Case of the Black Widow Ch. 05

I paused, then said "And that is where Angela made her first huge mistake: her intended patsy had an actual alibi that Angela wasn't counting on... and even worse, the alibi for Selena was Angela's own boyfriend, Hugh. I think that riled Angela up really, really bad, and that is why she tried to kill Hugh. But that was Angela's fatal mistake... fatal for her."

After a moment, seeing the impatient look on my partner's face, I said "But as to latching onto Angela as the culprit, Cindy... I think it started when we were in the conference room after Feeley's death. I remember Angela saying something about 'maybe Feeley drove by'. Well, how would she know that or even think that? I think that was when Angela Harlan first really entered my mind as a suspect.

"As I thought about it, going further back, it was Angela that came out with the idea that the Black Widow was so repulsed by Dawdle that she had several men rape Dawdle and work him over instead of the woman fucking him. And I realized later that she was telling the truth about how she felt. She really hated Dawdle from the first day she saw him on TV, and she really wanted to make him suffer for putting her cousin through the public ordeal of the investigation into the football program."

"So the night after Feeley's funeral, I started thinking about it from the angle of Angela's involvement. I knew that Angela and Selena knew each other, they were both from Texas, they didn't like each other much. But enough to commit serial murders and frame Selena for murder?"

"Channeling backwards, if Selena had an alibi, then the hairs with her DNA were planted. And it would've had to be someone who had access to her hair. Now that gets a lot tougher to figure out. And then my own mother reminded me that she saw Angela helping Selena get ready to host the silent auction by helping her with her hair. Turns out, Angela had brought a new comb in hopes she might get a chance to brush Selena's hair, which is why she offered to help Selena get ready."

"Of course, I should've realized the connection the moment the hairs were found on the body and we found out that a fake girlfriend had made the call. The killer needed for the body to be found so that the hairs could be found and analyzed for DNA immediately. If I'd seen that like I should've... maybe Pete would be alive today."

Tanya Perlman had heard enough of my self-recriminations. She came over to me and got in my face. "Don, if I ever, ever hear you blame yourself again, I am going to take that crowbar away from you and beat the living hell out of you with it! You're not perfect, and you did what you could. You avenged Pete! He loved you and I love you, and it's not your fault!"

With that, Tanya hugged me fiercely for a moment, to a chorus of "That's right." As Tanya released me, I just raised my eyebrows in a gesture of resignation and said "Yes ma'am." Laura helped Tanya to sit down next to her and hugged her.

"She's right, stop beating yourself up." said Chief Griswold in his most fatherly growl from the far end of the table. "So you were saying?"

"On top of all that, Angela was the detective that responded to Hazelton's death that night, and she made damn sure the hairs were found. Anyway, once I realized that Angela had indeed had access to Selena's hair, thanks to my mom, the rest started falling into place.

"I asked Lindy Linares to check if Angela was a possibility for all of the Black Widow killings, and of course Angela was. The St. Louis Police finally told the FBI that they had some DNA evidence, so I was hoping that would connect Angela to the crime there, and it looks like it will beyond a shadow of a doubt.

"Last, I probably should've noted Angela's enthusiasm at the Burleson case when she brought up the Black Widow as the killer in the first place." I said. "But we had no prior knowledge of the Black Widow then, and there were other possible reasons for his killing."

"Why was Burleson killed?" asked Martin Nash.

I replied "First let me say that the Dawdle murder was obvious; she was trying to protect her cousin, the football coach, though killing Dawdle was not really going to help him vis-a-vis the investigation. Trying to kill Hugh is obvious, too, and ties into the murders of the bankers: that was all about Selena Steele."

"But Feeley and Burleson... not so much. The papers Angela left behind mentioned something about Burleson finding out something he wasn't supposed to, and either Angela might have been involved in whatever he found out -OR- she was hired to kill Burleson. I suspect the former, and I'm working with the FBI on that angle, so I can't and won't say more for now."

