Case of the Black Widow Ch. 02

"We made a major drug bust Saturday night." Teresa reported. "Sergeant Sharples developed the leads and led the raid. We got a big score of cocaine, amphetamines, and synthetic marijuana."

"That's great, Teresa!" I said. "So Sharples found out about it?" I was not quite believing of it, but maybe Sharples was better than we realized.

"Yeah, but it was strange." Teresa said. "After we'd arrested about fifteen guys, one of them, who we think was the leader, tried to attack Sharples. Guy named Lenny. He's filthy, long haired."

"I know that bastard." I said, remembering my interview with him on the day my daughter was born.

Teresa continued: "Well, Lenny began cursing and spitting at Sharples, saying Sharples had betrayed him and the gang. Tried to go after Sharples even though he was being restrained."

"Interesting." I said. "Did Sharples do any undercover work with the guy?"

"Maybe, but we don't know for sure." Teresa said. "Sharples didn't say much until he was giving the information to Captain Malone, and as far as I know he only told Captain Malone how he'd uncovered it."

I pondered that, but as it was 7:00am we tuned in for Bettina, expecting to hear a story about the big, successful Police drug bust.

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redhead reporter. She was looking very fine for any hour, but especially for the early morning. "We now bring you a KXTC exclusive in a just-breaking report! Let's go now to Tim Dawdle with the story!"

"This is Tim Dawdle, KXTC Channel Two Sports, with a breaking story!" said the pajama-boy punk, his oily hair and nerd face with thick black glasses especially repelling as he stood with the University football stadium in the background. "The State Bureau of Investigation's Narcotics Task Force has agreed to open an investigation of the University's athletic program for the distribution and use of performance-enhancing drugs, or P-E-Ds, based upon evidence provided by my exhaustive investigative report of Coach Brian Harlan's program."

"The Town & County Examiner will be running my story in print today, and KXTC Channel Two News has the first exclusive on this fast-breaking story." Dawdle continued, clearly excited. "The SBI is investigating the extensive use of PED's and Coach Brian Harlan's knowledge of the distribution of those drugs by one of his former coaches. Special Agent Richard Ferrell of the SBI's Narcotics Task Force will be leading the way in the investigation, the results which we will be bringing to you."

"Tonight on our 6:00pm broadcast, Channel Two News will bring you the results of our in-depth investigation not only into the PED use by the University and Coach Harlan's lawless, wild-west athletic program, but the cover-up in collusion with the NCAA and the Conference. We'll reveal why the NCAA and the Conference is turning a blind eye to the University football team's PED use, and why they declined to seriously investigate the University's football program even after the death of a football player last August. This is Tim Dawdle with the investigative report for KXTC Channel Two News!"

"Ho-lee shit." Cindy whispered in the utterly quiet room. I glanced at Angela Harlan. She was speechless, but fury was written all over her angular but pretty face.

"Thank you, Tim, this is huge information!" Bettina said, her smile radiant: she was enjoying this. "In other news, the Police Vice Department made several arrests in a drug bust over the weekend. Captain Harold Malone stated that Detective Leonard 'Sergeant' Sharples did an excellent job in uncovering and busting the drug perps as they tried to move into our County. This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News, and we'll bring you any new developments of the University's PED cover-up scandal as they break."

"Shit." said Teresa 'Cunt' Croyle, "We make a massive drug bust and get barely a line on the news about it."

"Life isn't fair, Teresa." I said. "And it's about to get a whole lot more unfair for a lot of college football players."

"This is going to get very ugly." Cindy said. "KXTC not only attacked the football program, but the Conference and the NCAA for looking the other way. Whether they did or not, they now have to investigate the program just to cover their asses. God damn that little bastard Dawdle!"

"Not to mention trying to tie Jackson's death to the cover-up." I said. "That is really going to make it ugly with the Public... and it may become an issue for the Police Force here."

"I wonder if Dawdle's drivers' license is expired, if his insurance is up-to-date, if his car tag is good." Officer Pete Feeley said. "It might take several traffic stops to find out."

"No!" I said, then pointed at Feeley. "And put out the word, Feeley: this Department is not to touch nor harass that man unless he actually commits a crime. I don't want to give the bastard Press any excuse of a story that the Police is being used by University Alumni to harass Tim Dawdle. Do I make myself clear, Patrolman Feeley?"

