Chapter 10: The Pontiac Bandit Case - Part 1
POV: Jake Peralta
The Pontiac Bandit file landed on Jake's desk like destiny wrapped in manila folder, and for the first time in weeks, he felt the electric anticipation that came with pursuing a case that mattered. Not just another robbery or assault or domestic dispute, but the kind of investigation that separated good detectives from great ones.
This is it. This is my white whale.
Jake had been tracking Doug Judy for eight months, following a trail of stolen Pontiacs and frustrated witnesses through Brooklyn's maze of chop shops and underground racing circuits. Every time he'd gotten close, Judy had vanished like smoke, leaving behind only empty garages and admiring testimonials about his professional courtesy.
Polite criminal mastermind. Steals cars but never hurts anybody. Like Robin Hood with better taste in vehicles.
"Captain Holt," Jake announced, approaching his superior's office with barely contained excitement. "I need to brief you on a major development in the Pontiac Bandit investigation."
Holt looked up from his paperwork with the expression of someone who'd learned to be skeptical of Jake's enthusiastic announcements.
"Define 'major development,' Detective Peralta."
"Three stolen Pontiacs in the past week, all from the same general area, all matching Judy's M.O. He's getting bolder, taking more risks. This is our chance to finally catch him."
Jake spread crime scene photos across Holt's desk like a poker player revealing a winning hand. Each theft showed the same signature elements—clean professional work, no damage to surrounding vehicles, theft completed during optimal timing windows that suggested extensive surveillance.
He's an artist. I almost respect him.
"Your assessment?" Holt asked, studying the evidence with methodical attention.
"He's planning something big. These recent thefts aren't random—he's building inventory for a major operation. Car show, racing event, something that requires multiple vehicles."
Holt nodded slowly, processing Jake's analysis with the careful consideration he applied to all investigative theories.
"Recommendation?"
"Full surveillance operation. Multiple detectives, coordinated effort, everything we've got."
"Very well. Assemble a team."
Finally. Official resources for my white whale.
Jake was already mentally cataloguing personnel assignments when Holt delivered the curveball that changed everything.
"You'll be partnered with Detective Martinez on this investigation."
What? No. This is my case.
"Captain, with all due respect, I've been working the Pontiac Bandit for months. I know his patterns, his methods, his psychology. I should lead this investigation."
Holt's expression suggested that questioning command decisions was inadvisable unless accompanied by compelling justification.
"Detective Martinez brings fresh perspective and proven analytical capabilities. You'll work together, combining your expertise with his observational skills."
Observational skills. Right.
Jake's competitive instincts screamed protest, but arguing with Holt was like arguing with gravity—technically possible but ultimately futile.
"Yes, sir."
"Brief Detective Martinez on the case background. Coordinate your investigative approach. I want results, not personality conflicts."
Personality conflicts. Like I can't work with other people.
Terry intercepted Jake as he left Holt's office, reading his body language with the precision of someone who'd managed Jake's emotional volatility for years.
"Jake's got that look," Terry observed.
"What look?"
"The look that says Jake's about to do something that Terry will have to explain to Captain Holt later."
Terry knows me too well.
"I'm fine with working with Martinez," Jake said, trying to project mature professionalism. "It's just... this is my case, you know? I've put months into tracking Judy. Now I have to share credit with the new guy."
Terry's expression shifted to understanding mixed with gentle warning.
"Jake's been on this guy forever," Terry said, pulling Jake aside for a private conversation. "Let him take lead, or Terry's going to have to mediate a fistfight."
Is Terry threatening me? I think Terry's threatening me.
"There won't be any fistfight. I'm a professional."
"Jake's professional when Jake's not feeling threatened. Right now, Jake's feeling very threatened."
Okay, Terry definitely knows me too well.
Jake found Martinez at his desk, reviewing case files with the focused attention that had become his signature trait. Three weeks at the Nine-Nine, and the guy had already established himself as the most thorough detective in the precinct.
