Private Practice Ch. 04

"Would she have?" Tanya asked.

Teresa said "We know Paulina stood up to Miriam, and she came and helped Don secure Denise's plea deal without asking Miriam beforehand. And she's been mighty friendly with Michael McGill recently, and he's part of the MILF."

When we looked at her. "MILF?" I asked.

"Yeah, MILF." Teresa said. "You know... the Madison & Ives Law Firm? What if Miriam realized Paulina could and would go into private practice with them? And no matter how much Miriam favors Savannah, she knows that losing Paulina would be devastating to the District Attorney's Office."

Cindy said "That could well be. But I do know the Sheriff followed up on the groundwork I'd laid with Miriam, and he may have been able to convince her that her political future was dead if she didn't make changes. I suspect Miriam was thinking along those lines more than about Paulina possibly leaving."

"What do you think, Don?" Tanya asked. "Er... Don?"

I was in a reverie, and I snapped out of it before my Angels could mess with my coffee cup or my red crowbar. "I was just..." I said faintly, "I was just realizing what Catrina said in the broadcast... that Judge Folsom re-sealed the Peter Frost files! Why did he do that?"

"Well, the case is over." Cindy said.

"And that data is still in evidence, in our servers." Teresa added. "But what are you thinking about?"

I sat up, getting my wits about me. I said "All through the Locklear saga and then the Frost saga, there has been one consistent situation... Judge Folsom is keeping us from looking at those files. He very begrudgingly allowed Father Romano to look at them, after Teresa's outstanding suggestion to name the good Father the Special Master, but it was just that one man, he demanded Father Romano keep him apprised of anything he found, and despite it being a capital murder case, Folsom absolutely refused to allow those tapes to be put into evidence. Why?"

Cindy could read my vibe better than my other two Angels, so she caught on faster: "Oh, I get it. You think Folsom is trying to hide something?"

"Yes, he's trying to keep something hidden." I replied. "We still haven't truly solved the attempt on our Chaplain's life by a professional hit man that almost killed a Police Officer to get to Romano. Even the Mob does not like killing Police Officers; they don't like the attention it brings---"

"Especially from the Iron Crowbar." Teresa said.

"Yes." I said. "But that attempt was made. Someone is desperate to keep something hidden from us. Hmmm...."

I went back into my reverie. When I came out of it, I was alone in the office...

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

9:00am, Friday, September 3rd. Chaplain Alberto Romano came to my office and asked my assistant Helena if he could speak with me. She ushered him into my office at my invitation.

"No thank you, sir." he replied to my offer of coffee or water. "I only came to tell you that Judge Folsom sent this document to me. It rescinds my appointment as a Special Master, and prohibits me from looking at the Frost files any further. And it prohibits me from discussing it any further."

Romano: "Additionally, it instructs me to turn over all of my notes and recording concerning the files into evidence with the files, and all of the materials are to be stored securely at the Courthouse 'forthwith'."

"Hmmm." I said, more as a growl. "They're still evidence, and should be stored at our facility on the grounds of County Jail. I'll call the Judge and let him know that."

"If I may ask, sir," Romano said, "what's the difference, whether they're stored at the Courthouse or at County Jail?"

I said "The only records that are supposed to be stored at the Courthouse permanently are records that involve Law Enforcement Officers or Government Officials involved in crimes as the suspects. This doesn't meet that... or does it?"

Father Romano said "I'm sorry sir, I'm now prohibited from answering questions like that about those files."

"True. I withdraw the question, as the lawyers say." I replied. "And I can't ask you if you saw anything, anything at all, that would connect Judge Folsom himself to anyone or anything to do with those files."

"And I couldn't answer that I didn't see anything like that, though I might have and wouldn't have known it." Father Romano said. "I can't tell you that if it had been a rattlesnake, it would have bitten me on the nose."

I grinned at the joke, then said "Okay. Contact Judge Folsom and tell him that you've received that document, and that you will be organizing transporting the evidence to the Courthouse; but that it will take some time to gather it all and securely transport it under guard, and that it should be done by close-of-business today..."

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

9:35am. I invited Lt. Myron Milton to ride with me in my Police SUV to a select location. On the way, we talked about the upcoming birth of his and Mary's new baby. Myron was very excited about it, of course.

