Fire in the Embers Ch. 01

"By the way, we took care of that lawyer." Cindy said. Indeed, when the jerk had left the building, he found all four of his tires flat, without air. Uniformed officers had confronted him as he yelled and screamed in the front lobby. He was threatening to sue; they were threatening to arrest him. They also told him to get his car off the property or it would be impounded. He'd had to call a tow truck at personal expense, swearing and cursing that he was 'connected' and that I'd be hearing from his 'friends'.

"Yeah, right. He's 'connected'." I said. "Well, enough about him. Teresa, you've got work to do. That information on the Beanstalk Gang won't stay good very long."

"Yes sir." Teresa said. "But we're going to have to do surveillance, corroborate what we've been told. Stakeouts of the warehouses, all of that. If what Vince told is good, Thursday night should be fun."

"Good." I said. "Keep at it. By the way, I noticed Detective Newton came in and was listening to some of Viscotti's confession. What was up with that?"

Teresa replied "She was taking some notes on the financial arrangements as Vince gave them to us. She's tracing them now."

"Cool beans." I said. "But run me a raw report of that information, i.e. the straight transcript of Vince's own words, as well as anything The Abacus finds. I want to follow up for... other reasons."

Part 3 - Night Moods

Monday evening, November 9th. Laura and I, and our children, were having dinner with Daniel and Melina Allgood, and their child, at their home overlooking the Town from the northeastern viewpoint. As the sisters talked inside, Daniel and I took our drinks outside and talked 'shop'.

"Tomorrow night." said Daniel. "You'll need to be there, though they might not talk to you except to vouch for the candidate to replace Bennett in the Chief's chair. But it'll come to pass. Just like everything else you want to happen." I smiled at that one.

"Cool beans." I said. "I do have a question for you, Daniel: who is the Intendent?"

"Oh!" said Daniel, caught unawares by my unexpected question. "I guess you mean Mrs. Peabody."

"I guess so." I said. "Who is she?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Daniel asked, peering at me in surprise. "She's...well, let's just say she is the Town & County Government."

"How so?" I asked, seeming laconically, but my senses concentrating on every word.

"Well, you probably haven't had to deal with her." Daniel said. "She basically is the one-woman staff and secretary for the Town & County Council. She has a small administrative office in City Hall, and her position and title is 'Intendent'. I have to deal with her for paperwork issues that all of us elected officials have to do; she gets it all done for us."

"But she's not our servant." Daniel continued. "I daresay it's the other way around. She's in charge of us. She is like Elsie Gringer, and your mom from what I'm told, in that she knows everything that has gone on and is going on in this County, at least as regards our elected officials."

"Sounds like someone I'd like to get to know." I said. "What's she like?"

"I think she's over 50 now, but she doesn't look like it; she looks much younger than her age. And she's a MILF hottie; you definitely will like her. She 'has the aura', as you and Melina say about certain people. By the way, why has this come up?"

"Her Town & County badge was found on the lawn of Courthouse Square." I said. "I think I'll have to ask her about it when I return it to her."

"Want me to let her know you're coming to visit?" Daniel asked. "She won't like being intruded upon without an appointment. I found that out the hard way."

"No," I said, "don't tell her I'm coming to see her. In fact... don't mention this conversation with anyone. Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't want anyone to know what I'm doing or who I'm talking with in advance of it happening."

"As you wish." said Daniel. "Don... I know you're going through a lot, and working on a very tough problem. But don't let it eat you up. You've got a huge support group in your family and some really outstanding Police subordinates."

"I hear you." I said, sipping my drink. "I probably sound like a paranoid crazy-man. But it's better to err on the side of discretion..."

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

It was nearly midnight. Laura and I had returned home, and she put the kids to bed as I took Bowser outside to do his business. Once he was back inside and settled under Carole's crib, I began working on the Jack Burke tapes and Laura took care of 'Company' business on her secure laptop. Some long minutes later, she got up, went into the kitchen, and came back out.

"Looking at porn again?" she teased me as she brought me a glass of iced tea. "I thought that was my job." I smiled.

"Noooo, this is definitely in my professional arena." I said. "I think... that I've finally got an idea of what to look for in these tapes. I think one of the women on it might hold a clue to our Consultant's interest in these tapes."

