Chapter 18~
"Faith, pull over here." Bosco directed.
"Why?"
"Because it's as good a place as any to start looking." He said.
"Fine." Faith pulled to a stop.
Bosco got out of the car and then let Jimmy out. They looked up and down the street. No sign of Tony, his car, or Kim from where they were looking.
"Guys?" Faith called.
"What?" They turned.
"Over there."
"Where?" Bosco asked.
"The little kids playing by the stoop under the street lamp. The boy in the red jacket has a stethoscope."
Jimmy didn't wait for Bosco or Faith. He started walking towards the kids.
"Jimmy, wait." Bosco put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You can't go charging in there like John Wayne."
"Why not?"
"Cause you're not John Wayne and you're not a cop."
"And if it was Faith you'd do the same thing and don't you dare try to tell me different." Jimmy said indignantly.
"Admitted. But you're still not a cop. Let Faith handle this. She's better at diplomacy then you or me."
"Thank you Bos." Faith smiled. She approached the kids. "Hey guys."
The kids stopped playing and looked up at Faith. She conversed with them for a few minutes before they handed her the stethoscope and headed inside. She walked back over to Bosco and Jimmy.
"Well?" Jimmy asked.
"It says property of Cook County General Hospital in really small letters on the part you press to the body."
"It's Kim's." Jimmy said. "They let her keep it when she quit to come back here."
"Did they say where they got it?" Bosco asked.
"Some guy was selling it. The kid bought it for five bucks."
"Guy got a name."
"Stinky Steve. They say he's homeless."
"They say which way he went?"
"That way." She pointed down the street.
"Let's go."
They walked a little down the road and came upon a man drinking from a bottle. Bosco made a face. Man did he smell.
"You Steve?" Faith said.
"Who's asking?"
"I am." She smiled.
"Maybe."
"Well if you are Steve, then could you tell us where you got this?" She held up the stethoscope.
"Never seen it before."
"That's not what the kid you sold it to said."
"Stupid kid, what do they know?" He slurred.
Jimmy sighed and resisted the urge to beat it out of the guy.
Bosco stepped up. "Look, either tell us what you know, and we know you know something, or we take you in on public drunkenness and suspicion of theft."
"It's your choice." Faith added.
"I found it in a car."
"What car?" Faith asked. "Where?"
"Down the street. It was brown."
Bosco nodded and he, Faith, and Jimmy walked away. When they reached the lot they stayed clear of the windows of the building.
"Brown with a tan roof."
"License plate matches those numbers the store clerk gave Bosco." Faith said.
"Central this is 55-David. We have a possible visual on the car used to abduct Kimberly and Charlotte Doherty. Requesting back up at the corner of King and Varick St. Silent backup. We don't want the sirens to spook Montanero."
"10-4 David. Silent back up is enroute."
"Now what?"
"Now we wait."
"Faith, pull over here." Bosco directed.
"Why?"
"Because it's as good a place as any to start looking." He said.
"Fine." Faith pulled to a stop.
Bosco got out of the car and then let Jimmy out. They looked up and down the street. No sign of Tony, his car, or Kim from where they were looking.
"Guys?" Faith called.
"What?" They turned.
"Over there."
"Where?" Bosco asked.
"The little kids playing by the stoop under the street lamp. The boy in the red jacket has a stethoscope."
Jimmy didn't wait for Bosco or Faith. He started walking towards the kids.
"Jimmy, wait." Bosco put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "You can't go charging in there like John Wayne."
"Why not?"
"Cause you're not John Wayne and you're not a cop."
"And if it was Faith you'd do the same thing and don't you dare try to tell me different." Jimmy said indignantly.
"Admitted. But you're still not a cop. Let Faith handle this. She's better at diplomacy then you or me."
"Thank you Bos." Faith smiled. She approached the kids. "Hey guys."
The kids stopped playing and looked up at Faith. She conversed with them for a few minutes before they handed her the stethoscope and headed inside. She walked back over to Bosco and Jimmy.
"Well?" Jimmy asked.
"It says property of Cook County General Hospital in really small letters on the part you press to the body."
"It's Kim's." Jimmy said. "They let her keep it when she quit to come back here."
"Did they say where they got it?" Bosco asked.
"Some guy was selling it. The kid bought it for five bucks."
"Guy got a name."
"Stinky Steve. They say he's homeless."
"They say which way he went?"
"That way." She pointed down the street.
"Let's go."
They walked a little down the road and came upon a man drinking from a bottle. Bosco made a face. Man did he smell.
"You Steve?" Faith said.
"Who's asking?"
"I am." She smiled.
"Maybe."
"Well if you are Steve, then could you tell us where you got this?" She held up the stethoscope.
"Never seen it before."
"That's not what the kid you sold it to said."
"Stupid kid, what do they know?" He slurred.
Jimmy sighed and resisted the urge to beat it out of the guy.
Bosco stepped up. "Look, either tell us what you know, and we know you know something, or we take you in on public drunkenness and suspicion of theft."
"It's your choice." Faith added.
"I found it in a car."
"What car?" Faith asked. "Where?"
"Down the street. It was brown."
Bosco nodded and he, Faith, and Jimmy walked away. When they reached the lot they stayed clear of the windows of the building.
"Brown with a tan roof."
"License plate matches those numbers the store clerk gave Bosco." Faith said.
"Central this is 55-David. We have a possible visual on the car used to abduct Kimberly and Charlotte Doherty. Requesting back up at the corner of King and Varick St. Silent backup. We don't want the sirens to spook Montanero."
"10-4 David. Silent back up is enroute."
"Now what?"
"Now we wait."