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“The Fraternal Order of Police will be notified immediately after the arrests,” Wohl went on. “It will probably take thirty minutes for them to get an attorney, attorneys, here. When that is over, I will take Captain Cazerra to the Police Administration Building in my car, which will be driven by Sergeant Washington. He will not be placed in a cell. Chief Coughlin has arranged for him to be immediately booked, photographed, fingerprinted, and arraigned. He will almost certainly be released on his own recognizance.”
“Nice, smooth operation,” O’Hara said.
“The same thing will happen with the others. Weisbach will take Lieutenant Meyer to the Roundhouse in his car, with Officer Lewis driving. Detectives Payne and Martinez will take the two officers in a Special Operations car.”
“It would be nice if I could get a shot of Cazerra and Meyer in handcuffs,” O’Hara said.
Wohl ignored him.
“It would be a good public relations shot, either one of them in cuffs,” O’Hara pursued.
Wohl looked at him and shook his head.
“Mick,” he said. “I am aware that there are certain public relations aspects to this, otherwise the Prince of the Fourth Estate would not be sitting in my office with egg spots on his tie and his fly open.”
Mickey O’Hara glanced in alarm toward his crotch. His zipper was fastened.
“Screw you, Peter.” He laughed. “Question: Don’t you think the Mayor would be happier if Captain Cazerra were arrested by the new Chief of the Ethical Affairs Unit?”
“Why would that make the Mayor happier?”
“Maybe assisted by Detective Payne?” Mickey went on, not directly answering the question. “Handsome Matthew is always good copy. That picture, I’m almost sure, would make page one. Isn’t that what Carlucci wants? More to the point, why he fixed it for me to be here?”
“I suggested last night that Mike make all the arrests.”
“Thanks a lot, Peter,” Mike Weisbach said sarcastically.
“Coughlin shot me down,” Wohl went on. “There’s apparently a sacred protocol here, and Coughlin wants it followed.”
“Just trying to be helpful,” Mickey said. “
For purely selfish reasons. I want to get invited back the next time. I guess the Mayor will have to be happy with a picture of the Black Buddha standing behind Cazerra going into the Roundhouse. That should produce a favorable reaction from the voting segment of the black population, right?”
“Even if it does humiliate every policeman in Philadelphia,” Wohl said bitterly. “Mike, you’ve heard it. See anything wrong with it?”
Weisbach shook his head.
“OK,” Wohl said. “Then that’s the way we’ll do it.”
“OK,” Weisbach parroted.
“Afterward, Mike, you and I are going to have a long talk about the Ethical Affairs Unit.”
“Right,” Weisbach said.
Wohl’s door opened and Chief Inspector Coughlin walked in.
“Morning,” he said.
“Good morning, Chief,” Wohl and Weisbach said, almost in unison.
“How are you, Mickey?” Coughlin said cordially, offering his hand.
“No problems,” O’Hara said.
“Peter fill you in on what’s going to happen?”
“Yep.”
