me.'
'You’re right. We need you to do this and do it right,' Marshall said as DeFrancisco’s steak arrived. Marshall finished his drink and started to get up.
'There is one more thing I been meaning to tell you,' DeFrancisco said as he prepared to dig into his steak.
'What’s that?'
'That pain in the ass reporter called me again last week.'
'What did she want?'
'If DEA had any knowledge of drug money being involved in your latest investigation.'
'What did you tell her?'
'Same thing I always tell her, I told her to go fuck herself,' DeFrancisco said with his mouth full of steak.
'That’s one pain in the ass that neither one of us will have to be bothered with.' Marshall stood up, straightened his tie and left the room.
Chapter Thirty
It didn’t matter what the captain said, Kirk just couldn’t sit on his hands and do nothing. He had to do something, so he decided that the best use of his time was to look into Martin Marshall and his involvement with DeFrancisco.
Kirk had heard that the city’s Department of Investigation was looking into a case that involved Marshall, so earlier that day he paid them a visit.
When he arrived at the Department of Investigation, he flashed his badge and was taken to speak with Diane Smith the head of the department. 'DOI is one of the oldest law-enforcement agencies in the country and an international leader in the effort to combat corruption in public institutions,' Diane Smith explained. 'It serves the Mayor and the people of New York City by acting as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for New York City government.' She was an attractive woman in her early forties and just a bit of a flirt.
'What type of cases do you investigate?' Kirk asked.
'DOI’s major functions include investigating and referring for prosecution cases of fraud, corruption, and unethical conduct by City employees, contractors and others who receive City money. We also study agency procedures to identify corruption and recommend improvements in order to reduce the City’s vulnerability. We investigate backgrounds of persons selected to work in decision-making or sensitive City jobs, and those who do business with the City, to determine if they are suited to serve the public trust.
'Sounds pretty interesting,' Kirk said.
'Oh, please Detective,' Diane flirted. 'Probably pretty boring compared to the type of cases you get to work on.'
'Maybe, but interesting all the same,' Kirk flirted back. 'All that work must keep you very busy.'
'DOI handles at any one time hundreds of complaints.' Diane continued. 'But in a time of diminishing resources, we continue to find new ways to address the problems challenging the City. But enough about that, tell me how I can help you, detective?'
'I understand that your department is investigating Martin Marshall. Can you tell me anything about that?'
'Our case doesn’t involve the Senator directly. It’s a complaint against a City Councilman who is accused of extortion.'
'What was the case about?' Kirk asked.
'Allegedly the councilman and a still un-named co-conspirator had demanded $1.5 million dollars worth of property and $50,000 cash from a real estate developer who wanted the councilman’s vote in favor of a development slated for Brooklyn. We believe that Marshall is his co-conspirator,' Diane told him. When Kirk pressed her for more details, Diane told him that she couldn’t give him any more information because the case was still pending. She did however, refer Kirk to a reporter named Tavia Hawkins who had written a number of articles on the subject.
Kirk had spent the evening in his new DEA office reading all of the articles that Tavia Hawkins had written on Marshall and was on his way home when a call came over the radio about a suicide victim. The woman had taken an over dose of sleeping pills. When they said that the victim’s name was Tavia Hawkins, Kirk just had to drop by and stick his hand in.
When Kirk arrived at her apartment building, most of the other officers and emergency personnel were gone. He was met by an officer who told Kirk that Tavia Hawkins was reported missing by her editor. It was ruled a suicide when the body was found on the floor in the bedroom, with an empty bottle of sleeping pills by the bed. 'Mind if I have a look around?'
The officer allowed Kirk in the apartment, but stayed with him to make sure no evidence was removed. Kirk searched the apartment, but spent most of his time going through her files and looking at her computer. There was nothing that he could find that led him to believe that it was anything other than what it appeared to be, the suicidal death of a woman. Tragic, of course it was, but there was nothing that led Kirk to believe that Tavia Hawkins was murdered.
Tavia Hawkins was very organized, all of her files, both computer and hard copy, were filed along with her notes in chronological order according to the story she was working on. She even kept a journal which she made entries in everyday. Kirk found volumes of them dating back ten years. What Kirk did find a little strange was that for the last month there was nothing. No files, no notes on what she was working on currently on and the journal was gone.
Maybe she ran out of journals, or just stopped making entries, or maybe she took it to her office? Kirk doubted it, but that by itself wasn’t enough to prove that she was murdered.
Kirk left the apartment and had started for his car when he saw Nick and Wanda coming toward him.
'What are you doin’ here Simmons?' Kirk asked.
'I was just about to ask you the same question, Kirk.' But Nick knew that if Kirk was here that somebody was dead.
'And in such beautiful company,' Kirk added.
'Hello Kirk,' Wanda smiled. She knew Kirk had a thing for her. She had fenced with Kirk many times during his attempts to make a case against Mike Black.
'How are you, Wanda?'
'I’m fine, Kirk and to answer your question, we’re here doing the same thing you are. We came to talk to Tavia Hawkins.' Wanda said and Nick gave her a look.
'That’s not gonna happen.'
'Why not?' Wanda asked.
'Cause she’s dead.'
'Murdered?' Wanda asked.
'Suicide.'
Nick and Wanda looked at one another. Wanda started to say something but Nick cut her off. 'That’s too bad, Kirk,' he said and grabbed Wanda by the hand. 'Good night, Kirk.' Nick and Wanda started walking back to his car, with Kirk following behind them.
'What did you want to ask her about?'
'Doesn’t matter now, does it Kirk?' Nick said.
'No it doesn’t, but I’m just curious.'
When they got to his car, Nick got in quickly while Wanda played off Kirk. 'Have you any reason to detain us, detective?'
'No, just curious.'
Wanda smiled. 'Then I’ll say good night.'
Kirk opened her car door and Wanda got in. 'Good night, Wanda,' he said and closed her door.
