Four Square Ch. 04

"Very well done, Commander." Miriam said. "I do have one question: why 25 years for her, and 20 for him?"

"I wanted her to have 25-to-life," I said, "but I realized that there's considerable reasonable doubt about her being the one that injected the final potion that killed her father. But I definitely wanted her to have more. My mother and sister have a family feud going, but I don't think my sister hates my mother to the point she'd try to starve her by leaving her with nothing. But Rhonda Gray... there was some serious hatred there, and evil, in what she did..."

After a moment of reflection, I came back and said "So! Would you like to watch me have a philosophical exchange of ideas with Mr. Masterson?"

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

I went into I-A alone. Masterson was pacing the floor, and Lt. Rudistan was blocking the door to prevent the legal beagle from leaving.

"Have a seat." I said, doing so myself. Masterson eyed me warily, then sat down on the other side of the table.

"What the hell are you doing, keeping me here?" Masterson growled.

"I am going to read you your rights." I said, then did so from the card. I added "You are an attorney, but you have the right to have someone else as your legal representation. Do you want to bring in someone to represent you?"

"No." said Masterson. "I want you to tell me what the hell is going on!"

"That's simple enough." I said. Then I bore in on Masterson and said "The charges are fraud, extortion, theft by deceit, and conspiracy to commit murder in the first degree."

"What?!" Masterson practically screamed, though a look of utter fear was etched upon his features. Rudistan showed his surprise by looking even more jovial than he usually did.

"I'm not the dumbest rock in the box, Masterson." I said. "It was you who created that false will, you who led the Gray's through the process, you who told your Big Boy superiors about the Fitch fortune and how it could be stolen for use by your organization!"

"Of course I drew up the will!" thundered Masterson. "I'm a lawyer. That's what lawyers DO! Everything I did was legal, and at the request of my clients. Your fantasies of impropriety will never hold up in Court---"

"Until the Grays testify against you." I said. "Which they are going to do as part of their plea bargains."

"Bring it on, asshole!" Masterson yelled. "It's my word against two dirtbags that would tell any lie to save themselves from your intimidation tactics! It won't be them versus me on trial... it'll be you and your murderous Police brutality tactics on trial!"

He moved to the door. Rudistan blocked his way. Masterson turned to me and said "Well? Am I under arrest? Either arrest me or get your gorilla out of my way."

I nodded to Rudistan, who let Masterson leave. Rudistan looked at me and said "You're not arresting him, sir?"

I nodded, then said "Mr. Rudistan, you're one of the good guys. You don't go to sleep every night of your life, wondering when you're going to wake up with me standing there, hovering over you, ready to end your world as you know it. But Masterson?" I smiled a wicked smile as I said "His nights of peaceful sleep... are 'ovah'. He knows I'm onto him, he knows I'm coming after him."

Rudistan laughed. "I almost feel sorry for the son of a bitch. Almost..."

Part 17 - Teachable Moments

"Okay," I said to Detective Julia Rodriguez, "Amit and Tanu will be yours, but I'm going to take the lead with Ashwarya. I have a suspicion that she is involved much more deeply in something than those two hamheads. But I want you in there, to hear it."

"Yes sir." said Julia. We went into Interrogation-2. Patrol Officer Laurer was the Uniformed Presence, and Chip Blake, who was also becoming tired as the day wore on, was Ashwarya's legal representation.

"So what was your relationship with David Lang, besides his sexual partner?" I asked. "Part of his research team? His personal assistant?"

"Some of both." Ashwarya said.

"How so?" I asked. "What does that mean?"

"I was not his secretary," said Ashwarya, "but as his lead researcher, I helped him write the team's papers, and made sure he had the information he needed to make his presentations to our clients."

"I see." I said. "Okay, Ashwarya, we're going to stop wasting time." I took out my Police iPhone and brought up the photo of Keiko Shimono. "Who is she? And don't tell me you don't know: you recognized her when I showed you her picture the other day, even though you lied and said you didn't know her."

"You'll never be able to prove that to a Jury." said Chip Blake.

"Who is she, Mrs. Subramaniam?" I said, simply ignoring Chip Blake as being 'unimportant'. "I'm thinking that she was your competition for David Lang's love and a place in his bed. Am I right?"

Ashwarya visibly reacted to that. "Okay, her name is Mai Lin. She was our client's liaison to our projects. She met with David and the other project leaders in the City. If David was having sex with her, it was their business."

