Power of Love Ch. 01

I turned to Plant, and said "Show the two tapes, side by side." He did so, and we watched the CD and Jack's iPhone versions playing side-by-side.

I said: "The one that was sent to Jack is very poor quality, as if someone used their cellphone to tape the video or the CD being played. My thesis is that that happened at the Library at Teresa's hometown."

To Cindy I added: "And that's why I don't think it's from Tim Jenkins, even if he retained a CD of the videotapes." Cindy nodded.

"What's going on with all this?" Teresa asked, trying to recover.

"Someone sent Jack Muscone a copy of this tape." I said. "We sus-pect... it's because of the man in the other car, the car that crashed into Alexis's. Don't say out loud if you know who it is, by the way." Teresa got a little (more) wide-eyed at that, but heeded my admonition: she nodded and said nothing.

"And Jack," I said, "don't research this on a computer. Don't look into it, don't look at old case files. I strongly suspect you're being monitored to see what you do about all this."

"Yeah, that's a thought." Jack replied.

"What now?" asked Cindy. "Where do we go from here?"

"I'll contact Police Chief Harold Bennett out there." I said. "And have him ask if anyone looked at those tapes at the library."

As we all got up to go, Teresa asked Cindy "Is there anything else? Any more videos?"

Cindy said "Nothing with you, nor Alexis or your father; not that I could see. I'll show you everything I have, if you want." Teresa nodded. Cindy put her arm around her BFF, and they left the room together...

Part 4 - Memories of the Past

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

That sound was followed by the appearance of Captain Tanya Perlman at my door. I waved her in as I hung up the phone.

"Whassup?" I asked as she parked herself on a dime (literally, the one taped to the floor) in front of my desk, and I turned on my bug-killer, having a good idea of what Tanya was about to ask.

"I came to ask you that." Tanya said, her face 'not perky'. "What's going on with Jack?"

"What has he told you?" I asked in reply.

"Pretty much everything." Tanya said. "He said he got word of Martin Nash sending the Rovers BAU team a video of the night Teresa's sister was killed in that DUI crash, and that the driver of the other car was Jack's brother, who is now deceased."

"Have you seen the video?" I asked. When Tanya said she had not, I brought it up on the monitor from the evidence servers, into which Cindy had put a copy from her CD, and I explained what it was.

"Wow." said Tanya, tears in her eyes. "Poor Teresa, having to see that."

"Yeah." I said solemnly, then added in my normal voice: "One thing I did notice was the driver of the other car. He got out, looked into Alexis's car, walked behind his car and out of sight. It's hard to see who he is due to the hoodie, but Jack says his height and build matches his brother."

My computer chimed, indicating an email had come in. I opened it, sent a reply of thanks to the sender, then printed off the contents. I said to Tanya: "I called Chief Bennett in Teresa's hometown. He just sent this fax of the Police report of the car crash, and he's going to talk to the library people about who might've looked at the CDs of those videotapes."

Tanya nodded, and looked at the Police report copy as I looked at in on my computer monitor. I said "The name of the driver of the first car is Jack's half-brother. Hmmm... he was arrested almost a block away from his car. And he was not tested for DUI for an hour. The FBI sent attorneys later, and got the charges dropped."

Tanya said "Not to be judgmental, but if a TCPD Officer submitted this Police report, I'd hand him his ass on a platter. It's bad... bad!"

I nodded, then said: "I told Jack to not look up anything to do with his brother, and I did not access the FBI files via my own FBI login. Anyone seeing the access will see that it was made by a 'Dr. Robin Isley'. She will be furious when she is approached about it, but she will be helpless to do anything about it." Tanya burst out laughing at that.

I went on: "Okay, Jack's brother had a pretty poor record. Several DUIs, none of which seemed to stick. Then another FBI Agent was killed... family man, wife and kids... and Jack's brother was deemed responsible. But he got off again, then disappeared and was found murdered a month later. A 'clean' gun was found at the scene, no fingerprints, no serial number, and it was ultimately written off as a Mob hit."

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

Teresa Croyle was at my door, but seeing I had a visitor, she said "Sorry, I'll come back."

"Wait!" I called out. When Teresa turned back, I said "Get Commander Ross and both of you come on in." Within a minute we were having an Angels Meeting.

"Have you seen this Police report?" I asked Teresa as I handed her and Cindy copies.

