"Well, let's get on with this, whatever it is," he said. "Are we all going in, Matt?"

"Why not?" Lowenstein said, after a just perceptible pause. "Mahoney knows when to keep his mouth shut, don't you, Mahoney?"

"Yes, of course he does," Callis said. "Well then, come on in. Anybody want some coffee?"

"I would kill for a cup of coffee," Wohl said.

"Figuratively speaking, of course, Peter?"

"Don't get between me and the pot," Wohl replied.

"Black, Inspector?" Mahoney asked.

"Please," Wohl said.

"My time is your time, Matt, providing this doesn't last more than thirty minutes," Callis said.

"You heard about the Goldblatt job?" Lowenstein asked.

"You mean the-what was it?-'Islamic Liberation Army'? It was all over the tube. TheLedger even ran a photo of their press release on the front page of the second section. Who the hell are these nuts, Matt?"

"Between Pelosi and D'Amata we have a pretty good idea who they are," Lowenstein said.

"Good idea or names?"

"Names. On almost all of them, anyway."

"Witnesses?"

"There were twenty-odd people in Goldblatt's," Lowenstein replied.

"That's not what I asked."

"We have onegood witness," Lowenstein said carefully.

"A Goldblatt employee. Worked like sort of a doorman. Albert J. Monahan. Pelosi showed him pictures and he positively identified all of them."

"A moment ago you said there were twenty-odd people in Goldblatt's."

"They don't want to get involved. In other words, they're scared. That press release and the way the press swallowed it, hook, line, and sinker, made things worse."

"So if you catch these guys, you haveone witness?"

"There's no question of 'if' we catch them, Tommy," Lowenstein said. "The question is how, and what we do with them."

"Let's cut to the chase," the district attorney said.

"Okay. Two things bug me about this job," Lowenstein said. "First, something that's been building up the last couple of years. Witnesses not wanting to get involved. A lot of scumbags are walking around out there because witnesses suddenly have developed trouble with their memories."

Callis nodded. "They're afraid. I don't know what to do about it."

"In a minute, I'll tell you. The second thing is I don't like the idea of a bunch ofschwartzer thugs dressing up like Arabs-"

"Americans of African descent, you mean, of course, Chief?" Callis interrupted softly.

"-and announcing they're not really stick-up artists-in this case, murderers-but soldiers in some liberation army."

"And blaming the Jews for all their troubles?"

"Yeah. Blamingus Jews for all their troubles," Lowenstein said. "That bothers me personally, but I'm here as the chief inspector of Detectives of the City of Philadelphia. Okay?"

"No offense, Matt."

"I called Jason Washington last night-" Lowenstein said, and then interrupted himself. "I tried to call you, Peter, but all I got was your answering machine. Then I called your driver, and all I got there was a smart-ass message on his answering machine. So I gave up and called Washington without checking with you. I hope you're not sore. I thought it was necessary."

"Don't be silly," Wohl said. "But if you are referring to Officer Payne, he is my administrative assistant, not my driver. Only full inspectors and better get drivers."

"I don't think it will be too long, Chief," Callis said, "before Peter is a full inspector, do you?"

"What about Washington, Chief?" Wohl asked.

"He has a relationship with Arthur X," Lowenstein went on. "I asked him to call him."

Arthur X, a Negro male, thirty-six years of age, 175 pounds, who shaved his head, and wore flowing robes, had been born Arthur John Thomlinson. He had replaced Thomlinson with X on the basis that Thomlinson was a slave name. Arthur X was head of the Philadelphia Islamic Temple, which was established in a former movie palace on North Broad Street.

He had converted an estimated three thousand people to his version of Islam. The men wore suits and ties, and the women white robes, including headgear that covered most of their faces.

"And?" Tommy Callis asked.

"He told Jason he never heard of the Islamic Liberation Army."

"Did Jason believe him? Do you?"

"Yeah."

"Why?

"He and Jason have an understanding. He doesn't lie to Jason, and Jason doesn't lie to him. Jason said he had the feeling that Arthur didn't like their using the term 'Islamic' That's his word."

"He didn't volunteer who he thought these people might be, by any chance?"

"Jason didn't ask. He said if he asked, and Arthur told him- Jason said he didn't think Arthur knew, but he certainly could find out-then we would owe him one. I told you, Tommy, we already know who they are."

"So why did you have Washington call Arthur X?"

"To make sure that when we go to pick these scumbags up, we wouldn't be running into the Fruit of Islam screaming religious and/or racial persecution."

The Fruit of Islam was a group, estimated to be as many as one hundred, of Arthur X's followers, all at least six feet tall, who served as Arthur X's bodyguard.

"So when are you going to pick these people up?" Tommy Callis asked.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Lowenstein said. "I want to do it like Gangbusters."

"I don't know what that means, Matt," Callis said carefully.

"I want warrants issued for all the people that Mr. Monahan has identified from photographs. I want them-this is where Peter and the Highway Patrol come in-picked up all at one time, say tomorrow morning at six. I then want Mr. Monahan to pick them out of a lineup, one at a time, as soon as possible, after the arraignment, before the preliminary hearing. I want them charged with first degree murder and armed robbery. Then I want to run them past a municipal court in the Roundhouse who is not going to release them on their own recognizance or on two-bit bail. I want you to run them past the Grand Jury just as soon as that can be arranged, and then I want them on the docket just as soon as that can be arranged. Unless there is some reason not to, I want them all tried together, and I want one of the best assistant DAs in the Homicide Unit, preferably the head man, to prosecute. I would not be unhappy if you could find the time to prosecute yourself, Tommy."

Tommy Callis thought that over a minute.

"You haveone witness."

"He's a good one. Credible."

"One," Callis repeated.

"You're suggesting those thugs would get to him?"

"What have they got to lose? It's already murder one. And he could get sick, or drop dead or something."

"That's where Peter comes in again. Right now, I've got a couple of Northwest Detectives on Mr. Monahan. That's just to be sure. Just as soon as this thing starts, I want Peter toconspicuously protect Mr. Monahan."

"Meaning what?"

"A Highway car parked around the clock in front of his house. If he insists on going to work, Highway will take him back and forth, and park in front of Goldblatt's while he's working."

"He could still have a heart attack, or something."

"And he could get struck by lightning," Lowenstein said. "Anything's possible. I think it's more possible that we could come up with a couple, maybe six, eight, ten more witnesses."

"Explain that to me, Matt."

"Peter will also put Highway people on the other witnesses."

"What for?" Callis asked, without thinking.

"To protect them, of course. We are dealing with dangerous people here. While the witnesses, if they are to be believed, can't identify the doers, the doers don't know that."

"Christ, Matt, I don't know," Callis protested.

"Once they come to understand that they are in some danger whether or not they testify, they may decide that the only way they canreally protect their asses is by making sure these scumbags are put away. An assistant DA, with good persuasive skills, might be able to jolt their memories a little. I also thought I would ask Peter to have Washington have a word with the witnesses."