The Pizza Man-A Blue Bloods Story
***Jamie catches a case…a pizza delivery guy is gunned down outside an apartment building…he has a fairly large amount of cash on him, so robbery is not an apparent motive. When the ballistics come back, there are two different types of ammo in the body. Is Jamie looking for two shooters?***
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Jamie and Anna's home—late at night
Jamie's cell phone went off in the middle of the night.
He groped blindly along the bedside table till he found the offending device.
"Reagan…" he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes with his other hand. "Yeah…I'm on my way."
Anna turned over beside him.
Jamie leaned over to kiss his wife.
"I just caught a case…I gotta go."
He swung his legs over the side of the bed and just tried to get his bearings. He'd been a detective for a little over six months now…and he was at the bottom of the food chain when it came to weekends and all that.
Anna got up.
"I'm gonna go make you some coffee…" she said.
"You don't have to do that…you need your rest…" he told her.
Anna was about six and a half months pregnant with their third child.
She came around the edge of the bed to kiss her husband.
"As soon as you leave I'll go back to bed. We hardly have any time together, Jamie…if making a pot of coffee at one in the morning gives me five more minutes with you…I'll take it."
She slipped her robe on and crept out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
As Jamie pulled on pants and a shirt he told himself again what a lucky man he was.
When he got downstairs Anna was waiting with an insulated mug full of fresh coffee and she had packed a bag with a sandwich, some fruit, a few vegetables…and a couple muffins. Just in case he didn't have time to eat.
He hugged her tight…then leaned down to kiss his wife. She was too good to him.
"Hopefully I'll make it home for dinner…" he said. "Now, please…go back to bed?"
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The Crime Scene
Jamie arrived at the scene…signed the log, and crossed the tape.
"Detective Jamie Reagan…" he introduced himself to the officer standing beside a Domino's Pizza delivery car. "What've we got?"
The officer…T. Candelario…according to her name bar…nodded in the direction of the car.
"Delivery driver…name's Todd Lutz, 36…lives in Hoboken. Three holes in him that I can see. I pulled his wallet to check for ID."
She held out a worn brown leather billfold, fat with cash.
Jamie quickly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled on a pair of latex gloves before he took it. He opened it…noted the Jersey driver's license, just like Candelario had said. There were three cards…Visa, Master and a debit card. And two hundred and sixty seven dollars in cash.
Apparently robbery wasn't the motive.
Jamie continued to flip through the wallet and noted a couple pictures…a young woman and two little boys.
The guy had a family.
"Thanks…" Jamie said as he headed over to examine the body.
The driver lay half in, half out of the car…like he was trying to climb back in. He was slumped across the driver's seat and about to cross to the passenger side, his head come to rest on the insulated bag.
The smell of pepperoni wafted out from the car.
There was a large pool of blood beneath his torso…and when Jamie angled his flashlight a little better he counted the three bullet holes. He didn't see any exit wounds.
A cursory look around didn't reveal any shell casings, but that didn't mean anything. If the guy was fired upon from any distance the casings would be there.
"Okay…" Jamie said. "Let's fan out fifty yards in all directions…look for casings, check trash cans, dumpsters, whatever for a weapon…"
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Major Case Unit
Danny Reagan rolled in to find his little brother hard at work.
"Well, well, well…look who's up with the sun."
Jamie gave him a dirty look.
"Can it, Danny. I've been here since three-thirty. And I was at the scene before that."
Danny glanced at his watch.
Someone was gonna be racking up some OT…
"Whaddya got?" he asked.
"Pizza man…" Jamie answered. "Shot three times…cards, cash, cell phone, jewelry still on the body. I got the contact info…and I was just about to call Hoboken to go to the residence."
He reached for the phone.
While he waited for reports…autopsy, ballistics…and to hear back from Hoboken Jamie dug into Todd Lutz's life. And he learned that his vic was a pretty average guy. He was from Scranton, Pennsylvania…married to his college sweetheart…two kids…a day job as a manager of a movie rental place.
