Case of the Fake Badges Ch. 03

KSTD reporter Jeff Hull quickly stood up. "Sir, if the allegations are true, it could've had an effect on the game, particularly the running-up of the score. Doesn't Coach Bronson deserve the benefit of the doubt, and doesn't the University and its fans deserve to know if the Wildcats cheated?"

"Look." thundered the A.D., "if you haven't noticed, the Wildcats are one of the best teams in the nation, and they are at a level we are working to get to. They didn't need help to defeat our Russ-Bronson-coached team. In addition, be careful what you say about cheating: you are not accusing some booster of impropriety, but one of the best police officers in this State. You better have something backing you up, something hard, before you start going there. Now if you guys want to keep trying to start a story out of crap like this, go ahead, but you'll do it without me." With that, the A.D. angrily left the podium.

Part 12 - Oh, Yeah: the Murder Investigation

At 10:00am the meeting began in Classroom 'E'. With me were Captain Cindy Ross, Lt. Tanya Perlman, Lt. Teresa Croyle, Detective Teddy Parker, Supervisor Myron Milton and (now officially) Detective David Krueger.

"First," I said, "let's look at this video." I started the video, showing SBI Inspector interviewing SBI Chaplain Steven Ikea, who was wearing a black shirt and clerical collar.

"Chaplain, did you know a Richard Norris while you worked with the TCPD?" asked Britt.

"The man who was found dead recently? Yes, I did know him." said Ikea. "He was a very evangelical Christian man, and we attended services together often."

"Did SBI Agent Ferrell know him?" asked Britt.

"I don't know, they may have known each other, but not through me." said Ikea.

"Was Norris a Confidential Informant for you?" asked Britt.

"I... I'm not at liberty to discuss that." said Ikea.

"C'mon, Steven," said Britt witheringly, "Norris is dead."

Ikea relented. "Yes, Richard was a C.I. for me. Not really that much of one, just gave me information of things he saw while doing his various jobs."

"Even while at the City Housing Authority?" asked Britt.

"He was doing other work at the time, as well." said Steven. "Including security work."

The tape ended. Tanya Perlman said "Well, that's a possible Ferrell connection to Norris."

"No." I said, "but it explains why Norris was one of our victims in these cases. Okay, let's continue. What do y'all have for me?"

"Our last victim is named Gabe Wheeler." said Tanya. "Long time drug addict, long time confidential informant for the Vice Squad. Death was by an acute overdose. The M.E. also found that a large syringe was used to inject drugs directly into the brain stem. The syringe did not penetrate as deeply into the brain as Richard Norris, nor Dr. Paul Wicker from the 'Medical Murder' case. But it was a big syringe, on the order of the ones that killed the other two."

"Was he alive when that syringe was shoved into the back of his head?" I asked.

Tanya looked at the autopsy report. "I'll have to touch base with Martha to be sure. It sounds like she's implying he was alive, but she doesn't really spell that out very clearly."

"Please do check on that." I said. "What else?"

Teresa Croyle took it up. "Word from other C.I.s is that Wheeler was known to be a C.I. for a while. The bigger players knew who and what he was, so if they ever saw him they moved along, or redirected operations. They pretty much left him alone, otherwise. He was old, still buying their products, and they liked taking TCPD money that fed his habit."

"That's not going to go over well with the taxpayers if it gets out." I said sourly. "Not the worst policy to catch criminals, but the optics of it are bad."

"Yes sir." said Teresa. "But the other C.I.s also said that they don't know who put the hit on Wheeler, or why bother to do so. In other words, the criminals are as surprised, if not more, than we are that this guy was finally rubbed out."

"Hmmm," I said, "so Wheeler is known as a C.I., and someone finally got around to taking him out. And Ferrell's badge found on him. Okay, pretty obvious what is going on there. What else?'

"Wait..." said Cindy. "Obvious? To you, maybe. Or am I the only one not seeing it?"

"I'm not really understanding it either, ma'am." said Teddy Parker. I had already noticed that only Krueger had really understood.

"Okay." I said. "Wheeler was killed for one reason, and one reason only: to plant Ferrell's badge on him." As everyone gasped and looked confused, I continued: "The killer or killers knew that Wheeler was a C.I. They hoped that we would see the crime as a drug overdose, and if we looked into it we'd find an executed C.I. and attribute it to that. But then... they planted Ferrell's badge on him, and now we're spinning our wheels looking for connections that Detective Krueger is going to tell me are not there."

