Going Rogue Ch. 02

"So Mary," I said, "we got away from your report, there. So no correlations?"

"No sir." said Mary. "Mr. White is a regional manager of a grocery store chain. No financial issues, no big credit card debts. Mrs. White is very active in the community and volunteers for many charity events; Mrs. Myrtle James spoke highly of her when I called and asked about Mrs. White."

"Good source, Mrs. James." I said. "What about the four killings on the southside?"

"The kid Jerome has been hanging out with the wrong kind of people." said Mary. "I'd expect we the Police Force will be getting to know him a lot better in the next couple of decades."

"Yeah, he knows T-Mac and T-Square's names too well." I said. "I'm betting he's transported some drugs on that bike of his, right under the TCPD's noses."

"He's been a person of interest several times." said Mary. "The dog wasn't really his, but would hang out at his house part of the time, and then was seen at another house in another neighborhood to the south. Jefferson Creek separates the neighborhoods. It runs west to the River, and it's hardly more than a deep culvert and storm drain creek now."

"That's not surprising, about the dog." I said. "Dogs are territorial, and operate within rough circles. If they get out of that circle, they might not go back home, but create a different circle with a home base within it. So if this dog crosses the creek, he's in a second territory, and he'd go to his home base depending on which side of the creek he is on."

"That's interesting." Theo said. "Heck, even dogs can't commit crimes in this County. The Iron Crowbar would be all over them, too."

"And I'm on the dogs' side on those issues." I said. "So whose house does... or did... this dog go to when it was south of the creek?"

"Kid named Marquis. About Jerome's age. They'd hang out, dog would hang out with them. The dog was more Marquis's than Jerome's." said Mary. "Marquis has no criminal record, and he lives in a two-parent home. Father works at the Crawford Mattress factory, mother is a school teacher. They don't have much, but their only debts are a car payment and their house payments."

"Mrs. Campbell was a retired teacher." said Cindy.

"That's true." I said. "Mary?"

"The other dog that was killed at the same time Marquis's dog, we can't find any owner for." Mary said. "That dog had no collar and no rabies tag. Then there's the two done in the night. The owners of the house next to Mrs. Campbell's were a retired and elderly black couple. He had worked at King & Ebenezer Food Industries, then retired when Mr. Colby sold it. She had been a nurse in the Free Clinic for years, meaning she was technically an employee of the Town & County Public Health Department. She was forced into retirement during budget cuts a few years ago, but she has a full pension."

"And the last dog," Mary said, "that was killed in the night was a pitbull. But he was apparently a docile and friendly pitbull to those in the neighborhood that knew him. He did do some barking before being shot. No one heard the shots that killed either dog."

"That's weird." said Theo.

"Weird, and therefore a strangeness and a cluuuue." I said. "Okay Mary, Myron, thank you very much. You can go. There is one other thing I'd like you to do, Myron. I want to know where every Police patrol was at the general times of these dog killings. You are authorized to access the GPS logs and any other information to create your report for me."

"Sir, do you think a real Police officer is doing this?" asked Myron.

"It's a possibility."

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

Once Myron and Mary were gone, I said "Let's talk about this case, guys. What do you think? Theo, you first."

"Sir," said Theo, "I don't see any patterns in these killings. But it did occur to me that we may be looking at two or more people doing it."

"That's a nice point." I said. "Lead me down that rabbit hole."

Theo said "Jerome and Mrs. Veasley's descriptions of the perp they saw matched fairly well. But different cars have been described. And if it were just one person, he'd be moving around from place to place in a short amount of time, and when Police move quickly, people tend to take notice and see them."

"Not bad." I said. "Captain, what do you think of that?"

"I actually have an idea that Theo might be right." Cindy said. "The reason is the dog killing at the empty house. It occurred to me that someone brought that sick, emaciated dog there and put him in the fenced-in yard. Then along comes this guy in the police uniform, who shoots the dog and then walks up the street and shoots the dog at the White's home."

Cindy continued: "The why of it escapes me; one dog killing could be to confuse us about the reason for the other. But if that rogue cop did not bring the dog to the empty house, a second person did. And therefore, I'd agree with Detective Washington about multiple perps."

