Robert K. Tanenbaum - Badge of the Assassin

$7.99 U.S.

$10.99 CAN.

One hell of a writer.

New York Post

Look for Robert K. Tanenbaums
other chilling true-crime classic

THE PIANO TEACHER:
THE TRUE STORY OF A PSYCHOTIC KILLER

And dont miss the newest novels in
his bestselling Butch Karp series

TRUE JUSTICE

Now available in paperback from Pocket Books

ENEMY WITHIN

Available in hardcover from Pocket Books

PRAISE FOR
ROBERT K. TANENBAUMS
TRUE-CRIME CLASSICS
BADGE OF THE ASSASSIN

Engrossing. The incredible story of a hit squad sent to kill cops. The accounts of the two murder trials in New York and an intervening chase down to a remote farm in Mississippi are almost as suspenseful as the stalking and capture of the killers.

The New York Times

Artfully recreated.

Library Journal

A thriller of a book!
THE PIANO TEACHER

San Francisco Chronicle

Compelling horrific a nightmare voyage through two of the most gruesome murders imaginable and an odyssey through a killers life.

Los Angeles Times

Fascinating, chilling. A must read!

Ann Rule, author of Empty Promises

An important and frightening true story!

Joseph Wambaugh

Stinging, intelligent unusually provocative and satisfying.

Kirkus Reviews

Tanenbaum and Greenberg meticulously reconstruct the murders so that they read like fiction. Their book is worth seeking out.

People

Praise for Robert K. Tanenbaums
Butch Karp thriller
TRUE JUSTICE

Intelligent dialogue, a well-designed maze of political and moral traps, and the charming and incendiary chemistry between Karp and Ciampi. For those who prefer their legal thrillers with plenty of spice and a high I.Q., Tanenbaum remains an essential addiction.

Publishers Weekly

This is vintage Tanenbaum: each of the deftly drawn characters wrestles with the moral dilemmas raised by the intertwined plots in a believable way, and readers will close True Justices final page satisfied theyve wrestled with those dilemmas a bit themselves.

Booklist

A keenly intelligent book, many cuts above the usual courtroom procedural.

Amazon.com

Deftly handled. Karp and Ciampi are smart, honest, and aggressive.

Los Angeles Times Book Review

Critical Acclaim for the bestselling
BUTCH KARP SERIES

Butch Karp and Marlene Ciampi are the most interesting pair of characters in the suspense genre today.

Chicago Tribune

[A] richly plotted, tough and funny crime series.

People

Tanenbaum knows how to plot and pace, he writes dialogue that snaps, creates stories that need to be told. What more can you ask from a thriller?

Jonathan Kellerman

Tanenbaum is one lawyer who can write with the best of them.

Joseph Wambaugh

Tanenbaums Butch Karp series is one of the best in todays mystery fiction. If you havent read one yet, now is as good a time as any.

Flint Journal (MI)

Tanenbaums authentic background detail and his likable characters provide irresistible entertainment.

Publishers Weekly

Tanenbaum knows how to thrill.

Lexington Herald-Leader (KY)

Also by Robert K. Tanenbaum

Fiction

Enemy Within

True Justice

Act of Revenge

Reckless Endangerment

Irresistible Impulse

Falsely Accused

Corruption of Blood

Justice Denied

Material Witness

Reversible Error

Immoral Certainty

Depraved Indifference

No Lesser Plea

Nonfiction

The Piano Teacher:
The True Story of a Psychotic Killer

Badge of the Assassin

A VINTAGE TRUE-CRIME THRILLER. THE NEW YORK TIMES

ROBERT K.
TANENBAUM
AND PHILIP ROSENBERG

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ENEMY WITHIN

POCKET BOOKS
N EW Y ORK L ONDON T ORONTO S YDNEY S INGAPORE

The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as unsold and destroyed. Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this stripped book.

POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

Copyright 1979 by Robert K. Tanenbaum

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce
this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue
of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

ISBN: 0-7434-3298-3
eISBN: 978-1-451-60413-9

First Pocket Books printing December 2001

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of
Simon & Schuster, Inc.

For information regarding special discounts for bulk purchases,
please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-800-456-6798 or
business@simonandschuster.com.

Cover design by Tony Greco

Printed in the U.S.A.

To my special loves Patti, Rachael, Roger, and Billy.

To Kenny Klein, for his dedication
to excellence, loyalty, and courage.
To the memory of District Attorney Frank Hogan.

RKT

To Charlotte and Mark.

PR

The entire manuscript of Badge of the Assassin was written jointly by both authors. Parts One and Two describe events that occurred prior to Mr. Tanenbaums involvement in the case. In Parts Three and Four, the first person pronoun refers to Mr. Tanenbaum. The authors hope that this transition to the first person does not confuse the reader. They chose this method as the most direct way of narrating events in which one of them was intimately involved.

This book, in a very real sense, is the product of four years of investigative work involving literally thousands of police officers. The authors, however, are solely responsible for the accuracy of all statements contained herein. We have changed the names and otherwise disguised the identities of a number of civilians who testified at the trial or cooperated with authorities in other ways. The following names are not real names: Antonia Torres Allen, Howard Allen, Nanny Closter, Jack Franklin, Linda Gill, Hector Grace, Duncan Grant, S. W. Griffin, Irene Grohman, Bernard Hexter, Alexandra Horn, Francis A. Howland, Ruth Jennings, Gloria Lapp, Horace Lukes, Lester Bertram May, Mrs. Mitchell, Jethro Peel, Nana Peel, Christine Rowe, Malcolm Rowe, Grace Russell, Ulysses Tatum, Celia Torres, Nana Tucker, Adela Wine. The character of Horace Lukes is a composite figure drawn from more than one New Orleans police officer. One place name has been changed: the town of Cordelia, Mississippi. All personal and place names not mentioned above may be assumed to be real names.

We wish to express our deep gratitude to a number of people who read and commented on portions of the manuscript, provided us with information, answered our questions, or generously donated editorial advice. In these categories, our thanks go to Richard Beahrs, Bill Butler, L. J. Delsa, Cliff Fenton, Olga Ford, Ken Klein, Frank McCoy, Sammy McGee, Terry OReilly, Charlotte Rosenberg, Stuart Rosenberg, Marcy McGaugh, and Michael Warnecke. We are most deeply grateful to Aaron Frosch for his encouragement during one of the most difficult periods in the life history of any bookthe time before it is begun. We would like to thank Barbara Welsch for her excellent secretarial assistance and the very capable staff at Star Pack, Inc.Wanda Huttner, Ernie Hill, and Beverly Bonnerfor skillful, efficient, and cheerful work in producing the physical manuscript. We would especially like to thank Jane Rosenman for midwifing the book through labor and delivery. And finally, our deepest thanks to Henry Bobbins, whose confidence in the book meant a great deal to both authors, especially the one who isnt always quite so sure.