A Death in the Family Ch. 04

The Sheriff had understood my smile; the day would come when the Town & County Charter re-write would take up the issue of Boards of Inquiry... how they're formed, who could be on them, if objections to a Board member could be made, etc. And I would have a powerful influence on that...

Part 24 - Trent Ridge

"My God." the Chief said quietly, wiping his brow. We were sitting in the Chief's Conference Room, along with the Mayor, the Sheriff, the Deputy Chief, and the Captain of Operations. "What in the hell was that all about? We know Finneran is an asshole's asshole, but what was up with Silas?"

"He was trying to railroad that process through." I said. "I used that against him, having Mike go for the lawsuit to delay it."

"True," growled Griswold, "but that doesn't explain Silas's now-open bias. My own feeling is that it's racially motivated at its core."

"Finneran's not black, and he's even more biased." I replied. "So I attribute it to the disruptive actions of the Left, be it Kelly Carnes and Reginald Lewis trying to disrupt Council meetings, or the attempt to steal the Mayoral election, or this sham Impeachment threat against Governor Jared."

"I loved the look on Finneran's face when you mentioned that Don was on a Commission, Sheriff." said Cindy, who'd seen that exchange. "I just worry about Boards of Inquiry before any changes are made to the Charter."

"And I'm worried about the Council meetings." said Daniel Allgood, speaking for the first time. "That's why I came in today: we need to figure out how to get control of all of this"

"Can't you remove Finneran from the Board of Inquiry?" asked Cindy.

"Carnes, Lewis, and Adams will sue if I do." said Daniel Allgood. "I'd still do it, but they've got it lined up that Solicitor Ted Mason will take the case to Judge Nance. Both Nance and Finneran lust after underage boys, being NAMBLA members and all, so you know how that's going to turn out."

"We can ask Folsom to take the case from Nance." Cindy said.

"They'll say you don't have standing, that it's a Council matter." said the Mayor.

"No, she's a principal for the County." I said. "As am I. That gives us standing. I'm going to talk to Mike Todd after I go interrogate Trent Ridge."

"Which just plays right into their hands." said the Chief. "Lawsuits cost money, either for you personally, Mr. Crowbar, or the County. That's what they want, to bleed us financially. And you've got that case against the CFPA coming up this summer."

"Also, guys," said Daniel Allgood, "I know you want to fight them, that it's in your nature to do so. But except for the Sheriff, none of you are elected officials. I have to consider what they're doing in political terms, and there's only so much I can do. I can't run and file a lawsuit at every slight."

"Then what do you have us do, Mr. Mayor?" Cindy asked, frustration in her voice. "We don't have to accept the disruptive tactics of the Left, packing Council meetings and having corrupt assholes on or Boards of Inquiry. We have to fight back, and we can!"

"And that's why I'm here." said Daniel. "I need ideas on how to fight back... but in a proper, legal manner that doesn't disrespect the processes of County Government. For example, what Finneran said to Captain Croyle was reprehensible, but the Press will make sure the People of the County don't see or know about that part; they're just going to show the Commander confronting a Board member with a crowbar, then all of you walking out. So... how can I fight back? Help me to find a way to fight back."

I could see on Teresa and Cindy's faces that they were done talking to Daniel, and that their respect for him was falling through the floor. But I needed him, as Mayor, so I spoke up:

"Mr. Mayor," I said, "just keep doing what you're doing. Keep controlling the Council meetings, don't tolerate their disruptive tactics. We'll be there to make arrests of anyone and everyone that declines to act in a civil manner in your Council meetings. Don't worry about the Press optics, just keep doing the right things."

"And that's another thing." said Daniel. "With respect to you, Commander, they just love having you leading from the front on enforcing the law on those things. They're starting to figure out how to use that to their advantage. For example, when you arrested Reginald Lewis, everyone was so shocked they didn't take advantage of it. But next time, the calls of racism and Police brutality and abuse of power will be chanted."

I smiled 'that' smile again. "Don't worry, Mr. Mayor." I said. "If Reginald B.F. Lewis disrupts an Executive Session again, I've got it taken care of."


"Whaa?" gasped both the Mayor and the Chief. "How?" said Daniel. "You go in there, they'll raise hell."

"Which is why I won't be going in there." I said. Only then did everyone else see the gleam in Teresa's eyes and the wicked grin on her lovely face...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I appreciate you taking up for me today." said Teresa as she drove with me in my Police SUV to County Jail. "I was about to make a reply that would've gotten us all in trouble."

