Four Square Ch. 02

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 5 - Pushing and Shoving

Sunday, April 7th. I went inside I-2 and walked slowly up to the table. Joanne's eyes had a 'Oooweee, the perp is gonna get it now!' look as I sat down in the seat Theo had been occupying.

"Mr. Gray, I know you have been mirandized." I said. "My name is Don Troy, and I am the Police Commander here."

"Is that supposed to mean something?" Gray asked rudely.

"Oh yes." I said. "When my Detectives, regardless of their skin color, are questioning you, you should be cooperating to clear up the matter, or taking the Fifth if you wish to remain silent. When I come in, then all that is overwith. Furthermore to this point, one of those Auxiliary Detectives that you threatened is also named 'Troy'. And I don't appreciate it when someone threatens or assaults... my mother." Joanne whirled to look at me, her eyes wide. My gray eyes saw the beginnings of fear growing in Gray's eyes as we stared each other down.

"So what are you gonna do?" snarled Gray. "Assault me? Police brutality? Go ahead. It'll only be a matter of time before someone finds out, and then your ass is grass."

I smiled, a smile that no one in their right mind wants to see. "That's not even a good try, Mr. Gray, just like your racist rant at my Detective wasn't a good try. No, we're not going to touch you. What I am going to do... is investigate you to the limits of my power, and that is some considerable power. I'm going to find out what you're trying to hide."

Gray looked a little more fearful, but then his eyes and heart hardened. He said "I want a lawyer. I demand my cellphone so that I can call my lawyer."

"Which one?" I asked, my eyes boring into his. "Nathan Masterson? Or Chip Blake?"

Gray's eyes widened in real fear this time. He worked to regain control, then said "Just give me my damn phone."

"There is no cellphone reception in here." I said. I took Gray's cellphone out of my pocket. "You can look up the number, and use the wall phone to make the call. I can't leave without taking that cellphone with me, so dial the number and then I'll get out."

It was not true that there was no cellphone reception... unless a certain device was turned on. And it was. The ink-pen bug-killer was set just strong enough to kill cellphone reception, but not the wired-in cameras recording everything. I watched Gray unlock his phone and look up a number. He re-locked the phone and handed it to me, then dialed the number on the phone on the wall as Joanne and I exited the room.

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

"The Widow Athena Jones is your mother?" Joanne asked once we were in the anteroom, her voice a mixture of shock and accusation. "I was looking right at her the whole time..."

I grinned. "It took me a long time to figure it out, too. She's that good. Okay, place yer bets on who shows up, Nathan Masterson, Chip Blake, or Max Chambliss."

"And how did you know that, sir?" asked Theo.

"Elementary, my dear Washington." I said. "The man is obviously one of the White Supremacists we've come to know and not love. I suspect he's related to Franklin Gray of Superior Bloodlines, and I will be checking to see. And when the White Boyz need a lawyer, who ya gonna call? Gresham & Mason, of course..."

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

Chip Blake, Esq., came into Headquarters to represent his client. We were very surprised when he said his client was Amit. It was Nathan Masterson who came in to represent Jefferson Gray.

Upon getting the autopsy report, we had speedily secured warrants to arrest Rhonda Fitch Gray on suspicion of murder, and she had been taken through full booking and was waiting in a cell for further interrogation. We also informed Jefferson Gray of the added charges under which we were holding him.

"I don't get it." said Tanya Perlman as we waited in the Monitor Room for Amit and his lawyer to finish their discussion. "I thought Gresham & Mason was the law firm of white supremacists. What's up with him representing an Indian like Amit?"

"Gresham & Mason is also the favored law firm of the Big Boy Elites, the Crony Capitalists." I said. "And the one point of huge contention we've had with all of these people in this case is their absolute refusal to talk about the projects they were working on. I suspect we need to investigate who Audial Security Solutions has been working with."

"What are we going to do with these guys?" Tanya asked. Just then, the lawyer Blake called on the phone for us to come in. So we did.

"Here's the plan." I said before anyone else could say anything. "Amit, if you will consent to be ankle-monitored, you will be released into your attorney's custody. You cannot leave the County, and if you do you will be put in jail for suspicion of manslaughter... or worse." Amit and his attorney agreed to the deal.

