Chicago’s biggest Irish gangster, Fitz O’Patrick, is going to trial on weapons and murder charges in four weeks. He has been out on bond since his arrest. Nina, the detective who arrested him, was warned by Captain Newton to stay away from O’Patrick.
It’s Sunday night. From a dark, smoke-filled room upstairs from Lee’s Pool Hall a call is made to the home of the mayor of Chicago. Mayor Richard answers the phone. A strong voice says, “You need to remember, Mayor, that elections are coming up soon and the usual donations will be made to your campaign.”
Mayor Richard replies, “Now, look. O’Patrick has to do a little time. No more than five years, but time, just the same.”
The voice angrily responds, “No time.”
“Look,” says the mayor, “it won’t look good if I call the DA’s office in the middle of the night and tell him to drop all the charges against O’Patrick.”
The voice laughs. “Let’s say these photos I’m looking at, pictures of you and this beautiful underage little girl in a hotel room, just happen to show up in the hands of the press…”
Mayor Richard knows he is beaten. “Okay. Okay. But this is the last time,” he tells the voice. All the voice does is laugh and hang up.
Mayor Richard rubs his head and wracks his brain over why he’d been so stupid and had taken that girl to his room. The thought of taking his pistol from his desk drawer and ending the misery crosses his mind. He knows that if those photographs get out he’ll be finished as mayor and his family will be ruined. He picks up the phone and calls the DA at home. When DA Winston answers the mayor gets right to the point. “Mr. Winston, I need to know what charges your office has on Fitz O’Patrick.”
“Well,” the DA replies, “right now we only have him on a weapons charge, but we’re close to making a sweet deal with one of his crew who is going to rat him out on murder.”
The DA pauses. “This whole matter is now over my head,” he replies.
“Here’s what I think,” says the mayor. “You need to drop these discussions of a deal and drop all the charges against O’Patrick.” DA Winston starts to object but the mayor abruptly hangs up. Stunned over what he has just heard, the DA realizes he’s just been ordered to let a murdering gangster walk.
On Monday morning, a young lawyer wearing a suit that cannot have cost less than $5,000 walks into the DA’s office with a weapons permit for O’Patrick. “As you know,” the lawyer informs the DA, “Mr. O’Patrick is a business owner who is allowed to carry a gun and this is a legal permit that allows my client to carry a weapon at all times.”
As soon as the lawyer leaves his office, the DA picks up his phone and calls Captain Newton. “Winston here,” he says, when he is connected to the captain. “I got some news for you.”
Newton laughs and says, “I hope I’m going to be happy after this call.”
The DA suggests that Newton sit down and tells him, “O’Patrick won’t be going to trial on weapons charges or murder charges or anything else.”
“What!?!” Newton yells into the phone, jumping out of his chair, “you can’t be serious!”
The DA pauses. “This whole matter is now over my head,” he replies.
“Are you telling me the mayor told you to drop the charges?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Come on, Winston. You know as well as I do that the mayor is up to his neck with these gangsters. He hangs out in the same places they do and they’ve got his number.”
“I know, but I’ve got to let O’Patrick go. Sorry I haven’t made your day.”
When they hang up, Newton’s first thought is: how is he going to tell this to Nina?
Nina has the day off and is hanging out at her grandparents’ place, listening to Steely Dan CDs and practicing her judo moves. Her phone rings and when she answers, a woman’s voice says, “Hey, Nina. It’s Pir Brown.” Brown is a kick-ass detective in Detroit who is known for tossing bad guys through plate glass windows and off of rooftops to get confessions. She and Nina were
in the same police training class in Chicago and became good friends.
Nina says, “Yo, girl. You still putting bad guys in the hospital?”
“Of course,” replies Pir. “I wanted to call and congratulate you on taking down O’Patrick and his gang. You’re a hit in all the newspapers here in Detroit. By the way, how are your grandparents,
Steve and Ann? Is Ann still baking those amazing chocolate chip cookies and leaving some out for you with a glass of milk when you’re out late?”
Nina smiles and says, “Girl, you know she’s still doing that.”
“Well, I’ve got to find time to come and visit. I’ll join you in devouring some cookies.”
“Anytime, girl, and thanks for the call,” says Nina, and she returns to her judo and Steely Dan.
