The Same Three

341.

We end up spending, would have been wasted time if not for our conversations, a total of five and a half-hours in the SUV. A Northern California round trip to nowhere. I know from experience that this is the automotive bushes to the big league of Southern California traffic. Just another day at the office.  

We finally make it back to the FBI building and check in with Agent Kirkpatrick, who it appears has been waiting for us. "Any luck with Howie?" He asks like a carnival mind-reader already knowing the answer.

"He was a little, ah, nonplussed, to hear from us, shall we say. But…"

"He told you to go fuck yourself?"

"His exact words, but…"

"So now you want to try the old school technique and squeeze the two we have shackled to the walls?"

"Well, we thought it might be good police work to talk to them, yes, but…"

"How long to you need with them?"e asks leering at the giant digital clock on his office wall, "do you still want to have dinner, or is it too late now?"

"Depends on how things go with the pair on the other side of the bars. We'll try to get what we need as efficiently as possible but I suspect we might be an hour or two. If they, or one of them, feels chatty maybe longer. First things first you know."

"Suit yourself, I'm heading to Poncho's on 15th for happy hour, come on over if you get a signed confession."

"Thank you for your cooperation AK, appreciate it. By the way, is there anything you can tell us about the two?"

"They've only spoken three words in the two weeks they've been here, they are downstairs by the way, basement minus 5 floors, Sergeant Crouthers knows your coming, so all we have is their rap sheets and they are as bleak as Howie's, same profiles, same MO, same post traumatic stress. Low-life head- bangers with military training and axes to grind. They seem to be willing to take one for the team, at least so far."

"Have they been booked, if so what charges, and what about legal counsel?"

"No, solicitation and conspiracy, weapons possession if we wanted to, but they are here as bait, the bigger fish is Howard Turkin, and HE might not even be the trophy. No legal."

"Alright, thanks again. Don't wait up for us. Hopefully we'll have a good story to tell tomorrow. Oh, you said they have only spoken three words since…"

"The same three as Howie's to you."