"Did she ever come to the offices here, in this County?" I asked.

"Not to my knowledge." said Ashwarya. Yeah, it was likely Ashwarya didn't know about the EMPTY QUIVER incident, I thought to myself.

"You need to come correct about her, Ashwarya." I said. "I happen to know, for a fact, that this woman is a longtime espionage agent, and she steals technology from companies. It is more than a little possible that she and David were working together to steal MegaTech Industries technology... or perhaps she was working with you, Ashwarya... and that means his death is going to be investigated as far more than a mistake based upon sexual roleplay. We're talking murder in the first degree, Ashwarya. And Tanu and Amit won't be the ones charged with that... you will be the one to go down for it."

"Are you kidding me?" Chip Blake roared. "That's a load of crap!"

"Yes, you are out of your mind!" Ashwarya shouted angrily, losing the pretense of wailing and being upset.

"David bought an engagement ring." I said, showing a photo of the ring, tagged as evidence. "You're already married, and in a roleplay relationship with David; ' nothing promised, no regrets', as the ABBA song goes." (Author's note: ABBA's 'Voulez Vous'.) "So, who was the ring for? Mai Lin, perhaps?"

I went on, boring in: "And you became jealous, and tricked your husband and that poor bastard Amit into this plan to murder David. I'll add that it was you who closed the patio doors and windows so that Amit's story of hearing you cry for help would be seen as bogus. You set him up to kill David, out of jealousy and revenge!"

"That is not true!" Ashwarya yelled.

"Then tell me what is true!" I said harshly. Then I said more softly. "Yeah, you're right, that was thin... though you really did close the doors and windows to make Amit look like he was lying. So... perhaps I'll just tell you what really happened, and you can just correct me where I go astray, okay?" I could almost feel the Monitor Room 'getting lit' at that.

"You, Amit, and Tanu were hired by MegaTech Industries out of school." I said. "You were all asked to take employment under their satellite company, Audial Security Solutions, and you did. Your research, your real research, was to develop listening devices in the 'Alicia' smart device in people's homes, and also listening devices in MegaTech's home security devices... so that MegaTech and the Government could listen in on the private conversations of American Citizens."

I was on it, I could tell... more from Chip Blake's reaction than Ashwarya's. I pressed on: "David Lang was brought in, also. At some point in time, you three were assigned to his project team. You, Ashwarya, began a sexual relationship with David. Perhaps your first intent was to gain a claim of sexual harassment upon him; you certainly were quick enough to try to accuse me of that in our interrogations. But that fell apart when you found out that he had videotaped your sexual couplings, which clearly showed you kissed him first and went for him, not the other way around."

"You lie." said Ashwarya.

"Do I, now?" I said. Then I continued: "But David then made a mistake... a fatal one. See, I've corroborated that David Lang was actually an FBI Special Agent, in their Counterintelligence group. He originally was inserted to find foreign agents attempting to steal MegaTech technology, but he soon found out what MegaTech was really doing, and that the company itself was the espionage problem... on our Nation's own People."

"David thought he had you broken to his fist, that your worshipped him, or at least worshipped his...well, you worshipped him sexually." I said. "So he tried to recruit you into helping him find the mole... not realizing that you were the mole! I think they made a TV show about that once."

"Anyhoo," I went on, "you notified your MegaTech Industries superiors about who David really was. And they gave you this absolutely idiotic plan to ensnare David into roleplay sex with you, and then Amit would come in and kill him, and you'd all say it was just a horrible, tragic accident."

"Oh my God." whimpered Chip Blake. "I'd heard rumors of the stories you like to make up, Iron Crowbar... but I didn't think they were this fantastical!"

"Oh, the 'fantasy' has been completely on the side of Ashwarya, Tanu, and Amit." I said. "But now, reality is setting in. It's murder in the first degree, industrial espionage, and I imagine we'll find a few new things as the FBI investigates much, much more deeply."

More deeply than David's large cock got into Ashwarya's fine pussy, I thought to myself, but wisely didn't say it out loud.

Chip Blake looked like he'd eaten something rotten. He said shakily "I need to talk to my client, alone."

"Sure thing." I said. "Oh, Ashwarya... the District Attorney has only one plea deal available, and she's inclined to give it to Amit or Tanu rather than to you. Think about it." With that, Julia and I got up and left the room.

