CHAPTER FIVE
Near the end of their shift Big Jim and Chris wedged themselves into Captain Burwell’s cramped office.
“So, what have we got?” Burwell asked, looking at Big Jim. Unless asked a direct question Chris never spoke at these meetings. He figured that as the senior detective that was Big Jim’s job. It never occurred to Chris that Big Jim set it up that way because Burwell didn’t like him and inherently distrusted anything that Chris might say. Had Big Jim explained this Chris’ initial reaction would have been confusion, then disappointment that the Captain would act in such an illogical and counter-productive manner.
“Our vic was Darja Novorska, one of Johnny-Boy Watkins’ girls. According to the roommate she was planning on getting out of the Life.”
“Do you think the pimp did it?”
Big Jim paused and tumbled the facts around inside his head for the twentieth time.
“I’m thinking not,” Big Jim finally said almost reluctantly. Burwell’s caterpillar eyebrows jiggled up then down.
“Why?” Burwell demanded.
“He’s a cutter, not a strangler.”
“Putting her through a wood chipper isn’t cutting?”
Chris almost said “Halfway through a wood chipper” but caught himself in time.
“Not when she’s already dead. He likes to watch them bleed. Besides, it’s too complicated for a moke like Johnny-Boy. He’s not a subtle person. And why drag her all the way out to that park in the Valley when he could have sliced her up in an alley a hundred feet from his bar?”
“Because the park’s where the wood chipper was and because he wanted to make a statement?” Burwell said, his eyebrows doing their “I’m not buying it” dance.
One time on a slow afternoon Big Jim and his old partner, Frank Pignataro, had scratched out a chart that they called “The Eyebrow Code.”
Up then Down ------------------ Huh?
Up-pause-Back Down --------- You could have fooled me
Up-Down-Up-Down ----------- I’m very surprised
Squished Together ------------- Now you’re starting to piss me off
Up-Down-Squished Together -- You’re a dead man
Up then No Movement ---------- It’s your neck if you’re wrong
No movement at all -------------- OK, but don’t screw this up
Left-Then-Right ------------------ I’m not buying it
“Don’t rule out the pimp just yet,” Burwell ordered a moment later. “What’s next?”
“We’re going to talk to the counselor at the Woman’s Shelter and see what she can tell us about the victim. Maybe a John was giving her trouble or she mentioned somebody who seemed to be watching her.”
“Anything else?”
“We’ve got to check the carriers for a phone in her name and then get a dump.” Big Jim glanced at Chris.
“I’ve already started that,” Chris said. Burwell glanced at Hunter then turned back to Big Jim. “The Coroner gave us a time of death between one a.m. and three a.m. last night,” Chris continued. “I’m checking the surveillance cameras on the streets leading to the park around that time.” Burwell looked back at Chris as if surprised and a little disappointed that he was still in the room. “I’ll run all the plates that we’re able to read against arrest records for burglary, assault and sexual offenses.”