Too thorough. Nobody's that good at paperwork.
"Martinez," Jake said, settling into the chair beside his desk. "We're partnered on the Pontiac Bandit investigation. Hope you're ready for some real detective work."
Martinez looked up from his files, expression neutral but attentive.
"The car thief. I've heard you mention him before."
"Not just any car thief. Doug Judy is... well, he's special. Professional, courteous, never hurts anybody, steals only Pontiacs. He's like the gentleman criminal of auto theft."
And he's mine. This case belongs to me.
"What's our current status?"
Jake opened the case file, spreading photographs and witness statements across Martinez's desk with the possessive care of someone displaying prized possessions.
"Eight months of investigation. Thirty-seven stolen vehicles, all Pontiacs, all taken with surgical precision. No fingerprints, no witnesses who can provide useful descriptions, no pattern to locations or timing."
Martinez studied the evidence with that unnerving focus he applied to everything, absorbing details like a computer processing data.
Here we go. Watch him spot something I missed and make me look incompetent.
"Interesting," Martinez said after several minutes of review. "The theft locations do show a pattern, actually. Not geographical, but demographic."
What pattern? I've been over these locations a hundred times.
"Explain."
"All high-end neighborhoods, all areas with limited police patrol coverage during specific time windows, all locations where thieves could work without immediate discovery. He's not choosing random Pontiacs—he's choosing optimal theft opportunities."
Jake stared at the evidence, trying to see what Martinez was seeing. The theft locations had always seemed random, scattered across Brooklyn without obvious connection.
How did I miss that?
"Okay, assuming you're right about the pattern, what does that tell us?"
"It tells us he's doing reconnaissance. Extensive surveillance before each theft, identifying not just target vehicles but optimal operational conditions."
Martinez pulled out a map of Brooklyn, marking each theft location with different colored pins while Jake watched with growing unease.
He's been here three weeks. How does he know Brooklyn geography well enough to do this kind of analysis?
"See the timing intervals?" Martinez continued, pointing to dates written beside each location marker. "Average of three days between thefts when he's actively working, then gaps of seven to ten days. That suggests planning cycles—surveillance, preparation, execution, then planning for the next operation."
That actually makes sense. Shit.
"So if your theory is correct, he's due for another theft soon."
"Within the next two days, based on historical patterns. And given the recent acceleration in his activity, probably something significant."
Jake studied the analysis, reluctantly impressed despite his competitive resentment. Martinez had identified patterns that eight months of investigation had missed, connecting dots that seemed obvious only in retrospect.
Either he's incredibly lucky, or he's incredibly good.
"Any thoughts on where he might strike next?"
Martinez consulted the map again, his finger tracing potential routes between previous theft locations.
"Car show at the Javits Center this weekend. Perfect target environment—dozens of high-end Pontiacs, minimal security, parking areas designed for easy vehicle access."
Car show. Why didn't I think of that?
Jake felt the familiar sting of being outmaneuvered by someone who made complex analysis look effortless. But underneath the competitive frustration, he recognized genuine investigative insight.
He's right. Judy would love a car show.
"We should present this to Holt," Jake said, trying to maintain professional courtesy while mentally adjusting to partnership dynamics he hadn't expected.
"Your call. It's your case."
At least he acknowledges that much.
Amy looked up from her desk as they approached, immediately reading the tension between them with her characteristic analytical precision.
"Everything okay?" she asked diplomatically.
"Martinez identified a pattern in the Pontiac Bandit thefts," Jake said, conscious that admitting this felt like conceding territory. "We think he's planning something at the car show this weekend."
Amy's eyebrows climbed toward her hairline, clearly impressed by the breakthrough.
"That's excellent work. Both of you."
Both of us. Right.
"We should brief Captain Holt immediately," Amy suggested. "If you're right about the timing, we'll need to coordinate surveillance with multiple agencies."
