Underground: The Girl in the Box, Book 45 by Crane Robert J

Author:Crane, Robert J.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ostiagard Press
Published: 2022-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty

Sienna

“Looks to me like you got snowed into following a fake trail,” Donato said, on the borderline of crowing, once we were back in the bullpen of her Brooklyn precinct. She had a glow in her eyes that old me wouldn't have minded purging – with fire.

But I accepted her glee with an equanimity born of repeated kicks to the ego over these last few months and made myself say, “You could be right,” with as little pain in my voice as possible. “Morris Mack certainly hasn't lived there in a while.”

“Looks to me like identity theft,” Donato said, plopping down heavily into her chair as Kat and I stood forming a triangle with her in the quiet bullpen. We were into the third shift now, and graveyard was always the most sparsely attended of the shifts. Who wanted to work from ten at night until six in the morning if they had any other option? “Our perp found out Mack was foreclosed on and used the address to procure a credit card which was then used to charge the Metrocard.” Her lips twisted in distinct, unpleasant glee. “You bought it hook, line, and sinker. What a waste of time.”

“You had other leads you could be pursuing?” Kat asked, and her inserting herself into the line of fire caused that shade of red I was seeing to go a hazy purple.

Donato stiffened at the clapback from my putative partner. She stared at us for a couple seconds, eyes flitting between me, then Kat, and then she turned her attention to the computer. “Still a waste of time.”

“I wonder if it is,” Kat said.

“This Morris Mack is a fifty-year-old man,” Donato said. “He has no record. None. You're telling me an old guy like that just up and decides one day to become a mad bomber out of nowhere?”

I stared straight ahead, pondering something. “How long had he owned that house before the foreclosure was filed, I wonder?”

Donato just stared at me. “Who cares?”

“Just seems to me if he'd lived there a while, say twenty years or more, and he suddenly stopped making payments, he might have experienced some life-changing circumstances,” I said. “Maybe a catalyst for his new role as a bomber.”

The scorn dripped off Donato. “That's a reach.”

“Long as it's not a reacharound,” I said. “Look – Mack's name is still the best lead we have until forensics come back.”

“Speaking of,” Kat said, “anything on the bombs yet?”

Donato cradled her phone delicately. “Forensics sent me a temporizing reply earlier when I asked. It's taking them some extra time to make their report.”

“Did we get the property record for Mack before we charged in there?” I asked.

“Just the last known address,” Donato said. “Records isn't open this time of night. I sent a request; they'll answer first thing tomorrow. Don't see the point, though. I'm telling you, this Mack is a smokescreen. Just a name they used to get a card.”

“Maybe,” I said. “Maybe not. I like to pursue every avenue.

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