"You handled it well." I said.

"You know," Teresa said, "when Irwin's mother said that to me after the funeral, it really rattled me. I didn't know quite how to respond. But in a way, it was good she did that, because when Finneran said the same thing, it didn't shock me. I think he wanted me to react more than I did."

"Yep, absolutely." I said. "My only question is why Folsom intervened and had us proceed. I fully expected the Inquiry to be suspended." A second later, I said "Okay, here we go. Is everything ready?"

"Yep." Teresa said. "Every Officer and Deputy in the Jail section has been issued a TASER, with orders to electrocute Ridge if he tries any shit... and he wants to...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I had changed clothes, wearing my light trenchcoat over the pullover black shirt and black pants. I was prepared to meet Trent Ridge as Teresa and I went into County Jail.

The isolation cells are solid walls, with metal doors on the right or left side, near the side walls and not the center. They open out into the hallway. Just inside the cell are a door of typical jail bars that slide sideways into the wall. The metal door to Trent Ridge's cell was open, with the bars obstructing his desire for freedom.

In the hallway, sitting in a folding chair, was FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone. There were four TCPD Officers in the hallway, armored and armed. Two of them, as well as other Officers and Deputies down the hallway, had TASERs.

As we came around the corner to go down the hallway, I heard Muscone say "Come on, Ridge. There was no way you ever would get Peter Blassingame out of here. So why were you trying to kidnap little kids? That's really beneath what I'd expect of a Navy SEAL."

"You don't know shit, Muscone." said Trent Ridge from within the cell. "First of all, we raped mothers in Iraq, right in front of their little kids, then slit the kids's throats in front of the mothers before killing the mothers, too. I have no problem at all kidnapping a kid, or killing one. Especially Troy's kids."

"Why him?" Muscone said. "What's your beef with him? Why his kid? You could kidnap anyone to get the Police to negotiate giving you Blassingame's kid."

Trent laughed derisively. "You are truly an idiot, Muscone. A total idiot. Truly typical of the FBI. God, you disgust me! You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?" Muscone asked, unperturbed.

"Buddy, if I was going to get Peter Blassingame out of here," said Trent, almost boastfully, "I'd hold him for ransom, make his daddy pay me millions for his sorry ass. I have no interest in that punk, nor his father."

"So what do you want?" asked Muscone.

"I think I'm beginning to understand what he really wants." I said, coming into Trent's view. "And why he had to kidnap my child, instead of anyone else's."

"Oh, there you are." Trent sneered at me. "I hope you're better at interrogation than this FBI clown is."

"Oh, I'm not going to interrogate you, Trent." I said. "I only want to know one thing from you. Only one thing..."

"So why did he go after your child?" Muscone asked.

"The Bodymaster." I said, staring at Ridge. "It's awl about McGinty."

"Go fuck yourself, Troy." Ridge snarled, but I could see by the look on his face that I was right.

"What's that about?" asked Muscone.

"It's about----" I started, but was interrupted by a contingent of Deputies coming down the hall.

"Sir, Judge Nance moved this shit eater's hearing up to a half hour from now." said the lead Deputy."

"Have at him." I said.

"Put your hands through the opening." the Deputy ordered.

Ridge stayed back. "Come in here and get me." he said. Deputies began drawing their TASERs. "Or let Troy come in and get me. Let him lead by example."

"Why not?" I said. I handed Teresa my red crowbar and my badge, and handed Muscone my holstered service weapon, and pulled a small device out of my pocket. "Open the door." I said.

"Er, Commander..." Teresa was about to admonish.

"If he wins I'll be dead, but you can TASER him to the consistency of burnt toast." I said. "Go ahead! Open it!"

The door of bars began sliding into the wall. Trent rushed the opening, but so did I. His shoulder was sore, so as he tried to grab me, I turned him and went for that shoulder, twisting his left arm back and pushing into that shoulder. I used the device to inject Ridge with a tiny chip into that injured shoulder. Then I slung him toward the bed and the back of the cell.

"Die, bastard!" Trent uttered gutturally as he charged me again. I blocked his attempt, and threw a closed-fist punch into his midsection, making him double over. He attempted to move laterally and tackle me, but I grabbed him and pivoted, sending him headfirst into the wall. Then I took his arm again and pulled it behind him as I slammed him to the concrete floor, putting my weight on him.

