“This is it! PK9762.” Di held his gaze. “Stewey or his partner must have left the car here.” Her eyes widened. “Is it possible they heard about the BOLO?”
Anything was possible, but he wasn’t going there. He peered into the windows, but of course, the sedan was empty. There wasn’t so much as a fast-food napkin left behind.
“It’s more likely the driver of the car dumped it here after hearing gunfire erupt at my house.” He lifted his phone and called dispatch to let them know they’d found the vehicle.
The biggest problem with stumbling across the abandoned Chevy in Downing Park was that it was one more dead end. Unless there was some sort of trace evidence left behind, they were no closer to figuring out who had teamed up with Stewey and Gil.
He was starting to think that whoever was behind this was working double-time to eliminate any possible witnesses or other evidence that might possibly lead back to him.
6
Di’s excitement over finding the beige Chevy that was used in the drive-by shooting faded as she listened to Jarek ask Andrews to send an officer to their location along with the crime scene techs to process the car. She’d noticed how clean the interior looked. She didn’t even see any dust on the dashboard. Easy to imagine the driver taking the time to wipe down the interior of the vehicle before taking off. If that’s what he’d done, it was unlikely they’d find usable fingerprints. DNA was possible, but she wasn’t holding her breath on getting those results anytime soon.
Which meant they were right back to square one. They didn’t have any other known associates for Stewey or Gil. They could focus on looking for Pablo Hernandez, but what if he wasn’t the one pulling the strings? What if there was someone else involved that they didn’t know about?
“So much for the BOLO.” Jarek pocketed his phone. “The driver of this car must have assumed the gunfire indicated we took Stewey out of the picture.”
“I guess we can still try to find out who purchased the disposable phones they used.” She grimaced. “Although it’s likely Stewey and Gil purchased their own.”
“We’ll still check it out.” Jarek sighed and glanced around the park. It was too early for families to be there. “If you hadn’t suggested driving through, the park I’m sure this car would have sat here for hours. Maybe days.”
She nodded. “Too bad it looks as if it’s been wiped clean.”
“You never know. Sometimes they can lift prints from inside the door handles or on the seat belt latch.”
She glanced over as a police cruiser rolled up to park behind the Chevy. She recognized the officer as being Wynn, the first one who’d entered the house earlier. She’d had more encounters with the local police here than she’d ever had while living on the streets in New York as a teenage runaway. By the time they’d figured out who was behind this, she was afraid she’d know the Newburgh cops by name.
Not exactly something she’d aspired to.
“This is the vehicle that was used for the drive-by shooting?” Wynn eyed the vehicle with interest.
“Yes. That plate is likely stolen,” Jarek said. “If this is the same car that’s registered to Gilbert Levine.”
Wynn put a hand to his radio and provided the dispatcher the entire plate number. A moment later, she heard the dispatcher confirm the plate was stolen from another Chevy the evening before. Wynn glanced at Jarek. “You were right. We’ll get this vehicle processed for evidence too. As soon as they’re finished with your place.”
“Thanks.” Jarek glanced at her. “Ready to roll? There’s nothing more we can do here.”
“Yep.” Her stomach was still growling, and the single cup of coffee she’d downed at Jarek’s wasn’t nearly enough to sustain her for the rest of the day. She had packed her peanut butter protein bars but didn’t want to eat one now. They were her emergency stash. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Thanks for coming out.” Jarek nodded at Wynn, then opened the door to his SUV. She rounded the vehicle to slide into the passenger seat. Moments later, they were cruising through the rest of the park to the eastern portion of town. When he drove past the Downing Park Deli, she inwardly groaned when she saw it wasn’t open yet.
“Moving on,” Jarek said, passing the place by. After two more tries, Jarek found a restaurant that was open. He parked in the small lot and waited for her to join him. Inside, the scent of coffee and bacon teased her senses. The place was empty; they were obviously the first customers. She followed Jarek to a small booth near the back and sat on the side that offered a view of the front door.
She took the seat across from him and reached for the menu. Their server, a somber-looking woman in her mid-forties brought two mugs and a pot of coffee. She reminded Di of her mother who’d worked a similar job prior to marrying her stepfather, Eddie Ross. “Coffee or something else?”
“Coffee,” she and Jarek answered at the same time. The woman cracked a smile and filled their mugs. Then she disappeared, apparently giving them time to decide what they’d like to order.
“The All-American breakfast looks good.” She sipped her coffee, eyeing Jarek over the rim. “I have some cash on me. We should avoid leaving an electronic trail.”
“I’ve got it covered.” He caught the server’s eye. The woman hurried back to take their order. Di asked for the All-American with bacon, and Jarek requested the same. Once they were alone again, he pinned her with a narrow gaze. “You don’t seriously think someone within the police department is involved.”
She shrugged. “I was only trying to point out that it’s strange Stewey was able to find us at your place. I don’t know what that means, but I don’t think we should rule anything out.”
He looked annoyed. “My colleagues are good cops. They wouldn’t sell me out.”
“Even Andrews?”
“Yeah. Even Andrews. He’s a slug who doesn’t work hard, but he’s not crooked.” Jarek waved a hand in a frustrated gesture. “I get you’re trying to cover all bases, but let’s not alienate the guys who are trying to help us get to the bottom of this mess.”
