Upside Down

90

Detective Manseur leaned against the grille of his Impala, parked in the shadow of the World Trade Center building near the railing on the southern corner of the Riverwalk Plaza. He was, as the crow flies, perhaps a hundred feet from the Canal Street landing, and he had a commanding view of the dock, where the eighty-five-foot-long ferry would moor. Through binoculars, he watched the USS Thomas Jefferson pulling away from Algiers Point, well over a mile away. When he became aware of someone standing next to his car, he looked over to see Tinnerino staring at him.

“You and Doyle are supposed to be at the Porter house. What are you doing here?”

Tin Man smiled at him. He leaned with his beefy hands splayed on the left fender. “I was just passing by. Saw you over here by yourself and I wondered what you were doing.”

“You were passing by and saw me here?” Manseur knew that his position was invisible from the street. “I'm boat watching-to relax.”

“Wouldn't be watching for a ferry bringing Massey and the Porter kid over, would you?”

“What makes you ask me that?”

“Because I bugged your car while you were inside the hospital, and Massey's too. Doyle and me have been right with you all along.”

“Doesn't it matter that I ordered you to-”

“Your days of ordering anybody are over, Mikey.”

“What does that mean?” Manseur asked, already knowing the answer. He and Tinnerino were both empty-handed, and getting to their guns would take some effort. The Tin Man wouldn't be so cocky unless Doyle is close by.

“We can't let that little envelope the kid has reach anybody that can stop the Pond execution. Big can of worms here, Mikie. Don't make any sudden moves toward that Glock in your coat. You and me ain't out here alone.”

“So, I guess Captain Suggs sent you to silence me?”

“Yeah. That's about the size of it. Seems you been acting crazy. Buying meth from low-life dealers. Everybody knows how dangerous that is. Look at the bright side-the brass will cover up the drug thing at Suggs's suggestion, your wife will get your pension, Suggs will make sure there's a big, loud investigation. We'll pin it on some loser spook and make the streets safer in the bargain.”

“Where is Suggs?”

“Had pressing business elsewhere. He's got this all figured out. That man is a strategical genius.”

“Did he tell you Jerry Bennett killed the Williamses?”

“Yeah, he told us.”

“You know why?”

“Doesn't matter,” Tin Man answered, shrugging.

“Bennett paid Suggs to frame Pond. Bennett told Suggs where that shotgun was, and Suggs told the world Pond confessed. It was Bennett who sent Arturo Estrada to kill Amber Lee and Lawyer Porter. But you knew that, because you and Doyle have been working with him and his lady friend. We have evidence that proves it all.”

“What does any of it matter? You think too much, Mikie. Your evidence ain't worth a fart in a hurricane.”

“You'd do better to try thinking for yourself some. Do you really think Suggs can let you live, knowing what you do? He killed his own partner to keep the secret about Pond.”

“Putnam offed himself. Man was a world-class juice head,” Tinnerino said. “And I've got Doyle backing me to make sure nothing like that happens. Anything happens to me, my lawyer has a letter.”

Manseur shook his head. He was aware of a second figure sneaking up on the other side of the car. Doyle held what appeared to be a. 22 automatic. The bag containing drugs to plant on Manseur's corpse was probably in his overcoat pocket.

“Doyle,” Manseur said casually, “before you do anything stupid, you should know that Larry Bond is up there behind me on that balcony over the ferry entrance. He's aiming his Tikka 30–06 at your head about now.”

“Your partner's out of town,” Doyle said.

“He came home early. I picked this place because it's where he could cover me best and shoot without risking harming any civilians. He's one hell of a deer hunter, a crack shot with his rifle.”

“You're bluffing,” Tinnerino said. But he was looking up, squinting.

“You walked right into it. Adams was checking the perimeter at the hospital and he spotted you getting into my car. Wasn't hard for us to figure out what you were up to. The conversation we had in my car back outside the hospital was strictly for your benefit.”

“You're lying,” Doyle said.

“I've already gotten word to the governor, and he's put a hold on Pond's execution. And-you'll love the irony-I'm wearing a wire right now. What you fellows heard on your bug was our plan to get you all to do what you just did.”

“He's lying,” Doyle said to his partner, now less sure of himself. “Get in the car.”

“Not a chance,” Manseur said.

“Enough jabber.” Doyle raised the gun, but he didn't fire. Thunder rolled, and as a round from Bond's 30–06 shattered his right wrist the detective's. 22 flew from his hand like a frightened bird.

Doyle screamed, considered his useless hand. Screamed some more.

Tinnerino stared dumbly up at the concrete structure, still trying to see Manseur's partner.

Manseur relieved Tinnerino of his Glock, cuffed the big detective's hands behind him, and took the. 38 backup piece Tinnerino carried in an ankle holster.

“Okay, Larry,” Manseur called. “I've got it covered. Come on down.”

Tinnerino looked out at the ferry. “Listen, I can save Massey and the kid, for a deal. The Spics are on the boat to kill Massey and the kid.”

Manseur walked over, picked up the. 22 from the bricks and tossed it into the trunk of his car.

“Massey's car has a tracker on it,” Tinnerino said desperately.

Manseur considered that. Massey's pals Adams and Green weren't at the hotel like the bad guys believed, they were on the ferry too. Manseur was sure the three of them could handle Estrada and Ruiz. He reached for his cell phone to call Massey just to let him know when a voice came over the tactical channel: “Transit Officer Davis. Shots fired on the Canal Street Ferry, in transit from Algiers Point. Officer needs immediate assistance. One perpetrator, armed with an automatic weapon.”

Manseur turned toward the water. Halfway across the river, the ferry was making a sharp right turn.

“Okay, maybe it's too late for them,” Tinnerino was saying. “What can you get me for flipping on Suggs?”