Media Matters Ch. 02

"Okay, so now what?" asked Wilson Hammonds.

"We've got to act pretty fast, too." said Samuel Russell. "Troy is all over BigAgraFoods. I mean all over them. If Mitt Willis falls, it will be totally devastating to us Republicans at the national level."

"Hell, we've got problems at the State level, too." said Graham Collins. "The Governor is helping ICE crack down hard on undocumented workers in our State. If we don't get him out of the Governor's Mansion, and very, very soon, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce will begin giving their campaign dollars to... other candidates. They want results, and they don't like Val Jared standing in their way. They want him removed."

"Let's just bust Troy first." said Mullen. "And to answer Mr. Hammonds's question, here's what my office is going to do: the Press is doing an excellent job hammering Troy over the Patterson baby. Everything has gone well with that, except we didn't anticipate Troy's wife standing by him and admitting to their open relationship. It's also hurting Patterson, which is good. Between her and Judge Rodney K. Watts, we've got too many ni-... er, blacks being zealots about the law."

"The Press is going to begin chanting about Commander Troy's wife." continued Mullen. "And we're going to follow up by investigating her as we move in on him. And maybe we'll find some scurrilous finances on her part, or his through hers--- what?"

U.S. Senator Samuel Russell had stood up, and was now headed for the door. "You're an idiot, Mullen." he said. He then turned around to face Mullen, and said "You know, you told us he'd break if you went after Croyle. Willis even agreed to help you out with that. And now he's Troy's target, and the FBI's target, while Croyle is still in her office at Police Headquarters, eating doughnuts, and Troy as intransigent as ever."

"Yes, Senator," said A.G. Handel, "but this is Troy's wife we're concentrating on next."

"Thou fool." said Russell, in the voice and form of a Biblical quotation. "You have no idea what you're getting into. I want no part of this." With that, he turned and left the office.

"What, does he have a crush on that bitch?" snarled Mullen. No one else in the room said anything.

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

"This is Amber Harris at the KXTC Fox Two News Desk!" said the lovely athletic blonde at 12:00noon, Monday, July 9th. "We go to Bettina Wurtzburg with breaking news! Bettina!"

"Thank you, Amber!" Bettina said. "Fox Two News has just learned that Superior Court Judge Rodney K. Watts has issued a ruling squashing the Independent State Counsel's subpoena of Paulina Patterson's finances, as well as all financial data related to Police Commander Donald Troy's child support payments for Tasha Troy-Patterson!"

Bettina continued: "In the ruling, Judge Watts cited the recent State Supreme Court ruling that limits the scope of the Independent State Counsel's investigation. He said that Robert Mullen had not met the standard to show why Ms. Patterson's financial records are relevant to the investigation of Governor Jared. Judge Watts also said his examination of the child support documents show nothing that could be related to the ISE's investigation of Governor Jared, and that the documents and the child support payments are legal and proper in every way."

"Judge Watts further said he considered Mr. Mullen's subpoena of Ms. Patterson's financial records to be an 'improper intrusion' upon Paulina Patterson's political campaign, with no probable cause, and, once again, well outside the scope of the ISE's investigation." said Bettina. "Judge Watts again cited a State Supreme Court ruling: those against Commander Troy's attempts to investigate the finances of Citizens For Police Accountability. If Commander Troy's subpoenas were invalid, Watts ruled, then Mullen's subpoenas of Ms. Patterson are equally invalid, and for the same reasons."

Part 11 - Going Righteous

Meanwhile, as Robert Mullen was meeting with the State's corrupt Republican leadership, Captain Teresa Croyle was at 1st Precinct Headquarters and County Jail. And anyone who knew her, knew from the look on her face that 'Teresa Cunt' was in the House.

She came up to the Duty Desk. Behind the young rookie Patrol Officer, a fresh-faced boy that looked stunned to see a Police Captain coming up, was a desk loaded with files of paperwork. At the desk was Patrol Officer Julia Rodriguez. Teresa went behind the desk to Julia's desk.

"Ma'am!" Julia said, startled. She quickly rose to her feet, having been in the military and instinctively acting.

"At ease. Relax." Teresa said. "My goodness, Rodriguez, they're literally burying you in paperwork. What is up with this?"

"Captain Goodwin said they need this by the end of the month, ma'am." said Julia. "So I'm trying to get it done now, before new headlines hit."

