Price No Object Ch. 03

Nell Bell: "We've become aware of a possible threat to Governor Sharon Marshall. There's political talk about (air quotes) 'getting her', as in politically; and then there's real, existential threats about (air quotes) 'getting her', as in trying to harm her. It's hard separating the wheat from the chaff, and we are beginning to be concerned."

I said "And Alvin Tate is part of that? I did not fail to notice that he slipped up and told us that he was told that Marshall might not be there for four years."

Nell said "Alvin Tate wasn't on our radar until your APB was put out on him. And since I learn a lot from you every time I work with you, I told Chief Soltis that I'd come up and sit in with you if you let me. And yes sir, we will be evaluating Mr. Tate."

"I'm always glad to have your help on our cases." I said. "I'd steal you from Midtown and bring you up here, but I know Chief Soltis needs good people like you even more than I do. As to Alvin Tate... yes, he slipped up, but I'm not thinking he's the threat to Sharon Marshall."

"Who is, sir?" Nell Bell asked, having astutely picked up on the form of my statement.

"I would tend to look in the direction of who was paying Tate to spy on the Mathesons." I said. "I would tend to look at who the Mathesons, and Cawthorne, had been working for before going into business for themselves. I would tend to look in the direction of who Richard Davalos, father of the late Julie Davalos Matheson, is a lobbyist for." Nell nodded thoughtfully.

I said "Okay, I have something I need to do before I head home. Captain Michael's office is the next suite down the hall, and she's waiting for you..."

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

"You were right, sir." said Teddy Parker, who was at his desk in MCD. I was in MCD's 'Command Chair' that was reserved for me, which I'd pulled up next to his desk. "Matheson left a notebook in I-2. I ran out to give it to him. I think he was pissed I'd done that. But why did he do that, and how did you know he would do that, sir?"

I said "I didn't know for sure, but I don't trust that Jew Hater as far as I can throw him, and I halfway expected him to do something. He trusts me about as much as I trust him, so I figured he'd try to set up a way to sneak back in, to make sure we don't try any tricks with Davalos. Problem for Matheson is, though... I've got all night.'

Parker grinned, and I said "Okay, Teddy, go home, get some rest, and be ready for lots of Police activity tomorrow. And by the way... when are you going to get Janice Holloway to the altar?"

"This April, sir." said Teddy. "I'm leaving it all to her, and will show up when and where she says."

"Smart man." I said as I got up. "Smart man..."

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

8:45pm, Tuesday, January 5th. I went through I-2 into the jail side area of Police Headquarters and down the hall to the holding cells. The Desk Officer there 'failed' to notice me as I went past him.

Richard Davalos was alone in an isolation cell when I unlocked the door and went inside. The camera that was monitoring the cell suddenly developed static, as if the Slender Man was in the house, which the Desk Officer again 'failed' to notice.

"Where's my lawyer?" Davalos said.

"I'm not going to ask you any questions." I said. "You're a lawyer, so you know I can do this and not violate your considerable rights."

"I want my lawyer present anyway." Davalos said.

"Tough shit." I replied, my eyes boring into him, then I started in: "I know what you're thinking, Davalos. You're thinking that little slimeball attorney of yours is going to get you off, get the charges dropped. You're thinking that big shots like you that work for the Big Boys, who I call the Swamp Frogs, will be taken care of, that jail is for the Little People."

Davalos's eyes were beginning to show hatred as I continued: "I'm here to tell you some news. Even if you somehow get out of the world of shit you are in, your career is pretty much over. And your usefulness to the Swamp Frogs, the Big Boy Corporate Elites, is definitely o-vah. At best, you're a pariah, persona non grata. At worst... they're going to do to you what they've done to everyone else that has become useless to them... and what they did to your daughter."

Davalos's face became a mask of ugly hatred, but mixed with the beginnings of fear as I went on: "Oh, it wasn't supposed to be like this, Davalos. But you can see what I can see: they betrayed you. They acted on their own, and they murdered your daughter."

I said: "You owe them nothing, Davalos. Nothing! In fact, if it were me, I'd be thinking of how I could take revenge upon them. And you are in a position to do that. You can expose what they were doing, what ended up leading to your daughter's death. And you might want to. Masterson? He's not here to serve your interests, but his true masters's interests."

