Bottle Kill Ch. 02

"I agree." I said.

"Sir," said Claire Michaels, "how did you know to ask about his wristwatch?"

I grinned as I said "From everything I've observed about that guy, and from the reports I've read, Mike Malone is as dumb as a box of rocks." Everyone broke out laughing, then I said "So when he said that he'd been in Florida last week, and with his timeline being an hour off from everyone else's, the deduction wasn't too hard to make. So I tested my theory, and it panned out."

"Sir," Joan Laurer asked, "is it a coincidence that Malone was sent to do security for Charles Conway, whose daughter was Mr. Boone's first fiancée and was also murdered?"

"Definitely worth looking into, wouldn't you say?" I asked. "That's something you and Lieutenant O'Brady can work on together, if he's willing. Oh... technically, Charlene Conway is not his first fiancée... he had a wife that was murdered years before that, the restaurant chef."

"Oh yeah!" Claire Michaels said. "I need to follow up with Mary Milton about that."

"Please do." I said as I got up. "I'll be participating in the Coroner's Inquest this afternoon. All of you should consider attending, tooooo...."

Part 9 - Coroner's Inquest

2:30pm, Tuesday, February 9th. The Coroner's Inquest was convening. Magistrate Court Judge Hannah Doss was presiding, and Coroner John Quincy Kelly and Mr. Coleman were going to ask questions of the witnesses.

We the Police were in our Duty Dress semi-formal uniforms with the full 'fruit salad' of ribbons over our right jacket pockets. Though entitled to, the Sheriff, Teresa Croyle, and I were not wearing our Medals of Valor around our necks. And Lt. Mary Milton looked sharp in her Duty Dress uniform, even with her bright pink hair.

I had told Coroner Kelly and Martha the M.E. about the wills and the need to determine the sequences of the deaths. Coroner Kelly had asked for a six-person Jury to be empaneled, and Judge Doss had plucked six persons out of that week's jury pool.

Before the Inquest began, Lt. Mary Milton and I spoke with Coroner Kelly. "Your predecessor, Coroner Haines, issued a death certificate but sealed the autopsy and related information about it." I said to him. "I have a sneaking suspicion that he's not going to get back to us on it. Can you find the file and send it to us?" I gave him the details.

"Twenty years ago?" Kelly said. "That may take an archive search, but I'll have my assistant work on it." Lt. Mary Milton sent him a text message with the data, and we thanked him for his help.

The Inquest itself was as dry as tinder. Coroner Kelly called me to the stand to summarize the CSI and Police actions in our investigation. Mr. Coleman asked me a number of questions, but I was so well prepared that he did not feel the need to call up any other Police Officers nor the Sheriff.

Then came Martha the M.E. Coroner Kelly led her through the technical details of her autopsies. Then Mr. Coleman did his job on behalf of his client, the Boone estate, and he did it well. He addressed the Jury and told them that part of their job would be to make what was likely the definitive ruling on who died first. Then he proceeded to 'grill' Martha, not necessarily in a bad or hostile way, but in a way to get the Jury the best information possible.

"So when Ms. Westgate was being strangled," said Coleman, "did she lose consciousness?"

Martha replied "I believe she was unconscious, or at least incapacitated to the point she could not help herself. When she was released, she fell to the floor, and had contusions (bruises) where her breasts, shoulders, and jaw struck the floor. That shows she was alive, since the bruising formed as it did, and also that she did not reach her arms out to break her fall."

Coleman: "When Mr. Boone was struck by the rye whiskey bottle, is it possible he did not die immediately, but may have lived for seconds, even minutes, as the perp went over and broke Ms. Westgate's neck? And did she die immediately?"

Martha: "She died the instant her neck was snapped, yes. With him, the damage to the back of his skull and his brain was severe, and my evaluation is that he died from the blunt force trauma and did not bleed out over time."

Mr. Coleman also had the security team members and Mary Carson take the stand and give their stories. The only deviation from what they told the Police was Mike Malone admitting that his wristwatch was set incorrectly, causing him to be unsure of the real times.

At the end, the Jury was charged and went to deliberate. They came back with the rather obvious 'willful murder by person or persons unknown', and also ruled that based on the evidence at hand, they presumed that Mr. Boone expired immediately. To me that meant that Mary Carson was either an heiress, or she was going to be indicted for murder...

