Consequences Ch. 05

"So you won't help us with our investigation?" Lindsey Black said, hurling the words at Jerome. "And your father was in the Navy over 20 years? I'm sure he'll be real proud of you."

Lindsey Black may not have realized how close to Death she came at that moment. But with a huge effort, Jerome pulled himself back from the cliff, mentally speaking.

"I'm sure." he replied woodenly, and walked out the door, followed by his attorney.

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

They called in Teresa Croyle next. She didn't even play; her lawyer Agnes T. Spires came in with her.

"We meet again, Ms. Spires." said Lindsey Black, remembering meeting Spires when Spires was defending Cindy Ross. (Author's note: 'No Way Out', Ch. 03-04.)

"That does not please me at all." Agnes T. Spires said witheringly. "Get on with it."

Martin Nash read Teresa her rights, then said "This is an interview as part of our investigation of the Block House explosion. We're interviewing you as a witness, not a suspect."

"You must think I'm stoo-pid." Teresa said venomously. "And I resent the inference." Nash all but recoiled at that.

"Commander Croyle," said Lindsey Black, "you were at BOW Enterprises at the time of the explosion?"

"Yes. In the Emergency Command Room." said Teresa.

"Why were you there?" asked Black.

"Because Commander Troy told me to go there." replied Teresa.

"Well, duh." said Lindsey Black. "What time did you get there? And what time did you leave?"

Spires nodded, and Teresa said "We got to BOW Enterprises just before sunset, whenever that was. And we got back to Police Headquarters just after 11:00pm. You can check the logs on the exact time we got back."

"Were you in the command room the whole time of the Block House confrontation?" Black asked.

"I may have gone to the restroom a time or two." said Teresa. "But for the most part, I was there."

Martin Nash said "Commander Croyle, can you fly helicopters?"

Agnes T. Spires said "Don't answer that." To Nash she said "What is the point of that question?"

"We're ascertaining if Commander Croyle can fly helicopters." Nash said simply.

"You know, or you should know if you were doing your jobs," said Spires, "that she is licensed to fly both helicopters and airplanes."

"Then I'll be much more specific." said Nash. "Commander, BOW Enterprises has an experimental helicopter under what they call the TH-69 program. Have you ever flown one of those helicopters?"

"Again, what is the relevance of this?" Agnes T. Spires demanded to know.

"Just answer the question." said Lindsey Black to Teresa.

"No, don't answer that." said Agnes T. Spires. "I am advising my client to not answer any more questions if you don't provide the relevance for them."

"We'll ask the questions as we see fit." said Lindsey Black. "And we expect your client to answer them."

"Then we'll stop this charade right now." said Agnes T. Spires. "Let's go." She and Teresa got up to go.

"Hey, get back here!" yelled Lindsey Black, getting out of her seat as if she was going to rush and physically stop Teresa. Teresa turned and assumed a defensive posture, but it was the 'Teresa Cunt' look on her face, showing her desire to do some physical harm to some Federal Agents, that stopped Black in her tracks...

Part 27 - Cleanup on Aisle 5

Sheriff Griswold, myself, and my three Angels met Jack Muscone at the Cop Bar for a late lunch at 1:30pm, Monday, June 29th. Jack had... what else?... double cheeseburgers. I had the Double Breakfast Burger Plate, as did Our Sheriff. Cindy had the... what else?... fish and chips basket. Tanya and Teresa enjoyed huge Steak Caesar Salads.

"I've half a mind to send our tapes of Lindsey Black's interrogation techniques to FBI Deputy Director Lawrence Lance, OPR SSA Nate Grimes, and my Congressman and Senators." I said. "I am really getting tired of her antics."

"May I offer you some simple and sincere advice?" asked Muscone. I nodded, and he said "Don't. I understand your frustration. But Deputy Director Lance has bigger fish to fry, and Nate Grimes won't care. To be honest, Dog, her way is more the norm than out of the norm. You're more of the exception in that you play it as straight by the Constitution and the Rules as anyone."

"Okayyyy, I won't stir up that hornet's nest." I said. "But I am very tired of her shit."

Sheriff Griswold piped up: "What is y'all's expert opinions on those inquisitions... I mean 'interviews'?" We all chuckled at the joke.

"Fishing expeditions." I said. "They have their wild-ass theory, but with no real evidence to back it up."