"The funny thing is..." I said, "I'm the one that can actually get the charges dropped. I'm the one, and just about the only one, that can protect you and your wife from them. But there's not much time, Davalos."

I turned to the door, then turned back and said "Enjoy your last night of peaceful sleep." And then I exited the cell and went back into my side of Headquarters, leaving Davalos to contemplate his fate...

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

9:25pm. I walked into the Mountain Nest and into the greatroom. I observed my wife Laura sitting on the far-side sofa, perusing something on her iPad. I observed two outstanding dogs near the back door. They were lying down instead of sitting up, so I knew I had a few minutes before they really needed to go out.

"Long day?" Laura asked as I sat down on the sofa next to her, to her left.

"Long, but productive." I said. "How about you? Have you accepted the University Presidency yet?"

Laura grinned a grin that said she knew I was needling her. "No, not yet." she replied. "Yesterday was our 'come-to-Jesus' Faculty meeting about what the University is doing vis-a-vis funding by the State Legislature. A lot of the various State government departments are having meetings in Midtown, getting their proverbial ducks in a row."

I said "Like the State Department of Labor. We had to pluck Alvin Tate from them for questioning. He's the next-door-neighbor of the Mathesons, who died yesterday... and I'm sure Carole has told you all about that. How was she tonight, by the way?"

"She was well-behaved." Laura said. "She was better than Jim about going right up and getting ready for bed when I told them to. No fuss at all... well, hold on."

Indeed, we'd heard the pitter-patter of little de-feets, followed by the flash of yellow pajamas as my firstborn child came down the stairs. Carole came right on into the greatroom and sat down next to me, to my left. "How's the case going, Daddy?" she asked.

"Didn't your mom tell you to go to bed?" I asked.

"Yes sir, and I did." Carole said. "I was very good. I didn't even argue."

Laura said "No, you didn't, and you were very good. But 'going to bed' means going there and staying there. You should be asleep."

"But I couldn't sleep, Mommy." Carole said. "And I have to ask Daddy a question about the case."

Laura was about to say something, but I patted her thigh then said to Carole "Okay, what's the question?"

"Daddy," Carole said, "is Matthew Willis related to Mitt Willis, who was killed while you were arr-resting him?"

I was shocked. I said "How do you know who Matthew Willis is?"

"He's the Seee-eee-oh (CEO) of BigCommunicationsCorp." Carole said. "That's who those dead people we saw yesterday were work-ing for."

"True." I said. "How did you know that?"

"It's right there on the Internet, Daddy." Carole said.

"I see." I said. "Well, Mitt Willis was Matthew's father. And how did you know he was killed while I was arresting him?"

"I read the Po-leece report about it." Carole admitted.

"And how did you get that?" I asked.

"I looked it up on the Tee-Cee-Pee-Dee site." Carole said.

"Annnd how do you know how to do that?" I asked.

"I watched you and other Detectives do it." Carole said. "It's pretty easy."

"How'd you get my password?" I asked.

"I didn't, Daddy." Carole said. "I logged on with my own badge number and my own password." Laura and I just looked at each other in stunned amazement. Our daughter was seven years old, after all. Carole asked "Am I in trouble, Daddy?"

"No." I said. "But you need to be very careful about that. And I would prefer you only do things like that with me supervising you, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Carole said. "So Matthew Willis is Mitt Willis's son, like Jim is your son?"

"That's right." I said.

"And Mitt Willis was a bad man, wasn't he?" Carole said. "A very bad man."

"Yes, he was." I said. "One of the worst criminals I'd ever had to deal with. He murdered another man, shot him in cold blood."

"And he thought he was better than you, and everyone else, didn't he, Daddy?" Carole said.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, he did." I said.

"Matthew Willis is just as bad." Carole said. "He's just as evil as his father was. And he's the guy that had those people killed."

"How do you know that?" Laura asked.

"I just------" Carole said, then stopped.

"She just knows." I said, finishing the sentence for Carole. "And I'll tell you this, Carole. I agree with you. I think you're right. I think Matthew Willis's company, BigCommo, has something to do with their deaths."

"We're in the Big Leagues now, aren't we Daddy?" Carole said. "Are you going to arrrrest him?"

