Black and Blue Ch. 01

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 1 - Prologue

12:30pm, Wednesday, April 29th. The students of Ms. Billings second grade class at Eastside Elementary filed back into their classroom after lunch. After a few moments, Sidney, the nerdy kid with thick glasses raised his hand.

"Ms. Billings," he said, "my baseball is missing."

"Jameis stole it." said Shawn Redmond. "He put it in his desk."

"I didn't steal anything!" Jameis protested.

"Let's look in your desk, then." said Ms. Billings. She raised Jameis's desktop. Among the notebooks and pencils was a baseball.

"See?" Shawn Redmond said excitedly. "Jameis did steal Sidney's baseball."

"Jameis, this is very bad!" said Ms. Billings. She reached for the baseball...

"Don't touch it!"

Everyone looked over at Carole Troy, who had stood up. "Jameis didn't steal it, Ms. Billings! Shawn stole it and put it in Jameis's desk to frame him!"

"Why would Shawn do that?" Ms. Billings asked, very skeptically.

"Because Shawn hates black people." Carole said simply. Jameis was black, and Shawn was white.

"You're lying!" Shawn yelled at Carole. "Jameis stole the ball!"

"Carole, how can you say Shawn stole it? How do you know?" said Ms. Billings.

"Because I saw him do it." Carole replied. She came up to Sidney's desk and said "And if you'll call my dad, and ask him to bring someone here who can take fingerprints, that will prove it." She had with her a plastic baggie, which had been holding her pencils and erasers until she emptied it, and was now holding it open.

"All right." said Ms. Billings, carefully picking up the baseball mostly by the laces and putting it in the baggie. Then she took the evidence to her desk. She looked up to see Carole by her (the teacher's) desk, already speed-dialing her cellphone from her book bag. She handed the phone to Ms. Billings.

"Commander Troy." the teacher heard through the phone. "Carole, is that you?"

"Hi Commander, this is Ms. Billings..."

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

I came into the classroom with Detective Julia Rodriguez. Jameis had insisted his grandfather be called, and his grandfather had arrived. Shawn's father Bill Redmond had also been called in, though no one present was sure who'd notified him. Bill Redmond glared at me as I came in, and I returned it; there was bad blood between us from a previous altercation between Carole and Shawn. (Author's note: 'Four Square', Ch. 01.)

"Let's go into the hallway for a second." I said to all of the adults. We did just that.

After Ms. Billings told us what had happened, she handed Julia the baseball in its evidence baggie. I said "Okay, we'll need to get Sidney, Shawn, Jameis, and your fingerprints, Ms. Billings. Then we can----"

"You're not taking my son's fingerprints!" snarled Bill Redmond, who was hotheaded and mean-tempered. "I'll sue you to death if you try! And my son has already told you that that black kid stole the baseball. Why hasn't the black boy been suspended already?"

"Because another student said she saw Shawn take the ball and put it in Jameis's desk." said Ms. Billings.

"Who is that little liar?" snarled Redmond. "I want his or her name."

"Don't answer that." I said to Ms. Billings. Then I turned to Bill Redmond and confronted him. "Let me make this very clear, Mr. Redmond. This is about to become a formal, criminal investigation. I have the right to take your son's fingerprints, and without a warrant... it's called 'physical characteristics', and we Police do it all the time. Feel free to waste your money enriching a lawyer if you like, but I will take your son's fingerprints."

"I'll physically stop you if you try." threatened Redmond.

"Oh really." I said. squaring up to him. "Detective Rodriguez, call Headquarters and have them send down two Uniformed Officers. They'll be arresting Bill Redmond if he tries to stop me... and transporting Mr. Redmond to the hospital, to have a crowbar removed from his ass after I shove mine in there."

Julia got out her cellphone and made the call, then we went into the classroom. "Hello, kids!" I said brightly. "Would you like to see how we Police Officers process a crime scene?"

"YEAAAHHH!!" a classroom full of second graders replied enthusiastically.

"Okay, we have the baseball here." I said. "Detective Rodriguez is going to take fingerprints."

Julia began the process as she explained the steps to the class. After applying the chemical spray, she trained the darklight on the baseball. Fingerprints glowed on it, and Julia took snapshots with her Police iPhone.