We went up the road behind University Memorial Stadium, to Mountain View Road. Turning right would lead to The Cabin and to Teresa's home. Turning left, the road went towards Promontory Point, the Warner's home, the Allgood's home, and to the University Observatory.

Turning on the new road just past Promontory Point, I first stopped at the secret, hidden cameras that were photographing all activity on the road at night, and downloaded it to my Police iPhone. Then we drove past the cleared land for Cindy and Callie's house, looking at the construction that was moving at a good pace.

The next lot belonged to Edward R. Steele, and construction was just beginning there. We moved to the third of Cindy's three properties, which Myron and Mary had bought an option for. It was angled slightly as the road curved left before ending, and there was a line of pine trees on the far side, but over the property line, that could not be cut down; ergo, the view they had was nice, but not as panoramic as the other two.

"We're going to complete the sale next Spring." Myron said as we got out of the SUV and looked around. "Commander Ross gave us a break, and just sold us the binding option so that we don't have to start paying for the land or pay property taxes yet."

"Cool beans." I said. "It's going to be nice." Then I said "Stand right next to me here for a second." I turned on the powerful bug killer in my personal iPhone.

"Myron, you can refuse to do this." I said quietly. "And it won't matter if you say anything; I'll deny it like Peter denied Jesus all night and all day. The mission, if you choose to accept it, is to make sure everything in the Peter Frost servers has been copied or transferred to our evidence servers, and---"

"Oh, I did that the minute we got them." Myron said.

"I expected as much." I said. "They'll have to be sealed, and the physical servers may even have to be stored at the Courthouse with the originals. But what I'd like you to do is to copy everything to another server, just one, compressed if you have to, and let me take that physical server with me."

Myron grinned. "It is possible, sir, that Mary had already suggested I do that, and I copied everything to one the servers we bought in case one of the ones in use goes bad for some reason. It's in Mary's office, and you can pick it up any time."

I said "I appreciate that. But how are you going to account for the server if they do an audit or an inventory check. Those things run $15,000 apiece, you know."

Myron said "Back when we where having those virus issues, I ordered four new servers. Then two of the old ones were declared damaged by the virus and taken out of circulation. But they really weren't. Mary and I have been anticipating that we might have to do something like this, but we were thinking it'd be because the Feds moved against us. I didn't expect it to be a dirty judge we were dealing with."

"How did..." I started, but Myron stopped me.

"I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, sir," he said, "but Mary... she could give even you a run for your money, if there was a Mental Police Boxing Matches. This one was easy to see coming..."

Part 25 - Internal Squabbles

11:00am, Friday, September 3rd. After Myron and I got back, I went to my office and called Teresa. "Bring them in." I said.

A moment later, Teresa ushered Captain Claire Michaels and Lieutenant Joanne Warner inside. I had Claire sit in the far side hot chair and Teresa on the sofa behind her. I told Joanne to stand where Tanya normally parked her wheelchair.

"Lieutenant," I said, "I understand that you are insisting upon submitting this complaint about Detective Coleman, is that right?"

"Yes sir." Joanne said. "And I'm adding a complaint that I was pressured to withdraw that complaint."

"By who?" I asked.

"Lieutenant Davis, sir." Joanne said. I picked up the landline phone and called Jerome's desk. He answered immediately and I told him to report to my office. He did so within seconds.

"No sir, I did not tell her to withdraw the complaint, nor did I suggest for her to." Jerome Davis said as he stood next to Joanne. "And I recorded our conversation, as well---"

"You recorded her?!" Claire Michaels burst out.

"Damn straight I did!" Jerome shot back.

"You were wrong to do that, Davis. Dead wrong." Claire Michaels said. She turned to me and said "Sir, I'm referring Lieutenant Davis for disciplinary action, up to and including his removal from---"

"Submit it in writing." I growled. "And make sure you submit your written resignation with it. I told David to record the conversation."

"Sir!" Joanne exclaimed. "Why?"

"To make damn sure he wasn't being set up." I replied, my gray eyes boring hard into Joanne's stunned peepers. "And I'm not saying you were deliberately doing so, Warner, but you have an annoying habit of misstating things. For example, you told me Stanley Locklear had invoked, when he only had asked to have a lawyer present." (Author's note: 'Break-In', Ch. 02.)

