"Дон Пендлтон. The Violent Streets ("Палач" #41) " - читать интересную книгу автора

month he was back inside, for another eighteen months. He escaped again, and
we had murders four and five before the family brought him back."
"Where is he now?" Bolan asked, certain he already knew the answer.
"Nobody knows," Fran told him. "He decked an attendant and hit the
streets eleven days ago. That's one week before the attack on Toni
Blancanales."
"Okay," Bolan said. "This does sound promising. But it's still from a
circumstantial viewpoint. What would Fawcett or anyone else have to gain by
covering for your suspect?"
The lady cop looked surprised at his question.
"What? Oh, of course, you wouldn't know. Courtney Gilman is the only
child of Thomas Gilman."
She waited, expecting some reaction from the Executioner. It was not
forthcoming. His blank expression told her that she wasn't making herself
understood.
"Tom Gilman is a senior state legislator," she said at last. "Street
talk has it he may be our next governor. He's got all the marks."
"So we're talking about some sort of political arrangement," Bolan
summarized.
"Possibly," Fran agreed. "Or blackmail - I don't know. At least it's an
angle."
"It needs more checking, Fran. Where do I find this Gilman?"
"Gilman senior? Right here in St. Paul. I think he's originally from
somewhere upstate, snow country. But we're the state capital here... where
the action is, you know?"
"He's worked his way up from councilman to the legislature, and the
word is he won't be satisfied short of the statehouse. If his son is our
man..."
"If he is," Bolan cautioned.
"Okay, right," the lady said, nodding. "Mr. Gilman could lose
everything if the media pegged him as the father of a murdering maniac. He
might try to make a deal... something... with Fawcett, or someone higher
up."
Bolan thought for a moment.
"We're flying blind now," he said. "I need more than speculation before
I hang the mark of the beast on a man."
"We can check it out," Fran insisted. "Confront Gilman."
Bolan shook his head.
"Not we, Fran. This is my game. You don't even know the rules."
She bristled at once. She fought to keep her voice down as she
answered.
"I'm a police officer. This town is my territory, not yours. Who do you
think..."
Bolan cut her off, quietly but firmly.
"You already suspect Fawcett, and if you're right, he couldn't run a
scam like this alone. Who do you turn to?"
This time her response was hesitant, halting.
"I have friends on the rape squad..."
"And if there is a cover-up, highly placed, they can't do any more than
you can on your own," he finished for her. "Let it go, Fran."