"I saw it a few years ago," Teresa replied, "when I first looked into Alexis's death."

"Please don't ever let a TCPD Officer write a Police report as sloppy as this." I said. "I also want to discuss what I saw in the video, the first part of it. The driver of the other car was wearing a hoodie. It was Christmas Eve night and probably cold, so that's not surprising. But we can't really see the guy's face."

I went on: "Then he disappears behind his car, out of the video's sight, as if he went on down the road. Some minutes later, we see a similarly attired man, but not wearing the hoodie over his head. He's under arrest, and he's taken out of sight, likely to a Patrol car. But he's not tested for DUI for what, an hour?"

"Something like that." said Cindy as she looked through the papers.

"Jack said the man under arrest is his brother." said Tanya. "Don, you think something is wrong with all this?"

"Let me just say this." I said. "I'm suddenly remembering... Officer Barker and Wayne Shaw." (Author's note: 'Little Red Haired Girl', Ch. 02.) "But instead of being drugged into committing the fatal act like Shaw was, someone else ran his car into Alexis, then walked past Jack's brother, who was arrested for it. In other words, he was either set up, or was willingly the fall guy for it."

"But why?" asked Teresa.

"I don't know." I said. "And I'm sorry for the pain I'm going to have to cause you in asking you these questions... but to your memory, did anyone have something against Alexis, or your father... or perhaps even you?"

I saw Teresa's eyes flicker as if she were remembering something. Cindy was peering hard at Teresa, and I could feel the power of her mind from across the desk.

Teresa finally said "I don't remember ever knowing anything specific. I beat up that guy Kenny when he was bugging Alexis, but he never said anything from that time until Alexis died, so I dunno. The only thing I can think of that might be suspicious to our paranoid minds today... is that I was supposed to go to that party with Alexis, and then she refused to take me. Maybe she knew something."

I nodded. "Okay. Maybe I'm just being wild-ass crazy in thinking that something's there, when it really may not be. And I again apologize for the pain I'm causing you."

Teresa said "It's okay, sir. It is what it is. And if there is something there, I want to know what it is..."

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

An hour later, I went to Tanya's office and availed myself of her offer to have a seat.

"Chief Bennet called me back." I said. "He said he went to the Library and asked if anyone had asked to look at the CDs of those old videos. The librarian said that someone had, during the last few days of January. He said he was a reporter from our Town & County, and was getting some background information on Dr. Cordell, who had served in the Vietnam War with Teresa's father. He used the library's computer to watch the CDs, and the librarian said she didn't know if he used a cellphone to record some of it."

I continued: "The man was in his early 30s, medium height, dark brown hair, fairly fit, certainly not fat. The librarian said he was the kind of guy that didn't stand out, that you wouldn't really notice in a crowd, and he was wearing black slacks, a red shirt, and a gray windbreaker."

Tanya grinned and said "He doesn't stand out, but she noticed the details of what he wore."

I chuckled, then said "Small town like that, they notice things, and in detail. But the description is pretty vague, and it doesn't really fit any reporters in our County, except maybe Tim Geiger, who works for the Town & County Examiner. I called him, and he said he was in Town all that last week of January and early part of February."

Tanya said "First thought that came to my mind was Martin Nash. But Nash's hair is pretty much black, not any shade of brown. And he always wears a full 'FBI' suit and tie... even to pool parties."

I chuckled again. "Anyway, that's what we have. And I really have no desire to go to Teresa's hometown and have anyone look through photos. Well... maybe I could go on March 28th."

"You are headed for a crowbar beatdown, brother!" Tanya 'warned' me, though she was grinning, knowing the 28th was her and Jack's wedding day. Then she turned serious and said "Don... is there some kind of threat to Jack, or Teresa, in all of this?"

"I don't know." I replied. After a pause I said "I guess I should just say it. Since the Swamp Frogs came after me so hard, and Jack helped thwart them, I've been concerned that Robin Isley would come after him." (Author's note: 'No Way Out'.) "So I've been watching, and maybe that's why I'm so high-strung about this. It could be the beginning of their move against Jack."

"And I did not fail to notice," I added, "that that visit to Teresa's hometown was right at the end of the Swamp Frogs's attack, when I was getting the upper hand on them. And they're always a step ahead of us... I was dealing with that, and they were already working on their next thing. But don't worry... if they try anything, we'll fuck them up like we always do."