"I agree." said Teresa. "I got the sense that they really wanted to paste something on us, especially Lindsey Black. I guess she's trying to be elected Poster Child for the Swamp Frogs." Everyone chuckled.

Cindy said "Y'all may be surprised to hear this... but I got the vibe that Nash is playing it straight... 'honest within his heresy', so to speak. He probably really believes that theory, and has let Black and her cronies lead him down the Dark Path. Now Black? She's a slug, bordering on becoming a full-time dirty Agent. I understand your advice to Don, Jack, about not sending that tape, but I'm going to keep a copy of it for the future."

Tanya said "Do you think Lindsey Black knows about the rift between Jerome and his father? Did she say that to rub salt in the wound?" We all shrugged, not knowing, then Tanya said "I will say this, and then I will never speak of it again: if they are right, and you did what they think you did... it was a brilliant piece of work."

"Wish I could claim credit for it." I said. "But come on... would I put a transmitter on Lester Holder, knowing it might fall off and to the ground, or he'd realize it and take it off? If it came off and fell to the ground, then most of the TCPD would've been wiped out, basically doing what Jacquez Wilson was trying to do to us." Everyone nodded.

I went on: "And I'll tell you this: I peeked in on Christina Cho's findings concerning that thing, and even if it was what they say it was, it wouldn't be strong enough to send a signal of any kind more than a few feet. The Feds have some technology that small, but their stuff uses tiny batteries, and Christina didn't find any lithium or any battery material; her analysis found silver, gold, and copper, which passive electronics would be made of."

"What about the KXTC feed signal?" Tanya asked.

"All of the Media trucks sending signals to satellites were at Al Sharpton Elementary." I said. "So any missile homing in on that would be credited with obliterating a school and a lot of Media vans... hey! that's an idea."

"Uh oh." Cindy said. "And just when Katherine Woodburn bought KXTC and is corralling Bettina, and Holder is dead..."

"For the record, in case any Swamp Frog bugs are picking this up," I said, "I was kidding about that. But seriously, the feed from the camera Holder had in there isn't strong, and can be subject to interference. Usually there's a van or relay station very nearby... but there again is the issue: any missile fired at that likely hits the relay van or station, not the building."

I finished up: "So if there was a homing device, it would have to be a bigger and much stronger one, and it would have to be inserted into the Block House... which was constantly manned, guarded, and there's simply no way to get in there and plant such a device... and a device which Jacquez Wilson probably had the means to detect, and would have."

"I agree with all that." said Jack Muscone. "I'm going to tell Karina that, and have her send it up the chain to refute the Nash Team's assertions, which they are making to Brendan Chapel and Robin Isley. That whole theory is just bunk."

Yes, I thought to myself as everyone chatted. I did put that device on Lester Holder's collar, but of course what I said about it coming off and endangering the Police Force, as well as 200 other lives, would be poor management of the case on my part, to say the least.

So what did the rockets Teresa fired unerringly home in on? Under the Sherlock Holmes adage that once the impossible has been stripped away, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth: obviously a transmitter inside the Block House was the homing device. And how did it get there? Why, I went into the Block House and planted it myself.

Yes.

How? Easy peasy. The Tau Fraternity House members were incapacitated by carbon monoxide being pumped into the Frat House. In Teresa's hometown, they attempted the same thing to incapacitate me and Teresa. (Author's note: 'Unresolved', Ch. 05; 'Centuries', Ch. 02.) Soooo... in the dead of the night before, while Jacquez Wilson was still hiding elsewhere, a lone ninja in all black snuck up to the Block House, introduced an incapacitating sleeping agent that knocked out the guards inside. I then simply went in, confirmed that there was indeed C-4 all over the place (very important to do that, by the way), and then I put a powerful transmitter on the back of the refrigerator in the kitchen.

The small device I put on Holder did have two good purposes... first, it did pick up the transmission feed from the KXTC camera, and relay it... but only to the real homing device just a few feet away, which activated it. I did have a backup plan in case the device did fall from Holder's coat pocket, but I did not have to use it.

And second, I realized all along that someone might see the helicopter or the rockets, or that a camera might pick up the barely-visible flame of the propellant. And sure enough, the Swamp Frogs team did indeed find that. And they saw the video of me and Holder, and connected the dots, then found the melted transmitter. Not a bad job by them, really.