"That's good thinking, both of you." I said. "And I'll add these things: first, Mrs. Campbell said the shadowy police figure she saw had a radio on his belt, while Mrs. Veasley made a point to say the police officer she saw in the daytime did not have a radio on his. Both are observant ladies, and I'm taking their descriptions at face value. Jerome is not so trustworthy, I'm afraid to say. He talked to me because I have developed a certain reputation in the Tenderloin District and Southwestern Ghetto areas, but that does not mean he told me the truth."

I continued before the others could say anything: "Another inconsistency in all this is that one police officer had no problem at all showing himself, shooting a dog in front of a kid, pointing the gun at the kid and threatening him. Then the northside police officer acted in broad daylight, where he was easily seen. By way of contrast, there were several dog killings at night, so that the perp or perps would not be seen. What does that suggest to either of you?"

Theo said "That there's two of them?"

Cindy said "I'd say that even if there was one guy, he's changing up his pattern, and on purpose. He suspects or knows that we are going to be analyzing these crimes for patterns; ergo, he deliberately puts out different patterns to confuse us. And that includes killings in two different areas of Town."

"That sounds like Iron Crowbar thinking, there." I said. "Okay guys, let's get back to work. Theo, keep following leads and looking for patterns. Dig deep in the logs to see if there have been reports of dog disappearances, dogs barking in the night, any incidents involving dogs. We may be just arriving to this party."

"Yes sir." said Theo.

"Okay, I've got to go ask Myron to do one more thing, then I'll meet with you, Captain, in my office."

Part 8 - Bear Trap Brutality

At 10:00am, I got a call from Governor Jared, asking if I could come down to Midtown the next morning for a meeting with Republicans. They wanted my input on who to put up as Governor against Director Lewis. I told the Governor that there was no way I was going to run, and it would be pointless for me to come down if that was their intent. The Governor assured me that they were not going to waste my time by asking me to run, so I agreed to go.

As I hung up, my lovely assistant Helena French buzzed me to tell me that Captain Ross and Lieutenant Masters wanted to speak with me. I asked her to send them in.

Lieutenant Wes "Coldiron" Masters had been doing a very good job with the Uniformed Officers since coming up from the Midtown Police Force. He still talked in his clipped, fast way, and Sergeants had gotten used to it. His personnel assignments to the Precincts had been logical and efficient, so for the very most part I left him to his work. For him to be here now bespoke an issue.

"Commander, Lt. Masters has an issue that he and I both thought you need to know about." said Captain Cindy Ross in introduction.

"Don't keep me in suspense." I said as they I waved my hand for them to sit down.

"Sir" said Masters, "I've been getting some input from the Sergeants. A good number of Officers are either confused or unhappy about your comments regarding dogs on the News Media yesterday."

"Which comments?"

"About shooting dogs and having it treated as if a human being were being shot." said Masters. 'About undergoing a full Board of Inquiry for shooting a dog."

"I think the policy is clear." I said. "So what are the real, underlying issues here?"

Lt. Masters normally kept his cool, even look on his face, but at that question he winced as he said "Sir, you may be aware that Police are being taught informally, if not outright formally, to shoot dogs pretty much on sight. During any raids, they're taught to just kill the dogs, even if the dogs are chained in the basement. They're taught to seek out dogs and kill them."

Masters continued: "Some of them believe that killing dogs is not only policy, but good and proper policy. They don't see shooting a dog as an incident or a problem, under any circumstances."

"And this was expressed to you?" I asked.

"The best way to say it is that my Sergeants are asking for clarification and direction." said Masters.

"Well, I'll damn well give them that, then." I said, feeling a bit angry. "Lieutenant, at 4:00pm today I want every Uniformed Police Officer on the Town & County Police Force in the Main Auditorium. Every officer, from every Precinct. Call up the third shift officers and tell them they are to report at 4:00pm for this briefing."

I was not finished: "Captain Ross, every Detective and Data Group person is to be in that auditorium for this briefing. I will call Captain Harlow and instruct her to have every Administrative Officer in that briefing. I mean loddy-doddy-everybody, and any absence will have to be formally explained. Do I make myself clear, people?"

"Yes sir." Cindy said. It took Masters a second to say "Yes sir." as he was stunned by my orders.

