added it to the case file. When she got his outgoing message, she left her cell phone number with the request that he call her back as soon as possible. She explained that she was a medical examiner but was leaving her mobile number, not her office number, as she was on her way to the police station.
With that taken care of, Laurie headed outside to catch a cab for the Midtown North to meet up with Ron. While she sat in traffic, Laurie’s mind turned to JJ and how well he was apparently doing in Leticia’s care. Suddenly her mobile phone rang. It was Robert Delacroix.
Laurie thanked the man for calling and thanked him also for acting as a responsible citizen and making the 911 call in the first place. “Too many New Yorkers are capable of just walking past someone in distress,” Laurie continued.
“At first I assumed someone had already called, like I guess a lot of people generally think. But then I said, Hell, there’s no reason why not to call even if I’m not the first.”
“As I mentioned on your voicemail, I’m a medical examiner,” Laurie said.
“I guess the man on the subway platform died.”
“I’m afraid so.”
“That’s too bad. He looked young.”
“Can I ask you exactly what you saw?”
“Well, it wasn’t much. I mean, it all happened so quickly. The train had been delayed, and the platform was really crowded. When the doors opened, there was a surge forward, making it difficult for the people trying to get off the train.”
“So there was a little pushing and shoving.”
“I’d say a lot of pushing and shoving. Anyway, out of the corner of my eye, no more than three or four feet away, I saw this Asian man, he was kinda bucking, like his head was going back and forth.”
“You thought he was having a seizure or something—at least that’s what you said.”
“That’s how I described it to the operator. I said to myself, It’s so damn crowded the man is having a seizure and he can’t even fall down. I mean, we were all packed together and pushing forward because everyone was afraid they weren’t going to get on the train.”
“I get the picture,” Laurie said. “Did you try to help?”
“Not really. He was to my left at that point. I’m not even sure I could have gotten to him if I’d tried. I was being pushed ahead by the people behind me. And to be truthful, I thought the people right next to him were attempting to help. In fact, when I got to the train’s door, I tried to look back. At first I couldn’t even see him because he wasn’t all that tall.”
“We’re here, lady,” the cabdriver said, looking at Laurie in the rearview mirror.
“Can you hold on?” Laurie asked Robert, a little flustered at her predicament. “I’m in a taxi and have to pay and get out.”
“I can wait,” Robert assured her.
Laurie paid the driver and climbed from the cab to stand in front of the Midtown North Precinct, its flag snapping in the breeze and a bevy of cop cars parked every which way.
“I’m back,” Laurie said. “You were saying ...”
“I was saying that as I was boarding, I got a fleeting look at the man lying on the platform. Standing by him were two other Asians. But it was truly fleeting, because I was looking through a bunch of other riders pushing to get on the train, some of whom didn’t make it. I was also getting my cell phone out.”
“At that time, did it look like the man was still seizing?”
“It happened so fast, with such a limited view, but if I had to guess, I’d say no. I was also dialing the nine- one-one operator to get the call in before the doors closed, and I lost the little signal I had.”
“Look,” Laurie said. “I really appreciate your being willing to talk with me. You have my number if anything else comes to mind, anything at all.”
“I will,” Robert said. “Actually, now that you’ve made me relive the moment, I feel guilty at having boarded the train. Maybe I should have tried a little harder to see if I could have helped.”
“Don’t torture yourself,” Laurie said. “You made a nine-one-one call so medical help could arrive.”
“That’s nice of you to say.”
Laurie disconnected her call and then climbed the steps into the busy precinct.
11
MARCH 25, 2010
THURSDAY, 2:45 p.m.
Louie felt energized as he neared his restaurant. He’d used the bus ride from Rikers Island to consider Paulie’s advice, and by the time he got back to his car he’d decided to follow Paulie’s suggestions. It was now clear in his mind that there was a time to avoid violence, and there was a time in which violence was the only solution. And this was one of those situations. At the same time, he was convinced he was right about not taking out Hideki. There were too many negatives, including the concern of losing the Japanese income stream and flow of crystal meth, even short-term. Instead, the disappearance of Susumu Nomura and Yoshiaki Eto was the perfect message to everyone, but most specifically to Hideki. The plan wasn’t necessarily going to be easy, but it was doable. Accordingly, Louie had started by calling Hideki and requesting a meeting at the Venetian for three- thirty to go over the evening’s plans, to which Hideki had immediately agreed.
Louie parked his car in his spot at the rear of the restaurant and walked in the back door. He knew all the guys would still be there, because after he’d made the call to Hideki to set up the meeting for that afternoon, he’d called Carlo.
“Did you get to see Paulie?” Carlo had asked. “And do we have a plan for tonight with the two crazy-ass Japs?”
“Yes to both questions,” Louie had said. “We have a plan but with different rules of engagement.”
“How so?” Carlo had asked, not trying to hide his disappointment.
“You’ll know soon enough,” Louie had snapped back. “Why I’m calling is to make sure you guys are still there when I return.”
“We’re here,” Carlo had said.
After walking through a short hallway containing the restrooms, Louie pounded open the swinging door leading into the kitchen, catching Benito off guard as he sat on the countertop, shooting the breeze with the chef, John Franco. Guiltily, Benito dropped his feet to the floor and stood. Louie glared at him for a moment but quickly decided he was too busy to ream him out for behavior the health department would hardly condone. “Did the guys eat?”
“Yes, they did,” Benito answered smartly.
“Is there any of the pasta left?”
“I have the sauce,” John Franco said. “I’ll have fresh pasta in ten minutes.”
Without answering, Louie pushed through the swinging doors leading into the dining room. Carlo, Brennan, Arthur, and Ted were sitting around the table, poker chips and dollar bills piled up in the table’s center. Empty espresso cups littered the table’s periphery. Carlo slid out from the booth so Louie could slide into his usual spot.
“So how was Paulie?” Carlo asked after Louie had nodded a greeting to each of his henchmen.
“Weird,” Louie said. “He’s lost a lot of weight. Plus, he’s found God.”
“You mean he’s become a Bible banger?” Carlo questioned.
“I don’t really know,” Louie admitted. “He said he’d found the Lord and then talked like the old Paulie Cerino. The issue didn’t come up again until almost the end of our talk, and then only briefly. It might be an act for the parole board. I think he’s getting desperate about not getting parole.”
“So what’s the plan for tonight?” Carlo asked.
Louie then told them about his conversation with Paulie, trying to remember all the details, such as the clever idea of the diversionary explosion concept to convince Hideki that Louie was serious about helping with the break-in.
