Final justice - W.E.B. Griffin [214]
"At that time, Lieutenant, did you believe that Sergeant Payne (a) posed a danger to others or himself, and/or (b) that he had committed a crime of any kind?"
"No, sir. From what I saw it was a good shooting."
"Two things, Lieutenant. There is no such thing as a good shooting. They are all lamentable. Some of them are unfortunately necessary, but there is no such thing as a 'good' shooting."
"Sir, I meant--"
"Secondly, Lieutenant, you might find it valuable to refresh your memory regarding the regulations dealing with taking a weapon from an officer in a situation like this."
"Sir?"
"The sergeant was right, Lieutenant. Absent any reason to believe that the shooting officer poses a danger to himself or others, or belief that the officer has committed a felony, the regulations state that his weapon will be returned to him by the supervisor after he counts the rounds remaining in the magazine, and takes possession of that."
"Inspector, I thought it was evidence. . . ."
"So you implied. The point here is that a clever lawyer, such as Mr. Giacomo, may make the point that your disarming of Sergeant Payne against regulations is proof of bias."
"Jesus, I didn't know."
"Obviously. Now, was there any other indication of what you considered odd behavior in Sergeant Payne?"
"He was . . . sort of out of it, sir. Distant, maybe, is the word."
The telephone on one of the desks rang, and Captain Kimberly went to answer it, and the door opened and Inspector Peter Wohl and Amelia A. Payne, M.D., came into the room.
"Hello, Mike," Wohl said. He nodded at the others.
"Where is he?" Amy asked.
"Honey!" Wohl said, warningly.
"Peter, as I understand it, Sergeant Payne is no longer assigned to Special Operations," Weisbach said.
"That's right."
"That makes me ask, you'll understand, what you're doing here?"
"What we're doing here?" Amy flared. "Jesus H. Christ! I want to see my brother, is what we're doing here."
"And what Dr. Payne is doing here?" Weisbach continued.
"Inspector," Captain Kimberly said. "That was Captain Hollaran on the phone. He and Commissioner Coughlin are en route here. He asked who was the supervisor. I told him you were."
Weisbach nodded his understanding.
"Unless you can tell me you have official business here, Peter," Weisbach said, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you and the lady to leave."
"I'm not a lady, goddamn it, I'm a physician. And I demand to see my brother."
"Take it easy, honey," Wohl said. "Mike's just going by the book. He has to."
"Screw his book. Screw him. I demand to see my brother."
"Peter . . . " Weisbach said.
"Inspector Weisbach, with your permission," Peter said, "I'd like to stay here with the lady until the arrival of Commissioner Coughlin."
The door opened again.
Armando C. Giacomo strode in. He was wearing a tweed jacket, gray flannel trousers, a pajama top, and bedroom slippers.
"Sorry it took me so long to get here," he said. "Hello, Mike. Amelia. Peter. What brings you two here?"
"They won't let me see my brother," Amy said. "Tell them they have to."
"Do I correctly infer that it is Sergeant Payne who was allegedly involved in this unfortunate incident?"
Weisbach nodded.
"I'm not sure if they have to give you access to your brother, Amy," Giacomo said, "but I am absolutely sure that I have the right to see the detainee, accompanied by the physician of my choice. Isn't that correct, Inspector Weisbach?"
"I think you can have a police physician, Counselor," Weisbach said. "I'll have to check about Dr. Payne."
"You're splitting hairs, Inspector. If the police department can seek, as they have on several occasions that come readily to both our minds, the consultation of Dr. Payne in the investigation of crimes, the only reason I can see why you refuse her, as my consultant in this matter, access to the detainee is that you are personally biased against my client, determined to deprive him of his full rights under the Constitution, or, perhaps . . ."
"He's in there, Counselor," Weisbach said, pointing to the closed door of the interview room.
Amy walked quickly