He rented a house in Jersey, had a car note he hadn't missed a payment on…fairly solid credit score. All in all, nothing that should have made him a target.
So robbery was out…and nothing to suggest a hit.
Strike two in the motive department.
The phone ringing startled him.
"Reagan…"
Jamie listened for a minute…
"Okay…thanks for trying." He said as he hung up the phone.
That was the Hoboken PD. Nobody was home at the Lutz house.
He was gonna have to get into the vic's cell phone.
An hour later TARU had pulled up a voicemail from Marjorie Lutz telling her husband that she and the boys had arrived at her parents' home in Philadelphia and to call her when he got the message.
And shortly after that, Jamie called Philly to get them to send a unit to the parents' to make the notification.
After that he'd call Mrs. Lutz and see if he could get her back to New York as soon as possible…otherwise, he'd be making a road trip.
He needed to talk to her and see if she could shed some light on things.
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Jamie and Anna's home-that afternoon.
Jamie walked in his back door about four-thirty. He was running on fumes and all he wanted was a hot shower, a hot meal, and some time with his family…in that order.
This case was hitting a little too close to home for his comfort. Todd Lutz was about his age, married with two kids…a regular guy, just doing the best he could. And to be gunned down, for no reason that was jumping out…
"Anna! Mary Elizabeth! Joey!" he called out.
Little feet come pounding on the hardwood floor then into the kitchen.
"Daddy!" Mary Elizabeth cried as she held up her arms.
Jamie picked up his daughter and gave her a kiss on her little forehead.
"There's my big girl! Where's Mommy and Joey?"
"Mommy changing Joey's diaper…he made 'stinky'." The little girl said as she made a face.
Jamie walked out into the dining room and over toward the family room carrying Mary Elizabeth in his arms.
Anna was coming down the stairs carrying Joey.
"Da-da!" the little boy cried out happily…and he started squirming to get to his father.
Jamie set his daughter down and gave her a gentle swat on the bottom.
"Go play, Princess…" he said.
Then he turned to his wife and son.
He took a couple steps to the bottom of the stairs. And he reached out to take Joey from Anna.
He shifted the baby to his left arm, then put his right around his wife when she stepped off the bottom stair. He leaned down to kiss her.
God…he was glad to be home.
"How'd it go?" Anna asked him. "You okay?"
He nodded.
"Just exhausted." He said…and he sounded it. "Do you think we could have an early dinner tonight?"
"Absolutely."
After chasing a preschooler and a toddler around all day…when she was almost seven months pregnant…she was exhausted herself.
"If you'll keep an eye on these two, I'll go get started." She said.
"You've got yourself a deal, Mrs. Reagan." Jamie said as he leaned down to kiss her again.
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Jamie and Anna's Home-later that night
The kids were in bed…Jamie had had his hot meal…and he finally got his hot shower.
He supposed the order didn't really matter…
He sat at the edge of his bed, setting the alarm, setting the phone to vibrate…all the usual things, when Anna came up behind him.
Jamie caught his breath as she began to massage his shoulder. After the day he'd had, it ached terribly. And it was going to rain…
"Are you okay?" Anna asked. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"
"No…not at all. I can't tell how good that feels."
He couldn't help but think about his murder vic…Todd Lutz. Did his wife wait up for him when he was working late? Did she give him a backrub before bed?
"What are you thinking', Honey?" Anna whispered as she continued to massage her husband's back.
"Just the case…I have to talk to the vic's wife tomorrow. Hopefully she can shed some light on things… 'cause right now, I've got a whole lot of nothing."
"Well…that's tomorrow…" she said as she put her arms around him the best she could.
And Jamie could feel the baby move inside her. He turned around captured her lips in a tender kiss, and together they lay down. As Anna pulled the covers over them, he reached out to turn off the light.
