Page 11 of NYPD Red 7: The Murder Sorority

Kylie gave him a warm smile. “So you’re saying you don’t think the shooter was an amateur.”

Chuck laughed. “Oh, I’d say he was a pro, but even then, that would be selling him short. The distance from the perch you found on the rooftop to the point of impact is five hundred andtwenty-sevenyards. A trained professional could easily have shot the victim in the heart. The head would be even more challenging. But this hit him dead center in his neck. It severed his spine—practically took his head off. That’s Olympic gold.”

We thanked him and walked to the DA’s Office at 80 Centre Street. As soon as we cleared security, Kylie stopped.

“Do I look okay?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” I said.

“You heard Selma. Elroy didn’t ask for you, Zach. He specifically asked for me. I just want to know how I look.”

Kylie was still smarting from having to sit in silence while I questioned Brooke Hellman. She needed some balls to bust, and mine were handy.

“You look great,” I said. “I’m sure you’re the blond lady cop of Elroy’s dreams.”

“Thanks,” she said, tossing her hair. “You know how giddy I get on the first date.”

CHAPTER 8

Captain Delia Cates isthe best boss I ever worked for. Astreet-smartkid from Harlem with a master’s in criminal justice from John Jay College, she’s a tough, insightful leader with a defthands-on/hands-offapproach. She’s immersed in every case, but she doesn’t micromanage. She trusts her detectives to do their jobs.

So both Kylie and I were a little surprised to see her sitting in the conference room with Selma Kaplan.

“Hey, boss,” I said. “You just happen to be in the neighborhood?”

“Actually, I just happened to be heading to the Bronx when the PC called me and changed my plans. This Elroy Lafontant character is the best lead we have, and the commissioner wants me to be his eyes and ears so he doesn’t miss a beat.”

I nodded. “So what you’re saying is, the mayor is breathing down the PC’s neck, so he’s breathing down yours.”

“That’s not what I said, Detective Jordan, but if that’s what you heard, you may have a future in politics.” She turned to Kaplan. “Selma, tell us about our star witness.”

The ADA opened a file. “Elroy Lafontant is a predicate felon with a passion for guns,” she said. “He’sforty-fourand he’s been using the sametried-and-trueformula for success ever since he was eighteen. He drives down to Virginia, gets a local to buy him a couple of dozen guns, drives them back up north, sells them to the gangbangers, and in pretty short order he gets himself caught, which may explain why he’s spent thirteen of the lasttwenty-sixyears in prison.

“This time around, he made the mistake of selling a trunk load of Glock 9mms to an undercover cop, and he’s looking at his third strike, which means he’s looking at twenty years. I can knock it down to a lesser charge, but only if his information pans out.”

“Let’s see what he’s got,” Cates said. She stood up and went into the adjoining room to watch it unfold on aclosed-circuithookup. I wouldn’t be surprised if several honchos from the DA’s office were in there as well.

Five minutes later, Elroy Lafontant, his hands and legs shackled, clanked into the room. He was tall and dark, and by the look of his upper torso straining against his shirt, he must have spent every day of his prison years working out, because he was jailhouse jacked.

He gave us a big toothy smile. “Detective,” he said, looking at Kylie. “It’s excellent to see you again. I’m Elroy Lafontant. And what do I call you?

“Detective MacDonald,” she said. “This is my partner, Detective Jordan.”

Elroy grinned. “Lucky you, Detective Jordan.”

“And this is Assistant District Attorney Kaplan,” Kylie added. “Have a seat.”

Elroy sat, and his attorney, who had probably been roped into the relationship less than two hours ago, sat next to him. “Russell Shinbauer,” he said.

Nobody cared. This was the Elroy show, and he knew it. He cleared his throat and went into his act. “Little did I realize when I heard that gunshot this morning that I was destined to become a key player in helping the police solve one of the most heinous murders this city has ever witnessed.”

“Excuse me, Elroy,” Kylie said.

“Yes, ma’am, Detective MacDonald.”

“Do I look like a rookie?”

“No, ma’am. You look seasoned to afare-thee-well.”

---