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

5:30pm, Tuesday, February 9th. We were back at Headquarters. When I heard the knock on my door I thought it was Mary Milton or Claire Michaels, so I was surprised to look up and see Teresa Croyle come in. I had her sit in the 'hot chair' furthest from the door, her normal seat when in my office.

"I pulled strings. I called our friend Rosalyn Escobar in the Dallas FBI office." Teresa said. Rosalyn was an FBI Special Agent, and was the wife of FBI Supervisory Special Agent Eduardo Escobar, who was once on Jack Muscone's team in the City.

Teresa continued: "The Dallas Police had been looking up 'Jacquelyn Boone' and variants, and came up with nothing. And that's because, like your wife Laura and like me when I married Todd, she kept her maiden name. Rosalyn cut through the crap and they finally found 'Jacquelyn Vinet'. It'll probably be tomorrow morning, but we should have everything they have on her down there."

"Good." I said. "And that's excellent work on your part."

"Well, I have to do something to help you guys." Teresa said. "Otherwise I'm just twiddling my thumbs while you guys are doing Police work." The twiddling of thumbs was an oft-repeated joke between Teresa and me.

"You're definitely helping." I said. "And speaking of your help... how is the surveillance of Marty McMillan going?"

Teresa said "He seems to be enjoying the Molecular Biology Conference. He's been at one lecture or another the whole time. He had lunch today with Dr. Prometheus and Julia's cousin Adriana. I also asked Todd about SynGen Biosciences. He checked around and found out that they may be up for sale, and there is interest from some of the bigger agricultural companies to acquire them. Nothing firm, though."

"Cool beans." I said. "Okay, what say you and I go find Our Sheriff and go watch tonight's whiskey competition?..."

Part 10 - Whiskey Wednesday


"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, February 10th, from the anchor desk at the KXTC studios. "State Democrats demand Governor Sharon Marshall name a new SBI Director!"

After the hard charging intro music, Bettina began: "Lieutenant Governor Corey Coons and 1st District State Senator Katherine Woodburn appeared together at a Press conference, where they demanded that Republican Governor Sharon Marshall name a new Director of the State Bureau of Investigation immediately. Let's go to trusted reporter Carl Lemay for more. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Carl Lemay, who was standing on the roof of the building at Riverside and College, with the State Office Building on the far side of Courthouse Square as his backdrop. "Lieutenant Governor Coons and our own State Senator Katherine Woodburn, who is also the owner of KXTC, met with the Press to outline their demands for the next SBI Director, who will succeed James 'Curly' Goodwin after Goodwin won the election for Town & County Inspector General. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, first showing Lt. Gov. Corey Coons, who was black and looked much younger than his actual age, aided by shaving his head bald. He said "We need a strong SBI that will investigate, arrest, and charge white Police Officers that exercise verbal and physical abuse of People of Color. We need an SBI that is not afraid to put Town & County Police Commander Donald Troy in his place... which should include prison after the atrocities he and his Police Force committed against People of Color last year. I call upon Governor Marshall to work with me and the Black Caucus in both chambers of the State Legislature to name an SBI Director that will enforce respect for People of Color in all of this State's jurisdictions."

Next was Katherine Woodburn, who was long an advocate of a 'strong SBI' that would have full totalitarian authority over all Police jurisdictions as well as all County Sheriffs, who were currently the supreme law enforcement entities in the State's 96 counties and the City.

She said "We need a strong SBI to prevent our children from being sold filthy drugs across county lines, and to stop all gun sales and transactions across county lines in our State that are not authorized by the State Government. We need a strong SBI that will work tirelessly to arrest and imprison White Nationalists that want to destroy our Democracy, especially with violence and rioting. A strong SBI requires strong leadership, and I call upon Governor Marshall to work with us to name an acceptable SBI Director that will help us strengthen the SBI and increase its scope and power!"

Back to Carl Lemay live: "Governor Marshall did not directly respond to the Democrat leaders's comments, and only issued a statement to the Press upon request which read 'The SBI is currently being run well by competent Agents, and I am much more interested in working out a Budget that will serve the needs of our State's citizens', close quote. Back to you, Bettina!"

