Reunion Fever Ch. 05

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

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This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 15 - The Way Forward

You could've heard a pin drop.

"You know who did it?" D.A. Tittle finally gasped, breaking the silence.

"Yes." I said. "But there are some issues to work through."

"Yeah, like 'reasonable doubt'!" said Robert Reichard arrogantly. "No matter who you say it is, there are three or four other possibilities. I don't think you have a provable case against anyone."

"Vee shall see." I replied in my 'German' voice. "But one step at a time. One step at a time. I need to speak with D.A. Tittle and these LEOs. You defense attorneys should talk amongst yourselves, about what plea deals you're going to offer.

"Pfft." said Robert Reichard with a dismissive wave of his hand. Sekou had a more worried look on his much younger face...

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

We went into the conference room. Joining me were Deputy Biggs, Sheriff Hall, Captain Wisocky, Detective Watson, Robert Reichard (at my invitation), and D.A. Tittle.

"Get some coffee." I said. As we did and then found seats, I said "Let me tell you what Steve Greene and Kitzi Taylor did, and then you can work on the suspects during interrogations, and D.A. Tittle can decide what to offer them."

I began: "On Friday night, we know that Roddy Baker went to Molinari's, where he saw a photo of Jenny and Craig Reynolds's children, and realized that his own eldest daughter was biologically Craig's child. Steve Greene gave Roddy a ride home. Roddy went inside, confronted Lisa, and hit her in the face."

Me: "The complete story is that Steve was driving Roddy's truck. Roddy's truck's GPS shows that, as does Steve's car's lack of movement there. His car was at his home. The truck GPS data confirms what Steve told us: he drove Roddy home. But he did not drive away. He waited a few minutes... and a few minutes later, Lisa Baker came stumbling out, with a rapidly blackening eye."

Me: "Lisa got into Roddy's truck, and Steve drove her to his home. Then he turned around and drove back to Roddy's house. He left the truck there, so the truck's GPS trail ends there. Kitzi Taylor's vehicle doesn't have GPS that enables us to see its travel history, but I've applied for warrants for the location and phone call metadata from Kitzi and Steve's cellphones."

Me: "And while that will take some time to get, I think it will show that either Kitzi was at Roddy's house already, or she came over there. In either case, she drove Steve back to his place, then took Roddy to her place. I suspect Roddy was in her bed in her bedroom when the Police came by, and she lied to them at that time."

"Ohhhhh." said Deputy Tyrone Biggs. "I see where this is going..."

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

We gameplanned the interrogations. As the LEOs went to make the arrangements, D.A. Tittle asked to speak with me privately, so we remained in the conference room. The bug-killer was 'on'.

"You may have already noticed it, Commander," said D.A. Tittle, "but there's something I need to tell you. Captain Wisocky normally does a good job and brings me good cases... but not where Roddy Baker is concerned. She has done everything she can to get that man put away for life without parole, and she's willing to cross the line to do it. And the same goes with his wife, and kids. I've heard her say out loud that she'd love to have DFACS take those kids away from their parents and thrown into the foster care system."

I gasped, openly shocked. "Why?!" I exclaimed. "What did they do to her?"

"I don't know." said D.A. Tittle. "And I don't know why she has it in for Roddy Baker. My point in telling you this is that Captain Wisocky and I have clashed over Baker several times. I've dropped charges against them that were bogus, charges that in past era in this county would've been prosecuted and a conviction obtained... until you came in here and cleaned up that crap. And I heard what Stegall tried to do to that witness at the hotel, and what he said to you about the Constitution."

I nodded, and D.A. Tittle continued: "So don't take personal offense if I hold you to a high standard of proof if you're going to come up against the Bakers. If either of them did it, I hope you do nail them, and I think you're good enough to. But you gotta prove it, and I can't allow Wisocky to use this to railroad them like she really, really wants to."

I extended my hand and D.A. Tittle shook it as I said "Thank you, sir. Especially for your integrity. And yes, by all means... do hold me to that standard."

