Return To Point Hollow Ch. 01

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"Could've been better, could've been worse." I said.

"I wish she'd said nothing." said Cindy. "Or at least coordinated with us like the Sheriff called and asked her to."

"I guess she felt like she had to say something." I said. "If memory serves me correctly, Beth Paige and Miriam Walters are good friends. I wouldn't be surprised if Walters put Paige up to that."

"How do you figure?" Cindy asked skeptically.

"She's wearing her Public Health uniform." I said. "That puts some 'oomph' into her words. I don't know why, but the optics are severely important to Walters." Cindy nodded.

"What about this BOI bullshit?" Cindy then asked. "What is going on with that?"

"I think Silas was attempting to do an end-run." I said. "He lies to the Sheriff in the hopes none of us show up, then he and Finneran can unilaterally say we're guilty and not indemnified. I called the Mayor, Mr. Landau, Mr. Morse, and Mr. Fitzgerald. The Mayor was also told it was tomorrow, though it was possibly the Sheriff that told him that. Mr. Landau and Mr. Morse were told they weren't on the Board for this one. Mr. Fitzgerald said he was told it was today, and didn't realize the rest of us were told differently."

"What are we going to do?" Cindy said. "Even though we now know, this could put us behind the eight-ball."

I just gave my cousin a 'look'. "Really?" I replied. "This is me you're talking to. And I am not an Agency of the Weak-Minded."

"My apologies." Cindy said, though a bit mockingly. "I stand corrected."

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"This shouldn't take too long." said Silas as he, Finneran, and Fitzgerald sat at the table in the front of the room. The NEA's lawyer and several 'cub' reporters were also present.

Silas had changed rooms, also, but to his utter shock and Finneran's obvious hatred, at 8:59am the door opened and in walked the Town & County Mayor, Sheriff, Police Chief, Police Commander, Police Deputy Chief, and several Uniformed Officers that had been at the scene. Also coming in were Mr. Landau and Mr. Morse.

"Mr. Landau and Mr. Morse were named to this Board of Inquiry." said Mayor Allgood. "But you did not inform them of that, Mr. Silas. Why not?"

"Their notifications must've gotten lost in the mail." growled Silas.

"Seriously, " said Finneran, "it's not Commissioner Silas's job to inform them that they were named to it. That's your job, Mr. Illegitimate Mayor."

"Why did you lie to me, and tell me you'd postponed this hearing until tomorrow?" growled Sheriff Griswold.

"I never told you any such thing." said Silas.

"Like hell, you didn't!" Griswold all but exploded. "And now you're sitting there lying to me?"

"Prove it." said Silas. "I think you're the one that's lying."

"Care to borrow a crowbar, Sheriff?" I asked, coming up to him with that red object in my hand.

"I'll leave you to that, Crowbar." said the Sheriff. "After I'm done, this son of a bitch is going to wish a crowbar beatdown was all I'd done to him."

"Is that a threat, Sheriff?" snarled Finneran, who could not hide the underlying look of pleasure on his face.

"What are you going to do about it, if it is?" I fired back at Finneran.

"Well, you're here." said Silas unhappily. "Take your seats." We all sat down, Mike G. Todd and the Police Captain's Union Rep at the table with me and Cindy.

"This hearing is in session." said Silas. "Mr. Finneran is the lead examiner------"

"Objection!" called out the Police Captain's Union Rep. "We object to Finneran's presence on this Board of Inquiry, due to bias------"

"Overruled!" said Silas angrily. "I'm not fooling with your crap today------"

"We have proof of Finneran's bias!" said Mike G. Todd as he stood up. "And we demand the full Board and the Mayor see this proof!"

"NO!" shouted Silas. "I've made my ruling! Finneran stays on this Board, and he's the lead examiner!"

"No, Silas!" shouted Mayor Allgood, standing up from his seat. "Hear what he has to say, or I'll end this proceeding and we'll take it to Court."

"You don't have that authority, Mr. Illegitimate Mayor!" shouted Silas. "This is MY hearing now!"

"Let's hear this evidence." Mr. Landau said. "What, are you afraid of something, Silas?"

Silas looked daggers at Landau, but said "I'm sure as hell not afraid of you, Landau." Then he said "All right, let's see it, and then I'll summarily make my ruling anyway."

With that, Mike Todd hooked his laptop into the monitor on the wall. A video began playing. It showed Finneran speaking at the Charter Commission hearing (Author's note: 'Casting Aspersions', Ch. 03.), where he spoke of Police brutality and cursed me personally, then his anti-Charter television ads."

Mike Todd said: "As these examples clearly and irrefutably show, Finneran is biased against the Police and Commander Troy personally, and we do not believe he is capable of acting in a fair and impartial manner. We demand he be recused from this Board of Inquiry."

"Denied." said Silas. "Mr. Finneran will remain... who are you?"

A young Indian man had come into the room, wearing a GoPro camera on his chest. "Commissioner Silas?" he said.

"Yeah?" said Silas.

The young man handed him a document. "You've been served." he said, then bolted out of the room. Silas read the document, then groaned as he handed it to Finneran.

"Why, what is that, Mr. Silas?" Mike G. Todd said happily. "Tell us what that is!" Silas looked at Mike with the desire to commit murder. Mr. Fitzgerald ripped the document out of Finneran's hands.

"This is notice of a Court Order." said Fitzgerald loudly. "The Police Captain's Union and Commander Troy have sued the Board of Inquiry, Silas, and Finneran, to force Finneran's recusal. Judge Watts issued a stay, enjoining this Board of Inquiry from continuing until he, Judge Watts, makes his ruling."

Mayor Allgood stood up and said "That's it, then. This Board is in recess until the Judge makes his ruling, Silas. And if you try to go against that in any way, I'm sure Commander Troy has plenty of space in his jails for you, for violating the Court Order."

Silas stood up. "May God damn you, Allgood!" he snarled. "And may God damn you, Donald Troy." He stalked out of the room, followed by Finneran.

"Damn, that was awe-some!" Cindy said happily to Mike Todd. "Great job, guys!"

"Wasn't us." said Mike. "It was all him." He was pointing at me as he said it. It is possible that I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Not much gets by you, eh, Crowbar?" Sheriff Griswold said, unable to hide his happiness at what had just transpired.

"Damn! do I ever hate it when people treat me like I'm an Agency of the Weak-Minded." I replied.

One ambush overcome. And then....

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my Police iPhone, and it was the Duty Desk. "Sir,:" said the Duty Desk Sergeant. "The FBI has sent a BAU team. Their Special Agent in Charge, Bob Rovers, is demanding to be allowed to come in..."

To be continued.