“Bad location choice.”
“You can say that again.”
“And Miller?”
“Heart attack four years go.”
“That leaves three others.”
“Kroger has been known to work a lot with Dominic Estrada.” That was the name at the bottom of the list. “Estrada has more brains than Kroger, so he could be the guy in charge.”
Dino pulled out another photo. This one was of a man around the same age as Kroger, but with a narrower face and a full head of graying hair.
Stone looked it over, then said, “Do we know where either of them is?”
“As a matter of fact, we do. Kroger has a room at the Hotel Weathersby in the Bronx.”
“What about Estrada?”
“He is in the room next door.”
“Isn’t that convenient.”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Are they there now?”
“We’re on the way to find out.”
Four police cruisers were parkeddown the block from the Weathersby when Stone and Dino arrived.
As the two men exited the sedan, a plainclothes detective stepped out of the hotel.
“Commissioner, I’m Detective Quincy,” the man said.
“I remember you,” Dino said as they shook hands. “You handled that string of robberies along Westchester Avenue last year. Nice work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“This is Stone Barrington.”
“Detective Barrington?” Quincy said.
“At one time and long ago,” Stone said.
“I was a rookie a year or two before you left. Injury, wasn’t it?”
“Something like that.” Stone had been injured by a gunshot to the knee that the powers that be used as an excuse to retire him from the force.
“What’s the situation here?” Dino said.
“The desk manager isn’t sure if they’re in or not. Says he came on at noon and hasn’t seen them. We tried to get a hold of the morning manager, but he’s not answering.”
“Anyone do a walk-by of the rooms?”
“No, sir. Didn’t want to tip them off if they are inside. I have uniforms in the stairwells at either end of their floor, and my partner and I have been standing by on the ground floor in case they used the elevator.”
The detective led them into the lobby. It was barely large enough for the worn couch and pair of chairs that were there. Inset into the wall at the far end was the reception desk, behind which sat a balding guy with droopy eyes.
