Casting Aspersions Ch. 04

"And as you ladies know," continued the Sheriff, "Commander Troy is an imposing specimen of a man that is easy to see and hard to forget. If he'd been at that University function before Ms. Hopper's murder, someone would've seen him and remembered seeing him. But no one did, because he was not there."

Meredith asked: "What about our competitor Tim Sioban's sworn statement to the SBI?"

Sheriff Griswold replied "Tim Sioban made statements to the SBI that can't be proved false because Louella Hopper is dead. But in my personal opinion based upon decades of law enforcement experience, Sioban's comments are bogus. Even so, the SBI did its job and investigated Commander Troy's alleged involvement more thoroughly, including interviewing him formally. So far they've found nothing at all to even suggest that Louella Hopper knew Commander Troy, nor he her. And Commander Troy did recuse himself from the Hopper case, which was the fully proper thing to do."

Catrina: "Do you believe there is hostile intent in our competitors' reporting towards Commander Troy, Sheriff?"

"I sure as hell do." growled Griswold. "Commander Troy's actions have been nothing but honorable, and bring great credit to our Police Force. For your competitors to smear his name, not to mention seemingly trying to get him murdered with that terribly irresponsible reporting, is reprehensible on KXTC's part..."

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

"Wow!" Cindy Ross said as my Angels and I watched in my office. "That was awesome!"

"Our Sheriff takes care of his people." I said. "And I am obviously not the only one getting sick and tired of KXTC's antics."

"Could Tim Sioban sue him for slander?" asked Teresa Croyle.

"He could try, and knowing the sheer arrogance of the Press, he might." I said. "After all, how dare anyone question Sioban after he's told us exactly what to think!"

I continued: "But then the Sheriff gets up there and cites a half century of Police experience with dishonest suspects that leads him to form the personal and First-Amendment-protected opinion that Sioban's statement was not truthful. More practically speaking, I think Sioban and Bettina have taken their shot at me, and would probably like for their names to begin disappearing from this whole story."

"Commander," said Tanya Perlman, "has anyone attempted to interview you over last night's attack?"

"Not yet." I said. "The rest of the Press is figuring out that as long as KXTC has anyone in the Press Room, I won't go in there and answer anyone's questions. I've given statements to KFXU, KCAP, and Fox Midtown upon requests with the proviso they not share with KXTC and now KSB."

"And some of them are scared shitless of the Iron Crowbar." Cindy said emphatically. "Even though we know he's just a big ol' teddy bear." Everyone laughed mightily at that.

"Okay, let's get down to business." I said. "Tanya, I cannot hear about the Louella Hopper case, but if you were to tell your fellow Angels in my presence, I'd listen in quietly."

"No need." Tanya said, a bit sadly "The Chief and I agree that we should hand it off to the SBI and Campus Police entirely. With you and your mom having to recuse yourselves, and Bettina and Tim Sioban trying to frame you for murder, even if we do catch whoever did it, the legal case would make 'Court TV' blow up." We laughed again at that last bit.

"Yeah, you're right." I said. "And I'm willing to bet the case never gets solved."

"You know who did it?" Cindy asked.

I just shrugged my shoulders, then said "And maybe it's for the best that the culprits are never found."

"Okayyyyy... well, changing the subject," Cindy said, "I need to report a case of insubordination last night. I literally got pushed out of the way of your vehicle by a Police Captain with a red crowbar and a bad attitude."

"As slow as you were being with that green crowbar," I said, "I was about to get a bad attitude, too."

"Sir," said Teresa, "I think someone is just jealous that the red crowbar again succeeded where the green one failed... you know, like in the Police Boxing Matches?" I could not hold my laughter back, not that I tried all that hard.

"I'm sorry, Commander Ross." I finally was able to say. "I'm having selective memory issues about that particular moment in time last night. The alleged insubordination will have to be... dismissed..."

Part 20 - Like Mother, Like Son (The Solution)

Saturday, July 20th. If memory serves me correctly, an historic moon landing was made on this day some five decades ago. It was also Laura and my wedding anniversary, so I took her breakfast in bed in the morning, with Carole helping out.

The Usual Suspects were at The Cabin, those being Carole, Marie, Jim, Ross, Ian, and Tasha, their various parents and grandparents, and their various outstanding dogs... and cats.

