Thomas O`Callaghan - Bone Thief

And that’s why you need a woman to search a woman’s residence, thought Driscoll.

“Lieutenant.” It was Detective Vittaggio.

Driscoll followed the voice to the den. Vittaggio was standing behind a regal-looking oak desk.

“I found a cell phone bill, but I can’t find the phone. I called Cingular, and the number is still active. I dialed it from my own cell phone. It rang twice, and then a man’s voice answered. I didn’t answer back. I hung up. Somebody’s using her phone.”

Driscoll felt a sudden surge of adrenaline course through his body. “Mr. McPartland, you lock the door, and don’t let anyone in unless I say it’s OK. Liz, call the local precinct. Have them send a uniform up here to stand on the door. Luigi, call Cedric and have a couple of people sent over to interview Mr. McPartland here and to run down the cleaning lady. We’ve got to get to TARU to trace that cell phone. Come on, make your calls, and then let’s move.”

Driscoll punched in Margaret’s cell phone number as he drove, but got only her voice mail. Where the hell could she be? He dialed his office, and Cedric Thomlinson came on the line.

“Cedric, you got any idea where Margaret is?”

“Not a clue. I’ll beep her and have her get back to you.”

“Fine. You do that. And if anyone else needs me, I’m heading for the batcave.”

“The batcave” was a police euphemism for the TARU Command Center. To get to it, you needed to find the nondescript driveway that led to the underground stronghold. That was where all the heavy-duty electronic toys were housed. Even in the NYPD, few people knew of its existence, and even fewer knew where it was.

Butler and Vittaggio were standing three-quarters of the way down the block when Driscoll made the turn onto Lefferts Boulevard. Well, he thought, at least somebody knows where it is. His money was on Butler. He parked the Chevy and walked over to the pair of detectives. Butler spoke first.

“I called Danny O’Brien and gave him Stockard’s Cingular cell phone number. He’s inside working it up for us now.”

“That’s good, let’s go talk to him.”

Security was tight. They had to pass through several locked doors to gain access. When they finally made it to the TARU Command Center’s office, Danny O’Brien was waiting for them.

“Lieutenant, Luigi, Liz. How is everyone?”

“We’re good, Danny, we’re good. How far along are you?” asked Driscoll.

“I got a friend over at Cingular. She’s given me a list of the outgoing calls, but she’s gonna need paper from us somewhere along the line. We’ll need a judge-ordered subpoena to triangulate.”

Driscoll nodded in agreement.

“My friend is checking cell sites for us as we speak. We should know where he’s been making the calls from in a few minutes. But remember, I promised her paper. She’s risking her job for us right now.”

“Liz, call that DA friend of yours and see what she can do.”

“Will do.” Liz Butler stepped away to make the call.

“So what’s our best bet, Danny?” asked Driscoll.

“If he’s using the phone, we can locate the general area through the cell sites. Once we’re in his ballpark, we can use the triangulater to pinpoint exactly where he is. I’ve got one set up in the van. It’s ready to go once we get the subpoena.”

“Good. How long is this gonna take?”

“All depends. First we have to find out what cell sites he hit the last time he used the phone.”

Liz walked back to where Driscoll was standing. “I spoke to Andrea Gerhard. Her boss wants her to come over here so she can write the subpoena and fax it to him.”

“No way. We don’t need some assistant DA snooping around. It’ll only stall the investigation.”

“Sorry, Lieutenant, but without a subpoena we’re breaking the law,” said O’Brien.

“OK. I guess we have no choice.” Driscoll nodded to Liz Butler, who stepped aside to place a second call to the DA’s office.

Driscoll’s cell phone rang. It was Margaret. Driscoll got right to the point.

“How fast can you get to the batcave?”

“Ten minutes.”

“OK. Ten minutes it is.”

A smile creased O’Brien’s face. “We’ve located him. He just called a cab company in Easthampton. Gerhard better get here fast.”

Assistant DA Andrea Gerhard held out her hand and smiled. “Nice to see you again, Lieutenant.”

Driscoll was taken by surprise. He had no recollection of ever meeting the woman. She was thirtyish, with blond curly hair and sparkling blue eyes. She wore a smart black business suit, with a long jacket that pulled in at the waist and flared out at the hips. Sharp dresser, he thought.

“I can see by your expression that you don’t remember me. We met at the District Attorney’s Homicide Conference about a year ago.”

“Why, Ms. Gerhard, of course I remember you,” he lied. “There’s no way I could forget a pretty face such as yours.” He found himself flirting, but then was interrupted by Danny O’Brien.

“Lieutenant, the subpoena?”

“Andrea. May I call you Andrea?”

She nodded.

“I’m not sure how much of this Liz discussed with you by phone, but what we need is a judge-ordered subpoena to triangulate, to track cell sites and trace outgoing calls from a missing cell phone.”

“Is it missing, or stolen?”

“At this point, we don’t really know for sure. All we do know is that the phone belonged to a homicide victim, and that someone is still using it.”

“That’s good enough for me. I’ll call Judge Fulton. He used to be a prosecutor in our office. I’m sure I can convince him to sign off on it. I’ll need one of your detectives to act as the affiant and swear to the subpoena’s veracity.”

“Absolutely. Liz, you’re to assist Ms. Gerhard.”

“Now if you’ll guide me to a desk and a telephone…”

“Danny, OK to use this as an outgoing line?” Driscoll was holding a receiver to what appeared to be a simple telephone, but since he was inside the batcave, he thought it best to ask.

“Of course,” said O’Brien.

Driscoll handed the receiver to Gerhard.

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” There was that smile again.

Driscoll turned his attention back to Danny O’Brien. “What’s the last read you have on him?”

“Same as before. Easthampton.”

“OK. I want to know the minute it changes.”

Margaret walked through the last of the security doors and joined Driscoll.

“What do we have, John?”

Driscoll quickly explained the situation.

“What do you need me to do?

“Get on the horn to Cedric. Have him start putting together a roster and get a tactical plan going. I want everyone held until I say go. We’ll need all the teams in the field on this one, and I want everybody packed and ready to move when I give the order.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

“He’s moving,” O’Brien shouted. “He just hit cell sites in Westhampton, Speonk, and Mastic.”

“He’s headed back toward the city,” said Driscoll.

“He must be in a car,” Vittaggio added.

“Judge Fulton just approved the warrant. You’re good to go,” said Gerhard. “Now all I need to do is fax the details to my boss.”

O’Brien pointed to the fax machine.

Margaret poked Liz. “Who’s that?” she said.

“Assistant DA. She’s writing the warrant for us.”

Margaret eyed the pretty blonde. Why was she sensing competition?

“Lieutenant, we should be moving,” said Liz Butler.

“My next order of business. Liz, you and Luigi take the Southern State Parkway. Margaret and I will take the Long Island Expressway. Danny, get somebody to drive that van, with you and the triangulater following me.”