becausehe’s a Republican in a city that has been controlled by Democrats since thedays of stagecoaches. The Democrats messed up, got into a racial thing andsplit their vote in a runoff, allowing this guy to sneak in with the heavybacking of the state GOP, which has been dying for a candidate who can dosomething in this city. Thanks to the power of incumbency, Raycroft wasreelected, but it’s far from a lock this time. He even has a challenger in theprimary, which is forcing him to spend money when he should be fortifying hiswar chest.
“You came over here to tell me that you’re not going to tellme anything?” he asks.
“We came by,” says Shiels, playing the straight guy here,“because we know you searched her home today.”
Raycroft looks at his watch. “Agent Shiels, can we get toit?”
“We planted a bug in Allison Pagone’s house. It’s asophisticated model, an Infinity transmitter. We don’t know if your peoplefound it.”
Raycroft looks at Roger Ogren, who makes a face. The answer,apparently, is no.
Shit. They didn’t know. They had no idea about Larry Evans’sbug, and now Shiels has told them. But they couldn’t be sure. They couldn’ttake the chance that the CAT unit would find the transmitter and start talkingto the media. They had no choice but to front the issue and claim thetransmitter as their own.
“First we’ve heard of it,” says Raycroft.
“Well-obviously, Mr. Raycroft, it’s paramount that thisinformation not leave this room. It would defeat the purpose.”
“Obviously.”
McCoy catches Roger Ogren scoping her out. She doesn’treally mind, but she likes to catch them in the act.
“You can’t discuss why you’re looking at Allison Pagone?” heasks.
“No, sir. I’m sorry-like I said, orders.”
“Is this related to Sam Dillon’s murder?” First time Ogrenjumps in, and he’s a little too eager to participate. A confidence thing, shefigures. “Do you have information about that?”
“We don’t.” Shiels shakes his head. “If we did, we’d tellyou.”
From the looks on their faces, the county guys aren’texactly getting in line to agree with that statement.
“Mr. Raycroft, Agent McCoy here is my point on thisoperation. If we pull anything from the bug, you’ll be the first to know.She’ll contact Mr. Ogren here. We want to assist in any way we can. But we needto be clear on the confidentiality. Nobody can know what we’re doing, sir.”
“I heard you the first time, Agent Shiels.” The countyattorney is making a point to show he’s unimpressed. “If we leak this to thepress, you’ll shake your fist at me.”
“I’ll put you in handcuffs.”
Raycroft comes forward in his chair. Probably isn’t spokento like that every day. But he’s reading Shiels, who is not budging an inch,and his air seems to deflate. He’s imagining his perp walk before the camerason the eve of the general election.
“If you’d like to speak with the attorney general of theUnited States, I can arrange that call,” Shiels adds.
McCoy pipes up. She wouldn’t, normally, but the game of
A silence now. Wounds being licked. The feds have come tothe county office and pissed all over it.
“And you won’t tell us what’s going on,” Raycroft manages.
“We can tell you this much,” says Irv Shiels, who raises ahand and adjusts the volume of his voice. “We can tell you that it’s big enoughthat I overreacted at the slightest hint of this leaking out. It’s big enoughthat our policy of cooperation with your office has to be a one-way street thistime. It’s big enough that the attorney general really is expecting your call,to personally thank you for your cooperation.”
Good recovery. A slip-up with the handcuffs comment, shethought, but he reeled him back.
Shiels sighs. “We’d never ask you to pass on theprosecution. In fact, we’ll help you, if we get anything from the wire.”
This is a point worth making. A high-profile murder trialbefore the general election in November could be a significant advantage forRaycroft. If they told him not to prosecute, he’d hit the ceiling and demandmore information.
“When this is over, Mr. County Attorney,” Shiels adds, “we’dbe grateful if you’d join us at the press conference. We’ll be explaining thatthis was a multi-jurisdictional effort between a number of federal agenciesand, of course, your office.”
Oh, and he nailed the landing. Talk about finding Raycroft’sG-spot.
“Well.” The tone in Raycroft’s voice has grown merrier. “Itsounds like your investigation is exceptionally important, so of course myoffice will respect that. Roger will be more than happy to cooperate. When doyou think this operation is going to be completed?” he throws in, like anafterthought.
What he’s really asking, she realizes, is, When can I havethat press conference?
“Summer,” says Shiels, who realizes as much as anyone thatthis is a good answer.
“Fine. Very good.” Raycroft nods.
“And we’d like to ask a favor, sir,” Shiels adds. “Assumingthat you’re going to indict Pagone, which it sounds like you are-”
“A fair assumption.”
“-we’d like you to agree to bail.”
“Bail? Ogren cries. “For a capital murder? Agree to it?”
“We need her out. She goes inside and we can’t use her.”
“Oh.” Ogren clams up, looks at his boss.
“I think,” Raycroft says, “that there are shades of gray here.‘Agreeing,’ I’m afraid, is out of the question. But ‘not opposing’ is adifferent matter. Not opposing very vigorously is still another approach.”
“Put restrictions on it,” McCoy suggests.
“She’s not going to flee,” Shiels adds. “We’re on her. Andif by some chance she does, I take the heat. I’ll make a point of it.”
“But she won’t flee,” McCoy repeats. “She’d never get pastus. Never.”
They rub and stroke the county attorney a little longer andhe agrees to “not oppose” the request for bail. This is so out of Shiels’scharacter, this coddling, that McCoy considers razzing him about it when theyreach the elevators. She considers, also, being out of a job five minuteslater.
“Thanks,” he says to her, as they walk back to the federalplaza. “I dropped the ball there.” He grunts. “‘ Handcuffs.’ Anyway, nicesave.”
A compliment. She wishes she had a witness. Harrick willnever believe it.
“Keep those boys in line, McCoy,” he adds.
ONE DAY EARLIER…
You were home all night,” Detective Czerwonka confirms.
“Yes,” Allison says. “I was home all night.”
“And to be clear, here. We’re talking about last Saturday,the seventh of February.”
“Yes. I was home all night.” Allison gives an exaggeratedsigh. “Are we going to be much longer?”
“We’ve told you all along, you’re free to go if you want,”says Czerwonka’s partner, Jack Aiken. He looks to be a little younger, andfitter, than Czerwonka, and he’s let his partner take the lead.
Yes, they have repeatedly informed her of her right toleave, because if she is free to leave, then this
