Causing a Commotion Ch. 01

After a few moments of small talk, Jack said "Don, can I talk to you out on the deck?"

"Sure." I said. We made our way out on deck. I sat in the metal loveseat, and Jack sat in the chair to my right, next to the table. It was a nice day outside, sunny and warm but not hot.

"Did you hear about the bust the City Police made last night?" asked Jack.

"No." I said. "What happened?"

"They got Leon Mills." said Muscone. "And a wanted drug smuggler, Jenny Van Dyke."

"Really?!" I said, some excitement in my voice.

"Don't get too excited." said Jack. "A lot of strange things happened. First, Mills and Van Dyke were kidnapped. An undercover City cop tried to intervene, and one of the women knocked him out cold."

"Women?" I asked.

"Yes." said Muscone. "Two women. Wearing obvious wigs. And the one that knocked out the City cop was wearing a mask."

"Then, a few hours later," continued Muscone, "an anonymous tip was called in to E.J. Jefferson. They went to the City Diner parking lot, where they found Mills and Van Dyke in the trunk of Mills's car."

"Good." I said. "I need to tell E.J. that I need to talk to Mills."

"They're expecting your call." said Muscone. "But here's the problem. Mills and Van Dyke were worked over by the two women and a third woman, who they said was wearing a 'Batgirl' mask. One of the women that kidnapped Mills shot some kind of liquid into his testicles. The examining doctor thinks it was something like Coca-Cola. Mills has a bad case of blue balls... swollen and hurting... but he's expected to recover."

"The bad news," said Muscone, "is that Van Dyke demanded a lawyer, and she called Nathan Masterson of Gresham & Mason, P.C. He also took Mills under his legal wing, and intends to raise hell about Mills's injuries. Thankfully, the City Police videotaped everything they did regarding those two from the moment they opened the car trunk, so they won't take the fall for the torture. But who knows what might happen with the judges they have over there."

"True." I said. "So what did the undercover cop say? What was going on with Mills?"

"The undercover guy was with City Vice." said Muscone. "A relatively new drug pipeline had opened in the Red Light District, and they'd traced it to the 'Neon Blue' bar... I think it's called that... and noticed that Mills had picked up the same redheaded woman for four or five Saturday nights. Last night, a brunette tried to pick him up and he shooed her away, then the redhead came in and left with Mills. I might add that this undercover guy did not know that Mills was a former high-level SBI Agent."

Muscone went on: "The brunette that tried to pick up Mills was one of the two women that kidnapped him and Van Dyke, so the undercover man said. City Vice is speculating that these women were part of a group with competing interests, as in having their own drug operation. The martial arts skills displayed by the women also drew City Vice's interest. They had their data gurus bring up some data, and after seeing the results, Jefferson and Long called me. Care to guess whose name they came up with?"

"To call you, it would have to be either an interstate criminal or a CIA or ex-CIA or Disavowed-CIA person. My dear sister Elizabeth comes to mind when it comes to women in drug rackets, but my sister gave up the drug trade some time ago, and she is not with the CIA." That was an understatement, to be sure.

I went on: "Ergo... the only woman I can think of that has smuggling and CIA connections, and would have you sitting here talking to me about it on the deck of The Cabin, the great view notwithstanding... is Tomoko Shimono of the old Collins/Chen murder cases and attempt to blow up the nuclear plant."

"Four hundred years ago..." said Jack, shaking his head. But he was grinning, too. "That had to be, what, over two years ago?"

"Getting near three years ago. And it was while the Consultant was still alive and kicking." I said. "I always believed she was Westboro's deep mole in CIA and technology things. She was 'disavowed', and I haven't heard a peep about her since Westboro's timely passing... until now."

Muscone said "The Deputy Director thinks the current CIA Director is possibly using disavowed agents to augment his extracurricular operations, which involve undermining Israeli-related companies here and abroad. He may have been using May Cialis for such operations. It would make sense if Tomoko Shimono were involved; she would be perfect for such operations."

"But our question is more local." Muscone continued. "Is Shimono involved with these two women that took out Mills and Van Dyke?"

"And brought them back for the Police to find?" I replied. "That is a 'strangeness' to me, so I don't think Shimono is working with them. I would also suggest those women wanted something from Mills; ergo, burning his balls... 'better living through chemistry' at its very finest." I was nodding my head as I spoke, halfway in a reverie...

