To Do List

                                                                                 To Do List

   Detectives Doherty and Brennan were back in the interrogation room. Brennan was admiring the floor plan Amanda had drafted. “This is an impressive plan you drew up, but it may have been all for naught.”

“That's all right, S.B.. It was good practice, 'cause I'm thinking of doing drafting on the side, for extra money.”

                                                                                    < < ^ > >

Fresh on their minds was the attempted murder of the cunning bank manager, Herman Sterling by his former girl friend, a crazed Rose Anne Zito.

“Although Rose Anne volunteered to call for an ambulance to take the wounded bank manager to a hospital, I think it would be preferable that he remain alive until we wrap up this case,”

“Yes, but a little revenge would really cheer her up,” Amanda said.

                                                                                          < < ^ > >

Rose Anne was in the kitchen having a snack with two bank employees, Joan and Floyd. The couple were hoping to pick up where they left off, in each others arms, while Sterling was out front, shooting at the robber. Brennan had requested them to stay close to Rose Anne until she's settled down. “Let her have a drink if you think it will help,” Brennan said, “and save a little for me.”

When the topic came up about an ice pack for Sterling's hand, Rose again volunteered, but was turned down. Amanda remarked, “One gets the feeling that if her two-timing boy friend required a tourniquet, she would volunteer to make one and apply it tightly around his neck.”

                                                                                               < < ^ > >

Eric MacNamarra took over for Joan and Floyd to 'babysit' Rose Anne, giving them a chance to stretch their legs. The pair strolled near Sterling's office, where they watched the window repair crew measuring for the new glazing and cleaning up debris left by the old one.

Opposite Sterling's office was the Loan Office where Sterling was lying on a sofa. His left hand was packed in ice and wrapped in hand towels, awaiting the ambulance called by Detective Brennan.

Two bank employees, Jamal and Ruth, were acting as guards. They were hoping Sterling would try to get away, giving them an excuse to do him bodily harm. Now and then, Joan and Floyd would glance through the window and stare at Sterling with contempt.

                                                                                                    < < ^ > >

Reinforcements arrived in a marked patrol car, consisting of two uniformed patrolmen, one, a Filipino, who spoke perfect English, the other, a Caucasian, with a highbrow look about him. They brought their recording of the 'deathbed' statement by the robber, Arnold Frazier.

Handing the insulated envelope containing the tape to Detective Brennan, the Filipino said, “The voice you'll hear is that of the robber, Arnold Frazier and me, Melchor Grandea. My friends call me Mel.”

“Thanks, Mel,” Brennan said. ”What's your partners name?”

“Charlie.”

“No last name?”

“Wallace.”

“Alright, Mel, you and Charlie get up to . . . you brought the other tape recorder, right?”

“Yes sir,” Mel said.

“Good! Get up to St. Agnes Hospital with your recorder and make sure Herman Sterling got there okay. Try to plant the recorder in an inconspicuous place in his room. Take turns being with him.”

“Whenever one of you leaves the room, say something like, 'I'm going to see how Miss La Scola is doing,” Amanda said.

“Yeah, that will make him think she's in the same hospital,” Brennan said.

“And then he may try to finish her off,” Amanda said, “giving us something else to charge him with.”

“Well, same charge, but more flagrant,” Brennan said.

“You want us to disconnect his life support?” Charlie said.

Brennan said, “I like the way you think, but I doubt if he's on life support. He might think an IV drip is life support, if he's on one. It will be interesting to see how he reacts to thinking the teller, Miss La Scola, is there.

“One of you keep an eye on him at all times. Call me when he's settled in. Write your phone number on that pad and here's my card.”

< < ^ > >

“Arnold Frazier gave us the whole story,” Brennan said to Detective Doherty, “at least his version of it.”