"I'll let you get back to it, then." Laura said. But she did not move away.

"What are you working on?" I asked, sensing she wanted me to ask.

"Well," she said, sitting down next to me, "I'm still working on the fallout from Sharples exposing Janet Riordan and Callie Carrington. The FBI should be taking the lead on investigating this, as it's a domestic counter-intelligence issue. But they're dragging their feet on it. Jack's boss thinks someone is holding the investigation back, and doing so to protect Superior Bloodlines and other supremacist groups. He may well be right."

"Are he and Jack involved in the Sharples investigation?" I asked. "I know they haven't said a word to me about it."

"No." said Laura. "Since that idiot FBI lawyer Bond interrogated you and pretty much shredded the Constitution in doing so, the counter-intel group working on the case circled the wagons and clammed up."

"They still think I was behind that, don't they?" I asked, with no small amount of acerbity in my voice.

"Let's just say..." Laura said, knowing it'd be foolish and hardly possible to keep the truth from me, "that they are divided in their opinions. Most don't, but there are a few, led by Dr. Casey B. Walker, who want to interrogate you... and I'm not talking about a recorded discussion with lawyers."

"Are you serious?" I asked, shocked. Laura did not answer, and the silence was as telling as it was deafening. "Well, chalk up another reason I'm glad I told them to pound sand instead of working for them. So when are you retiring?" I wasn't kidding: I wanted my wife out of that organization, and she knew it.

"My presence is needed..." said Laura, "... to keep assholes like Walker from doing what they want to do. And not just to you. These guys are getting... carried away about things."

"How do you stop them?" I asked.

"By borrowing your crowbar and beating them to death." said Laura. Something beyond instinct suggested to my mind that my wife was not joking about that.

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

After Laura went back to her work, I began looking at the Burke tapes again. About fifteen minutes later I found what I wanted.

A very lovely older woman was lying on Jack's bed, and he was on top of her, pumping his huge cock steadily in and out of her. The woman had a great pair of legs and a nice body, I noted. The view was from the tops of their heads, looking down their bodies toward their coupled loins. That bastard Jack Burke got a lot of pussy, and from a lot of great looking women, I noted with some acidity... and with admitted jealousy.

As the tape rolled, the lovers finished copulating as Burke came inside the woman. The sound was garbled and barely audible, but I could tell he was saying he was going to take a shower.

And then... it happened! The woman sprang off the bed and to her purse, which was near her clothes on the floor. She pulled out a small, wrapped package and bent down to the A.C. vent, which was just off the floor. Pulling it out, she thrust the package as far into the vent as she could. Then she replaced the vent cover and began getting dressed. A moment later she disappeared from the camera's view.

That has to be it! I thought to myself. Whatever is in that package is the clue! I need to find that package...

And above all else, I realized as I watched that segment again, I knew that the woman in this tape... was The Intendent, Mrs. Peabody.

Part 4 - Coffee and Police

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redheaded reporterette from in front of City Hall at precisely 7:00am on Tuesday, November 10th. "Channel Two News has learned that the body found in the River in Southport last night is that of Ambrusco Tessaforte, a lawyer with the Andolini & Tommasino Law Firm in Southport!"

Bettina went on, her lusciously lipsticked lips looking like they wanted to perform fellatio on the big microphone she was holding: "The local connection is that Tessaforte was the lawyer representing Vincent Viscotti, who made a plea deal with the District Attorney's Office over charges stemming from the Town & County Police Department's Vice Squad's bust of his taxicab service as a front for the distribution of illegal drugs."

"Oh, shit." I muttered as all of MCD and some of Vice watched in silence.

"In other news," said Bettina, "the Town & County Council will meet tonight, and in all likelihood will go into executive session. Channel Two News has confirmed from multiple sources that at least one interview for the position of Police Chief will take place, and we also know that Commander Donald Troy has been requested to be at this meeting. This in spite of Commander Troy's constant denials of willingness to take the Chief's job himself."

Bettina continued: "Channel Two News reached out to Police Chief Harold Bennett, who said he is unaware of the Council's actions regarding the post of Police Chief, and that he, Chief Bennett, will be at the post until the end of the year... unless the Council informs him otherwise. We now go to Sports with Chick Pringle. Chuck!"