But I saw further. And while they were looking at the shiny object in the right hand, they were not seeing nor looking for what the left hand was doing. As to the execution (literally) of the plan, Teresa was more than willing to fly the chopper and fire the missiles, but she gave Jerome the chance to avenge Inga, a chance that he accepted, and one that, if I don't miss my guess (and I rarely do), went a long way towards his mental healing.

I got my MCD Lieutenant back, I avenged Tasha and Paulina having to endure Penis Holder's unforgivable and unforgiven insults, and the world was seeing that a premature explosion killed Wilson and his men... not 'Police brutality' by the TCPD that the Media so desperately hoped to see. And no TCPD lives lost trying to capture Wilson was the cherry on top. Q.E.D.

Cindy noticed my reverie. "I'm getting a vibe from you." she said. "Satisfaction. Whatever you did, it worked, and worked well."

I just looked at her and said "So, have you figured out how Katherine Woodburn was allowed to buy KXTC back?"

"You are cruisin' for a bruisin', brother." the Green Crowbar replied. "But I think I have. Jack looked into it and told Tanya, who told me, that Federal Judge K.M. Landis is the one who relaxed the restrictions from the plea deal and instructed the FCC to allow Woodburn to purchase media companies again. He's one of the good guys, so that means he was influenced to do so by a Good Guy."

Cindy: "And I heard... from Jenna Stiles... that it was Katherine Woodburn who twisted Miriam Walters's arm to settle with Paulina, and take Paulina back. Why would Katherine do that? To get something in return. Quid pro quo, as you hinted to us. And who is a Good Guy that exudes that much Federal power -AND- would have an interest in helping Paulina, and so would help Katherine in exchange for Katherine helping Paulina?"

Cindy: "I don't know if Tanya even knows this, but Teresa and I do... that when Paulina stays at The Cabin, she sleeps in the master bedroom... and with you and Laura if you are there. I've had my own share of threesomes with Callie and Priya, so I understand it. But what I also realized is the reason for a vibe I've been getting for some time... Paulina and Laura are more than just friends or fuck-buddies... they are lovers in every sense of the word."

Cindy concluded: "Soooo... Laura got Katherine to work over Miriam, and in exchange, Katherine got KXTC back, which is obviously a lodestone for her. Laura gets to keep Paulina, so to speak, and you get to keep Tasha, so to speak. How's that?'

"That is outstanding!" I said most very sincerely. "That is truly Iron Crowbar thinking, there. It took me a minute to figure it out, too."

"Exactly one minute." Cindy replied. "Took me all morning."

I said "Don't sell yourself short. You knew about Katherine's meeting with Miriam from Jenna Stiles. I learned it from... another source." (That would be the Intendent, the lovely Adele Peabody.) "And Laura hasn't said a word to me, so let's you and I just not mention this any further, either."

"Cool beans." Cindy said. "By the way, Laura invited Callie, Betsy, and me to dinner at the Mountain Nest tonight."

"Cool beans." I replied...

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

As we were finishing lunch, Jack Muscone asked "So what's going on with the Union and Don?"

Sheriff Griswold said "They're still pushing both forcing us to reinstate McCombs, and continuing the grievances and lawsuit against Crowbar, here. As Crowbar predicted, they did offer to drop the grievances if we reinstated McCombs, but I am sorry to say that Chief Moynahan told them that it would be a cold day in Hell before we let McCombs back on the Force... and the only reason I'm sorry about that is because Moynahan got to tell them before I could!" Everyone laughed at that. Good asskissing skills, we had.

Sheriff Griswold said "The lawsuit is likely going to be dismissed. But there probably will be a Board of Inquest. That won't be until after the July 4th holiday this weekend, though. In the end, it'll work out. It always does..."

Part 28 - Epilogue

Later that afternoon, Teresa got a text, telling her to dress up very nice for dinner. And Teresa cleans up very nicely when she's of a mind to.

The BOW Enterprises limousine picked her up in the employees parking lot of Police Headquarters. In the back was Todd Burke, dressed in a tuxedo. After Teresa got in the car, her loving husband presented her with a dozen roses.

"Oh wow!" Teresa said, stopping to smell the roses. "What's the occasion?"

"I'll tell you at dinner." said Todd.

They drove to the Chop House, where Todd had a back room reservation... the entire back room. Teresa never liked live music at restaurants, but the room was lit by nothing but candles. After pulling out the chair to help Teresa be seated, Todd poured them champagne.

