Murder by Definition by Con Lehane

Author:Con Lehane [Lehane, Con]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2022-08-16T00:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

Mike Cosgrove left Grand Central Station, walking up the ramp from the lower level to the main level and then up another ramp to 42nd Street, braving the onrush of determined commuters heading for their trains. The martinis had given him a buzz. But they hadn’t fortified him for what he had in front of him.

It wasn’t hard to find Chris Jackson’s address. He lived in Addisleigh Park, a largely Black area with tree-lined streets, stately single-family houses, and well-groomed yards, one of the nicest neighborhoods in Queens, the kind of place folks work hard to get to.

Driving through the peaceful neighborhood made Cosgrove feel worse than he already felt. Sometimes, you don’t mind bringing bad news to someone. They’re getting what they deserve; they’re going to jail. Too many other times, you see the pain and despair in the guy’s eyes when he opens the door and finds you on the stoop. He knows you being there means his life’s going down the drain. Behind him, you see a couple of kids and a wife, the kids wide-eyed, the wife’s face wrinkled into a grimace of fear.

He didn’t know what he was bringing Chris except questions, ones Chris might have answers to that would explain away the bad things. The tightness in Cosgrove’s chest was because he was afraid his old partner didn’t have those answers.

He rang the doorbell. Chris opened the door, dressed in a two-tone brown leisurewear sweat suit. His eyes held the despair Cosgrove dreaded. He didn’t say anything, didn’t invite Cosgrove in, stood there watching him and waiting.

‘You know about Will Ford getting whacked?’

Chris’s expression didn’t change. ‘What about it?’

‘I’m afraid to ask.’

‘Did I kill him?’

‘Did you?’

Chris hesitated a beat. ‘No.’

‘Know who did?’

Chris didn’t hesitate. ‘No. Do you?’

‘I’m going to find out.’ He heard the cacophony of kids’ laughter and shrieks from somewhere deep in the house.

Chris shuffled his feet impatiently. ‘You’re not assigned the case.’

‘You’re keeping track?’

‘There’s dozens of murders out there, Mike. Find a high-profile one that’ll get you a promotion. I’ll get you assigned. You don’t need this one.’

‘Why don’t you want me on it?’

Chris’s eyes grew darker. ‘I keep defending you, telling One PP you’re a good cop. George is sticking his neck out for you, too.’

‘George?’

‘Kowalski.’

‘Why would he do that?’ Kowalski struck Cosgrove as someone who took pretty good care of his neck.

‘On my say-so.’

‘Why do I need defending?’

Chris glanced behind him, not that anyone was there, and lowered his voice. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong.’ He lowered his voice another octave. ‘You know how things are.’

Cosgrove felt a prickle at the back of his neck, something rising in his throat. ‘No. I don’t know how things are, Lieutenant. What things are we talking about?’

Chris’s voice rose. ‘We’re talking about loyalty. We told you what happened with that case back in the 90s. A cop got in over his head. We looked out for his wife and kids. Not by the book, but no one got hurt. The lowlifes were dead.

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