Stay in Touch
Chapter 36
With her gun securely in her waistband at the small of her back, Kate looks down at the person on her threshold, who's introduced herself as Minnie. The tiny woman holding a plate of cookies conjures up thoughts of Disney, but not Mickey's love interest. Her heart-shaped face and pixie cut are more like Tinkerbell, except that she's talking - a lot. Minnie weaves a tale about taking care of the apartment down the hall while her grandmother is in rehab from a fall, and wanting to get to know her neighbors.
The trouble with Minnie's story is that Kate knows it isn't true. When Mike helped her find her coveted rent-stabilized apartment, they checked out all of her potential neighbors. The grandmother Minnie claims to have doesn't exist. The unit she is referring to is occupied by a transgender who owns a bar, justly famous as a protest site for equal rights. Kate's met her in the laundry room. Candy Stevens is a nurturing senior, but she's no one's grandmother.
Reaching into her pocket, Kate activates the silent alarm for her security detail. "I just started a pot of coffee, if you'd like to come in, we can share some of those incredible looking cookies."
Minnie flashes her best grin. "I'd like that."
Kate closes the door to mask the sound of the approach of her guardians but doesn't latch it, and offers Minnie a seat at the small table in her kitchen. To stall for the time her protection team needs to get up the stairs, she sets out two mugs. Minnie puts her plate on the table, but her tote bag is still on her arm. From the indentation it's making in Minnie's skin, Kate guesses that there's something heavy inside. A gun? Kate will know soon enough.
Kate fills both cups with fragrant light roast and is offering Minnie a choice of sugar or stevia when officers March and Freemont burst in, weapons drawn. Minnie gazes at them, forming her features into a mask of frightened bewilderment. She turns back to Kate, who is holding her own gun, aimed directly at Minnie. "I don't understand. Why are the police here? I'm just a neighbor."
Kate nods to March and Fremont to cuff her petite visitor. "You screwed up your cover. I don't know who you really are, but if you wanted to get to me, you should have done a better job on your research."
It's almost déjà vu as Kate stands in front of the glass, watching the interrogation of Minnie Rizzoli, only this time, instead of Montgomery, Detective McNulty is doing the questioning. Rizzoli has no maneuvering room. Ballistics has already matched the bullets that killed Mike to the Sig that was in Minnie's tote. The murder of a cop will put the diminutive assassin away for life, and McNulty is pointing out that her only hope for any kind of mercy from the court is to give him everything she knows about the person who hired her. That would have to be Frank Moretti.
Minnie insists that she never met her employer. She receives instructions by encrypted email, and her fee is wired to her account. Kate digs her front teeth into her lip. It's as Rick said. Money always leaves a trail. The forensic accountants can track down the account from which the funds were wired, and with any luck, its owner. And Kate intends to enjoy watching the prison gates slam behind both of them.
Alexis thumbs a remote control, turning off the television. "I'm bored."
Rick raises an eyebrow. "With zombies? You've never been bored with zombies before."
"I've never had to stay in here for two weeks before," Alexis complains. "You said I don't have a temperature anymore and I'm hardly even coughing. School is starting next week. I at least want to go to the movies or Construct a Critter before then. And I need to start my violin lessons again."
Rick shrugs. "I don't know what to do here, Pumpkin. This is a new bug, but I can call the doctor and ask. He was supposed to be checking with the Center for Disease Control for any new details on precautions to take in overcoming this obstacle on your road to musical triumph."
When Rick hangs up the phone on his desk, he notices an alert to an email from Kate on the screen of his computer. He's dying to open it, but he has to give Alexis the good news first. She's free to leave the confines of the loft as long as she takes it easy. After her ordeal, creating a stuffed toy at Construct a Critter may be just what she needs to banish her ennui. While she's getting ready, he can revel in communication with Kate - and planning for some face to face - or closer - contact as soon as possible.
Dear Rick,
Minnie Rizzoli confessed. We had her anyway, and not just with the ballistics match for Mike's murder. When Detective McNulty checked out her fancy uptown condo - Rick, I think it cost more than your loft - they found a cache of other weapons. Several of them had been used for unsolved homicides. She will never see the light of day again, except to make trips back and forth to court. Her lawyer has been trying to negotiate a few privileges for her in exchange for her confession. It won't bring Mike back, but I'm hoping she's thrown in the darkest hole the corrections system can find.
We found Frank Moretti. Actually, an investigator for the Southern District of New York did since they have been working on cases against the family for years, they were able to figure out just how he sent Minnie her blood money and trace the transaction.
He was hiding out in a house in the Hamptons. Can you believe it! It's only a few miles from yours. The Morettis bought it years ago and have been using it as a family retreat. I suppose if they were politicians, like the Kennedys or the Bushes, they would call it a compound. When the FBI tracked him down, Frank was in the pool, skinny dipping. I can almost hear you saying, "That gives new meaning to being caught with your pants down." For the rest of his life, Frank can cover up in prison scrubs. We have him cold for the solicitation of the murder of a cop, and the U.S. Attorney has a ton of racketeering charges on top of that. The FBI will be using evidence they recovered from the Moretti's Hampton's hideout to go after other members of the family. They should be able to put an end to the freedom of a lot of them.
It looks like freedom is something you and Alexis should be getting pretty soon. From what you've told me so far, she sounds a lot better. I read the Nikki Heat chapters you sent me. They are wonderful. I think the book may be the best one you've written. But wrapping myself in your words is not the same as seeing you. I have a couple of days off in the middle of next week, and I'm crossing my fingers that we can see each other. I'm writing this on my break, and I'll call you when I'm off shift.
I miss your touch,
Kate