"That really sucks." said Chris 'Pervert' Purvis of Vice. "Now the whole world knows that Viscotti pled out, and we may not get to use the information he gave us."

"That's true." Cindy Ross said.

"You think they'd try to kill Viscotti instead of his lawyer." said Martin Nash of MCD. "Commander, anything to that?"

"I don't know." I said. "That's Southport's business. I've got enough problems up here in this fine County. Crimes to solve, Detectives to teach how to make coffee..." That got a laugh.

"And politics!" Cindy said loudly, and with what I knew to be sarcasm. "You've got an engraved invitation to meet the People's Representatives tonight!" More laughter.

"Don't remind me." I said sourly. "I'd rather keep drinking this coffee... ugh! Hell, people, we made better tasting coffee on Army Reserve exercises! Who is making this stuff?"

"A crime we hope the Iron Crowbar will be unable to solve." said Tanya Perlman, a mischievous grin on her cherubic face.

"So, Commander," said Joanne Cummings, "did Deputy Chief Brownlee get an invitation to meet the Council?"

"You are making trouble, Detective Cummings." I said. "I get the idea that you are the perpetrator behind this coffee, and you are trying to distract me."

"No sir!" Joanne said, but smiling as she did so. "I'm currently in the Army Reserve, and I can make better coffee than this!"

"By the way," Cindy said, "who else in here either is or was in the military, Reserve included?" The hands raised were mine, Joanne's, Martin Nash's, and Diana Torres's.

"Grubby Paul in Vice was, also." I said. "Cindy's dad was in the Canadian Air Force, and Teresa's dad was a hero in the Viet Nam War. I won't even try to name all those in SWAT and the Uniformed Officer ranks."

"Dr. Eckhart was in the Canadian Air Force?" asked Teresa.

"No, my 'dad' dad. Molly's dad." said Cindy. "How did you know that, Don? Molly tell you?" I just nodded.

"Oh, and speaking of your question, Joanne..." I said, then turned to the door leading to the back hallway. "Brownlee! Stop peeking in from behind the door! Either come in or get out!" There was a silence in the room as Brownlee stepped into the doorway. I noted that his face was red... was that just embarrassment? And his eyes looked weird. Weirder than normal.

"Don't you guys have work to do?" he asked sourly.

"Yes, and they're where they are supposed to be." I said loudly, pulling out the cup that held the coffee filter and grounds. "I'm about to give these Detectives a lesson on how to make coffee properly. Care to join the lesson?" Brownlee just shook his head and left. I taught my Detectives how to properly make coffee.

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

At the Angels Meeting at 8:15am in my office, Cindy said "That was absolutely right that Bettina's report on Viscotti might kill our chances of nailing the Beanstalk Gang."

Teresa replied. "Maybe, but we've got surveillance of two warehouses. Both had some activity, though not much. My people are sifting through photographs taken at the locations, seeing if the people in the photos match the regular employees of the places."

"How are you getting photos of the employees?" I asked.

"Like we always do." Teresa replied. "Lainie hits tax records for name lists, then DMV for the photos. Neither the company nor the employees are ever contacted until we need to." I just nodded, having known that but still impressed (and somewhat disturbed) at how easy it was for the Government to get data on Citizens.

Teresa continued: "I've put Charles and Hewitt of SWAT on alert for Thursday night. If the perps bug out and are not there, so be it. If they're there like we think they'll be, then we are going to be making a huge harvest of 'Beans', and chopping down the Beanstalk for good."

"Okay, great." I said. "Just get Captain Ross's or my 'go' when you're ready to do it. Also, keep any information on it on the down-low. Need to know basis. It's bad enough that the Press is getting all this stuff about us so easily. I definitely know how Chief Griswold always felt."

Have I mentioned that I am not a fan of the Press?

"I hope the Council asks our new Chief-to-be about his attitude towards the Press." Tanya Perlman said. "That should be the first prerequisite for the job."

"It is." I said. "The Council pretends not to realize it, but it is."


"So, Commander," said Teresa, "is the next Chief going to be Robert Brownlee?"

"Like Detective Cummings, you are being a trouble maker, Lieutenant Croyle." I said with a grin. "But the answer is 'no'. The Council was bluffing about that, trying to get me to take the job. But the Sheriff is in Town, and he headed them off at the pass. This interview is a mere formality. The hire is a done deal."

