Chapter Ten

Jane limped into the interrogation room with Frost.

She neatly lined up printed documents from John Wallace's laptop in front of Jonathan Pryor.

"What the hell is this?" Pryor looked over the print outs.

"John Wallace's records that indicate he owed you about fifty thousand dollars."

Jane led the interrogation. The fact that she was lead detective really meant all of the interrogations were hers, but this one was now personal due to the pain that Jane was feeling in her ankle from to chasing Pryor more than six city blocks and up and down a building.

"What of it?"

"Well…" Jane laid out the photos of John and Stephan from the crime scene. Two bodies with blood pooled around them. Pale and yet distinctly blue faces – eyes open, fixed on Pryor.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. I didn't kill nobody."

"Isn't it funny how they always say that, Frost?"

"It is a trend I've noticed among all the murderers we've put away…" Frost was glaring at Pryor.

"I am telling you, I didn't kill John. Yes, the jackass owed me fifty large. All the more reason to keep him alive. I don't get paid if the people who owe me money end up six feet under the ground."

"True," Jane began, "but that doesn't mean you didn't take a little drive over to John's last Friday night to have a discussion about a payment plan. I know when a bill collector calls me I get all sorts of pissy. I wouldn't want one showing up at my house, talking to me in front of my son. Maybe John wouldn't let you in so you broke in; forced your way into the house, and when you find him you're just so damn pissed off that you shot him."

"No! I didn't kill nobody! There's a lot of stuff I would do, but I would never kill anyone."

Pryor's pleading sounded pathetic.

"Listen. Yes, I drove over there Friday night. John has owed me a lot of money for a long time and I was tired of waiting for payments. I was going to scare him, maybe… maybe rough him up a bit. But when I got there, it was already done. I took one look through the front window, saw the kid dead on the couch and got outta there. I swear."

"Well, that certainly is convenient. Your alibi is that you were there but didn't do it. Right. Sure. Listen, when you feel like telling me the truth we'll talk again. In the mean time we're holding you on resisting arrest, child endangerment, assault of a police officer, assault of a minor…" Jane was counting off the charges on her fingers.

"C'mon Frost." Jane banged on the door indicating that the officer waiting outside should come and collect the bookie.

"Wait. Wait!" Pryor seemed to be waging an internal battle – and losing. "If I tell you what I know… what I saw… will you drop the charges?"

Jane sat back down. "Alright, Jonathan. You tell me what I want to know and I promise the State of Massachusetts won't charge you with a thing."

"Alright, listen. When I was leaving I saw someone running from the property. A kid; maybe sixteen or seventeen years old. Male. He had a gun in his hand and he was… he was crying. I remember what he looks like and can describe him to a sketch artist."

"Alright, you give us the sketch and I'll release you. You fuck with me and I'll be adding obstruction of justice to those charges."

After about an hour Detectives Rizzoli and Frost returned.

"This is the kid."

"Thank you for your assistance, Pryor. As promised, I'm releasing you."

Jane opened the door to the interrogation room and waiting on the other side were two FBI agents.

"Pryor, meet Agents King and White. I'm releasing you into their custody. Agent King, he's all yours."

"Wait a minute! You said you wouldn't be charging me with anything!" Pryor was backing himself into the back corner of the interrogation room.

"Did I say that Frost?"

"No, Detective Rizzoli, I don't think that you did." Frost was shaking his head.

"Hmm… no, I didn't. What I said was that the State of Massachusetts wouldn't charge you with anything. And I'm keeping that promise." Jane was inching closer to Pryor; her face taught with anger, her voice low and husky. "However, the fraud and the money laundering are all federal offenses. And the State of Massachusetts is more than happy to aid in a federal investigation. Have a good day, Johnny."

Agent King removed Johnny from the interrogation room.

The two detectives looked down at the sketch provided.

"Look familiar?" Frost asked.

"Yeah. Dammit. Alright, figure out where he lives. I'm gonna put this foot up for a few minutes before I may have to run on it again…"