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Major Case Unit—the next day
Marjorie Lutz arrived with her father for her 10:00 interview.
Jamie led them to an interrogation room…and he cringed at the cold, impersonal nature of it all. The woman's husband was dead…and he was bringing her to a room where they sweated perps and broke criminals every day.
"Can I get you some coffee or tea, Mrs. Lutz?" he asked…attempting to soften the harshness of the environment.
"No, thank you…" she said quietly.
She looked to still be in shock.
He opened the door and let Mrs. Lutz and her dad step into the room.
"If you'll just take a seat…" he said.
Then he quickly ducked across the hall to a supply room and grabbed a couple bottles of water and a box of tissues.
Finally he was ready to begin.
"First…let me say I'm very sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, Ma'am."
Marjorie nodded.
"Can you tell me about your husband? His habits? Routines?" Jamie asked.
The woman drew a ragged breath and let it out slowly…just barely hanging on.
"Todd was a good man…a wonderful husband…an amazing father…everyone liked him." She started.
"And you moved to New York…fourteen years ago?"
She nodded again.
"Right after we got married. Todd wanted to be an actor…to be on Broadway. He majored in Musical Theater…he's…" she stopped…then took a breath. "Was…he was an amazing singer."
Jamie smiled.
A very common tale.
"He tried for about four years…he went to every audition he could…but then I got pregnant with Matthew. So he took a job waiting tables…then he took a second job as an usher at one of the theaters."
"Did he ever have any trouble? Can you think of anyone who might have had a beef with him?" Jamie asked.
Marjorie shook her head vehemently.
"No…Todd was kind to everyone…he'd say 'hello' to anybody…he'd buy a homeless person a cup of coffee…he held doors for people…he was a good person!"
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Major Case Unit-the Bull Pen
An hour later Jamie didn't know much more than when he started…except that Todd Lutz was probably someone he'd have gotten along with.
He showed Mrs. Lutz and her father out…then went back to his desk in the bull pen.
"How'd it go with the vic's wife?"
His brother's voice startled him and Jamie jumped.
Danny chuckled.
"Damn it, Danny! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" Jamie snapped.
"Sorry…what happened with your interview?"
"Nothing…the vic's a nice guy…never met a stranger…not an enemy in the world."
"Uh-huh…" Danny said sarcastically.
Those were usually the ones hiding some deep dark secret.
"The wife doesn't know anything…I'm sure of that." Jamie said. "So hopefully the ME can tell me something interesting. I'm gonna head over there now."
"I'll tag along…" Danny said.
Jamie looked at his brother…
"You don't have enough work to do?"
"I got plenty, thank you…" he said. "This is the city that never sleeps, remember?"
Jamie shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
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The ME's Office
Jamie hated coming down to autopsy. He hated the thought of somebody carving up a poor unfortunate soul that had had the misfortune of dying under questionable circumstances. But at least he hadn't gotten sick…yet.
Todd Lutz lay on the table, thankfully covered with a sheet up to his shoulders. Jamie didn't have to look at the giant "Y" incision.
"What've we got?" he asked.
The assistant ME, Dr. Mallory Fuller, handed him a plastic specimen jar containing three bullets.
Jamie held the jar up to the light…and he was confused.
The bullets were all different.
He was no ballistics expert, but even he could see they had three different types of ammo here. They were all .38 caliber…probably fired from a revolver. But one was mushroomed…a hollow point. The other two were solid tips, but one was mangled terribly, probably the result of hitting a bone.
He handed the jar to Danny, who looked at the bullets with the same dumbfounded expression as his brother.
Were they looking for more than one shooter? Possibly two…or even three?
Could this have been some kind of gang initiation?
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The Reagan House—Sunday dinner
The family gathered together…and Jamie took Joey's right hand in his to make the Sign of the Cross before they said Grace.
Never too early to start teaching him…
He glanced over at Mary Elizabeth, sitting on her new booster seat between Linda and Danny.
