Fire in the Embers Ch. 02

"Ohhh, that's it!" I said as Jenna left the office. My Angels looked at me questioningly. "Now I remember about the refined heroin. Tanya, I need you to send a couple of Detectives to BigPharmaCorp, to talk with Dr. Robin Grayson, their Vice President and Assistant Research Director. Find out if they're missing any samples of research drugs. If he gets all antsy and in denial, tell him that Commander Troy will come to talk to him, and I'll bet that will loosen his tongue."

"How about Martin Nash and Joanne Cummings?" said Tanya, half a question, half a statement.

"Nash would be good, but trust me when I say that you should not send a lovely young woman to interview a man who has a jealous wife." I replied. "Maybe Parker with Nash." Tanya went to give her Detectives their assignment, leaving Cindy and Teresa to look at me, knowing I knew more than I was telling. I told them that I would not elaborate at this time, leaving them less than mollified.

An hour later, I got a phone call. It was Martin Nash.

"Commander, I'm at the home of Dr. Robin Grayson." he said. "I... I think you need to get here right away..."

Part 9 - Research Materials

The home of Dr. Robin Grayson was in an exclusive gated community northwest of Town, on the other side of the River, with a nice golf course as its feature. It wasn't the Heritage Cloisters, but it was not a place that people on police officer salaries lived.

The home was torn apart. There were bloodstains on the carpet of the library room, and an open pocketknife on the floor, the blade completely stained with blood. Crime Lab people were at work, the photographer was taking pictures, the videographer filming the scene.

"Whaddya got, Nash?" I asked quietly as I entered the room.

"They were both alive when we got here." Nash said. "So I called for ambulances to take them to University Hospital. I did take some pictures before the ambulance got here."

He showed me the pictures. Grayson was lying on his side, his white shirt covered with splotches of blood, his pants ripped open to expose his ass. His wife was lying on her back, unconscious, her blouse ripped open exposing her breasts, blood streaks on her chest and clothing, her skirt hitched up. It was obvious what had been done to her.

"What happened?" I asked, then added "By that, I mean what were your actions in arriving here?"

Nash said "We went to BigPharmaCorp and asked to speak to Dr. Grayson. The guard there led us to the offices of the Research Building where he worked. His assistant said he had not arrived yet. I asked if he was often late, or if he would come in late after working the night before. She said he normally would leave her a note or message in those cases, but had not left one the night before."

"Parker whispered to me that he thought the assistant was disquieted, worried." Nash continued. "So he asked the assistant if she would try to call Dr. Grayson on his cell or at home. She tried both numbers, and got nothing, and she looked even more worried. So Parker and I came to the house, found the door ajar, and took everything we knew as probable cause to enter the home. And then we found them, both unconscious."

"Good observation of the assistant, Parker." I said to the young Detective standing near me and Nash and Cindy. "By the way... they have kids, don't they?"

"No kids found." said Nash. "There are children's rooms in the house, though, and pictures of their kids all over the place, so yes they do have kids."

"Oh my God." Cindy said, pain on her face. She got out her cellphone. "I'll have the Duty Desk put out an Amber Alert. Should I call the FBI, too?"

"Sure." I said. "Call Jack Muscone directly."

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

The Boardroom of BigPharmaCorp was a large, elegant room. The large windows gave a panoramic view of the River, and the Town on the other side of the flowing water. The long conference table was slightly curved on both sides, and was made of rare and expensive woods.

BigPharmaCorp's CEO, Dr. Thomas Cubbard, was present, along with FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone, FBI Special Agent Sandra Speer, myself, Captain Ross, Detective Nash, and the head of the Research Department, Dr. Laramie Wilkins. Cubbard looked youngish, and while he was subdued right now, I could tell he could be as much of a jerk as his predecessor, the late Donovan Donolan, if he hit that switch. Wilkins was a much older man, either a light-skinned black man or a dark-skinned white man, and an esteemed biochemist. He looked haggard.

And, of course, BigPharmaCorp had a lawyer representing the company, and another legal beagle was there on behalf of Cubbard personally, or at least in his capacity as CEO.

I got a cellphone call and took it. The news was good. "The kids have been found." I said as I hung up. "They're safe. Parker says that the Graysons went out on a 'date night' to dinner and a movie, and her mother was keeping the children overnight."

