Four Square Ch. 04

"What would you do?" I asked. "If we keep Geiger in Vice, Mary leaves. You've said you won't take him in any support role of significance. The Union would shred us if we put him into any kind of Uniformed capacity with a rank less than Lieutenant. And I thought Geiger did well with the Professor Christian case, and had some good insights. So... what's your solution?"

"I don't know." said Cindy. "Or are you doing this as a test, to see who gets promoted to MCD Supervisor?"

"Hmmm, that's an interesting thought." I said adroitly. "Crowbar-worthy, in fact."

"I hope that bluff goes as well as the ones you pulled on the Grays and the Three Little Indians, to be very politically incorrect." Cindy said, and I could feel her turning her vibe power on me with everything she had. I mentally pushed back, then verbally pushed back.

"What makes you think I was bluffing?" I asked. "You don't think I could've given Paulina a strong case to take to trial?"

Cindy peered at me, then shook her platinum blonde head with a whimpering laugh. "You'll never admit it, will you? That you totally bluffed your way through those cases."

I grinned slyly as I said "No... I will never admit it." and then chugged my mug of beer...

Part 20 - Leadership

Tuesday, April 16th. The meeting in the Chief's Conference Room began. Attending were: Sheriff Moynahan, Chief Moynahan, Your Iron Crowbar, Commander Ross, Captain Perlman, and Captain Croyle.

The subject of the meeting was our submission to the Council later tonight of names for promotions and medals, but that was pretty much a done deal, as neither Cindy nor I had let the grass grow under our feet. So there was truly only one item to discuss: the promotion to MCD leader. Teresa had asked why she needed to be in this meeting. I told her that I valued and wanted her input. The Chief reiterated those sentiments.

Captain Tanya Perlman started us off. "I'm sure all of you think there are two choices: Joanne Warner and Jerome Davis. But I want to at least talk about Julia Rodriguez. She did her time as a Uniformed Officer, and she's come on really strong as a Detective."

"She hasn't been to Academy Advanced Course, has she?" asked Chief Moynahan.

"No sir." I said. "Not yet."

"Not that that should stop consideration of her." growled Sheriff Griswold. "I seem to recall a young man who made Lieutenant before crushing Advanced Course." It is possible that Our Sheriff was referring to Your Iron Crowbar.

"Julia has shown a ton of promise, and I am more than happy with how well she's progressed since coming into MCD." I said, not giving myself a pat on the back out loud for bringing her into MCD. "But I'd like to keep developing her as a Detective for now... including Vice cross-training."

"Why do I feel like my job is in danger?" Tanya asked with a grin.

"You're job will never be in danger," I said very seriously, "as long as I'm alive and can swing a crowbar."

"You have a plannnnn, Commanderrrr." said Chief Moynahan. "Share it, if you wouldn't minnnnnd."

"Yes sir." I said. "My far-future thinking is that Lt. Mary Milton will one day make a decision to have more children and become a full-time mom, -OR- she will take another job in information technology and data analysis, whether with our County or a private company, -OR- she will be promoted to something else, who knows what. I also see the possibility of Jerome Davis, also once a Uniformed Officer, being promoted to a Precinct slot and ultimately higher. So Rodriguez will have opportunities for promotion and leadership, and if she continues at her current pace, we will be working our butts off finding ways to move her upwards."

"You don't think Mary will ever become MCD Lieutenant?" Tanya asked.

"I don't." interjected Captain Teresa Croyle. "And I don't mean that as an insult, but from my own experience. I know I did fine as Vice Lieutenant, and I'm definitely where I am supposed to be now. But I never once entertained the idea that I could be MCD Lieutenant, especially when I see the brains of the Iron Crowbar and Lady Ironside at work."

"Hey!" said Cindy, meaning it humorously. "What about me?"

"Oh, you're just fodder for me in the Police Boxing Matches." Teresa said cooly. We all burst out into laughter.

"Oh. My. God. Set those brackets up right." Cindy said. She and Teresa exchanged the two-finger-two-eyes salute.

"That's a point, though, Teresa." I said. "My overall point, though, is that Julia will have plenty of opportunities for advancement, and maybe faster than we realize now."

"Let's quickly go through everyone in MCD," said the Chief, "and you can explain to me what eliminates themmmm."

"Roy McGhillie is young." Tanya said. "He has Vice experience and he's going to be getting there as an MCD Detective, but he's nowhere near ready to take leadership of the group, or at least he hasn't shown it yet."

