"Isaac 'Fort' Festung," Washington said. "He was sentenced to life and he's walking around France eating grapes."
"Yeah."
"Any developments there?"
"The goddamn French are still dragging their heels. I think it has more to do with giving us the finger than anything else."
"Anyone but Eileen would have probably given up," Washington said. "She's as tenacious as she is tough."
He smiled.
"What's funny?" Cohen asked.
"I just remembered 'appealing to a higher jurisdiction,' " Washington said.
Cohen laughed.
When the Hon. Eileen McNamara Solomon had been on the bench, a just-convicted felon, facing a long prison term, had jumped up from his seat in her courtroom, run to a window, crashed through it and jumped to his death in the interior courtyard of City Hall.
When asked by the press how she felt about this lamentable incident, Judge Solomon had replied, "I can only presume he was appealing to a higher jurisdiction."
Matt came into Kenny's office.
"I forgot one thing before I went in there," he said. "The minute I opened my mouth, my back teeth began to float."
Cohen laughed.
"That happens to me," he said. "Usually ten minutes into a thirty-minute concluding statement."
"Your bladder problem aside, Matthew," Washington said, "how would you assess your chat with Mr. Daniels?"
"I don't know," Matt said.
"You 'don't know'?" Washington asked, incredulously.
"I think he knows we have him," Matt said. "But what his reaction to that will be, I have no idea. He may decide to take his chances. What has he got to lose?"
Washington grunted noncommittally.
Three minutes later, Roswell Bernhardt, Esq., came out of the chief's office and said that in exchange for a written guarantee that the City of Philadelphia would not seek the death penalty, his client was prepared to make a full statement, cooperate fully with the investigation, and waive extradition.
[TWO] At five-thirty-five, Mr. Walter Davis walked up the marble steps of the Rittenhouse Club and entered the building through its revolving door. He stopped long enough to check the Members Board, and to see that the brass nameplate reading MARIANI, R had been slid to the left, so that it was now under the IN heading.
He found Commissioner Mariani in the paneled bar with First Deputy Commissioner Coughlin, which didn't surprise him. But with them at one of the round tables was Brewster Cortland Payne II, Esq., which did.
Mariani waved Davis over. The men shook hands. Davis sat down. A waiter appeared and Davis ordered a scotch, rocks. The others held up their hands in a silent gesture meaning they didn't need another one just now, thank you.
Davis wondered how long they had been here. He sensed that the drinks on the table were not the first round.
"We're having a little celebration, Walter," Mariani said. "I'm glad you were free to join us. I didn't give you much notice."
"It's always a pleasure, you know that. What are we celebrating? "
As if I didn't know.
"Mr. Homer C. Daniels has agreed to waive extradition."
"And he is?"
As if you don't know.
"You don't know?"
"I'm not sure," Davis said.
"He's the man who tied the Williamson girl to her bed with plastic ties, committed obscenities on her body, and then killed her."
"And you've got him?"
"The Daphne, Alabama, police have him. He was apprehended by one of those civilian neighborhood watch outfits, apparently in the act of trying to break into some other young woman's apartment. He's a dealer in fancy cars, from Las Vegas."
"I wouldn't be at all surprised, Walter," Coughlin said, "if he's been doing this sort of thing all over the country."
"A civilian neighborhood watch outfit? If this wasn't so serious, that would be almost funny. You're sure he's the doer, Ralph?"
"We're sure. We sent Sergeant Payne down there to check him out. Payne said everything fit, but just to make sure, I sent Jason Washington down there, and Eileen Solomon sent Steve Cohen. Not only does everything fit, but he gave Payne a statement and, as I said, has agreed to waive extradition. "
"Washington and Cohen are in Alabama?" Davis asked.
"I thought you would have heard, Ralph," Mariani said, innocently. "Washington said the FBI had been there to offer their assistance."
Davis shook his head, "no."
"But whatever assistance we can provide, Ralph," he said. "All you have to do is ask."
"Thanks, Walter," Mariani said. "We appreciate that."
He smiled at Davis and went on:
"So whatI'm celebrating is that an hour ago Eileen Solomon called to tell me that she had just spoken with the Attorney General of Alabama, who told her-in case Daniels changes his mind about waiving extradition-that the governor of Alabama would authorize his extradition just as soon as we place the request before him. And just a few minutes ago the homicide detective… Joe D'Amata, I think you know him?"
"Yes, indeed."
"… called Denny from the airport to say he and the others, including several lab people, are indeed going to be aboard the five-fifty flight to Alabama. Joe's carrying the request-for-extradition packet with him in case it's needed."
"You apparently have this pretty well sewed up," Davis said.
"It looks that way, Walter. And what Denny and Brewster are celebrating is young Payne's faultless performance- starting with his finding this fellow down there- on his first time out as a homicide supervisor."
Mr. Davis's scotch rocks was served.
He raised his glass to Brewster Cortland Payne II.
"To Sergeant Payne," he said. "And at the risk of making Denny angry, Brewster, you know how much I would like to have your son working for the Bureau. And the offer is still open."
"So is Mawson, Payne, Stockton, McAdoo and Lester's, Walter, but the police department seems to have him firmly in its clutches."
[THREE] "Before Steve and Matt get into the wine and become incoherent, " Washington said, "I think an analysis of where we are and where we have to go would be in order."
Mr. Cohen gave Lieutenant Washington the finger.
They were sitting in upholstered chairs around two tables pushed together in the Bird Cage Lounge at the Grand Hotel.
Perhaps understandably, they were the object of some curiosity on the part of other guests. There were two enormous black men who looked like brothers, one of them in police uniform. There was a second uniformed police officer, a small man. There was an attractive young woman in the otherwise all-male ensemble, but she seemed to be sitting as far away as was possible in the circumstances from the only young man in the group. And finally, there was a dignified man in a double-breasted gray suit and finely figured necktie sitting beside a man with wildly unruly red hair, who was wearing an open-collared yellow polo shirt and a yellow-and-red plaid jacket.
"Where do we stand legally, Steve?" Washington asked.
"Joe D'Amata's in the air right now," Cohen said. "He's got the warrant for Daniels's arrest and the request-for-extradition packet, in case Daniels changes his mind about waiving extradition-"
"And if he does?" Washington interrupted.
"Eileen has talked to the Alabama attorney general," Cohen replied. "He told her the governor will sign the extradition order as soon as he gets it. If we have to go that route, I'll have to go to Montgomery, which raises the question 'How do I get there'?"
"Mr. Cohen," Chief Yancey said, "if you have to go, we can get you there in probably a little less than three hours. It's a straight shot up I-65. The troopers would be happy to carry you."
"The state troopers?"
Yancey nodded. "We do it all the time. We call it a handoff. A car would pick you up here, then go as far as he usually patrols up I-65. Another trooper car would meet you there. And maybe another one before you got to Montgomery. But they'll get you there, and be happy to do it."