“If Hyde’s in there he’s likely dead,” I tell them. “But let’s not assume it, and we also have to be concerned that gunpowder, specifically black powder has turned up. While it might be very old and not a danger to anything or anyone we can’t be certain.”

“Happy Fourth of July.” Marino picks up his phone to make a call. “Carrie wants to turn this day into a damn fireworks display. Fuck that.”

I listen to him get Officer Dern on the line and order her not to touch the trunk. He barks at her to move back from the car. I can tell she’s putting up an argument. Every cop worth his salt has only one concern and that’s Officer Hyde’s safety. If he’s inside the trunk they need to get him out now. What if he’s still alive?

“You hear any movement?” Marino asks Officer Dern as he cracks his window open and lights a cigarette. “Is there any sign someone might be inside? Okay. We’ll be there in three minutes.” Then he’s off the call and saying to Benton and me, “How could he be in the trunk and not be kicking or banging around to get out? She told me she doesn’t hear anything. You’d probably better get Harold and Rusty there ASAP in case what we suspect turns out to be true.”

“How about you call them,” I reply. “And while you’re at it tell them to bring a power drill and grab a borescope camera probe from the firearms lab. I assume the bomb squad has what it needs but just to be sure.”

“You can’t take out the damn trunk with a damn water cannon unless you want to kill whoever might be inside.” Marino is frustrated as hell.

“That’s why you drill a hole and take a look,” I say to him as I drive fast toward the river. “And I don’t mean you literally, Marino. If there’s loose black powder anywhere I wouldn’t want to introduce a power drill unless it’s a bomb squad doing it.”

“How much time do we got?” he retorts. “The answer is nothing to waste if there’s even the slightest chance Hyde is alive.”

“What we know for a fact is the trunk has been glued shut for a reason,” Benton says. “Not a good one. If it’s not a dead body inside then we should be worried about some other ugly surprise like a bomb.”

“Why glue the trunk shut then?” Marino says. “Why not let some poor cop pop the lid and boom? End of story.”

“If you can’t open the trunk easily then more people get involved. The more people the more collateral damage,” Benton replies. “Maybe twelve people get taken out instead of one.”

“Or that’s what we’re supposed to conclude,” I decide.

Chapter 46

CHAPTER 46