Linda was showing the little girl what to do.
"Bless us, oh Lord, with these gifts which we are about to receive, from Your bountiful hands, through Christ, our Lord…Amen." Jamie said.
Then Joey looked up at him.
"Num-nums?" he asked.
Everybody chuckled.
"Yes, Joey…" Jamie said with a smile. "Now you get to eat."
"Num-nums!" the little boy said happily as he clapped his hands together.
Anna passed Jamie Joey's plate containing some cut up chicken, a roll, a few bits of potato, and a couple of green beans.
Yeah…he wondered how long it would take for the green beans to hit the floor.
"So what's going on with your Pizza Man?" Henry asked.
"Not a whole lot." Jamie answered with a sigh. "Everybody I talked to says he was a real stand-up guy…happily married, two kids, a dog. Went to church every Sunday. I've got three different bullets, no weapons, nothing's adding up."
"Did you hear anything from the gang unit?" Danny asked.
The different ammunition had made the Reagan brothers wonder if the shooting could have been gang related…some kind of initiation…so they reached out to the guys over there to see if there was any chatter going on.
One thing about bangers…they like to brag.
"Nope…they're hearing nothing but crickets…" Jamie told him.
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Jamie and Anna's house—later that night
Jamie came into his bedroom after having tucked the kids into bed.
And of course, Mary Elizabeth had wanted one more story…and Daddy had given in…again.
When his daughter looked up at him with those beautiful, big, brown eyes that were exactly like her mother's…he was ready to give her the world on a silver platter.
Anna smiled as he came into the room.
"How many?" she asked.
Jamie held up four fingers…and Anna chuckled softly.
"You're such a pushover, Reagan…" she said.
He pulled his t-shirt over his head, balled it up and tossed it into the laundry hamper. Then he unbuttoned his slacks and stepped out of those.
He climbed into bed and pulled his wife closer to him. He rubbed his hand over the giant baby bump and just marveled for the billionth time that that was his child in there.
"Are we gonna find out what this is?" he asked.
Part of him wanted to be surprised…they had one of each already…and as long as this baby was healthy, that was all that really mattered.
But it would be nice to know who was getting a roommate…Joey or Mary Elizabeth.
"I've got an appointment next week…will you be able to make it?"
"I'll try…a lot depends on this case. I just wish we could get a lead…anything…" he said with a sigh.
"Well, you can worry about that tomorrow…" she said with a soft expression.
And Jamie leaned in to kiss her deeply.
Tomorrow was another day…
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Major Case
Jamie slammed the phone down.
Finally! A lead!
He stood up and reached into his desk drawer for his weapon. He secured it in its holster just as Danny came in.
"Hey!" Jamie said. "We got something on the Pizza Man…"
"It's about time!" Danny said. "What do we got?"
"A robbery…"
"And this helps us how?"
"A couple of patrolmen from the 86th just scooped up two guys who've been picking up a little extra cash by sticking up pizza delivery drivers."
"How very enterprising of them…" Danny said as he rolled his eyes. "The traffic down to the 86th's gonna be a nightmare this time of day…"
"You want me to drive?" Jamie asked.
But Danny just shot him a look, and headed for the door.
Jamie chuckled to himself as he followed his brother. Danny never rode shotgun.
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An Interrogation Room-the 86th Precinct
This was a first for Jamie…two suspects who gave another crime as an alibi.
But these guys were…
"So let me get this straight…" Jamie said. "You admit to sticking up a half dozen delivery drivers…robbing them at gunpoint…but on the night Todd Lutz was murdered, you two were knocking over a convenience store in Queens?"
The suspects nodded in unison.
"We rob people." The older of the two men…cousins…said. "Me 'n Randall here…we thieves…but we ain't no murderers!"
"We was raised better 'n that…" Randall cut in.