"He needs seasoning, and time in grade." I said, using a little military lingo, there. The Chief nodded vigorously in agreement with my assessment.

"Theo..." said Tanya, "Well, he's very solid, but he's a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none."

"And I think he could be a leader of Police Officers," I added, "but he doesn't seem to want to show that yet. Like you said, he's solid, and detail-oriented, and I'd love to see what Sheriff Griswold could have him do at crime scenes, hint hint, but he may just be destined to be a great MCD Detective his whole career."

"And Teddy Parker." Tanya said, almost forlornly. "He's a brave man, he's a solid, plodding pitbull of a Detective, like Theo is. But his actions when I partnered him with Geiger... disturrrrrbed me. I thought he was borderline unprofessional and insubordinate about that."

"Borderline?" snorted Teresa.

"Well, that's a tough situation all the way around." I said. "We'll save that for another time, though. As to MCD leader, Jerome Davis and Joanne Warner are the choices."

"How do you compare them, Captain Perlman?" asked the Chief.

"Joanne has the potential to be the next Iron Crowbar, as a Detective." Tanya said, causing the Original Iron Crowbar's eyebrows to shoot up a little bit. "Yes sir, I really think she has the potential to be that good in solving crimes. Where I'm holding back and punching my punches is her leadership potential."

"That's where Jerome shines." Tanya continued. "I think others will follow him as they follow the Iron Crowbar and the Iron Wolf, and I think he has the presence of mind to handle that."

"Hey, what about me?" Cindy said, even more kiddingly.

"Ma'am, you're just fodder for me... in the wheelchair races." Tanya said with a huge grin and sparkling eyes. Even Cindy broke down laughing at that.

"Tough audience today, Green Crowbar." I said.

"Call me Rodney Dangerfield." Cindy said. "No respect." I chuckled some more.

"Okay, Commander Rosssss." said the Chief. "Your chance at retaliation. What is your outside view of those Officers?"

"They're better competition in the Police Boxing Matches than the people in this room now, Chief." Cindy said with alacrity. She turned to see my gray eyes staring right through her ice-blue peepers.

"Vee shall see about that!" I said... with alacrity. "You better pray to God that the Slender Man comes back... or that I get a chance to jump out of an airplane again." That did not go over well with the Green Crowbar, and her stare back at me showed it. Tanya was laughing almost uncontrollably at us.

"Okayyyyy, let's leave the Boxing Matches until next month." said Chief Moynahan. "By which time we will have a new MCD leader, if you don't kill him or her in the Matches. Seriously, Commander Ross, who would you promote if it were your sole decision?"

Cindy grimaced. "It's a hard choice, sir." she said. "I happen to think Warner does have the leadership skills to do the job, and she's definitely sharp at crime scenes. She's also pregnant right now, though that condition won't last more than a few months." We all chuckled at that.

"I think Mary Milton put any concerns about things like that aside." I said. "Hell, we should've given Louise a certificate for completing Advanced Course with her mom-to-be."

"Captain Croyle?" asked the Chief.

"I'm excusing the fact that Joanne is an Alabama fan." said Auburn fan Teresa Croyle. Then she said "They're both good, sir, and I think either one will get the job done. So it's up to whatever Captain Perlman and Commander Troy want in their MCD Leader."

"Okay, last but not least, Commander Troy." said the Chief.

"Not least, indeed." growled Griswold.

"Yes sir," said Tanya, "we all know that whoever Commander Troy wants is who I'm going to want. And no, Sheriff, that's not asskissing. That's being smart." Sheriff Griswold beamed at Tanya as if he were his daughter.

"Like we've said," I said, "they both have strengths and weaknesses. There also could be opportunities for both in the future. But we have to deal with the here and now, and today... literally, today, as we have to get our report to the Council today." After a pause to draw breath, I said "It is my belief that we should nominate..."

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

8:30pm, Tuesday, April 16th. The Council Members filed into the 2d-floor private Council Chamber, going into Executive Session to discuss the personnel matters of promotions and medals.

"I just don't understand," whined Reginald B.F. Lewis, "why we cannot let our constituents speak!"

Mayor Daniel Allgoods face was flushed beet red. The public Council meeting had once again been stacked with whining punks wearing red 'Antifa' shirts, demanding three Police precincts. He'd immediately cut the public comment portion of the meeting short, and when the people began shouting, a large contingent of Deputies and TCPD Officers came in, heavily armored, ready to do physical battle with the troublemakers. The motion to go into Executive Session was strongly protested by four Council persons, as well.