"Commander," said Cindy, "what happened to that lawyer Tessaforte?"

"He was fished out of the River just where it flows into Southport's jurisdiction." I replied. "I have no information on it, not even a cause of death yet. I asked them for a report as a courtesy, seeing as he was here earlier in the day, but they haven't gotten back to me yet."

"Will they?" asked Teresa.

"Oh, I think so." I said. "It'll be as bare-bones a report as they can make it, but they'll put out something in general for the public record. Okay, ladies, I need to talk with your Captain for a few moments." Teresa and Tanya correctly deduced what I wanted to see happen, and they excused themselves and left the office.

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

Once back in her office, Lt. Tanya Perlman was surprised by who came to her office: Detective Joanne Cummings.

"Ma'am," Cummings said, "is it okay if I go home a little early today? Seth and I have one of those pre-marriage classes with Pastor Westboro this afternoon."

"Is that a group thing, or just the two of you?" Tanya asked, seemingly nonchalantly.

"It's a group." said Joanne. "Most of us are getting married next Spring; we've already jockeyed for who gets what weekend. Now it's a series of classes on the religious and spiritual nature of marriage."

"Taught by an unmarried man?" Tanya said. Joanne didn't take to that too well.

"That's not fair, ma'am." the lovely blonde said. "He was married a long time ago. I'm not sure what happened, if his wife left him or if she died, but he never remarried. He says the vows of matrimony are as sacred as the Ten Commandments."

"This is the wrong Town to have those views, from what I've witnessed." Tanya said, more to herself than to Joanne. She caught herself and said "Sure, Joanne, leave when you need to."

Part 5 - Access Never Denied

I turned the TV up so that it was fairly loud in the office, but not enough to distract nor disturb the people in the anteroom or the hallway. I also got out and turned on my anti-bugging device, so that my upcoming conversation with Cindy would not be overheard by I.A. nor anyone else. Last but not least, Cindy and I positioned our chairs in the middle of the room and close to each other's so that we could talk quietly.

"Whassup?" Cindy asked quietly.

"I think I found something on the Jack Burke tapes." I said. "Someone hid something inside his apartment. I need to find a way to go in and extract that hidden package. And I really need to do it today, at least before the Council meeting tonight."

"Why not just ask the apartment manager to let you in?" Cindy said.

I replied "These apartments are a bit low end. The renters are mostly younger types, some are University students, and a good number of them use recreational drugs. This apartment is currently occupied by a young couple that easily fits the description."

I continued: "The apartment manager is known to me. He is hostile to Police; if I asked, he would demand a well-defined and strictly narrow warrant, he would have a lawyer examine it, and he would want to be present during the search. Last but not least, any publicity at all, even getting a warrant under some other pretext, creates a public record that our Consultant is constantly watching for, and so it would tip him off."

Cindy nodded as I talked. "So you're thinking you have to go to the Dark Side to get this material, however good a cause it is." she said. I nodded.

After a moment of thought, she said "I could probably get Jenna to get a secret warrant, saying the newly developed drug information requires fast action. We can take a dog, go in and sniff around. If they have drugs, great: we make a bust. If not, we say the data must've been erroneous. It's not like that never legitimately happens."

"True." I said. "And I like that idea, but there's another problem: let's say we got a secret warrant on some pretext of drugs and went in. I still have to have time to get that stuff, secrete it and get it out of there, and do this without other officers seeing me do it. And as you know, we take videocameras to crime scenes now."

"I think we can get around that one." Cindy said. "Which room is it that you need to be alone in?"

"The bedroom." I said.

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

Captain Cindy Ross went into Lt. Teresa Croyle's office. "Teresa," she said, "we've developed a lead on a possible drug shipment at an apartment complex south of Downtown."

"Okay, I'll get some people on it, get a warrant for it--" Teresa started saying, but Cindy held up her hand.

"This one needs to be in secrecy." Cindy said. "And since you're working the Viscotti information and preparing to take down the Beanstalk Gang, the Commander has 'suggested' to me that this be a cross-training event. So I'm going to take a few Uniformed officers and handle it myself."

"Uh... okay." said Teresa, realizing that there must be more to this...