Second Chance

Chapter 47

JACOBI WAS RIGHT about one thing. The next morning, everything had changed. A feeding frenzy of every news organization in the country was massing on the outside steps of the Hall of justice, setting up their camera crews, clawing for interviews. Anthony Tracchio was named acting chief. He had been the chief's administrative right hand, but had never come up through the ranks. On the Chimera case, I was now reporting to him. “No leaks,” Tracchio brusquely warned. “No contact with the press. All interviews go through me.”

A joint task force was set up to handle Mercer's homicide.

It wasn't until I got upstairs that I found out precisely what '' meant.

When I got back to my office, two tan-suited FBI agents were waiting in the outer room. A polished, preppy black man named Ruddy in an oxford shirt and yellow tie, who seemed to be in charge, and the typical hard-nosed field agent named Hull.

The first thing out of Ruddy's mouth was how nice it was to be working with the inspector who had solved the bride and groom case. The second thing was a request for the Chimera files. All of them. Tasha. Davidson. Whatever we had on Mercer.

Ten seconds after they left, I was on the phone to my new boss. “Guess I know what you meant by ','” I said.

“Crimes against public officials are a federal offense, Lieutenant. There's not much I can do,” said Tracchio.

“Mercer said this was a city crime, Chief. He said city personnel ought to see it through.”

Tracchio sent my heart into a tailspin. "I'm sorry. Not anymore.