Police Patrol 2000 A.D. (UC) by Mack Reynolds

Author:Mack Reynolds [Reynolds, Mack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ace
Published: 1977-01-06T23:00:00+00:00

XIV

When Tad Boleslaw arrived at headquarters the following day he was a bit early and Jim Kelly hadn't shown up as yet. There was a message for him to see Lieutenant Schmidt, so after he had gotten into uniform he went to Schmidt's office.

For once, the detective lieutenant wasn't working on his reports. Instead, he had his feet on his desk, his age-worn pipe in his mouth, and was gloomily watching three police report screens at once.

Tad said, "I got the message that you wanted to see me, Norm."

The lieutenant didn't bother to bring his feet down. He said, "It's the commissioner again. He wants you to come up."

Tad said, "What about?"

"It's good news—I think. But he wants to tell you himself. If you pull it off, it'll probably lead to a promotion."

"Wizard," Tad blurted. He turned to go, but then reversed himself and said, "A funny thing happened yesterday, Norm. I ran into the daughter of Charles Brothers."

Schmidt looked at him. "I thought I told you to lay off Brothers."

"It was an accidental meeting."

"Well, what's funny about it?"

"She—uh, pleaded with me to stop persecuting her father. She seemed to know that I had dug into his dossiers." Tad slipped in a quick fib at this point. "Back before you told me to drop it. How in the name of Zoroaster could she have known?"

Schmidt thought about it, scowling. "Damned if I know, Tad. But it's not important. Just lay off the guy. Go on up and see the commissioner."

"Doesn't he want Jim, too?"

"It would seem not."

Tad made his way to the elevators and shortly was in the reception room of the police commissioner's office. The same sergeant, as before, was behind the desk there. As before, he gestured at the door leading to the inner office with a thumb. Tad didn't know the receptionist sergeant. He wondered if he could talk.

He entered and was surprised to find that Warren Hammond was again present.

Commissioner Marvin Ruhling beamed at him and said, "Good evening, ah, Tad is your nickname, isn't it? Sit down, my boy."

Tad nodded at Hammond and received a friendly nod in return, and found a straight chair and sat down.

Ruhling said, "We'll come straight to the point. Mr. Hammond has stayed on in Center City for a couple of days, Tad, and we've discussed the desirability of using our fair town for further investigation into criminal methods of subverting the Universal Credit Card. Do you wish to take over, Mr. Hammond?"

"Yes, of course." The National Data Bank big shot looked at Tad." In spite of the fact that you were unable to apprehend Rex Moran in the twenty-four hour period he had at his command, I was impressed by your aptitude, Patrolman Boleslaw."

"Thank you, sir. But, as you say, Jim and I flunked it."

"Rex Moran is my top field man. And you were working in the dark. However, you located the diamond ring almost immediately and were able to get a fix on him in that autocafeteria. Hadn't

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