"We should get together a meeting," suggested Michael. "I mean an in-person one, call the law enforcement types together so we can actually start some kind of case file about this: something we can keep track of and refer to, so if anyone finds out anything new everyone can access it. I also think we should cap the number of official investigators on things," he tipped his head back in thought, "to prevent chaos, though -- otherwise we might get the whole city trying to play detective at once. It's one thing to have a neighborhood watch and helpline where people can offer anything they have; it's another to give a civilian population the idea they've all got badges, you know what I mean?"

He imagined she did, given she was NYPD and if anyone was used to dealing with the kind of chaos everyday people could cause if they took the law into their own hands, it would have to be the NYPD. It occurred to him he was one of those 'everyday people,' technically. Life served up irony on a silver platter. "But just for a start, I think some kind of town-hall announcement about the neighborhood watch idea over tablet could do us a lot of favors. You know people around here: is there anyone who's LE or ex-LE here you think people trust? Somebody they'd take seriously as a spokesman for this, you or somebody else?" He smiled at her, relieved at her general cooperation.