Music Box Dancer Ch. 01

"That case was never adjudicated, was it?" asked Mullen.

"Yes, it was." said Teresa.

"You're lying." said one of the other attorneys. "There's no record of any formal action on it."

"You're the one that's lying." said Teresa. "The County and I entered into a legal agreement, whereupon I resigned from the TCPD and all charges were dropped."

"Mr. Mullen, she's perjured herself." said the attorney. "The Board of Inquiry of that matter recommended Croyle's firing. The Town & County Council never took action either way, as Croyle resigned first. It was not addressed when she was re-hired six months later, and has never been addressed since."

"Additionally," said Brafford Bacon, "the Statute of Limitations has not run out on that incident. We can make a criminal referral to the Attorney General, ask him to fully prosecute Croyle for assault and battery, as well as assault and battery against a person in her custody."

"Well!" said Mullen, his voice gleeful. "It looks like your career and your life are in my hands now, Ms. Croyle. We are ready to fully prosecute you for your criminal actions."

"Then do it." said Croyle, not batting an eyelash.

"Apparently you don't understand." said Mullen. "You will either give me what I want, or you will go to jail. You will give me the evidence against Commander Troy that I want to hear, or it's all over for you."

"Is that a threat?" asked Teresa. "Then do it. Make the criminal referral." She turned to Agnes Spires. "Okay, they've shown their cards. Now is the time for us to leave, and to make a few 'referrals' of our own." With that, she got up.

"Ms. Croyle, do you think we're kidding?" asked Bacon. "You do realize we have the power and the evidence to prosecute and imprison you?"

"If you believe so," said Teresa, "then do it." She went for the door, followed by her attorneys, leaving behind a stunned group of legal lapdogs.

"Okay, Brafford." one of the lawyers said, still staring at the now-closed door. "Call the AG. Let's barbecue her ass."

"Before you do," said Mullen, "you better make damn sure of our case. She knows something. She was all but goading us to do it. And with that God-cursed Iron Crowbar involved... we have to be damn sure, all the way."

Part 3 - The Retaliatory Response

3:30pm, Monday, June 11th. Teresa and her lawyers left the office of William C. 'Billy' Williams, State Representative for the 1st State House District (Town & County), after Teresa got a text that said simply "Filed." She led her attorneys out the main door of the State Capitol Office Building, where a huge throng of propagandists pretending to be 'journalists' were gathered.

They began shouting questions until Teresa raised her hand for quiet, finally getting it. "If you will keep your mouths shut for a minute," she said into the bank of microphones at a makeshift podium, "I'll make a statement."

She began: "Today, I answered the subpoena of the Independent State Counsel. As a result of this inquisition, er, inquiry, I have filed a lawsuit against the Independent State Counsel and against Robert Mullen personally. Mr. Mullen repeatedly went outside the scope of the Independent State Counsel's inquiry, and we seek clarification through the Courts of just what may be asked."

"Furthermore," said Teresa, "Mr. Mullen attempted to intimidate me, both verbally and physically, refused to allow me to confer with my legal representation, denied us potty breaks... no, I'm not kidding, and he broke the law doing that... and denied me my legal rights in other ways, which are outlined in the lawsuit. We have proof of these allegations."

"Last, and worst," said Teresa, "as part of his intimidation and threats, Mr. Mullen said that if I did not perjure myself in order to implicate Commander Donald Troy in criminal activity, he would attempt to use the power of the Courts and the AG's office to destroy my career and my personal life. I have referred Mullen's criminal actions to the SBI-OER's office as well as filed Federal and State criminal complaints, all in addition to the lawsuits. I will not be taking any questions."

With that, Teresa and her legal representation darted back into the State Capitol Office Building and made their way to the parking lot exit, whereupon they got into the TCPD helicopter for the ride home.

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

"Teresa Croyle broke the law today," said A.G. Karl Handel, "by revealing what was said in the Independent State Counsel's interrogation of her today. Additionally, the Independent State Counsel disputes the ridiculous claims by Ms. Croyle that she was threatened or intimidated in any way. Lastly, by leaving the inquiry before it was finished, the ISE has referred a criminal action to my Office, which I accept and will begin working on, that Teresa Croyle violated the subpoena ordering her to appear before the ISE and answer his questions."

