Consequences Ch. 05

"Dayum!" said Lindsey Black. "That's a thought... and definitely a trick that would come to the Iron Crowbar's mind. But where could he get technology like that?"

"I'll pretend you didn't ask that." said Nash, trying to be humorous, but failing and therefore sounding offensive. "Troy's wife was formerly the Deputy Director of the CIA's Science and Technology Directorate. His uncle is Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart of 'The Vision', and Troy is tight with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Army General McFarland. Any of those would do."

"That also explains why Holder was in so many pieces." said Lindsey Black. If the transmitter was on the collar of his jacket, then that's where the rocket would've gone. That poor S.O.B. never had a chance..."

Part 26 - Assisting with their Inquiries

Monday, June 29th. As we gathered in the Chief's Conference Room for the coffee klatch, Chief Moynahan disappeared for a moment. When he came back, he had ADA Paulina Patterson with him.

"I hope you don't minnnnd me asking Mr. Crowbar's fourth Angel to have coffee with us." said the Chief.

"Not at all." I said. My three Angels enthusiastically agreed, as did the Sheriff, who expertly used the remote to turn on the television monitor.

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am sharp, from the parking lot of the Federal Building, with said building in the background. "The Federal investigation of the Block House incident continues!"

Bettina began: "Federal Agents continue to look into the explosion that claimed eight lives, including wanted suspect Jacquez Wilson and KXTC reporter Lester Holder. The investigation being led by FBI Assistant Special Agent In Charge Karina White has found evidence that Jacquez Wilson and his gang, called the 'Block House Boyz', illegally purchased quantities of C-4 explosives, which were identified as the explosives that detonated in the building."

Bettina: "However, an independent investigation requested by the US DOJ Civil Rights Division and Director of National Intelligence Brendan Chapel has found evidence that the explosion could have been triggered by external means. With me is former TCPD Detective and now Special Agent with the FBI's Office of Professional Responsibility, Martin Nash. Agent Nash, it's been a minute since we've seen you."

The camera panned out to show Martin Nash standing next to Bettina, who said "Good to see you again, Bettina."

Bettina: "Agent Nash, what is your investigation finding that the other one is not?"

Nash: "I wouldn't say we've found anything that ASAC White's investigation hasn't, but we're following some additional lines of inquiry regarding the confrontation, particularly regarding your colleague Lester Holder's presence. We believe the videocamera he was using to interview Wilson may have been the signal transmission source that someone honed in on to trigger the explosives."

"Our camera?" asked Bettina skeptically.

"Not intentionally, of course." said Martin Nash. "But the camera was the only active transmitter in the building at the time of the explosion, as all the cellphones inside were turned off. As you may know, strong radio signals can possibly trigger blasting caps, which could have caused the wired building to explode prematurely."

"Oh my gosh!" Bettina said. "That would be tragic for our colleague. Thank you, Agent Nash." As the camera zoomed in on her again, she said "And now we have an exciting announcement! KXTC has been repurchased by its former owner, now-State-Senator Katherine Woodburn!"

As the camera panned out to show Katherine Woodburn, Bettina said "The FCC's ban on Senator Woodburn's ownership of a media company was lifted, and the newly reconstituted Woodburn Media Group has bought KXTC! Senator Woodburn...welcome back!"

"Thank you, Bettina." said Katherine Woodburn. "While I am serving as the 1st District's State Senator, I will not have an active role in the operations of KXTC. And so I am proud to announce that KXTC's new Executive Publisher is none other than... Bettina Wurtzburg!"

After a pause, Katherine said "Burt West and KXTC have mutually agreed to part ways, and we wish him well in his endeavors. And one directive I have given Bettina and her colleagues at KXTC is for them to make Channel Two News the most accurate and trustworthy news source anywhere..."

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

I was sitting there, speechless, my eyes wide as saucers. Some things do get past me, and this was one of them.

Cindy Ross was going for her iPhone, but I pointed across the table at her without removing my eyes from the monitor, and I said "Do not even think about taking a photo of me."

"Awww." pouted Tanya Muscone, but with a wickedly cherubic look on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. "But we may never get to see a surprised look on your face again, Don."

"So explain this one, Crowbar." growled Sheriff Griswold.