I had Tanu brought into Interrogation-B, where he and his wife hugged. Chip Blake came in with me. "You cannot go home; your apartment is a crime scene." I said. "You will be released into your attorney's custody, and he will explain to you why you must stay in the County at all times as we investigate this situation." Ashwarya didn't like it, but her husband and attorney convinced her to accept it.

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

My mother Phyllis Troy was still hanging around, watching in the Monitor Room with Tanya Perlman as Joanne Warner and I went into Interrogation-1, where Rhonda Fitch Gray had been taken after being led through full booking.

"Well, if it isn't Commander Troy, harassing law-abiding citizens once again." said Nathan Masterson.

"Just because it's Sunday doesn't mean I won't jack you up, Jew hater." I said.

"So why have you put my client through booking?" snarled Masterson as Joanne and I sat down on the other side of the table. "Pure harassment, nothing else.

Ignoring Masterson, I said "Mrs. Gray, my name is Commander Don Troy. We have just gotten the results of your father's autopsy, which shows that he was murdered. You have been booked for suspicion of murder. You'll be staying here overnight until your hearing tomorrow morning."

"That's ridiculous!" Rhonda Gray all but shouted. "I didn't do anything to my father! Why don't you arrest those people at that facility? Or my mother? She's so batty she might do anything."

"Wow, a lot of hostility towards your mother, Mrs. Gray." I said. "I'm sure glad I get along better with my mother. What happened between you to cause this kind of hatred?"

"She's a batty old idiot." said Rhonda angrily. "She's embarrassed us for a long time, and her antics today were just over the top---"

At that point Masterson stopped her and whispered something into her ear. She nodded, then Masterson said "No more questions until I get a chance to read the autopsy, the Police reports, and probably not until she has her hearing." Joanne and I left the room, and female Police Officers took Rhonda Gray to her holding cell.

I then went into I-2 with Theo Harris, and Masterson came in from the other side. He'd talked to Jefferson Gray already. I said "The autopsy report has come back, and it shows your father-in-law was murdered. Your aggressive actions are suspicious, and you are considered the prime suspect in Mr. Fitch's death, as well as the other charges against you."

"No questions until his hearing, at least." said Masterson.

"That's not good enough." said Theo. "I'm going to question your client and get answers, unless he invokes his Fifth Amendment rights."

"I have two things to say." said Gray. "First, you can go fuck yourself, nigger." Masterson laughed out loud, then Gray said: "And second, I'm taking the Fifth..."

Part 6 - Dogs and Differences

"Grandma!"

It was Carole's excited voice as my mother came into The Cabin. Carole rushed up to hug her grandmother. She was followed by five boys: Jim, Ian, Ross, and Todd's boys Doug and little Todd. I noticed that little Jack Burke held back... as did Tasha.

"Tasha?" I called out. "Come give your grandmother a hug." That got Tasha moving, and my mom made sure to give her a extra-warm hug and tell her how happy she was to see her.

"What was that about?" I quietly asked Paulina as my mother sat down in the greatroom and hugged and talked with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

"We'll talk later." Paulina said. "With Laura present." That got my eyebrows raising up, but I said nothing.

Doug, Little Todd, and Jack were present because their parents Todd and Teresa were present. As Todd talked with his grandmother, Teresa came over to me and said "What's going on with these cases? Four deaths, all at once?"

"When it rains, it pours." I said. "Where are Cindy, Callie, and Betsy?"

"They'll be here in a little bit." said Teresa. "As will Molly and Maggie. They're bringing supper..."

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

Stephanie and Selena Steele had left after supper, but Marie stayed. Cindy and her family had brought in a catered barbeque (the noun, not the verb), and good grief! was it ever good! It helped that I was very hungry.

Earlier, as we were eating, I continued to notice that Tasha was being very quiet, even despite Carole's attempts to talk to her and cajole her into happiness. Teresa was sitting next to me and said "Little Jack said something to her, and she's been quiet ever since."

"What did he say?" I asked.

"I don't know." said Teresa. "I'm hoping you or Laura can find out, and let me know."

So as everyone talked after supper but before dessert, I said "Tasha, why don't you help me take the dogs out." The dogs instantly appeared at the back door.