"I have demanded that Governor Val Jared suspend Teresa Croyle from the TCPD until this matter is resolved." said Handel. "Given his blatant disregard for the law and immigrant rights, I don't expect Governor Jared to do his duty and suspend Croyle, so I've also asked the Town & County Council to take the action step and suspend Croyle."

"Last but not least," said Handel, "my office is reviewing the incident where Croyle physically assaulted a man in her custody. The Statute of Limitations has not run out on that incident, and we intend to press full criminal charges against Croyle for that past action."

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

"The SBI-OER has accepted Captain Croyle's complaint," said SBI-OER Inspector Brittany M. Maxwell from her office in Westphalia, "and will be investigating Robert Mullen, Brafford Bacon, and the Office of the Independent State Counsel for malfeasance and possible crimes of violence against Ms. Croyle and her attorneys."

"Assault does not necessarily require physical battery to be charged, verbal intimidation can draw an assault charge, and if I conclude that Robert Mullen did verbally intimidate Ms. Croyle and her attorneys, I'll be securing a warrant to arrest Robert Mullen..."

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

The TCPD helicopter came in for a landing right smack-dab in the middle of Courthouse Square. Unmarked Police vehicles took the attorneys back to their cars. Meanwhile, a tall, broad-shouldered redhead in a Tilley hat, light trenchcoat, and carrying a crowbar walked with Captain Croyle back towards Police Headquarters. The Media, stationed at County Airport, was completely caught off-guard, and we were not hassled as we walked right through Town.

Teresa's first port-of-call was to the potty. She emptied the bag strapped between her legs and took the catheter out, then came to my office. "You were right." she said. "They were going to make me sit there for hours. Good thing Cindy noticed at her hearing that Mullen and his lawyers were catheterized so they didn't have to leave."

The Green Crowbar, who was in the office with us, grinned at that.

"Yes, a highly observant Deputy Chief, she is." I said. "And a good thing my wife is a doctor that could help out with that, and supply you with the proper equipment. Have a seat, have a seat... unless you're tired of sitting all day... "

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

At 7:30, we met in the office of my attorney Mike G. Todd. Even Agnes T. Spires was hungrily eating pizza from the several I'd brought to feed our faces.

"A.G. Handel has already filed a criminal complaint for you talking about what went on." Ms. Spires said. "He'll file another one when he finds out you secretly tape recorded the whole thing, even though the ISE is allowed to record it for their use."

"Y'all have already filed subpoenas for their tapes," said Teresa, "as has Britt Maxwell. And I'm not really worried about them trying to charge me for anything... it'll justify me taking the Fifth if they try to haul me back in there again."

"True." I said. "Of course Mullen would love for you to take the Fifth, so the Press could ask 'what does she have to hide' over and over again. I've always wondered... can you take the Fifth if you're innocent of any wrongdoing?"

"You can." said Mike G. Todd. "But then they can grant you immunity from prosecution, and you then have to testify or answer the questions. In Teresa's case, if she is charged with a crime they'd have to give her immunity from prosecution of it if they want her to answer any questions. Works out well, for her."

"Except that she's being charged with a crime in the first place." said Rudy Louis. "Think the Governor will bow to the pressure, and suspend her?"

"We'll find out." I said, unperturbed.

"I'm more worried about this Dean Allen incident." said Agnes T. Spires. "If what they say is true, and the Town & County Council never acted on that, the A.G. could press charges... what?" She was seeing that Teresa and I were unable to hide grins.

"Ohhhhh, I don't think that's going to be a problem." I said. "Ms. Spires, Mr. Louis, you may not know that in this County, the Command Groups, being the Police Chief, Police Commanders, Fire Chief, Fire Marshal, Assistant Fire Chief, Public Health Officer, and the Sheriff and his Chief of Staff, are all considered Principals in this County: we can enter into binding contracts on behalf of the County."

"It would seeeeeeeem," I said, in a good imitation of Chief Moynahan, "that Teresa entered into an agreement with the County, that she would resign in exchange for dropping of all charges related to the Dean Allen assault. It was a binding contract, signed by her and a Principal for the County. She cannot be brought up on criminal charges, nor can the Council take future action against her for it... as that would violate the Double Jeopardy clause of the U.S. Constitution."

"Yes it would." said Mike G. Todd with a grin.

"But Commander," said Louis, "you weren't part of the Command Group at that time."