Then he and everyone realized I was in a reverie. But it only lasted a few seconds, and then I came out of it and sipped my coffee. "Okay, that must be it." I said to myself. "Genius, too..."

"Don't even try to not tell us." Cindy 'warned' me.

"I'll just give you three words, and then I'll say no more about it, and you'll have to figure it out yourselves." I paused, then said "Quid. Pro. Quo."

Though I tried not to, my eyes glanced at Paulina. She caught my glance, and I think she understood. My three Angels had some mental work to do, though...

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

7:50am. My three Angels arrived earrrrrly for the Angels Meeting.

"Come on, Don, you gotta tell us what's going on." said Teresa. "How did Katherine Woodburn get the ban on her owning a media company lifted?"

"Guys..." I said, my voice connoting warning, "it's like I said: figure it out for yourselves. And my not telling you should be a cluuuuuue as well as what I told you earlier. I'll say no more, not even to confirm or deny anything you figure out."

My Angels were 'not pleased', and their faces showed it. I said "I don't believe you guys. You took beating me in the Police Boxing Matches as a challenge, even though that was far more hopeless than this little mystery is."

"You know, Don," Cindy said as she closely examined her green crowbar, "when you're in a deep hole, the first thing to do is..."

"... stop digging!" said a chorus of Angels. That started some laughter, which became infectious.

"Changing the subject," Tanya said, "I usually don't discuss 'pillow talk', but Jack told me that the Nash Team found some piece of melted plastic with wires in it on Lester Holder's coat collar. Karina White intercepted them and forced them to take it to the State Crime Lab, and Christina told me it had metal inside the plastic."

"So what?" Cindy said.

Tanya replied: "That they even knew to look at Holder's coat collar suggested to Jack that the Swamp Frog team may know something we don't."

"I wouldn't stress on it." I said nonchalantly. "Unless they try to fabricate evidence... and I wouldn't put that past them... then what happened is what really happened; the C-4 exploded, destroying the building. I did think Martin Nash's theory of the KXTC camera triggering the blasting caps was interesting, though."

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

The door opened to reveal our Police Chief. He said "I just got a heads-up that Martin Nash and Lindsey Black are on their way heeerrrre. You may want to call your lawyerrrrs..."

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

8:30am. FBI Special Agents Martin Nash and Lindsey Black came into the front lobby of TCPD Headquarters, attended by Federal Marshals Dugan and Powell. Chief Moynahan came out to greet them, attended by Sr. Patrolmen Hardy and Drew of Vice, and Kalsu and Patrick of SWAT... armed and armored.

"We need to interview you, Commander Troy, Commander Croyle, and Lieutenant Jerome Davis." said Martin Nash. "And we'd appreciate a room for the interviews."

"The Press Interview Room is available." said Chief Moynahan. "And you can use Interview Rooms A,B, and C, here, as long as we don't have a sudden rash of people come in that we need to talk toooo. Per our protocols, as you know, Agent Nash, there will be a uniformed TCPD Officer in attendance for all interviews, and they will be recorded on our standard recording devicessss."

"We object to that-------" started Lindsey Black, but Nash raised his hand to stop her.

"That'll be fine, Chief." said Nash.

"Also, all of my Officers have been advised that they are entitled to Union representation as well as lawyers if they so desire." said the Chief. Lindsey Black looked put out by that, as well...

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

At the same time, DEA Special Agent Kevin Pitts and ATF Special Agent Karl Coleman appeared at BOW Enterprises, asking to interview a number of employees. CEO Todd Burke brought them to a conference room, had coffee, water and doughnuts brought in, and told the Agents that a BOW Enterprises lawyer would be sitting in on every interview, whether asked for or not.

And a good thing they were. The Agents tried to trip up employees about the times they assembled the aircraft, and such things. The lawyers advised their clients to refer to the written logs, and the employees did. When Coleman protested, and asked them to verbally answer the questions, one of the employees summed it up succinctly by saying "Yeah, and if I say anything different from the logs because I can't remember, you jerks will arrest me for lying to a Federal Agent. So no, I won't answer. Read the logs..."

"They've been coached." Coleman told Pitts during a break in the interviews. "They're all saying the same thing, they're all saying refer to the paperwork."

"But they're all saying they didn't put together any choppers on the day of the incident." said Pitts. "I agree with you, though: they've been coached, the lawyers are obstructing the hell out of us, and we're not going to get anything..."

