A large Styrofoam cup of coffee from the office kitchen sat on the floor next to his size fifteen shoes. He needed it. His frustration, anger, and Milstein’s insulting phone call had kept him from sleeping soundly. He’d finally gotten out of bed at around four and stubbornly continued to work on finding James Beck.
He used a lawyer friend’s subscription to LexisNexis and kept pounding away at legal and public records that had any connection to Phineas P. Dunleavy, his enmity at the lawyer’s dirty trick fueling him. He tracked through one paper trail after another until he found the name of a James Beck listed as a managing partner buried in closing documents on one of the properties Dunleavy’s law firm had acquired. Bingo. Pearce knew he would have to take a quick drive to the building to verify that Beck actually lived at that address, but his gut told him he had succeeded in finding out where James Beck lived.
He sat waiting for the right moment to let Milstein know the information he had uncovered, which would be the moment when Milstein lodged his next complaint. Told him how incompetent he was, or threatened him.
Milstein shifted in his seat. Working himself up to something.
“So, Walter, I asked you up here so I could tell you face-to-face.”
Instead of waiting for it silently, Walter pushed it.
“Tell me what, Mr. Milstein? How disappointed you are in me?”
Walter’s directness surprised Milstein. “Well … “
“Well, what?” pressed Walter.
“Well, uh, yes, actually. It’s been days since I asked you to find out about those men and you seem to be completely stuck.”
Walter interrupted Milstein. “It’s been about thirty hours since we walked out of Central Park and you told me to find those men, Mr. Milstein.”
“What? Oh, well, it certainly seems longer. You know, I hired you mainly as my driver and to watch out for me. But the reason you got the job was because you were a cop. A detective. Someone who could find things out for me if I needed it. I’m overpaying you as a driver, Walter.”
“And way underpaying me as an investigator, Mr. Milstein. Although I’m sure you figure to get the best end of it however it works out.”
Milstein squinted at Walter Pearce. This wasn’t going as he expected. He started to respond, but Walter held up his hand to stop him.
“The fact is, Mr. Milstein, this fellow Beck and his associates have gone to a lot of trouble not to be found.”
“I don’t like excuses.”
“Not an excuse. Just a fact. But I’ve been working on this nonstop and I’ve succeeded. I identified the one who held me at gunpoint in the park. I identified Beck. And now I know where we can find Beck. I doubt anybody else could have cracked this sooner than I have.”
“You cracked it?”
“Don’t look so surprised.”
“You’re sure?”
“Ninety-nine percent. I just have to drive out to the location and verify it.”
Milstein sat motionless. Walter watched him go through a calculation. And then it hit Walter. Milstein had called him up to his office not to complain, but to fire him. Son of a bitch.
“Well, that’s good news, Walter. I’m glad to hear it.”
Goddamn this fucking Milstein. Walter had to force himself to stay in his chair. This little snake, cocksucker, just sitting there waiting to drop the hammer. He was tempted to get up and leave. No, no way. He’d put in too much work. Better to play this right, cash in, then walk out on this fucking asshole when it suited him.
“I would hope so,” Walter said. “Like I said, over thirty hours pretty much nonstop. Cashing in a lot of favors people owe me.”
“I see.”
Walter asked, “So, do you have an idea how you want to use this information?”
“As a matter of fact, I do. That’s why it was so frustrating not to have what I need.”
“What’s your plan?”
“I’ve been talking to someone at my law firm. A man I trust. A man with connections to the NYPD.”
“So you want to call in the police?”
Milstein leaned back. He had no intention of explaining his thinking to Walter Pearce. He had decided not to leave this up to Markov. A murder investigation into Olivia Sanchez or James Beck would surely implicate him. He had to get it on record that he had done the right thing. Reported his part of it to the proper authorities. And if the police took Beck out of the picture, Markov would thank him in the end.
“Yes,” he answered. “I think that’s the best course of action now. Especially since you have solid information we can give them.”
Walter shrugged. “All right.”
Milstein tipped forward, put his elbows on the desk, assuming the role of a decisive C-suite executive.
“Here’s what I want to do, Walter. I’ve spoken to a contact at my law firm. He knows a high-level police official that he says can help us. We’ve got solid information on who assaulted me. It was assault, right?”
“You said the man threatened you. And tried to extort money from you. That’s felony assault.”
“Yes.”
“A known felon pulled a gun on me. That’s a ticket back to prison right there. You have plenty to bust these guys on. Plus, when the cops hit them, I’ll bet a dollar to a donut they’ll find weapons and probably more.”
“Exactly. And all we have to do is give my contact at NYPD the information, and he’ll take it from there.”
“And how much juice does your contact have?”
Milstein shuffled folders and papers on his desk and uncovered a legal pad. “He’s a bureau chief.”
“Do you know which bureau?”
Milstein looked at his notes. “Patrol.”
Walter nodded, relieved. Milstein had no idea how the NYPD was organized. There were dozens of senior police officials in divisions that wouldn’t be able to do much for them. But someone high up in Patrol, that would work.
“Okay,” Walter said. “He’ll have to run it through borough command in Brooklyn, but that shouldn’t be a problem if he wants to help us.”
“Good. Good. So I’ll arrange a meeting with him. Today.”
“If you can.”
“Oh, trust me. I can make this happen.”
Walter looked at his watch. It was an old digital Casio that showed the time and date. “What is it, not even eight? Still early in the day. I’d say the sooner I meet with him, the better.”