as the phone rang.
“For the record, I’m not looking forward to that day.”
Anna smiled at him. McGee drove the rest of the way in silence as she made calls. Occasionally, he rolled his eyes in response to her end of the conversation.
Of the five officers who’d been at the brothel, three did not pick up. The other two told her she’d have to talk to their union rep first. When Anna called the union rep, he referred her to private defense attorneys whom the union had retained for the officers. And when Anna called the lawyers, they asserted their clients’ right to remain silent, until they’d been cleared in the Use of Force investigation. Anna understood where they were coming from, but wondered how she was going to prosecute a case without talking to the police witnesses.
Anna tapped her phone against her leg in frustration. McGee continued to steer the car down the city streets in silence. Anna appreciated that he didn’t say, “I told you so.”
She considered one more possibility. If she could get the FBI involved, she’d have a whole new world of resources. She called her friend FBI Agent Samantha Randazzo. Anna and Sam had worked together on the case involving the murder of an escort in a congressman’s office. They’d gotten off to a rocky start, but had grown to like and respect each other. Anna counted Sam as a friend now.
“Randazzo,” Sam answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Sam, it’s Anna. I just got an interesting new case. Thought the FBI might want to be involved.”
“Deets?”
Anna could hear shouts in the background. Sam worked in the Violent Crime unit, and was probably out with her squad right now. Anna quickly filled her in on what had happened at the brothel.
“So you caught one bad guy, but two more got away, your victims are all criminals, and your cops might be, too,” Sam said. “Great case!”
“There are some nice potential federal charges,” Anna said, trying to sell the case. “Human trafficking and gang activity, so maybe the seeds of a RICO case.”
“Some very tiny seeds,” Sam said. “The FBI’s not taking brothel cases these days unless they’re trafficking minors. And you need a pattern of racketeering activity for RICO. Maybe if you can get your friend Psycho to cooperate. Call me in a week, let me know what you’ve got, and I’ll see what I can do. And, stop by the restaurant sometime. My mom is always asking how you’re doing.”
“Will do,” Anna said.
Anna slid her phone into her purse with disappointment. Samantha wouldn’t take a dog of a case out of mere affection. It was a catch-22: If Anna wanted the FBI involved, she’d have to make this a stronger case—but it would be difficult to build her case without the FBI’s resources.
As they approached the U.S. Attorney’s Office, her phone rang, making her purse shimmy in her lap. It was Hector Ramos. She answered and spoke to him for a few minutes. When she hung up, she turned to McGee with a smile. “He’s not using the union’s lawyers. And he’s willing to talk to us, outside the office. I recommended Sergio’s.”
“Wonders never cease.”
McGee drove a few blocks away, to the Italian restaurant owned by Agent Randazzo’s family. It was four o’clock when they walked in, and the place was mostly empty, but it still smelled of fresh-baked garlic bread, spicy tomato sauce, and wood-fired pizza.
A young man came out from the kitchen. Tony Randazzo—Samantha’s brother—was Anna’s age, tall and dark-haired, with the boisterous charm of a man who ran a neighborhood institution.
“Anna!” He came over and kissed her cheek. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
“Hey, Tony. I’m just bringing a couple cops to try the city’s best eggplant patties.”
“You’re not here to see me? Then I don’t know if we can fit you in.” He looked around the empty restaurant and shook his head. “Do you have a reservation?”
Anna laughed as he led them to a
“For the record, I’m not looking forward to that day.”
Anna smiled at him. McGee drove the rest of the way in silence as she made calls. Occasionally, he rolled his eyes in response to her end of the conversation.
Of the five officers who’d been at the brothel, three did not pick up. The other two told her she’d have to talk to their union rep first. When Anna called the union rep, he referred her to private defense attorneys whom the union had retained for the officers. And when Anna called the lawyers, they asserted their clients’ right to remain silent, until they’d been cleared in the Use of Force investigation. Anna understood where they were coming from, but wondered how she was going to prosecute a case without talking to the police witnesses.
Anna tapped her phone against her leg in frustration. McGee continued to steer the car down the city streets in silence. Anna appreciated that he didn’t say, “I told you so.”
She considered one more possibility. If she could get the FBI involved, she’d have a whole new world of resources. She called her friend FBI Agent Samantha Randazzo. Anna and Sam had worked together on the case involving the murder of an escort in a congressman’s office. They’d gotten off to a rocky start, but had grown to like and respect each other. Anna counted Sam as a friend now.
“Randazzo,” Sam answered on the first ring.
“Hey, Sam, it’s Anna. I just got an interesting new case. Thought the FBI might want to be involved.”
“Deets?”
Anna could hear shouts in the background. Sam worked in the Violent Crime unit, and was probably out with her squad right now. Anna quickly filled her in on what had happened at the brothel.
“So you caught one bad guy, but two more got away, your victims are all criminals, and your cops might be, too,” Sam said. “Great case!”
“There are some nice potential federal charges,” Anna said, trying to sell the case. “Human trafficking and gang activity, so maybe the seeds of a RICO case.”
“Some very tiny seeds,” Sam said. “The FBI’s not taking brothel cases these days unless they’re trafficking minors. And you need a pattern of racketeering activity for RICO. Maybe if you can get your friend Psycho to cooperate. Call me in a week, let me know what you’ve got, and I’ll see what I can do. And, stop by the restaurant sometime. My mom is always asking how you’re doing.”
“Will do,” Anna said.
Anna slid her phone into her purse with disappointment. Samantha wouldn’t take a dog of a case out of mere affection. It was a catch-22: If Anna wanted the FBI involved, she’d have to make this a stronger case—but it would be difficult to build her case without the FBI’s resources.
As they approached the U.S. Attorney’s Office, her phone rang, making her purse shimmy in her lap. It was Hector Ramos. She answered and spoke to him for a few minutes. When she hung up, she turned to McGee with a smile. “He’s not using the union’s lawyers. And he’s willing to talk to us, outside the office. I recommended Sergio’s.”
“Wonders never cease.”
McGee drove a few blocks away, to the Italian restaurant owned by Agent Randazzo’s family. It was four o’clock when they walked in, and the place was mostly empty, but it still smelled of fresh-baked garlic bread, spicy tomato sauce, and wood-fired pizza.
A young man came out from the kitchen. Tony Randazzo—Samantha’s brother—was Anna’s age, tall and dark-haired, with the boisterous charm of a man who ran a neighborhood institution.
“Anna!” He came over and kissed her cheek. “To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?”
“Hey, Tony. I’m just bringing a couple cops to try the city’s best eggplant patties.”
“You’re not here to see me? Then I don’t know if we can fit you in.” He looked around the empty restaurant and shook his head. “Do you have a reservation?”
Anna laughed as he led them to a
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