Bettina: "Thank you, Carl! That was our political reporter Carl Lemay with that important story. And in local news, the Town & County Police have made no headway in solving the double murders of Poker celebrity Theodore 'Tex' Boone, age 72, and his fiancée Tiffany Westgate, age 38."

Bettina: "The couple were found dead Monday morning in their room at the Hyatt Hotel, where a major Poker tournament and a world Whiskey convention are being hosted. The autopsy, released as part of the Coroner's Inquest held by Coroner John Quincy Kelly, revealed that Mr. Boone's skull was smashed in by a blow from a bottle of Rye whiskey, while Ms. Westgate died of a broken neck. The Jury determined that Mr. Boone died before Ms. Westgate did, which could have important implications for the settlement of the Boone estate."

Bettina: "Mr. Boone had been visited by tragedy in his past, as his former fiancée Charlene Conway, daughter of Florida shipping magnate Charles Conway, was murdered nine years ago in Pottsville, and his wife Jacquelyn Vinet, a renowned chef at the time, was murdered 34 years ago in Dallas, Texas."

Bettina: "Mr. Boone won a ten-million-dollar Poker tournament that was held at the Hyatt Hotel here in Town 20 years ago this week. Since then, he has been accused of sexual harassment and even sexual assault on several occasions, though he was never arrested nor prosecuted for any of the allegations."

Bettina: "Sources tell Channel Two News that the Police are investigating members of Mr. Boone's security detail, and are attempting to clarify details concerning the actual timeline leading to the double murder. As usual, Police Commander Donald Troy has not responded to repeated requests by KXTC Channel Two News for comment, denying you the information you have a right to know..."

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

"I guess I'll never understand it." said Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle as she, the Sheriff, me, Chief Moynahan, Deputy Chief Tanya Muscone, and Pottsville PD Lt. Shane O'Brady sat in the Chief's Conference Room and drank coffee as we watched the broadcast. "Why do they keep attacking Don the way they do? Every word Lieutenant Governor Coons said about Don was a lie. Don has done more for blacks in this County than all the 'woke' Leftist politicians combined."

"And that's why." growled Sheriff Griswold. "He's the one standing in the way of the politicians's agendas."

"If y'all don't mind," I said, "let's put all that aside for a moment. I am much more interested in what Bettina said and didn't say about the case."

"That we've made no headway and don't know our collective ass from a hole in the ground?" Chief Moynahan quipped.

"Nothing new there, if Bettina is to be believed, sir." I quipped right back. "But seriously, what did you guys think of that?"

"Oh, I get it." said Tanya. "It was one hell of a word salad, meant to make her viewers believe she knew a lot and was telling them a lot... but there really wasn't all that much information in it."

"Exactly." I said. "Everything Bettina said, we know about already and is generally public knowledge, including the Coroner's Inquest. Her comment about investigating the security team and the timeline was part of the Coroner's Inquest. But she said nothing about the stuff that we consider really pertinent to our case... the contents of the wills, investigating Marty McMillan, for right or wrong, and so on."

Teresa said "And she loves putting out anything she can, especially if she thinks it will hurt our investigation. But I guess I'm not understanding your deeper point, Don, though it's clear you have one."

"Yes, I do." I said. "Either Bettina and KXTC are suddenly unable to get information on our investigation from leakers, like they always have in the past; -orrrrrrr- she does know something, and is hoping like hell that we don't know about it. And so that begs the question that might be the key to solving this case... exactly what is being covered up, and why?..."

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

"You are so cryptic, sometimes." Teresa Croyle said as she and Tanya came into my office at 8:00am for the 'Angels meeting'. Teresa, Tanya, and Cindy Ross were 'Crowbar's Angels', and I thanked God and the Universe for them every single day. "If Cindy were here, she'd give you a green crowbar beatdown like you've never had before."

"She has a three week old baby she's taking care of." I said. "I'd imagine she cares more about getting some sleep than in my being cryptic."

"So what do you think Bettina is trying to hide?" Tanya asked.

"I don't know." I said. "I truly don't. If I did, I'd probably be on my way to making an arrest right now. But from my years of experience dealing with Bettina and a rabidly biased, dishonest, and corrupt Mainstream Media, I believe it's political and that this case is involved."

Teresa said "I do have one piece of info. Todd has apparently inherited your Machiavellian sneakiness. He called Marty McMillan's company, SynGen Biosciences over in Villa Nueva, and said he heard they were for sale and that he was interested in discussing buying it."

