Little Red Haired Girl Ch. 02

"And you did?" asked Cindy. "Why would you even talk to that piece of shit?"

"At first I wasn't going to." I said. "Then I thought about it and decided that maybe I should, just to make sure I heard his side of the story, to get a more complete picture of what happened."

"What other side can there be?" asked Cindy, her voice connoting disbelief.

"Patience, ma cousine, and I'll tell you." I said. "I called Headquarters and told them to send a videographer to Shaw's hospital room, then I put on my uniform and went over there. When the videographer arrived, we went in. Shaw looked like he was in bad shape, and detoxing from his alcohol stupor. He also looked like he was scared to death of something, and he was very relieved when I came in."

"He kept saying 'I didn't do it! I didn't kill anyone!'." I continued. "I said we had a lot of witnesses and video evidence showing that he did. He kept saying he couldn't have done anything, he was asleep all day Saturday, and that he didn't remember driving at all."

"Sounds like a demented man." said the Chief.

"He definitely seemed hysterical." I said. "But something has been nagging me about this whole thing from the get-go. So I read him his rights on camera, telling him it was for his protection as well as ours, and then I asked him what he did remember."

"He said that he went to a bar on University Avenue Friday night." I said. "They cut him off after three drinks, since they knew who he was. Why they were serving him at all, I don't know, but I digress. I later went by that bar to check up on the story, and they confirmed that it was true... and I'll point out to you here that he remembered that.

"Anyhoo, he said some guy started talking to him in the bar, and that guy offered to buy him a bottle of bourbon from a package store. When I asked, he said he didn't know who the guy was."

"Yeah, right." Teresa said. "That person could be an accessory to murder if we find out who he is."

"Let me finish, guys." I admonished. "Shaw said he and his new friend drank half the bottle of bourbon, then the other guy left. He said that he fell asleep watching television after a couple more shots of bourbon, and that was the last thing he remembered until he woke up in the hospital Sunday morning. I asked him for a description of the man, and he said the guy was medium height, not black but darker-skinned than white, mean-looking, broad-shouldered and very fit. Again, he's remembering details pretty well through Friday night."

"So that's the gist of it." I finished. "He started crying, begging me to clear his name. I told him I'd look into it, but that the evidence did not look good for him and that he needed to ask for a Court-appointed attorney if he could not afford the very best available."

I looked around and saw that four, count them FOUR pairs of eyes were looking at me with pure skepticism. And then there was Sheriff Griswold.

"I see the looks in you young whippersnappers's eyes." the Sheriff growled. "You don't believe him, do you?"

"I believe Don." Teresa said. "I don't believe Wayne Shaw."

"Ditto that for me." Tanya said.

"Sheriff," asked Cindy, "do you believe any of this?"

"Har." the Sheriff said quietly. "Whenever I hear something incomprehensible, especially out of this young whippersnapper's mouth," he clapped my shoulder with his hand as he said it, "I always think back to a day when DNA evidence came in that was going to put Selena Steele on Death Row. And this young man was sitting there, saying it was all wrong, and was begging us for one hour, just one hour... and Don got his miracle, and saved Selena Steele's life." (Author's note: 'Case of the Black Widow', Ch. 04.)

"Ever since then," the Sheriff said, "I've trusted what the Iron Crowbar says and does, unreservedly. So if he thought it was necessary to talk to that drunken lout, I accept that. And if he thinks something's not right with this whole picture, I'll accept that, too."

"But some supporting evidence would be nizzze." said Chief Moynahan. "Did you ask the bar for any video they may have had, Mr. Crowbarrrr?"

"Yes sir." I said. "They said they didn't, that they erase their digital recordings and record over them every 24 hours. I think that's a crock, but like Captain Croyle said, there could be liability issues for them, so even if I got a warrant they might successfully fight it for a long time, if not forever."

"However," I continued, "we may be getting other evidence. I called J.R. Barnes of the State Crime Lab after talking to Shaw. They were still working on the car as well as the toxicology reports, but they knew enough already to know that there were drugs in Shaw's system, and that his alcohol levels weren't all that high."

"Funny you should mention that." Tanya said. "The Crime Lab's reports came into our email boxes just as Bettina's broadcast started."

"Y'all get out of here and get to work." said the Chief. We left him and the Sheriff in the Conference Room and raced to our offices to read those reports.

