduated, or that he isn’t dangerous.”

  “Don’t worry. I won’t be taking anyone for granted on this case,” Recker said.

  Once ten o’clock rolled around, Recker and Haley left the office on the way to Flowers’ apartment. It was a modest apartment in a decent area, not some run-down place off the grid or an apartment people tried to hide out in. They staked it out for an hour or so, trying to work out if he was there or not. Flowers had an apartment with a balcony on the third floor, so Haley waited by the outside, looking up at it, waiting for signs of movement. It was dark the entire time they were there, leading them to believe the man they were looking for may not have been home.

>   Recker didn’t want to wait any longer and went up to the third floor and stood outside Flowers’ apartment. He stationed himself there for a few minutes, keeping his ear pressed to the door as he struggled to hear any type of noise coming from inside. After five more minutes of inactivity, believing the apartment was empty, Recker let Haley know he was going in. Haley moved from the back of the apartment to join his friend inside.

  Recker picked the lock and opened the door. He had his gun out, ready for a battle if one presented itself. It was dark and not a single sound was heard. Hesitant to go any further for fear something was waiting for him, he put his hand on the wall to feel for a light switch. After a few seconds of searching, he found it and flicked it on. As soon as the lights went on, Recker’s eyes were immediately drawn to the middle of the floor in the living room area. There was a man’s body, lying face down. Blood was starting to seep out from the outline of his body and staining the carpet.

  “We got one down,” Recker said.

  “There in a thirty,” Haley replied.

  Recker started checking the other rooms. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. He cleared the kitchen first before starting on the others. He stepped over the dead body as he walked to the other rooms. As he was in the first bedroom, Haley announced his presence to make sure Recker knew it was him if he heard noises.

  “I’m in,” Haley said, closing the door behind him so nobody could sneak up on him.

  “Check the bedroom on the left. I got the other one and the bathroom.”

  “Got it.”

  After the two searched the other rooms, the place was empty. They met back up in the living room to go over the situation. Recker knelt beside the body to get a better look at his face.

  “That Flowers?” Haley asked.

  “Yep. Spitting image. Looks just like his picture.”

  “What do you think happened?”

  “I dunno,” Recker said, pushing the body off the floor just enough to see the blood coming out of two holes in his chest. “I’d say from the amount of blood he’s lost that he got shot.”

  Haley looked around the room, noticing two shell casings on the floor and pointed them out. “There’s the evidence.”