Читать книгу Don’t Look Twice - Andrew Gross, Andrew Gross - Страница 9

CHAPTER FOUR

It took just minutes—frantic minutes—for Freddy Munoz and two other detectives from Hauck’s Violent Crimes Unit to make it to the scene.

A phalanx of local blue-and-whites had blocked off lower Putnam from Weaver all the way down to the car dealerships, lights flashing and sirens wailing like a war zone. An EMT van had already arrived from Greenwich Hospital and was tending to Jessie, as well as to a couple of the other bystanders.

A med tech kneeled over the guy in the green vest, confirming what Hauck already knew.

Freddy Munoz hopped out of his car, took in a long, disbelieving sweep of the shot-up storefront, the dozens of holes in its facade. “Jesus, Lieutenant, are you alright?”

Freddy had been one of Hauck’s first hires on the Violent Crimes team when Hauck had taken the position heading up the staff in Greenwich. Hauck was fond of the young detective, grooming him, in the back of his mind, for his own job one day. Looking over the scene, Hauck suddenly realized just how close that promotion had almost come.

“Yeah.” Hauck rubbed the gash on his neck. “I’m okay.”

“Jessie?” Munoz pressed with concern. “I heard she was here.”

“She’ll be alright.” Hauck pointed toward the EMT van. “Just a little shock…” As he looked at her there, reliving those initial moments, a queasiness rose back up in Hauck’s gut. “At first I just saw her there, all covered in blood. Not moving…”

Munoz squinted. “Whose blood, Lieutenant?”

Hauck turned his gaze back inside. “The guy over there…We were heading out to the boat, stopped to pick up a few things. He was right behind us in line.”

Spotting the body through the open storefront, the detective issued a short, grim whistle of disgust. “Oh, man…Anyone else hit, LT?”

“No.” Hauck placed a hand up to his neck.

“You better get that checked out, okay? You get a chance to ID the vic?”

“Not yet. I’ve been with Jess.”

“Where you ought to be, Lieutenant. You just let us handle it, okay? Go be with your daughter. I’m glad she’s okay…And get them to take a look at that gash. Damn, LT, you know how lucky you are?”

A sobering exhale accompanied Hauck’s nod. “The sonovabitch shot right at me, Freddy…I just stood there, the window rolling down. Stared right at him. Froze.”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Lieutenant. Anyone would freeze.”

Hauck nodded, eyes fixed on the body, unconvinced. “That could be Jessie.”

“Yeah, it could be, Lieutenant, but it’s not. You said you caught a glimpse of the shooter?”

Hauck nodded. “Twenties. Hispanic. Wearing a red bandana across his head. I put an APB out on a red Ford pickup, CT plates. ADJ9 or something…Couldn’t get more of a read. Listen, Freddy, I want you to get an ID on the guy inside. Have Stevie and Ed start in with the witnesses.”

“Will do.”

“And, listen, Freddy…”

“Yeah, Lieutenant?”

“I’m okay, got that? It’s business as usual here.”

“You bet your ass you’re okay, sir.” Munoz tapped Hauck on the shoulder, grinning. “Like my mother would say, LT, you had an angel riding on your shoulder today.”

“Yeah.” Hauck looked at the caved-in storefront, the man in the green vest’s legs visible through the shattered door. “Been meaning to talk to you about your mom’s take on angels, Freddy.”