"That is true." I said. "But I'm not the one that made the contract. Someone else foresaw the possibility of needing that contract. No names will be mentioned, but his initials are (A)ntonio (G)riswold... and he was Police Chief at that time. He made the contract with Teresa."

"Oh, that is beautiful." said Mike G. Todd with a huge grin, beginning to understand the full nature of it all. "But was the contract entered into the public record anywhere?"

"It was entered through the City Attorney's Office. I checked up on it." I said, having quietly asked the Intendent, Mrs. Peabody, to make sure. "Also, it was entered into Police evidence for the Dean Allen assault and also his DUI case involving the Kearns family. And Chief Griswold and Teresa have copies, of course."

"Good." said Mike. "And dollars to doughnuts Mullen's team didn't find it, and thought they could use the Allen case to blackmail Teresa. This is why I love being your attorney, Don. God! that's nasty!" Teresa was actually grinning, as well.

"Nasty is what I do." I said. "And it keeps getting better. The Press had Teresa live on the air this afternoon. They cannot put that cat back in the bag. The viewers cannot un-see what they have seen. I don't know if Teresa's lawsuit will hold up, but the damage is done. As our political enemies like to say: it's the seriousness of the charge that people will be remembering."

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

Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., U.S. Senator Richard 'Bill' Nunn (TEA Party Republican) was meeting with the CEO of BigAgraFoods Corporation, Lloyd Feingold. They were in Nunn's Senate office.

Feingold had requested the meeting, and had had to sneak in like a criminal in the night. "I'm not sure I'm not being followed." he said. "I've hired some additional security; I don't trust the company's security any more."

"That bad, huh?" said Nunn. Feingold nodded. "Have a seat." Nunn said as he poured Feingold a drink. Feingold had to work hard not to gulp it down. He looked haggard... and scared.

"You remember that testimony I gave before the Committee?" asked Feingold. (Author's note: 'The French Connection', Ch. 03.) Nunn nodded. "Well, after all that stuff came up about the Guardians of Justice and the leaked papers, I began doing my own investigation... well, trying to. I soon found out that I was being stymied at every turn. I would ask for documents, and never get them. Or I'd get maybe 10% of what I asked for. When I pressed, I was told some documents didn't exist, even though I knew they did, or told the documents were at the so-called 'other office', and they'd have to get them... and never would."

"Sounds like Congressional committees trying to get documents from the Department of Justice." said Nunn.

Feingold nodded, not laughing at the joke. "I soon realized that the man leading the charge in obstructing me was Mitt Bain Willis. Mitt is the BigAgraFoods President, and he's a Board Member. He's the guy they send out to make all the positive speeches and announcements, while I have to go defend the company before Congress, or announce we're moving our operations from the Town & County because of Commander Troy... which I never wanted to do... meaning I never wanted to move."

Nunn nodded. "So Mittens is the problem?"

"Big time." said Feingold. "Mitt is always telling me to 'not worry' about certain things I'm asking about, and his people are watching me like a hawk. So I had some of my more trustworthy people continue the investigation into those leaked GOJ documents. What they've found out is... frightening."

"Tell me." said Nunn. He poured Feingold another drink, which Feingold hastily swallowed in two gulps.

"It's like this." said Feingold. "First, I told Willis I'd resign as CEO and Chairman of the Board, that he could have the positions. He said he was running for Senate in two years... against you, Bill, saying 'the Grassroots have to be stopped, crushed, and I'm going to do that to Nunn'. He told me that my resigning would not be good for my health, nor my family's."

"Then I found out that a lot of what the Guardians of Justice hacked, and put out there... is true." said Feingold. "Many of our biggest companies, from WorldBankTrust, to BigAgraFoods, to BigPharmaCorp, to BigRoadAndRail Corp., to BigBenefitInsurance Corp., are working with the U.S. Government... BAFTE, the Justice Department, the Agriculture Department, Homeland Security... to pretty much impose martial law and control the People in the event of what they'll call an 'emergency'. Already the Ag Department is using chemicals that kill off bee populations, meaning crops don't get pollinated. We're showing only 75% yields versus the last two years."

"Do you have any documentation of this?" Nunn asked.

"Not much." said Feingold. "I think I can get a lot of it, but it's going to have to be a 'scoop and score'... I'm going to have to get it all at once, put it on jump drives, and bring it to you. Mitt controls the servers, and he announced company wide 'security upgrades' recently."

Nunn nodded. "Okay. What we need to do is talk to Commander Troy."

