February Really, Really Sucks

Andy felt that he had in Jim a kindred spirit. His first wife had cheated on him albeit in not so public a fashion. However, he knew the depth of pain and the feelings of inadequacy and failure that Jim was experiencing now. He simply replied, "Jim, based on the evidence we've gathered so far regarding your wife and with the video evidence you've recorded we can nail them both! I can build a case strong enough against her to send her to prison right along with her lover."

"Andy, I hope they lock her up and throw away the key. I've already planned on divorcing her cheating ass and going for full custodial guardianship of my kids once I've recovered enough to care for them. I'd have had an uphill battle even with proof she cheated on me. However, if she charged as an accessory in the asshole's attempt to kill her husband just to spend the night with her rich and famous lover and as a result is convicted of a felony—there wouldn't be any doubt as to her being an unfit mother and sole custody for me would be a slam dunk."

"Jim, I promise to do my level best within the parameters of the law to put her away for a good long while."

"Sorry Andy, I really need to close my eyes." I pushed the plunger for another dose of morphine as Andy nodded and walked out of the room. After Andy left, I sent him the video he requested. I also forwarded everything to Ms. Mitchell, Esq. I knew she would be positively ecstatic. As I drifted off to sleep, I managed a slight smile and I thought that things were on track. As Hannibal Smith famously said, "I love it when a plan comes together."

Andy called forensics and had someone come over to collect a water bottle and see if they got a hit on Linda's DNA inside the wrecked Land Rover. He phoned Lana and had her recover the water bottle and bring it out along with her eating utensils. The tech took it to the lab and had a rush on the DNA. The tech brought the printouts of the phone dumps. Andy studied them before reentering the room to continue his questioning.

He discovered that his gut was spot on when it showed the text messages with LaValliere. He called and texted to make sure she denied meeting him or being with him at Club Rideau last evening. His story was his vehicle was stolen and he had been home alone all evening and never set foot in the club. She texted back she would deny meeting him, knowing him or leaving with him and that to her knowledge he wasn't at the club last night. He also texted her told her he told the police that he didn't realize he had hit anyone. He also said that she needed to get her husband to back off his attempted murder story before he needed to have some "heavy hitters" intervene on his behalf.

Linda texted back and told him she would try and begged Marc not to do anything further to hurt her husband. "Marc, for heavens sake, you seduced and fucked his wife, you purposely hit him and severely injured him and nearly took my children's father away from them. Haven't you done enough to hurt him?"

He texted that he needed to protect his career and reputation and typed that, 'Like last night, if he got in the way, he'd pay.' He added, 'Remember, you are not innocent in all of this. You could've said no to the dance and to the invitation to spend the night. You could've stayed faithful to you husband. You knew I had struck him when he walked down the alleyway toward the parking area. I told you and you decided you still wanted and needed to fuck me that night. For fuck's sake it was just one fucking night out of your entire married life! Why didn't he accept the reality of the situation? He needed to respect your wishes after you told him! You made choices and those choices came with consequences. Deal with them!'

Linda sobbed as she completed the drive to the hospital. Marc's words jarred her back to a sudden and harsh reality, that she was complacent and responsible for what had happened to Jim as much as Marc had been. She chose to abandon her husband when he may have bled out on a frozen sidewalk just to fulfill her own narcissistic fantasy night. She agreed to cover for the man responsible as he tried to shift the blame away from him. He demanded she deal with the consequences of her complacency yet he simply bought or bribed his way out of any responsibility.

She had become gripped by fear as she entered the hospital. Still, she had no clue as to how severe those consequences would be or how high a price she'd eventually pay for "her special night." For now, it seemed that Detective Deveraux had commiserated with her. She supplied a sympathetic ear and shoulder to cry on. She even believed that the woman called Lana was her friend and even when she read her Miranda rights to her that she wanted to protect her from harm. In that short span of time before her partner returned and ushered her out of the room Lana Deveraux had developed a rapport with the suspect.

Andy informed her of what he had learned and that they needed to analyze the new evidence and present it in a way to make sure their case is rock solid. Only then would they go after Mrs. Andrews. He also dispatched a squad car to pick up LaValliere and have him brought in for questioning. He told her, "Lana, I expect us to have enough for two arrests before the end of watch." Andy thought to himself that for now, he needed to get Mrs. Andrews down to the precinct and needed to make sure that she and La Valliere see each other without speaking.

