The First Victim

CHAPTER 74

"What the hell does that mean?’’ Boldt thundered, unable to believe what he was hearing.

‘‘It’s a federal impound. Federal property. It is beyond our jurisdiction.’’ Lacey Delgato, the deputy prosecuting attorney with whom LaMoia had met, had a voice that could scratch glass. She was plump and wore her clothes too tight. She talked behind an ironic grin that leant her an imperial arrogance. ‘‘It’s an INS impound, Lieutenant. If anyone’s going to bust in there, it’s them.’’

‘‘But that’s just the point. Right? That’s exactly why we want in there ourselves.’’ He had checked his voice mail only moments before. Suddenly McNeal’s oblique message made more sense: She realized the graveyard was under Coughlie’s jurisdictional control.

‘‘I understand that, but it isn’t going to happen. You crash those gates and you lose anything and everything you discover.’’

‘‘So I have to go back to Talmadge.’’

‘‘Right.’’

‘‘And if he’s in on it?’’

She shrugged. ‘‘Chalk one up for the bad guys.’’

‘‘Unacceptable.’’

‘‘Suggestions?’’

‘‘Other fed agencies? Do they have access?’’

Delgato pursed her lips and gave her next words considerable thought. ‘‘U.S. Attorney would have to be brought in. If you gave him enough evidence, enough probable cause, he might work the Bureau for the raid.’’ She added, ‘‘The Bureau could invite you along for the ride. Nothing preventing that. Yeah. It could work, I suppose.’’

‘‘Put it in motion,’’ he said. ‘‘I’m going to get a surveillance team in place.’’

‘‘Tomorrow, I’m talking about,’’ Delgato complained. ‘‘No way this is going down tonight.’’

‘‘Make the calls,’’ Boldt ordered.

‘‘It’s late.’’

‘‘Now.’’

‘‘I’ll wake him up.’’

‘‘You want a hundred lives on your hands? You want this whole thing to come down to your refusal to make a call, to wake someone up? Fine,’’ he said. ‘‘I’ll make a note of it.’’

‘‘You had better be right about this,’’ she threatened.

‘‘Amen,’’ Boldt said.