Teresa shook her head in empathy, then said "Officer Rodriguez, did Commander Troy send you an email?"

"Yes ma'am." said Julia. "I sent him a copy of the application to his direct inbox like he requested, and also copies to the Chief and Captain Perlman, as he requested."

"Good." said Teresa. "Forward me a copy, too. Also, call Captain Goodwin and Lieutenant Irwin, and tell them I want to see them in the Conference Room immediately."

"They're already in there, ma'am." said Rodriguez. "They're meeting with the Sergeants."

"Good." said Teresa. "Don't call. I'll go see them now." With that, Teresa stalked out and down the hallway.

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

Teresa rapped her knuckles on the door of the conference room three times in quick succession, then opened the door.

"What the--- oh." said Precinct Captain Goodwin. "Ma'am?"

"Everyone except Goodwin and Irwin, get out of here." Teresa ordered.

"Uh ma'am, we're meeting about----" said Goodwin. That was what the Iron Crowbar would call 'an error in judgement'.

"Did you not hear what I said?" Teresa snarled. When no one moved, she went off: "GET THE FUCK OUT! ALL OF YOU! NOW!" Fire had been lit under asses, and there was a huge scramble and race to the door. They left the door open, and Teresa took the opportunity to go to the door and *SLAM!* it shut as hard as she could.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" Irwin asked, a question acknowledging the obvious.

"You damn straight, there is." Teresa said angrily. "I want to know why you not only put holds on Rodriquez's application for a Detective position, but actually blocked her email from going through."

"Why is that a problem, ma'am?" asked Goodwin. "We don't think she's ready to be a Detective."

"And she's too indispensable in her current position, ma'am." said Irwin.

"That's right, ma'am." said Goodwin. "We've had turnover, and I'm new here, also."

"In the first place," Teresa growled, "neither of you will ever make Detective yourselves. Have you not figured out why I'm here right now? And how I know about your blocking the emails?"

They both just stared at her, so she said "It is to your grave if not terminal misfortune that Commander Troy himself was specifically looking for her email application, and couldn't find it. Being the best Detective any of us will ever meet, he began investigating... and found the email to him had been blocked. An email to the Police Commander, of all people!"

Irwin groaned and looked down, his face showing the pain he was feeling. Goodwin was either not understanding, or was more defiant. Teresa made it clear:

"The holds are one thing," she said, "but blocking the email is a violation of Police Department policy. Blocking an email meant for Commander Troy is a violation of common sense. In addition, it could be grieved with the Union as an unlawful attempt to suppress Patrol Officer Rodriguez's opportunities for advancement under Federal EEO regulations."

"I'm sorry, ma'am." said Irwin. "You're right, I was wrong. What can I do to correct it?"

"Hold on." said Precinct Captain Goodwin. "With all due respect, ma'am, this is still my Precinct. Why can't I put a hold on one of my Officers if I think it's in the Precinct's best interest to do so?"

"And blocking the email?" Teresa asked.

"I admit that was a mistake on my part, ma'am." said PCpt. Goodwin.

"Yes it was." said Teresa. "And so serious a violation that it's a formal issue. As to Rodriguez's readiness to be a Detective, you can explain to Commander Troy himself why you think your judgement is better than his... when you receive your formal punishment from him personally, unless the Chief himself does it."

Irwin groaned again, understanding. Teresa said "In the meantime, I'd suggest you find a replacement for Patrol Officer Rodriguez. If there is one thing I have learned from six years of working with Commander Troy, it is that when he has made up his mind about something, it is a 'done deal'. I'll bet two months pay that Rodriguez will be a Detective on August 1st. So get your collective act together."

With that, she turned towards the door. "Gentlemen," she said, "I think you're lucky that you haven't been suspended without pay yet. I would strive very hard to keep 1st Precinct off Commander Troy's radar screen right now, if I were you." She opened the door and left, closing it hard behind her.

"Oh, geez." Irwin groaned, trying to remember how to breathe again.

"Is it that bad?" asked Goodwin. Irwin just glanced over at him.

"Worse." said Irwin. "Captain Croyle took it easy on us. Commander Troy... won't."

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

"They are not giving up." said Captain Thompson. "They are demanding you appear at a press conference." He was talking to me, and the Media's demands were of me. We were in my office, and Cindy was in the room, also.