Tanya gave a wan smile, then said "Just between us, Don... Jack and I have had some long, long talks about our futures. He loves the FBI, but he also realizes that he may have to leave it for the sake of his family... not just me, but his daughters, and Pete. If Curly Goodwin wins the Inspector General's race and leaves the SBI, Jack might well apply to be the SBI Director."

I nodded. "Well, all is not lost yet. Lots of time between now and the November Elections."

As I was getting up and about to leave, Tanya said "Don, one more question, if I may." I turned to her and she asked "Who knew about that video? Of the car crash? You guys didn't even tell Teresa until today."

"Point taken." I said. "Cindy knew, of course. She told me, and I think the Sheriff, too. The library people would know, if they watched those tapes. Someone at the scene of the car crash might know they'd been taped. And the only other person that I'm sure had knowledge of it... is Tim Jenkins..."

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

Cindy, Callie, Cindy's mother Maggie, and little Betsy were our guests for dinner at the Mountain Nest. Maggie had arrived early and insisted on doing the cooking, and Canadian farm wives and mothers know how to cook. It was all delicious.

After supper, Carole and Betsy were mostly giving the dogs skritchins while Jim worked on a Lego structure. Betsy picked up a Lego and handed it to Jim, who politely said "Thank you." and added it to his project. Seeing that she was being useful, Betsy began picking up other Legos and handing them to Jim, and she was very happy to be contributing to the structure that was being created.

As the others women talked, Cindy and I went into the 'Puter Room for a moment of private conversation. She said "When you asked Teresa if there was anyone that wanted to hurt her or her family at the time Alexis died, Teresa had a huge mental reaction; I felt it pretty strongly."

"So she knew something, but didn't want to tell us?" I asked.

"It was more like... she was suddenly remembering something, but in a different light." Cindy said. "It was what, 20 years ago? and it was the most traumatic event in Teresa's life, but she may not remember all the details. Then you asked that, and she starts remembering... and things that either didn't make sense before or she didn't really think about, suddenly come out differently."

I nodded. "I'll buy that for a dollar. And maybe she'll talk to one or both of us about it if she remembers anything. But I can't stop coming back to Square One on this: someone sent Jack Muscone that video, not Teresa. I get the nagging feeling that this has more to do with Muscone than with her."

"Me, too." said Cindy. "One thing that struck me was how they knew that video was there in the first place. I only told you and the Sheriff about the car crash video. I guess the librarians would know. And Tim knows... Tim Jenkins... but why would he tell the Swamp Frogs about that?"

"I don't think he did." I said. "Well, not directly, and certainly not with malicious intent. If he wanted a copy of that video, he wouldn't have had to travel all the way back to Teresa's hometown, he'd have asked you to borrow your CD!"

"Flawlessly logical." Cindy said. "Unless he didn't want me to know he was interested in it, and circumvented me."

I said "If he had gone back there, the librarian likely would've recognized him. And if it wasn't the same librarian, the description she gave doesn't match Tim. Ergooooo, I'm excluding your friend Tim from my list of suspects."

And I did not have to have my mother or Carole's powers of observation to see that Cindy was tremendously relieved to hear that...

Part 5 - Mousetraps

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF report at 7:00am, Friday, March 6th, from the warmth of the KXTC anchor desk. "Legislators struggle to pass compromise bills as the Legislative session ticks away!"

Bettina began: "The Session ends Tuesday, March 31st, and it may become the first Legislative session in our State's history to have no bills passed at all. Both Parties are blaming the other side, as several sensible measures passed by State House Democrats have been defeated by State Senate Republicans, and the radically extreme bills passed in the State Senate have been voted down in the State House!"

Bettina: "Some groups are not giving up hope, however. The so-called 'Foodie Group', led by Republican State Senator Moe Molinari and Democrat Jimmy Cerone, both restauranteurs, has been working out a compromise Budget bill that will give cost-of-living increases to State employees. State Senator Katherine Woodburn, leader of the bloc known as the 'Block of Granite' group, has said the Molinari-Cerone proposals have strong merit."

Bettina: "However, State House Democrats, led by Tasheeka Harris of Inner Midtown and Nina Cortez of Eastern Midtown, have said that any Budget proposals that do not defund the Police and address Climate Change are dead on arrival in the State House Ways and Means Committee, from which all Budgets must formally originate. And House Minority Leader Wilson Hammonds and State Senator Cain Mitchell issued a joint statement that no Budget will be acceptable until hardworking Undocumented Workers are protected from arrest and placed on a pathway to citizenship."

