Casting Aspersions Ch. 02

I saw Cindy nod slightly, so I shrugged my shoulders and said "Sure." It is possible that the tone of my voice did not convince the EAD.

"In the meannnnn-time..." drawled the Chief, "we have a plan to use another portion of Ms. Hopper's information to our advantage. Let me ex-plainnnnnn..."

Part 11 - Council Shenanigans

7:30pm, Tuesday, July 16th. I was wearing my semi-formal uniform, jacket with ribbons, white shirt and black necktie, but not wearing the MOV around my neck. Captain Teresa Croyle was also attired in semi-formal uniform, and wearing pants ('trousers' to our British friends) instead of a skirt like she normally wore.

"How are you feeling?" Teresa said.

"I'm okay." I said, though a bit moodily. "And I need to be. I fully expect trouble tonight."

"Me, too." Teresa said. "But the Sheriff told me to stand down on the heavily armored SWAT Team. He said his Deputies would handle any problems."

"He told me that, too." I said. "But I don't think the trouble is going to come from PCGW punks. Something else is not right. I've just got a bad feeling about it."

"Because of what happened earlier today, with Muscone?" Teresa asked.

"That did not help my mood." I replied.

"It's tearing Tanya up." Teresa replied. "She loves Jack and his daughters, but she loves you too, in a loyalty kind of way like I do."

"I appreciate that." I said. "And that reminds me: let's talk tonight, after all this is over. There's something I need to tell you." Teresa nodded.

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

As one faced the long bench behind which the Council sat in the Public Chamber, Kelly Carnes sat at the far left. To her left sat Reginald B.F. Lewis. To his left was Susan Weston. To her left was Sheila Sorrells, and to her left was Malinda Adams. Mayor Allgood sat in the middle. To his left was Ian McGhillie. To McGhillie's left was J.P. Goldman. To his left were Edward R. Steele, then John Colby, then Dagmar Schoen.

Teresa and I watched as the preparations for the meeting went on. The Intendent, Mrs. Peabody, was putting the agenda at each seat, and I was admiring her lovely legs. Someone was fiddling with the microphone system, but it was working fine. A young woman was putting bottles of water at each bench position while the microphone guy was testing each microphone. I humorously thought to myself that I was tempted to pay him turn off Mrs. Carnes's microphone.

As the audience began to fill up, I noticed that there were NO persons in red Antifa shirts. None. Everyone was decently dressed, except for the green-t-shirt wearing PCGW slugs. I pointed that out to Teresa, who said "I wonder what that's about?"

"It's about her." I said, nodding towards Civil Rights investigator Jocelyn Moran sitting on the left side of the audience, her two 'henchmen' on either side of her. I whispered to Teresa: "They don't want to give Daniel Allgood anything to counterpunch about." Teresa nodded in understanding.

"Hi guys." said Cindy Ross as she came up to us, also wearing her semi-formal uniform with ribbons, no MOV, and wearing pants as she normally did. "I'm getting a bad vibe about something, but I don't know what it is"

"I'm getting one, too." I said as the Council Members began trickling in. I noticed the Republicans were at their seats before the Democrats came in, and when they came in, the Democrats came in in one group. Hmmm...

Mayor Allgood gaveled the meeting to order. "Reports, please." he said. The lawsuit notifications were brought forward and referred to the City Attorney by voice vote. With it being mid-month, there were no monthly reports to produce.

"May I speak?" said Reginald B.F. Lewis.

"Councilman Lewis is recognized." said the Mayor.

"May it please the Council that we ask Commander Donald Troy, Chairman of the Charter Commission, to give us an informal update on the Charter's progress." said Lewis.

"Without objection, and with Chairman Troy's gracious acceptance." said the Mayor. I half shrugged and walked into the audience area to reach the podium and address the Council.

"Mr. Mayor, Members of the Council," I said, "the Charter Commission's hearings on various parts of the Town & County Government are on schedule. The last remaining large parts are education and the possibility of a separate School Board, and the compositions of the Board of Commissioners, other possibly separate Boards, and a revamping of the Board of Inquiry process. We will then present our draft Charter in early September, again with hearings, and then the final Charter will be submitted at least one month before Election Day in November."

"Let me ask this, Chairman Troy." said Reginald B.F. Lewis. "If you were able to speed up the pace of your progress, such that a referendum could be held by the first week of October, we could have elections this November for all affected Government positions?"