"And Pete?" Tanya asked.

"I really have no idea; she left no note about Pete." I said. "If I had to guess, she was trying to get our undivided attention by killing a police officer. Maybe she was mad at me for not arresting Selena Steele. Well... she got our undivided attention, all right."

"Bonnie Karpathian and I have a theory of why she killed Pete," said Laura, "and it's ugly: I think she saw Pete having a bad time after not being selected for Detective, and she preyed upon him. Just pure evil, kicking a man while he was down, and enjoying bringing pain to the rest of us in the process. She was truly a hate-filled bitch."

My wife's words caused several moments of contemplation in the group. Tanya somehow held herself together.

"Where did Angela get the drugs she used on her victims?" Martin Nash asked, breaking the silence. "Your bad nephew?"

"She used different drugs at different times." I said. "Her Texas victims had something more like Viagra dissolved into a solution mixed with the poisons. But the crimes up here had research-level drugs, and various agencies of the Federal Government are following up on that. And of course Ned might be the source, but it's very possible he's not involved at all; in fact, some evidence suggests that Ned wanted the University PED scandal to come out, so it wasn't in his interests to kill Dawdle at that particular time."

I glanced at Cindy out of the corner of my eye and was pleased to see that her face did not give away that she and I had surmised that Mr. Ward or one of the other 'industrial secrets' players might have been involved with Angela and provided her those drugs. We weren't ready to tell anyone else about any of that just yet.

"Why did she try to frame Selena Steele?" Britt Maxwell asked.

Laura answered "I talked to Selena this morning. She's pretty shaken up that someone would kill several people just to try to frame her for murder. She said that she and Angela knew each other in college and that they didn't like each other then. There was apparently a pretty strong rivalry between them, perhaps competitions over men, though Selena doesn't remember anything in particular that might've gotten Angela riled up. I think Bonnie Karpathian and Lindy Linares are going to follow up and try to research it, so we'll have to wait for what they find."

The Chief broke in to stop the Q&A: "Folks, any more questions can wait for the coffee klatch tomorrow morning. I'm calling it a night, and I'd like for you guys to go home and get some sleep, too. Lieutenant, no matter how you feel now, you did one hell of a job figuring it out, and you saved one officer's life and who knows how many more people in the future." There was a general acclaim of agreement, which I did not share. I had been culpably slow...

"And folks," added the Chief, getting somber and serious, "when a police officer goes bad like this, it rips the fabric of trust in all of us. We're a family here, and we're going to have to pull together as a family. We lost one of our own, and by the hand of one of our own. It's going to take time for these wounds to heal, but we will heal as a family. Keep your faith in each other, people, it's what keeps us going out there." I can't speak for anyone else, but I felt tremendous comfort in the Chief's badly needed words.

Part 34 - Epilogue

"Don, I cannot say how much I appreciate you coming to us before taking action." Dr. Wellman said. Cpt. Britt Maxwell and I were in his office on the University campus. Henry R. Wargrave and Tom Riordan, big University boosters, were sitting unobtrusively to one side, but I was very aware of their presence.

"Certainly, Mr. President." I said. "May I ask what you've decided?"

"Our problem is the PED investigation that is still ongoing." said President Wellman. "We could fire Coach Harlan if you bring charges against him... but if we fire him now, it'll look like we're acknowledging the cover-up of the PEDs. It opens up cans of worms. We're going to give him one more season, but I think everyone knows that unless he wins the national championship, it'll be his last with us."

I understood the logic, even if I didn't really agree with it. But in a way, it made my job easier, I thought. Bringing Brian Harlan to trial and getting a conviction would've been an extraordinarily difficult task.

"That is," continued Dr. Wellman, "if he doesn't fuck up and do something stupid before the end of next season. Furthermore, Don... if he's fired there's no telling how he'll react. He might cut a deal with the NCAA or the Conference to get back at us. And you've already seen what he tried to do to you after his cousin died."