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

"I still say this doesn't get him off the hook." Cindy said as an early Angels meeting commenced at 7:30am.

Tanya said "These drugs are not consistent with the normal stuff Vice deals with. No cocaine, no heroin, no amphetamines. This chemical here," she said, pointing out the long chemical name of something that was found, "is a breakdown product of LSD or possibly other hallucinogens. The last time I saw some of this stuff... was what was found in your bloodstream, Commander Ross, after you were rescued from that Clinton County facility."

"And I'm sitting here still not remembering a bit of that." said Cindy.

"Thank God." murmured Teresa.

"And that's a point." I said. "Look, I'm not trying to exonerate Wayne Shaw; he's a dirtbag that is lucky he hasn't killed someone driving drunk before. But he doesn't remember anything about Saturday at all, and he has these drugs in his system. If someone did drug him up and somehow sent him flying down College Avenue at a high rate of speed, I'd like to know why."

"You're saying this was deliberately done?" asked Cindy.

"All I know..." I said, then paused, then finally said: "... is that he went right down that street, then veered at the very last second towards Barker."

"Why would someone want to kill Barker?" asked Teresa. "He hasn't been on field duty in months. He's been on restricted duty, cooped up in Headquarters, and we were beginning the process of separating him from the Force for medical reasons. What could he have seen that a hundred other Officers didn't also see?"

"I don't know." I said. Just then, Cindy's Police iPhone chirped.

"It's Captain Thompson." she said. "The Press is already demanding our duty logs for the weekend."

"Damn, I haven't even had a chance to read them yet." I said. "Would you ask Thompson to tell them the logs will be available at noon, that we're still processing them due to Barker's death?" Cindy nodded and began typing a text.

"Okay, guys," I said, "let me get to these logs. Tanya, I'll talk to you later about assigning Detectives to look into this situation more thoroughly."

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

At 9:30, I called Tanya and Teresa back into my office. When they came in, I said "There's a report from late last night, third shift this morning, actually. Someone broke into the Impound Yard?"

"I'm sorry, sir," said Tanya, "I'm not up to speed on the logs."

"I don't have the full story on that, either." Teresa said.

"I can't complain; I'm behind the power curve on them, also." I said. "Teresa, do we post anyone out there?" The Impound Yard was not far from the State Line River to the west of us, within sight of the State Welcome Center just on our side of the State Line.

"The Deputies man it during the day, sir." said Teresa. "It's camera-monitored during the night, as is the Welcome Center. If anyone pulls up to the front gate, or gets within 300 feet of it on the other three sides, an alert goes off and the Police send a patrol out there."

"Hmmm." I said. "Does J.R. Barnes still have Wayne Shaw's car at the State Crime Lab?"

"No sir." said Tanya. "He sent me an email that they finished with their forensic exam of it yesterday afternoon, and had it taken to the Impound Yard to clear the space at the Crime Lab for another investigation."

"A-haaaaa." I said knowingly.

"Agatha Christie is counting to 'two', isn't she sir?" Teresa astutely asked.

I chuckled. "Yes. Yes she is." I said. "This cannot be a coincidence. Okay, Tanya, who are you putting on the Barker vehicular homicide case?"

"This sounds like a good one for Rodriguez." said Tanya. "So her and Roy McGhillie."

"Make it so, Number One." I said. "Tell them to go and check on this Impound Yard break-in as the start of their investigation. Also, have them talk very discreetly to Officers that Barker worked with, and see if there was anything at all that might cause him to become a target for criminals..."

Part 12 - State of the State (Budget)

Tuesday, February 19th. At 9:00am, Tanya asked me to come into Classroom 'E' to hear Detectives Julia Rodriguez and Roy McGhillie's report at the same time she did.

"J.R. Barnes and a couple of his techs from the State Crime Lab met us at the Impound Yard." said Julia. "They said that it looked like a computer junction box that handled most of the car's electronics was removed. J.R. said they ran diagnostics on that box Saturday evening, and it appeared to be the standard Toyota Camry system. J.R. went back and checked again after he got back to the Crime Lab, and sent an email saying that the junction box was normal, but wasn't the originally installed box. So there could've been something there that the Crime Lab missed."