Jake nodded, already mentally preparing the presentation that would hopefully result in authorization for the kind of operation he'd been requesting for months.
This is it. My chance to finally catch Doug Judy.
But as they walked toward Holt's office, Jake found himself wrestling with complicated feelings about sharing credit for the breakthrough that might finally close his most important case.
Martinez found the pattern I missed. He deserves recognition for that.
But this is still my white whale.
POV: Kole Martinez
The surveillance operation received immediate approval, Holt recognizing the strategic value of predictive investigation over reactive response. By evening, the Nine-Nine was coordinating with multiple precincts to establish comprehensive coverage of the Javits Center car show.
Finally. A chance to see Doug Judy in action.
Kole's photographic memory contained dozens of episodes featuring the Pontiac Bandit, but fictional Doug Judy was charming comic relief—a gentleman criminal whose elaborate schemes provided entertainment rather than genuine threat. Real Doug Judy remained unknown quantity, potentially dangerous despite his reputation for courtesy.
Don't assume fiction matches reality. He could be completely different from his television counterpart.
"You realize this is probably a long shot," Jake said as they reviewed surveillance assignments. "Judy's smart, careful, always three steps ahead. Even if we're right about his target, he might spot our operation and disappear."
Jake's protective of this case. It's personal for him.
"You've been tracking him for eight months," Kole observed. "What's he like? I mean, beyond the professional courtesy and Pontiac preference."
Jake's expression shifted, revealing something between admiration and frustration.
"He's... remarkable, actually. Never hurts anybody, never steals from people who can't afford the loss, always leaves notes apologizing for the inconvenience. It's like he's trying to be the most ethical criminal possible."
That matches his fictional personality. Gentleman thief with genuine charm.
"Sounds like you almost like him."
"I do like him. That's the problem. He's probably the most likeable criminal I've ever pursued."
Jake's conflict about respecting his target. Classic cat-and-mouse dynamic.
Kole studied Jake's analysis of Judy's psychological profile, noting observations that matched fictional character development while revealing insights that could only come from real investigative experience.
Jake understands Doug Judy better than he realizes. Maybe better than Judy understands himself.
"What's your prediction for Saturday?" Kole asked.
"If he shows up at all, it'll be spectacular. Judy doesn't do anything small-scale. He's an artist, and artists want audiences for their work."
Performance as much as crime. That definitely matches his character.
"And if we catch him?"
Jake was quiet for a moment, considering implications beyond simple arrest statistics.
"Then I finally close the case that's been driving me crazy for eight months," he said finally. "But I'll probably miss the challenge."
The thrill of the hunt. Jake loves pursuing someone who matches his intellectual capabilities.
Kole made mental notes about Jake's psychological investment in the Pontiac Bandit case, understanding that Saturday's operation would test more than just investigative techniques. For Jake, catching Doug Judy represented validation of his detective skills against a truly worthy opponent.
This matters to him. Really matters.
"For what it's worth," Kole said, "I think your analysis of his patterns is brilliant. The surveillance theory, the timing predictions—that's exactly the kind of thinking that solves impossible cases."
Jake's smile was genuine, competitive edge softening into something approaching gratitude.
"Thanks. That... actually means something, coming from you."
He respects my opinion. Despite his suspicions about my background.
"Saturday should be interesting," Kole said.
"Interesting is one word for it. I'm thinking more along the lines of epic conclusion to the most frustrating case of my career."
Or the beginning of a beautiful friendship between detective and gentleman criminal.
But Kole kept that observation to himself, already anticipating the complications that would arise when fiction's most charming car thief met reality's most dedicated pursuer.
Time to see how closely real Doug Judy matches his fictional counterpart.
Saturday's surveillance operation would provide answers—about Doug Judy, about Jake's detective instincts, and about whether Kole's knowledge of fictional outcomes would prove helpful or dangerous in real criminal investigations.
Let the games begin.
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