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

5:00pm, Sunday, September 23d. Jerome Davis was riding shotgun and I was driving my Police SUV as we drove towards the City to interview Leon Mills and Jenny Van Dyke. Their hearings would be the next morning, and I knew we needed to talk to them quickly.

Jerome was using the onboard computer to look up information. "Looks like Jenny Van Dyke was a pretty well-known drug runner in the Turpin Heights area a few years ago. The FBI and DEA opened investigations of her, then dropped them when word came out she was an undercover operative. Notation here says that someone in the CIA that vouched for her... a Tomoko Shimono."

"Tomoko Shimono is now on the CIA's 'disavowed' list." I replied. "And I've heard nothing of her for a while. Let me ask this: who in the FBI made that notation? Les Craig?"

Jerome typed a few seconds, then said "It... it doesn't say. The entry is there, but the name of whoever entered it is left blank."

"Interesting." I said. "Okay, if their lawyer is there, you'll talk to Mills first, which hopefully will leave me a few minutes to talk with Van Dyke before the legal beagle can get in there."

"Sir, you can't question her without a lawyer present." Jerome very correctly said.

"I'm not going to ask her any questions." I replied...

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

After greetings with E.J. Jefferson and Tony Long, we were taken to the interrogation rooms. The City Police Officers went with Jerome into Mills's room, and sure enough that drew Nathan Masterson there. Aided by Sapper Warren, I snuck into Jenny Van Dyke's interrogation room.

"Oh, yeah... they sent the good looking guy to talk to me." Jenny said flirtatiously, with a smile. I gave her a smile back, then, and without a word, I sat down on the other side of the table from her, and very dramatically put on a pair of octagonal-framed eyeglasses.

My action had the desired effect. Jenny recognized the family resemblance. "Oh my God." she said, smiling again. "You're her brother, aren't you?" I just nodded as she said "Yeah, she talked about you. A lot. She said you were as good as she was, but you were on the wrong side of the Law... the good side." She leaned back and said "So, how is Elizabeth doing?"

"Very well, last time I saw her." I said, which was true...

"She was the best, the very best." Jenny said, reminiscing. "She helped me set up in Southport and Turpin Heights. We had a great thing going. And then she walked away from it all. Turned herself in. I never understood why she did that."

"She wanted to live." I said. "And she did. She survived Westboro, as did you."

"Oh, him." Jenny said, her face falling. "Yeah, he was one mean bastard." She then looked up at me, making the connection. "But weren't you the guy who took that bastard down... Mister Iron Crowbar?" I just nodded my acquiescence.

Then I said "I can't ask you any questions without your lawyer present. So I can't ask you about Tomoko Shimono, and her involvement in your old drug ring."

"Who?" asked Jenny. "Never heard of her."

Just then the door flew open and Nathan Masterson charged in. "What the hell are you doing, Troy, questioning my client without me present?"

"He didn't ask her a single question." said Sapper Warren. "We've got it on tape, so zip your lip, Masterson."

"Yeah, right." muttered Masterson. "Jenny, this guy is a rattlesnake. Don't even give him the time of day..."

"Relax, baby." Jenny said. "He didn't ask me a thing. Didn't need to." She gave me another flirtatious smile, which irritated Masterson all the more.

"What do you want with my client, Troy?" Masterson said.

"I just wanted to let her know that my sister would never approve of a Jew-hater like you, Masterson, being Jenny's lawyer, here." I said, looking at Jenny. "Oh, I can't advise you to get new and better representation than this Jew-hater, here, Jenny... so I won't."

"Oh really?" Jenny said sourly, glancing skeptically at Masterson.

"What of it, you fucking kike-lover?" snarled Masterson.

"O-kayyyy, I think we're done here." I said. I then got up. "Okay, Sapper, let's go talk to Mills. Nice meeting you, Jenny."

"You too, handsome." Jenny said.

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

The interrogation rooms were split by an anteroom in the middle with one-way windows looking into each room. I went into that middle anteroom, where Jerome, Tony, and E.J. were.

"Masterson must've realized you were here." said Jerome. "He suddenly got up, told us to stop talking to Mills, and rushed out."

"Heh." I said. "So what did you get out of Mills?"

"I just asked him what he was doing in the City with a known drug-runner." Jerome said. "Mills said he was just picking up a whore to get a piece of ass. We didn't get much further."

"You gonna give it a shot, Commander?" asked E.J., who clearly wanted to watch me interrogate Mills.