"Those sneaky Troys." I said with a grin. Todd was my older sister's son as well as Teresa's husband.

Teresa nodded vigorously in agreement, then said "He got a call back within ten minutes, and spoke to a Dr. Chapman, who is the President of the company. They're not in financial trouble; in fact, they have some really good patents. But they also have some new lines of research, and they need not only capital, but someone with the drive to (air quotes) 'take things to the next level', as Dr. Chapman is nearing retirement age."

"And get this." Teresa went on. "Todd actually is enthusiastic about pursuing it! Dr. Chapman will be at the Molecular Biology Conference's banquet tonight, and he is going to meet with Todd beforehand."

I said "It could be an opportunity for BOW Enterprises. They're here, and BigAgraFoods has decreased its exposure in this State. They're in my boyhood town of Apple Grove in Fillmore County, which is mostly a farming county. And he's doing projects in your girlhood town, as well."

Teresa said "True, and I'm not complaining. It just never ceases to amaze me how these things come our way."

"As Cindy's father, Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart says," I said, "there are no coincidences in the Universe, and everything happens for a reason..."

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

Lt. Jerome Davis came into MCD and up to Detective Roark Coleman's desk. "You got something, Roark?"

"Yes sir." said Coleman. "We already knew about Timothy Jones, who accused Mr. Boone of assaulting Jones's wife in North Carolina sixteen years ago. I checked into him. He sued Boone but lost after Boone put up a hell of a legal fight. Timothy Jones died six years ago in Charlotte, North Carolina, of what was described as pneumonia, and his wife died three months later in a car accident."

Roark: "Ten years ago there was the alleged rape incident on the Reservation across the State Line River, southwest of Southport, that Lt. Milton found. Boone left the Reservation, pun not intended, but the Feds, those being Agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, began pursuing the case, and the man and his wife that were involved were suddenly richer to the tune of something in the mid-six-figures, and they asked the Feds to drop the case."

Roark: "Let me go further back now. Over 22 years ago, Boone's investment banking firm had an annual junket to New Orleans. I checked, and his name came up on a Police report filed at that time. One of his female coworkers, named Sally Mayberry, reported that she was drinking with friends and had gotten woozy. She'd woken up in her hotel bedroom, naked, and was experiencing pain in her vagina and anus. They did a rape kit but found no appreciable quantity of semen, but did find lubricant; her rapist used a condom."

Roark: "Boone and a number of others were questioned, and Boone was questioned a second and third time, as his exact whereabouts at all times could not be ascertained. He claimed to have also been drinking, and could not verify his own actions. When the NOPD started getting pushy, he got a lawyer that forced them to back off the aggressive tactics. No charges against anyone were ever filed, but Boone was not invited to the company's next two junkets before he quit he company."

Roark: "Fourteen years ago, two years after the Jones incident, a Thomas Payne filed a complaint with the Atlantic City, New Jersey Police that he and his wife had been drugged and she was sexually assaulted. The wife had a rape kit done, but it came back as inconclusive; she and her husband had had sex earlier in the day, and his sperm apparently overwhelmed any other DNA that was there."

Roark: "There were two incidents twelve years ago. One was in Biloxi, Mississippi. Stop me if you've heard this before: Boone had lost early in a tournament, and was reported as being angry and sullen at the bar. A few hours later a woman named Gina Rollins was found unconscious with a broken nose and soft tissue bruising around her ribs. Robbery was ruled out due to her purse being found on her person and nothing in it being taken. The Police there did a very poor job of investigating the case, and the Feds couldn't put it back together again."

Roark: "The other incident twelve years ago was in Las Vegas, Nevada. Boone was seen with a woman at the bar and they left together. The woman's husband, a man named Solomon Barnabus, caught up to Boone and his wife going down the hallway towards Boone's room, and he proceeded to try to beat up Boone. Boone is a pretty good fighter, though, and according to the Police reports, it was one hell of a fight and both men were treated for head, hand, and body injuries at the hospital. They were also both banned from that hotel, which was Caesar's Palace, but no criminal charges were filed. Barnabus filed a lawsuit against Boone, maybe looking for a payday, and it was settled, but for only ten thousand dollars."