Consequences Ch. 01

"Miriam is a fool." said Teresa Croyle.

"She's the duly elected District Attorney." chided Chief Moynahan. "We may not like some of her decisions, but they are hers to make."

"Chief," I said, "racial discrimination is not something to be excused just because Walters is elected-------"

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

Saved by the bell, so to speak. We'll never know the outcome of my insubordinate 'fronting of the Chief as I answered my Police iPhone. "Troy." I said. "Yes... now?... right now?... okay... yes, I'll get her. We'll be there in ten minutes..."

After disconnecting, I rose from my chair. "That was Walters. She wants me and Teresa at the Courthouse now. Right now."

"Why?!" Teresa asked, a stronger connotation of anger in her voice.

"It doesn't matter whyyyyy." said the Chief, a connotation of authority in his voice. "Go. Get moving."

"Croyle, Muscone, my office. Quickly." I said.

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

"We don't have a lot of time." I said as we gathered in my office. "Teresa, go put the entire Police Force on high alert. Put out the word to the Precincts and the Duty Desk here that loddy-doddy all Officers are to wear armor at all times while in public. Tanya, tell Intelligence and the Detectives to begin actively looking for groups that may become larger protests or demonstrations. Be prepared to interdict and shut down any demonstrations that start growing, even if they're relatively peaceful."

Tanya drove out. Teresa stopped at the door, then turned and said "Who's in charge while you and I are at the Courthouse?"

"The Chief." I said...

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

"Off the record or for the record," Teresa said as we drove out of the parking lot in my Police SUV, "the Chief is starting to piss me off again."

"I suspect the feeling is mutual." I replied. "And remember, unlike D.A. Walters, he IS the boss of us." Teresa said nothing, which worried me more than if she'd replied.

I parked my Police SUV in the "Authorized Vehicles Only" lot behind the Courthouse. I drove it just in case there was an emergency of magnitude enough that I'd need it and could get right to it.

We were escorted by a Deputy Sheriff to the Courtroom called 'New Courtroom'. The old Courtroom was the first one in the original Courthouse, and was still often used for large trials. 'New Courtroom' was the first Courtroom built in the new complex, and was larger than the other Courtrooms in the complex but smaller than Old Courtroom. There were already reporters in the room. D.A. Walters and ADA Patterson were in the Witness Room, off to the side of the main entrance to the gallery of New Courtroom.

"It's about time you got here." said D.A. Walters as we went into the Witness Room.

"Where's the frickin' fire?" I asked curtly.

"You're witnesses." said Miriam. "You're supposed to be here."

"Court's not even in session yet!" Teresa said. "And they have to impanel a Jury!"

"I didn't ask you." Miriam snarled, looking darkly at Teresa. That got Your Iron Crowbar in her face.

"You do not speak to my Operations Commander like that." I hissed. "You show her some respect, or I'll hand you your ass on the end of a crowbar."

"Touchy, touchy." Miriam said witheringly, trying to both mitigate and 'win' the brewing situation.

"You're about to find out just how 'touchy' I will get, when you disrespect my people like you just did." I growled.

Miriam's beady black eyes tried to hold my fire-spitting gray peepers, then she turned to Paulina and said "Are your witnesses prepped?"

"Yesss." Paulina said witheringly, looking at Miriam as if Miriam were a turd on the floor. "I prepped them last week and over the weekend."

"Good." Miriam said curtly. "You have a lot riding on this case." She turned to me and said "As do you, Commander Troy."

She was about to leave, but found her way blocked... by a red crowbar. "Commander Croyle," I said, "why don't you step outside and guard the door. No one is to come in or out without my say-so."

"Yes sir. With pleasure." Teresa said. She opened the door... and in walked Town & County Sheriff Antonio Griswold.

"Ms. Patterson," growled the Sheriff, "why don't you and my Commanders get a cup of coffee, while I have a moment of stimulating conversation with the District Attorney here." As we turned to go, he said "You can leave that crowbar with me, Commander."

Yeah, I was shocked, but I handed my crowbar to him. "It packs a punch, Sheriff." I said. "Feel free to find that out for yourself." I turned and exited the room.

In the hallway, Teresa, Paulina, and several Deputies were looking at me. Teresa said: "I'm glad the Sheriff got here when he did. I have a feeling it was about to get ugly."

"It's getting ugly in there now." I said. "And it wasn't a coincidence that the Sheriff showed up." I pulled out my Police iPhone and showed that it had been on an open line with the Sheriff.