"Lewis," Allgood said angrily, "I'm done with you. I've said before that I am strongly considering taking legal action to have you arrested and jailed for disturbing the peace and inciting to riot."

"You're an illegitimate Mayor and a racist!" yelled Lewis.

"STOP YOUR RACIST BULLSHIT, LEWIS!"

It was not the Mayor that had stood up and yelled that. It was Edward R. Steele, whose adopted daughter Marie had told him about some things that had happened in school.

"It is YOU who are playing the race card and keeping up the lies!" thundered Steele, jabbing his finger at Lewis. "Mayor Allgood won fair and square, despite YOUR attempts to steal the Election by fraud! You were beaten at the polls, Lewis! You were beaten in Court! And you will continue to be beaten because three precincts is never going to happen! Never! Now either accept it like a man, or keep whining like the sniveling coward you are, but stop abusing the process and wasting our time on something that will never happen during this session of the Council!"

"Are you going to get control of this Council, Mr. Mayor?" Susan Weston asked acidly, cutting through the tense silence of the room.

"Ask Councilman Lewis if he's going to stop the slander." Daniel Allgood said, though fairly calmly. "All right, let's move on. The Fire Department has no promotions, just several medals for us to consider. Does anyone want to make a motion?"

"I move to accept the nominations of the Fire Chief." said Ian McGhillie."

"I second the motion." said J.P. Goldman, who'd sat quietly shocked at what he'd just witnessed a few minutes before.

"As part of this, are we doing anything about the Battalion Chiefs and the Assistant Chief rank problems?" asked Kelly Carnes.

"For God's sake." muttered Dagmar Schoen. "As most of us in here with brains remember, that was discussed in a previous meeting, and it was decided to allow the Charter Commission to reset the rank structures as part of their overall work."

"Point of order." said Malinda Adams. "Councilwoman Schoen's remarks were out of order and out of line."

Mayor Allgood said "Stop it people. Just stop it. You literally are acting like small children at the dinner table. Save the personal rhetoric for your campaign speeches, and let's get through this meeting tonight... so I can go home to my small children at the dinner table."

The room grew oppressively silent again. "We have a motion on the floor, Mr. Mayor." said J.P. Goldman.

"Yes, let's vote." The vote was 8-2, with Carnes and Lewis dissenting.

"Okay, now the Police nominations." said the Mayor. "We have two medal nominations for Officer Barker. His death was determined to not be in the line of duty, so a posthumous Lifesaving Medal was submitted." The Mayor then described the other medal, to which Susan Weston immediately objected.

"That's way too high." she said. "Why does Commander Troy always want us to give out these Medals like candy?"

"Why are you always looking for an excuse to attack Commander Troy?" asked the Mayor. "The Chief submitted it, endorsed by the Sheriff. They point out Officer Barker's distinguished if all-too-short career deserves this, and I very strongly agree with them."

"What else is in the package?" asked Malinda Adams.

"The biggest item is the nomination for the Major Crimes division Lieutenant." said the Mayor. "It's actually a promotion to Supervisor and brevetting to Lieutenant."

"It should be a woman." said Malinda Adams. "I will not accept any nomination that is not a woman."

"If you're basing your decision solely on gender, you're discriminating against men." said Dagmar Schoen.

"Point of order!" snarled Adams.

"Denied!" yelled Mayor Allgood, worn to anger. Then he said more calmly: "It's a legitimate reply. I also see your refusal to consider men for promotion to be discrimination, Ms. Adams---"

Reginald B.F. Lewis interrupted: "You're in no place to talk about discrimination, being a racist and illegitimate Mayor."

Allgood ignored him and continued: "Ms. Adams, if Commander Troy were here, he'd remind you like he always does that the Deputy Chief, Captains of Operations and Detectives, and the Vice Lieutenant are all women."

"He's not here." said Malinda Adams. "And there's still too large a proportion of men in positions of high rank in the Public Safety Department----"

"Anything less than 100% women is unacceptable to you, Adams." said Schoen. "I'm getting sick and tired of the racism and sexism you and Mr. Lewis are constantly showing---"

"POINT OF ORDER!" shouted Carnes and Lewis.

*TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP* *TAP*

"Sheesh." said the Mayor. "Okay, folks, you have the promotions and medals nominations in front of you. Anyone want to make a motion?"