Before they left the hospital, Andy told Lana to escort Linda up to her husband's room and wait outside until he came for them. Andy then left for Jim's room to fill him in and see if he still wanted to confront his wife before she was taken to the precinct and arrested. Andy walked into the room and gently woke Jim.

"Hello Jim. I've got some good news. We are in the final stages of our investigation. From the video at the scene, the video at your home, the text messages exchanged between LaValliere and your wife and her lying about LaValliere's presence in the club and her whereabouts the night in question we now have enough evidence to file charges. We are taking your wife to the precinct and bringing in LaValliere in as well. I plan to give him the tools to drive the final nail in his coffin. Do you still want to see your wife? She's right outside the door with Detective Deveraux."

"Yes, Andy. Just briefly."

Andy called out and Linda was escorted inside Jim's room. She was shocked when she saw Jim lying there with all sorts of leads and tubes attached to him or coming out of him. He was scraped and bruised and his face revealed a great deal of pain. She cried out to him,

"Oh my God Jim baby!" She tried to run to him but was restrained by Detective Peters. He told her, "Mrs. Andrews, your husband has an order of protection and you are not allowed to touch him. He wished to speak to you and I ask you to refrain from speaking until he has said his piece. Do you understand? If you are unwilling or fail to comply, I will immediately escort you from the room!" Linda nodded sadly in the affirmative and stood there as she looked upon the love of her life unable to go to him or speak to him.

"Linda!" Jim began as he looked at her with disdain and hatred, "You have violated everything I believed we stood for. You destroyed our family, my trust, and my love. You've hurt me beyond comprehension! Not only are you a liar and a cheat, but you are also a coward for sneaking out without a word. What a fool I was to have been concerned for your well-being. I thought you were ill you had snuck out the backdoor with that asshole and you let your friend do the dirty work for you! You were blowing him as he ran me down! You knew it was me bleeding and broken on that frozen sidewalk and yet, you chose him over me!" Linda stood there sobbing, her eyes pleaded to Jim to allow her to explain, to apologize and try to make things right.

Jim met her glance with eyes filled with disgust and incredible anger saying how dare you? He continued, "Again, today you chose him over me while you pretend to care about my wellbeing. I wanted to be the one to tell you that your boyfriend the asshole is going to prison for what he did to me, so I guess your next rendezvous for a great fuck won't be happening! You abandoned me, you abandoned Tommy and Emma. So, we're through. I never want to see your skanky ass ever again and I'll do everything in my power to keep you away from my children, to protect them from the monster you've become! Andy, I know your police not sanitation but could you do me a favor and haul this piece of garbage away!"

With that last bit of vitriol from Jim Linda collapsed and Lana had to help Andy remove her from the room. Once they got her revived, they informed her that they needed to continue the questioning at the precinct. She just nodded and had the look of a person both physically and emotionally defeated. So, they loaded her into their car and took her away.

When Marc LaValliere answered the door to two uniformed police officers who requested his presence at the downtown police precinct building, he obliged albeit a bit reluctantly. He told the officers he needed to get his coat. While away from the officer's he made two quick phone calls. He called his attorney and told him to meet him at the precinct that he was being taken in for questioning. The second call when answered he simply replied, "Do it!" Then he grabbed his coat and followed the officers out to their squad car for the ride downtown.

At the precinct Devereaux and Peters came in with Mrs. Andrews and had her sit in the lobby while they went to "find" an available room in which to talk. While they went out back and grabbed a cup of coffee, detective Elaine Wentworth found them. "Lana, Andy, I'm glad I found you. I've continued keeping tabs on LaValliere's phones. When the officer's arrived to escort him here he made two calls before leaving. One was to his attorney and the second to a Quinn Rockland."

Andy chirped in, "Rockland? Isn't he the fixer for the Landagrew family? The same one that owns the Lumberjacks, LaValliere's football team?"

Elaine said, "The one and the same. All LaValliere said was "Do it." And Rockland simply replied, "Consider it done." From the phone dump and the text where he threatened harm to the victim Mr. Andrews, I thought you need to know right away!"

