Invisible City (Rebekah Roberts #1)(46)

“I know,” says Cathy. She’s typing. “Go on, I’m listening.”

“And I have a source, in the NYPD, at the funeral home, that says that what was done to her was pretty brutal, and it would have taken a lot of organization and access to a car and access to the yard, which is private property.…”

“Which is it, NYPD or the funeral home?”

“Um…” Shit. “Well, both. The cop has a source in the funeral home.”

“So, your source says the killer was organized and had a car. Is he on the record with that?”

“Yes, but he wants to stay anonymous.”

“Who’s this source?”

I’m not technically supposed to have to tell her this. “He’d rather me not say. For now. He’s a detective, though.”

“Have you talked to Larry about this?”

“No,” I say. I’ve never met the Trib’s longtime police bureau chief. I’m actually not sure I’ve even spoken to him. “I wanted to see what you thought first. If there might be a story there.”

“If you’ve got a source, work it. But talk to Larry first. I’m here all day, so call me. Wait, are you on today?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t heard from Mike.”

“They may want you on porn dad. Apparently he’s getting out of Rikers.”

Shit. “Well, I could follow up on the Mendelssohn story if nobody else is on it. Make a few calls. See if it leads anywhere.”

“Talk to Larry.”

I hang up and call the desk again for Larry’s number.

He picks up after the first ring.

“Larry,” I say. “It’s Rebekah from the Trib. I was going to make some calls on the Rivka Mendelsson murder.…

“I’ve been meaning to call you,” says Larry. “Did you get that info on her being pregnant and the head trauma?”

“Yeah…”

“Who’d that come from? They’re freaking out about it down here.”

“Really?” My heart rate speeds up. Already: consequences. “Um, a detective, but he needed to remain anonymous.”

“Well, you pissed some people off with that, and I’m the one they’re squawking at. Next time you use an anonymous police source, run it by me. Lars should know that, but he’s an *.”

“Sorry, I just called in what I…”

“I know. It just makes me look bad.”

“Got it.”

“If you hear anything else from your detective, let me know. I’ll be working porn dad all day.”

We hang up. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed and I can hear Iris in the bathroom.

The phone rings again.

“Hold for Mike.”

I hold.

After about a minute, Mike gets on the line. “Rebekah, hang tight. I’ll call you back after the meeting.”

He hangs up. “The meeting” is when the editors in the office decide what stories to cover for tomorrow’s paper. There are typically half a dozen or so stringers per shift, and at this meeting editors decide which event needs a live body to get information and which can be written with a couple phone calls. There are several more meetings as the day goes on, to adjust as necessary. When the plane landed in the Hudson, I heard every single stringer was pulled to go to the West Side. And of course, 9/11. There hasn’t been a story like that since I got here.

Ten minutes later, Mike calls back.

“Okay,” says Mike, “I need you in Park Slope to relieve Ericka. She’s been staking out porn mom’s apartment. They released porn dad last night. She visited him at Rikers yesterday. We wanna know if she’s gonna take him back.”

“Why’d they let him out?”

“Some sort of evidence f*ckup. Larry is on that angle. I just need you to sit on the building and make sure you don’t miss her coming or going. Ericka’s been there since midnight. Lisa was there yesterday and saw her go in, without the kids. She has to come out sometime.”

“Hey, so, I actually have some new information about crane lady. I just told Cathy…”

“Is it about the gardener?”

“No…”

“I need you on porn mom. We’re getting national interest on this.”

He gives me the address, then clicks off.

Iris is brushing her teeth, and I shoo her out so I can pee.

“So,” she says from behind the door, “where are you going today?”

“I’m supposed to go to porn mom.”

“Supposed to?”

“Well, I’ve got leads on Rivka Mendelssohn.”

“Can you do both?”

I flush; Iris comes back to spit.

“I can call the social worker I met at the funeral while I’m standing outside porn mom’s,” I say. “But I really want to go try to talk to Miriam again in Borough Park. And I should talk to Saul again. See what he’s got.”

Iris is silent, but I can tell she has something else to say. I look at her in the dirty medicine cabinet mirror and her eyebrows are pressed together.

“What?” I ask.

“You have to be honest with yourself about why you’re doing this. Don’t follow this story because you think it’ll lead to your mom somehow. Saul will probably tell you about her either way.”