the back seat of an SUV registered to his cement company. The chauffeur had been shot once through the forehead and then folded up and stuffed into the rear compartment of the vehicle. The bodyguard had been shot twice and collapsed on the ground just outside the open passenger side door in front.
Jo camo’d herself in the crowd of spectators and checked her watch.
Five minutes later, McCordle came out the side door of the building. When he caught her eye, he nodded over his shoulder, away from the commotion.
Holding her bag against her body, Jo jogged past the hair salon next door and went down its length, her breath tight in her chest. As she came out around the rear, McCordle was stepping free of the barricade, and he double-checked the parked squad cars before striding up to her.
“Let’s go over here,” he said, leading her back out of sight by the beauty parlor.
“I’m surprised you wanted to meet me here,” she whispered. “Are those the crime scene pictures?”
When she pointed to an envelope tucked under his arm, McCordle nodded and gave the thing over to her. “Listen, we need to talk.”
“Yeah, that’s the plan.”
He took her arm and squeezed it. “I’m serious. One of our sources says that Gigante may have put a hit out on you.”
Jo frowned. “But I don’t have to worry about that anymore. Gigante’s dead.”
“The hit man working the contract isn’t going to worry about that. He’s going to want his money and he’ll get paid by the family only when you’re . . . you know.”
“Dead. You can say the word. I’m not afraid of it.”
“You should be. This is no joke.” When there was a shout, McCordle put himself between her and the noise. After a minute, he started talking again. “It’s only exciting on the outside, Jo. On the inside of a situation like this, people get hurt, even if they’re innocent.”
“Do you know who the hit man is?”
“Not yet. My source is looking into it—and maybe something will show on the tapes.”
“So the FBI hasn’t turned them over to the CPD yet.”
“My department is putting every pressure we have on them. In the meantime, you need to be very careful—”
“You said ‘may have,’ though. A hit on me is unconfirmed so it could just be a rumor.” Before McCordle could lecture her some more, she cut him off. “About the scene here. What have you found out since nine a.m. this morning?”
“Forensics didn’t get anything in the SUV that wasn’t expected. No fingerprints apart from Gigante, the bodyguard, and the chauffeur. No foreign hair samples. They’ve got the bullets and the casings, but there’s no gun.”
“Who called the murders in?”
“Passerby.”
“I know, but your captain didn’t give the name during the news conference.”
“It’s a minor so we’re not releasing it. It was a seventeen-year-old going to a six a.m. athletic practice. He was on his bike. He said he always cut through the alley on his way to Jefferson High in the morning, and he called the situation in without taking pictures and posting them on the internet. All is not lost with this younger generation.”
“Has Frank Pappalardo released any statements about all this?”
“We’re bringing him in for questioning. But no, and he’s not going to say a word. He’s old-school.”
“But this is the payback. For Johnny Pappalardo’s murder. Right?”
“Looks like it. And this is why I’m telling you, you’ve got to be careful. You have my cell phone number. You call me if you see anything suspicious around you or the paper or where you live.”
“Speaking of which, did you find any cell phones in the SUV?”
“Jo. Are you listening to what I’m saying?”
“Yes. Any cell phones in the SUV?”
McCordle glanced over his shoulder like he was cursing in his head. “There was one found. We’re not sure who it belongs to, but it’s not Gigante’s because he was known to hate them We’re getting the texts and photographs that were on it.”
“What happens next? Does Gigante’s crew put a hit out on Pappalardo’s hit man?”
“Jo, will you please—”
“I don’t get a lot of time with you. I need to get these questions in. What about payback for the payback?”
“It’s probable. These things roll downhill until one of the higher-ups calls a détente meeting. It’s going to be a tennis match of dead bodies before it stops, though, especially with Gigante’s son in the mix. Junior’s going to want to avenge his father.”