"Thanks Elaine." Andy replied. "Lana you need to get hospital security to Jim Andrews's room immediately! No one in or out until I get there!"

"You got it!" Lana immediately phoned the hospital and Andy grabbed a couple of uniforms and had them follow him to the hospital. He hoped he wasn't too late. On his way out he passed LaValliere being escorted into the building with a huge smirk on his face. He barked at the officers, "Take him to interrogation room # 4. Don't read him his rights and no one is allowed in until I return, that includes his lawyer! Officer, he isn't to stop or speak with anyone! Take him right to room 4."

"Yes sir!" replied the young officer. Linda Andrews saw Marc being led into the building. He tried to break away and speak to her but the two officers placed him in an arm bar and turkey walked him to room # 4 before he could get a word out. Linda heard him as he screamed at the officers, "I'll have your badges for this!" She sat and waited until Lana Deveraux came and escorted her to interrogation room # 1. She brought her a diet soda and told her that they would be back short and apologized for the inconvenience.

As Andy and the uniformed officers sped toward the hospital two security officers headed for Jim Andrews's room. However, just ahead of them walked a man with a slight limp. He had a lab coat and a surgical cap on and was headed for Andrews's room. He entered just ahead of the two security personnel who were hot on his heels. He went to the bed where Jim Anderson was sleeping comfortably. He had a key to the morphine pump and opened the door to the control settings and as he reached to change the controlled settings for the morphine release the security staff entered the room.

"Stop! Who are you and why are you in this room?" on of the security staff had asked.

Rockland answered, "I'm an equipment tech and I'm just making routine adjustments to the equipment. We wouldn't want the patient in any pain now, would we?" Rockland reached inside to further remove the dosage lock which would allow for the maximum flow of morphine to lock. He planned for Jim Andrews to die from an "accidental" morphine overdose but these two "rent a cops" had put a proverbial monkey wrench into his plans. He managed to remove the lock setting before he closed the door to the morphine pump. He showed his forged ID badge with the name Irving Simser, equipment tech. He hoped he could make his escape without having killed these two morons.

As he tried to wile his way out of the room and to freedom Andy Peters and the two officers arrived at Jim's room. Andy drew his service weapon out and said in a commanding voice, "Freeze Rockwood! Put your hands in the air." Rockwood watched as the two patrol officers, along with the security agents pulled their weapons. Now he had five guns all trained on him center mass. He knew there was no way out so he capitulated and raised his hands. One of the patrol officers patted him down and removed his Sig Sauer and the knives he had, one on his belt and the other from his pant leg. They then cuffed him and took him to the precinct where they were instructed to put him in interrogation room 2 and remain with him. He was to have no outside contact.

When the patrol officers left with Rockwood Andy questioned the two security personnel in the room. He asked, "You were instructed no one in or out, why was he here in this room?"

The older security officer answered, "Detective, he entered the room before we arrived. He had a key to that piece of equipment and was playing around with it when we entered. He pointed to the morphine pump.

Andy snapped as he pointed toward the younger security officer, "Quick get a nurse in here, now!"

The young officer rand and got the nurse in charge. She ran into the room and before she could speak Andy told her, "I think the morphine pump has been tampered with!"

The nurse opened the door and saw the dosage had been adjusted and the safety lock disabled. Had Jim hit the plunger he would've received a lethal dose of the pain reliever. Andy told her, Nurse, don't touch anything inside! Disconnect it from Mr. Anderson and have another pump delivered to his room. It's evidence in an attempted murder." The nurse did as she had been instructed and soon another pump was delivered and connected. Andy called and had two officers assigned to secure Jim's room in case another attempt was made on his life. He looked back at the man he both admired and pitied and chuckled. He chuckled because in the whole attempt to kill him, Jim Anderson slept peacefully through the entire hullabaloo.

When Andy arrived back at headquarters he was met by Lana at the door. "Andy, thank God you're back the shit has hit the fan. A mouthpiece from Collins, Jenkins, and Smith has been screaming non-stop about speaking with his client. The mayor called the chief and the chief phoned here. Threats were made about ending careers!"

Andy simply replied, "That so! Did the chief order us to allow the attorney to see his client yet?"

