Chapter 29
"I don't like this," Sergeant Bell gave Elliot a look. He gave her one back as they stood in her office the next morning. The rest of the OCCB team were prepping for their op out in the bullpen.
"You've been hanging out with Liv too much," Elliot said.
"She's a smart woman. This plan could go sideways about thirteen different ways and most of them end with people dead or egg on our faces," Ayanna was not backing down. Their new boss, Deputy Inspector Ray Thurman, was a problem and she didn't want to add to that problem by blowing this op. Elliot understood her concern. The unit was on thin ice after Ayanna turned down her promotion that was going to end the unit and split the team up. Any and all mistakes would be looked upon as a reason to close the unit anyway and that was probably why One PP installed Thurman. A knock on the office door distracted them for a moment.
"Phil is getting antsy," Jamie announced.
"Sending an anxious hitman into our suspect's office, oh joy," Ayanna gave Elliot another look.
"We have a corrupt lawyer. Who better than to confront him than one of his more dangerous clients?" Elliot wanted to know.
"He's not going in there with a gun," it was Jamie's turn to give him a look.
"No, but we'll have his back. Also, Phil didn't always use a gun. That's why Taglietti will still be worried about him," the senior detective was still pushing for this. He left the room and headed out to the former hitman, who was pacing below Jett's desk.
"Jamie says you're antsy," Elliot watched him.
"This is going to sound weird, but when I was hitting, I didn't have much fear. It was the job and I always got the drop on the target. Now I feel like I'm walking into a trap," Phil admitted.
"Olivia and I were talking and we agreed that if Taglietti wanted you dead, he wouldn't have waited. His kid, Mario, was sitting outside your apartment. He could have tried to get into your place at any time. What we don't know is why he had someone break into Abigail's place or why he waited to try something. He must think you know something or have something he needs. We disrupted his plan by taking you and Abigail into protective custody. He's had to redirect his thinking but in the back of his mind, he's still trying to find whatever it is that he thinks is important. That's how you'll get the drop on him," Elliot said.
"How do I go in there and not have him declare attorney/client privilege? Also, where is the Captain? I thought you said I had backup," the former hitman said.
"You do. Jett, Jamie, Bobby, myself, and even the Sergeant will be there. Captain Benson has two of her people keeping Abigail company, but she and Detective Tutuola will meet us there," Elliot reassured him.
"You skipped the first part," Phil pointed out.
"New York is a one-party consent state. That said, we're still dealing with lawyer/client confidentiality. Technically, you could record the conversation but anything that is mentioned could be used against you as much as it could be used against your lawyer. You were given immunity for your mob work but not anything else. If Taglietti thinks you're recording him, then he could say something out of spite that would make the tape useless," the detective explained.
"So, how am I going to get him, again?" Phil raised an eyebrow. They'd gone over this before, but the man wanted some reassurance, and the detective had no problem with that.
"You're going to tell him that you know what he's looking for. You're also going to tell him that only you know how to get it. That Karen gave you instructions before she died. Once he hears that, he'll want to know where it is. You tell him it's at Abigail's house and that the only way you're going to agree to anything is if Taglietti comes with you right at that moment to the house. We follow him and we have the local precinct sitting on the house in unmarked cars," Elliot told him.
"Right. Then I find that piece of paper that supposedly blames him for Ron's death and try to get him to explain himself. The house is bugged and because it's Abigail's property, she's the only one who has to give consent to the recording devices," Phil nodded.
"Correct. Since it's a property not owned or leased in any way to either of you, neither one of you can claim that you expected privacy. She is the third party," the detective smiled.
"Let's do this," Phill seemed confident finally. It was thin and all the detectives knew that, but it was the only option left to get the corrupt lawyer. Maybe he'd be willing to make a deal to tell them where Ron was buried.
To Be Continued…