Chapter 6
The SUV took the corner into the park entrance fast, just short of squealing the tires. "Damn. Look at all these vultures. Isn't that Kendrick, the mayor's aide?" Powell asked.
"One and the same," Eames said. The fates were against them today. Having Kendrick here was a serious stroke of bad luck. The guy seemed to hate Goren, and the feeling was mutual. "Don't throw him off the cliff, Goren. Let Steve deal with him."
Eames pulled the SUV into a spot away from the cluster of personnel and vehicles. "If I find out he's the one who kept us from getting more resources last night, all you'll hear is the splash." He stormed out of the truck. Besides themselves, there were two patrol vehicles, and a forensics van and at least ten other people were near to the Camry.
"We waited, detective, but you might want to take a look over here." The three were motioned over to the railing by one of the forensics technicians, a young woman named Culver. Goren's reputation being what it was; they didn't seem to have done much.
"Oh, God," breathed Eames. "No."
Goren said nothing, staring. Powell joined them in equally horrified silence. A corner of black, sodden fabric fluttered in the wind on an outcropping of rock just below them. A few more inches and it was a long, unimpeded drop into the surf below. Even without the nameplate, any close associate would recognize the overcoat as belonging to Danny Ross.
"We took photos, and I've checked the railing. Plenty of prints, but they're a mess. That was all. We didn't want to touch anything until you'd had a look, detective."
Powell stepped between and whispered to Goren, "Tell me what you need."
" Eames said hesitantly. "Have Culver start with the outside of the car, samples from the tread, everything. Cross all the T's, dot all the I's. I want to be the one to open the vehicle."
Goren glared over his shoulder and added, "And find Kendrick something to do somewhere else. The man's a menace."
"You got it." Powell turned to the assembled group. "This is the responsibility of Major Case," he said loudly. "Forensics! Start with the vehicle, but don't open it yet." He gestured to the nearest patrol unit. "Go down to the entrance. Set up a roadblock. If anyone from the press comes near, arrest them for impeding an investigation. Kendrick, could I speak with you privately, please? We're going to need to coordinate the cooperation from other agencies."
Goren moved ten or fifteen feet away from the immediate area, eased over the relatively high railing and moved gingerly toward the coat. Eames held her breath as Goren slipped twice and caught himself. After a few more careful steps, he knelt, barely able to hold his position down on his knees.
"Damn, Bobby, be careful."
"They're going to need a safety line before anyone else comes over that." Goren studied the rock surface closely, fingertips gently gliding over the rocks. Carefully he crept forward. The rock face dropped sharply away, the smooth gray surface treacherously slick. After less than a minute, he began to inch backwards. "I'm coming back over. Give me a hand." He reached up and Eames clasped his wrist firmly, providing some additional stability. Goren eased himself up and over.
"What do you think?" Eames asked anxiously.
"Anyone just walking on that rock, in the dark would have been on his butt ten feet long before they reached that coat." Goren gestured toward the rocky surface. "You probably can't see it, but there's a thin layer of moss all over."
"Makes sense. It's got to be damp almost all of the time."
"Well, it's as slick as ice, and the reflection of the sunlight is different where my steps were. There aren't any other marks."
"What are you saying, Bobby?"
"Ross didn't walk out there and drop that coat. It was thrown."
"It was pouring down rain last night. Why does he pitch his coat? More to the point, why is Ross up here in the first place."
"Exactly. Let's look at the car." Goren paused, and then added. "Uh, oh. We've got trouble. I knew it."
An intense conversation between Steve Powell and the mayor's assistant was escalating. The words were carried away from them, so they didn't know the content, but they could guess. Goren immediately headed in that direction.
"Stay out of it, Bobby," Eames said quickly, trying to catch her partner. "Anything you have to add will only make things worse."
She barely caught a muttered, "That son of bitch," before Goren flung himself forward.
Instinctively, Eames moved to intercept Goren. It was futile. Powell already had Carleton Kendrick bent over the back of the nearest vehicle, shaking him furiously, shouting for good measure.
"You don't know a damn thing! Danny Ross would never – NEVER take his own life!" Eames stepped between the two men and her partner, desperately trying to keep Goren out of the fray, while others managed to disentangle Powell.
Kendrick stumbled to his feet. "You can't attack a member of the mayor's staff. I'll have you up on charges, Powell. "
Powell shouted right back. "Take a shot. Go ahead. Just stay out of the police work, and keep your fantasies out of it. This is a good man you're speculating about."
"Just because he's one of the brothers in blue doesn't change the realities," Kendrick shot back. "It's obvious that suicide should at least be considered."