"Who do those people think they are?" Cindy said angrily, a scowl on her ruggedly pretty face.

"Any idea what they want from me?" I asked Thompson.

"I tried to find out, sir." he said. "Some of them are saying they want to ask about your upcoming appearance before the Independent State Counsel. Others say they want to ask about your effect on the Patterson and Griswold political campaigns.

I clasped my hands behind my head as I thought about it. "They are up to something." I said. "They are up to something. There's nothing really new out there... that we know of..." I was halfway in a reverie.

"Uh oh." Cindy said as she watched me, and I could feel her mental power reaching into my mind. I mentally swatted her probe away.

"Yes, Commander Ross," I said, "I'm going to walk into the trap."

"I knew it!" Cindy said, with a measure of disgust in her voice.

"But on my terms." I said. "Captain Thompson, I'm sure I heard Commander Ross suggest to you that Commander Troy has agreed to a press conference... but ONLY if it is broadcast live. We will be watching, and if it's not live or if they cut it off at any time, it's game over."

"I thought I heard myself say that, too, Damien." Cindy said agreeably. Thompson chuckled.

"Y'all go put that out there." I said. "I've got a couple of phone calls to make."

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

The Press were arguing over chairs as their cameramen set up in the back of the Press Room at Police Headquarters. It was almost 2:00pm, still Monday, July 9th.

Tanya and Myron Milton were in Captain Thompson's office, which along with the Press Interview Room was off a hallway adjoining the Press Room. They were monitoring the various State channels. They saw them all go live to the press conference as 2:00pm struck.

"Thank you for coming." said Captain Thompson. "Commander Troy has agreed to give this live press conference, provided you are respectful and stay live on the air. He will make an opening statement, and then take questions, provided they are asked respectfully and one at a time. Ladies and gentlemen, the Police Commander... and the Chief Emeritus."

Your Iron Crowbar walked into the room from the entrance at back, carrying Tasha. Behind me was the big surprise: Chief Griswold came in behind me, carrying Carole. The Media quietened down, not sure what to make of this.

We put the girls down on the floor of the podium, where they began playing with the dolls they'd brought in, and Chief Griswold sat down in a chair placed on the raised stage for him. Meanwhile, I took the podium.

"First of all," I said, "my lawyer is working with the Independent State Counsel to arrange a time for my appearance before them. It could be as early as this Wednesday, or it could be next week. Second, I am pleased with today's rulings in Superior Court, which reaffirmed the recent rulings of the State Supreme Court, especially with regard to the scope of the Independent State Counsel's investigation, and pushing back against Robert Mullen's attempts to unlawfully expand that scope. What are your questions concerning these issues? Priya."

"Commander," said Priya, "Will you take the Fifth when you appear before the Independent Counsel?"

"I don't plan to, but I have the right and reserve the right to do so if I feel I'm being railroaded by Mullen. Tim?" I said, pointing to Tim Sioban of KSB in the City.

Lester Holder interrupted: "Commander, do you think bringing those girls into this press conference will prevent us from demanding the truth from you?"

"You've never demanded the truth before." I said. "You'd rather me lie and tell you what you want to hear, to fit your propaganda narrative." I felt the energy of the Press revving up, and it was the energy of pure hatred. "Tim Sioban, did you have a question?"

"Commander," said Sioban, "your wife has stood by your side as this scandal broke, but do you really expect us to believe she's okay with you having a child by another woman?"

"Yes, since she said it, I expect you to believe it." I said. "And let me be clear: I understand you reporting on my parentage of Tasha; after all, Ms. Patterson is running for public office, and I'm part of the TCPD's leadership. But my wife is not running for anything. At all. So from this point on, I'm just going to tell you that any questions pertaining to my wife are out of line, irrelevant to this issue, and I will not answer them any longer. Bettina, what is your question?"

"Commander," interrupted Brian Jennings, "what is the point of bringing your illegitimate daughter to this press conference?"

"What makes her illegitimate?" I asked. "She's a real human being, as you Media propagandists always say about illegal immigrants when they're called 'illegal persons'. A bit hypocritical of you there, Mr. Jennings."

"Do you think you've saved Patterson or Griswold's campaigns," growled a visibly angry Lester Holder, who was black, "by acknowledging you fathered that halfbreed child?" There were gasps of total shock in the room. I looked at my iPhone on the podium. A text popped up, saying 'still live'.

