Along Came A Spider Ch. 03

Cook's hidden recorder had come up against the best of CIA technology. And the CIA technology won. The electronics in Cook's digital recorder were utterly destroyed.

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

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redhead from in front of City Hall on Tuesday, June 14th, at 7:00am. Her makeup looked perfect, and I could see in her eyes that she was reporting on something she thought was very big.

"Channel Two News has learned that a press conference has been called by the State Attorney General and the SBI Inspector General for 10:00am this morning!" said Bettina. "The reason for the press conference has not been announced, but it is believed to have something to do with State Senator Katherine Woodburn's allegations against Police Commander Donald Troy in the past few weeks. Senator Woodburn's office only put out a statement that the press conference should be well covered, and all would be made clear at that time."

Everyone in MCD was in total silence, and looking at me. I was drinking coffee and watching the TV as if I did not have a care in the world.

"In other news," said Bettina, "the Town & County Council meets tonight in what is expected to a be a raucous session, as the Town's Senior Citizens are furious over Council actions against their Community Center's property. The Mayor has advised Channel Two News that the Council will be in executive session immediately after the opening gavel, giving the Citizens no time to air their grievances during tonight's session. And now let's go to Sports with Nick Eastwood! Nick!..."

As KXTC went to Sports, my Detectives went to 'stare at the Commander as if he's been physically tortured' mode.

"What are you guys worried about?" I asked out loud. They turned to their desks as if I didn't even exist. But I could feel their worry...

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

"May I speak freely?" asked Cindy when she came into my office right behind me. I looked around as if searching for something.

"I don't see anyone else in here." I said, sitting in my chair. "So of course you can."

"Do you know why the Chief called me into his office yesterday?" Cindy asked.

"Yes." I said, "though he doesn't know I know. He told you to get ready to take over my job if and when I get suspended."

"Yes, that's exactly what he said." Cindy replied. "And since you know you're about to get suspended, I cannot understand how you can be so calm about it."

"First, Cindy," I said, "I won't be suspended, at least not immediately. Second, I'm actually happy about this... what we've been working for, for years now, is coming to a head. We took down two of the Consultant's big dogs in Apple Grove. The Mouseketeers and the FBI are putting it together. By the time I'm suspended, he's going to be in jain and indicted, and my work will be done."

"And after that?" Cindy asked, her voice harsh. "You're just going to walk away?" She waved her hand around the room. "From all this? From your Detectives? From me?"

I nodded in contemplation. "I don't know. I haven't gotten that far along. I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

"You do plan to be alive, don't you?" Cindy asked. Ah, now we were getting to the real crux of the matter that was in Cindy's heart.

"Oh yes." I said. "My bucket list item to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding is still there." Cindy's face showed considerable relief as there was a knock on the door. Teresa Croyle did not bother to wait to be invited in.

"Okay, Commander," she demanded to know, "what is going on with this suspension business?..."

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

At 10:00am, the State Attorney General appeared at a podium at the State Capitol in Midtown. SBI Inspector Britt Maxwell and State Senator Katherine Woodburn were flanking him. Britt looked somber; Katherine was trying hard to suppress her excitement, and failing.

The AG spoke: "Thank you for coming. This press conference is to announce that, based upon credible evidence by a reliable source, an investigation of Town & County Police Commander Donald Troy is being opened jointly by the Inspector General's Office and the State Department of Justice."

"I will caution you that this investigation is of a fact-finding nature, and Commander Troy is not suspended nor accused of anything at this time. This operation is being conducted jointly and cautiously in part due to the highly politically charged nature of this election season, as well as a desire to get to the true facts and acting in a responsible manner in accordance with those facts. I'll open the floor for question, and please conduct yourselves in a orderly fashion so that we can get in as many questions as possible."

"Why isn't Commander Troy suspended?" shouted out Priya Ajmani of KSTD.

"Again, this is a fact-finding mission as of now." said the AG. "Should our joint investigation find substantial reason to suspend Commander Troy, we will go to the Governor with our findings at the appropriate time.

"Is this just a whitewash to cover up for the Governor, instead of making him do his job and suspend Commander Troy?" shouted John Hardwood of KXTC.