"That is correct, sir." said Kruger.

"That does not make sense." said Cindy. "Oh... sorry, sir. Not trying to contradict you. But I don't get it that they're going to murder a man and want us to think it's an O.D. and then a C.I. rubout as a backup, only to plant a badge on the man and have us looking into it all the harder."

"Well, I don't insist on it." I said, sitting back in my chair. No one present was fooled by my attitude, but had nothing to say. "Okay, David, what did you get?"

"As you said, sir," said Krueger, "there is nothing linking SBI Agent Ferrell to Mr. Wheeler. I spent the weekend going over Ferrell's SBI record, his case files, everything I could get digitally. I don't know why this man is considered a success at anything at all, from what I'm reading--" He was interrupted by laughter.

"We don't know either, David." I said. "Keep going. Connections to any others in these cases?"

"Only to Susan Wexler." said Krueger. "When I was working with the politicians, one of the most constant topics of discussion was the relationship between the City and the State, which is not good even in the best of times. It ebbs and flows like the tides, but when it would get really bad in the past, the SBI would start coming into the City on drug raids, and really messing with the City's operations. They did that here, too, but someone literally took a machine gun to them when they did that."

All eyes were on me. I was grinning like Cheshire Cat. Yeah, that was me.

"So the City didn't think of that excellent remedy to the SBI?" I said. "A pity."

"Indeed, sir." said Krueger. "And it was Dick Ferrell leading the raids there, too. Captain Wexler would intervene with him, saying he was endangering her C.I.s. For the most part, he'd pull back. Some thought they had a quid pro quo going on. As to official records or data on it, there's not a lot, but there were a few notes on both sides about discussions concerning C.I.s"

"Yeah, that fits." I said absentmindedly to myself. Cindy glommed right on to it, and stared me down.

"Spill it, Crowbar 1." she said. "Data notwithstanding, tell us what you think."

"Sure." I said. "But before I do, what do y'all think? About all of these badge cases... I know you don't have all of the details, but except for my Vice Lieutenant here I think you've heard enough that you can come to the same conclusion that I'm coming to."

"Everyone is at the State level," said Parker, "and some form of Government. There are threads running between some of those people, but I'm not sure what it is."

"Could be some kind of drug ring connections." said Teresa Croyle. "Progressive State Housing is riddled with drugs, prisons have drug use and pipelines, and Ferrell is with the Narcotics Task Force itself. In addition, our drug dog Sergeant Stonewall alerted to drugs when they searched the car at the pawnshop and found the money. I've asked the Crime Lab to test some of the money for drug residues."

Tanya said "I like what they both said. But I can't get past the victims of the crimes where the badges were found. There has to be some reason that the badges were found on them."

Myron said "I like the drugs idea."

David Krueger said "I'm following the money, and the pawnshop money suggests possible drug sales behind the scenes, and everything else Lt. Croyle said fits that very well."

Cindy said "Drugs sounds like the best option to me, but that's almost too easy. I'm waiting for you to spill what you know, Crowbar 1."

"Not what I know," I said, "but just a little idea that won't leave my head. First of all, that's excellent thinking, Lt. Croyle, about drugs. It certainly fits the facts in every way that we know so far. I would only consider other things because of a couple of facts.

"One is that the dog never alerted inside the pawn shop itself, and we also know that Richard Norris was clean to a fault. Even insisted on getting 1099s for cash work. Everything he did was totally aboveboard, strictly and scrupulously by the numbers. I don't see him being involved in drugs at all... and for that matter, Quintus Bishop never went the drugs route. Maybe his wife was involved in drugs, but we haven't found her yet, and I am hoping we find her alive and that she doesn't come over all dead."

"Second," I said, "is that Ferrell has never been caught being on the take, and very likely is not on the take. He likes to take credit for busts, he'll even plant evidence to make busts, but he never did the Malone-Wexler thing of cutting a deal with one gang then busting the others. Therefore, what other reason could he have for being involved with these people? And let's include Susan Wexler in this... I would suggest--"

Just then the door opened and the Duty Desk Sergeant all but tripped on himself coming in. "Sir, you have an urgent phone call. From the Reserve SBI Director."

"God damn it." Cindy swore under her breath as everyone else groaned as I shut up and hustled to my office to take the call.

