While the captain and his senior detectives were meeting in a conference room at the Boston police station, the meeting was interrupted by a phone call. When Captain Orleck put away his cell phone, his face was ashen white. He looked across the room and said, "He's gone. Ron Smith died in surgery 20 minutes ago."
The room was silent, and Captain Orleck displayed expressions of frustration, grief, and intense anger at the men sitting around the table. He said, "I think we'll adjourn the meeting now. I must see my officer’s widow and offer condolences. Continue the operation, and I want every available officer called on duty. We will catch the killer, and we will bring him to swift justice."
In the days that followed, the investigation yielded no results. The police were extremely frustrated and appealed to the public for any information they might have. The funeral for Officer Smith was sobering, painfully sad, and poignant. It took place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, a church large enough to accommodate the hundreds of mourners from the community and the Boston Police Department.
The celebrant was the archbishop of Boston, who delivered a compassionate and moving plea for responsible justice. Captain Orleck spoke, along with an officer who had served with Ron Smith. The choir sang "Panis Angelicus" and "Ave Maria," featuring soloist Renee Fleming, who was scheduled to give a concert at Symphony Hall in two days.
Ron Smith had been an exceptional police officer and a friend to many. The funeral Mass was both sad and uplifting, yet comforting. Captain Orleck, who regarded himself as a father figure to younger officers, was deeply affected by Officer Smith's death. He knew what the next step was.
A day after the funeral, Orleck placed a call, and when someone answered, he said,
Hans, is that you?