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“Yes, sir,” Commissioner Czernich said.
“But you are,” the mayor said, looking at Lowenstein, “taking this second so-called press release seriously?”
“I don’t think we should ignore it,” Lowenstein replied.
“The newspapers aren’t going to ignore it, you can bet your ass on that,” Carlucci said.
“There’s almost certainly at least one more of them,” Wohl said. “Somebody was driving the van. Washington maybe can get a lead on him after he runs the seven of them through lineups.”
“He hasn’t done that yet?” Carlucci asked incredulously.
“He wanted them to have all day to consider their predicament. He’ll start the lineups at half past six.”
“There was an implied threat against Matt Payne in that second press release,” Chief Inspector Dennis V. Coughlin said. It was the first time he had spoken. “How are you going to handle that?”
“Not specifically,” the mayor said. “What it said was—” he went into his briefcase again for another photocopy and then read, “‘Death to the murderers of our Brother.’ Murderers, plural, not Payne by name.”
“Maybe that was before he knew Matt shot him,” Coughlin said.
“Denny, I know how you feel about that boy—” Carlucci said gently.
“Chief, he’s a cop,” Wohl interrupted, “and I don’t want to give these people the satisfaction of thinking that they have scared us to the point where we are protecting a cop—”
“He’s in a goddamn hospital bed!” Coughlin flared. “I don’t give a good goddamn what these scumbags think.”
“We had a talk with hospital security,” Lowenstein said. “We changed his room. They’re screening his phone calls. And Peter loaned him a gun.”
“—And,” Wohl went on, “and, purely as a routine administrative matter, while he is recovering, I’m going to ask Captain Pekach of Highway to rearrange the duty schedules of Officers McFadden and Martinez so that they can spend some time, off duty, in civilian c
lothes, with Matt.”
Coughlin looked at him, with gratitude in his eyes.
“And I wouldn’t be surprised if other friends of his looked in on him from time to time,” Wohl said.
“You, for example?” Carlucci asked, chuckling, “and maybe Denny?”
“Yes, sir. And maybe Sergeant Washington.”
“Satisfied, Denny?” the mayor asked.
“I never thought I’d see the day in Philadelphia, Jerry,” Coughlin said, “when scumbags would not only threaten a cop’s life, but send out a press release announcing it.”
“I think the press release is bullshit,” Lowenstein said. “I think it’s intended to scare Monahan.”
“He the witness? Will it?” Carlucci asked.
“He’s the only one with any balls,” Lowenstein said. “And no. I don’t think he’ll scare.”
“But we can forget the others, right? So we’d better hope this one doesn’t scare. Or get himself killed.”
“I haven’t given up on the other witnesses,” Lowenstein said. “Washington hasn’t talked to them yet. I mean really talked to them.”
“Don’t hold your breath,” Carlucci said.
“It seems to me,” Commissioner Czernich said, “that our first priority is the protection of Mr. Monahan.”
The mayor looked at him and shook his head.