As we got up and went to join the others, I fished out my personal cellphone and made a call...

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

When we came out into the hallway, I saw Robert Reichard and Jeffery Sekou talking... well, Reichard was giving instructions and gesticulating at Sekou, who just stood and listened. I put them into their compartment of the mind, and went to the others.

"Okay," I said as I looked into the 'new' Interrogation Room, where Kitzi Taylor and her attorney Jeffrey Sekou awaited us, "let's see how good you are at interrogations, Detective Watson."

"Thank you, sir." said Watson. He led the way in, with me and D.A. Tittle following. We sat down, and Watson re-read Kitzi her rights from the card.

"You've read her her rights." Sekou said, pretending anger. "Why are you reading them again to her?"

I said "Stop your whining. If we didn't read her her rights, you'd definitely be crying me a river about it."

"You've mirandized her already." Sekou persisted.

"And we did so again. Get over it." I fired back. "Detective Watson?"

"Ms. Taylor," said Watson, "I'm Detective Watson, and this is D.A. Tittle and Deputy Sheriff Troy. We need to get your full and complete story on your whereabouts and what happened both Friday night and last night."

Sekou said "What are you prepared to offer my client by way of immunity?"

D.A. Tittle answered: "If the answers your client gives are verified as truthful, and she testifies if and when called upon. there will be no charges filed against her, and any pending charges will be dropped."

"That's not good enough." said Sekou. "I need full immunity for my client. Now."

Detective Watson said "You know your client is not going to get that, at least not until we know if the information she gives is valid, and we're able to ascertain the level of the crimes she's committed---"

"What crimes has she committed?" Sekou asked. "Lying to Police is not a crime. You got nothing. Besides, if we don't have a signed immunity agreement, how do we know you'll keep your word not to file charges? Captain Wisocky has tried to do that to Roddy Baker no less than three times!"

I put my hand on Detective Watson's shoulder to let him know I was coming into it. I said "First of all, the District Attorney just said that in front of all of us, and was recorded on that videocamera up there." I pointed over my shoulder at the camera recording us.

I continued: "And if she hasn't committed a crime, I could then say 'What does she need immunity for?'. But I won't. What I will do, Ms. Taylor, is tell you the world of hurt you are in right now---"

"I need to speak to my client in private." Sekou said.

"When I'm done." I said. "Ms. Taylor---"

"NOW!" Sekou yelled, getting to his feet. "You are violating my client's rights!"

"BULLSHIT!" I yelled, also getting to my feet. "I am GOING to make my statement to her, and right now! I'm not asking her any questions, I'm TELLING her what she's up against! And if you try to stop me with your bullshit tactics again, I will arrest you right now for obstruction of justice, and I will carry you to the jail cells and throw you in one! And then I will not only go to the State Bar and have your license to practice revoked, I will contact people in the US Department of Justice that can and will guarantee that you will never practice law of any kind in the entire United States of America, ever again!"

"You're full of crap---" Sekou said.

"Oh yeah?" I snarled. "Test me on that. Please, do it."

We stared each other down for a moment, then Sekou said "Well, are you going to make your statement or not, asshole?"

"You damn right you better back off, you piece of shit." I sat down and said "Ms. Taylor, we already have you making contradictory statements regarding Mr. Baker's whereabouts Friday night---"

"LYING TO POLICE IS NOT A CRIME!" Sekou yelled.

"OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE *IS*!" I yelled back. "Ms. Taylor, your lawyer is about to violate several ethics codes by trying to prevent me from telling you the truth, here. On Friday, you told Police that Roddy Baker was not at your home. Then you told Police later that he was there. We may can't charge you with lying to Police, but we have more workarounds for that than the mechanics at the Daytona 500."

Me: "The first charge we're about to file against you is obstruction of justice. You either hid a wanted fugitive, a man on parole and wanted for questioning in an attempted murder, or you've attempted to give him a false alibi. The second charge is aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. The third charge is conspiracy to commit attempted murder."