Just then, the Duty Desk Sergeant's head appeared in the doorway. "Commander, we just got a call of another dog killing."

"Thank you, Sergeant." I said. "Ross, get Washington. Masters, you can return to duty."

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

University Avenue is the big four-lane road that runs north-south and separates the Town from the University. On the west side are bars, eateries, strip malls, First Precinct Headquarters, and the Bus Station where the road turns west to head towards the River and to the State Line. Behind those bars and businesses are a number of apartment complexes, some which house University students and some young people starting out in life.

I walked along a shaded courtyard between two apartment buildings, which had some large trees and a grassy walk. One would not believe in this tranquil setting that a busy street, restaurants and bars, and a busy road were just yards away.

I saw a group of people near a big bush between the sidewalk and apartment building. A young white woman was near the group, crying, and a young man with darker skin and a large amount of hair in something like an afro was comforting her.

"Over here, Commander." said Sergeant Rudistan, waving Cindy and myself over. I went over and looked under the bush, and saw one of the most brutal scenes of my life.

There was a circle of piled leaves and brush. Inside the ring a huge bear trap, with steel jaws and a powerful spring, had been set up. On the circular plate that would trip the trap was a large helping of dog food. The triangular jaws of the trap had been sharpened to razor-sharpness.

A white-haired poodle had stuck her head in to smell and taste the dog food, and the trap had snapped shut with powerful force... right into the poor dog's neck, essentially decapitating her.

"Oh my fucking God..." I gasped. I could handle the grisly scene; what made furious anger well up in my soul was the sheer brutality of what someone had done to this poor dog.

As I stepped back to gather myself, Cindy peered at the scene. She came out of there looking shocked. Her eyes were blinking, and then I noticed that she was going into deeper thought, like a reverie.

"Are these the owners?" I finally asked, nodding towards the young grieving couple.

"Yes sir." said Rudistan. I walked up to them.

"Hello, I am Commander Troy. Was this your dog?"

"Yes." said the woman. She still had some babyfat, but looked pretty athletic underneath it. The guy was slender but athletic, and sported a Fu Manchu beard and mustache as well as the mane of hair.

"I am very sorry for your loss." I said. "What are your names?"

"I'm Nikko Sexton." said the guy. "And this is my wife Jessica." The woman nodded.

"And you live in these apartments?" I asked. Nikko and Jessica confirmed it.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I brought Frizz out for her morning walk." said Nikko. "She's good about hanging around so I didn't keep her on the leash. She usually walks along the sidewalk ahead of me, finds a tree and does her business. We have to curb our dogs, so I had a plastic bag to collect the poop and put it in the trash can."

"So there are other people with dogs here?" I asked.

"Yes sir." said Nikko. "This is one of the few apartments in the area that have a good pet policy without too much of a deposit. So there are several dog owners here." I asked Nikko to keep going with the story.

"Well, Frizz went sniffing under that bush, there, and went on under it. About the time I got there I heard the snap and Frizz yelped. I went under and saw... well, I tried to open the trap but couldn't get a grip on it, but it didn't matter..."

"I understand." I said. "Let me ask, did you see anyone walking around here that you normally don't see? Anyone suspicious, acting suspiciously?" Both said they had not.

"Have you heard anyone say derogatory things about dogs, about wanting to kill dogs?" I asked. Neither had. I thanked them and told them I would do everything I could to find whoever did this.

"Rudistan," I said, walking back up to him as the Crime Lab finished up with the scene, "canvass these apartments and the neighborhood. See if anyone has seen or knows of anyone acting suspiciously. Also, tell the officers to ask if anyone in a Police uniform has been seen walking in this area, acting abnormally for a police officer."

Cindy came up as Rudistan went to give the orders. "I called Myron." she said. "He's getting video footage."

"Call Paulina or Jenna, too." I said. "Get a warrant as fast as you can to get these apartments' video footage. Get the warrant first, then barge in and take it. I don't want them to have any chance to erase or fuck with the footage. Go, do that now. Time is of the essence."

As I looked around the scene, I felt deep anger. That much brutality bespoke a level of evil that I had not encountered since... Bryan Thatcher. He was dead... but P. Harvey Eckhart had suggested he had had a partner... a partner who hated dogs, and enjoyed torturing dogs...