"You then testified in Court that Stanley Locklear was not cooperative." I continued. "That was your opinion; mine differs. But the problem was that Stanley Locklear's life was on the line in his trial. And I'm not the one to have my MCD leader being set up, especially when my Captain of Detectives is gunning to take him down! So you damn well better believe I told him to take measures to protect himself."

It grew utterly silent in the room when I finished speaking. Joanne and Jerome both had sullen looks on their faces. Claire's face was one of shock. Teresa's face was her normal inscrutable face.

After a moment, I said "Do you still want to submit this about Coleman?"

"Yes sir." Joanne said flatly. "I insist upon it. I want Roark Coleman out of MCD."

"Okay, we'll go see the Chief." I replied. "This is not suggesting nor trying to convince you to not do it; it is just a statement of the facts of what is going to happen. When I put this in the Chief's hands, it is forever out of my hands and I can no longer do anything about it."

I continued: "He can take unilateral action, but I suspect he will take the action of putting it into the hands of the I.G. And the I.G. will make an irrevocable decision. If he finds for you, Roark will be removed from MCD... and I'll have to find a place for him. But if the I.G. finds for him and against you, Lieutenant? Then there is no place for you to go... except out. Again, that's not a threat, nor an enticement to withdraw the complaint, and I'm saying that in front of these witnesses."

Joanne's eyes were jet as she said "That's acceptable, Commander. It's him or me, anyway. I'm not withdrawing the complaint; I'm submitting it."

"Come with me, then." I said. "You three stay here." I led Joanne to the Chief's suite, and asked his assistant Cassie if he was busy. She picked up the phone and called and asked, and he said to let me come on in.

We went in and stood before the Chief's desk. I told the Chief that Lieutenant Warner was submitting the formal complaint, and handed him the folder. "Thank you, Commander. You may go. Lieutenant, sit down and let's discuss this."

I did not let the door hit my fourth point of contact on the way out...

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

Back in my office, Jerome was sitting in the near-side hot chair. Teresa said "I had Davis sit down."

"Good. Thank you." I said as I went around my desk and sat down. I looked back and forth at Claire and Jerome, back and forth, back and forth. Neither was budging an inch; their faces were set in stone. But Jerome looked like he was thinking about something.

After a long moment of silence, Claire Michaels said "I want to say one thing for the record, Commander. I was not, and am not, (air quotes) 'gunning for' Davis. But he was wrong to record Lieutenant Warner, especially without her knowledge."

Teresa said "Internal Affairs listens in on us all the time. They have the whole building wired. There is no assumption nor expectation of privacy here."

I said "The problem I have here is that the trust factor between Town & County Police Detectives is eroding through the floor, and I see no way to resolve it. And it's touching me personally; I have to be candid and blunt when I tell you, Captain, that I simply don't believe you when you tell me that you're not gunning for Davis. I believe what I see with my own eyes, and what I've been seeing for some time now---"

"Sir," said Lieutenant Davis, "can I speak with you for a moment... privately?"

"Yes." I said. "But I want Commander Croyle to stay, as a witness. Are you good with that?"

"Yes sir." Jerome said.

"What, you can't speak in front of me?" Claire hissed. "And you're going to go over my head?"

"You are dismissed, Captain." I said severely. "Go to your office, and stay there until I call for you. Stay in your office all goddamned night until I call for you."

Claire glared at me, but she finally got up and left the office. I looked at Jerome and said "You're going to tell me one of two things. You're going to make a racial discrimination complaint against Captain Michaels... or you're going to ask to be transferred out of MCD."

Jerome was visibly surprised at my words. "Sir, I don't think she's a racist. A man-hater, maybe. But yes sir, I can see that my continuation as MCD leader is bringing nothing but division and strife to the unit. The team is badly divided, and it is my fault that Lieutenant Warner and Detective Coleman are at such bitter odds. As the MCD leader, I should've had that solved before you even knew there was a problem."

Jerome: "I can lead, sir. I can lead people, and I've been leading Police Officers for a good long while now. And I can lead Police Officers in ways other than as a Detective. Captain Hewitt in 1st Precinct has contacted me about the Precinct Lieutenant position there. I also know that I am nowhere near the best Detective in MCD, and you deserve to have an MCD leader than can do a better job in that for you. So for the good of the Team, sir, I'll transfer out."