"It would seem," Laura was telling Molly, Paulina, my mother Phyllis, Stephanie Steele, and Selena Steele, "that someone began putting cat food on the other side of the deck rail at the far end of the deck. The dogs can't get to it, but we now have a gray and black striped cat that can. And I think she found a little hole that goes under the house, where she had her kittens. The meowing was driving Bowser and Buddy crazy for a while, looking for them from inside the house."

"Who put out the food?" asked Selena Steele.

"Daddy." said Carole, looking up from her drawing. "But Tiger Mom won't let him pet her yet."

"Tiger Mom?" asked Paulina.

"Yeah, because she has tiger stripes." said Marie, who just happened to be drawing a picture of a cat with tiger stripes.

"And she's a mom because she had kitties." said Carole.

I'd heard the conversation as I'd come down the stairs from the attic room. I came into the greatroom, followed by three boys. "Okay, I'm about to start cooking some lunch. What does everyone want?"

"HAMBURGERS!" yelled three boys.

"Sounds good to me!" said Marie enthusiastically.

"We'll make some salads, as well." said Phyllis.

"And stringbeans!" said Ross. I think he was surprised when Jim did not join him in that directed banter."

"You'll be eating those stringbeans yourself!" Carole replied a bit hotly.

"Today does not feel like a stringbean day, Ross." I said. "But hamburgers and salads? I can handle that..."

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

After lunch, My mom and I went downstairs to the basement, where I was showing her the beginnings of the refurbishments.

"It's like what we did at the Mountain Nest for your MIL apartment." I said. "I had already run water lines, electric outlets, internet and cable down here when I re-built The Cabin, so we'll have a bathroom on the far end, there, the bedroom with a window view, albeit under the deck, another smaller bedroom for the boys, a small kitchen area and a table, and storage space along the little hallway that runs against the side of the mountain. Emergency Exit doors, of course."

"But no den or living room." my mother said. "Just this wide spot of hallway at the landing of the stairs."

"True." I said. "But Molly can have a TV in her bedroom. And of course she and the boys can be upstairs in the greatroom and the rest of the Cabin. This is just a more private space for her when we're here for the weekends."

"So Molly is moving in, eh?" my mother asked as we sat down on a couple of folding chairs.

"Yes." I said. "And the boys will be going to school here. Ross will be going together with Jim. Molly is keeping her condo in Nextdoor County, as well, for when she has to stay there for any reason. It's paid off... thanks to her sister's father."

"Oh. Him." Phyllis said disdainfully.

"Now, Mom, Uncle Harvey has been very good to all of us." I said. "And Cindy is his daughter, of course."

"I know, son." said Phyllis. "But that man, he gets his claws into... everything."

I decided I should change the subject. "Changing the subject," I said, "I guess you've figured out who killed Louella Hopper."

"Oh of course, son." said Phyllis. "Is it not obvious?"

"I finally got the right thread." I said. "When I realized how shocked you were at hearing Melina had had a hysterectomy."

"And an abortion, as well." Phyllis said. "Someone near and dear to me recognized Melina at the Planned Parenthood facility." That was Cindy, though my mother may not have known I knew. (Author's note: 'The Guardians of Justice', Ch. 06.)

Phyllis continued: "I also saw Melina and young Benny Black at my grandson's wedding." (Author's note: 'Soap Opera', Ch. 04.) "It was very obvious that there was a strong physical attraction, there, and that Melina and Benny Black would soon be having a sexual affair."

I said: "And one of Louella Hopper's items was that Benny Black had been seen in the City. The story was that he was gambling in an underground casino, but why would he do that when he could go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, Nevada, and gamble legally? No, that story would not do. It was obviously a blind, a cover, in case Benny, who is now a big star on the soap opera 'Days of Promise', was seen in the City. His real reason must've been to visit Melina."

"Yes, son." said Phyllis. "And what's more, I realized, as I'm sure you did, that Benny had probably done some waitering in his past, and that he is a good actor. He could easily play a waiter at that dinner, and could've injected Louella when she went into the employee's area to get to the side room where she died."

"Benny also could have been the Uber driver that brought her over." I said. "So she was under his control all along."

"But what is the motive?" my mother asked.