Teresa said "Okay, Uncle Don has hit us with a mystery today, and one's enough. What's the occasion?"

Todd said "Well, it would seem that some people became aware of the TH-69 baby chopper system, and the right words were whispered into the right ears. General Alexander McFarland ordered a re-examination of the choppers by the Army Procurement Office. EAD Owen Lange still has high-ranking Navy contacts, as does Admiral Cordell. And Uncle Don is tight with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who 'suggested' that the Marine Corps look into our baby choppers. And US Senators Bill Nunn and Lorraine McGill might also have made some calls to the Pentagon."

"The bottom line," Todd said, "is that we have a contract."

"Oh, that's awesome!" Teresa said.

"Yep." said Todd. "We have an order in hand to build 30 more of them, which will become 100 or more as long as the choppers don't egregiously fail... and I think everyone secretly knows that one of those choppers did not fail on the night the Block House blew up."

"What about MegaTech, and their contract?" Teresa asked.

"Oh, they still have it." Todd said. "But the word General McFarland was getting is that there was a lot of dissatisfaction with it in the field. All the more reason to look to us."

Their steaks came, and they were delicious. For a few minutes the only sounds were the clinking of silverware on plates. As they ate dessert, Todd said "This contract is coming just in time, too. Our expansion into your home State has taken a lot of money. It'll come back to us in huge profits, but that initial layout was beginning to pinch."

"You're not in money trouble, are you?" Teresa asked.

"No, and we never were." Todd replied. "But with this contract, our cash flow just amped up big-time. Having said that, the money flow issue did cause Teddy Franklin, Barry Oliver, and me to start looking at things. We've been spending a lot of money, very fast, and we're going to start cutting some costs and saving more for a rainy day."

Teresa nodded. "That's wise. Of course we're not hurting personally. After all, I have my Police salary." She meant that humorously.

"You know, we've been very fortunate." Todd said. "You have a job you love, and they actually pay you to do it. I've got a job and a company I love, too... but the very best and luckiest thing that has happened to me is my wonderful, beautiful wife."

"Awww." Teresa said. "And I have the bestest husband in the world... and he's good in bed, too." That got some laughter, and both of them knew that they were going to spend several hours that night enhancing their skills in bed...

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

"Daddy!"

That wonderful sound greeted me at the Mountain Nest when I got home, and was followed up by Carole trying to tackle me. Cindy and Callie were already there, talking to Laura. Betsy waddled up in imitation of Carole, and hugged my legs. I picked her up and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Carole said "Daddy are you ready to take the dogs out?"

"Sure." I said, seeing Buddy and Bowser at the back door. For Carole to ask to take the dogs out meant she had something to ask me. I handed Betsy to Cindy, and followed Carole and the dogs out the door. And once we were settled in the metal mesh loveseat while the dogs went to inspect the territories and do their business, she asked:

"Daddy, what does quid pro quo mean?"

"Uh, it means I do you a favor and you do me a favor." I replied. "For example, Marie might offer to help you clean up your room in exchange for you helping her with her math problems."

"I help her with those, anyway." Carole said.

"And your room is a mess, too." I replied. "It was just an example."

"Is it a good or a bad thing?" Carole asked.

"It can be either." I said. "Sometimes politicians make deals that are sneaky and crooked, and it's used to describe that. But some deals are good, too. By the way, where did you hear about quid pro quo?"

"Aunt Cindy was telling Callie something, and said that." Carole said.

"And you were listening to conversations that did not concern you again, weren't you?" I asked. Carole cut her eyes over at me. I looked back at her.

"Not too much, Daddy." she said. "There were right there in front of me and Betsy. They said something about Tasha, but I couldn't hear what they were saying about her."

"I see." I said. "What was your mom doing?"

"She was on the phone in the 'Puter Room." said Carole "Mommy doesn't like it if we kids go in there, so I just leave that place to her and you."

"Probably a good idea." I said, seeing two outstanding dogs coming back to us. "Okay, let's go back in and eat supper. I'm hungry."

"Meeeeeeee, too!" Carole replied.

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

Later that night, after Cindy and Callie had taken Betsy home and the kids were put to bed, Laura and I were sipping our drinks when I said "I heard you talked to Katherine Woodburn at a Faculty meeting the other day."

Laura's eyes cut to me, showing me exactly from where Carole had inherited that trait.