Chapter 13
They arrived back at the police station as daylight started to fade. The snow had held off all day, but the temperature had dropped, the last vestiges of winter still threatening to stay like an unwanted relative. Pepper took the stairs, actually getting to the second floor before Wallace's elevator doors opened. They made a brief stop in the room their computer guys used, and as they strode into the squad room, they found the Inspector perched on the side of Chin's desk, the two detectives standing before him, animatedly talking. Four other detectives were standing close by as well, listening intently.
"Hold off, hold off," Caruso said, spotting Pepper and Wallace entering the room. He waved the two of them over. "Guys, c'mere. Chin and McTavish just started telling me about their interview with Professor Drummond. You're gonna want to hear this. Also, I'm bringing DiCicco and Harris on board, along with Wilson and Johannson. I think we're going to need more bodies working on this. They've got their own caseloads that they'll continue to work on, but I want them to know everything we know in case we need to call on them."
Pepper looked over at the new arrivals. Tony DiCicco and Jock Harris were young guys who worked primarily in Cyber Crimes, while Sean Wilson and Katrina Johannson were in the Domestic Violence unit. DiCicco was the goalie on the department's hockey team, while Harris was a whiz when it came to new technology. They were both young, but smart and keen. Wilson had a solid police background and had come a few years back from the Stratford police force. Johannson had studied criminology at university and was on the verge of becoming a lawyer before deciding she wanted to be 'on the right side of the law', as she called it. All four of them were good cops.
"We've got some interesting information we found out from Bartolucci," Wallace said.
"All right, one at a time." The Inspector nodded to McTavish and Chin. "Okay, you guys go first."
McTavish and Chin tag-teamed their story, relating the conversations they'd had with Connor Sharrard and Professor Drummond. Pepper, Wallace, and the Inspector listened attentively, tossing out questions here and there. "You should have seen the smug look on his face at the very end," McTavish said. "He was almost gloating when he said?" McTavish paused as he looked down at his notes, "It's strange to think I was probably one of the last people she spoke with before her death." McTavish looked up at the others. "I wanted to haul his sorry ass in right there on the spot."
"It definitely sounds like we need to find out more about the good Professor," Inspector Caruso said as he stepped over to the murder board and wrote down the professor's name. He turned to Pepper and Wallace. "Okay, what have you guys got?"
"For one thing, our guy now has a name," Pepper said.
"A name?" Caruso asked, eyebrows arched.
"Yeah. The Sandman."
"The Sandman? What the hell is that?" McTavish said.
"It turns out Bartolucci was in contact with our guy," Wallace picked up. "And actually kind of gave the Redmond girl to him."
"Gave her to him?" Chin asked, looking back and forth between Pepper and Wallace.
Pepper and Wallace presented the short version of their story, listing all the salient facts of how Bartolucci and The Sandman had first made contact with each other, down to Bartolucci drugging Yvonne Redmond and dumping her in the back of The Sandman's car. It wasn't very far into their story before the Inspector started twisting his watch back and forth on his wrist, both he and the other detectives totally intent on what Pepper and Wallace had to tell them.
"So Bartolucci has no idea who this guy is?" the Inspector said as he went to the murder board and wrote 'THE SANDMAN' in big capital letters and underlined it twice.
"No," Pepper said. "They never met, never exchanged real names. But Bartolucci gave us his cell phone that they were holding at Exeter Road, and also said we could take his computer to see if we can track this guy." Pepper paused. "Bartolucci is scared shitless, and he basically came clean with everything he knows. He knows he's in a real mess, and he said he'd do whatever he could to help. We told him we'd talk to whatever prosecutor ends up handling his case. He knows there's nothing we can guarantee, but you could tell he actually felt bad about what had happened to the Redmond girl. I think he got himself into a mess with Jennie Swindon, and had no idea what he was gonna do with her. I'm sure he was struggling with a way to let her go, but I don't think he's a killer."
"He gave us the key to his apartment, and a written statement of agreement allowing us to take his computer," Wallace continued, "so we stopped by there on the way back. We just dropped his computer and his phone with the IT guys and told them what we're looking for."
"Good," the Inspector said. "This could be the break we're looking for. When did they say they'd have some answers for us? Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, tomorrow morning sometime."
"Okay, good." The Inspector paused and looked at his team of detectives. He turned his wrist and looked at his watch, rather than just fiddling with it. "Good work, guys. I want you to write up your reports on the interviews with those two guys before you move on to anything else. Hopefully the IT guys will have something for us tomorrow morning." He turned to the four new recruits. "I want you guys to look at all the crime scene photos and read all the reports in the case file to familiarize yourself with everything we've got so far. Work all night if you have to. I want you up to speed and ready to hit the ground running tomorrow. I hope IT has something for us-we could use a break on this one."
The Inspector turned on his heel and strode back into his office, his bum hip giving him the hint of a limp.
"Okay guys," DiCicco said, "what's the occurrence number for the case? Sounds like we've got some reading to catch up on."
Pepper gave them the number. "Hopefully we'll have the new reports in there by the time you finish all the earlier ones. Just ask if you have any questions."
The lead detectives returned to their desks and fired up their computers, wanting to get their reports done while the facts were fresh in their minds, while the new team members settled in for some serious reading.
"Hey Tee, I thought you were going to your mom's for dinner?" Wallace asked, moving his mouse here and there to open the appropriate files.
"Yeah, but we've gotta get this done. You heard the Inspector."
"No, you go ahead-I've got this."
"It'll go much faster if we're both on it."
"No, I actually think this is one that's better if one of us writes it. And since you did that report on Jennie Swindon, I'll do this one. If IT gets back to us with anything, I'll call you."
"You're sure?"
"Yeah, get the heck out of here," Wallace said, starting to peck at the keyboard as he jerked his head towards the door.
"All right," Pepper said, getting up from his chair. "Thanks. Call me right away if anything changes." He turned towards the desks of the other two detectives. "Hey Chin, are we on for tomorrow morning?"
"Are you sure you're up for another beating?" Chin replied, the corners of her mouth turned up in a painful smile.
"Just you wait, one of these day it'll be you on the canvas."
Chin nodded and turned back to her computer. "I think I'll be waiting a long time for that," she mumbled under her breath as her eyes flicked up to her partner's.
"What's that?" Pepper said.
"I said I can't wait. See you tomorrow," Chin said, turning back to her computer.
"Heading to Mommy's for din-dins?" McTavish asked, shaking his head from side to side, a look of disgust on his face.
"Jealous, McTavish?"
"Of a momma's boy like you? I don't think so."
Pepper was about to say something else when Wallace cut him short. "Tee-don't. Just ignore him. Now go, get out of here."
"Okay. See ya, Rupe," Pepper said, pulling on his jacket as McTavish continued to shake his head as he looked back at his computer.
"See ya, buddy," Wallace replied, waiting until Pepper was almost at the squad room door before spea
king again. "Hey Tee."
Pepper turned with his hand on the door knob. "What?"
Wallace didn't even look up, his eyes still glued to his monitor. "Mrs. P.'s leftovers?you know how much I love Mrs. P.'s leftovers."
Pepper had a smile on his face as he shook his head and left the squad room, ignoring the offer from other departing workers holding the elevator, waving them off as he headed for the stairs.
Every Breath You Take Page 17