We went onto the deck, where the dogs scampered around the side and to their trail to do their business. "Where are they going, Daddy?" Tasha asked as we sat down side-by-side on the metal mesh loveseat.

"Dogs go to the potty outdoors." I said to my three-year-old daughter. "So let me ask you something. Why didn't you run to hug your grandmother like everyone else did?"

"Because I'm different than everybody." said Tasha unhappily. "Because my mom is black." Needless to say, I was stunned at that.

"Did somebody tell you that you're different?" I asked.

Tasha nodded. "Jack did. He said my mom is black, so y'all don't love me as much."

"That is not true." I said, putting my arm around her. "I love you just as much as I love your brothers and sisters, and your grandmother loves you just as much as them, too. And Carole loves you very much because you're her sister, and the boys are her brothers so she needs you sticking with her. Bur the boys love you, too, even if they don't show it all the time."

"But I am different." said Tasha, not forlornly, but not without a tinge of unhappiness.

"So am I." I said. "What color is my hair?"

"Blonde... red." said Tasha.

"And what color is Carole's hair, and yours?" I asked.

"Black." said Tasha.

"Ahhhh." I said. "So we're all different, aren't we? In fact, every person is different, totally unique. And that's a good thing. So don't worry about what Jack or anyone else tells you, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Tasha said as the dogs came back. Buddy did not come around in front of us, which caused me to make a deduction. Bowser did come up to us, though.

"See, Bowser loves you, too." I said, slapping my thigh, which Bowser correctly interpreted as an invitation for him to jump onto my lap. "Let's pet Bowser for a minute."

"Carole says Bowser is her dog." said Tasha.

"Yes, but I'm the one paying for his dog food, so we can pet him, too." I said. "Here, let me show you something he likes." I showed Tasha how to gently rub Bowser on the right side of his head. She laughed when she tried it and Bowser pressed his head into her hand, looking very happy and grateful. Tasha looked a lot happier, too. Dogs not only make things better, I thought, they transcend racial barriers... and mean things said by mean kids.

After a few minutes, I said "Okay, why don't you take Bowser and Buddy inside, and go give your grandma a big hug."

"Okay, Daddy." Tasha said. She stood up on the seat and gave me a big hug and said "I love you, Daddy." I returned the hug, my heart thoroughly melted.

After Tasha ran back to the door, I said "Come on over." Teresa had been waiting in the shadows by the door, overhearing our conversation, which explained Buddy's non-appearance: he'd wandered to her when he saw her, as he always did. She came over and sat down on the loveseat next to me.

"I heard." said Teresa. "I'm sorry about that."

"Tasha is going to be hearing things like that all her life." I replied. "But what's up with Jack? Did he say that just as a child's observation, or was he being mean to Tasha?"

"I'm afraid..." Teresa said, "... that he's getting a mean streak in him. He doesn't play with the other boys much, and he gets mean with them at times. When we say something to him, he reminds us that we're not his parents. I tell him that we both adopted him, so we are his parents, but that doesn't help a lot. He hasn't been mean to animals nor started setting fires or anything, but we're concerned."

"Like father, like son, I'm afraid." I said.

"I mostly knew his father Jack in the Biblical sense." Teresa said. "You may have known him, Jack Burke, as a person better than I did. Was he mean?"

"He was very aggressive, could be pushy." I said. "He didn't respect women very much, thought of them as sex objects."

"No doubt about that." Teresa agreed, from firsthand experience. "But he could show a tender side, if he wanted to."

"Yes, exactly." I said. "And I whipped his ass with Aikido once, and never had a real problem with him again. At any rate, I wouldn't call him mean or sociopathic. But Little Jack, here... he may be showing the worst of his father without the better parts to go along with it."

"We're watching him." said Teresa. Just then we heard something behind us.

"Hi Mom." I said, knowing her favorite brand of perfume. "Come on over."

"I'm so sorry to intrude upon your private conversation." said my mother, who was anything but sorry. "Tasha came and gave me a hug, then told me, her mother, and Laura what young Jack had said. I was struck by what I was hearing. I've seen similar bad behavior before."

"Where?" Teresa asked.

"Elizabeth?" I guessed.