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

Some minutes later, I had a Patrol Officer inform Chip Blake that we were going to interrogate Amit again. He went into the other hallway, but it was several minutes before he came into I-1, where Amit was, with Patrolman Hardy the Uniformed Presence.

"He's all yours." I told Julia. "Here, wear this earbud. I'll speak into your ear if something comes up." Julia nodded and put the earbud in, then she and Paulina went through the anteroom and into I-1. As I was about to go into the anteroom and watch, Mary Milton came up to me.

"Sir," she said, "Miltie is downstairs. He asked me to tell you that Chip Blake has been texting Nathan Masterson's phone for the last few minutes. Masterson left here and drove down to Coltrane County, and is at the Lake Ocheekobee Country Club right now."

"Thanks." I said. I then went into the Monitor Room and took up the mike and headphones. "Julia," I said, "Amit might try to plead to manslaughter and take the blame. Don't let him; they're all in on it." I then headed out and went into the anteroom to watch. It was easier on my back to stand up than have to sit in those dreadful Monitor Room chairs...

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

"Where's Commander Troy?" asked Chip Blake.

"I'm not sure who's going to be the more insulted." Julia Rodriguez replied. "Me, since you're implying I can't land this fish myself; or Commander Troy, who doesn't bother with lightwork like Amit... and you."

"Har har." Blake said derisively. "Get on with it... or don't."

"Okay, Amit," Julia said, "it really is all over for you. No jury in the world is going to believe it was an accident, that you didn't see who David was. It's not manslaughter, it's murder in the first degree."

"And I'm going for the Death Penalty." Paulina said.

"I am authorized on behalf of my client," said Chip Blake, "to offer to plead guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, in exchange for my client being the only one charged, and we ask for protective custody while he's in prison." Amit looked at Blake, stunned. Paulina looked at Julia, who laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh at such a critical thing." Julia said. "But it really is funny if you think we're at the manslaughter or plea deal stage. You committed murder, Amit! And we know you did it at the bidding of Ashwarya, whom you are hopelessly in love with. She has you wrapped around her little finger, and she used you to get rid of David. Your only hope not to die on the table at Jacksonville is to come clean."

Chip Blake leaned over and whispered something to Amit, who nodded. Then he asked to talk to Amit privately.

"Mr. Blake," Julia said, "we're bringing in Tanu next. He might take the plea deal, which is the only one we're offering. You can talk to Amit here, or you can represent Tanu..."

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

Tanu was brought in, having crossed paths with Amit in the hallway to the holding cells. Tanu looked very scared, and Julia did nothing but add to his worries.

"Okay, Tanu," Julia said, "it's over. It wasn't an accident. We know you tricked Amit into killing David for you. You could've warned Amit; you didn't. You were deeply jealous of David; he was enjoying sex with your wife, and she was loving it from him. In fact, Tanu, we found an engagement ring in David's apartment."

She showed Tanu the photo of the ring in evidence, then said: "Now we know David didn't have another girlfriend, and he didn't need one; he was banging your wife whenever he pleased... sometimes at his place, sometimes in front of you. I'm sure David was really getting off that he was having sex with your wife while you watched, knowing that he was getting it behind your back, too... and knowing that he was going to ask Ashwarya to marry him and leave you."

"That's not true!" Tanu all but yelled out. "Ashwarya and I love each other!"

"David must not have thought so." Julia said. "There's the ring... and there was only one woman in David's life... Ashwarya. In fact... let's watch some TV!"

Ooooh, impressive! I thought to myself as Julia turned on the monitor. A steamy sex scene came on. Julia said to Tanu: "This is from a video found at David's home. He and Ashwarya were having sex in his bedroom, in his bed. And from what I'm seeing, it's a lot more than sex... those two are making love! Wow, she's really moaning a lot... thrusting herself up to take him in, her arms wrapped around him. Oh, they're kissing... wow, that is a deep kiss, the kind of kiss lovers kiss."

"That's enough, stop harassing my client." said Chip Blake, whose own eyes had been glued to the monitor, watching David and Ashwarya fuck like longtime lovers.

"You were jealous, weren't you, Tanu?" Julia said, boring in. "You couldn't stand it that that stud was making love to your wife, and he was going to take her away from you, and make her his wife! So you concocted this plan to roleplay a rape scene, and had Amit come in and kill David for you! It was all your idea, Tanu!"

