"Not in so many words."
"If Mr. Savarese is, in your opinion, so prepared to cause the unlawful deaths of others, in particular those who have in some way caused harm to members of his family, why do you suppose he didn't do something dreadful to Mr.-Ketcham, you said?-"
"Ronald R. Ketcham," Coughlin furnished.
"— when he had the opportunity?"
"Peter Wohl thinks Savarese wanted him to starve to death," Coughlin said.
My God, that's probably exactly what Savarese intended to do.
"What do you want from me, Denny?"
"I want-what the hell, you'd have his name in a couple of minutes anyway-Officer Herbert Prasko to roll over on the Five Squad. In exchange for which, he'll get a twenty-year plea bargain, which means probably seven years in a federal prison."
"Why should I encourage him to do that?"
"Because otherwise you know that Savarese will have him killed."
"I know nothing of the kind!"
Who do I think I'm fooling?
"Come on, Manny!" Coughlin said.
"You've got the deal lined up?"
"The U.S. Attorney has been very helpful."
"Why?"
"Because-I'm guessing-he thinks he'd have a hard time convicting Savarese on an unlawful-abduction charge. And maybe because he thinks he'll look good in Washington if he put a local cop away on a civil rights charge. And the FBI will get the credit for uncovering that travesty of justice."
"Very interesting," Giacomo said.
"That's it, Manny," Coughlin said.
The two men looked at each other. First Coughlin shrugged, and then Giacomo.
"Let's go back on the record, Counselor," Coughlin said
Giacomo shrugged again.
"I presume, Mr. Giacomo," Coughlin said, "that you are here to represent one or more of the police officers we arrested last night and this morning on charges of misprision in office?"
"That's right, Chief Coughlin."
"I advise you herewith that I am about to arrest one of those officers, specifically Officer Herbert J. Prasko, Badge Number 5292, on additional charges."
"What would those charges be?"
"That Officer Prasko, at gunpoint, stole twenty thousand dollars, more or less, from Mr. Ronald R. Ketcham, of Philadelphia, who then occupied Room 138 at the Howard Johnson motel on Roosevelt Boulevard in this city, such acts constituting armed robbery in the first degree."
"Anything else, Chief Coughlin?"
"That Officer Prasko, in Room 138 of the Howard Johnson motel on Roosevelt Boulevard in this city, forced Miss Cynthia Longwood, of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, by threatening her life, to disrobe, and thereafter did force Miss Longwood to take his penis into her mouth, where he therein ejaculated, such acts constituting Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse."
They looked at each other.
"Do I understand, Mr. Giacomo, that you are representing Officer Prasko?"
"I am willing to represent Officer Prasko if that is his desire. I have not yet had the chance to confer with Officer Prasko."
"I will take you to him now, Counselor," Coughlin said.
He pushed himself out of the armchair, walked to the door, and opened it.
"Where's Prasko, Danny?"
"In the interview room, upstairs," Danny said.
Coughlin waved Giacomo ahead of him toward the stairs that led up to South Detectives.
Officer Prasko, who was handcuffed to the metal chair in the interview room, smiled when he saw Armando Giacomo come into the room.
"Boy, am I glad to see you, Mr. Giacomo," he said.
"Officer Prasko, I am Chief Inspector Coughlin," Coughlin said. "I am placing you under arrest for armed robbery and rape."
"What?"
"Before we go any further, Officer Prasko, this is Mr. Armando C. Giacomo, who is an attorney, and who has been sent by the Fraternal Order of Police to render such assistance to you as may be mutually agreeable."
"I know Mr. Giacomo," Officer Prasko said.
"Chief, may I have a minute alone with Officer Prasko?" Giacomo asked.
"Certainly," Coughlin said.
He walked to the door.
"Chief Coughlin!" Giacomo called. Coughlin turned.
Very discreetly, Manny Giacomo indicated the one-way mirror on the wall, and shook his head, "no."
"When we're through, I'll knock at the door," Giacomo said.
Denny Coughlin, very discreetly, signaled-by holding his balled fist, thumb extended upward, at waist level-that he understood Mr. Giacomo did not wish anyone looking into the room through the one-way mirror, and that he agreed to grant the wish.
Coughlin closed the door to the interview room and walked into the adjacent room. Captain David Pekach, Sergeant Jason Washington, and Detective Tony Harris were sitting on chairs looking through the mirror.
"Out," Coughlin ordered.
Captains, sergeants, and detectives do not question the orders of chief inspectors.
They left the room.
"I'm a little disappointed to see Giacomo," Captain Pekach said. "I thought even he drew a line someplace."
"Would you like me to represent you on the charges that have been laid against you, Officer Prasko?" Giacomo asked.
"Yes, sir. Very much. Thank you."
"You understand that we now have an attorney-client privilege? Everything that you tell me in confidence will not go any further than me?"
"Yes, sir."
"Very well. Just a quick answer. We can get into details later. What about the original charge? Essentially that you diverted evidence to your personal use?"
"That's bullshit, Mr. Giacomo. What that is is a couple of nigger drug dealers trying to take me down, take the whole Five Squad down."
"And the second charge, that you robbed a man of twenty thousand dollars at gunpoint?"
"I don't know what the hell that's all about."
"And the rape?"
"Jesus, I'm a married man, Mr. Giacomo."
"Now, listen to me carefully, Officer Prasko," Giacomo said. "I'm a pretty good attorney, and with just a little luck, I could probably convince a jury that what you are is an honest cop with a good record."
"Thank you."
"And that the allegations made by the drug dealers-who would believe a drug dealer against someone like yourself? — were simply an attempt by them to get back at you for arresting them."
"That's what it is, Mr. Giacomo."
"Even though the police have in their possession the gold Rolex one of your crooked pals stole from Baby Brownlee."
"Excuse me?"
"Let me talk," Giacomo said reasonably. "Please don't interrupt my chain of thought."
"Yes, sir. Sorry."
"I could probably even manage to convince a jury-especially after we marched all your character witnesses to the stand-your parish priest would stand up for you, wouldn't he, Officer Prasko?"
"Absolutely. I'm sure Father-"
Giacomo held up his hand to silence him.
"I could probably convince a jury that Mr. Ketcham was doing the same thing the drug dealers were doing. I mean, after all, what's the difference between them except the color of their skin, right?"
"Ketcham is the man they say I stole money from?"
"Yes, he is. They say you stole twenty thousand dollars from him. So does he. He also says you handcuffed him to the toilet in his motel room and then raped his girlfriend. "
"That's absolute bullshit!"
"Well, you don't have to worry about that. I'm sure I could convince a jury that an outstanding police officer such as yourself isn't capable of committing the crimes the police say you did."
"That's a weight off my shoulders to hear you say that, Mr. Giacomo."
"What you have to worry about, you despicable asshole, is what Vincenzo Savarese is going to do to you."
"Huh?"
"The girl you made suck your cock, you contemptible pervert, is Vincenzo Savarese's granddaughter. The only reason you're alive at this moment is that the cops got lucky and got to you before Savarese did."