"Yes, your sister, Don." my mom said. "She had a vicious mean streak in her, and it only got worse when she did not get the sister she wanted, but a brother instead. But, like most women, she learned the interpersonal skills needed to survive and thrive. Boys, we have to be more careful with, lest they go in a different direction. Todd did well, but his brother Ned is a perfect example of what happens when the Dark Side wins."

"Glad you didn't turn out bad, Don." Teresa said, teasing me. "You're mom raised you right, at least." I could only nod vigorously in agreement...

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

The sun had long set, and the night had enveloped the deck. I was sitting in 'my' place on the metal mesh loveseat, and I had a lap full of Betsy Ross. Cindy was in the metal mesh chair to my left.

"See the train, Betsy?" I said, pointing to the bright white speck of light coming out of the western horizon. I don't know if Betsy saw it or not, but she smiled and pointed at the Town because I was doing so.

"Did you hear anything about the ID of the guy you found at the car dealership?" I asked Cindy.

"No, not yet." said Cindy. "I tried to call Team Lazarus's office in the City, but no one was in. It's Sunday. I thought I might ask Tanya to ask Jack to check up on it tomorrow."

"That's something I need to bring up." I said. "I'm seeing some tension in Tanya whenever we bring up having her ask Jack anything. I don't know if it causes problems in the Perlman-Muscone household, or if Tanya sees it as exploiting her personal relationship with Jack. So why don't you let me follow up with Jack directly."

"Okay." Cindy said. "And besides, I have another route I can go. I'll call Tim Jenkins, and say the method of the death suggests organized crime."

"Ju-ust don't get him in trouble." I said.

"Why would he get in trouble?" Cindy asked.

"Think about it." I said. "it is not like the FBI to not return anything at all on a simple set of prints. And we've been having... issues... with them the last few weeks. If Tim does check into it, it might be a most very good idea that they have no idea the request originated with you."

"Yeah, that's a thought." Cindy said. "Maybe I should just let you handle it."

"That's usually the wise thing to do." I said, a wee bit maliciously. "But do call Tim. Gives you an excuse to talk to him, too."

"What?!" Cindy gasped, turning her platinum blonde head sharply to look at me.

"O-kayyyyy, Betsy." I said with a wicked grin. "Time to hand you back to your mama before she finds her green crowbar and beats me down silly with it." I got up and handed Betsy to her mother, then hastened back inside...

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

As Tasha and her mother were getting ready to leave, Carole came up to her sister and gave her a big hug. "Bye Tasha." Carole said. "And remember, you'll always be my sis-ter."

"Awww, that's very sweet, Carole." Laura said, very proud of her daughter.

"You boys need to hug your sis-ter goodbye." Carole ordered. Jim did so first, followed by Ian and Ross.

After Paulina and Tasha were gone, Laura said "That was very nice of you, Carole. And it was good to get your brothers to hug Tasha, too."

"Sometimes," Carole declared, "ya just gotta tell boys what to do." I blinked in stunned surprise. The women in the room broke out laughing...

Part 7 - Four Whiteboards

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Monday April 8th, from in front of City Hall. "The NEA, the powerful teachers union, is ramping up the pressure on the Town & County to create an independent School Board!"

Bettina began: "Channel Two News has learned that the NEA is considering moving forward their plans to sue the Town & County over the current structure where the Board of Commissioners acts as the School Board and the Town Assembly sets millage rates and the School System budgets. The NEA's lawsuit would be in Federal Court."

"In response," Bettina continued, "Edward R. Steele, a Town & County Councilman and member of the Town & County Charter Commission that is rewriting our governing Charter, issued a statement saying, quote: 'The Charter Commission is addressing the NEA's concerns, and the NEA is aware that there is nothing that can legally be done without a vote of the Town & County's citizens, which won't be until November. So this lawsuit would simply be a waste of our time and the NEA's money.', close quote. Let's go to trusted reporter Lester Holder for a related story. Lester!"

"Thank you, Bettina." said Lester Holder "Channel Two News has begun what promises to be a hard-hitting investigation into the budget of the Town & County School Systems. Sources tell Channel Two News that schools on the southside, that feed into the Booker T. Washington High system, are given fewer dollars per student relative to the amounts that the County High and Town High systems get. Channel Two News will show that the reason for this inequity is because the southside schools have a larger percentage of Black and Hispanic students, while County High is predominately white."