New York Chief of Detectives by Gary Hastings Page A

nice time talking to the uniforms?”
    “Let’s just put it this way. We were coming to understand each other.”
    Pat was given a visitor’s ID to clip on his pocket. He and Mike entered the elevator going to the 23rd floor.
    They walked into Mike Wilson’s office, which was about a third the size of Pat’s office. He saw the pictures of Angie on the credenza behind his desk.
    “Those are great photographs of Angie. She’s a real jewel and does a marvelous job.”
    “She loves working with you, Pat, and thinks you’re not only a great boss, but a magnificent investigator.”
    “Well, I don’t know about all of that, but I do try to surround myself with the best people, including your wife.  I’ll get straight to the point, Mike. We’re working a double homicide involving an NYPD Detective and a snitch named Curtis Gee. We’re having little progress and haven’t developed a true suspect.” 
    “Angie has been keeping me up to speed on this, Pat. What is it that you want the FBI to do?” 
    “The murdered cop is Anthony Rodriguez, who worked in the Organized Crime Control Bureau. He was found last Saturday morning, dumped in a parking lot in Queens. His police car hasn’t been found as of yet and we need help locating it.”
    “Have you put it in NCIC?”
    “Give me a break. Of course, we’ve done that. We’ve also broadcasted an alert to all law enforcement in the eastern seaboard of the United States, with no luck.” 
    “We can make sure all the federal agencies in New York are aware of this.”
    “Once again, Mike we’ve done all of the normal things.  I’m well aware of the extensive use the Joint Terrorism Task Force is making of the LPR’s or License Plate Readers. I want to get the tag on the missing police car added to the database, so that we can try to locate it if it’s moving.”
    “I’d like to help you Pat, but you have no evidence that this is related to terrorism.”
    “We have no evidence that it’s not related to terrorism. Every time I go to an FBI terrorism seminar, you guys talk about terrorists targeting public officials and what a priority it is to notify the JTTF of any stolen or missing police uniforms or equipment. Does that sound vaguely familiar, Mike?” 
    “It does, but I just don’t think that this case meets the criteria.”
    “I think the FBI likes to be on the receiving end of information, but always hesitates when it comes time to give out information.  If you’re going to maintain that hard FBI line, then I’m asking you to do it for me as a personal favor. Once we catch the guy, he won’t know how we caught him. So it turns out he wasn’t a terrorist, no big deal, we still get our man and better yet, a cop-killer is off the street.”    
    Mike Wilson was reluctant to honor Pat’s request.
    “You know we get a lot of grief from these left wingers over the Patriot Act and invasion of privacy.  They compare us to the Nazi Gestapo. We have to be careful. I’d like to help, but I just don’t know if I can.”
    “What would you do if it were an FBI Agent that was murdered? Do you think I’d say ‘no’ if you asked me to help you?”
    There was a long pause and then Mike stood up and looked out the window over Thomas Payne Park.
    “Every day we wonder when we’ll be attacked again and we have to play by the rules, while the terrorists and perps have no rules. This is the kind of thing that Washington is nervous about.”
    “Okay, then let’s cut to the bottom line.  Will you help me?”
    Mike Wilson slowly took in a deep breath and exhaled it. 
    “Of course I’ll help you, Pat. I don’t want you to transfer my wife to third watch in uniform. Give me the information.”
    Pat handed Mike the folder with all the information in it.
    “I owe you, Mike. I really hope this works, and I never said anything about your decision affecting Angie.”
    “I know you didn’t, Pat. It was a light-hearted comment. I’ll enter the tag myself in