"Kick him in the balls!" I heard Teresa yell from the hallway.

"Like what they did to your husband, bitch?" yelled Trent.

"He doesn't have any balls!" I yelled. To Trent I said "Navy SEAL? Harumph! You're pathetic. PATHETIC! You ain't SHIT! You're just a puny little cocksucking faggot!"

As I hoped, my offensive word calling Trent a homosexual enraged him, and I used his attempts to get at me to tighten my hold on him, all but pulling his shoulder out of its socket. I punched him in the deltoid, right over the hurt shoulder, making him scream in pain, but also to make sure that tiny chip was fully embedded.

Officers came in and, with great effort, got cuffs on his ankles, then affixed them to his wrists. Only then did I release him. When they turned him over, I smashed my boot into his balls.

"There you go." Teresa said approvingly. "Next time, use a bullwhip." Teresa said.

"I wish we had time for that." I said. Then to Trent I said "That's two for two, Ridge. And I'll whip your sorry faggot ass every time. Every time, Ridge."

As I collected my things in the hallway, Jack Muscone said "Dayum, you know how to fight."

"Yeah." I said, then said loudly to everyone. "Do not try that at home, folks. You guys just TASER the shit out of him if he tries anything. Don't even play with him..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

4:25pm, Wednesday, June 12th. Teresa and I were driving in my SUV behind the paddywagon taking Ridge to the Courthouse. "You worked off some steam." she said. "Did to Trent what you wanted to do to Finneran, you did. I think you enjoyed it."

"Oh, I did." I said. "And some of it was for trying to kidnap my little girl. I wanted to make sure he understood that I don't forget, and I do hold grudges."

We made our way into the Courthouse Complex, and stood with the Deputies in the back of the Courtroom. Trent was brought in, his wrists shackled with handcuffs that had a solid bar of metal between them, and chained to a vest (a 'girdle', really) and his ankles were similarly cuffed, with the addition of chains. He could barely walk, and the Deputies were half-carrying him to the defendant's table.

"Would you look at that." I whispered to Teresa. Trent Ridge's lawyer was none other than Nathan Masterson of Gresham & Mason, P.C.

Teresa said "The Swamp Frogs sent their legal beagle. They must want to save him."

I shook my head. "No... they want to control him. Masterson is here for his masters's interests, not Trent's." Teresa nodded in understanding.

Paulina Patterson was at her place at the Prosecutor's table as the Bailiff announced "Oyez, Oyez, Oyez. All rise; Court is in session, the Honorable Harry Nance presiding."

Nance came in and took his place behind the Bench. "Okay, what are the---- what the heck? Why is this man shackled like he's a runaway slave or something?"

"Your Honor," Paulina said, "this man is a former Navy SEAL and highly trained in weaponless close-quarters combat. He has attacked Police several times, and is extremely dangerous."

"This..." gasped Nance with mock shock, "this is incredible! This is utter Police brutality! I blame Commander Donald Troy for this, but in the meantime, this 
Court orders that the Police are enjoined from shackling this defendant, and can only handcuff his wrists with one pair of standard issue Police handcuffs!"

"But Your Honor!" Paulina tried.

"But nothing, Counselor!" Nance roared. "Get those shackles off that man!" Deputies moved to comply, first putting regular cuffs on Ridge, then removing the other restraints. As they were removed, Trent looked back at me, a sardonic smile on his face. I made sure to look disinterested.

"Okay," said Nance, "the FBI and the Navy have both made requests to take custody of this defendant, but he still has charges of conspiracy to commit murder and attempted kidnapping. He's ordered held without bail until a hearing is held to determine proper jurisdiction." Nance banged his gavel, and Ridge was led out the side door, Deputies having TASERs at the ready...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ridge was put into a Town & County Sheriff's Department van for transportation back to County Jail. Teresa and I were following in my Police SUV.

"So Trent was really after McGinty's dirt that we secured and gave to you?" Teresa asked.

"That's my hypothesis right now." I said. "It hit me when I was listening to him talk to Muscone, who did a great job drawing that information out of him."

"I was wondering who was playing who, there." said Teresa. "I had the feeling that Ridge was feeding Muscone what he wanted Muscone to hear. By the way, what did you do with that stuff?"