"Thank goodness." Cindy said quietly. Sandra also looked very relieved.

"That's good to hear." said Dr. Cubbard. "So, what do you agents and officers need of me?"

"I have just a few questions of you and Dr. Wilkins." I said, taking command of the proceedings. "First, I am aware that Dr. Grayson had worked in the past on refining drugs. Was he doing that type of research here?"

"He was doing a lot of research on many things." said Cubbard, cutting off Wilkins from speaking. "We can't go into details of our research here. You understand that billions of dollars have gone into our research, and we can't just discuss it publicly, even under these circumstances."

I gave Jack Muscone a glance, to let him know that I had it under control. I said "Dr. Cubbard, have you received any threats concerning your research? Have there been attempts to steal research, or blackmail or coerce anything from your company? Any threats to Dr. Grayson or any of your staff?"

"No." said Cubbard, looking hard at me. "Nothing like that of which I'm aware."

"Dr. Wilkins?" I asked. "Are you aware of any threats, problems, or any attempts to steal any research?"

"Nothing specific." said Wilkins. "Of course we're aware of industrial espionage, not to mention Mr. Donolan's unfortunate death. We're always on guard, and have tight security here."

"Was Dr. Grayson acting strangely?" I asked. "Did he seem preoccupied, or worried about anything?"

"Not recently." said Wilkins. "Back in September he seemed distracted, moody and sometimes agitated. But over the last month and a half he'd calmed back down to his normal self. Didn't seem to have a care in the world, except about his research."

"Which again, Dr. Wilkins," said Cubbard, "we cannot discuss in any detail."

"Agent Muscone," I said, "why don't you interview Dr. Cubbard about national threats to BigPharmaCorp, while I spend a few moments with Dr. Wilkins? Each of them can have the legal representation already here, of course."

"No!" snarled Cubbard. "I forbid you to speak to any of my employees without me or my representatives being present. I will not permit any questioning about our research----"

He was cut short by a large redheaded man advancing upon him, a red crowbar being tapped in the palm of that man's other hand.

"Dr. Cubbard," I said, drawing up to him, "I am investigating the crime of your employee and his wife being found nearly dead, with her being repeatedly raped and maybe him too. I do not appreciate perps acting that way in my County, but I appreciate even less when asshole CEOs of BigPharmaCorp, such as Donovan Donolan and now you, attempt to obstruct my investigations."

I continued speaking into the face of the shocked CEO, who was not used to being dictated to in this fashion: "I will speak to whomever I want to in pursuit of the reason for this crime and the perps that did it, and if you attempt to continue to obstruct me, you will have the opportunity to visit the inside of my jails, charged with Obstruction of Justice."

Cubbard was furious, but said nothing else. The company lawyer came with me and Dr. Wilkins as we left the room to find another place to talk...

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

"Look, Dr. Wilkins," I said as we sat down on opposite sides of a small table in the breakroom of the Research Building, "I have no desire to go through research papers, or know exactly what you're doing, much less to steal anything from you. But your employee and his wife were brutalized and I want to find out why."

"I understand." said Wilkins. "Dr. Cubbard is just trying to protect the company's interests. But I'll answer what I can."

The company lawyer was leaning against the wall, listening to us. Cindy Ross was at the doorway, guarding it but also listening in.

"So just in general, what was Dr. Grayson working on?"

"By your earlier question," said Wilkins, "I can see that you know about his college research into refining heroin to a level that mice stayed high for the rest of their lives when introduced to it. But he was not working on anything like that at the present time.

"His main work recently was on a process where we're taking one drug and simply adding a CH3 molecule to create another drug." He showed me printed drawings of the two molecules, both with complex aromatic rings. One had a simple hydrogen atom in the corner, while the other had the CH3 molecule. I did not let on that I understood more about it than most police officers would.

"This isn't all that groundbreaking." said Wilkins. "We've done things like this before with other drugs, such as some of the 'statins'. This one needed work to be brought to production levels, and that's what Grayson was doing. Once he had it figured out, production of the new drug would be worth billions of dollars."

"Anything else on the side?" I asked. "Anything he was doing on his own time?"