"Why not?" I said. I handed the red crowbar to Jerome, then went into the hallway, where Masterson was waiting.

"You still here, Jew-hater?" I snarled at him. "I'm going to interrogate Mills now, so get in there and represent your client."

I went into the interrogation room, followed by the clearly rattled lawyer. When Mills saw me, his eyes lit up, but in a sardonic, disrespectful way.

"Well, if it ain't the Iron Crowbar." Mills said. "So tell me, how is Charlie Griswold doing?" He was trying to bait me into doing something to him, and he was about to get more than he bargained for.

"Leon, you're going to be tried for conspiracy to commit Charlie Griswold's murder." I said. "We have plenty of proof to get a conviction. Aggravating circumstances, so we'll be going for the Death Penalty."

"Stop trying to intimidate my client with your lies." warned Masterson.

"Think I'm lying, Mills?" I asked. "You'll see tomorrow, during your arraignment. Here's my proposition... give me Jack Lewis, tell me where he is... and I'll work with the City D.A. to get you reduced charges."

"My client is going to be released tomorrow." said Masterson. "Your fellow cops tortured him, violated his rights in the worst possible way."

"Not my fellow cops." I said. "But let me be clear, Mills: your incompetent lawyer here is giving you very, very bad advice, and making promises he can't keep. But if I make a promise, you can be assured that I will keep it. And the promise I'm making to you is that if you do not give me Jack Lewis... then I'm going to hold Charlie's murder against you."

"Threatening my clients again!" said Masterson. "That alone will get him freed tomorrow."

"We'll see." I said, getting up. "I'm not sure I would want to be freed and allowed to walk out of here, not without serious protection. Better get your legal beagle to guarantee your safety, Leon. The Police won't. The FBI won't. I won't."

With that, I turned and walked out. I went back to the anteroom.

"Er, Commander," said E.J. "That was pretty close to the line. The judges here tend to be activist, and might interpret your words as threats."

"Don't sweat it." I said. "The judge is going to be swamped with extradition requests at that hearing, including a few Federal ones. And if he does let Mills go..." I didn't continue; I just gave a little smile, a smile that bore no good will towards Leon Mills.

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

It was growing dark as Jerome and I went to the Federal Building. Inside the FBI offices, we found Jack Muscone. Talking with him was his boss, the EAD, wearing his trademark three-piece suit.

"How did it go with Mills and Van Dyke?" asked Muscone, as he had us sit down with them in the conference room.

"As well as could be expected," I said, "considering they're lawyered up. I did get something valuable out of Jenny Van Dyke, so it's wasn't a wasted trip."

"That she knew your sister?" asked the EAD. I just shrugged.

"That," I said, "and the fact that Leon Mills is here in the City, when everyone was saying he was in the Southport area. That might be suggestive with regard to where Jack Lewis is."

"You think Mills is helping Lewis?" asked the EAD.

"Lewis and Ferrell need money." I said. "Jenny Van Dyke's presence suggests drugs, which desperate criminals sell to make money. So Leon Mills going to her does not shock me."

"What about Tomoko Shimono?" asked the EAD. "Fill me in about her involvement with that case of yours."

I did so, with Jack Muscone filling in some details of the Feds's pursuit of the disavowed CIA agent. The EAD seemed very interested.

"Jack, it sounds like we really need to pursue this Shimono woman." said the EAD. "Let's get an APB out for her. And see if we can get Mills and Van Dyke into Federal custody, to see if they can give us a lead on Shimono. Commander, can we count on your help in this pursuit?"

"Indirectly, sir." I said. "But I've been told by my boss, that being my wife, to concentrate on 'local' things. I'm going to be concentrating on pursuing Jack Lewis and Richard Ferrell."

"Good enough." said the EAD. "Okay, I need to go call Washington and brief them." He made his goodbyes and left.

As we got up to go, I said quietly to Muscone: "Jack, do me a favor, and please don't mention this to anyone else. We were looking at Van Dyke's records, and she was vouched for as an undercover agent by Tomoko Shimono. Can you find out which FBI Agent made that notation in the file?"

"I'd think it'd be Les Craig." said Muscone. "He was in Southport all that time."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd confirm that, or not." I said.

"Hmmmm, when you ask things like that, you have some idea in that red head of yours." said Muscone, making Jerome laugh. "Spill it."

"I think you'll understand my need for secrecy when you get the answer." was all I'd say in reply...