"Wowwww." said Teresa. "But why?"

I said "The Sheriff suggested it the other day, though we thought it'd be Savannah Fineman playing that game this morning. And that's why I gave the orders to go on high alert. No better time to start something then when you and I are all but locked away in the Courthouse."

"Sir," said Teresa, "if something breaks out, I'm going to leave and lead my Officers, no matter what the consequences."

"And I'll be right with you-------" I started, but was stopped by a cannonball firing out of the Witness Room in the form of D.A. Walters, who took off down the hallway. The Sheriff was standing in the doorway.

"Come on inside." the Sheriff said. "You too, Ms. Patterson..."

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

We went into the Witness Room and sat down at the table. The Sheriff said "I told Walters that if you didn't barbecue her ass on a spit for what she said to Teresa, I was next in line to do it. She doesn't seem to understand the concept of 'taking up for one's people' like you do, Crowbar."

"No doubt about that, Sheriff." I said.

"I also told her that she was 'not helping' by making comments about the importance of the trial." said the Sheriff. "I told her that she might be threatening Paulina's job, but she should consider that if any riots happen, my Police Officers could be injured or killed, and she damn well better hope that doesn't happen. That's when she left the room in a huff."

Griswold: "And Paulina, I know you won't want to do this... but when this trial is over, you need to consider bringing a racial harassment complaint against Walters, no matter the trial's outcome..."

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

Paulina went into the Courtroom as Court went into session. Teresa and I had our own Witness Room, as other witnesses were sequestered in another room.

Teresa said "They're going to sequester the Jury, so I worked with Chief Bailiff Alexander to make sure security is good at University Hotel."

I nodded. "Wow... sequestering the Jury. Is this really that big?"

Teresa said "Judge Watts told Chief Bailiff Alexander that he doesn't trust the Media not to contact the Jury if they're not sequestered. If you ever start a Media Hate Club, Judge Watts will be the first to join it."

I chuckled. "And it'll be a big club, too."

Teresa said "Oh, I was going to ask you, sir... After all this is over, if Intel is not busy, can I get one or two of them to help me find out about Amy's family, if she had any?"

I peered at her. "Don't you have enough to do already?" I asked.

Teresa said "More than enough, sir. But this business about my own family that's come up... a family I never knew I had. Well, it's made me wonder if Amy had family like that, and they might like to know what happened to her."

"I have no problem with you looking." I said. "But be prepared to find out that the results may not be what you expect... nor want to see."

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

At 5:00pm, the Judge sent word that the witnesses could go home for the day. "They might get a jury seated sometime tonight," said the Bailiff that came to give us the word, "but even if they do, there won't be any testimony today."

An hour later, I was in my office, catching up on the Police Department's busy day, when Sheriff Griswold came in. "They seated a Jury." he said as I poured him and myself 'medicinal' shots of bourbon from my stash in my drawer. "Seven men, five women. Eight whites, four blacks."

I nodded. "Sheriff, if I may ask... why did you tell Paulina to file the racial discrimination complaint against Walters?"

"I would think it'd be obvious to the Iron Crowbar." replied the Sheriff.

"Maybe I'm too close to it, Iron Klingon." I replied.

The Sheriff nodded, then said "I could say it's because Walters is out of her tree and in over her head, and she needs to be brought down a notch. But that's not the reason, and yes, Crowbar, you're too close. Miriam hates Paulina, and not because Paulina is black... but because Paulina is good, and better than Miriam. And Miriam hates you for the same reasons, as Krasney hated you... because you're too damn good for their own good."

Our Sheriff: "Paulina's only recourse to save her job is to play the race card, for right for for wrong. And if she doesn't, Miriam will either get rid of her, or make her life so miserable that Paulina will leave. And either way, Paulina will find an ADA job elsewhere."

Our Sheriff: "And if I may be so presumptuous... Crowbar, your children are the closest thing I have to grandchildren... and Tasha is one of my grandchildren. And I want her growing up with her family, and with me watching her grow up."

He stood up. "Thanks for the drink. Now go home and get some rest. You've got some big days ahead of you."

I'd stood up when the Sheriff had out of respect and decorum. "Thank you, sir." After he left, I cleaned up the glasses and then headed out for home.

The Sheriff was right, and he was seeing the stakes as clearly as I was. Everything was on the line. Not just a trial of a dirty cop, that was big. But it was a whole lot more.

I'd lost one daughter... and I sure as hell did not want to lose another one...

To be continued.