"Nothing of which I am aware." said Wilkins. "Though we do encourage young thinkers to do experiments like that, they usually get a sign-off and some budgeting first, and Robin never approached me about it. In fact, he could sign off on other people's experiments, but he wasn't doing anything himself."

"Are you aware of any threats to Dr. Grayson?" I asked. "Or any threats to anyone or anything in the Research Department?"

"No." said Wilkins. "But there is something I will tell you privately, just between us." The lawyer listened in even more intently as Wilkins said "I think Grayson's agitation a few months ago was over a woman, not over anything work-related. Some of the people here thought he was having an affair. I don't know if that has anything to do with what has happened here, but the attack on him and his wife might not be work related."

"Thank you for that information, Doctor." I said. "I appreciate your candor, as well. If there is anything else you know or find out, please do give me a call." I handed him my TCPD card, and he handed me card in exchange.

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

"He is an agitated man." said Jack Muscone as we gathered around the Police Headquarters Main Conference Room table at 11:00am, referring to Dr. Cubbard of BigPharmaCorp. "I don't think he was lying to me, but he was extremely worried that you were talking to his Research Director."

"Well, as you well know, BigPharmaCorp has had some issues recently, what with the death of Donovan Donolan and such." I said. "Not to mention that this guy's hold on the CEO chair is tenuous. He's deathly afraid for his job."

"Any ideas on what this is about?" asked Sandra Speer. "What connections are you seeing, Commander, that we're not seeing? You knew to send two officers to talk to Grayson, and that is how he and his wife were found."

"At the risk of enduring a Blue Crowbar beatdown," I replied, "let me share some things that I did know, and you need to know now. I've met Dr. Grayson before. I know that he did college research on refining drugs like heroin to some amazing levels. The reports are not easily available, though with your security clearances you'll be able to get them if you want."

"Then we find a substance at the apartment of James and Susan Douglas." I said. "The Crime Lab thinks it's a very highly refined version of a drug like heroin. And this is how I knew to send two of my officers to ask Dr. Grayson about it. I was thinking that maybe his research was stolen from BigPharmaCorp, and I can't discount that even now.

"At any rate, we end up finding a horrible crime scene at his home, and both he and his wife unconscious and fighting for life at University Hospital. Captain Ross, do we need to quote Dame Agatha Christie here?"

"No sir, we do not." Cindy said emphatically. "This cannot be a coincidence."

"Well, do you need us Feds to work on this?" asked Jack Muscone. "With the kids found safe, I'm not sure we have a real role here."

"Is the FBI already doing surveillance on Louise Belfort and her people, and the Badge gang?"

"Yes." said Muscone.

"See if she or any of them put together a group of criminals recently." I said. "It may be those perps that assaulted the Graysons."

"Sir, we can also do some research on the BigPharmaCorp people involved, see if there really is an industrial espionage situation here." offered Sandra Speer.

"Sure, that'd be great." I said. "Beyond that, and other than the Belfort gang, I don't know what else you guys can do. If we find something, or if you find something, then we'll get back together on it."

With that we broke up the meeting. I had to decline offers to go to lunch as a group, saying that I had a lunch 'meeting', related to a case. Nevertheless, as I went into my office, I was followed by a platinum blonde with a Blue Crowbar, and I did not need to be P. Harvey Eckhart to know she was mentally agitated.

"Not a word." I said. "Let's get out of here and find a safe place to talk." As we left, I told my assistant Helena that I would not be back for a few hours, and that I could be contacted in a dire emergency by cellphone or police radio.

I drove Cindy to the Fairgrounds, which were right behind Police Headquarters and easy to get to. Pulling in at the main entrance, I left my radio in the car, bidding Cindy to do the same. I walked a short ways onto the grounds, Cindy watching and following. Finally, I stopped, feeling a sense of energy.

"It was here." I said. "I was standing right here, on this spot, when Keeler took his shot at me."

"How do you know?" Cindy asked, realizing I wanted her to ask the question. "The metal shed is no longer there."

"I can still feel the energy of this spot." I said. "It's still here. Something literally yanked my shoulder to the side, causing that bullet to miss me literally by a millimeter. And that presence is still here. I know you understand that now. If I'd told you this a year ago, you would not have believed me at all."

"There are a lot of things I would not have believed if you told me a year ago." said Cindy. "So, spill it, Crowbar 1."