"What did you just call my daughter?" I thundered at Holder.

"You heard me." Holder said, not backing down, his face an ugly snarl of hatred. "And you know that Ms. Patterson's campaign is dead because you are the father of that... illegitimate child."

"Er, 'dead'?" I said. "Why are you using that word? Are you threatening to kill my daughter? Like your colleague, reporter John Hardwood tried to murder my other daughter?"

"Did you murder Hardwood?" screamed out Brian Jennings.

"No." I said, and truthfully at that. "Now answer my question. Hardwood was a reporter, just like you, and tried to murder my daughter. Are you now threatening to murder my other daughter?"

The Press had fallen silent, their hatred of me palpable in the room. And then... it happened.

Carole had been playing with Tasha, and they'd been giggling. All of a sudden, Carole went 'righteous'. She looked out at the Press, then got up and faced them, crossed her little arms, and with a scowl shouted "Y'ALL BETTER LEAVE MY SIS-TER A-LONE!!"

A review of the DVR would show the Police Commander gaping at his daughter's words, totally dumbfounded. It would show Chief Griswold's mustaches twitching as merrily as I'd ever seen them twitch. Cindy Ross was suppressing laughter. Captain Thompson was amazed but very amused. And none of these adults had put Carole up to that, or at least would admit to it... she did it entirely on her own.

The Press was totally shocked into silence. They were being stared down by a four-year-old child with an attitude, prompting Chief Griswold to get up and say "Well! I think that's going to be the last word on the subject. Let's go, Crowbar, shall we?"

"Uh, yes sir." I said. We collected Carole and Tasha, Carole still staring angrily at the Press Pool, and we got on out of there and headed to my office. We had just witnessed something 'righteous', all right: this was the first time Carole had stood up to bullies attacking her little sister.

It would not be the last.

Part 12 - Crossing The Line

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Fox Two News!" said the redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, Tuesday, July 10th, from in front of the Courthouse complex on Courthouse Square. "Fox Two News is bringing continuing coverage of the legal battles surrounding the Independent State Counsel's Office!'

"In what experts are calling a shocking ruling," Bettina said, "Appellate Judge Leahy upheld Superior Court Judge Rodney K. Watts's rulings squashing subpoenas by Independent State Counsel Robert Mullen. Mullen has made an emergency appeal, citing that Watts should've recused himself from the Paulina Patterson subpoena, as he was the judge that had signed off on the Troy-Patterson child support papers in the first place."

"Leahy said that Watts's familiarity with the child support agreement papers actually made him better qualified to act on the subpoena." said Bettina. "Leahy also said that the recent State Supreme Court rulings strongly affected these recent subpoenas, and that Mr. Mullen had not sufficiently shown how Paulina Patterson's campaign for D.A. is relevant to past actions regarding Governor Jared."

"However," said Bettina, "Robert Mullen continues to issue subpoenas! He has subpoenaed the University for all records pertaining to Dr. Laura Fredricson, including all financial records, which would include her pay from all sources, and all Government grants! Robert Mullen has also subpoenaed Laura Fredricson's personal financial records, as well as a subpoena ordering her to appear before the Independent State Counsel to answer questions regarding Commander Troy's actions in investigating two women that brought credible claims of sexual harassment against Governor Val Jared!"

"State Attorney General Karl Handel supported the subpoenas," said Bettina, "insisting that Dr. Fredricson could have important knowledge of Commander Troy's actions in criminally charging Donna Rodman and Hillary Braselton after they made the sexual harassment claims against Governor Val Jared. The Attorney General says he expects the University to fully comply with the subpoenas."

"However," continued Bettina, "in a statement last night, University President Sidney P. Wellman vehemently stated that the University would not comply with the subpoenas, that Robert Mullen had again exceeded the scope of his authority as Independent State Counsel. Mike G. Todd, of the Madison & Ives Law Firm... again, that's Mike G. Todd of the Madison & Ives Law Firm... who is Commander Troy and now Dr. Fredricson's attorney, said the subpoena for Dr. Fredricson to appear before the Independent State Counsel is worthless because Dr. Fredricson is Commander Troy's wife, and cannot be compelled to testify against her husband..."

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

"Oh my God." said Joanne Warner as we drank coffee in MCD and watched the broadcast. "That guy is out of control."