The Night Gardener

'Arturo Conconi,' said the young man, extending his hand.

'Detective Ramone, and this is Detective Willis.'

'What do we have?'

'Booster name of Aldan Tinsley,' said Ramone. 'We think he might have sold a gun that was later used in a homicide. There's no history of violence.'

'No reason to take a chance,' said Conconi.

'Right. You got good eyes?'

'Pretty good.'

'Watch the house from here,' said Ramone. 'If Detective Willis calls you, move into the alley.'

Conconi pulled his radio off his utility belt. He and Rhonda set their frequencies.

'They call you Art or Arturo?' said Rhonda.

'Turo gets it.'

'All right, then.'

Ramone and Rhonda walked down the block.

'One of your countrymen,' said Rhonda.

'Don't hold it against him,' said Ramone.

They walked up concrete steps to a concrete porch fronting a brick house at the end of Milmarson. Rhonda chi

'Give it the cop knock, Gus.'

'Your hand still hurting?'

'From countin all my money.'

Ramone made a fist and pounded on the door. He tried it again. The door opened, and a man in his midtwenties appeared. He was Ramone's height, with a large head, long arms, and a ski

'Hold up,' he said into the phone, then looked at Ramone. 'Yeah.'

Ramone and Rhonda took one step into the foyer. Ramone badged the man as Rhonda looked over his shoulder, trying to determine if there was anyone else in the house. She thought she heard movement from somewhere in the rear.

'I'm Detective Ramone and this is Detective Willis. Are you Aldan Tinsley?'

'Nah, he's not in at this time.'

'Who are you?'

'I'm his cousin.'

Ramone tried to match the man in front of him to the photograph he had seen on the sheet. He looked like Aldan Tinsley. He could have been his cousin, too.

'You got some ID?' said Rhonda.

'You still there, girl?' said the man into the phone.

'I'm go

'I'll hit you back,' said the man into his cell. 'Police up in here lookin for my cousin.'

The man clipped his cell on his belt line.

'Can we see some identification?' said Rhonda.

'What's this regarding?'

'Are you Aldan Tinsley?' said Ramone.

'Look, you got a warrant? 'Cause if not, you stepped into my house, and that's trespassing.'

'Are you Aldan Tinsley?' said Ramone.

'Look, fuck y'all, okay? My cousin ain't here.'

'Fuck us?' said Ramone. He felt himself smile.

'I'm sayin, this shit ain't right. I really don't have the time for it, so you go

The man tried to close the door. The detectives stood still, and the door swung toward Rhonda and clipped her shoulder, knocking her off balance. Ramone kicked the door back violently and stepped full into the house.

'That's assault,' said Ramone.

He grabbed two fistfuls of the man's T-shirt and danced him across the room. He put him up against a wall. The man struggled under Ramone's grasp and tried to twist free, and Ramone lifted him off his feet and tripped him, and as he was falling Ramone put more into it and slammed him down onto the hardwood floor. Ramone heard Rhonda on the radio, calling the patrolman. He reached for his cuffs and turned the man over, noticing the blood on his lips and teeth from when his face had hit the wood. Ramone put his knee in the man's back as he fitted the cuffs to his wrists.

The man muttered something obscene under his breath. Ramone told him to shut his mouth.

An older woman walked into the room. She carried a di

'Beano,' she said with disappointment in her voice. 'What you done now?'

'Is this Aldan Tinsley, ma'am?' said Ramone.

'My son,' said the woman.

Ramone looked over at Rhonda, who had not bothered to unholster her Glock. She wiggled her eyebrows at him, the signal that she was fine.

Arturo Conconi came through the front door, his hand on the grip of his sidearm.

'Put this gentleman in the back of your car,' said Ramone, 'and follow us down to VCB.'

'Why'd you have to rough me?' said Tinsley. 'You split my lip and shit.'

'You shoulda said your name,' said Ramone. 'We asked you nice.'

'Would've saved you some hurt,' said Rhonda.

Rhonda apologized to the mother for the trouble. Ramone and Conconi led Tinsley from the house.

CHAPTER 31

T.C. Cook sat in his office, several files open before him. The victims of the Palindrome Murders each had their own. He had compiled a fairly complete record of their lives, including photos, both of the family variety and individual and group shots from school. He knew that there were those in the force, especially during his last months of service, who thought he had crossed the border from diligence to obsession. But someone had to be on it.

Cook had stayed directly co

But after a year or so he lost touch with them. One couple, the mother and father of Ava Simmons, was separated from the start. Another got divorced soon after the murder of their son, Otto Williams. The father of Eve Drake committed suicide on the second a

Cook studied the photographs. Otto Williams, a smart young man who liked to build things, wore eyeglasses, and, despite his nerdy appearance, was popular with his peers. Ava Simmons, thirteen when she was murdered, with the body of a girl in her late teens, fu

Cook felt their presence in the room.

The doorbell rang out. Cook went to the front of the house and let Holiday inside. Holiday was wearing his black suit.

'Why didn't you call me?' said Holiday.

'I c-couldn't get the number right. You need to program it into my speed dial. Might as well do that now.'

'Did you talk to your lieutenant friend?'

'I got it. Come on in.'

They went into the kitchen. Cook poured Holiday a cup of coffee while Holiday programmed Cook's cell.

'Thanks,' said Holiday, as Cook put the cup of coffee before him. 'What do you got?'

'The officer's name is Grady Du

'Is he working tonight?'

'He's on the eight-to-four today. We can catch him clocking out.'

'Beautiful,' said Holiday. 'I've got an airport run that should take me a couple of hours. I can be at the station by four, no problem.'

'We just go

'A double should do it. It's harder to burn a tail like that.'