“You’re turning into a real Diva, Nick,” Gus said. “Maybe I should have brought a Snickers Bar with me.”
The reporters, cameramen, and people who had joined the group out of curiosity moved on Nick and Gus. When they blocked the walkway into the precinct, Gus moved to plow through them, causing the ones in front of him to try and back out of his way with fear on their faces. Nick held him back as they had agreed.
“Hello. I see the police department didn’t keep my visiting time a secret. I have to go in and make a report on yesterday’s incident. I also have to press charges against two men who broke into my home. Please let us through.”
“Is it true you tortured the two men?” Florence Gutierrez, jacking her way in front, shouted at Nick.
“I didn’t have to torture either one of them. The first thing they told me was your name. The one guy wanted me to call you. The other guy, Jamal Kader claimed he was going to call you before he broke into my house. Want to tell everyone why two burglars have your name on the tip of their tongue, Flo?”
Gasps and sharp mutterings in the crowd, followed by dead silence, enhanced the look of utter shock on Gutierrez’s face. “I…I don’t know what you mean. It’s obvious you’re trying to deflect-”
“Deflect hell!” Nick leaned closer, the Terminator surfacing to silence the stammering reporter. “That was no coincidence. The police will be questioning you I’m sure. I don’t know what game you were playing, involved in two murderers being sent to my house, but I promise you – I will find out.”
Nick straightened, scanning the now silent crowd. “If you bunch want to do some real investigative journalism, find out from Ms. Gutierrez why my house was broken into by men sharing one common thing they admitted to: her name. It was recorded by the 911 operator and the police officers involved. Now, excuse me, I need to make sure those two burglars remain in jail.”
Gus led the way inside with attitude. The other reporters did as Nick suggested and descended on Florence Gutierrez in a rush, leaving Gus and Nick to walk unimpeded into the station.
“Now that was entertainment, Nick.”
“It will get more entertaining soon, my friend. I’m not sure how diligent the police will be in this, but I guarantee if those two assholes from this morning get free, they’re going to have an accident that might last a few days. I tore their financials apart this morning. Both men went with Uncle Naseer on his murderous trips abroad. I’m betting that piece of shit Naseer never did his own dirty work. He probably shot his mouth off about transgressions against Allah while Jamal and his buddy did the deed. Ever wish you could bring a guy back from the dead for a proper reckoning?”
“Ah… no,” Gus replied. “I don’t know where that scum Naseer is, but it ain’t with the seventy-two virgins.”
“Amen to that.”
*
“This seems like a joke, Sergeant,” Nick stated, looking through the one way glass at a lineup of suspects. A group of Middle Eastern men were aligned along a platform with numbers, all with sullen looks, Nick could tell were an act by the innocent ones.
“It’s a formality, Mr. McCarty. We have to do this in the presence of a lawyer, so identification can be confirmed. Do you see the two who invaded your house, Sir? Take your time.”
“Numbers two and eight,” Nick stated immediately. “I never… ever forget faces. Those two are the men who broke into my house – no question and no doubt.”
Dickerson ordered suspects Two and Eight taken into custody, and dismissed the lineup.
Sergeant Dickerson then smiled at the defense attorney, who was less than pleased. “I believe we have our suspects, Mr. Hadad.”
“You have nothing other than the unsubstantiated testimony of a man who tortured these two men after inviting them into his house,” Hadad replied.
“Now that was a joke,” Nick said. “Maybe you need to listen to the 911 tapes again, you moron.”
“You will not get away with this travesty, McCarty,” Hadad jammed his finger into Nick’s chest, only to be forced onto his knees, his hand engulfed in a finger hold he could do nothing but cringe at. “Re…release me this instant!”
Nick jiggled Hadad’s hand in his hold. “You saw him poke this at me, didn’t you, Sergeant?”
“Yep, I sure did. You need to be more careful of your actions, Mr. Hadad. It’s one thing to represent two criminals. It’s another to threaten the victim of their crimes. I believe you may release him now, Mr. McCarty. If he makes any more threatening moves, I will arrest him. I know you would press charges.”
“I sure would,” Nick said, releasing Hadad. “I’d love to pick him out of a lineup too.”