CBs
Chapter 15
The collar of Elion Poloka's shirt was drenched, as were his armpits and his back. He swiped a hand across the moisture on his forehead. The idea of going back to prison was terrifying. He just wasn't sure if it was more terrifying than than wrath of the man who had occupied the back seat of his limo the night before. It had seemed like such a great deal. Most men coming out of prison struggled to find the most menial job. But Elion had an offer. He could have the money to buy his own limo and start his own business. All he had to do was drive. He could even make money on the side with other driving jobs when the boss didn't need him. He just had to keep his mouth shut.
And it wasn't as if he knew much. Except for the occasional snatch of conversation or fragment of a phone call, his benefactor's dealings were a mystery to him. He just parked wherever he was told to park and waited. And he wanted it that way. He needed it that way. What he didn't know, he couldn't tell. Ignorance kept him safe.
Kate strode into the room, followed by Castle. She took the seat opposite Poloka, fixing him with an unforgiving stare. For some moments, Kate made a show of studying a file, giving Elion even more time to sweat. Finally Kate looked up at him again. "Mr. Poloka, do you know why you're here?"
"It's a mistake," Poloka protested. "I haven't done anything. I just drive a limousine."
"Ah," Castle interjected, "but who rides in that limousine and what infamies are plotted in in the depths of its fine leather seats?"
"Elion gazed back at Castle with a mixture of confusion and fear. "I don't know anything about any infamies."
Kate took back the interrogation. "Mr. Poloka, the man you drove last night is involved with at least two murders and a kidnapping. You want to convince me you know nothing about them? Give us his name."
"I don't know a name. He is known as Kreu. In Albanian that means the head."
"Okay," Kate acknowledged, "let's go at this another way. Last night you drove this Kreu from a club on Lydig Avenue to a building, also on Lydig Avenue. You parked and you waited. Where did you drive him after that?"
"Nowhere. I waited for a few hours. I read. I slept. Then he called and told me to go home."
"Fine, then where did you pick him up to take him to the club?" Kate pressed.
Elion squirmed uncomfortably imagining the clink of a locking cell door. He couldn't face prison again, but if he said anymore about Kreu... "If I tell you, I need protection."
"Mr. Poloka," Kate promised, "we can put a security team on you, but the only way you'll really be safe is if we put Kreu away. So we'll start with that address and then you need to tell us anything else you know."
"Alright," Elion agreed, his voice trembling, "I pick him up in Queens. He has a home in Forest Hills Gardens."
In the conference room, Kate addressed the assemblage of CBs minus Sergei Chekov and Sylvie Seacrest. "You have the notes on the case through the interrogation of Elion Poloka. That includes everything concerning Fran Bardici, including what Castle and the officers heard before he was arrested. I have a further update. According to city records, the estate at the address Elion Poloka gave us is in the name of Rita Carcani, I've just sent you all the information from the DMV. Rita Carcani is listed as seventy years old. That makes it a fair bet she's not the wife of the man Poloka knows as Kreu. A check into her background reveals that she was born Rita Agani in Albania. She came to this country with her parents at the age of seven. She's a naturalized citizen. In 1964 she was briefly wed to Dardan Carcani. Dardan died in a one car accident not long afterward. The circumstances were suspicious, but no foul play was ever proved. After that, the details become a bit murky. Rita's parents were suddenly living in a much better neighborhood, but Rita dropped from sight. She was rumored to have become the mistress of a very powerful man. If that is true, that man would be much older than the man Castle and I followed from the club, the man Elion drove to Queens. At this point, I'm asking for speculation."
"The obvious answer," Angela Lopez responded, "is that if Rita became the mistress to power, Kreu is Rita's son. Blood ties are important. After the serious setbacks the Albanian mob suffered in in 2011, the son could have taken the reins of the organization and rebuilt it."
"That is what Captain Beckett and I assumed as well," Castle inserted, "but there is no record Rita Carcani has ever given birth."
"She could have done it under another name," Ryan suggested.
Kate nodded. "It's possible. Or it's possible Kreu may have been a lieutenant of whomever Rita took up with and rose to take charge. But right now the only solid connections we have between Kreu and our two deaths are Bardici and Debora Halil. Bardici isn't talking. That leaves us with Debora Halil. Castle heard Bardici mention a Debora. What he heard wasn't recorded and we have no supporting evidence, but she doesn't know that. She has to be getting nervous about what Bardici might have given up and that with Bardici gone, there may be no more need for her services. Kreu's most likely method for her termination would be with extreme prejudice. But there could be another doctor, in which case she would be still be of use to Kreu. I see two possible strategies. One would be to bring her in and offer her protection in exchange for Kreu's identity. The other would be to keep her under surveillance and see if she either leads us to Kreu or we catch his people in the act of trying to take her out. Comments?"
"Elion Poloka doesn't know who Kreu actually is. Who says Debora Halil does either?" Esposito pointed out. "We pull her in and squeeze her, we may get nothing."
"We'd also tip Kreu off that we know about her," Ryan added. "Right now he may have no idea what Castle heard or that he was spotted in the club with Debora. He just knows his ex-con limo driver was picked up. Ex-cons get picked up all the time."
"I agree," Angela said. She turned to Castle. "Is your daughter still in place at the hospital?"
Castle nodded with a clenched jaw.
"So we can keep track of Debora's activities there." Angela continued. "We put someone on her wherever else she goes; things will come down one way or another."
"There's also the club," Bill Garrett put in. "It's part of the organization. If we check out their vendors, their transactions, we may pick up some leads. If they're being used to launder money, there has to be a money trail. We should follow it. We need to check out the rest of the holding company's businesses as well."
"We'll do both," Kate decided. "Bill you take the lead on the research you mentioned. Ryan can help you and so can Castle. Esposito, I want you to coordinate the surveillance on Debora Halil. Angela, ask your people to keep their eyes and ears open to any plans being made for a possible hit." Kate stood. "Okay, everyone keep in touch. One way or another we will get Kreu."