Unexpected Appearance Chapter 34
Reference librarian Gertie Mays' eyes twinkle below her mass of gray hair. "Detective Beckett isn't going to charge in here and arrest you again, is she Ricky?"
Rick grins at his old friend. "Not this time, Ms. Mays. We're working together on a case. However, she's pursuing a more contemporary lead. Mine goes back in time somewhat."
"How far back in time?" Gertie inquires.
"Between 19 and 12 years ago. I need to know who held the real strings of power in the criminal justice system, who could decide who would get charged and who would get kicked loose."
"Which would have been the Manhattan DA," Gertie assumes, "unless someone was pulling his strings from above."
"No, I think I'm looking for a DA who enjoyed being the puppet master. You wouldn't by any chance remember who that was?"
"Sorry, Ricky, during that time, I was on my let's educate the children about history kick. I wasn't paying that much attention to current events. But I was aware that The Ledger had some pretty good reporters on the city beat. If you go through the Metro sections in the back issues from that era, you can play Toto on the curtain around the puppeteer."
"Back issues of The Ledger still in the usual place?" Rick inquires.
"Yes, and older issues are still on microfiche. We haven't had the money to upgrade all the technology yet. Next time you and your writer friends hold a fundraiser for the library, you might keep that in mind."
"I will, Ms. Mays. Thanks."
Rick decides to start by going back 20 years. It doesn't take long for him to come upon an article: "Rising Star in the D.A.'s Office." It tells the story of William H. Bracken, an assistant D.A. who manages to put away several drug dealers who were trying to establish a territory in New York City, particularly Washington Heights.
"Interesting that he didn't put away the one who was already there," Rick mutters, recalling Kate's unsuccessful battle with Vulcan Simmons. He searches for Bracken in further articles that document his rise in fame and election as D.A. 19 years before. Rick immediately realizes that Bracken would have been in full control at the time Bob Armen was killed and could easily have made sure that Joe Pulgatti took the rap. He was still D.A. seven years later when Johanna Beckett was murdered, and John Raglan declared it a random killing. And somehow, neither Vulcan Simmons nor the dealers who worked for him ever ended up behind bars.
Another name keeps popping up: Avery Zussman. As an assistant DA, Zussman was Bracken's go-to guy. Then, when Bracken moved on and up, Zussman went into private practice. That Zussman stood up for Lockwood in court couldn't have been an accident. Bracken could easily have enlisted him to run the Lockwood escape operation. As an attorney, he would have free access to his clients, and their conversations wouldn't be bugged. He could even have spotted a vulnerable corrections employee and arranged a bribe. Zussman is definitely a person of interest.
Rick reads further, following Bracken's successful campaign for Congress, where he managed to get himself appointed to the Foreign Affairs Committee, which was very convenient for junkets to Afghanistan and other foreign countries – friendly or not. He eventually also got himself assigned to a subcommittee dealing with the climate crisis. He used it to build a nice, good guy cover for himself as an environmental crusader. Rick hisses under his breath. "While allowing his pal Simmons to keep filling the streets with poison."
After calling CSU to get them to check on the flashbangs, Kate googles hedge fund manager Grandy Cartland, owner of the helicopter. After several pages of listings extolling his investment brilliance, she finally finds some personal information. He grew up in New York City and attended the famed Bronx High School of Science, the same as another hedge fund manager, Alan Stayton, who later became a congressman from Florida. Both of them developed an interest in the environment, first becoming supporters of anti-climate change activist Al Gore. When Gore's run for the presidency failed, they both looked around for another green movement hero and apparently settled on William H. Bracken. Bracken occasionally goes sailing with the both of them on Stayton's yacht, which is probably where Cartland and his family are now.
Kate's computer bleeps an alert to an email from CSU. A preliminary examination revealed the flashbangs from the courtroom to be of Russian origin. So, whoever planned the escape had to be doing business with the Russians. An environmental crusader could easily attend meetings around the world, including Eastern Europe, without raising too many questions.
Rick bounds off the elevator toward Kate's desk. "I know who the boss is."
"William Bracken," they exclaim simultaneously.
"I don't suppose you have any hard proof," Kate says.
"Unfortunately, just a very strong trail of implications. You?"
"The same."
"But there were lots of cops who would have been around 19 years ago when the whole mess leading to your mother's murder started. And there are even more who would have been around when she was killed," Rick says. "He was DA then. Someone must remember something."
"Captain Montgomery would have been a rookie 19 years ago," Kate figures. "He would have to have heard at least something about what was going on in the DA's office. We should talk to him. There's no statute of limitations on murder. Maybe he can aim us toward something we can still use."
"And we should ask him about Lockwood's lawyer, Avery Zussman. He worked under Bracken back then. Obviously, the relationship continued."
Montgomery looks up from his desk. "Got something on Lockwood?"
"We still don't know where Lockwood is, but we know who's behind him."
Montgomery pushes away the paperwork in front of him. "What are you talking about?"
"The big boss, Sir, the one who ordered Lockwood's escape and my mother's murder. It's William H. Bracken."
"Popular U.S. senatorial candidate," Rick adds.
"Do you have any proof?" Montgomery asks.
"Nothing that would stand up in court, Sir. But Castle and I went at it from two different angles, and we came up with the same person. He was D.A. when the whole mess with Raglan and McCallister and their ransom scheme was going on. He must have been the one who took it over. He also gave Simmons' dealers a free pass. Lockwood's lawyer worked under him then. And he knows the guy who owns the helicopter Lockwood escaped in. It all fits. But we need some cops who were active while Bracken was DA to shore up our case. Wouldn't you have been a rookie back then? We were wondering if you might know who could help us."
Montgomery slumps in his chair. "I've been waiting all these years for the other shoe to drop. Yeah, I know who can help you: me. When I was a rookie, I wanted nothing more than to get the scum off the streets. I still do. But back then, I had no idea how it was supposed to work. I looked up to Raglan and McCallister and the other cops I thought were doing their part to clean up the mess. I didn't understand how dirty that made them. But when Bracken took over, I realized just what happens when cops – and DAs – start making up their own laws. I wanted out, but there was no way to do that except in a box. And Evelyn and I were already married. I had her to think about. Later, when your mother was killed, Evelyn was already pregnant with Rebecca. And Bracken made it very clear what would happen to anyone who shot their mouth off - and to their families. But I managed to make a deal. When I told him I wanted out, I had one of those micro-cassette tape recorders in my pocket. I got everything he said about the operation, including the threats. And I collected whatever other evidence I could. I told Bracken that if I and my family stayed safe, that tape and the other evidence would never see the light of day. After I caught you snooping around in the archives trying to solve your mother's case, I extended that deal to cover you. But if you try to expose him now, everything is off. Wherever Lockwood is, he'll come for you, and he'll come for me and my family. While he was locked up and keeping his mouth shut, we were all out of the target zone. But now Lockwood could come for us, and God knows how many others to cover up for Bracken."
"Sir, we can bring down Bracken right now with that tape," Kate says. "And it will also show how unwilling you were to go along with him. Where is it?"
"I don't know, Beckett. If I did, I might have used it by now. But I gave it to your mother when she started looking into Bracken. After she died, I could never recover it."
"If it still exists," Kate swears, "I will."