Point Hollow Ch. 02

"Okay, that's good." I said. "Now... why don't you tell Captain Ross about what you've learned about the SBI operation in Hamilton County." The two City Police Detectives just looked at each other, then back at me.

"Damn, you can read minds, I.C." whispered Sapper.

"Naw, Captain Ross is the psychic one." I said, teasing my partner. "I've been researching all of this myself, and came across your guys looking into it. We're on the same paths. So what did you guys come up with?"

Robin Ventura said "That SBI operation in Hamilton County was one of the strangest ones ever seen. They were putting out a story they were chasing a gang, but they turned up with one single low-life... kind of like our black guys in this 8th Street bust. Not a single one of the local LEOs saw this guy alive at the farmhouse. Not one. They saw him at the truck stop, chased his car there, and then none of them saw him until his dead body is found."

"And guess who was right there... Agent Sharples." I replied.

"You got it, sir." said Ventura. "But there's even more to it. There is absolutely no SBI communications about this. They're bad about putting stuff into emails that can be hacked, but on this occasion, there was nothing at all. We have some, shall we say, 'friends' close to the top SBI leadership, and we got word that SBI Director Lewis did not even know about that NTF raid into the City ahead of time, nor did he know about the Hamilton County raid. It's all Ferrell."

"What about Gaston?" I asked. "Or Conlan?"

"Conlan is kept so far out of the loop that he's in danger of not being called a planet anymore." said Robin, making an astronomy joke. "Lewis is looking for ways to get him fired. Gaston is as corrupt as Lewis, but our friends don't think he knew about these last two raids."

"This is great stuff, guys." I said. "I shall find ways to pay you back."

"Sir, this is just part payment for you busting Wexler." said Sapper. "We still got a long way to go to make that slate clean."

"All part of good cooperation between honest law enforcement agencies, my friends." I said. "But do me one favor... get your 'friends' to check and see if there is any danger to SBI Inspector Britt Maxwell. If something 'wet' happens to her... that would be bad."

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

It was late afternoon, almost evening, as I came up to Cemetery Hill. A small contingent of Police Honor Guardsmen carried the casket with the mortal remains of Scrawny Haskins to his final resting place in the Indigent section of the cemetery. There was only one other attendee... Dirty Lennie, Scrawny's cousin.

"My condolences, Lennie." I said as I came up to him.

"I appreciate you doing this for Scrawny." said Lennie. "I don't understand why, but I'll say thank you on behalf of his dead mother."

"He was murdered in cold blood." I said. "He did not deserve what he got. And Lennie... if you want to thank me, and maybe save your own life... I need your help with something...

To be continued.