"You know how we talked about having to have proof in order to arrest someone?" I said. "That it's not enough to know it, but to have to prove it to a Jury of twelve people that don't have the Vibes that you and your cousin Cindy have?"

"Yes sir." Carole said. "Maybe I can help you get the proof!"

I noticed the dogs had sat up, meaning they needed to go out. I said "Maybe, but not tonight. You need to go back to bed, and get some sleep."

"Okay, Daddy." Carole said, hopping up off the sofa. She hugged me and said "Nite Daddy." Then she hugged her mother, who hugged her warmly and said "Sleep well, Carole. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day."

Carole scampered back up the stairs, and I went to take the dogs out. As I sat on the metal mesh loveseat on the patio while they did their business, I cleared my mind, pushing aside my sheer amazement at what my daughter had done and said. And I realized that she was onto it... and that maybe she of all people could be the one that helped me bring the killers of the Mathesons to Justice.

When I went back inside with the dogs, Laura was turning off the lights. "Mmm," I said, noticing she was wearing her Kerr matte black high heel pumps with the rubber soles for traction, "your legs look good in those heels." I slid my hands around her waist.

"Like 'em?" Laura said as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

"I like 'em even better when you're wearing them... and nothing else." I said.

"That can be arranged." she said. We went up the stairs, and I let the dogs into the kids's rooms, noticing Carole was already asleep. Then Laura and I went to bed, where I spent the next hour between those legs that the high heel pumps shaped so magnificently...

Part 10 - Undermined

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, January 6th, from the Anchor Desk of the KXTC studios. "The Town & County Police make arrests in the case of the Talbot Farms subdivision deaths!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "As we reported yesterday, Julie and Dwayne Matheson were found dead in their home Monday afternoon of an apparent murder-suicide. However, that has not stopped Commander Donald Troy from making a mountain out of a molehill and making seemingly unrelated arrests. Let's go to trusted reporter Amber Harris for more on the case. Amber!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the athletic blonde as she appeared onscreen, with the crime-taped-off Matheson home in her background. "Police arrested Alicia Tate, an employee of University Hospital, who lives in the home next to the couple that was found dead Monday. She was charged with felony Lying to Police, and will be arraigned this morning. She was questioned extensively by the Police before being released into her lawyer's custody pending her arraignment."

Amber: "Her husband Alvin Tate, an official for the State Department of Labor, was brought to TCPD Headquarters by the Midtown Police, and was released after being questioned. Mr. Tate had been in Midtown, at meetings of the State Department of Labor, the entire timeframe of the double deaths, and Police refused to comment on the reasons they had him brought up and interviewed."

Amber: "Additionally, Jeff Cawthorne, who is listed as the co-owner of JDJ Security Software, turned himself in to authorities this morning after an APB was issued for his arrest. He was extensively questioned before being released on his own recognizance. The TCPD refused to say if Cawthorne was a suspect."

Amber: "The results of the autopsies are being withheld by the Coroner's Office, denying you the information you have the right to know. KXTC is considering filing suit under the Open Records Act for the autopsy results. Additionally, Commander Donald Troy has refused to respond to multiple requests by KXTC Channel Two News for comment. Back to you, Bettina!"

"Thank you, Amber!" Bettina said. "That was trusted reporter Amber Harris with that important story. And now let's go to Carl Lemay, reporting on the Legislative session in Midtown. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said KXTC's political reporter, who was black. "State Legislators are drawing their battle lines for the upcoming Budget war. The House Black Caucus, led by Rep. Tasheeka Harris of Inner Midtown said this. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Tasheeka Harris in front of other Black Legislators, saying "We are going to defund the Police. There is no compromise on that. We hold the 'trump' card over the White Nationalists that support and enable Police brutality against People of Color, and we will force them to capitulate to our demand!"

"How?" asked Priya Ajmani, one of the reporters in the Press Pool at the news conference.

"Think about it, people." Tasheeka Harris said. "No budget at all gives us what we want. No budget, no money for racist white cops. No budget, and we've defunded the Police. So if that racist White Nationalist Sharon Marshall wants a Budget at all, it better not contain one dime for racist white cops!"

