Iscariot Ch. 05

I didn't rise to the bait of discussing it. "We thank you for coming all this way to discuss this issue." I said. "We will be having good discussions about that, as part of the Public Safety structure as well as the Police Department's own structure."

The meeting concluded about 10:30pm. Edna Carter said "There's a lot of tension over the EMS. Wounds of the past have not healed."

"I didn't help by ripping the bandage off that old scab about the attacks on those EMS people." I said. "But... that's what these meetings are for, to get all that out in the open ahead of time, not after the fact..."

Part 28 - Epilogue

FBI Supervisory Agent Martin Nash and Special Agent Julius Jefferson went into the front door of Ajax Mail & Storage in the City. "Hello, Frank." Nash said to the tall, broad-shouldered black-haired man, whose shirt had a patch with 'Frank' on it. "I'm Martin Nash and this is Julius Jefferson of the FBI. We have a warrant to search Suite 102." Nash produced the warrant. "We also need to know who is renting it, name and address."

"Yeah, that one." said Frank. He opened his book, which showed Suite 102 to be in the name of 'Jeff Bundy', and an address in the western suburbs of the City. Nash took note of that address as Fran said "Funny thing you guys showing up. This guy's been paying regular for years, every six months. Then nothing at the end of June for the rest of this year. We're going to open it up and auction off the contents if we don't get paid by August 1st."

"Let's go look." said Nash. They went down the long row of the metal building with the orange loading dock doors spaced evenly apart. Near the far end, they came to 102.

"Those locks are ours." said Frank. "I'll take 'em off. The other two are the renters's locks."

"We're going to cut them off." said Nash. Julius had brought powerful metalcutters, and he went to work on the locks as Frank took his locks off. Then Nash pulled the door up and went to the side and flicked on the light. The space was totally empty, except for one small slip of what looked like paper on the floor... in the exact middle of the room.

Nash went to it, and used tweezers to pick it up. It was a playing card, with the face of a clown on it... the sign of the Joker.

"Well," said Nash, showing Julius the card. "Someone either has a sense of humor, or they're mocking us."

"Think Commander Troy got here before us?" asked Jefferson as Nash bagged the card.

"Yeah." said Nash, his eyes introspective. "Yeah, I do."

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

Friday, July 12th. Detective Timothy Geiger was sitting in a hot chair in my office. Captain Tanya Perlman was sitting next to him in her wheelchair.

Our Police Psychologist, Dr. Laura Fredricson, had been evaluating Geiger as well as working with him professionally... her profession as a psychiatrist. Geiger had not gotten over having to put a gun to Parker's head and pull the trigger. "What if it had gone off?" he'd told his fellow Detectives in MCD. "I never would've forgiven myself."

"He may be unsuitable for field work." I'd told the Command Group and Tanya as we'd discussed it. "He could freeze up at a bad moment, not meaning to, but getting someone hurt."

"Where can we put himmmm?" asked the Chief.

"I hate to say this," said Cindy, "but I still don't trust him with our computers or data."

Tanya said "The Detectives are trying hard to accept him... but there's still that barrier there... a barrier of not quite trusting him that will probably never go away."

"As they say in the Airborne Cavalry, Chief," I said, "it takes a whole lot of 'attaboys' to equal one 'ah, shit'." The Chief chuckled.

"Heh heh heh heh. They say that in a whole lot of places." the Chief said. Then his humor left him as he said: "But I get your point. So, what do you want to doooo?"

"Here's an idea..." I'd said...

Now, in my office, I said "Any idea what you want to do, Geiger?"

"Sir, ma'am," said Geiger, "I appreciate the opportunity you gave me to redeem myself. But there's still a lot of tension, there. And some of it's on my side; they were pretty harsh on me for a while, there. And I don't know where else I can go within the TCPD."

"Well," I said, "we're writing up a medical disability package for you. It's like a quarter-pay pension and the retirees's medical benefits package, effective August 1st, after the Ceremonies that day, of course."

"I'll think about it." said Geiger.

"And if you'll come with me," I said, rising out of my chair, "I'll show you something that might help you with the decision."

I had Geiger come with me out the door and to my SUV. "Ride shotgun." I said. I got in the driver's seat. We pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the streets to a residential area. I stopped at a house, got out, and knocked on the door. The door opened, and Keith Madden, formerly of KXTC, appeared in the doorway.

"You ready, Keith?" I asked. "Come on." I had him get in the backseat of the SUV. He was looking around it with avid interest as we drove into Town. We came up to the office and newspaper plant of the Town & County Examiner. I parked next to the one other car, and we got out and went in the unlocked front door.

"Okay, you guys go to that office where the light is on." I said. "I'll be waiting outside."

Geiger and Madden went towards the office. A silhouette appeared in the doorway, and it was unmistakably the figure of a woman.

"Hello, Mr. Madden, Mr. Geiger." she said. "A consortium of investors called the Guardians Group just purchased the Examiner. We're going to print a weekend edition with the ads, the weddings, the magazine-like stories, and we'll have a daily online edition, as well. And we're going to report the news, honestly and fairly, not the agenda-driven excrement of KXTC. And you're just the reporter I need to make that happen, Mr. Madden."

"And you, Detective Geiger." the woman continued. "I need someone that can investigate things. Someone who knows what's going on above the table and under the table, someone who knows who to talk to to get the information we need. It will be easy for you to get your P.I. license, and you can work as a P.I. as well as work for me. So... what do you guys say?"

"I say it sounds like a plan." said Geiger. "I'm in."

Geiger had recognized the woman, but Madden had not, so Madden asked: "Just one question, ma'am: who are you?"

The woman stepped forward, so that they could see her face, framed by the mane of blonde hair. "I'm the new Executive Publisher." she said. "My name... is Alison McFarland..."

Finis.