them.'
'What you're saying is that we're all loonies, some more, some less.'
'Yes,' he said gratefully.
'That's what I mean. I've got to keep in mind that I share the patients' queerness, but to a milder degree.'
She turned her head to stare at him.
'Don't be so sure of that, buster,' she said, and he gave a great hoot of laughter and climbed into her bed.
I stopped at the precinct on my way over,' Boone said on Monday morning.
'Talked to the Sergeant handling paperwork for Suarez's investigation.
He says the new people will be here by nine o'clock. Gave me a copy of the roster. He wasn't happy about losing them.'
'No,' Delaney said, 'I don't imagine he would be.'
'You don't think Chief Suarez will send us six dummies, do you, sir?'
Jason T. Jason asked.
'Sabotage?' Delaney said, smiling.
'No, I don't think he'll do that. Not with Deputy Thorsen looking over his shoulder.
But if any of these men don't work out, we'll ask for replacements.'
'They're not all men, sir,' Boone said.
'Five men and a woman. And one of the guys is a black-Robert Keisman.
You know him, Jose?'
'Oh, sure. He's a sharp cat; you won't need a replacement for him. They call him the Spoiler because for a time there he was assigned to busting bunco artists and three-card-monte games in the Times Square area. One of the guys he grabbed screamed, 'You're spoiling all our fun!' and the name stuck.
You know any of the others, Sergeant?'
'I've worked with two of them. Not much flash, but they're solid enough.
Benny Calazo has been around a hundred years. He's slowing down some, but he still makes all the right moves. The other guy I know is Ross Konigsbacher.
He's a dick two. They call him Kraut. He's built like a dumpster, and maybe he likes to use his hands too much. But he's thorough; I'll say that for him. The other people I don't know.'
'All right,' Delaney said.
'Let's get set up for this. We're going to need more chairs in here-five more should do it.'
They carried in chairs from the living room and kitchen and arranged them in a rough semicircle facing the desk in the study. They also brought in extra ashtrays.
'I was going to let them read my reports on the six patients,' Delaney said, 'but I decided not to. I don't want them prejudiced by my reactions to those people. We'll just give them a brief introduction, hand them their assignments, and turn them loose. I'm hoping we can get them out on the street by noon. You two decide who you want to partner first, then switch around from day to day.'
The new recruits began arriving a little before 9:00 A.M. Sergeant Boone served as doorman, showing them where to hang their coats and bringing them back to the study to introduce them to Delaney and Jason Two.
By 9:15, everyone was present and Boone closed the doors. Delaney had hidden his glasses away, firmly believing wearing spectacles while issuing orders was counterproductive, being a sign of physical infirmity in a commanding officer.
'My name is Edward X. Delaney,' he said in a loud, forceful voice.
'Former Captain, Commander of the Two-Five-One Precinct, and former Chief of Detectives prior to my retirement several years ago. As you probably know, I am assisting Chief Suarez in his investigation of the Ellerbee homicide.
Are you all familiar with that case?'
They nodded.
'Good,' he said.
'Then I won't have to repeat the details.
By the way, you can smoke if you like.'
He waited while a few of them lighted cigarettes. Detective Brian Estrella, a string bean of a man, took pipe and pouch from his jacket pockets and started slowly packing the tobacco.
Delaney told them that the first job of this 'task force,' as he called it, was to investigate six,of the victim's patients who had a history of violence. He emphasized that these people were not yet considered suspects, just subjects worth checking out in depth. Later they might have to investigate other of Ellerbee's patients.
'The first thing you'll want to do,' he said, 'is to run them through Records and see if any of them have sheets.' He said that eventually each detective would be assigned to one patient. But for the first few days, they'd be moved around, meeting the patients, questioning them, digging into their backgrounds and personal lives.
'We're hoping,' he continued, 'you will each find one subject who will think you simpatico and talk a little more freely. Now let me give you a rundown on the people we're dealing with – ' He was gratified to see all the detectives take out their notebooks and ballpoints.
He delivered brief summaries of the six patients.
When he finished, he turned to Boone.
'Anything to add, Sergeant?'
'Not about the people, sir; I think you've covered what we know. But the hammer…'
'I was getting to that.'
Delaney told them that the murder weapon was apparently a ball peen hammer.
It had not been found, and none of the six subjects had admitted owning such a tool. He urged them to make a search for the hammer an important part of their investigation.
He also reminded them of the two sets of footprints and suggested they query the subjects as to ownership of rubbers, galoshes, boots, or any other type of foul-weather footwear.
'If you can get their shoe size,' he told them, 'so much the better. We have photos of the footprints. Anything else, Boone?'
'No, sir.'
'Anything you want to add, Jason?'
'No, sir.'
'All right,' Delaney said to the others.
'Any questions?'
The female detective, Helen K. Venable, raised her hand.
'Sir,' she said, 'are these people all crackpots?'
There was some amused laughter, but Delaney didn't smile.
'This job is going to take patience and understanding.
Your first impression might be of a bunch of whackos, but don't underestimate them because of that. Remember, quite possibly one of them had the intelligence, resolve, and cunning to zap Doctor Ellerbee and, so far, get away with it.'
Benjamin Calazo, the old gumshoe, raised a meaty hand.
'I'd like to take Isaac Kane. My brother's kid is retarded. A sweet boy, no harm in him, but like you said, he needs patience and understanding.
I've learned to deal with him, so if it's okay with you, I'd like to take on Isaac Kane.'
'Fine with me,' Delaney said.
'Anyone else got a preference?'
Robert Keisman, the Spoiler, spoke up: 'If no one else wants him, I'll start with the Vietnam vet-what's his name?
Gerber? I can jive with those guys.'
'He's all yours,' Delaney said.
'Just watch your back; I think the kid can be dangerous. Any other preferences?'
There were none, so they set to work making assignments, arranging schedules, exchanging phone numbers
