Part 20: Three Questions, One Van, No Answer
Thursday, 16 February 1984
68th Precinct
Detective Bruno Wallerstein, Detective Paul King, and Detective Alberto Gomez Rubio had spent the morning canvassing the streets of the Bay Ridge neighborhood. They asked three questions:
"Do you know anything about the white van with Pennsylvania plates that was here Tuesday morning?"
"Do you see what happened when Lefty and Big Boy tried to approach the van?
"Where is Lefty now?"
They knew where Marcel 'Big Boy' Wilkins was: in the King County morgue, pending release to his relatives for a funeral. Wilkins had been 22. He had been doing time in juvie since he was 14 for assault and armed robbery. He had just gotten out of Riker's Island for six months of a year for robbing a drug dealer of his stash.
Lefty? Records showed two men with that nickname that Big Boy had associated with. Dewayne 'Lefty' Cass and William 'Lefty' Pearsons. Cass was a strong-arm man, about 5'10", 220 pounds, who had a record only shorter than Big Boy's. Pearsons was a newbie. He didn't have a record.
Neither had an address that was good.
No one remembered much about the Pennsylvania van. It didn't have any stickers on it except the "10" indicating the month it was to be inspected. It didn't have any bumper stickers, dents, or dings. It was dirty, but in good working order. The driver? Some white man, never saw him before, maybe brown hair, wore a redneck cap. There was a blonde white woman in the passenger's side. Loaded all up with crap, like they were going to take to the hills and avoid the bombs.
Wallerstein, - often nicknamed "Frankenstein" when he was a uniform - got in the unmarked Ford and took the driver's seat. King, who was small but wiry, sat in the passenger seat. Gomez took the back seat.
"We are getting shit on this case," King said.
"But we're doing what the Chief wants us to do," Gomez said. "Keeping the lid on."
Wallerstein looked at the traffic heading to Staten Island. "Where the fuck are they all going? Is there anywhere safe?"
"The traffic is really picking up," King said.
King said, "Hey, turn on the radio. Maybe there's an explanation."
"...WINS news time, four-fifty-one. Now for more about the Soviet ultimatum to NATO issued today. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger said at a press conference at the Pentagon that the United States, along with its NATO allies, rejects any ultimatum on the status of Germany. There are reports that flights to Germany have increased, but these cannot be verified since the United States government has issued a censorship order on troop movements..."
"Gentlemen, we are wasting our time. I am going to tell Morey that," Wallenstein said.
68th Precinct.
Sergeant Daniel Morey shook his head. "Boys, you are making a big mistake. You are not wasting your time on this case. You're wasting your energy on this case. I suggest that you drive to Harrisburg and check the records on the number of vans which are due to be renewed for inspection in October. I would also think that there being no Penn State sticker on the car, it's from the east part of the state, and because they were heading with a New Yorker, they were not going to another city. Do I have to finish drawing you a picture, or do I put you back in uniform directing traffic?"
Gomez said quietly, "Yes, Sergeant."
"I would suggest you take your personal vehicles with you. You may get reimbursed for the mileage later."
"Yes, Sergeant."
"I do expect progress reports on the case. But go, damn you, go."
Another sergeant stuck his head in the door. "Lefty Cass just turned himself in."
"Fuck," Morey said. "Wallenstein, you come with me. Boys, get your cars and meet us here in two hours."