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“Yeah, but then you didn’t show up on time.”

“I got sidetracked.”

“And I don’t like your attitude. Fact is, Vernon, I don’t need you anymore. I’ll have the case wrapped by end of day, and I’m going to take Ricker down, just for my own amusement. You’re what they call superfluous.”

“You’re bluffing. You think I don’t know how this works? I’m a fucking cop.”

“You’re a fucking disgrace, and don’t you call yourself a cop again in my presence, or I will kick your ass.”

If she had Canarde, he thought, if she was that close to Ricker, he was done. And he’d better save himself, quick and fast. “You want to make your case, you’re going to want what I know. I know plenty. You haven’t scraped the surface at the One twenty-eight.”

“I’ve scraped it, and I’m busy mucking out the slime on the bottom. That’s where I found you.”

“I can give you more.” Desperation had him trying out a shaky smile. “I can give you a promotion. Names, Dallas, not just in the One twenty-eight. Names in the mayor’s office, in the media, and right on through to East Washington. I want immunity, a new ID, and the seed money to relocate.”

She yawned, hugely. “Jesus, Vernon, you’re boring me.”

“That’s the deal.”

“Here’s mine. Peabody, dump this piece of garbage in lockup. And see if Bruno’s back in town.”

“I believe he is, and he’s lonely.”

“Wait, Jesus. What’d you bring me in for if you didn’t want to deal? I gotta have immunity. You put me in, I don’t come out. We both know it. What’s the point in my talking if I’m going to get stuck in the heart?”

“Gee, Vernon, now you’re breaking mine. Immunity, for everything up to conspiracy to murder. You get hooked to that, you go down. As for the new name, face, location, that’s your problem.”

“That’s not enough.”

“That’s it; that’s all. And even that leaves a taste in my mouth it’s going to take weeks to get out again.”

“I didn’t have anything to do with killing cops.”

“Then you don’t have to worry, do you?”

“I got a right to my union rep.” He whined now, in a voice that reminded her of her father’s in the flashback.

“Sure you do,” was all she said and turned to the door.

“Wait. Okay, wait. Reps just complicate things, right? We’ll do it straight. You put the immunity on the record, and we do it straight.”

She turned back to the table. Sat. “Interview with Vernon, Detective Jeremy, conducted by Dallas, Lieutenant Eve. Also present are Feeney, Captain Ryan; McNab, Detective Ian; and Peabody, Officer Deliah. Subject Vernon has agreed to give statements and answer questions in return for immunity on any related charges of corruption and misuse of authority. Do you give these statements and agree to answer these questions of your own volition?”

“That’s right. I want to cooperate. I want to make things right. I feel—”

“That’s enough, Vernon. You are a ranked detective in the NYPSD, correct?”

“I’ve been a cop for sixteen years. Been a detective in Illegals at the One twenty-eight for the last six.”

“And at this time you are prepared to admit that you have accepted financial bribes and other favors in exchange for passing information to, aiding in the illegal practices of, and generally following the orders of Max Ricker.”

“I took money. Fact was, I was afraid not to. I’m ashamed of it, but I feared for my life and well-being. I’m not the only one.”

Once he got started, Eve thought, you couldn’t shut him up. In the first hour, he reeled off streams of names, activities, connections.

He brought down the One twenty-eight, even as he doggedly treaded water to keep his own neck above the swamp.

“Captain Roth?”

“Her?” Vernon, feeling perkier, sneered. “She didn’t see. Didn’t want to, you ask me. Has her own agenda. Wants to make commander. Plays a good game of politics, but she’s got this problem. She don’t have a dick and wishes she did. Always going off about how some of the men didn’t like taking orders from her ’cause she’s a woman. Then she’s got that useless husband screwing around on her. She drinks. She got so hot on this op to take Ricker down, she didn’t watch her back or look down at her