Lana told him no. Andy added, "Where is that blowhard lawyer?"

"In the coffee room."

"I've got it from here Deveraux!"

Before she replied he headed for the coffee room. He walked up to the expensive suit as he sat there drinking their coffee and said, "I'm detective Peters, the lead detective on the Andrews case."

The suit looked uncomfortable and unaccustomed to dealing with the underbelly of the criminal justice system and it was apparent to Andy that this stuffed shirt believed this was far beneath him. He handed Andy a card printed on expensive card stock with raised lettering at the top was Collins, Jenkins, and Smith, LLC and the name said, "J. Jeffery Hammonds, Esq. Attorney at Law. "Detective, I've been retained as counsel for Mr. LaValliere and I demand to see him, now!"

Andy remained calm as he replied succinctly, "Mr. Hammonds, your client was brought in for questioning in the incident that happened last Friday outside the Club Rideau involving his Range Rover. Unfortunately, due to a live or death emergency, I was unable to Mirandize him. I will read him his constitutional rights and then, if he doesn't waive right to counsel you will be escorted to an interview room to confer. It should out take about five minutes, acceptable?"

"Five minutes detective, not one second longer!" Andy headed to Room 4 where LaValliere was held. He entered the room and before LaValliere opened his mouth Andy told him, "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you wish to waive the right to be silent?"

LaValliere answered, "No way cop."

"Do you waive the right to counsel?"

"Do I look stupid? Get my lawyer here now!" LaValliere answered get more belligerent.

"Fine Mr. LaValliere. Once you've conferred with counsel then and only then will I proceed with some questions I have for you." That was for the benefit of Mr. J. Jeffery Hammonds Esq, who demanded he be allowed to observe to make sure his client wasn't being coerced. He added before he spun on his heel and exited the interrogation room, "Oh, by the way Mr. LaValliere, to answer your question, no I don't think you look stupid. However, looks can be deceiving."

He arranged for LaValliere to be escorted to a room without surveillance to meet with Hammonds. He told the lawyer it would be twenty minutes before he was ready to question his client as he escorted the lawyer to attorney conference room. When they got to the room LaValliere wasn't present as yet. Hammond bellowed, "Why couldn't you walk him here?"

Andy glared at him and said, "Not my department and besides, I've other things to take care of while you talk with your client counselor." Andy chuckled as he walked away from the lawyer who was mad enough to spit nails. He knew that Hammond's firm was a high-priced corporate law firm that didn't even have a criminal law division. They did, however, represent the many varied interests of the Landagrew family's vast business empire. With that he headed down to interview Rockwood.

On the way he grabbed his partner. "Lana, I apologize for being so callous and walking away from you before." Andy told her and added, "I didn't want to jeopardize your career. I figured that one of us putting their asses into the proverbial sling was enough. In case that high priced mouthpiece was savvier than I believed him to be. Relax, he isn't. I don't think he could look past his contempt in having to deal with rift raff such a mere civil servant and a cop to boot."

Lana's curiosity had yet to be fully sated as she wondered where Andy so mysteriously disappeared to for over an hour. She asked, "Hey where did you disappear to?"

Andy replied, "LaValliere is toast and there isn't anything Mr. big shot stuffed shirt attorney, the mayor, the chief, a high-priced criminal attorney he'll eventually need or even all of the Landagrew money can do to stop it! I left because LaValliere called in the Landagrew family fixer to eliminate the threat to his career by murdering Jim Andrews. Given his texts with Mrs. Andrews, the text to Rockwood and his being caught red handed in the attempt, LaValliere is going away for a long, long time. Most likely so is Linda Andrews and maybe if we can find a connection to Augustus Landagrew himself."

"Wow!" That was all Lana managed to say. Andy said it was time to go at Rockwood the fixer and then again at Linda Andrews. He believed Rockwood would roll over on LaValliere to save himself and so would Linda Andrews. Lana was amazed at how her partner had managed so many moving parts and rapidly changing events within this investigation so calmly and so seamlessly smooth. At first, she thought Andy Peters to be a bit too much old school and perhaps a bit chauvinistic. She realized that she had seriously underestimated him both as a colleague and a man and she now understood how fortunate she was to have him as her mentor.