"Yes sir, and no sir." I said. "And by that I mean that current positions, such as the Mayor and Council, Town Assembly, Sheriff, District Attorney and such, would not be held this year, as I believe State Law dictates many things about that. Newly created positions, such as a new Board of Education, might be held, but those could be held in a special election at any time after the Charter is passed. So this session of the Council will most likely run its two-year term."

Out of the corner of my eye, I'd been noticing J.P. Goldman drinking from his water bottle. I saw him grimace, then drink some more. And then he suddenly ducked down out of sight, and we heard that unmistakeable sound of someone vomiting. Mr. Goldman had luckily gotten a trash can and used it.

Councilman Colby and the Mayor quickly moved to help Mr. Goldman, and I leaped over the balustrade to assist. Teresa had called for a medic, and a Fire Medic was coming up. I noticed Cindy also coming up... and putting on latex gloves.

J.P. Goldman was really sick. He'd vomited hard several times, and was near fainting. The Fire Medic and a Deputy helped him out the door behind the stage and the bench, carrying the trash can he was still in need of.

"Don, you have an evidence bag?" Cindy asked. I handed her one of the two I always carried in my pocket as Cindy said loudly "All of you, please do not touch your water bottles! We are collecting them as evidence for analysis!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Kelly Carnes almost screamed out.

"My job, Mrs. Carnes." Cindy said. "I'm taking these bottles into evidence, to see if one or more of you Council Members have been poisoned."

"That's not unreasonable." said Mayor Allgood. "Cooperate with the Police, Mrs. Carnes." Carnes looked at the Mayor and at Cindy with a deeply hateful expression on her face, but said nothing else.

Cindy bagged Goldman's water bottle, and made the evidence notations. A few moments later, our CSI technicians came in and bagged the other water bottles, noting which Council Member they were in front of.

As that was going on, Dagmar Schoen said: "Mr. Mayor, I move we adjourn."

"I second." said Edward Steele, his voice shaky at having seen his friend J.P. Goldman collapse.

"Without objection?" Daniel asked. There were immediately five objections.

"A motion to adjourn disallows discussion." said Daniel. "Let's vote." The vote was 4-5, the Democrats voting against adjournment.

"Mr. Mayor, I move we go into Executive Session at this time." said Reginald B.F. Lewis.

"I second." said Kelly Carnes.

"We should be adjourning while our colleague is sick." said Dagmar Schoen.

"That was voted down, Schoen." Kelly Carnes called out happily.

"Show respect, Ms. Carnes." said the Mayor. "If there's no more discussion, let's vote." The vote was 5-4 to go into Executive Session.

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

"Noooo." gasped J.P. Goldman as I went to the back room and looked in on him. "I've got to be at the Council meeting..." With that, he retched again, then collapsed totally.

"We've got to get him to the hospital." said the Fire Medic.

"Make it so. Take a squad car." growled Sheriff Griswold, who'd appeared seemingly out of thin air. Deputies helped carry Mr. Goldman out of the room.

As we went back into the public Council Chamber, Edward Steele said "How is he?"

"Sick as a dog." I said. Then we noted the evidence being collected and processed.

"Don, you don't think..." said Steele.

"I sure as hell do." I replied, knowing what Steele was about to say.

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

As we came into the private Council Chamber, I said quietly to the Mayor that J.P. Goldman was being taken to the hospital. Daniel just nodded. Then Jocelyn Moran all but ran over me in order to hand Daniel Allgood a document. "This is a warrant requiring you to allow me and my fellow Civil Rights Division observers to attend this and all private Council meetings. And we're videotaping it."

Daniel took the document and examined it. "Oh, it names me personally as the object of your inquiry. That's fantastic!" Everyone looked at him with varying degrees of surprise on their faces. The Mayor explained: "That allows me to have my attorney Cy Hart in the meeting as well. And to have my own videotaping of the session."

"I object to his presence." said Kelly Carnes. "This is closed session. And cameras are forbidden."

"I'm sure you do object, Mrs. Carnes." said Allgood. "But since I'm the object of a Federal Government inquiry, then I'm entitled to have a lawyer present. And if Moran gets to have a camera, so do I."

"That's right." said Cy Hart, who some of us knew was Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart's attorney, and was being paid by the Founder and Great Leader of 'The Vision'. Of course Dr. Eckhart was one of Melina's past mentors, and was also Cindy Ross's father.

"What's the point of an Executive Session, then?" snarled Kelly Carnes. "We might as well invite the entire State into the room."

"It doesn't matter." said Reginald B.F. Lewis, to Kelly Carnes. "Allgood's racism will be seen no matter how many lawyers he hides behind."