"Of course you were…" Danny said. "Your mothers must be so proud…"
"But we might know somebody who knows somethin'." Randall said. "Me 'n Carl here…we might know somebody who does…"
If you totaled these guys' collective IQ's you still wouldn't get a positive number…Jamie thought to himself as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I'm all ears…"
"We want some kinda deal…" Carl told him. "Maybe you drop the charges?"
"That's not how this works…" Jamie said. "And as far as I know you haven't actually been charged with anything…yet."
"On the other hand…" Danny added. "If you give us something we can work with…we might be able to make a call…pull a few strings…"
Randall and Carl looked at one another and seemed to debate between themselves as to what they should do.
Jamie just rolled his eyes Heavenward at the sight of Bevis and Butthead trying to figure out how to save their own sorry asses…
The World's Dumbest Criminals finished their conversation and nodded to one another.
"We know these guys…" Carl started… "They young…just kids really…"
"But they trouble…" Randall continued. "Anyway…they boost cars for this cat…"
"And they got a guy who works with them sometimes…" Carl said.
Their definition of "work" was really interesting…
Danny was getting impatient and he made a gesture with his hand signaling them to hurry up and cut to the chase.
"And this kid…he said he shot some dude! And it was right around the time the Pizza dude got wasted!"
"That's it?" Danny said incredulously. "You know some guys that know a guy…who bragged about shootin' somebody around the time our vic got shot? Do you two geniuses have any idea how many people get shot in this city on any given day?"
Carl and Randall looked at one another in surprise…were these two cops with the same name saying their information was no good?
"There's eight million people in this city." Jamie said. "You basically just told us to go look for a needle in a haystack."
"We could give you a name…" Randall said. "Would that help?"
Danny and Jamie walked out of the 86th…after sending Randall and Carl back to their cell.
"I need a drink…" Danny said.
"I'm buying…" Jamie told him.
As they headed for their car though, Jamie slapped his brother on the back.
"Look on the bright side…thanks to those two Rhodes Scholars in there…all we gotta do now is find some guy named "Babyface".
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Major Case Unit
It took a few days…but they finally found Babyface.
After they had rounded up the gang of teenagers who boosted cars for some dude…who by the way was named Julio…and closed down his chop shop…they all sang like a choir and flipped on Babyface.
And they brought the sixteen year old in…
Now they were just waiting for his mommy to get there so they could question him.
Jamie and Danny stared down the kid…Geronimo Wilkinson…who certainly lived up to his street name.
He looked more like thirteen than sixteen.
Geronimo was supposed to be on house arrest…but he snuck out while his ma was at work…to steal a couple of car stereos.
Mama's birthday was coming up and the dutiful son needed to get her a nice present…
"So you're breaking into a car…" Jamie said, prompting Babyface to continue with his story.
"Yeah…and that's when I saw the lights…red, white and blue lights…and I thought it was a cop car." The kid said. "And the guy started to get out…an' I panicked. So I pull out my piece…an' I shot him."
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The Reagan Home
"So the guy thought he was shooting a cop?" Henry asked incredulously.
Jamie nodded.
"What kind of idiot can't tell the difference between a cop car and a Domino's Pizza car?" Jack asked.
"You'd be surprised…" Frank said wryly.
"I don't get why he used different kinds of bullets." Sean said.
"He didn't know there were different kinds." Jamie told his nephew. "He took his "stepdad's" gun...and just loaded it with whatever was lying around."
"Yeah…" Danny added. "The criminal element here ain't exactly the most intelligent."
"And now I get to go tell Marjorie Lutz that her husband was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Jamie said with a sigh. "Here's a guy…working two jobs…so he can provide for his family…and now his boys have to grow up without a father because some illiterate punk…"
Anna gently placed her hand on her husband's shoulder.
"But you got him, Honey…he's never gonna get a chance to do something like this again…"
"And I'm going to make sure he's tried as an adult." Erin added. "Between this and all his priors…he'll be Grandpa's age before he steps foot outside a jail."
Small consolation…but it would have to do.