CHAPTER EIGHT

The 6th Precinct is packed when I make my way inside later that mornin'. I look around before I spot Officer Ross. He looks up at grins at me. I cock a finger and motion him over. "What say ya, Flack?" he asks me.

"Later, kid. C'mon, I need your help for somethin'."

His eyes light up like a sign in Times Square. He kinda reminds me of a puppy. I chuckle as I shake my head. "Let's go." I head for Mac Taylor's office. This time, I got just enough courtesy to knock.

"Yeah?" a surly voice barks back. I look at Ross. He shrugs. "'Nother bad day," he says.

"Ah." I open the door. "Taylor."

He looks up. "Flack. What do you have for me?" He sees Ross standin' behind me. "Ross. Shouldn't you be finishin' up paperwork?"

"I asked him to come in here with me, sir," I say, tossin' that 'sir' in there again. "Sir. I found Danny Messer."

"You did? Where is he now?"

"He's still all in one piece, and I'd like to keep it that way," I tell Taylor. "Messer tells me some of your boys aren't keepin' their noses clean. I think it's best if only the three of us in this office know about what I'm about to say. You're the only guys in the uniform that I trust right now."

Taylor considers it. Deep down, I think, he knows that what Messer said is true. "What have you got, Flack?" he asks finally.

I nod. "All right. Messer tells me Sassone's gonna move a shipment of somethin' big tonight. It's goin' by boat. This is our time to catch him in the act. There's no way he'll be able to weasel out of a conviction this time."

"How does Messer know that Sassone'll even be there?" Taylor asks.

"Sir, if this is as big as Messer says, he'll be there. He can't resist makin' a scene." I look at him. "All it would take is a warrant."

As it happens, most of the city's lawyers are on Sassone's payroll. But there's one that ain't. And he's a close personal acquaintance of Mac Taylor. Or rather- his secretary is. "Can you put in a call?"

Taylor nods and picks up his phone. "Yeah, Sidney Hammerback's office, please." He waits to be connected. "Ms. Driscoll. A pleasure to speak with you again. Last time we spoke I believe it was-yes, it was the Policeman's Ball." His face is turning red, and Ross and I both exchange a glance. "Is Hammerback available?" He waits for the response. It's a long time comin', so I know somethin's up.

"I see. What time was his reservation? We're sort of pressed for time..." He waits again. I want to know where the hell Hammerback is.

"All right. Thank you. Yes, yes, I'd like that." He hangs up and looks at me and Ross.

And I can't resist. "What would you like, Taylor? Who's this Driscoll dame?"

"None of your damn business, Flack, keep it up and I forget the whole thing," Taylor shoots back. "Attorney Hammerback is out to lunch right now. She thinks he is supposed to be back in his office in about an hour."

I shake my head. "We don't have that kind of time." I put my hat on and head for the door.

"Flack?" Ross calls after me.

"I'm goin' to talk to Hammerback." I look at Taylor. "Where's lunch today?"

"Flack, don't screw this up."

I grin. "Everything by the book," I reply. "Now where's he eatin'?"

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I can see Hammerback through the window of Bertolli's. It's probably the nicest place in my city. The clientele is mostly upper-class.

I'm gonna fit right in.

Just like at Monroe's there's a doorman outside takin' reservations. Aw hell, here we go again. I step up to the door. "I'm looking for Attorney Hammerback," I tell the guy. He's got a shaved head, somethin' you don't see very often. "I'm meeting him for lunch."

He looks me over. I hate it when they do that. "I'm working with Attorney Hammerback on a case for his office."

He's still eyeballin' me. I shrug. "Fine. Have it your way." With that, I push past him into the restaurant.

"Hey!" He comes after me. I thread my way quickly through the tables, finally spotting Hammerback in a booth in the back. He's got these glasses that make him hard to miss. It's not a style I've ever seen before. I stop in front of his table. "Attorney Hammerback, my name is Don Flack. I'm working with Mac Taylor on a case regarding Sonny Sassone-"

Two guys in tails grab my arm. The doorman comes rushing over. "Mr. Hammerback, I apologize for this interruption. We'll get him out of here-"

"I can take down Sassone for good!" I say as they start draggin' me backwards.

"Dobson." The voice comes from Hammerback. "It's all right, Dobson. This fellow was meeting me for lunch to discuss the case."

"Sir?" Dobson sounds very confused.

Hammerback opens his wallet, hands Dobson a handful of bills. "Thank you, Dobson, that will be all."

Dobson pockets the money smoothly and looks over at the two guys holdin' onto my arms. "Let him go, gentlemen." I shrug myself out of their grips and straighten my hat and jacket. I enjoy glaring at Dobson as he goes back to his post.

"Mr. Flack. Take a seat." Hammerback wipes his mouth with a napkin and gestures to the bench across from him. I oblige him. "Now what can I do for you?"

I give him the detailed story of Danny Messer from when Lindsay Monroe walked into my office until I left Mac Taylor's a little bit ago. "Messer's given us everything we need to take down Sassone," I say. "All we need is a warrant to make everything legal, because I'll be damned if I let him get off on a technicality."

Hammerback sits quietly for a few moments. "You realize what you'd need to make any charges stick against Sassone, correct?"

"Yes, sir. We need to place him at the scene, I'll need shipping manifests, the shipment route maps. I plan on takin' my camera. We'll nail him, sir. Just give us this piece of paper to make it all official."

"Flack, you should know that I have to get it signed by a judge. It's very difficult to find a judge in this town that isn't on Sassone's payroll."

"I know, sir, and I've been thinkin' about that. What do you know about Judge Caine?"

He thinks about it. "Caine's a good man. He won't be intimidated."

I look at Hammerback. "And you, sir?"

His eyes flare and he looks at me. "What exactly are you implying?"

"Sir, I need to know that if Taylor, Ross and I are gonna take down Sassone, it won't be all for nothin'." I hate accusin' him of bein' afraid, but I want Sassone. I need an attorney brave enough to prosecute.

"Sir, I have two daughters and a wife," Hammerback begins. "My wife, she wasn't too sure when I proposed. She knew someday I might take my job home with me." He looks at me. "But she knew what she was getting in to. And so did I when I became an attorney. I promise you that if you get me the case, I'll put him away."

He offers me his hand. I shake it, holdin' him to that. "Thank you, sir," I say. I stand. "I'll get you your case."

"Just don't screw anything up. I can't convict if you screw up."

"I'll do my job, Hammerback, if you do yours." With that, I stand and excuse myself. I'm halfway across the room when someone calls my name. I turn around to see the piano player from Sassone's-Hawkes, if I remember right- standing behind me in a Bertolli's waiter outfit. It doesn't surprise me he's workin' more than one job. "Can I help you?" I ask him, instantly wary. Hey, it's possible he might be a plant.

"I just thought you should know that there's a couple of Sassone's boys a few tables over," Hawkes confides in me. His eyes flicker to his right, and out of the corner of my eye, I catch at least one of the guys from yesterday eyeballin' me. "They followed you in," he advises me.

"I appreciate the heads up, Hawkes," I tell him. "I'll keep an eye out." He nods at me before disappearing among the tables again. Tell you the truth, it don't surprise me that I have tails. I'm somewhat happy about that, it means we're too close and Sassone is gettin' nervous.

I walk past Dobson at the door. "See ya around, Dobson," I tell him as I head back for my office. Things are falling in to place.

Wish I had a beer to celebrate.