"Yes sir." Pete Feeley said, disappointed but understanding.

"And that goes for everyone else, too." I said. "All right guys, we have crimes to solve. I'm going to go talk to the Chief and Captain Charles and make sure nobody starts getting any ideas of going after Dawdle." As I left the MCD room I felt eyes upon me. I looked back and saw Angela Harlan looking at me. Her eyes were inscrutable.

---

"We're going to have to endure a full investigation." said University President Sidney Wellman to Henry R. Wargrave as they ate lunch in Wargrave's dining room in his lakeside home near the City. "I got a call from the Conference Commissioner this morning; they're going to let the Press know that they've just opened an investigation, but that Dawdle went too quickly with the story before they had time to actually investigate, and that Dawdle has hindered their investigation by coming out with the story."

"They're covering their asses." Wargrave said. "The NCAA is not so fortunate; they're saying their previous investigation yielded nothing, but they're really being hounded by the Press now, especially about young Jefferson Jackson's death."

"What if they talk to the local police?" Wellman asked. "And what about the SBI?

"I've been assured that Ferrell is going to let the investigation linger to the point it dies away." Wargrave said. "Ferrell's logic was not sound in my mind, but I can understand it from the SBI's point of view, especially if they have to cover their asses."

"The real wild card here is the local police." Wargrave continued. "The Iron Crowbar knows about it, and he gave Gonzales and Harlan partial immunity in exchange for admitting they tried to frame Coach Marshall. Don also has video evidence of Ferrell and Ikea's involvement in that frame-up, and he is holding it over them in exchange for them not investigating him or talking to him about the PED issue."

"That'll sure keep the SBI at bay, but it'll be mighty thin if the NCAA comes around." Wellman said. "It'll look even more like a cover-up. And sure, Don has every right to tell the NCAA to piss off, but what about Ikea? He's bitter as hell against the local Police, and would love to shove a red hot poker up the football team's collective ass. And his benefactors are anti-University religious nuts like Pastor Westboro and Kelly Carnes."

"It's definitely a problem," said Henry Wargrave, "but the one thing we must be sure to do is not overreact in haste, and subsequently make things worse. Call Coach Harlan and tell him not to cancel his press conference today, and to be sure to use all the proper phrases. In the meantime..." He did not speak for a moment.

"In the meantime?" Wellman finally asked.

"In the meantime, I'll try to figure out what we can do." said Wargrave.

---

"Oh my God, it was awful." said Brian Harlan as his cousin Angela poured him a large glass of wine. "Those god-damned reporters were relentless. I just wanted to jump off the podium and punch that little faggot Dawdle in the nose."

"Yeah," said Angela, who had been present at the conference as 'security' for the coach, "it made me sick watching and listening to the other reporters tell Dawdle what a great thing he did breaking that story."

"Well, President Wellman called me a few minutes ago." Harlan said. "He said I did well, totally denying the allegations, bringing up the past exonerations. He also said I don't have to do any more press conferences, citing media frenzy."

"So, you can tell me like you can tell no one else: how bad is it really?" Angela asked.

"Bad, but it depends." Harlan said. "Our fear is that the Press will somehow dig up your Lieutenant's secret deal with me and Gonzales, or that he knew his criminal nephew had been selling PEDs to some of the players last year. Either of those could be blown up and break the whole thing wide open."

"Don has already told us that if the NCAA or any Press ask, we're to say that we're investigating murders committed by his nephew Ned, and in light of that ongoing investigation we can't comment. The Police Press Office stated that also. So he and we are covered." Angela said helpfully.

"Yeah, Mr. Warg- er, our big alumnus told me that." Harlan said. "But I think the only thing that'll make this thing go away is for Dawdle to go away, and for the Press to be diverted..."

Part 14 - Night Of The Black Widow

At 11:00pm on Wednesday night I got the call. It was Tanya Perlman.

"The Black Widow has struck again, Lieutenant." she said, giving the location, a seedy apartment complex in one of the lower income areas of Town south of Downtown.

"Okay, I'll be right there." I said, glancing over at Laura, who was watching and listening as she breast-fed Carole.

"There's more, Lieutenant..." and Laura watched the shock grow in my eyes as Perlman said "The victim is Tim Dawdle. He's dead."

To be continued...