Part 13 - The Stevie Johnson Badge

"Okay, I'll get down there as soon as I can." I said. Hanging up, I looked up at Cindy, who of course had followed me right into my office. "There was a murder in Jacksonville, southwest of Midtown, actually along the River between Jacksonville and Midtown. The SBI was called in when they found a Southport Police Officer's badge at the scene. Director Lewis is letting Conlan call us in since we're already involved, so let's get our asses moving before Lewis changes his mind."

"That's going to be a three or four hour trip." said Cindy.

"Maybe not." I said with an enigmatic smile. I reached for the phone.

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

"You're doing great!" said John Tower as I steered his Bell 205 helicopter through the air, following the course of the River towards Midtown. "Just keep following the River, and I'll deviate us when we veer off towards Jacksonville.

"Not bad for just a few months of training, eh Cindy?" I asked my partner, who was in one of the seats behind us.

"Not bad at all, as long as we get there and back to tell the tale." Cindy replied.

The helicopter ride really cut down the time. John Tower had to take back over the flying as we went through the Midtown airspace sector, and he followed some landmarks west of that city until we had the River and Interstate back in view as they went towards Jacksonville and then to Southport.

Tower let me land at the small airport near Jacksonville Prison, which I did without bouncing us down too hard. Still, I noticed Cindy's knuckles were white from holding on... she of little faith! I thought to myself.

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

"Ivan Sebrovsky." said the Jacksonville County Sheriff as Cindy and I looked at the crime scene. The body had been taken away; we would go see it next. "He was a migrant worker from eastern Europe. He worked at the packing plant on the River, just south of Jacksonville. Don't know why the SBI is muscling in on us."

"Sheriff, we're not muscling in." I said. "First of all, the SBI Reserve, which is what we are, is meant to assist local LEOs, not muscle through them. I can't say every Reservist follows that, but Captain Ross and I do. Second, this case appears to be one of a series of crimes where badges are found at the crime scenes. Do you have that badge?"

The Sheriff looked a little exasperated, but called for his Deputy to bring the badge down. It was a large shield, with an eagle as the top portion, then a sunburst of rays. It reminded me of the Los Angeles Police badge, but was gold. Cindy put on gloves and took it out of the plastic sleeve, then carefully examined it. Then she put the RFID chip reader to it.

"Southport Police." she said. "The RFID chip seems to be damaged; I'm not getting a reading."

The Sheriff said "We called the Southport Police and gave them the badge number. They said it belonged to a Stevie Johnson. He's a patrol officer down there, been there six years. He works their 3d Precinct, which is the River Docks area."

"Confirmed." Cindy said, having acquired the data from her app. The Sheriff gave her a look that seemed to say 'We don't need the SBI and your fancy apps to find out things.'.

"Thanks, Sheriff." I said. "I would be grateful if you find anything new about Sebrovsky, that you'll give me a call." I handed him my card... not my SBI card but my TCPD card.

"Oh my God." the Sheriff said, looking at it then at me in amazement. "You're the Iron Crowbar. I had no idea, Commander..."

"No worries." I said, even though I'd been carrying my crowbar all along. "Captain, let's get down to Southport and interview Officer Johnson."

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

"What is this about?" asked Stevie Johnson.

"Just let the man look at your badge." said the Southport Police Captain. He had been cordial enough when we arrived, but at the same time acted like he wanted to get us out of there as soon as possible.

Johnson removed his badge from his shirt and handed it to me. I examined it under the magnifying glass, then passed both items to Cindy, who also did her magic with the app.

"You guys don't use RFID chips in your badges?" she asked when her reader came up with nothing. State law required those chips be used in all law enforcement badges.

"They're in there, per State Law, but I can't promise you that Central Supply activates them or enters information for them in their computers." said the Captain.

"Good enough." I said, wanting to move past. "Officer Johnson, is this your only police badge?"

"Yes sir." said Johnson, who was a tall, slender black man, about 24 years old. He must've been hired right out of high school, I thought, if he's been here six years.

"Have you lost a badge, and needed to get a replacement?" I asked.

"No sir." said Johnson, sounding irritated. "That's the only badge I've had since I joined the Force."

"You work the Docks area?" I asked.

"That's my primary beat." said Johnson. "But we get moved around from time to time."

"You been up to Jacksonville recently?" I asked.