"Okay, let's get this started." said Daniel Allgood, sitting down in his chair. "One thing about Executive Sessions is that I can confine them to the strict purposes for which they were called. Therefore, with a Council Member absent, I am confining the discussion strictly to the BOW Enterprises hostage incident and the posthumous MOV application for Police Lieutenant Ivar Irwin."

"I object to that----" started Kelly Carnes.

"You don't have the right to object to that." interrupted Edward Steele, his voice conveying anger. "The Mayor has correctly stated the terms of the Executive Session under the Rules of Order.

The Mayor tapped his gavel. "Let's get started. We have two Board of Inquiry findings. The first one was a 3-2 vote indemnifying the Police and saying their actions were as correct as they could possibly have been under the circumstances. Anyone want to make a motion?"

"I move we accept those findings." said Jack Colby.

"I second." said Dagmar Schoen.

"I move to amend," said Kelly Carnes, "to accept the dissenting opinion that the bad decisions of the Police leadership were responsible for the death of Lt. Irwin."

"I second that amendment." Malinda Adams all but happily said.

"Discussion?" said the Mayor. To his surprise, there was none. "Okay, let's vote."

We braced for the worst, but to my surprise the vote was 3-6 defeating the Amendment, then 6-3 to accept the Board's findings. Susan Weston and Sheila Sorrells had voted with the four Republicans. At that point, I could sense that Teresa's hopes were surging for Lt. Irwin to get the posthumous MOV.

"Okay, we have a second finding, by a three-member panel," said the Mayor, "which recommended 2-1 against awarding Lt. Irwin the Medal of Valor. Do we have a motion?"

"I move to accept the Police Department's application and recommendation to award Lieutenant Irwin the Medal of Valor posthumously." said Edward R. Steele.

"I second." said John Colby.

"I move to amend," said Susan Weston, "to accept the Board's finding, and to award Lt. Irwin the Distinguished Service Medal."

"What?!" Teresa exploded, just about coming out of her chair. Indeed, I had to restrain her, and it was possible I was the only person in the room physically capable of doing so.

The Mayor tapped his gavel. "Please refrain from commenting until asked to, Captain Croyle." Daniel said.

"I second that motion." Kelly Carnes said, then looked at Teresa and said "And if you don't like it, bitch, you can go fuck yourself."

"POINT OF ORDER!" exclaimed several persons. At this point, the Sheriff was physically restraining me.

"Watch your mouth, Carnes." Griswold growled.

"Or what?" Kelly Carnes said, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of of cunning and utter hatred as she goaded the Sheriff. I knew I could only restrain Teresa so long, and we both would come to the Sheriff's defense. Only one thing to do...

I said loudly: "Or I'll begin discussing those illegal campaign contributions you received in last two elections... the one laundered through your husband's dentistry practice?" I saw the shock and then fear creeping into her face.

"You're full of shit." said Carnes, in a desperate bluff.

"Oh really?" I replied. "Wanna play? Keep it up. The District Attorney is only a phone call away."

The room had gone utterly silent. Reginald B.F. Lewis said "There is a motion on the floor, Mr. Mayor."

"Yes, there is." said Mayor Allgood. "Discussion?"

"I agree with Captain Croyle." said Jack Colby. "Lieutenant Irwin gave his life for a citizen being held hostage and physically tortured. His deserves the Medal of Valor."

"I don't agree." Susan Weston said strongly. "His actions were heroic, but they don't meet the high standard of the Medal of Valor. Father Romano's actions didn't rise to that standard---"

"But mine did?" shouted Teresa Croyle.

"SHUT UP!" yelled Susan Weston.

Daniel Allgood said "I am recognizing Captain Croyle to speak on this, as a Medal of Valor recipient herself. Keep it calm and clean, Ms. Croyle."

"I want Ms. Weston, a failed former Police Officer," snarled Teresa, "to explain to me how Lt. Irwin's sacrifice is any less heroic than my actions for which I was awarded the MOV. The only difference was that I survived and Lt. Irwin died, may God rest his soul."

"I don't think you should've been awarded the Medal of Valor, Croyle." said Kelly Carnes. "And that asshole Commander of yours shouldn't even have one, let alone two."

Allgood was tapping his gavel. "Watch your language, Ms. Carnes, or I'll have you removed from this Chamber."

"Discriminating against women?" Jocelyn Moran said loudly.

"He's within his rights under the Rules of Order to kick her out for that language." growled Sheriff Griswold. "And it doesn't matter what color nor gender the offender is. I'll arrest Carnes myself if she keeps it up."