"Okay, Ms. Billings's print came back from the FBI database." said Julia. "She was fingerprinted when she applied to become a teacher. Now we have two clear sets of prints, so we'll take Sidney's prints, and Shawn and Jameis's prints, and see who held the baseball last."

Sidney went first, and pressed his fingers to Julia's iPhone. Then Jameis went, after his grandfather told him to do it. Last, was Shawn.

"I don't want to do this." Shawn said.

"You don't have a choice, Shawn." Detective Rodriguez said.

"Don't cooperate, Shawn." snarled his dad. "Smear your fingers so they can't get a print."

"Shawn," I said loudly enough everyone could hear. "As the Town & County Police Commander, let me explain what is going to happen if you don't cooperate."

I took out a pair of handcuffs and said "First, I will arrest you and take you to Police Headquarters, and we will fingerprint you there. We've forced many adults a lot stronger than you to give their prints, and we'll do the same for you." Shawn was looking very nervously at the handcuffs.

"Second," I continued, "if your father tries to interfere in any way again, I'm going to arrest him. He will go to prison, Shawn, and you will not see him again for ten years. Ten years, Shawn. So... what will it be?'

Shawn looked at his father, as did I. Redmond said nothing. Just then the two Uniformed Officers came in.

"Okay, let's take this to Headquarters." I said, motioning to the Officerds. "Take Redmond and his son into custody---"

"All right, all right!" snarled an exasperated Bill Redmond. "Sean, let them take your fingerprint." Sean pressed his fingers to Julia's Police iPhone. Not even a minute later, the results came in.

"Sidney's prints, and Shawn's prints." said Detective Rodriguez. "Jameis's prints are not on the baseball at all." The kids cheered. Marie turned and fist-bumped Carole, who was sitting behind her.

Bill Redmond's face was redder than his son's hair. "This doesn't prove a thing! You will not do anything to my son----"

"Let's take it outside." I ordered.

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

We adults went to the Principal's Office. Julia Rodriguez had stayed behind, answering questions from the class about the process that had happened, and other things that interested them about the Police.

"In light of the evidence and his false accusation," said the Principal, Mrs. Carson, "Shawn will be suspended for the rest of this school year."

"In-school suspension?" asked Ms. Billings.

"Theft-by-taking and attempting to frame another child for the theft is too much for in-school suspension." I said.

"You are NOT suspending MY child!" Bill Redmond yelled. "I don't care about that fingerprint crap! If my child said that black kid did it, then that's what happened! Why isn't that black kid being suspended the rest of the year?"

'Because he didn't steal the baseball." I said. "Your son did."

Redmond yelled "Bullshit! My lawyers will barbecue every one of you alive if you try to suspend my kid for even one day!" For some reason, everyone was looking at me.

I tried to keep my voice calm as I said "Right now, everyone," I said, "this is pretty much a school matter. But we not only have fingerprint evidence, we have the eyewitness testimony of a student who has been sworn in as an Auxiliary Police Detective, that being Carole Troy."

"Your daughter?!" shouted Bill Redmond. "All the more reason I'm going to fight you like hell! Your daughter is as dishonest as you are! And not only that, you fathered a halfbreed child, and the Governor had to pardon you for raping that woman---UHK!"

Nope, I didn't remain calm. I shoved my crowbar into Redmond's neck as I shoved him against the wall. "Say that again, asswipe, especially about my daughter, and I'll rip your throat out!" Because of what he'd said about Tasha, no one else seemed to be witnessing my exercise of Police power, much less my fury as a father.

I released him, but stayed in his face as I angrily said: "Get the picture here, you son of bitch! Your son is a racist and tried to frame a black boy for a crime he didn't commit. And I strongly suspect he learned his racism from his father. You say one more word... ONE MORE WORD!... and it'll become a formal criminal matter. I'll arrest Shawn. He will be tried in Juvie Court, and I have the evidence to put him away until he is eighteen years old... for the theft as well as the hate crime. He will be in jail... jail! Redmond!... and if you think Juvie Prison is any less horrific than adult prison, you got another think coming!"

"You son of a bitch!" Redmond hissed.

"Okay, fine." I said. "I'll go make the arrest----"

"All right!" snarled Redmond, stopping me as I was about to walk out. "Mrs. Carson, let's talk without this rapist cop here."