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

The Chief was interviewed first. He told Nash and Black that he'd delegated the on-site decisions and operational control to Commander Troy. He had agreed with Commander Troy's decision to have Croyle and Davis monitor from BOW Enterprises. He said Commander Troy had told him that he chose Croyle and Davis because Croyle was the wife of the BOW Enterprises CEO, and Lieutenant Davis was too close to Inga Gunddottar to be allowed to be at the Block House."

You get one guess who the 'uniformed presence' was for my interview, and it had better be a jovially-guessed 'Lieutenant Rudistan'. I came into I-A from the anteroom side and sat down opposite Nash and Black. And that's when the fight started.

Not really, but after my rights were read to me (Nash had learned that much while in the TCPD!), I said "I want an attorney present during any and all questioning."

"Call him, then." said Nash. I texted Mike G. Todd. I'd actually already called him, and he was on the way.

"While we're waiting," said Lindsey Black, "will you confirm you sent Commander Croyle and Lieutenant Davis to BOW Enterprises? Why those two?"

"I want a lawyer." I said. "I will not answer any questions without an attorney present."

"For crying out loud." muttered Black. "We can't even ask a simple question like that, and not get any cooperation here?"

"I want a lawyer." I said as if reciting a memorized lesson. "I will not answer any questions without an attorney present." I did that just to infuriate Black, and I succeeded admirably. Her face turned beet red; she was furious with anger.

"We're just trying to have a conversation here," said Nash, "and clear up some procedural things before the actual interview begins."

"Lawww-yerrrrrrrrrrr." I said again. You think these Federal Agents would get the message.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, then Mike G. Todd came in from the anteroom side. "Hi, Commander." he said brightly. "Are these Federal Agents respecting your Constitutional rights?"

"Not really." I said. "They continued to interrogate me after I asked for an attorney to be present for any questioning."

"Oh come on!" Lindsey Black started.

"It's on tape." I said, pointing at the camera mounted on the wall. "And Lieutenant Rudistan observed it. Try to deny it, and I'll have you arrested and put through full booking." Nash leaned over and whispered something to Black, and she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms in a full pout.

"Before you begin," said Mike G. Todd, "my client has already taken the Fifth with regard to previous accusations by the FBI and other Federal Agencies. Answering questions today is not a revocation of that earlier invocation, nor does it give up Commander Troy's rights to invoke at any time. I will be speaking for him during this interrogation."

"It's not an interrogation of him as a suspect." said Martin Nash. "It's a witness interview as part of our investigation of an incident------"

"I've instructed my client to treat this as a hostile interrogation, as if he's a suspect." said Mike G. Todd. "We'll act accordingly, or I'll cut it off now."

"All right." said Nash. "Commander, why did you send Commander Croyle and Lieutenant Davis to BOW Enterprises during the Block House incident?"

"You can answer." said Mike.

"As a precaution." I said. "In the event agitators used that incident as a distraction while they attacked Police Headquarters or 2nd Precinct Headquarters and overran it."

"Why them, specifically them?" asked Lindsey Black. It was more like a snarl.

"Commander Croyle is married to the BOW Enterprises CEO." I said. "I was on the scene of the standoff, so her presence there would be redundant. And Lieutenant Davis is dating Corporal Gunddottar, who was attacked by the slugs that were in the Block House, so his presence at the scene would've been a conflict-of-interest issue. So he was a reasonable choice to go to BOW Enterprises with Commander Croyle."

"What caused the explosion of the Block House?" Nash asked. It was a trap question.

"That's for the Federal investigation to decide." said Mike G. Todd.

"I'm just asking for the Commander's expert opinion." said Nash.

"I've answered your question." said Mike. "Move along."

Lindsey Black got out her laptop and opened it. "Let's watch some TV." she said, openly mocking me. I glanced up at Rudistan, who was trying hard not to laugh. A photo was brought up on the laptop.

"Do you see this blue streak against the night sky?" said Black. "What is that?"

Mike Todd said "Don't answer that."

"Could that be the trail of the propellant of a rocket?" asked Martin Nash. "A rocket that was fired to strike the Block House, and kill everyone inside?"

"Don't answer that." said Mike Todd. To the Agents, he said "You guys better start asking real questions rather than asking for speculation about who knows what the hell you're trying to make up."