After giving the area a good look around, Cindy and I got into my Police SUV to drive back to Headquarters. It was a somber ride, and Cindy spoke up.

"Someone who hates dogs, Commander." she said. "Mrs. Veasley said to listen to my father's teachings. And he told us that a certain someone hates dogs, tortures dogs..."

"Yes." I said. "The dog at the empty house starts to make sense. Emaciated, not fed for days, then put in that yard and someone comes along and shoots him dead..."

"Sir," Cindy said, "what I saw of that poor poodle is beyond evil. I thought the Black Widow was the worst, but... well, she's a saint compared to whoever did that..."

I could not have agreed more.

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

At 3:00pm, I sat in my office as Rudistan gave his report, with Cindy sitting on the sofa behind him, listening in. Myron Milton was also present.

"No one saw anything strange, sir." said Rudistan. "No police officers at all. It's possible to walk through there from the streets, but one has to go out of their way to do it; it's not a convenient shortcut."

"Myron, anything on the tapes?"

"Not in daylight, sir." said Myron. "The problem is that it is very easy for someone to play the shadows and get to that bush without being seen. I looked at the street footage to see if anyone entered that courtyard area, but no one did from the streets. The courtyard is surrounded by a high, wrought-iron fence, with a lot of old shrubbery growing in and around it. It'd be difficult to try to enter from anywhere but the gates."

"Another thing to consider," I said, "is that there are several people with dogs in these apartments. Someone could've walked their dog earlier, and if the trap were there before sunrise it is likely a different dog would be dead now."

"Either that," Cindy said, "or it was just plain bad luck for poor Frizz."

"What did you find out about Nikko and Jessica Sexton, Myron?" I asked.

"Young couple, he's 26, she's 25. She waits tables at a couple of the bar-restaurants on 'the Strip'. He's involved in some kind of sporting goods thing, selling bags and backpacks with a small startup company." Myron reported.

"Debts?" I asked.

"Credit cards are starting to get a bit on them, and they are making just over the minimum payments. His business is a startup, and they have mostly private investors." Myron said. "I don't know what those arrangements are, so he could be up to his eyeballs in debt. They don't have any student loans or debt that way, though."

"I am wondering," I said, "if that area is the normal place a dog is taken to do its business."

"I've got that for you, sir." said Rudistan, with what would've been joviality but for the somberness of the occasion. "I talked to the apartment staff. They say that they discourage walking the dogs in that closed area. There's a park not too far down the road, and most people take their dogs there. There's also a service road right behind the building across from the Sexton's, across the courtyard there. It's fenced on the other side, so people will take their dogs there and let the dog walk along that little service road unleashed, and the dogs do their business and come back."

"Okay." I said. "Thanks guys, you can go. Be sure to be at the 4:00 briefing."

After they left, I said to Cindy "Well, what do you think?"

"First Precinct." she said. "Dogs killed in every part of Town. Just one, this time, not two or four. Perp not seen at all, and in spite of us actually having a bit of camera coverage. Not shot this time, but using a truly hideous, filthy way to kill a dog. But no pattern to it with regard to the others."

"You're right." I said. "No pattern at all."

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

"Captain, I'm ordering you to tell the Administrative Officers to remain at their desks and not go to the Commander's briefing."

The voice was a furious Deputy Chief Robert Brownlee. He'd heard of Commander Troy's orders to attend the 4:00pm briefing, and he was doing everything he could to countermand it.

"Commander Brownlee," said Captain Della Harlow, "the Police Commander is in charge of every individual Officer on the Force... including you. If Commander Troy tells me to have all of my people in that auditorium, then their place of duty at 4:00pm will be in that auditorium."

"Listen, you bitch," snarled Brownlee, "I am going to haul your fat ass before a Board of Inquiry for insubordination. *I* am in charge of Administration, not Troy, and if a single one of your people attend that meeting, I'll bring you and every one of them up for disciplinary action, including firings."

"Is there a problem here?" asked a voice. Della Harlow turned to see Captain Cindy Ross in the doorway to the office. A blue crowbar was being exhibited. Cindy continued "We can hear the unprofessionalism all the way down the hall."