Nobody’s Hero (Ben Koenig #2)

Chapter 8

‘Fine,’ Wagstaff said. He checked his watch. ‘It’s coming up to five after seven. Happy?’

Koenig did some mental calculations. Decided he could give a little back. He said, ‘You’ve heard of the East Coast Sweeney?’

Wagstaff snorted. ‘Sure, I’ve heard of the East Coast Sweeney. Same way I’ve heard of the tooth fairy and the Easter Bunny. You’re not supposed to believe that shit after kindergarten, though.’

‘Which was exactly what I thought when I was with the Special Operations Group.’

Mallinson blinked in surprise. ‘You? You were with the SOG?’

‘I was.’

‘You’re a bum and a cop killer,’ Mallinson said. ‘You ain’t never been a US Marshal. You don’t have the self-control.’

‘Feel free to check,’ Koenig said. ‘But the point I’m trying to make is that when I was with the SOG, I didn’t believe in the East Coast Sweeney either. I thought a cabal of corrupt police officers surviving all these years was about as likely as the “birds aren’t real” lunatics finding a robot pigeon.’

‘But you’re claiming the cop you killed and the two you assaulted were both in this fantasy criminal organisation?’

‘I am.’

‘That’s how it’s going, is it?’

‘I’m not following.’

‘Sure you do,’ Mallinson said. ‘You’re going for a justifiable homicide defence. That it was either them or you.’

Koenig said nothing.

‘I guess it’s the only play you have left,’ he continued. ‘Hope that if you throw enough shit at four highly decorated officers, you’ll find a couple of gullible jurors to hang a jury? Might work. It’s something you can’t prove, but more importantly, it’s something the DA can’t dis prove. There were no cameras in the internet café and there were none in the parking lot. Pretty convenient, huh?’

‘They’re highly decorated officers now, are they? You were just calling them douchebags.’

‘What do you want?’ Wagstaff said.

‘Nothing.’

‘You must want something. This is a play. You know there ain’t no East Coast Sweeney. We know there ain’t no East Coast Sweeney. And if it comes to it, we’ll get the most impressive experts ever assembled to dispute their existence to a jury. Despite your little game here, there’ll be no hung jury. So, I’ll ask you again – what do you want?’

‘I want to know what time it is.’

‘It’s five minutes after the last time you asked.’

‘Ten after seven?’

Wagstaff checked his watch and nodded.

‘She’ll be here soon then,’ Koenig said. ‘And you guys better watch out, she’s gonna be mad as hell.’