"We absolutely will, then." said Martin Nash, trying to act like he had the upper hand, and was circling me like a shark circles its prey. That might work on Citizens that are scared of Federal Agents... but I was not one of those.

A video played, showing me grabbing Lester Holder by the collar. "That's you," said Martin Nash, "grabbing Lester Holder by the collar of his jacket, is it not?"

"What of it?" said Mike Todd.

"I'd like to hear Commander Troy confirm that himself." said Nash.

"Don't answer." said Mike Todd to me.

"What," exploded Lindsey Black, "you can't answer one frickin' question confirming what's on a video right in front of you?"

"I smell an entrapment attempt." Mike said as I just stared at Lindsey. "What's your point in asking that question?... especially since it's right there on video, as you said..." Lindsey glared at Mike.

"We found this on the collar of Mr. Holder's jacket." said Nash, showing a photo of a shiny black blob, that looked like melted plastic. "Do you know what that is?"

"Calls for speculation." said Mike Todd. "Don't answer."

"This isn't a fucking Courtroom!" exclaimed Lindsey Black.

"For the purposes of my client's Constitutional rights," replied Mike G. Todd, "it might as well be."

Martin Nash said "This piece of melted plastic has been identified as the remains of a transmitter/receiver device, that could be used as a homing beacon for a rocket fired at the building, which would have been the cause of the explosion rather than the speculation that there was C-4 inside the building. It was on Lester Holder's coat collar... right at the place where you grabbed that collar. We're building our case, Commander. Why don't come clean an tell us what really happened there that night?"

"Speculation is not evidence." said Mike Todd. "Find some actual evidence if you want to continue to speak to my client about this."

I looked at Mike Todd and said "I think we're done here. I'd rather read the fantasy books my six-year-old daughter writes than listen to this verbal excrement."

"I couldn't agree more." said Mike G. Todd. "This interrogation is over."

"We're not finished." said Nash.

"Yes you are." said Mike Todd. "My client is answering no more of your questions."

"He has to." said Lindsey Black. "Or he has to take the Fifth again, here and now."

"That's a lie." I said. "And if you ever say it again, to me or anyone in my presence, I will arrest you, and I will also sue you. Final warning." With that, Mike and I left through the anteroom door.

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

Jerome Davis came into I-1 with attorney Bernadette Gillem, Mike Todd's partner in the Madison & Ives Law Firm, and Fire Chief Emeritus Gillem's daughter.

"We hope that Corporal Gunddottar makes a full recovery." said Martin Nash after introductions. Jerome said nothing.

"What are your questions for my client?" said Bernadette Gillem matter-of-factly. Nash seemed taken aback by the hostility.

He read Jerome his rights from the card, then said "We just want to ascertain a few things about the night of the Block House explosion. First, you were assigned to BOW Enterprises that night?"

"Yes." said Jerome.

"You were there with Commander Croyle?"

"Yes." said Jerome, in a monotone voice, devoid of inflection or emotion.

"What times were you there?"

"I don't remember exactly when we arrived." said Jerome. "It was just before sunset. We were there until 11:00pm or so. The Federal investigation was already starting when we got back to Police Headquarters."

Lindsey Black said "Were you in the control room the whole time?"

"Pretty much." said Jerome, again woodenly. "I went to the restroom, got a Snickers bar from the vending machine, but yeah, we were in the command room the whole time."

"Commander Croyle was there the whole time?" asked Lindsey Black.

"She went to the potty a couple of times." said Jerome. "But she was there with me the whole time."

"How long was she gone from her potty breaks?" asked Lindsey Black. "Specifically, how many minutes?"

"I didn't time her." said Jerome. "But not very long."

"What is the point of questions like that?" asked Bernadette Gillem. "Are you trying to entrap my client by forcing him to answer a granular question like that?"

"We're trying to ascertain what happened that night." said Martin Nash.

"If you're going to play the typical Federal trap game," said Bernadette Gillem, "find someone else to play it with. I'm advising my client to answer no more of your questions."

"So you're taking the Fifth?" snarled Lindsey Black.

"That is not what I said." replied Gillem. "And your reputation precedes you, Agent Black. Don't start your tricks with my client, or I'll twist your cap around in Court with a lawsuit. Let's go." She and Davis got up.