I certainly did see it. I had told Brian Harlan that his cousin was dead, and I kept my promise to her and told him her last words. Even as I did so, I saw the burning hatred building in his eyes... for me.

A full Board of Inquiry into the shooting death of his cousin by police officers had been convened at the request (more like demand) of Coach Brian Harlan, who was joined and supported in his statements by State Senator Nathan Allen, T&C Councilman Pastor Raymond Westboro and T&C Councilwoman Malinda Adams.

Someone had revealed to them that I had taken Tanya Perlman on the raid to take down the Black Widow, and while the Board had exonerated every police officer, calling it a good shoot, they had put me through some very serious questions as to why I'd allowed Perlman to go. Of course I stated that Perlman was an exceptional Detective and that she had shown no signs of anything that would cause me to not take her along, but the Board was questioning my judgement. And to be honest, I hadn't put up a stronger defense before the Board, though I could have.

Brian Harlan was hammering me personally in the Media and before the Board, accusing me of being responsible for his cousin's death. He said that he believed my decision to include Perlman on that raid led directly to his cousin's death. Pastor Westboro added that my arrival in the County had led to more murders and more violence... sort of the equivalent of blaming The Batman's existence for The Joker's murderous sprees.

I took umbrage with that and let Pastor Westboro know it, but it was my bringing up that I could always resign from the Police Force if the Council was unhappy with my work and decisions that suddenly got the Board to back off. Despite the loud objections of Westboro and Adams on the Council, and Harlan with the media, I was simply lightly reprimanded with no further punishment.

I remember locking eyes with Brian Harlan as I left the Council chambers after their meeting to discuss the Board's findings. If he thought I was a 'Bad Buddha' to him before, the ungrateful bastard was about to find out the true meaning of having the Iron Crowbar as a mortal enemy...

I put Brian Harlan out of my mind for the time being. His time would come...

"Okay, Mr. President," I told Dr. Wellman, "I'll let you and the Regents handle it. I have three years before the Statute of Limitations runs out on the crimes I can charge Harlan with. I do respectfully suggest you upgrade your coaching staff before that time." Wellman nodded, and it was left at that.

---------------------

Back at Headquarters, Tanya Perlman came up to me. "How did it go?"

"Okay." I said. "I did have to pull the trump card and suggest I might resign, which I didn't think the majority of the Council wanted at this moment in time. But the bright side is that I now know who some of the vultures who are after me are."

"I'm sorry you had to go through it on my account." Tanya said. "But I appreciate you taking me that night."

"Believe me, my friend," I said, peering at her, "it was my pleasure to do so, and I have absolutely no regrets about it." I began feeling happier as I considered the ramifications of my observations of Tanya Perlman's too-rosy cheeks...

"By the way," Tanya said, "I want you to have this." She handed me a gold Police badge, 'the Shield' as we called them. On top it said 'Corporal' and the number on the badge was now-eternally Pete Feeley's.

"Tanya, I can't take this--" I began, but she cut me off.

"I have his 'Patrolman' badge." she said. "That's how I knew him... how I loved him. I know he'd want you to have this badge, though. He worshipped you and he wanted to be like you. If for no other reason, take it to remind yourself that all of us look up to you."

I allowed myself to be persuaded even as tremendous emotions coursed through my soul. I had Pete's badge framed and put it on the wall near my desk... to remind me of the consequences of failure, and of my obligations to those who serve for and with me...

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"Damn sad, losing Angela." said Thaddeus Ward from behind his desk in his office at Ward Harvester. It was 3:00am, and the night shift had been released early with full pay and told to vacate the premises.

"Yes, it was." said Karen "Wild Child" Warner, her tight blue jeans rubbing her pussy lips as she shifted on the sofa and crossed her legs, making her very horny. "She was tremendously valuable to us."

