Free FORGOTTEN by Gary Hastings Page A

Chief.”
    “Also, there’s one other annoying thing which may complicate things. The New Jersey JTTF (Joint Terrorism Task Force) has assumed jurisdiction in the case with Harry Pittsford because Maggie is a government official. The FBI has taken over the case from the New Jersey State Police, but they have yet to contact me. We’ll work it from our end, as well, and hopefully there won’t be any problems.”
    Bryan Flannery spoke up, “Do you want us to arrange some protection for you, Chief?”
    “No, Bryan. I’ll rely on my two close friends, Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson, times two.”
    “Are you sure, Chief?”
    “I’m absolutely certain, but thanks, guys. Let’s meet tomorrow afternoon at 1500 and see where we are.  Also guys, watch your backs. There are still a lot of unknowns in this case.”

     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 20
     
     
    Wednesday, February 2 - Day 15
    Police Commissioner’s Office - One Police Plaza
    Borough of Manhattan, New York
    1300 Hours
     
    Robert Earl Longstreet had been the Police Commissioner for the City of New York for a little over two years. He and Pat O’Connor were close.  Longstreet always placed a lot of confidence in Pat’s investigative abilities. When the former Chief of Department, Charles Abernathy, had retired, Longstreet offered Pat the top job, but Pat preferred to remain as Chief of Detectives. Roger Conrad, the former Chief of Inspectional Services had taken the position and was forever grateful to Pat O’Connor, who recommended him to Longstreet. Conrad was a career cop and Pat knew him to be honest and fair. Conrad was chubby, with childlike freckles and sandy thinning red hair.
    Pat walked into the office and was told by the secretary to go on in to see the commissioner. When he walked into the office, he saw that Roger Conrad was already there with the commissioner. Longstreet stood up when Pat walked in.
    “Good afternoon, Patty, how are you?”
    “I’m fine, Commissioner.”
    Conrad also stood up and shook Pat’s hand. They offered Pat a seat, and he closed the door and sat down beside Conrad in front of the commissioner’s big desk.
    “I appreciate your working me in with such a short notice, Commissioner.”
    “No problem, Patty. It sounded serious.”
    “It could be serious, Commissioner, but at this point we’re just not sure. I was contacted by Margaret Butelli, the widow of a retired detective, Forrest Butelli. He was a Manhattan detective who opened a PI business. He allegedly committed suicide on September 8, 2001, just a few days before 9/11. The wife thinks he was murdered, and after taking a brief look, there are a lot of issues.”
    “What kind of issues, Patty?”
    “We did almost no forensics on the case, and now it looks like the gun found in his hand didn’t fire the fatal bullet. There was no autopsy performed, and Butelli was almost immediately cremated. None of the friends or family members thinks he would’ve killed himself including Ray Capese at OCCB.”
    “Then why in the hell did they wait so long to bring it up? My God, it’s been over 12 years.”
    “They did bring it up, but the NYPD insisted it was a suicide.”
    “Who caught the case?” The commissioner asked.
    “A detective now retired, Jerry McAllister, but most of the correspondence and responses were from Phil Beck, who was the Manhattan Homicide Commander at the time.”
    “Phil Beck is now an Inspector out in Staten Island and is being considered for a bump up to Assistant Chief. Are you sure we need to stir-up this can of worms, Patty?”
    “We have no choice, Commissioner. Butelli was working on a sensitive case in the Kings County Court system when he died, and it involves some attorneys including one Daniel Pellegrino.”
    “The guy involved in the Rodriguez case?”
    “Yes, I’m afraid so. It’s the one and the same.”
    Pat continued to fill in the commissioner and the chief on the other details of the case including the incident with Maggie.