When the call came over the radio, the operator sounded doubtful. An anonymous tip that there were a couple of bodies over on Washington Street and there might be a black limo cruising the area, containing drugs and assorted criminal types. Investigate the body and stop and search the limo if they happened to see it.
“Okay, partner, might as well get this over with. If we’re lucky, it’s a wild goose chase.”
“Yeah, don’t really need a stiff right at the end of the shift. Might be worth it if the limo shows up.”
Patrolman Werner turned on the lights as he swung the patrol car up Hudson and turned west toward Washington. Rounding the corner, he came on the scene abruptly. There was a black limo parked by the curb, its lights on, doors open. The headlights caught three men, two of them dragging a body toward the car. Sergeant Lott reached for the shotgun as the patrol car skidded to a stop. Hopping out before the car stopped rolling, he yelled, “Police! Freeze! Stand where you are and keep your hands in the air!” He knew Werner would have his weapon on them at the same time.
For a moment, it looked like the three men would obey, then one dove into the car and another pulled a gun. Sergeant Lott’s shotgun boomed in synch with his partner’s pistol and the gunman was tossed backward by the force of the blasts. The third man backed up with his hands high, babbling in fear. Leaving him to Werner, Lott pumped another cartridge into the chamber and swung toward the car, just as the driver slammed it into gear and headed straight at the officer. Sergeant Lot fired through the windshield and jumped aside. The car passed him and accelerated violently into the Jersey barrier, swung around and flipped its side. The driver sagged halfway out the window, obviously dead from the shotgun blast in the throat. Shouldn’t have tried to run me down, Lott thought. He reached in and turned off the racing motor, then looked in the back seat. There was an overnight bag and Sergeant Lott had no doubt about its contents. He returned to the patrol car. Werner had the last man in cuffs and was eyeing the body they had been dragging.
“Shit,” Werner said. “I was going fishing tomorrow. Now I’ll be up half the night filling out paperwork.” He turned to his partner. “Might as well call for a meatwagon and the detectives. We’ll book this one ourselves. Then I suppose someone will have to investigate whether or not we used ‘justifiable force’. Crap!”
“I don’t think we’ll have too much of a problem,” the Sergeant said. “Narcotics will find the bag in the limo and I recognize that guy.” He nodded toward the young man’s body. “He’s a mid-level dealer and errand boy for a guy uptown. Looks like a deal went sour. Well, let’s get it over with. Shit, there’s another body back there! Who’s on tonight? Bogar? She’ll have plenty to do.” He reached for the radio to make his report.