"No doubt." said Ward. "She handled Burleson quite efficiently when he found out about us. I was afraid that it would lead to problems for her... and it did, unfortunately. What about her cousin, Brian?" asked Ward. "Is he an asset or a liability?"

"He's brought us a lot of contacts, through meeting football boosters throughout the State and this region of the country." said Karen, not mentioning her intense sexual liaisons with the coach. "And he is really bitter at the Iron Crowbar over the death of his cousin."

"I can understand anyone who has a hatred of that son of a bitch, the Iron Crowbar." said Ward, his voice full of bitterness and hatred. "I wish to God he'd died in that warehouse explosion."

"It wasn't his day to die-- ah, hello Coach!" said Karen Warner as Brian Harlan entered the office, looking miserable and exhausted.

"Jesus, Coach, you need some rest!" said Ward.

"Yes sir, I do." said Harlan. "But I'll sleep when that god-damned police lieutenant is dead. That look he gave me when the Council cleared him... God, the arrogance! Speaking of which, what are we going to do about him? Wellman and Wargrave are almost fighting over who gets to suck that bastard's dick first."

"Well, since we're a group of Four," said Karen Warner, "we have the sad duty of replacing your cousin, Brian. We need someone who is at the Iron Crowbar's intellectual level, someone who can compete with him and defeat him in mental combat."

"And who do you have in mind for that, young lady?" said Thad Ward, admiring Karen's beauty and her gleaming eyes, always appreciative of her mental abilities at such a young age. It was admiration more as a father than in a sexual way.

Karen went to the side door of the office and opened it. The men gasped as they recognized the woman who stepped into the room.

"Gentlemen," said Karen, "allow me to introduce you to the woman who is going to take down and destroy the Iron Crowbar. His own sister!"

"Yes, I have to be back in my cell by first call at dawn." said Elizabeth. "So we don't have much time. Let me offer you a plan to destroy my little brother, in exchange for membership in this wonderful group, of course."

The others smiled.

---------------------

Two weeks later I entered the main conference room. Hugh Hewitt was already inside, sitting in a chair, his head bowed.

"I fucked up." Hugh said, not raising his head, knowing this meeting was to determine his fate and future.

"Yes... you fucked up." I said, sitting down. After a pause, in which Hugh finally looked up at me, I said "There's no way out of it: you're going to be demoted, and no longer part of the Detective units."

Hugh nodded, misery in his eyes as I continued: "The Chief is going to unilaterally demote you to Senior Sergeant, as demoted Detectives can't be demoted further in one move." Senior Sergeant was like an Army Staff Sergeant, with an insignia of three chevron stripes and one rocker underneath. It was about as high a uniform rank as was realistically possible in the Police Force of this day.

"Of course," I said, "you have the right to request of Board of Inquiry and a full hearing, but I suspect you'd much prefer the Chief's unilateral action." A Board of Inquiry hearing was like a military court-martial, whereas the Chief's action would be non-judicial punishment, like an Army 'Article 15' or Navy 'Captain's Mast'.

I said "Fortunately, the Chief has a strong belief in not wasting talent and resources, a belief I fully share. So he was amenable to my solution for you, which I actually think is a silver lining to this cloud: You'll be demoted to Senior Sergeant. There are going to be two SWAT teams, you will be in charge of one of them. Eventually, you may likely be in charge of the whole SWAT Squad."

Hugh's eyes brightened as he realized that this was indeed a silver lining to the cloud hanging over him. It worked out for everyone: I thought that he was a reliable man but not the most imaginative Detective; and his past experience, training and associations with the men we'd hired for SWAT would serve him and the Force very well in his leadership capacity there.

"Thank you, sir." he said. No more needed to be said. I dismissed him, happy to have the SWAT team well underway; the Chief and I would be going to the full Town & County Council for formal approval of it next week.

I also had a sixth sense that the Game was about to turn... and get much, much bigger. Everything that I was here for, that I was brought in to do, was about to happen. It was time...

Finis... for now.