"I destroyed it." I said, outright lying to my friend and colleague. "That stuff was too hot to hold... as having Trent go after Carole shows. There are a lot of people who would have killed to make sure that stuff didn't come out."

"True." said Teresa. "But maybe we need to let the world know that?"

"I'd rather let some of them think it's still out there, not found." I said. "The threat of that is keeping a lot of heads down--- what the fuck?"

We were on Riverside Drive, headed north. The van in front of us had hit the brakes, suddenly stopping. The side door opened and Trent Ridge jumped out. He ran at the top of his speed down the street, then turned and ran down a side street. The Deputy in the passenger seat up front also jumped out, and went running after Trent.

"I'm on it!" Teresa yelled, opening the door and jumping out in pursuit. I turned on the blue lightbar and got out and went to check on the Deputies in the van.

"What happened?" I asked.

"He broke out of his handcuffs." said the driver. "I thought the door was locked, but he got it open and jumped out..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"No sign of him." said Teresa Croyle at Police Headquarters, in the Main Conference Room. "He went down a side street and just disappeared. If I didn't know better, I'd say he had a car waiting for him."

"We've got checkpoints at all the usual places." said Cindy Ross. "Needless to say, patrols are crawling all over the north side of Town and the wealthy neighborhoods north of there. And we're patrolling all the farm roads on all sides of the County, and we have two patrols at or near Point Hollow. But absolutely no sign of Trent. "

"If Nance hadn't have ordered he only be restrained by one pair of cuffs," said Sheriff Griswold angrily, "he could never have gotten out of that van, much less run."

Jack Muscone and Melina Allgood shook their heads, with Melina holding her head in her hands. "God, that sucks!" she said.

"He could strike anywhere, at any of our kids." said Cindy. "And I don't want to bring them all to The Cabin, because that concentrates them at one place."

"I agree." I said. "It's better that they're dispersed. Callie and Betsy are at Maggie's condo, which has good security; Molly and my mom have the boys, including Teresa's, at The Cabin; and Laura and Selena are watching the girls, including Marie, at the Mountain Nest."

"Tanya is at home with Pete and my girls." said Muscone. "So... any idea where Trent will go? Where he might strike?"

I said "My answer is to ask ourselves the question 'If it was any one of us on the run, what would we do?'. My own answer is that if I had food and was in a safehouse, I'd lay low and eat and sleep, then figure out what to do the next morning."

"I'd be running." said Jack. "If I had help earlier to get away this afternoon, I'd have that help drive me over the County Line, and find a place to hide for a while."

Melina said "It depends on what kind of help he has, and what arrangements he made that no one else knows about. I'm continuing my thesis that the Swamp Frogs want him dead, too, and that he knows it."

"Anyone keep tabs on Nathan Masterson?" I asked.

"He left for the City." Cindy said. "His car was searched at the County Line, and he didn't put up a fuss about it. Nothing was found."

"Is that good or bad?" asked Chief Moynahan.

"Neither, Chief." I said. "It suggests to me that Melina is right, and the Swamp Frogs have lost track of Trent, too. If Masterson knew where Trent was, or had any expectation Trent would show up, Masterson would stay in Town, too... just to keep tabs on things."

I looked at my watch. "Okay, I'm going to City Hall for the Charter Commission hearing. If anything happens, please let me know..."

Part 25 - Charting The Course

7:30pm, Wednesday, June 12th. The Charter Commission was convening in the Board of Commissioner's Chamber, which was a good medium between the small Board of Inquiry chamber and the very large public Council chamber. About half the seats were full of Citizens, along with a few 'cub' reporters.

I banged the gavel (I admit, I like doing that), and said "Okay, thank you for coming. Tonight's input is about the Town & County Council, its structure, responsibilities, duties, and powers."

I made a slide presentation of the current structure and some of our proposals for change, which were actually few. I showed computer graphics of the districts and where we considered more or less Council members, and how ten worked out for the best.

When I opened up the floor for comment, three men came forward, all older men wearing suits and ties. Two were white and one was black.

"My name is Joseph Aniston," said the distinguished-looking white man, who reminded me of Victor Kuykendall from the 'Days of Promise' soap opera. (Author' note: 'Soap Opera'.) "I'm the President of the Town & County Chamber of Commerce. This is Herman Abel, President of the Black Business Council, and Horace Truelove of the Town & County Better Business Bureau." I remembered that Truelove was the brother of Harold S. Truelove, who was one of the University Regents.