Read Online Why Me? by Donald E. Westlake - Free Book Online

I’ll have to phone our people to get out there right away.”
    Mologna: “Now, Jack, you know I take care of you. Turnbull here has everythin you need.”
    Mackenzie: “Great. Back on the tape. Chief Inspector, you say the ring was left in a jeweler’s shop?”
    Mologna: “That’s right, Jack. Due to some very good police work—and I want to say that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was very helpful in this part of the case—we’d rounded up the entire gang well before sunup this mornin. Unfortunately, durin that time the jeweler’s shop underwent an entirely unconnected burglary. Some thief, as yet unapprehended, took away the Byzantine Fire along with the rest of his loot from the store. This is the man we are now lookin for.”
    Mackenzie: “Chief Inspector, do you mean to say that some minor-league crook in this city is now in possession of the multi-million-dollar Byzantine Fire?”
    Mologna: “That’s precisely the case, Jack.”
    Mackenzie: “Chief Inspector, may I ask what is being done?”
    Mologna: “Everythin is bein done, Jack. Since the discovery of the burglary, I have put into effect an order to question every known criminal in the city of New York.”
    Mackenzie: “A pretty large order, Chief Inspector.”
    Mologna: “We’re devotin our full resources to the job, Jack.” (Out of camera range, Sergeant Leon Windrift slid a piece of paper onto the desk in front of Mologna, who did not blatantly look at it.) “As of three o’clock this afternoon, in all five boroughs of this city, seventeen thousand, three hundred and fifty-four individuals have been picked up for questionin. The result so far of this blitz has been six hundred and ninety-one arrests for crimes and offenses unrelated to the disappearance of the Byzantine Fire.”
    Mackenzie: “Chief Inspector, are you saying that so far today six hundred ninety-one unsolved crimes have been solved?”
    Mologna: “That’s up to the courts, Jack. All I can tell you is, we’re satisfied with the results up till now.”
    Mackenzie: “So, no matter what else happens, today’s police blitz has been a definite plus from the point of view of the honest citizens of New York.”
    Mologna: “I’d say so, Jack. But now we’d like to ask those honest citizens to give us their assistance.” ( turning directly to camera ) “The Byzantine Fire is a very valuable ruby ring, but it’s more than that. As Americans, we were makin a gift of that ruby ring, all of us, to a friendly nation. As New Yorkers, I think we all feel a little ashamed that this has happened in our fair city. I am showin you a picture of the Byzantine Fire. If you have seen this ring, or if you have any information at all that could be helpful in this investigation, please call the special police number you now see on your screen.” ( turns back to Mackenzie )
    Mackenzie: “And in the meantime, Chief Inspector, the police blitz will continue?”
    Mologna: “Absolutely, Jack.”
    Mackenzie: “Until the Byzantine Fire is found.”
    Mologna: “Jack, the criminal element in the city of New York will learn to regret the very existence of the Byzantine Fire.”
    Mackenzie: “Thank you very much, Chief Inspector Francis Mologna.”
    That ended the interview. Mackenzie and Mologna shook hands once more and exchanged a few words while Mackenzie’s crew packed up. Then Mologna resat behind the desk to await the rest of the press—due now to arrive in about ten minutes—while Mackenzie hurried back to the TV station, there to pose against another Virgin-Mary-blue drape for reaction shots and a lead-in explanation of the story and better-organized phrasing of a couple of his questions. These shots were mixed with portions of the interview tape, plus a nice clear color photo of the facade of Skoukakis