"Please, come do it." goaded Carnes.

"You just don't learn, do you Mrs. Carnes." I said. The room again fell silent.

"I want to address Captain Croyle's offensive comments, as well." said Susan Weston, breaking that silence. "I agree with Ms. Carnes in that I'm tired of seeing medals being awarded like candy, especially the Medal of Valor. While Lt. Irwin's actions were heroic, and unfortunately fatal, I don't believe they rise to the standard of the highest medal the Public Service Department awards."

"Then what does?" thundered John Colby in his baritone voice. "Just what is the standard you think must be met? That is a serious question, Ms. Weston."

"Oh, I think saving children in the manner that Captain Croyle did, and Commander Troy did in earning his first MOV, is a consideration." said Susan Weston. "But I believe Lt. Irwin's actions were more on par with Chaplain Romano's, heroic but not meeting the MOV standard."

Malinda Adams chimed in: "I agree with the dissenting opinion of the Board of Inquiry, that Captain Croyle's failures led to Lt. Irwin's death. And that's another reason to downgrade the award." She looked over at Teresa with a look of happy triumph on her face, not realizing the only reason she was still alive is because my red crowbar was pressing Teresa's thigh, restraining my most very angry Captain...

"What we should do," said Sheila Sorrells, "is award Lt. Irwin the Police Cross. That is an acceptable compromise in this situation." I began to get the feeling that this as all orchestrated.

"Says you." replied Edward Steele venomously. "I say anything less than the Medal of Valor is an insult to Lt. Irwin's heroic sacrifice, and spitting in the face of the Police Force."

"I disagree." said Malinda Adams. "Our Peace Officers should not be engaging in warlike, paramilitary operations. Awarding the Medal of Valor for engaging in acts of war is an insult to the People of this County, and spitting in the face of our Peace Officers's true mission."

"So we should've just done nothing and let my nephew be murdered?" I thundered. "Is that what you're saying, Ms. Adams? You want the Police to just sit back and let the criminals rape and murder at their whim, and us do nothing about it?"

"You are mischaracterizing what I said." Malinda Adams said. "Our Peace Officers should be making arrests, not engaging in military actions meant to kill others."

Malinda Adams's comments were almost humorous enough to lighten the extreme tension in the room, and I suspected at that point everyone else realized it was getting silly.

"I move to amend the amendment," said Sheila Sorrells, "to award the Distinguished Police Cross to Lt. Irwin posthumously."

"Is there a second?" asked the Mayor. The room was silent for a moment, and it looked like no one would speak up.

"God damn you all." muttered Ian McGhillie. "I second the motion."

"You're taking their side?" asked Dagmar Schoen, her voice connoting disbelief.

"What do you want me to do?" shouted McGhillie, worn to exasperation. "Tell my son I let this failed Police Captain downgrade the award to a DSM?"

"All right, we have a motion on the floor, and seconded." said the Mayor tiredly. "Per the Rules of Order, if this Amendment is adopted, it supersedes the previous Amendment and becomes the Amendment to the original motion. Is there any further discussion?" There was none.

The vote was 5-4 to amend to the Police Cross, with McGillie being forced to vote for it because he seconded it. Susan Weston, knowing that, voted against the amendment in protest, as she desired the further downgrade.

"Okay," said the Mayor, "on the now-amended motion. Is there further discussion?" There was none. "Let's vote." said the Mayor.

The vote was 8-1, with Malinda Adams casting the protest vote against Lt. Irwin's 'warlike' actions. Politicians, I thought to myself. Can't live with 'em, can't shoot 'em... well, I could shoot them, and I sure wanted to at this moment...

Teresa was in utter shock, and it is possibly fortunate that she was too numb to move at the moment. Still, I watched over her, to make sure she didn't do something that I wanted to do myself.

"And the motion carries." said Mayor Allgood. "Do I hear a motion to adjourn, please?"

"I so move." said Edward Steele.

"I second." said John Colby.

"Without objection?" Daniel Allgood said. There were no objections. "We stand adjourned."

At that moment, Reginald B.F. Lewis broke out laughing and clapping. "We sure showed you goddamned Crackers!" he exulted.

"Mind your tone, Mr. Lewis." said the Mayor.

"Or what, you God damned illegitimate Mayor?" Lewis shouted. He turned to Teresa and said "Yeah, we denied your boy the MOV, and we did it to shove it up this Cracker racist illegitimate Mayor's lily-white ass!"

"Sergeant-at-Arms," said the Mayor, "arrest Councilman Lewis for disturbing the peace and using racist hate speech..."