Choi turned her iPad so he could see the screen. On it was a still image from the CCTV footage of him talking to Parker right after Humphrey left Stone’s office.
“You want to try that again?” she said.
“I-I-I…”
“In case you are unaware,” Dino said, “New York State does not have the death penalty.”
Humphrey visibly relaxed.
“Unfortunately for you, this crime occurred at sea, so it falls under federal jurisdiction, which does.”
Humphrey opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but nothing came out.
“The more you cooperate, the more inclined we’ll be to put in a good word with the prosecution,” Choi said.
“Of course, that all depends on who talks first,” Dino said.
Humphrey blinked. “What do you mean?”
“It means that if Parker tells us everything before you do,” Choi said, “you’re shit out of luck.”
“You’re…you’re already talking to P-Parker?”
“How do you think we knew about you?” Dino asked.
Humphrey stared at nothing for several seconds, then his head drooped forward.
“That’s not something you see every day,” Stone said. “You’re very lucky.”
“What do you mean?” Josie asked.
“You just witnessed the moment Mr. Humphrey broke.”
In the interrogation room, Humphrey started to cry.
Dino and Commander Choi joinedStone and Josie for a late dinner at Josie’s hotel.
“I can’t thank both of you enough for your assistance,” Choi said to Stone and Dino. “Without it, I might never have figured out what happened.”
“It might have taken a bit longer for you to piece it together, but you would have gotten there,” Stone said.
“Stone’s right,” Dino said. “But don’t get too far ahead of yourself. The case isn’t wrapped up yet.”
Choi nodded. “True.”
It hadn’t taken long for Humphrey to tell Dino and Choiabout how his financial mistakes had led to a scheme to cover the losses with the bequest from Trenton’s estate, and how a middleman named Richter had helped him hire Parker to carry it out in a way that would look like an accident.
Unfortunately, Humphrey hadn’t been able to tell them where Parker was. They had only met in person twice. The first time was prior to the sinking of theAmanda Jae, and the second was on the street near Stone’s office.
His only method of contacting the hitman was via an email address, which he’d relayed to Choi. All phone conversations had been initiated by Parker from a blocked number.
This meant that Humphrey’s arrest had to be kept quiet, so Parker didn’t hear about it and disappear. Until that was settled, Humphrey was being kept under house arrest at a nearby hotel.
“Have you thought any more about your post–Coast Guard career?” Stone asked the commander.
Choi smirked. “Commissioner Bacchetti and I may have had a conversation along those lines.”
“She has my number,” Dino said. “And I expect her to call it.”
