Restoration
Chapter 56
"I don't care who your father is, Boot," Nyla declares. "You get as much time for lunch as you'd get any other day, and if we get a call, we take it."
"Yes, Ma'am," Jackson agrees, secretly hoping the call comes. "Some of what he heard about his father still rumbles around in his brain. He knows the con who made the accusations was playing him, but that doesn't mean none of it was true. He's learned the signs of liars. They're usually short on details. Jackson heard too many of those.
Percy taps on his horn as Jackson's shop approaches, with Nyla Harper at the wheel. She's spent years immersing herself in false personas. If there's anyone who could see through his act, it would be Harper. Fortunately, he plans to talk to Jackson alone.
Percy stakes out a high two-person outdoor table at a nearby taco stand, as Jackson comes toward him. Even if Harper had a mind to join them, she wouldn't find room. And she doesn't seem to have the inclination. She's heading for the sandwich joint next door.
When Percy opens his arms, Jackson delivers a nervous hug. "What's going on, Dad? Is everything all right with Mom? Is Marshall OK?"
"They're both fine," Percy assures his son. "I just thought with you and the other rookies coming into the final stretch, you could use a little pep talk."
Jackson backs off. "Because I got the lowest exam grade?"
"No, Son, because you're still in the race, and you need to make your final kick. You don't need to worry about Chen and Nolan, just about the cop you want to be. But where are they? They weren't on the patrol roster this morning."
Jackson shrugs. "I haven't seen Nolan, and Lucy said she couldn't talk about her assignment. She just told me she'd have to fight the traffic because she's taking her own car. That's got to be a pain. That pile of junk only runs because Nolan keeps fixing it for her."
"I heard Nolan is good with his hands. But rehabbing that old house he bought nearly ended his career."
"That wasn't Nolan's fault. That was Serj Derian. The whole division knows it. I think by now, most of the cops in the city have heard how Derian tried to frame Nolan. And Lucy and Bradford almost got killed, making sure the D.A. could take Derian down."
"Chen must be proud of the way that worked out for her."
"I guess. But she didn't seem that proud of getting her special assignment, whatever it is. At this point, she'd rather be on the street. We all would. And I need to get my order fast. I should get back to the shop before Harper finishes her sandwich."
"I understand, Son," Percy allows. "Make your push."
Jackson slides off his perch. "I'm planning on it."
Percy checks the D.M.V. for a plate and description of Lucy Chen's car and puts out a BOLO. He'll have to explain his inquiries later, but first, he has to survive. When a marked unit spots the vehicle at a downtown hotel, he requests no further action. He doesn't need any. He knows the Vanderlyn. The D.A.'s office uses it for below the radar operations. So Heifer is assigning officers there. For what? He can find out. In uniform, an L.A.P.D. commander can easily get past the hotel staff. He checks his watch. He's running out of time. Getting the answers Ruben wants is going to be tight if he can do it at all. But at least now he knows where to look.
When Nell signals from the doorway of his office, Grey waves for her to come in. "Is Lucy Chen in trouble, Sir?"
"Not that I know of. What makes you think she is?"
"Because I recognized a BOLO that went out for her car. It was the same as the one we put out when she was abducted."
"Probably a mistake. Who put it out?"
"That's what bothers me, Sir. It was Commander West, about a half-hour after he called for a location on Officer West. Maybe after talking to Jackson, the commander thought Lucy might have a problem."
Drawing a breath, Grey nods. "I suppose that's possible. All right. Thanks, Ms. Forrester. I'll look into it."
Assuming the air of authority of a unit chief, Percy strides into the Vanderlyn Hotel. Other than Chen's car in the parking lot, the place doesn't have much to recommend it. The elevators afford no outdoor views. The décor is unexciting, and there's not a celebrity in sight. It's just the sort of place that Percy himself would pick for an operation away from prying eyes. No doubt, the D.A. had similar thoughts.
The Vanderlyn has 26 floors, but only two of them hold meeting rooms. Those have to be where Heifer is staging his secret operation. Percy takes the stairs. He'll have enough trouble explaining the BOLO on Chen's car. The last thing he needs is to be caught on an elevator camera.
Percy checks the rooms on the mezzanine first. They're all devoted to training sessions for local businesses. No secret operations there. Nearby tables hold literature and a few unclaimed badges. He checks the floor above. The rooms are smaller, and there are more of them. Most have the names of the organizations using them on placards near the doors.
The sign near the Cherry Room is blank, except for declaring occupancy until seven p.m. A cart with the remains of four meals sits outside the door. "Nolan, Lopez, Bradford, and Chen," Percy murmurs to himself. "They'll be in there until seven o'clock." That will still give Percy five hours before his meeting with Ruben to get something out of the covert group of cops – or out of the room they were in. It's a shot, not a good one, but a shot.
It's time to go cover his tracks. To explain the BOLO and his questions to Jackson, he can start an inquiry on Chen. His excuse will be checking that she's genuinely fit for duty after her near-death experience. It's thin, but I.A. has surveilled cops before with less reason. He'll set the stage and be back at the Vanderlyn in time.
Percy's cell buzzes when he's halfway down the stairs to the lobby. Damn, it's Grey. Is the sergeant checking on him? He lets the call go to voicemail, commander's privilege. In a few hours, he'll be able to explain his activities to Grey or anyone else who asks. He can make this work. He has to.
Vainly massaging a kink in his neck, Nolan rewinds the last few seconds of video he's been watching. He thought he heard the name Ruben, but it was barely audible beneath the noise from a car engine. He turns up the sound to listen again while observing the motion of Serj Derian's mouth. He's no lip reader, but the pucker that goes with voicing an "ooh" sound is hard to miss. He plays it several times and picks up a further reference to "my brother." "Hey guys," he calls across the table. "You should double-check me, but I think I have something."
Lucy, Tim, and Angela look on as John replays the few incriminating seconds of sound through the laptop's tinny speaker. "You got it, John," Angela confirms. "But we still have to finish going through everything. There may be more. I don't know about you all, but I'm hyped to get out of here tonight."
"You said it," John agrees. "I'll even be glad to see Grey's scowling face in the morning."