"Your question shows just how politically charged this situation is. Despite your desire to create chaos, this Office, and that of the State Office of Ethics and Review will act with deliberate speed in order to rise above the politics... and the Media lynch mob."

"Senator Woodburn," shouted Tim Sioban of KSB in the City, "are you in agreement with these deliberately slow actions?"

"I have asked for an investigation," said Senator Woodburn, "and now we are finally getting one. Of course I would like to see this investigation proceed with all appropriate speed, but I understand that a complete investigation in this political environment will take time and cooperation by State authorities."

"Who is your credible source?" asked the decided blonde Diane Williams of City National News.

"Someone in a very unique position to give us the information we need to research this case." said the AG. "Her identity will come out in due time, probably soon as you Media wolves relentlessly dig for it."

"Her identity?" asked Priya Ajmani. "With slips like that, why don't you just tell us!" The reporters laughed loudly... the AG and SBI Inspector General did not.

"Inspector Maxwell!" called out John Hardwood, "what do you have to say about the investigation into your good friend Commander Troy? Shouldn't you recuse yourself from this investigation?"

"My office is working in cooperation with the State Attorney General." said Britt Maxwell. "My officers are people of the highest integrity, and will do their jobs diligently, with fairness, and with the purpose of arriving at the Truth. I will not be personally doing this investigation, but will continue to do my job as the State Inspector General."

"But can you do an honest job, given your relationship with Commander Troy and other officers of his Police Force?" Hardwood persisted.

"I'll do a more honest job than you will as a Media reporter, Mr. Hardwood," said Britt, "though admittedly that does not require much effort." The gaggle of reporters became quiet after that shot, their hatred of Britt Maxwell palpable. But they did not question her integrity out loud again.

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

"Well, Jack," I said as he and I sat in my office, having watched the press conference on TV together, "you are not here to buy me the comfort food of double cheeseburgers. So what's up?"

"Just more pain, I'm afraid." said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone, "My boss got a tip when he got back to the City from Apple Grove yesterday. While all of that was going on, and while we were getting tips that the State was about to come after you, my boss found out that the FBI lawyers Bond and Staffeld are preparing to go to Federal Court in the City. They are seeking to compel you to testify as a witness in the matter of Priya Ajmani obtaining classified information from SBI Agent Sharples."

"I thought we'd gone through those legal hoops." I said.

"We did." said Muscone. "But they're going the route of you being a witness as opposed to a suspect. They're trying to find a judge who is very amenable to overlooking their past actions, so that they can essentially start with a clean slate. Sure, you can appeal, but that will take years... and you could be jailed if you refuse to testify."

"And if I take the Fifth?" I asked. "They can't do a damn thing, then."

"Except they'll revoke your Top Secret clearance, they'll have any clearance you may have revoked, which means you may can't even do your job as Police Commander." said Jack. "In addition, taking the Fifth is your legal right, but they can assume your guilt if you do, and can seek to have you suspended as a Police Officer altogether. They'll pull your passport for damn sure, and I'm sure they'll sic the IRS on you and whatever other intimidation they can think of."

"Guilty until proved innocent, eh?" I said, half musingly.

"Well, they likely won't get that far, unless the judge is really corrupt." said Muscone. "But the real problem for you and me is that if you take the Fifth, your case against the Consultant of Crime is dead. We'll have to let Phillips and Mitt Baker go, as well, since you can't even talk about those cases anymore."

"That is likely." I said forlornly.

"My boss thinks this was a coordinated effort between Katherine Woodburn, the SBI, and Bond and Staffeld." Muscone said. "The actual tip that came to my boss was that Dick Ferrell and Chaplain Steven Ikea have met with Bond and Staffeld several times over the last several days."

"Sounds about right." I said.

"Any idea who Woodburn's source is?" asked Muscone.

"Julie Newton." I said. Her absence the day before made sense now. I saw the totally shocked look on Muscone's face, and I said "It's only a matter of time to see what she has to give them."

"Think Britt will tell you?" Muscone asked.

