Fat Ollie's Book by Ed McBain Read Free Book Online Page A

you call the airport?”
    â€œThere are two non-stop flights leaving here early in the morning, both on US Airways. Takes about an hour to get to the capital. Any connecting flight doesn’t pay, you can just as easily drive up these days, the long lines.”
    â€œHow about coming back?”
    â€œSame thing. Two early morning flights. I called the hotel. Henderson checked out at six Monday morning. He could’ve caught either one of them, been here in the city by eight, eight-thirty. A cab from the airport would’ve put him at the Hall by eight-thirty, nine. Which is about right, more or less.”
    â€œWhere’s his suitcase?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHe had to have a bag, no? So if he went straight to the Hall, where’s the bag?”
    â€œGood question.”
    â€œWe’ll find out tomorrow. Meet me up the precinct at eight o’clock.”
    â€œUh…Ollie…my boss wants me off this.”
    â€œOh? Why?”
    â€œHe thinks it’s too uptown for us.”
    â€œWe been uptown together before, my friend, ah yes.”
    â€œThe Loot isn’t sure he wants to go there again.”
    â€œEven if we share the bust?”
    â€œI just don’t think he wants any part of it.”
    â€œYou negotiating with me, or what?”
    â€œWould I even dream?”
    â€œWe crack this one, we’re made men.”
    â€œI thought only the Mob had made men.”
    â€œThe Police Department is a mob, too, believe it or not. Tell your loot we share the bust, we’ll all be glory boys.”
    â€œHow do you figure that, Ollie?”
    â€œGuy about to run for mayor, he gets snuffed? Hey, this is big-time stuff, Steve-a-rino.”
    â€œHow do you know he was going to run for mayor?”
    â€œHis aide told me. Alan Pierce, Mr. Wasp from Waspville. Steve, I know it don’t mean nothing I saved your life…”
    â€œEnough already, Ollie.”
    â€œTalk to your loot. Tell him we’ll all get rich and famous.”
    â€œHe’s already rich and famous.”
    â€œSure. Like my Aunt Tillie. Tell him we’ll be on television and everything.”
    â€œYou know what we caught this morning, Ollie?”
    â€œTell me what you caught this morning, Steve.”
    â€œA hundred-and-four-year-old lady drowned in her bathtub.”
    â€œNot unusual. These old broads, they sometimes…”
    â€œShe was stabbed in the eye first, Ollie.”
    â€œExtraordinary,” Ollie said. “But it ain’t gonna get your picture in the papers. You want the Eight-Seven to remain a shitty little precinct the rest of your life, or you want to step up to the plate and knock one out of the ball park?”
    â€œI want to go say goodnight to my kids.”
    â€œCall your loot instead, what’s his name? Bernstein?”
    â€œByrnes.”
    â€œI thought he was a Yid, like my boss. Tell him does he want another juicy one like that money money case we caught around Christmastime…”
    â€œMoney money money, ” Carella said.
    â€œOr does he just want another old lady moldering in a bathtub?”
    â€œI think he might prefer the old lady.”
    â€œThen he’s an old lady himself, your boss. Tell him you got to grab this city by the balls before it grabs you first. Tell him opportunity knocks but once, tell him it’s not every cop in the world gets invited to talk on Larry King. Tell him Oliver Wendell Weeks has spoken.”
    â€œI’m sure he’ll be impressed.”
    â€œTell him.”
    â€œI’ll tell him.”
    â€œDon’t forget the old lady metaphor,” Ollie said, and hung up.

4
    DETECTIVE/SECOND GRADE EILEEN BURKE did not know how she felt about being transferred to the Eight-Seven.
    Lieutenant Byrnes voiced it for her.
    â€œEileen, you’re a good cop,” he said, “and I’m glad to have you with us. But there’s this thing with Bert.”
    The