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“My own detective bureau?” Carlucci replied icily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lowenstein. But if you have a problem with Commissioner Czernich asking Special Operations to look into something I gave him that neither your detective bureau nor Internal Affairs seem to even have heard about, why don’t you ask for an appointment with the Commissioner and discuss it with him?”
There was a tense moment when it looked as if Chief Lowenstein, who had locked eyes with the Mayor, was going to reply.
“Jerry, what’s the relationship between EAU and Special Operations—I guess I mean between Peter and Weisbach—going to be under this reorganization?” Chief Wohl asked.
Did he ask that to change the subject to something safer? Peter Wohl wondered. Or does he see it as a threat to my career?
The question clearly distracted Mayor Carlucci. He glanced at Chief Wohl in confusion.
“Just a minute, Augie,” Carlucci said, turning back to lock eyes with Lowenstein again.
“Lowenstein and I were talking about the Commissioner,” he went on. “The Commissioner and I were discussing the Overnights this morning. When he can find the time, he brings them by my office, to keep me abreast of things.”
It was common knowledge that at whatever time in the morning the Mayor of Philadelphia arrived at his office, he could expect to find the Police Commissioner of Philadelphia waiting for him in his outer office. The Police Commissioner’s own day began when the Mayor was through with him.
“And the Commissioner had an idea. You saw the Overnights this morning, Chief Lowenstein?”
Lowenstein nodded.
“Excuse me? I didn’t hear you, Chief.”
“Yes, sir, I saw the Overnights,” Lowenstein said.
“The double murder in the Inferno Lounge on Market Street? Did that catch your eye?”
“I was at the scene.”
“Oh, yeah, that’s right. Then you know that Detective Payne was the first police officer on the scene?”
“I saw that.”
“Well, the Commissioner saw it too, and he asked me, what did I think of asking Peter, when he could spare him, of course, to send Payne over to Homicide to help Detective Milham on the investigation. Milham has the job, right? Your detective who can’t keep his pecker in his pocket?”
“Detective Milham has the job,” Lowenstein said, flat-voiced.
“Yeah, right. Well, the Commissioner said that maybe if Peter sent Payne over there, Payne might learn something about how a Homicide investigation is conducted. And he’s a bright kid, he might learn some other things, too. About other investigations Homicide is running, for example. Things that would be of interest to Peter and Weisbach in carrying out their new responsibilities.”
“You realize the hell of a spot you’d be putting the kid in, Jerry, sending him into Homicide that way? There’d be a lot of resentment,” Chief Wohl said.
“Augie, I’m sure the Commissioner has considered that,” the Mayor replied. “So anyway, I told the Commissioner that he’s the Police Commissioner, he can run the Department any way he pleases, do what he wants. If the Commissioner does decide to ask Inspector Wohl to send Detective Payne over there, are you going to have any problem with that, Chief Lowenstein?”
Lowenstein now had his temper and voice under control.
“I have no problem, Mr. Mayor, with any decision of Commissioner Czernich,” he said.
“Good,” the Mayor said. “What do they call that? ‘Cheerful, willing obedience’?” He turned to Chief Wohl. “You were asking, Augie, what Peter’s relationship with the Ethical Affairs Unit is going to be?”
“That press release wasn’t very clear about that.”
“I thought it was perfectly clear. Peter and Weisbach have worked together before, and I can’t imagine they’ll have any problems.”
Oh, shit! Peter thought. What that means is that I’ll be in the worst possible position. I’ll have the responsibility, but no authority.
“I thought I taught you years ago, Jerry,” Chief Wohl said, as if he had been reading his son’s mind, “that the worst thing you can do to a supervisor is give him responsibility without the necessary authority.”
The Mayor’s face suggested he didn’t like to be reminded that anyone had ever taught him anything.
“Maybe you’re right, Augie,” Carlucci said. “Maybe that wasn’t clear. I thought it was. Ethical Affairs Unit is under Special Operations. Weisbach reports directly to me, but he works for Peter. You understand that, Peter?”