"No. No sir." said Johnson. "What's this about?"

"Commander," said the Captain, "I do think it's time to let us know what this is about."

"Sure." I said. "There was a murder up in the Jacksonville area. A Southport Police badge was found at the crime scene, with Officer Johnson's number on it. I'm trying to eliminate it as being Johnson's real badge."

"Now why in the world..." said the Captain. "Johnson, any idea what this is about?"

"No, Captain." said Johnson. "Like I said, I haven't been out of town since I visited my mother last July 4th."

"Where does she live?" I idly asked.

"Westphalia." said Johnson.

"You married, Johnson?" I asked.

"No sir." Johnson said, again looking irritated.

"I'm sure you know some of the dock workers on your beat." I said. "You ever hear of anything unusual among them. Something that might lead to a man getting killed up in Jacksonville?"

Johnson gave a short laugh. "Man, those areas I patrol are Mob-controlled. People are saying shit all the time. You never know what's true. Most of it is bullshit."

"The workers there..." I said. "White? Black? Latinos? Americans? Europeans?"

"Mostly white." said Johnson. "A lot of eastern Europeans. I can't understand them half the time."

"Okay, Officer Johnson, thank you for your time." I said. "Captain Ross, do you have any questions?"

"Just one." Cindy said. "Who's your partner?"

"I ride with Sergeant Shafter." said Johnson.

"He's on leave." said the Captain. "His father is in Washington State and is dying. I can have him contact you when he gets back."

Part 14 - Bad Boys, Bad Boys

We made it back, and in one piece. It was late in the afternoon as we entered Police Headquarters.

"Good thing about helicopters," Cindy said as we went into my office, "is that they're faster than cars. Bad thing is that we couldn't talk on the way down or back."

"So we get to talk now." I said. "What's on your mind?"

"You think that case is related to our other ones?" she asked.

"Yes." I said. "This is the first time we've not had a State Agency involved, and Sebrovsky was shot in the back of the head instead of being stabbed by a huge hypodermic needle, but everything else fits all the patterns so far." I turned to my laptop on my desk and fired off some emails. "I'm asking Myron and David to look into the Sebrovsky guy and also Stevie Johnson and his partner Shafter."

"I sent them emails hours ago, while you were flying the chopper." Cindy said. "So what are those patterns that this fits into?"

"Near transportation." I said. "In this case, sea transportation. Ah, here come Myron and David now." Indeed, a procession came into my office, which included Mary Mahoney Milton.

"Small office, lots of people." I said. "Let's hit the Main Conference Room."

Once in there, Myron went first: "Sir, Sebrovsky is a very interesting character. He came to the United States four years ago. He's very well connected to an eastern European crime syndicate. He was in New York City for a year, where the FBI busted his ring of underage girls being imported for prostitution."

"Connection to Oldeeds?" Cindy asked quickly.

"Let him finish." I said. "Go ahead, Myron."

"Yes sir." said Myron, "His ring was busted, but he walked away from it somehow. Ended up two months later in Jacksonville. He's part of the Longshoreman's Union based in Southport. There's really nothing else about him; no arrests, no speeding tickets. Has a car that's paid for, no loans for anything at all, rents a house in Jacksonville where a number of eastern Europeans live."

"I got a lot of that from the FBI files under your access code, Commander." said Myron. "When I went aboveboard and went through DNS, the NYPD, FBI, everything came up blank on this guy except that he did enter the country at the time we know he did. He's off the grid now, as far as the Federal Government is concerned."

"All right, Myron." I said. "Let me know beforehand the next time you hack the FBI using my good name, not afterwards. Send me a secret sign via text message, something like 'Ross is impatient.'." A blue crowbar was waved in my general direction.

I said "I expect a call from Jack Muscone this evening. Okay, what's next?"

Mary said "Stevie Johnson. This guy... is interesting also. Southport Internal Affairs is just a cut above the rest of their Police Force when it comes to infiltration by the Mob and general corruption. So when they start investigating someone, that someone has to be pretty dirty, or is someone they don't trust, or is actually clean. They've been keeping some pretty open tabs on Stevie Johnson."

"Not a bit surprised." I said. "He's been in the Southport Force for six years with no promotions, his partner is a Sergeant... which in and of itself might not be a big deal, but suggests he has someone overwatching him despite his six years experience. So why is Southport I.A. so interested in him?"