"No!" shouted Tanu. "That is not true!"

"That's what the Jury is going to hear at your trial, Tanu." said Paulina Patterson. "And they'll convict you of first degree murder, and you'll be on Death Row while Ashwarya finds another man... maybe she'll finally hook up with Amit..."

"That's enough!" Chip Blake growled. "Okay, I need time to talk to my clients. All three of them, and without you keeping me away from talking to them with this merry-go-round the Iron Crowbar has set up..."

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

"Not bad!" I said to Julia as we fist-bumped in the hallway. "You had poor Tanu sweating bullets. And Amit, too."

"And their lawyer, too." said Paulina. "A crowbar-worthy performance, wouldn't you say, Commander?"

I smiled. "Indeed I would. Here, hold this." I handed Julia the red crowbar. She looked like a child on Christmas morning as she held it.

Just then Miriam Walters came into the hallway. "I'm stunned Chip Blake didn't call you out for using that engagement ring photo against both Ashwarya and Tanu." she said. "He's hearing all of this, you know."

"Yes. Yes he is." I said. "And he did finally figure out that he's being run ragged trying to represent all three of them, and demanded a time-out."

"What's next?" asked Paulina.

"Amit and Tanu are going to beg for plea deals." I said. "And you'll give them those plea deals when they truthfully tell you that Ashwarya was behind it all. Then Amit and Tanu get second-degree murder... jealousy, dontcha know... and Ashwarya gets nailed to the wall for conspiracy to commit murder, unless she tells me everything I want to hear... about Keiko Shimono."

"This is bigger than we realized." sad Miriam Walters. "What's it all about?"

"After all this is put to bed," I said, "I'll give you the classified briefing, with FBI SAC Jack Muscone's help..."

Part 18 - Wrap Up

"You cannot make me testify against my wife." said Tanu. "And I won't testify against her willingly."

"You're right about that." Paulina said, as she and Julia sat opposite Tanu and Blake in I-1. "You cannot be compelled to testify against your wife. So you're good with taking the fall for her?"

"Or with her, to be more accurate." Julia said. "The Iron Crowbar has grown weary of you guys wasting his immensely valuable time. Ashwarya is not escaping him. It is all over for both of you. But you, Tanu, have a chance to get a much lighter sentence."

"You have my final answer." said Tanu. "I will say no more."

"As you wish." said Paulina as she and Julia got up. "We'll talk to Amit, and he'll have no problem throwing you under the bus."

"Stop harassing my client." said Chip Blake. "You've heard his final word on the subject."

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

"My client is willing to plead to a charge of voluntary manslaughter." said Chip Blake as Amit sat next to him in I-1. "He will testify that it was his plan alone, that he did it out of jealousy."

"He videoed Ashwarya and David having sex at places other than Tanu's apartment." said Julia Rodriguez. "He's in this up to his frickin' eyeballs. No plea deals. None."

"It will save you the expense of a trial, and a possible acquittal." said Chip Blake. "This case is rice-paper-thin as it is."

"And it lets two guilty people get away with murder, literally." said Julia.

"Well, we could take the plea deal." Paulina said craftily. "But no keepaway status. The Iron Crowbar will make sure you get 'general pop', Amit. No protection, unless you can arrange for it yourself while you're on the inside."

At that point, Amit began looking scared. "No! I need protective custody!"

"From what?" asked Julia harshly. "If it's just manslaughter, why would anyone want to shiv you, slice you open like a Thanksgiving turkey? Who would want to do that to you, Amit?"

"And to Tanu... and to Ashwarya." Paulina said. "They're dead, too."

"I'm bored." said Julia, who'd been peering hard at Amit. "Let's go."

She and Paulina got up. As they got to the door, Amit called out "Wait!..."

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

I went into I-2 with Paulina, and sat down opposite Ashwarya and Blake. The beautiful Indian woman's eyes had a crafty look to them now, but that did not last long.

"Amit tried to take the fall for you." I said. "He tried, as he was ordered to do. But in the end, he realized what was going to happen to him in prison. And then Tanu realized it after we showed him this video. Let's watch some TV, shall we?"

I turned on the remote. Thanks to the wizardry of Myron Milton and his Techs, a split screen of Amit and Tanu each confessing to the conspiracy to murder David Lang was being played.