Quinn exhaled. “I’m psychic.”
Officer Channing shook his head. He reminded Quinn of a gorilla as he dwarfed Officer Kate in size and stature.
Quinn was a slouch by comparison, and he was sure it made Officer Channing want to punch him even more. Quinn straightened up and buttoned his black suit jacket up before he spoke.
“I knew it. You’re in on this attack. How many more do you have planned? Who’s helping you? The call was just a distraction. Wasn’t it? You have something bigger planned, don’t you?” Officer Channing asked.
“Listen, you’ve got nothing to hold me on. I’m tired, and I’m not feeling well,” Quinn said.
“You’re not going anywhere until we learn what you know and how you know it.”
“You can’t do that.”
“We can hold you for several days if we need to, on suspicion of terrorism.”
“Hold on just a second. Is this what I get for trying to save lives, trying to help people? Are you going to sit here and try to destroy me because you’re too lazy to go out and find the real criminals behind this?”
“Quinn, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do. The truck that crashed, it was unregistered with phony plates. We just got word from the sole officer who survived the scene that the truck was empty, that is except for a package that was left inside. Someone used a metal rod to pin down the gas,” Kate said.
“What’s in the package?” Officer Channing asked. Quinn said nothing.
“The bomb squad has a robot checking it as we speak, but we’re still not sure what it is. It doesn’t conform to any known design. We can’t find a way to open it, and it’s covered in an unknown alloy that’s blocked our imagers from seeing what’s inside,” Kate said.
“I honestly have no idea what’s in the package. This is the first time I’ve heard about it. I don’t know who’s responsible for the truck or the terrorist attack,” Quinn said.
“But don’t you? Who were the men you were referring to in the phone call? We know you didn’t overhear them, but maybe they’re part of your crew. If you can give us the names of the people you’re working with, maybe, just maybe we can work something out. I’m sure a sensitive man like yourself would feel more comfortable in a nice minimum-security lockup. Copping a plea is the best chance you’ve got,” Officer Channing said.
Quinn had the dumb luck to lie about what he didn’t know to elicit a response, only to have his lie match what had actually happened.
“I get a phone call, don’t I?”
“You’ll get a phone call when we’re good and ready.”
“You want me to cooperate, don’t you? Let me have my phone call now, or I’m going to lawyer up.”
Kate gave Officer Channing a look of approval.
“Fine, we’ll give you five minutes. After that, you need to start talking.”
Kate escorted Quinn to the payphone down the hall.
“Valentino, is Logan okay?”
“I don’t think I’m supposed to be talking to you, but yeah. Logan’s fine.”
“Thank God. Wait, what? Why aren’t you supposed to be talking with me?”
“The office is crawling with cops. They’re asking everybody questions about you like you’re involved or something. Logan said you warned him before the truck crash. What’s going on?”
“Doesn’t matter. Not anymore. At least now I know I can save Logan.”
“You can save Logan? You’re not making any sense.”
“I know I sound crazy. The cops don’t have a clue what’s going on. I don’t know everything, either, but you’ve got to trust me. They’re grasping at straws. That’s all this is. I just have to learn how to save myself after a few tries.”
Officer Channing hung up the phone. The room went black.
Quinn lifted his head from the interrogation table.
The air was suffocating, the light dim, and the wall-clock was missing.
Officer Channing gave Quinn a big smile, enjoyed a slow bite of a glazed donut, and washed it down with lukewarm coffee.
“Welcome back. You slipped and hit your head. Sorry about that. How ya feeling? Getting thirsty?”
“You want me to talk. Fine, I’ll talk. Whatever happened to Cameron?” Quinn asked.
“Cameron?”
Quinn honestly didn’t know what had happened with Cameron and Scott Channing after high school. In the short time he scoured the web before he got pinched, he hadn’t found out anything about her. It was a long shot, but he hoped he might learn something that might be useful in the past.
Officer Channing stroked his lips and nodded. “So, you finally recognize me. I knew you were a punk in the ninth grade. I just didn’t know how much of a punk until you said whatever you said to Cameron that made her want to break up with me.”
“I never said anything about you to Cameron. I thought you were a douche, but I never told her that. I wish I had.”
“I’m not going to have this conversation with you now. The job you stole from me… Cameron…that’s all gone. The only thing that matters is what’s in that box, and what’s coming next.”
“What job? And what do you mean ‘stole Cameron’?”
“Your job. The same position you have now, that was supposed to be mine.”
“Are you serious? It’s a decent job and all, but not all that impossible to get. Besides, what do you care? You have a job.”
“I guess a punk like you wouldn’t understand. My mother arranged an interview with Logan, several years back. But then you went and did some voodoo magic on him, and then he turned me down without even a proper interview. I still can’t believe it. She was the best executive assistant he ever had. He should’ve at least kept the interview out of respect.”
“Your mother’s Meredith?” All of a sudden, the NYPD mug made sense to Quinn even if her Beanie Baby collection didn’t.
“Don’t play games with me. I know you already knew that. Didn’t you? Was this your plan all along? Get in tight with Logan so you can plan your strategy, lay the groundwork with the connections you have in the area?”
“Really? You’re the one who sounds crazy now.”
“I sound crazy? You’re the one calling the police about a terrorist attack by men who you supposedly overheard. You’re the mental one, and I’m going to nail you to the ground, you janky little punk.”
“The only connections I have are with a small sales team. But that doesn’t matter. Does it? You’re desperate. You going to beat me like you did last time?”
“Last time?” Kate asked.
“Ahh, never mind that. Just find out what’s in that package, because I have no idea,” Quinn replied.
“Then why did you say you would talk to us?” Kate asked.
“I did what I needed to do to get the phone call. You’re wasting time with me.”
Officer Channing leaned towards Quinn, gritted his teeth, and slammed the coffee cup on the table.
“Tell us what’s in the package.”
August 7th, 2021:
Day 1.
7:33 AM.