"I didn't help anyone try to murder anyone!" Kitzi yelled. Her lawyer rapidly shushed her.

I said "Not only that, Ms. Taylor... if Mr. Craig Reynolds dies, then the 'attempted' part of the murder charges goes away, and we're talking full-on murder. And because you appear to have aided and abetted two men, either of who may have made the murderous assault, you're looking at Felony Murder... you'll be charged with Murder in the First Degree in the commission of other felonies."

I said "Last but not least, a wanted fugitive on parole and with an active APB and warrant for his arrest was found last night in your home, and it will be difficult for you to deny you knew it, since you were sitting in his lap and there was a witness sitting right there in the room with the two of you. That's another count of all those charges that make you wish you could only be charged with 'lying to Police'."

"The lying stops now, Ms. Taylor." I went on. "You know who I am. You know, or should know, that I already know the truth. But your lawyer here is treating me... ME, the Iron Crowbar... like I'm an Agency of the Weak-Minded. And few things make me angrier than being disrespected like that. Lawyers who treat me like that usually find their clients destroyed... DESTROYED! And you're looking at prison time... PRI-ZON!"

I got up again and said "Gentlemen, this asshole lawyer wants to talk to his client alone. Let's go." I led them out of the room.

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

"You okay, sir?" Deputy Biggs said when we got outside the Interrogation Room, seeing how red my face, neck, and ears were.

"Oh, now I'm angry." I said. "I would bury Kitzi in a 20-year prison sentence hellhole, just to show that piece of shit up---"

"By exercising Police intimidation and brutality, Commander Troy?" Robert Reichard said loudly and cynically. I turned and stepped up to him, fronting him.

"Oh, wanna play?" I said, quietly but angrily. "You think that was Police brutality? You think that was intimidation?" I nodded my head a few times in a 'Hank Voight' kind of way, then said "Keep your shit up, and your client is looking at life in prison without possibility of parole. I'll let you guess which client... if not both."

I turned back to the others and said "As I was saying before that wave of worthless hot air wafted through the room, we can give Kitzi an offer to drop any charges if she comes correct and tells us the truth..."

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

Jeffrey Sekou came to the door and called us back in. "Is your original offer on the table?" he asked D.A. Tittle.

"For about two seconds." D.A. Tittle replied. "But play time is over."

"We'll take it." said Sekou. "Answer their questions, Kitzi."

"Whaddya wanna know?" Kitzi asked, looking like she'd lost interest in the whole thing and just wanted to do her nails.

Detective Watson said "How did Roddy Baker get to your house Friday night?" Kitzi's eyes flickered over to mine, and saw me staring at her. And I saw in her eyes that she knew I knew, and she made the wisest decision of her life:

"I picked him and Steve up at his house, Roddy's house." Kitzi said.

"Steve Greene?" Detective Watson asked.

"Yes." Kitzi replied.

"And then?" asked Watson.

"Then what?" Kitzi asked.

I spoke out with authority. "Ms. Taylor, stop playing games with us. You know what Detective Watson is asking. If you keep this crap up, and make us have to spoon feed you questions to get your answers, then the deal is off and I am going to make damn sure you go to prison. You picked up Steve and Roddy at Roddy's house. Were you in your car? And where did you go after you picked them up? And after that?"

Kitzi was glaring hatefully at me, and Sekou leaned over and whispered something to her. She finally said "I picked them up at Roddy's house, in my car. I drove to Steve's house and he got out, and then I drove to my house with Roddy, and we stayed there all night. And that's all. Happy?"

I replied angrily: "Keep being a smartass with me, Ms. Taylor, and I will twist your cap around. No, I'm not finished. When you got to Roddy's house, was Steve already there, or did you wait for him?" Kitzi stared at me silently. "I'm waiting for your answer, Ms. Taylor. I have all day. And you have the rest of your life in prison."

"He was already there." Kitzi spat.

"Were you called on your cellphone and asked to go to Roddy's house?" I fired.