"Not directly." I said. "They'll push to keep her as far out of the loop as they can. She acquiesced to the investigation because she couldn't hold off any longer, and she hopes to stay in the loop as much as she can and keep some level of control. But it's an uphill battle for her, and the Governor can't help her right now."

"Geez." said Jack Muscone. "By the way, where is Captain Ross? Hasn't lived down the Boxing Matches loss?"

I smiled wanly. "No, she's okay with that." I leaned back in my chair and said "She is now pretty much doing my job. I'm going to have to stay out of the loop now. Things are about to get tricky..."

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

Later that Tuesday afternoon, I was called into the Chief's office. Lt. Molly Evans of the Nextdoor County Police was there. I could tell she had been crying.

Standing next to her chair, I took her hand in mine and said "Why so down?" I took out my bug-killer, held it where they could see it, and engaged it.

"I was just talking to the Chief, here." Molly said. "I talked to Frank Soltis today. Cindy tried to talk to Britt Maxwell. They can't say anything about the case against you... and they won't... I suspect they're scared to; they don't know who they can trust."

"They're probably right to not say anything." I said.

"Listen, Don," said the Chief, "and keep that contraption working while I say this. We did get a little bit of word from Frank, as well as from some of our friends in the City Police, who relayed word to our friends in the Campus Police. This is bad. It is ugly. Do you realize who has betrayed you?"

"Julie Newton." I said, sitting down beside Molly. "She's been loyal to Harold Malone forever; she was having an affair with him for years."

"If you knew..." said the Chief...

"Why didn't I get rid of her?" I asked. "Well, first, she did a good job for us on many crimes, and she gave us nothing against her. Second, knowing that a mole is in the room can be very useful at times. And third... I expected something different from her, not this. She made a mistake doing things this way."

"Oh really?" said the Chief, his face showing his puzzlement. "Well, what in the world are you going to do about it now?"

"Me, nothing. I can't do anything. I can't be seen touching this." I said. "But Captain Ross? Lieutenant Croyle? And the Mouseketeers?" I just grinned evilly. "Newton will regret her perfidy, I assure you."

"I wish I could feel assured. " said the Chief. "I've already got Thomas Cook and Kelly Carnes calling me like timeshare salesmen, demanding to know when I'm going to suspend you. Of course I told them that no one has shown you to have done any wrong. All right, keep your head on a swivel, Mr. Crowbar... they are really using you for a piñata right now."

"Don, there's one more thing." said Molly. "I did manage to find out just what Newton has been saying about you. She is accusing you of being the Consultant of Crime!"

I began laughing, and I could not stop. Maybe I just needed the release. But it was just too funny. Unfortunately, neither Molly nor the Chief shared in my amusement...

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

"Carole," I said at the dinner table that night, "if you give those dogs one more carrot, you and I will sit in 'time out' for fifteen minutes." Carole looked worried at the threat; the institution of 'time out' was not one my eldest daughter liked to be a part of.

"And if you're sitting in 'time out' with me," I added, "then Jim gets to play with Bowser and Buddy all by himself."

"Yeah!" Jim said happily, not really realizing the gist of the conversation.

"Bowser is MY dog!" shouted Carole.

"Not if you're in 'time out'." I said. Needless to say, the dogs received no more carrots. It was still a chore to make Carole eat them. I then noticed that Laura was not exactly making a good example of eating her own food.

"Everything okay, honey?" I asked, concerned.

Laura just said "We'll talk later."

And when 'later' happened an hour later, Laura said to me "I told you that bitch Maxwell was trouble. And now she's folded, and has opened an investigation against you!"

"Honey, she's not the one to blame for that." I said. "Plus, if she hadn't, someone else would have, and we'd have no idea what was going on, nor be able to delay it or steer it in directions we like."

"I hope you're right, Darling." Laura said. She was sitting next to me on the sofa, and I put my arm around her and held her to me.

"I've never felt so helpless." Laura said, getting to the real truth of her worries. "There is nothing I can do to help you. Casey B. Walker has Bond and Staffeld on his leash, and he's doing all he can in the Courts to let them snap at you. That investigation is not just to stop you locally, Don. Walker is seriously after you like a rabid dog. He wants to put you away for treason! I really would like to have them killed, but then others would just come after you."