I looked at Teresa, who said "I would love to have Lieutenant Davis as 1st Precinct Lieutenant. And I've talked to Captain Hewitt about the possibility of having someone be transferred there. But Jerome, don't sell yourself short. You're a damn good Detective as well as a good leader. If I had to choose between taking you out or taking Michaels out, she'd be the one that would be gone."

"And that's why I'm asking for the transfer, ma'am, sir." Jerome said. "She's not a bad Captain; she could be really great in that job. But as long as I'm where I am, I'm walking on eggshells every day. And ultimately, it negatively affects the whole team."

"Okay, then." I said. "Commander Croyle, contact Captain Hewitt and tell him he has a new Precinct Lieutenant; and if he objects, to speak now or forever hold his peace. I'll go tell the Chief."

I stood up and walked around my desk as they stood up. I extended my hand and Jerome shook it. "I appreciate all the good work you did as MCD leader." I said. "For example, Operation ISCARIOT could never have worked without you."

"Thank you, sir." he said. "And I'll do a good job for you as Precinct Lieutenant, too."

"I know." I said. Then I surprised him by not letting go of his hand. Instead, I gripped it harder as I looked into his eyes and said "Jerome, what I am seeing now is a man who just put his team ahead of himself. You just put the good of the Police Force as a whole ahead of your own personal interests. That kind of loyalty, and duty, reflects great credit upon you, and it is something I will not be forgetting."

"Uh, thank you sir." Jerome said.

Teresa shook his hand and said "I'll talk to you soon about the transfer. And welcome to my Team!"

"Glad to be on it, ma'am." I dismissed Jerome, then went to tell the Chief as Teresa got on her Police iPhone.

I then called Captain Michaels into my office, and informed her that the problem was resolved... for the moment. I dismissed her before she could say anything more...

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

When I went to tell the Chief, he invited me and Teresa to lunch at the Cop Bar. Sheriff Griswold and Chief Deputy Cindy Ross met us there, and we sat down in the back 'Command Room'.

"Sooooo," the Chief drawled after we'd ordered, "young Loo-tennant Davis took one for the Team, eh?"

"Yes sir." I said. "And I hate it like hell, but... well, it solves a few problems. But not others."

Teresa said "I have a confession to make. Forgive me Crowbar, for I have sinned. I asked Captain Hewitt to consider taking one of the MCD Lieutenants as the Precinct Lieutenant. Roy McGillie is a good Senior Sergeant, but he's not quite ready for Lieutenant prime time yet. And Hewitt said he'd love to get Davis or Rodriguez into his Precinct, but was a lot cooler to the idea of Joanne Warner in that role."

"And Hewitt talked to Jerome, and planted a seed." I said. "And that's very good work, Teresa. I'm glad you saw the problem and took the action step towards solving it." The others heartily agreed.

Teresa said "I'm just... I'm just sorry Claire Michaels got the (air quotes) 'win' on that one. She's going to let it go to her head, and if she gets arrogant, she'll be a problem. She's already on thin ice with her subordinates. Mary Milton is losing respect for Claire day by day, and Claire hasn't taken well to Rudistan... kind of like the Green Crowbar's disdain for him."

"And to think you're my BFF." Cindy quipped back. "Yeah, Rudistan takes some serious getting used to... and then he starts growing on you. If he ever does retire from the Police or wants to transfer to the Sheriff's Department, I'll fight to get him working with me."

Chief Moynahan said "That izzz something we need to talk about. Captain Michaels."

Sheriff Griswold growled "When she was here a few years ago, she did a really good job. And we hated to lose her. So when Crowbar suggested getting her back, I was all for it. But now... something's changed about her, and I'm not sure what it is."

"I do." I said. "She expected to be in charge, to be in total control of the Detective Corps, especially MCD. I'm sure she's absolutely stunned we didn't get rid of Jerome the minute she first said she wanted him gone."

Cindy said "She wants total control in the Iron Crowbar's Detective Corps? Yeah, right. And she knew what the deal was; she was here before."

"I was just about to say." growled the Sheriff. "We don't know anyone around here who wants total control, do we?" I knew he was joking with me. At least I hoped that was the case.

"I do what you and the Chief tell me to do, Sheriff." I replied. "But yes, Captain Michaels is going to have to understand her true role, here. If she doesn't, she's going to find that she's like an Army Captain put in a Lieutenant or even Sergeant's role. She'll be leading an expanded Vice Squad, and her influence on MCD will be limited."