Part 3 - Morning Coffee

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Fox Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Monday, September 24th, from in front of City Hall. "Fox Two News has learned that former SBI Lieutenant Leon Mills was arrested in the City over the weekend!"

Bettina began: "Leon Mills is wanted by Local, State, and Federal authorities for various crimes, including conspiracy to commit the murder of Charlie Griswold, son of Town & County Sheriff Candidate Antonio Griswold. City Police said that Mills and another person were arrested after Police acted upon an anonymous tip. But Nathan Masterson, attorney for Mr. Mills, said that Mills was tortured and injected with acid before being found by Police, who deny any involvement in any torture of Mr. Mills."

"In State news," said Bettina, "politicians are throwing their hats into the ring for the Lieutenant Governor position! Attorney General Karl Handel, who is not up for re-election as A.G. for two more years, has announced he is running for the Republican nomination, as is State Secretary of State Brian Cagle. Republican Legislators were urging State House Speaker John Paul Newton to run for Lt. Governor, but Mr. Newton issued a statement saying he was not going to run for the position."

"On the Democrat side," continued Bettina, "State Senator Maxine Watts had declared she will run for her Party's nomination. She will be opposed by Coltrane County's State Representative, Isaac Jacobson. State Senator Katherine Woodburn has said she has no interest in running for the Lt. Governor position at this time, but she has urged other Democrats to consider running."

"While no one can run for two positions at the same time, per State Law," said Bettina, "anyone can run for their Party's nomination in the caucuses, and only the actual nominee will be prohibited from running or re-running for other positions. We have with us Karl Frazier of Public Policy Polling. Karl, what's the situation?"

"Bettina," said Frazier, "it's somewhat of a paradox that the Democrats are so confident of a 'wave' election in the Legislature that they don't want to give up their seats in the Legislature to run for Lieutenant Governor. But we do expect Sean Stockton to consider a run on the Republican side."

"What about Wilson Hammonds?" asked Bettina.

"I believe the Republicans were pushing John Paul Newton to run for Lt. Governor so that Hammonds could be Speaker." said Frazier. "But if the Democrats win both Houses of the State Legislature, and it increasingly looks like will happen, then Hammonds would be no more than Minority Leader. So we'll see if he goes ahead and runs for the Lt. Governor slot."

"What about locally, Karl?" asked Bettina. "It looks like Daniel Allgood is beginning to pull ahead of Eldrick X. Weaver."

"It's still very close, Bettina." said Frazier. "There's plenty of time for Allgood to say something stupid, like Republican candidates always do."

"What about the Sheriff's race, Karl?" asked Bettina. "Any hope for Della Harlow?"

"Chief Griswold does have a solid lead." said Frazier. "But Commander Troy's unpopularity, his attacks on the Press, who are just doing their jobs, and his heavy-handed Police tactics could sway voters..."

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

"I am a political atheist, and I don't really care who wins." said Cindy. "But this train wreck of a Lt. Governor's race is a lot of fun to watch."

We were in the Chief's Conference Room. The Chief had decided that neither my office's sofa nor 'hot chairs' were sufficiently comfortable for him, so he had a piece of hard plastic put in from the door to the nearest spot at the near side of the table, so that Tanya could drive up to the table on it. Teresa was to Tanya's right, and the Chief at the near end of the table. I was to the Chief's left on the far side, and Cindy to my left. We were watching the monitor on the wall at the far end of the table as we drank our coffee.

"The train wreck will be October 9th," I said, "when the caucuses get together to cast ballots. It's going to be war on the Republican side."

"If the Democrats' only choices are the... polarizing ...Maxine Watts and the relatively minor Jacobson," Tanya said, "that's going to be... 'interesting', too."

I realized that everyone's eyes were turned to me. "What?" I asked.

"Mr. Crowbarrrrr," drawled the Chief, "do you have any prognostications on these political racessssss?"

"As 'unpopular' as I am?" I quipped. "No, not really. And I have to agree with Commander Ross... it's hard for me to really care, right about now."

"Yeah, it's football season." said Teresa. I pointed at her and nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Since I have you all here nowwww," drawled the Chief, "let's take a moment and talk about actual Police business. What is the Leon Mills situation?"

"Mills was captured by City Police, acting upon an anonymous tip." I said. "It's a very strange story, though. He and a woman named Jenny Van Dyke were kidnapped from the parking lot of a bar called 'Neon Blue'. Sleazy strip joint. It is believed that the kidnappers were two women---"