"Why him?" said Feingold. "By that, I mean he's a local LEO..."

"He's an SBI Reserve Officer, and an Inspector-level one at that." said Nunn. "He's also an FBI Consultant, and can bring in the correct people, trustworthy people, to help us bust Mittens cold... if you're willing to meet him, and to help us. We can fly back home, and----"

"Every time I book a reservation, Willis is always coming in and asking where I'm going." said Feingold. "When I tell him to mind his own business, he starts claiming security reasons, and then he goes and forces my assistant or my staff to tell him what I'm doing. I'm a prisoner in my own company."

"I think we can get past that." said Nunn. "What's the point of being a U.S. Senator, if I can't exercise some Senatorial power?"

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

At the same time, another meeting was taking place in a private dining room at the Marriott Grande Hotel in the City. The people that considered themselves to be the State's top leadership were present: Lt. Governor Graham Collins, U.S. Senator Samuel Russell, U.S. Senator Roy Lester (from the State west of ours), State Attorney General Karl Handel, State Senator Cain Mitchell, State Rep. Wilson Hammonds, as well as BigAgraFoods Corp. President Mitt Bain Willis, BigRoadAndRailCorp CEO Curtis Meigs and COO Clarence Weatherby, and State Parcel Service (SPS) CEO Edward Blassingame.

After a sumptuous four-course meal, followed by drinks and fine Cuban cigars, they began discussing the situation that was foremost on their minds.

"Are you going to file the charges against Croyle, Handel?" asked Billy Russell.

"Yes, Senator." said A.G. Handle. "The papers have already been drawn up. Perjury, failing to fully answer the subpoena, revealing the proceedings of the ISE investigation, recording the proceedings of the ISE investigation, assault and battery upon Dean Allen, assault on a a person in her Police custody, that being Dean Allen."

"She recorded it?" asked a stunned Grahamnesty Collins. "Shit!"

"And she gave the tapes to SBI Inspector Britt Maxwell." said Handel. "And they're damning. Part of our complaint will be to get a stay, enjoining Maxwell from investigating, and forcing her to turn the tapes over to us. But Croyle likely has copies."

"We'll just barbecue her ass in Court, then." said Curtis Meigs, CEO of BigRoadAndRailCorp. He was a barrel-chested man that looked like a wannabee military general, with a buzz high-and-tight haircut and a demeanor suggesting he expected discipline and for his instructions to be followed immediately.

"No, Curtis." Mitt Willis said smoothly. "We have to use this situation fully to our advantage."

"Our ultimate goal," said Graham Collins, "as it should always be, is the removal of Val Jared as Governor. How is this going to facilitate that?"

"The same way the Police bust drug kingpins." said Handel. "We go after the little fish first, make them turn over the bigger fish over them, then make that bigger fish betray the really big fish. We're going to force Croyle to give us something on Donald Troy, and then make him betray Governor Jared."

"I understand that many of you want Governor Jared to be the target." said Russell. "But the bigger and more important target we have to destroy is the Iron Crowbar, Donald Troy. Once his harmful influences are removed, we can go back to business as usual."

"I completely disagree." said Graham Collins. "Val Jared is the problem, and must be the primary target.

"Yes, I don't understand, either. Why is Troy the bigger deal?" asked Edward Blassingame. "Jared is the one that is killing us on the cheap labor of illegal immigrants."

"You saw what he did, catching those perps that killed two of your truck drivers." said Clarence Weatherby. "And I continue to believe he's the Guardians of Justice, or is working closely with them."

"Yes, and the Guardians of Justice are our real problem, and our real enemy." said Meigs. "They keep exposing things the People are not supposed to know. They are causing unrest amongst the Grassroots."

"I hate the fucking Grassroots!" exploded Establishment Republican Wilson Hammonds.

"So do I, Wilson, so do I." said Mitt Bain Willis. "And the damage that the Guardians of Justice and Commander Troy have done to BigAgraCorp is staggering. In addition, we face new threats of whistleblowers and leakers, and the damage they could do would be fatal to us. I agree that Commander Troy is the prime target, even more... much more... than Val Jared."

"What bothers me," said Cain Mitchell, "is this whole thing with Croyle. I was in the meeting between AG Handel here and Robert Mullen. Mullen said he was absolutely stunned that Croyle did not show the least bit of fear at any time. It was as if she knew something that we don't know."