"Yes, Crowbar 2, that's why I brought you here." I said. "To tell you the things I didn't tell our FBI friends, nor anyone else."

"Yep." Cindy said, almost derisively. "You know a lot more about this than you've let on."

"Yes, and here's where I bring you, and only you into it." I said. "You heard Dr. Wilkins say Grayson was having a sexual affair?"

"Yes." Cindy said. "Was he right?"

"He was." I said. "I know Robin Grayson because he was indeed having an affair... with Emma Washburn."

"Oh my fucking God!" Cindy exclaimed, looking to the sky, beginning to see it all even before I explained it.

"Yes." I said. "And more than that: Emma gave Grayson the tablet that we could never find. After her death, he came to see me. He gave me the tablet she'd given him. It had the goods, including video of our Consultant."

"Jesus Christ, Don!" Cindy said, "I know you don't tell me everything, but why didn't you tell me this?"

"Look." I said, boring in on my partner. "Grayson wanted to do the right thing by turning in the tablet, but he was scared that his wife would find out about his affair with Emma. Emma was already dead, and I could understand that he didn't want to lose his marriage. So I agreed to keep it quiet, and not tell anyone else at all unless I absolutely had to. Like a Confidential Informant situation."

"Somehow, I actually believe that." Cindy said, her insight serving her well.

"I took his affidavit, sealed it in Evidence, and took possession of the tablet." I said. "I uploaded that information into encrypted servers, as well. It's all there for you to see, especially if something happens to me and you have to take over the case."

"I seriously believe that if he gets you, he'll get me at the same time, if not before." Cindy said. "So this attack was the Consultant trying to get that tablet, not realizing Grayson already gave it to you?"

"I believe that is the case." I said. "I haven't yet interviewed either of them, but I suspect that the perps broke in on them and began raping the wife in front of the husband to make him talk. I suspect he told them that he had no tablet and knew of none, even in the face of being forced to watch his wife being raped."

"Then they ripped open his pants and sodomized him, probably with some object though they may have raped him." I continued. "Then they stabbed him with the pocketknife, but he didn't die. She was already unconscious and they didn't bother making sure she was dead, they just left the both of them on the floor after tearing apart the house. All I can say... is that it is damn fortunate those kids weren't at home."

"Oh geez..." Cindy muttered, realizing what would've happened to those children if the Consultant's hired hands had gotten ahold of them.

"So now you know." I said. "Maybe the drugs found on the the perps in the apartment was them actually having obtained the stuff from BigPharmaCorp... or maybe it really is a coincidence. Or maybe those drugs were planted."

"I was wondering if you'd found a way to plant drugs on them, to justify your getting that other stuff." Cindy said.

"No, it wasn't me. Really." I said. "Besides: if I could've planted the drugs like that, then I could've just gotten to that other information and would not have had to bother with the warrant nor the raid."

"That's true." Cindy agreed.

"The Douglas couple were at home all the time, one of them if not both were always there." I said. "I'm inclined to think they either obtained that refined stuff, or someone gave it to them for safekeeping or to pass along, kind of like Barry Bounel."

"Wow, it's a good thing you got that tablet." said Cindy. "This bastard Consultant is not far behind you. Not far at all."

I had no idea at the time how prodigious Cindy's words were as I dropped Cindy off at HQ and went to meet Mrs. Peabody at the Cattleman's Club for lunch.

Part 10 - Lunch Dates

Assistant District Attorney Paulina Patterson and her assistant Yvonne stopped up to Detective Julie Newton's desk in Vice.

"I'm taking your sister to lunch." said Paulina to Julie. "Would you like to come with us? My treat?"

"Sure." said Julie. She locked her computer down and the three women headed to the Cattleman's Club for lunch. The place was relatively high-end, and business executives came here frequently for working lunches.

The ladies were seated, and in due time they ordered various salads. Being pregnant, Paulina ordered the 'meat lovers' salad, which came with a selection of proteins. Paulina got chicken, ham, bacon, and beef strips on hers. Yvonne went for the chicken Caesar salad, while Julie grazed on the all-veggie salad. They all knew the salads would be huge.

"Hello, Ms. Patterson." said John Colby, the owner. He often went around speaking to his guests, playing the game of politics as well as successful restaurant ownership. "Celebrating yet another successful prosecution, I hope?"