"I have an idea about that." I said. "But first, let's look at Melina's part in it. Military Special Forces units discovered the drugs used to kill Louella being made in Central or South America. After that P.I. in the City was killed, a DIA doctor realized what the materials were... a (D)efense (I)ntelligence (A)gency doctor. My point being that the Intelligence Community knew about those drugs, which means Melina knew about them. How she did it, and how she got some of them, I don't know... and I probably don't want to know. But that is what was used on both Louella's P.I. in the City, and then on Louella herself."

"And again," my mother persisted, "I'm at a loss for the motive. To protect her husband, maybe? Or prevent him from finding out about her extramarital affair?"

"Maybe," I said, "but I think there's a lot more to it. First, I think we can be very comfortable questioning what Benny Black really is. Certainly he is a lot more than a male porn star turned soap opera heartthrob. It was Callie Carrington that recruited him into the porn business" (Author's note: 'The Saga Continues', Ch. 05.), "and we know who she works for and who recruited her into a certain Federal 'Company'. So he and Melina may be secretly working together on more than their sexual techniques."

I continued: "But even more, Mom, is the thread that has been running through that whole case... the Federal Government, more specifically the FBI, giving Louella information. And I think that is what Louella wanted to talk to you and Elsie about."

"What do you mean, son?" my mother asked.

I replied: "Some of it was about Bettina, which I think is not what Jack Muscone thinks it is, and will come to hurt us. I think Louella wanted to tell Elsie that the Feds were setting up Elsie's niece in some way. And then there was the information about me and McGinty's Materials. My thesis is that Louella was about to come out with those things, and when her P.I. came over all dead trying to confirm it, she might've realized she was being fed disinformation... and maybe being set up. Ergo, your breakfast meeting was for Louella to tell Elsie that Bettina was being set up by the Feds, and Louella wanted to tell you that your son was being set up over McGinty Materials."

"That certainly makes sense, son." my mother said. "But it seems over the top to kill Louella for any of that."

"True." I said. "Unfortunately, Melina, a Guardian of Justice, and her lover Benny did not realize that Louella was meeting with you and Elsie. They only knew what they knew, and they worked together to eliminate the threats as they perceived them.

"You know, son," my mother said, "that may not have been all that unfortunate. Louella may have wanted to to tell Elsie and me about those things, like you said. But she was still going to put stuff out there. Perhaps Melina was also protecting... others."

"That could well be." I said. "I'm not beholden to my theories here as if they are the Gospel truth. Anyhoo, they did not entirely succeed in protecting me. It's still potentially very ugly for me, you, and our family, if we're not careful."

"Yes." said my mother. "And I'm not sure what the solution to that is... except McGinty's Materials being found and turned over to the Police."

"And how do we do that, if they don't exist? Or don't exist any longer?" I asked.

"I don't know, son." my mother said. "But I am sure that you or someone will figure out a way." For some reason, those words struck me. Then my mother said "So, son, what did Louella really tell Tim Sioban right before she died?"

"Unless Tim Sioban comes correct and tells us, which he never will because he will be admitting to perjury," I said, "I don't think we'll ever know. She may have been telling him that some idiot waiter ran into her in the back hallway, and that he looked like her Uber driver. Or she may have been recounting her horror stories about her delays and getting to the event so late. Time will tell on that."

"Yes, time will tell." said my mother. "Why don't we go back upstairs, son, and rejoin the others." As we got up, I thought I heard a slight creak on the stairs. Had someone been listening to us? I wondered to myself...

Part 21 - Declarations of War

Tuesday, July 23d. The Council Members filed into the Public Chamber and took their seats. Mayor Daniel Allgood gaveled the Session into order. "First of all," he said, "Councilman J.P. Goldman has made a full recovery, and I'm glad to welcome him back."

The Mayor, many in the audience, and most of the Council Members applauded with various degrees of politeness. Kelly Carnes, Reginald B.F. Lewis, and Malinda Adams did not, choosing instead to sit on their hands in studied silence.

And no one drank of the bottled waters that had been placed in front of them.

After the routine of the public meeting, Reginald B.F. Lewis said "I move we go into Executive Session for the Second Reading of the Bill from last week's meeting."

"I second." said Kelly Carnes.

"Discussion?" said the Mayor.

"We do not need to go into Executive Session to vote on the Second Reading here." said John Colby. "So I'll be voting against."

"I'll be voting for the Executive Session." said J.P. Goldman, shocking everyone. "I have something I want to say to these Council Members." The vote was taken, and approved by a 6-4 vote.