"I want Commander Troy here." said Mrs. Carson. "I fear for my safety and that of my employees and children in your presence without him here." Redmond's eyes widened in shock as well as anger...

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

"I don't know how Carole saw Shawn steal the baseball and put it in Jameis's desk." said Ms. Billings as she, Jameis's grandfather and I walked back to her classroom, followed by the two Uniformed Officers.

"How did Shawn sneak off to do it in the first place?" I asked. "However he did it, she must've done it the same way. She must've seen Shawn sneak off, and she followed him." I said. Ms. Billings didn't seem convinced. I made deductions.

"So Shawn won't be returning to this class?" asked Jameis's grandfather.

"No sir." I said. "Shawn is suspended for the rest of the year, and will have to continue his lessons online, if he bothers. His father wanted to transfer him to the County High school system, and that'll happen next year, but Shawn is still suspended and it's on his permanent school record. I will also be filing a Police report of the incident."

"I appreciate you doing this, Commander." said Jameis's grandfather. "Without you, and your daughter, they'd be trying to put my grandson in Juvie for a crime he didn't commit."

"Not if I can help it." I said. Then I turned to him and said "There is one thing you can do to thank me. Tell everyone you know what happened here today. Tell it to your friends, the Black Business Council, your church, to everyone."

"I'll do that." the man said. "And for older people like me, it'll have a positive effect. But young blacks? They need a whole lot more to happen before they'll give the Police any benefit of the doubt."

"So tell me, how do I create that benefit?" I asked. "What can I do to improve things between the Black Community and the Police?"

Jameis's grandfather looked at me, then said "I don't know if I have an answer to give you, Commander..."

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

Meanwhile, in spite of the fact that a TCPD Detective was in the room, Shawn was confronting Carole. "You're a snitch!" he said as he walked over towards her.

"I'm not a snitch!" Carole declared, standing up to meet the threat. "I am the Police, and you better get used to it!"

"I'm going to kick your ass at recess." Shawn threatened.

"Bring it on, loser!" Carole fired back. "I whipped you already, and I'll do it again!" The other kids were enjoying the spectacle, and cheered at Carole's words.

Shawn was about to do something stupid and try to hit Carole, and Detective Rodriguez was about to intervene, when we came in. "Shawn, come with me." Ms. Billings said. Shawn was being escorted to the Principal's Office, and would not be seen at Eastside Elementary again.

"I just want to say something." said Jameis's grandfather. "There was a time when it was dangerous to speak up, especially for a black person being accused or bullied by a white person. I'm old enough to remember those times."

He went over and extended his hand to Carole, and said "Thank you, child. Thank you for coming forward, and telling the truth."

"You're welcome, sir." Carole said politely, shaking his hand. "But I did it because Jameis is my friend. And it was the right thing to do, no matter what color he is."

"It was the Iron Crowbar thing to do!" Marie said loudly, generating cheers from her classmates.

"Yes." said Your Iron Crowbar, the original one. "Yes it was. Here, Carole, hold this for me... for the rest of the day. Don't lose it." I handed my wide-eyed daughter the red crowbar as the other students said "Wowwwww!"

"That one's Tommy." Julia Rodriguez said to me, having identified Tommy for me at my request.

"Hey, Tommy, come up here a second." I said. Tommy came up as the other kids stopped to watch.

I said "I understand your cousin was in the Army Rangers in Afghanistan?"

"Yes sir." said Tommy. "He's home now, but he has trouble finding a job." (Author's note: 'Homewrecker', Ch. 02.)

"Tommy," I said, extending my card. "Have your cousin call me. I might have something for him."

"Gee, thanks Mr. Crowbar!" Tommy said. He pocketed my card.

Ms. Billings returned, and we took the opportunity to leave. Class would not be as exciting for the rest of the day, we knew...

Part 2 - The Science is Settled, All Right

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" said the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Friday, May 1st, from the rooftop of the building at Riverside and College, with the State Office Building in the background. "The Republican primary races are getting ugly!"

Bettina began: "The Republican primary race for Lieutenant Governor has reached new lows in levels of hatred and vitriol, as candidates Ruby Russell, daughter of the late U.S. Senator Samuel Russell, squares off against former State Secretary of State Brian Cagle."