"Lesson learned." I said. "But anything sophisticated enough to actually drive the car by remote would not have been missed. And what I'm suggesting there is that J.R. Barnes and his Crime Lab might have a mole, a traitor, in their midst. Okay, what else?"

"We confirmed the toxicology report on Wayne Shaw." said Roy McGhillie. "Martha also found a lowered alcohol reading, but a high reading of breakdown products of hallucinogenic-type drugs. She also said that Shaw's alcohol reading was likely much higher the night before, but if he didn't drink from the time he fell asleep Friday night until the blood was taken Saturday afternoon, that might explain why the alcohol reading wasn't any higher than what they found."

"We executed a warrant to search Shaw's home." said Julia Rodriguez. "He has an apartment above one of the shops near the old Lockhart Pharmacy, south of Courthouse Square. It was a mess. The CSIs found two pairs of jeans in the hamper, soaking wet with urine. They said it's not uncommon for drunks like Shaw to fall asleep and urinate into their clothing while they sleep. They're going to analyze the clothes to see if there are any drug breakdown products in the urine."

"Y'all are learning about the seamier side of things with this case." I said.

"Yes sir." said Julia. "What we have not found was how Shaw was making any money. He was on welfare and was getting food stamps, but where he was getting money to support his drinking, we're not sure."

"From the food stamps." I said. "There are places, especially on the southside in the Southwestern Ghetto, that will take food stamps for cash or even directly for alcohol. He also may have done small things for cash, which magically became ethanol in a bottle for him."

Julia nodded. "At any rate, there was nothing in his apartment to show a connection to anyone or anything."

Roy McGhillie said "We've also been talking to Officers in the TCPD that worked with Barker the past few months. He'd been doing things like manning the guardhouse of the parking lot, radio dispatch duty, securing the perimeters of crime scenes and such stuff. No one had any idea of anything he might have seen or heard that would've caused him to become a target. I didn't contact Internal Affairs about any of this; that's more in line with your pay grade, sir."

"True enough." I said. "I've already talked to Orosco, and they had no reason to believe Barker was doing anything wrong, or was in any trouble at all... except that his health was not improving and it was only a matter of time before he would have to leave the TCPD."

"Sir," said Julia, "we also tried to find out if Wayne Shaw had any particular hatred of the Police. He'd been at some of the protest marches, and likely was paid to show up and make noise. But if he had any particular hatred of Police, he didn't say anything about it."

"You're thinking Barker was targeted because he was a Police Officer?" I asked. When Julia and Roy both nodded, I said "I like your thinking on that, but it's not likely. Barker was in civilian clothes at the crime scene, and there was nothing on him to suggest he was a Police Officer. And with all the Officers out there in our County in uniform as more obvious targets, why would someone single Barker out? If so, we're back to him being singled out, and you've already been trying to find out why someone would do that. So I'm doubting the generic Police target as the reason. But there had to be something that would cause Shaw to swerve and hit Barker."

"Maybe Shaw hates dogs, sir." said Roy McGhillie. "Maybe he was going after the dog. Shaw is a hopeless alcoholic, and maybe was on drugs at the time. He sees the dog, swerves to hit him without regard to the humans present..."

"As good a theory as any I can come up with." I said. "Okay, you guys keep at it..."

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

An hour later, I was flying the TCPD's Bell 206 helicopter to Midtown. Sheriff Griswold was in the chopper with me, and had 'requisitioned' me and the chopper to fly down there. It is good to be the Police Commander. It is good to be the County Sheriff, as well.

We landed on the helipad on top of the State Capitol Office Building garage, and made our way indoors. We descended in the elevator to the 'Republican' floors, where the Republican Legislators had offices. We were escorted to a corner office, which was Lieutenant Governor Sharon Marshall's office. She had us come in.

It was the others in the office that surprised me: Governor Valnius Jared (R), House Ways & Means Chairman Elijah McKinney (D), Senate Budget Committee Chairman Cain Mitchell (R), and most especially: Senate Minority Whip Katherine Woodburn (D).

"I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your Officer." Katherine said to me as she extended her hand, which I shook politely. She also extended her condolences to Sheriff Griswold, and said she planned to attend his funeral. The Sheriff was much more cordial to her that I was.

"Have a seat, everyone." said Lt. Governor Marshall. We sat down at the conference table, and everyone was provided with a bottled water.