Bettina: "And in other news, Channel Two News has learned that the Town & County Police have rejected the U.S. DOJ's Civil Rights Division's generous offer of a settlement of the civil rights lawsuit filed by the USDOJ against the TCPD. Chief Sean Moynahan stated that the DOJ's 'so-called offer' was nothing but an onerous Consent Decree that would require the TCPD to admit guilt, which the TCPD has so far refused to do. As usual, Commander Donald Troy, who was pardoned for sex crimes by deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared in a quid pro quo deal, has refused to respond to KXTC's repeated requests for comment..."

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

"I'm honestly amazed." said Captain Tanya Perlman as we drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. "Bettina has been saying that about Commander Troy not responding to requests for comment, over and over, for years now. Nobody cares; hell, people make a mockery of it. But she keeps doing it like a broken record."

"They just don't see it the same way we do." I replied.

"Really?" asked Teresa Croyle. "How can they not see it? Their ratings suck; people are flocking to KFXU, who may move Catrina and Meredith to 7:00am instead of the national newscast at that hour."

"And I hope they do." said Tanya Perlman.

I replied: "Bettina is the poster child for the Mainstream Media. She and they are so arrogant that they refuse to believe they possibly can be at fault on anything. Bettina probably genuinely believes that her shots about me not responding to them is hurting me both personally and in the eyes of their viewers. Obviously I'm losing no sleep over it, and her repeated shots haven't caused me to run to a microphone and beg for her forgiveness and grant her interviews. But apparently she thinks it's working for her, and she'll keep believing that unto death, rather than admit that it doesn't work."

"Let's change the subject." said Chief Moynahan, somewhat to my surprise.

"Sure, Chief!" Tanya Perlman said happily. "Great job by you to tell the USDOJ where to shove it, sir!" Everyone nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Don't get toooo excited, Captain." said Moynahan. "It was a non-starter from the get-gooooo. I'm insulted they even made that offerrrrr."

"So why did they?" asked Cindy. Everyone looked at me.

"Optics." I said. "It's a reminder to us that they're still out there. And they want the win in the Court of Public Opinion, and Bettina is doing all she can to help them with that."

"Chang-innngggg the sub-jeeeect," said Chief Moynahan, "are we going to get a Budget this year, Sheriff?"

"I doubt it." growled Sheriff Griswold. "Val is a lame duck now, and after a lot of the Establishment Elite Republicans voted to convict him like the yellow-belly cowards they truly are, he has little interest in helping them. He'll only sign a bill on his terms, especially regarding Illegal Persons."

"Even a compromise bill that just gives more COLA money?" asked the Chief.

"They'll have to give him something to get even that." growled Griswold. "He wants to rub Cain Mitchell's nose in it this year like he rubbed Wilson Hammond's nose in it last year." (Author's note: 'Little Red Haired Girl', Ch. 05.)

"And on the other side," continued Griswold, "State House Democrats are increasingly militant on the Climate Change fraud, and now defunding the Police, and they think those are winning strategies in the upcoming elections. Never say never, but I don't see it."

"Neither do I, but for another reason." I said. "They can get away with not passing a Budget this year, since they passed one last year. But if one doesn't pass this year, both sides will be saying there will be no Budget out of next year's session, unless their Party is elected in the majority... and to the Governorship, of course."

"Holding the Budget hostage again." said Cindy. "I wish those assholes would stop fucking with our lives."

"And that's exactly why they're doing it." retorted Teresa. "Because they have that power to fuck with our lives..."

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

At 9:00am, FBI Executive Assistant Director Owen Lange came to my office. We shook hands and I had him sit down in a hot chair after he refused my offer of coffee or water.

"Yeah, Cardigan's team caught 'em trying to watch Muscone's computers." said Lange. "Robin Isley said it was a 'training exercise' for her cyber people, and I called 'bullshit' on that immediately. Tim Jenkins said that when he's been asked how he met Cindy Ross, he's said he helped her convert some videotapes to CDs, but he doesn't think he ever told anyone where that occurred. Ted Crenshaw confirmed Jenkins told him that. So I think Jenkins is good, and didn't backstab Muscone."