Bettina: "Cagle, who resigned as Secretary of State rather than comply with a judge's order to certify Sharon Marshall as Lieutenant Governor, was accused by Ms. Russell of being complicit in the Republican Caucus scandal a year and a half ago, where there was widespread disparity between the votes cast and those reported by the State Republican Party." (Author's note: 'The Guardians of Justice', Ch. 02-03.)

Bettina: "Cagle has fired back at Ms. Russell, accusing her of lying to authorities to help cover up her father's complicity in the rape of a woman, and of not cooperating with authorities in the matter of her father's death, which was ruled a suicide but the case never formally closed. He also taunted Ms. Russell with comments that she was, quote, 'woefully inexperienced in the rough-and-tumble of State politics', unquote, insinuating that Ms. Russell would be ineffective and helpless in the face of brutal budget negotiations."

Bettina: "The one thing the candidates do agree on is their shared loathing of deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared. Both candidates have condemned Jared as being a racist, whose abusive policies towards hardworking Undocumented Workers have harmed the Republican Party's image. Both candidates also said they will not work with current Lt. Governor Sharon Marshall if Marshall wins the Governor's race."

Bettina: "And in that Republican primary for Governor, Jared sycophant Sharon Marshall blasted her opponent, State Attorney General Karl Handel, for ducking out of a debate scheduled for Monday, the night before the primary vote on Tuesday, May 5th. Marshall has repeatedly attacked her opponent for his role in the Republican caucus scandal, while State AG Handel has accused Marshall of being a Jared clone that would continue his policies of racism and misogyny."

Bettina "And now let's bring in Karl Frazier of Public Policy Polling." The camera split-screened to show Frazier. "Karl, what are the State and local numbers telling us?"

Frazier: "In the State races, Bettina, it's a neck-and-neck dogfight between Ruby Russell and Brian Cagle, but the real news is that both candidates are very unpopular with voters expected to vote Republican next Tuesday. When asked if they would have preferred a third candidate, a whopping 67% of respondents said they would. And whoever wins the primary will face a huge uphill battle against the expected Democrat nominee, State Senator Corey Coons."

"What about the local races, Karl?" Bettina asked before Frazier could bring up the Marshall-Handel race.

Frazier: "The contested races are pretty strongly contested, Bettina. In the Council race for Reginald B.F. Lewis's seat, Edgar Silas and Dr. Joseph E. Williams are in a very tight race, 48-48%. And in Malinda Adams's Council District, Ms. Adams leads challenger Stacey Jacobs 54-46%..."

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

"How can that be?" Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle asked as we sat in the Chief's Conference Room, drinking coffee.

"What's that?" Sheriff Griswold asked.

"How can Malinda Adams be ahead in the race against Stacey Jacobs?" Teresa replied. "After all, Stacey Jacobs is black, and nearly militant black at that."

I replied: "Malinda Adams's district is most of the University campus, the areas south of it, and goes across University Avenue to a section of Town north of Jefferson Avenue. It doesn't have nearly the black population of the areas further south and west, which are in Reginald B.F. Lewis's district."

"Ergo," I continued, "that district is strongly Left-leaning, and the winner of this primary should easily win the General Election in November, but... how shall I say this?... the demographics don't really support the platform Stacey Jacobs is running on. They're more interested in their own causes of gender inequality, gay rights, and the fraud that is Climate Change."

"Climate Change is a fraud?" Cindy asked, a bit darkly. "The science is settled, isn't it?"

"Harrumph." I grunted. "Just because John Kerry says that doesn't make it true. My degree is in Chemistry, so I'm a lot more of a scientist than John Kerry and most of these Socialist politicians are. And I say the science is settled, all right... it's fraudulent."

"You're saying that dozens of scientists, dozens of college professors, are wrong?" Cindy asked, her voice dangerously near a sneer towards me.

"Yes I am." I said strongly. "First of all, these same scientists, these so-called 'experts', were saying in the 1970s that we were experiencing global cooling, and we were headed to a new Ice Age. Only thirty years later, a very short time for geologic conditions to flip, they were saying it's global warming. When that contradiction was pointed out, they decided a new name was needed, so they, in association with their agenda-driven Media allies, began calling it 'climate change' or 'global climate disruption'."