Raveneau listened as la Rosa said, ‘Drury killed an Oakland Police officer and then took a woman hostage. They’re in a house in San Leandro and he’s saying if you don’t get there within two hours he’ll kill her.’
‘Wants me in exchange?’
‘He’s not saying exchange. He’s saying he’ll kill her if you don’t knock on the front door in time. But you’re not going to do that.’
‘When did the two hours start?’
‘Ten to fifteen minutes ago.’
‘Is anyone talking to him?’
‘They’re trying.’
‘Do you want to ride with me?’
‘I’m driving you and you’re going to get a CHP escort, but you aren’t going inside. I’ll shoot him through the head first.’
Raveneau scooped up his cell phone. He ejected the CD and turned the computer and the lights off.
‘I’ll meet you out front.’
Outside the Hall of Justice two CHP cruisers waited. The eastbound onramp was just up the street on Seventh, and within a few minutes they were on the Bay Bridge, la Rosa sitting tight on the lead cruiser, both CHP running with lights flashing. When they hit traffic dropping south in Oakland the officers went to siren. As they left the bridge Raveneau talked with the head of the CIU team who advised, ‘Don’t go in there. When he made us he went nuts. We stayed with him until he drove up the other side of Grand into oncoming traffic. He’s flipped out and could take you with him.’
‘Does he know he killed a police officer?’
‘It’s not clear.’
‘What do you think?’
‘He knows the officer got hit by a car.’
Raveneau talked with a hostage negotiator on scene as they got closer. Local police and highway patrol were positioned at an intersection three quarters of a block from the house with Drury and the hostage. Fifty-one minutes remained before Drury’s deadline ran out and Raveneau moved away from the impromptu command post as he called Coe.
Coe’s cell went to voice mail. Eleven more minutes passed before he called back. Coe was unaware of the hostage situation.
‘What can you tell me about Drury?’ Raveneau asked.
‘We’ve got text messages, emails, a lot of it cryptic but it’s probable he got used, and none of this is certain yet, but it’s sounding like he got paid an undisclosed amount of cash to swap out the plywood he was supposed to deliver for what he did deliver. The plant where they make the plywood has cameras that run 24/7 and tape all of their production. The plywood is identified by lots and units. They were able to call up this order and look at it. When it was banded and shipped out there weren’t any bomb casings in it. That’s what we have so far.’
Raveneau had a heart to heart with the local police chief after hanging up with Coe. She was a solidly built woman, no nonsense, blonde hair cut short, uniform crisply ironed. He didn’t doubt that at civic functions she saw San Leandro as up and coming.
‘This is a unique situation for me,’ she said, ‘and I don’t send police officers into danger without a very good reason. What does he want from you?’
‘He wants us to leave him alone. We’re working a joint investigation with the FBI and he’s scared.’
‘I know about the four homicides at the cabinet shop. Tell me what I don’t know.’
‘I can’t tell you much so I’m not going to tell you anything, but the FBI is on the way here. Ask them or listen in as they’re talking to me when I’m in there.’
‘We have a SWAT team here. It’ll be dark in less than an hour and we’re prepared to go in behind you.’
‘Does the SWAT team know where he is in the house?’
‘We know where the phone he’s using is.’ She tugged at his arm. She wanted to talk privately and they walked ten yards away. ‘You’re taking a very big risk. He just killed an officer. You don’t have to do this. You could lose your life.’
Raveneau looked from her to his cell. The screen lit again and it was the captain calling. But he didn’t see any real choice. He didn’t see another way. He looked at the police chief.
‘No matter what happens, don’t let him get killed. He needs to stay alive. He is the link to people who have to be found. Tell your SWAT team they can incapacitate him but under no conditions kill him. The FBI will tell you the same thing.’
‘Are you married?’
‘What?’
‘Are you married?’
‘Not any more.’
‘Do you have children?’
‘I had a son who was killed in Iraq.’
From the way he recited that she knew it still hurt. He saw that in her eyes and said, ‘Let’s do this.’