HALL: It was stolen.
Daphne said anxiously, “I don’t know what this is about.”
Boldt answered, “I bet our friend Ben does.”
Daphne shot him a surprised look.
EMILY: Money.
HALL: Damn right.
EMILY: A lot of money.
HALL: Fuck yes, a lot of money. It was a boy. A boy stole it. Right out of my truck.
( Pause ) I want that money.
Daphne met Boldt’s eyes. “Ben,” she said agreeing with him.
Boldt nodded. “No wonder he’s scared of us. He’s worried we’re after him.”
“She knows the whole story. Ben told her,” Daphne said, sounding a little wounded.
Boldt worried about her relationship with the boy. “Or she got Ben to steal the money for her. Maybe it’s not the first time,” Boldt suggested.
“No,” Daphne countered, “I don’t believe that.”
Boldt, thinking aloud, said, “He’s Air Force. It wasn’t drugs. It was rocket fuel.” The silence in the van was shattered by the speaker.
HALL: I thought you could see this shit! Why didn’t you warn me?
EMILY: You asked me about a particular date. That was all.
HALL: Well, now I’m asking about complications. The unforeseen shit. I don’t need any of that.
EMILY: And I’m warning you that the longer you allow the descending moon-
HALL: Fuck the descending moon! What about complications?
Daphne said, “I don’t like the hostility. He’s in a mood swing here. Something triggered that swing.” Into the walkie-talkie she said, “Placate him. Go easy. Be vague. I’m not liking what I’m hearing.” To Boldt-the walkie-talkie back in her lap-she said, “Can we kick it if we have to?”
Boldt felt his scalp prickle with sweat. He didn’t want it heading in that direction.
HALL: What about if I pull it off in the next few days? ( Pause ) What if I can’t get it together in the next few days?
EMILY: You can get it together. The stars support success. ( Pause. ) The moon isn’t good for some time.
HALL: How long?
EMILY: How long?
Daphne depressed the talk button. “Make it a long time. Force this on him.”
EMILY: The moon won’t ascend for another month.
HALL: What?
EMILY: This isn’t a good month for you where business is concerned. Love, on the other hand, is on the rise.
Gaynes said, “This woman is a piece of work!”
EMILY: No more complications if you act quickly. This boy, whoever he is, won’t bother you again. You frightened him.
HALL: He’s got my money. ( Pause ) Listen … Can you help me find him? ( Pause ) There would be a bonus. ( Pause ) He’s kinda disappeared.
Boldt said excitedly, “We can use this.”
“No!” snapped Daphne.
Boldt held his eyes on her, his determination. “It takes Ben out of the loop and just might give us our probable cause.”
Daphne, eyes still on Boldt said into the walkie-talkie, “If you know where that money is, sweetheart, it’s time for a vision. You tell him. We all want Ben out of this.”
Collectively, they held their breath as they awaited Emily’s decision.
EMILY: I see a brown house. Small.
Relief flooding him, Boldt said, “There we go!”
HALL: That’s the boy’s place!
EMILY: The money is there. ( Pause ) A second story?
HALL: ( Sounding anxious ) Yes!
EMILY: The boy’s room. A box. A plastic box. Wait a second … ( Pause ) Rectangular.
HALL: A cigar box.
EMILY: No.
HALL: A toy safe? A lockbox? Something like that?
EMILY: A lunch box? ( Pause ) Ah! There it is clearly. It’s a video. A box for a video tape.
HALL: ( Excited; the sound of a chair moving ) How much?
EMILY: What?
HALL: How much do I owe you?
Daphne said into the device, “Let him go.”
EMILY:
Ten for the reading.
HALL: I’m giving you twenty. ( Pause) I’ll try for sometime in the next three days.
EMILY: Yes. Better than next week.
HALL: I’ll be back to check with you.
Bobbie Gaynes asked, “Do we follow?”
Boldt answered, “No, we lead. We know exactly where he’s going. Sooner or later he’s going after that money.”
Daphne said, “That personality? He’ll go for the money right away. Bet on it.”
38
Boldt planned to take Hall into custody at Ben’s house.
He confirmed that Hall’s residence-identified as a mobile home in Parkland-was already under surveillance. A backup team was put on standby.
Hall left Emily’s, the object of a dozen pair of eyes, climbed into his truck, and drove away while Homicide, ERT, and bomb squad officers looked on. Many of these people experienced disappointment, the accumulated adrenaline of the past hour finding no outlet.
The blue-and-white truck drove down 21st and turned left on Yesler.
With Gaynes driving, the brown recreational van negotiated a U-turn and headed north on 21st, right on Spruce, and right again on 23rd. The police radio identified the truck as paused for a light at Yesler and 23rd.
The police van drove through the intersection heading south. Boldt spotted the truck to his right, four cars back, waiting for the light.
“There he is,” Boldt told the others. They drove past. Boldt held him in sight as long as possible. He scrambled for a map.
As expected, a moment later the blue-and-white truck turned south on 23rd.
Boldt cautioned Gaynes, “He could be heading south to Parkland-”
“He’s not,” Daphne interrupted.
“We want to continue south until he commits,” Boldt finished, annoyed by Daphne’s confidence.
Boldt found himself willing Hall to turn left on Jackson in the direction of the Santori house. His muscles ached from holding himself so tight. He caught himself grinding his teeth.
Dispatch announced, “Suspect vehicle turning east on Jackson Street East.”
“Told ya,” Daphne said proudly.
Gaynes checked the outside mirror. “He’s too far back. I’ve lost him.”
Checking a street sign, Boldt instructed her, “Left on Norman.”
The surveillance car following Hall at a distance reported in. Boldt directed them to remain on 23rd and pass Jackson. “It’s too small a street,” he told Daphne and Gaynes. “He might spot them.”
Jackson was a dead end, up a steep hill; the Santori home backed up to Frink Park.
Boldt ordered the surveillance car left on Dearborn, two blocks behind where the van turned. The van and the surveillance car then ran parallel to each other on two adjacent avenues, the van turning right one block south of Jackson and the surveillance car, one block north. A third unmarked vehicle was told to park with a view of the intersection of Jackson and 23rd.
ERT was deployed into Frink Park, in case Hall fled on foot.
Dispatch confirmed that the vehicle came to a stop a half block from the Santori home.
With the suspect effectively boxed in, Boldt checked his weapon and sat forward to leave the van.