"The party never stops around here." I said. "So, let's tear them down one brick at a time..."

After some conversation, we heard a loud "BOWSER IS MY DOG!" from upstairs. I chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Laura said disapprovingly.

I kissed her as I got up. "I love you every day for giving me these kids. Seriously, I wouldn't trade these little squabbles for the world." I went upstairs to teach a small lesson on sharing, and canine 'ownership'...

Part 18 - Building the Pressure

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" yelled the lovely redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, June 15th. "Channel Two News has learned that an investigation into local TCPD Police Commander Donald Troy for corruption has been opened. Sources tell Channel Two News that TCPD Detective Julie Newton is giving the investigators sworn information on Commander Troy's crimes, suggesting that he has been able to solve crimes others cannot because he is behind those crimes himself!"

"Investigators will not comment on allegations that Commander Troy is actually the head of a regional Crime Syndicate, and that he has used his position in the TCPD to wipe out competition in smuggling as well as drug distribution." Bettina continued. "Sheriff Daniel Allgood and Chief Sean Moynahan issued a joint statement stating that they had full faith in Commander Troy, and that the Commander would not be suspended unless and until the investigation showed conclusively that Commander Troy is guilty of these charges."

"In other news," Bettina said, "the Town & County Council meeting last night erupted into near-chaos when the Council attempted to go into immediate executive session. Elderly citizens, furious at the treatment afforded them in connection with the Community Center property, shouted down the Council members, then loudly booed them as they left the auditorium chamber to go into executive session. Channel Two has learned that there were no votes taken in that executive session, and the content of their discussions remain unknown at this time."

Police Headquarters was silent, almost dead silent. The normal chatter of day-to-day activities was muted at best. Detectives worked silently at their desks, no banter, no jokes, not even really any cooperation in discussion of cases. The depths of the brutal betrayal by Detective Newton was one they were just coming to grips with.

The 'Detective Fiction' meeting was run by Cindy in her office, consisting of herself, `Teresa and Wes 'Coldiron' Masters. All of them were somber. Teresa had a look on her face that had Cindy worried; that look of cold fury whenever she heard about a drunk driver... and more recently, organ donation thieves.

Teresa must've sensed Cindy's thoughts. She turned to her platinum blonde friend and said "I'm okay... well, not really, but I'm in control."

"Good." Cindy said quietly. "I'm barely in control myself."

"I don't know what to say." said Masters. "I haven't been here as long. But I can tell the Detectives are hurting."

"There are few things worse than being betrayed by one of our own." said Cindy. "There's no understanding of it, let alone forgiveness. So, let's figure this out. Commander Troy and the Chief have both told me that he, the Commander, is hands-off this entire thing. We are on our own for now. So, we're going to act fast."

Cindy started: "The Commander was not letting the grass grow under his feet all this time, and had the Mouseketeers keeping track of Newton. They've amassed evidence of her spying on us, and giving that information to other perps, who are as yet unknown. We have some photographic evidence of her making calls with burner phones, taken under the most secret warrant ever issued in this County's history, by Judge Watts. Only he, the Commander and I knew about it; not even Chief Moynahan knew."

Cindy went on: "We have evidence that Newton helped Harold Malone launder money for one drug gang, the Beanstalk Gang, while helping money from other busted gangs disappear into Malone's coffers... and those of the Consultant of Crime. Julie was paid well, and the Commander found her secret accounts while looking for the Consultant of Crime's accounts... and Julie is about to be very short of funds. We are going to arrest her and charge her with these crimes."

"Ma'am," said Coldiron Masters, "won't the Media just say we're doing this to protect Commander Troy? Won't we be accused of corruption ourselves, by the Media and the SBI?"

"They may try." said Cindy. "And this is why our own case must be airtight and totally locked down hard. She's our key to the Consultant of Crime. We get her, and she gives him to us."

"Ma'am," said Masters again, "she's in Westphalia, working with the SBI investigators. She's under guard, and she'll never come back to this County, especially if she finds out we're putting out a warrant for her arrest."