"Wait." said J.P. Goldman. "Nothing for Commander Troy? After the drug bust, and after what he did to save this corner of the State from that----"

"That's classified! You can't speak of it!" yelled Kelly Carnes.

"Call the M.P.s, then." retorted Goldman. "The only reason you are here right now is because of him."

"If I may..." said the Mayor, who then said "Commander Troy is going to be recognized by the Federal Government for the classified thing. But if any of you want to add something for the drug bust, I'll gladly entertain a motion."

"I move to amend so that Commander Troy will be awarded a Police Medal for his several successes in the past three months." said John Colby.

"I second that." said Edward Steele.

"Oh come on." said Susan Weston. "I move to amend to reduce that to a Public Safety Commendation Medal, and also award a Lifesaving Medal... for the classified part that was not an LOD event."

"Oh, it was an LOD action." said Ian McGhillie. "If ever there was an LOD action..." He did not bother finishing the sentence.

The Weston amendment was not seconded, and therefore failed. The Colby Amendment passed, 5-4, with Sheila Sorrells abstaining. Then came the discussion of the MCD promotion, which despite the Mayor's desire to leave early, went on for a long, long time in acrimonious debate...

Part 21 - Epilogue

Wednesday, April 17th. Eastside Elementary's first graders were enjoying another recess in the back schoolyard.

Shawn Redmond had not attempted to play Four Square since Carole had practiced her Aikido skills, with him as the Dub. It seemed there were an inordinate number of teachers watching both him and Carole, which she had long since observed. So Shawn and some other kids, all white, got together to play baseball, or football. Today they were playing football. Jameis and some other kids went over.

"Can we play, too?" Jameis asked.

"No." said Shawn Redmond.

"Why not?" asked Jameis.

"Because you're black." said Shawn.

Jameis scowled, but decided to go play Four Square. He got in line behind Marie, who asked him "Why aren't you playing football, Jameis?"

"Shawn said us black kids can't play with them." said Jameis.

"That's mean of him." Marie said. "You should tell the teachers he said that."

"Yeah, you should!" Carole said loudly from her No. 4 position on the square.

After a few rounds, Carole achieved the No. 1 position. Marie was at No. 3, and Jameis at No. 4. None of them really noticed Shawn and his group coming up to watch from a distance.

A lot of kids had been trying Carole's 'soft' approach, trying to hit the corners softly. As a result, Carole was playing pretty far forward, towards the intersection in the middle. She served the ball to Marie, who hit to Sidney in the No. 2 square. He hit it to Jameis, who tried a soft shot at the corner of Carole's square.

But she was ready! She lunged forward and hit it across to Marie's square. Marie hit it to Jameis. He came up as if he was going to softly hit it again, then suddenly hit it harder and at a sharp angle, catching Carole off-guard.

She tried to lean back to get it, but the ball was past her. Carole went tumbling down, but executed what her father would call a 'dynamite parachute landing fall', rolling with it. "You're out, Carole!" Marie called out.

"You okay?" Jameis asked. He went over and helped Carole get up.

"I'm good." Carole said. "Good shot, Jameis!" She and Jameis fist-bumped, and Carole went to the back of the line. Shawn came up to her.

"You let a black boy beat you?" Shawn asked loudly, happily hurling the words at Carole. She noticed the teachers watching carefully, and could feel their intent if Carole did anything.

"You got a problem with that?" Carole replied, turning away from Shawn. Shawn didn't want to let it go, and moved towards Carole.

"Yeah, I do." said Shawn. "Letting a black boy make you look bad is embarrassing."

Carole was about to turn and confront Shawn, but found a line of other kids between them, led by Marie, Tyson, and Jameis. "What's your problem, Shawn?" Marie asked loudly.

The teachers, who had done nothing to help Carole, and indeed seemed to be hoping she'd do something they could take action against her for, moved swiftly when Marie, the daughter of a Town & County Councilman, intervened. They had Shawn and his group go their way, and told the other kids to get back to playing.

Carole would tell her mother and me about this incident. I would use the Power of Police to look up the data of every one of the first grade teachers. Not all of them were bad, but I could see that a few of them had records of political activism that befitted the tendencies of Kelly Carnes and the now-missing Thomas P. Cook. Teachers that did not like Police, and did not like rugged individualists nor confident children.

But that was not stopping Carole from doing the right things, standing up to bullies, and inspiring others to stand with her. It was just another brick being cemented into the edifice of the Greatness to come...