Deadly Assets

[TWO]

Philly News Now

Center City, Philadelphia

Saturday, December 15, 6:15 P.M.

Michael J. O’Hara was sitting at his office desk, his fingers flying over the computer keyboard.

He stopped for a moment, hit the keys that would save what he’d just written, then put his hands together as if in prayer and tapped his fingertips as he reread it:

HOT HOT HOT-Proofread for typos only then IMMEDIATELY CROSSPOST on website and TV newscast!!! -O’Hara

Breaking News. . Posted [[insert timestamp]]

Double Murder in University City

Police Report: Young Couple Brutally Killed This Morning

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 15th — A husband and wife in their early twenties were found murdered in their home in the 3000 block of Powelton Avenue early this morning, according to a Philadelphia Police Department spokesman. Names are being withheld by police as the criminal investigation continues.

Based upon initial eyewitness reports, an anonymous police source said, a pest control company’s truck was seen parked at the address this morning, and detectives have determined that the assailants had gained entry to the home after stealing that vehicle and workmen’s clothing from Pete’s Pest Control. The vehicle was found abandoned a half-mile from the crime scene. It contained what is believed to be the weapons used to commit the crime as well as the stolen workmens’ jackets, all of which had been bloodied.

According to the police source, while a motive remains unknown, there was clear evidence at the scene that the couple was targeted because of the husband’s employer. The source, due to the nature of the crime and its ongoing investigation, was unable to provide more information at this time.

Police are asking that anyone with any information please contact Sergeant M. M. Payne of the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334, at M.M.Payne@Phila.Gov, or anonymously at phillypolice.com/submit-a-tip. Individuals who provide information that leads to an arrest are eligible for cash awards of up to $20,000.

Updates to this story will be posted as soon as available.

— Staff Report

O’Hara looked up and across the newsroom-past the plainclothes policeman whom Matt Payne had insisted sit on O’Hara for at least the immediate future-and over to O’Brien’s desk.

He felt his throat tighten and his eyes tear up.

He swallowed hard, looked back at the computer, and angrily smacked the ENTER key, sending the article to the copy editor’s desk.

Then he went to his backup e-mail program and opened the e-mail that he had forwarded there that morning, the one that had caused him to drive over and check on Tim O’Brien.

His eyes dropped to the pop-up window filling the screen:

From: O’Hara, Michael ‹m.j.ohara@philly.news.now›

Date: 15DEC 1155AM

To: Mick Off the Grid ‹irish.ayes@skyservers.net›

Subject: cartel backup file

Attachments: 1

BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE:

From: O’Brien, Tim ‹typos2go@auto-send.com›

Date: 15DEC 1145AM

To: O’Hara, Michael ‹m.j.ohara@PhillyNewsNow.com›

CC: O’Brien, Timothy ‹t.s.obrien@PhillyNewsNow.com›

Subject: cartel backup file

Attachments: 1

Buenos Dias/Noches, El Jefe. .

Or maybe it’s not so bueno-no matter what time of day it is-for your wandering scribe.

You will no doubt note that this is being sent from my auto-send account. As I explained over those many pints of Kenzinger and Walt Wit at the pub, if you’re getting this, then I’ve either overslept and not had a chance to reset the send clock. . or I’ve gone over to the Isle of the Blest.

In either case, attached as insurance is a file containing the working material for what I have been doing when not downing pints or chasing my lovely lass of a wife. You’re welcome, in either case, to have a look at it.

This is some serious shit, El Jefe. Bigger, I’d suggest, than the piece on the heroin ring in Strawberry Mansion that ran today (I’m typing this Friday).

Clearly the piece isn’t ready for publishing. But I’m of course confident you can get it there in my absence. Ones to follow may require heavier lifting on your part.

Tim.

P.S. If I have been whacked-or hit by a bus or whatever-remember that in this Irish afterlife paradise here, I am enjoying, among other things, “endless stocks of meadow and wine.” Please remind my beloved Emily of that, and that I love her. I know that you’ll see that she’s taken really good care of. Peace, my friend. . (Of course the next sound you hear will be my belch as I walk up behind you, alive and well. I hope.)

O’Hara felt the tears start streaming down his cheeks.

Godspeed, Tim.

May you now rest in peace with your beautiful bride. .

Jesus! That was one thing we didn’t consider, and should have.

Tomas was whacked with his wife and kids. Why wouldn’t we think they’d do the same here?

Answer: We weren’t believing it would happen.

But it did.

And we did make a plan to provide for Emily if Tim were killed. Which now is moot.

He wiped his eyes, then clicked on the file.

O’Hara’s bushy red eyebrows went up as he read O’Brien’s work again-it came as no surprise that the piece was a fairly clean first draft, and had three pages of source material, including contact names and numbers-and slowly nodded.

When he’d finished, part of his conversation with Matt Payne at the University City bar earlier flashed back. .

“After this, Mick, you’re going to run O’Brien’s next piece?”

“Well, the bastards can’t kill O’Brien again when it does.”

“That’s a bullshit answer and you know it. They can kill you. Jesus! I’m having an undercover sent to sit on you.”

“You don’t need to, Matty. Don’t.”

“And one for your mother, too. An unmarked unit parked on her street twenty-four/seven.”

“Oh, God! I completely forgot about her!”

“Okay, then. It’s not up for debate. You’ve got to be worried, Mick.”

“Worried? Hell yeah. I am worried. But if we give in, Matty, the bastards win. And they get away with. . with what they did to the O’Briens.”

–

O’Hara picked up off the desk the mug of coffee that he’d spiked with a heavy pour of Irish whisky, and took a gulp.

Then, hands back to the keyboard, his fingers flew as he began editing the piece, preparing it for publication.