"You can make that judgment from just a glance? Without evidence?" Goren demanded, advancing ominously. This time Eames let him go, equally appalled at what was being said. "How convenient. The rest of us can just go home."
"Not even Goren the great is going to clean this mess up," Kendrick scoffed, "Especially without Eames covering your ass every minute." Goren invaded Kendrick's personal space, his hands clenched at his side. The mayor's aide stepped away, clearly intimidated, finally showing an ounce of self-preservation instinct.
He stepped back and fussed with his suit, trying to regain control of the situation. "Thank God we were circumspect last night. This will be scandal enough. It's a PR disaster." The words were out of his mouth before he realized his miscalculation. Every member of the New York Police Department present turned as one.
"PR? You're worried about PR? Get out of here," Powell hissed. "As of right now, if you breathe one more word, I won't be responsible for the consequences and I won't do anything to stop anyone." Kendrick took a few hesitant steps and then fled.
"A suicide?" Eames said, aghast. "He thinks this is a suicide?"
"He's an idiot," Powell said sharply. "It doesn't end there. He's opposed to committing additional resources to assist in looking for Ross, since the incident is so 'obvious'," Powell said. "How dare that man? Right now the only thing that's 'obvious' is that we ought to lock HIM up somewhere."
"Can't we do that, sir?" one of the rookie patrolmen asked eagerly, nudging his partner. "Jaywalking? Littering? We'll go."
The earnest suggestion broke the grim mood. Powell shook his head, smiling sadly. "Tempting, son, but no. We'll just have to argue our point to a higher ranking official. Besides, as irritating as that nitwit is, there are more important things to do. Everyone keep that in mind."
"You're going to have to do the political end, Powell. We'll handle things here," Goren said.
"I have to agree. I can't help with the forensics," Powell said. His round face was solemn, marred with a deep frown. "I shouldn't have lost my temper. It was stupid."
"Better you than Goren," Eames said, flashing a wry grin at his partner.
"Maybe," Powell said. "Get to work. I'll start making more calls. Get the other Captains involved and catch Moran the minute he steps off the plane. No way will they let this fly. We can at least hold up or temper any statements made to the public." He stopped dead, and turned back to his detectives. "Oh, no. Ross's kids. What if Kendrick makes some wild statement to the media? We can't let the kidsl hear something like that without any warning."
"No, we can't. You two go, go see Nancy and the kids. I'll catch a ride with one of the patrol units when we finish up here."
Eames started to protest, and Goren cut her off crisply. "We need Powell at Headquarters. There's no one else. You really want to send some stranger from public affairs to tell his family about this? Or worse, hear some half-baked news bulletin?"
"Of course not, but…"
"I'll the careful," Goren said, his hand still outstretched. "Go. Powell agrees with me."
After a quick glance, Eames realized there was no point in arguing. She and Powell hurried to their cars to go on their separate ways.
"I don't believe it. No fucking way." Wheeler's eyes widened at her partner's use of profanity. She couldn't hear the other side of the phone conversation, but clearly he wasn't happy. "What do you want us to do? Right. Got it."
"What happened?" Wheeler asked.
Mike Logan swallowed hard. "They found the car the Captain was using last night. It's at Overlook Park, and his overcoat is on the rocks leading out to the ocean. Some fool tried to say he jumped."
"Danny Ross a suicide. What a bunch of crap," Wheeler said angrily. "Based on what?"
"Based on nothing, because it's impossible. Powell's convinced it was staged. Goren's checking the car."
"Good. He'll find something." Wheeler exchanged a knowing look with her partner. Goren's talents were no secret to an insider. "What do we do?"
"Keep looking, and at least for awhile longer, we're not getting any help. We need to find something, anything." Mike kicked at the ground in frustration. "We've been down here for hours in the dark and found zip. If the Captain was patrolling down here, how did that damn car end up on the other side of town? I can't see him driving up there. Did somebody swipe the car? Force him to drive up there? The whole thing doesn't make sense."
"Look, Ross is no pushover. He had to have been out of the car. Even then, how does it go down?" Wheeler asked. "The car gets swiped, he calls in. Does he get mugged?"
"No one heard shots."
"Correction, partner, no one reported shots or a disturbance. Maybe the good citizens of New York weren't feeling particularly civic-minded last night."
"Good point, Mike conceded. "Even with a weapon, out here on the sidewalks is a lousy place for an ambush."
"Then he was lured into a house, or an overgrown yard, maybe one of the alleys. Come on, man. We've got things to do."