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

"What's this about?" Teresa Croyle asked as we followed the Council Members up the stairs, having been asked by J.P. Goldman to attend.

"I have no idea." I replied, noticing that Jocelyn Moran and her two henchmen were behind us, as was Daniel Allgood's lawyer and a videocamera operator.

We went into the private Council chamber, where Teresa and I sat to the side with the Sergeant-At-Arms, Moran, her slugs, and Mayor Allgood's lawyer. The Mayor tapped the session into order.

"First," said the Mayor, "Mr. Goldman will speak. I will entertain no points of order, and I will not tolerate any interruptions. Mr. Goldman?"

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor." said Goldman. He stood up but remained at his place rather than go to the podium. "Last week, I was deliberately poisoned. Because of my age and the concentration of the poison, both the Police and myself consider the act to be not just an attempt to incapacitate me, but an attempt to murder me."

"Oh, come on----" Kelly Carnes started.

"SHUT YOUR GOD DAMN MOUTH, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Goldman yelled at the top of his lungs, his face red with fury. Everyone except Kelly Carnes looked at him in total shock. Her face was one of anger and hatred, matching his own display of hatred.

"And if I don't?" Kelly Carnes said, rising to her feet. So did Teresa Croyle.

"Then I'll arrest you on the spot, bitch." the Iron Wolf said. "And I will make sure that any accusation of excessive use of force will be well justified."

"Sit down, Carnes." said Mayor Allgood. "Or leave the meeting. Or get arrested. You have the floor, Mr. Goldman."

"As I was saying," said Goldman, "the attempt to harm me was an attempt to kill me, and I'm sure as hell taking it as such. The Police are investigating, and have sworn testimony that the attack on me, as well as Mr. McGhillie though he didn't drink his poisoned water, was targeted specifically at us... and was politically motivated."

"That's bullshit." said Kelly Carnes.

"One more word, Carnes." said Mayor Allgood, tapping his gavel. "And if you haven't figured it out yet, that Police Captain behind you is very, very eager to arrest you."

"Politically motivated!" yelled J.P. Goldman. "I was poisoned, and could have been killed, solely to upset the balance of this Council, so that you God cursed Democrats could vote to deny a dead Police hero the Medal of Valor he deserved! Mark my words... conciliation is over. Working together... is over. Compromise... is over. I am devoting the rest of my life to utterly destroying you Democrats, to destroying your evil philosophy, to stopping you from spitting in the face of the Police. This is a declaration of war! and you will regret the day you had me poisoned. Starting with you, Carnes. Better be sure about your campaign finances."

"Is that a threat?" Carnes hissed back.

"Call it a prediction." I said clearly. "And I'll predict more: Campaign finance violations. Money laundering. I've already got the proof. And I'm coming for you, Carnes. I'm coming for you."

"So that's how you're playing it, Commander?" said Susan Weston. "Making threats against Council Members to suppress our voices?"

"No, former Captain Weston." I said. "Just enforcing the law, as you shall soon see."

"Let's move on." said Mayor Allgood, trying not to grin. "Second reading of the bill from last week..."

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

After the meeting was over, Susan Weston about tripped over herself to get to me as I stood up. "That was so beneath you, Commander. Very disappointing."

"You think so?" I said. "Just watch."

Kelly Carnes had gotten up and was first to the door. It opened to reveal District Attorney Miriam Walters, Sheriff Antonio Griswold, and two Deputies.

"Kelly Carnes," D.A. Walters said loudly, "this is a warrant for your arrest, for campaign finance laws violations and money laundering."

"You better hurry." I said to Teresa.

And indeed, the Iron Wolf very quickly went up behind Carnes and said "Put your hands behind your back." Carnes was stock-still with shock, and Teresa had no problem affixing handcuffs as she said "You have the right to remain silent..." She led Carnes out into the hallway, where a gaggle of Press, with cameras, filmed the perp walk.

"Y'all have a nice day." I said as I went to the door. "And I sure hope your own finances are clean. Especially yours, Ms. Weston. Especially yours." With that, I exited the Chamber, and was proud of myself that I did not begin grinning like the Cheshire Cat until I was well down the hallway...

Part 22 - Education

"Your chariot awaits, mon Commandant!" said Cindy Ross at 10:00am, Wednesday, July 24th. We went outside to the Employees parking lot, followed by a lot of curious Detectives and Officers.