"Sheriff, Commander," said Governor Jared, "we must ask you to keep the tightest secrecy on what you hear in this room today. We know both of you have no love lost for the Press, but if this gets out early, a great opportunity to get a Budget deal done may slip through our fingers." Griswold and I nodded.

"Why don't we ask Commander Troy if he knows what we're going to tell him?" said Katherine Woodburn with a hint of a derisive smile on her face and a slight gleam of her eyes.

"Obviously something to do with the SBI-NTF." I said. "But I know you didn't waste my time, nor the Sheriff's, to ask me to be the Director of whatever new configuration of it you have in mind. You know I won't do that."

"And I didn't run for Sheriff just to let my greatest Detective walk away from my Police Force." growled Griswold.

"Have no fear, Sheriff." said Elijah McKinney. "Commander Troy will stay where he is, and also continue as SBI Reserve Inspector, if he wishes to. Senator Woodburn, why don't you explain our compromise solution."

"Certainly." said Katherine, speaking in that duplicitous language known as 'political-ese': "Gentlemen, we all agree, even me, that the current SBI-NTF is too corrupt to continue in its present form. But all of us in here, and many of our colleagues outside of this room, believe that a Statewide entity to fight drug crime in this State would be beneficial to all. Not all counties have an Iron Crowbar that can coordinate a cooperative effort like you did to destroy the Marcie Harper operation."

There was applause in recognition of that great drug bust, which I acknowledged with a nod of my head. Then Katherine continued: "We need an institution that can coordinate between counties, share and consolidate information, and move against drug pushers anywhere in the State, and especially across county lines."

Governor Jared picked it up. "We also all agree that one of the greatest problems of the Immigration issue is that many Illegal Persons are bringing filthy drugs into our State and distributing them. It would make sense that a State law enforcement organization concentrate on the drug dealing aspects of illegal immigration, as well as round up and get rid of those that are bringing filthy drugs into our State."

"Does this new organization have a cool name?" I asked. "Or is that why you brought us down here, to give it a name?" Everyone chuckled, though mostly politely.

"We're calling it the SBI-IDE right now." said Cain Mitchell. "(I)mmigration and (D)rug (E)nforcement. Unless you have a better idea, of course." I shook my head 'no'.

"So, Commander," asked Jared, attempting to will me to his position on the matter, "our offer to you is to name the person you want as Director of this new organization, if it's not going to be yourself. We definitely want your approval on it."

"That, sir," I said, "you shall never have." When everyone gasped, I said "Don't get me wrong. I know you're going to do this no matter what I think. It's a done deal, if I don't miss my guess."

"And you never do." said Sheriff Griswold helpfully.

"I do want one thing, and it is not to name this SBI-IDE Director." I said. "That should be Curly Goodwin's job, to name that person." Goodwin was the Director of the SBI.

I continued: "What I want... is for my Town & County to have what the City has, at least with regard to the SBI and its various drug enforcement subdivisions: autonomy. Put it into the law that the Town & County enjoys the autonomy that the City does, that this new IDE will not come into my County without our permission."

"Goodness." said Elijah McKinney. "If that got out, other jurisdictions would ask for the same thing, and then this whole bill would collapse."

"And I'm not sure the City is going to get full autonomy." said Katherine Woodburn, revealing some of her true intentions. "They've had serious corruption issues in the past. You yourself busted Susan Wexler." (Author's note: 'Reichenbach', Ch. 02-03, among other places.)

"You make my point for me, Senator." I said with a gleam in my gray eyes. "I know the words you political types hate hearing most are the words 'We do not need you.'. Well, I think I demonstrated with the Harper drug bust that my County does not need the SBI-NTF, or IDE, or whatever you call it."

"It's a support organization, Commander." said Cain Mitchell. "I know you had run-ins with them in the past, but it's going to be different, this time."

The way my eyes widened at that cliché must've given away how I felt about that. Elijah McKinney suppressed a chuckle. Sheriff Griswold's mustaches were twitching.

Governor Jared said "I think Commander Troy has made a reasonable request for us to consider. I can't promise that either the City or the Town & County will get the full semi-sovereignty and autonomy you desire, Commander, but it's a starting point for a framework for the limitations that we might need to put on the SBI-IDE."