Detective Read Online Free Page A

contested by the
uniforms, who knew that Homicide
detectives would do the important
questioning.
    When Ainslie and Jorge reached
Homicide, Kaprum and Thorne had
already arrived and were being
detained in separate interview
rooms. A computer check revealed
that both had criminal records,
beginning at age eighteen. The young
woman, Thorne, had served prison
time for thefts and had misdemeanor
convictions for prostitution. Kaprum
had two convictions, for larceny and
disorderly conduct. It was likely
that both had records also as
juvenile offenders.
    Miami's Homicide department was
totally unlike the noisy, frenetic
detective divisions seen on TY, with
their easy public access and
anything-goes behavior. Located on
the fifth floor of the fortresslike
downtown Miami Police Headquarters
building, Homicide was reached by
elevator from the main lobby.
However, the fifth-floor doors would
open only with a special key-card.
No one but Homicide
    24 Arthur Halley
    detectives, civilian Homicide staff,
and a few senior officers had
key-cards. All other police
personnel and the occasional visitor
needed advance approval, and even
then were accompanied by a key-card
holder.
    Prisoners and suspects brought to
Homicide arrived via a guarded
basement entrance and a secure
elevator running directly up to the
Homicide office. The result was a
normally quiet, controlled
environment.
    Jorge Rodriguez and Malcolm
Ainslie peered through one-way glass
at the suspects seated in separate
interview rooms.
    "We need at least one confession,"
Ainslie said.
    "Leave it to me," Jorge told him.
    "You want to question both?"
    "Yeah. I'll take the girl first.
Mind if I do it alone?"
    Normally, two detectives would
interview a murder suspect together,
but Jorge's previous successes solo
were a persuasive argument,
especially now.
    Ainslie nodded. "Go ahead."
    As the session with the
twenty-three-year-old Maggie Thorne
began, Ainslie watched and listened
through the observation window. The
suspect looked pale and younger than
her years, wearing stained, torn
jeans and a dirty sweatshirt. If she
put on a dress and washed her face,
Ainslie thought, she'd be pretty. As
it was, she seemed hard and edgy,
rocking nervously in the metal chair
to which she was handcuffed. When
Jorge appeared she yanked on the
cuffs, clanging them against the
chair, and shouted, "Why the fuck do
I have to wear these?"
    Jorge smiled easily and moved to
take them off. "How ye' coin',
anyway? I'm Detective Rodriguez.
Would you like some coffee or a
cigarette?"
    Thorne rubbed her wrists and
muttered something about milk and
sugar. She seemed a shade more
relaxed, though
    DETECTIVE 25
    her wariness persisted. A hard nut,
Ainslie thought.
    As usual, Jorge had brought a
thermos, two Styrofoam cups, and
cigarettes. He poured coffee for
them both, talking at the same time.
So you don't smoke, eh? Me neither.
Dangerous stuff tobacco . . . (Not
as dangerous as the girl's .38,
Ainslie thought.) . . . Sorry,
you'll have to drink it black. . .
Hey, mind if I call you Maggie? I'm
Jorge. . . See, I want to help you
if I can. In fact, I think we can
help each other. . . No, it's not a
load of horseshit. The truth is,
Maggie, you're in a lot of trouble
and I'm trying to make things as
easy for you as I can . . .
    Ainslie stood behind the one-way
glass, tapping his foot. Get the
Miranda over with, Jorge, he thought
impatiently, knowing that Jorge
could not move forward until he had
advised Thorne of her rights,
including the right to an attorney.
Of course, the last thing an
investigator wanted at this critical
stage was the restrictive presence
of a lawyer a reason why Homicide
detectives tried to present the Mir-
anda caution in such a way that the
answer came back, "No."
    Jorge's skill in obtaining that
answer had become legendary.
    He started with a
pre-interview entirely legal during
which he gathered basics: the
suspect's name, address, birth date,
occupation, social security number.
. . But Jorge