Back to Carl Lemay live. "The State Senate Budget Chairman, our own 1st District's Katherine Woodburn, had this to say in response. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Katherine Woodburn saying to reporters that had surrounded her as she walked down a hallway "We have a lot of things to consider. Every member of both Chambers of the Legislature have ideas, and have Budget items they want considered. I would ask that my fellow Legislators negotiate in private sessions, and not publicly through the Media. Thank you." She moved on, ignoring the questions shouted at her.

Back to Carl Lemay live: "In addition to their firewall issue of defunding the Police, Tasheeka Harris's Caucus is demanding the Legislature pass bail reform legislation as well as a voting rights bill that would essentially codify the dropboxes and universal absentee ballots used very effectively in The City in the last election."

Lemay: "Attempts to use dropboxes in our Town & County were stopped by Police Commander Donald Troy, who was also sued for interfering with the counting of ballots. Rep. Harris and her caucus want legislation to force the dropboxes to be allowed, and to force cops to stay out of Election counting facilities while votes are being counted..."

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

"I'm surprised they mentioned Mr. Tate." said Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle as she, Sheriff Griswold, me, Chief Moynahan, and Deputy Chief Tanya P. Muscone drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. "After all, he's a Democrat."

I said "The way they talked about it, it was to help him. His absence from Midtown is explained away by the Police forcing him to come here, and forcing him to answer questions."

"It was Alicia that they threw under the bus." said Tanya.

"Mis-terrrr Cawthorne, tooooo." drawled the Chief.

"Sheriff," said Teresa, "what did you think of Katherine Woodburn's response to Tasheeka Harris?"

"It's amusing to see how Katherine has changed, now that she's a big part of the Leadership in the Senate." growled Griswold. "I remember the days when she was as much a firebrand as Tasheeka Harris is now."

"But Katherine never was a racist like Tasheeka Harris is." said Tanya.

"But she was part of the Press, which is even worse." I said emphatically. Have I mentioned that I really, really hate the Press?

I went on: "But the Sheriff is right; Katherine really has toned it down now that she's sitting at the Legislative 'Big Boy' table."

"Speeek-ing of the Big Boy tay-bulllll," drawled the Chief, "where are we on this case?"

"Your comment is admirably exact, Chief." I said. "We are beginning to be at the Big Boy level. I'm waiting for the DNA tests to come back and for Martha to close out the autopsy, and I'm hoping we can get Davalos to turn and give us what we need to go after the bigger fish..."

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

"Hello and welcome to Fox University Sunrise!" said lovely athletic blonde Catrina Pierce at 8:00am, Wednesday, January 6th. "I'm Catrina Pierce, and with me as always is Meredith Peller. Priya Ajmani is in Midtown, covering the Legislative session. Good morning, Meredith."

"Good morning, Catrina." said attractive blonde Meredith Peller. "Good morning, everyone. Here's what's in the news. The Town & County Police arrested prominent Acropolis City attorney and lobbyist Richard Davalos yesterday, and say he is a person of interest in the deaths of his daughter Julie Davalos Matheson and her husband Dwayne Matheson."

Catrina: "Mr. Davalos has been charged with assault and battery after allegedly attacking the father of Dwayne Matheson at Police Headquarters. Davalos was extensively questioned by the Police, and is being held overnight at Police Headquarters pending his arraignment today."

Meredith: "Police also arrested Alicia Tate, an employee of University Hospital and the next door neighbor of the Mathesons, who were found dead in their homes Monday afternoon. Police have not elaborated on the reasons for her arrest, but she is being charged with Lying to Police. Her husband, State Department of Labor official Alvin Tate, was brought in for questioning but was subsequently released after being interviewed."

Catrina: "And Jeff Cawthorne, business partner of the Mathesons, turned himself in to the TCPD and was questioned extensively before being released. The TCPD is saying that his information has been helpful in determining what happened at the Matheson home on Monday."

Meredith: "The autopsies of the Mathesons have not been released, and Coroner John Quincy Kelly issued a statement saying that the results are being held back until test results are returned."

Catrina: "TCPD Commander Donald Troy returned KFXU's call asking for comment. In an exclusive statement to KFXU Fox Eight News, Commander Troy said that the Matheson murder case was more complex than the originally believed murder-suicide, and that several leads are being pursued in the hunt for those responsible for the Mathesons's deaths. He declined further comment, citing the early nature of the investigation."