"Yes." Kitzi said, and said no more.

"For God's sake." I muttered, then yelled "BY WHO?"

"Stop yelling at my client!" Sekou said loudly.

"Okay, I'm done here." I said, getting up. "Come on, guys, let's go. D.A. Tittle, no deal for her. Press full charges against Kitzi Taylor for conspiracy to murder Craig Reynolds, for harboring a wanted fugitive, for obstruction of justice---"

"Wait a minute!" Sekou yelled.

"NO, YOU WAIT A MINUTE!" I thundered, leaning over the table and getting right in the legal beagle's face. "I am SICK AND TIRED of both you and her disrespecting me and Apple Grove Law Enforcement!" I turned my head to stare down Kitzi Taylor, and said hoarsely "You think you can just disrespect the Police like you're doing now? Well, I'm going to teach you an unforgettable, life long lesson."

And with that, I turned and exited the room.

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

"So what was the difference between that and what Stegall did?" Leanne Wisocky asked when I got into the outer room.

I stared at her, then said "You're really fronting me about that, and now?" When Leanne nodded, I said "I'll tell you what the differences are. Stegall physically threatened Niko, told him he was going to break his fingers, then got up to do it. I didn't do that, I only threatened her with the legal action that's coming to her. Stegall gave the world reason to disrespect the Police. I gave that little bitch the reasons why she should not disrespect the Police."

Leanne said "Well, now you know what we are up against every fucking day here. Roddy Baker and his filth constantly disrespect the Police, and worse. Stegall wasn't wrong; you were wrong to stop him---"

The door to the Interrogation Room opened and D.A. Tittle and Detective Watson came out. "Damn, Don." Tittle said casually.

"Yeah, I went off on them." I said.

D.A. Tittle said "Don't get me wrong. I loved it. These lawyers like Sekou need to have crowbars shoved up their asses at times. And Kitzi Taylor is what people have become... they think they can play games with the Police and get away with it."

I asked "Did she invoke?"

"No sir." said Detective Watson. "They were scared, and Sekou was begging us to keep the deal, and told Kitzi to get her act together and answer my questions."

I said "Well, it's unlikely that trying to charge her with anything will hold up, since we did give her the deal. Did she say anything significant?"

Watson: "She did say that Steve Greene called her and asked her to meet him at Roddy's, then had her take him to his house and Roddy to her house. He never mentioned Lisa Baker, but Roddy told her at her house about Craig being the father of their oldest daughter, but did not mention that he had hit her in the face. I think she's lying, and he did tell her that, but I can't prove it."

Leanne said "We still have corroboration for motive for Roddy."

"All right," I said, "let's get Steve into the Interrogation Room. Kitzi was nothing; I just wanted to get her on videotape. But Steve is the linchpin of our case..."

Part 16 - Baker's Dozen

6:45am, Sunday, October 3rd. Steve Greene was brought into the main Interrogation Room. His attorney Jeffery Sekou insisted upon talking to his client privately.

Detective Watson said "I hate it that he gets to talk to Greene first. He'll just tell him everything Kitzi Taylor said."

"It can't be helped." I said. "And it could work in our favor. Steve will know he can't fuck with us, that we know too much."

D.A. Tittle led us into the Interrogation Room. I observed as we sat down that Jeffrey Sekou was looking smug, but Steve looked uncertain, and nervous. Detective Watson read Steve Greene his rights from the card, and Sekou said nothing as Greene said he understood the rights.

I said "Mr. Greene, we have some questions for you, regarding your whereabouts on Friday and Saturday---"

Sekou said with great smugness and arrogance "Are you going to yell at him and try to intimidate him, too, like you did Kitzi Taylor?" He was obviously trying to goad me.

Detective Watson rose from his chair and pointed his finger right in Sekou's face. "Watch your mouth, jerk." he warned the legal beagle. "You're already on the path to disbarment. We're tired of your crap."

Sekou looked openly shocked; he had not expected Crowbar-like behavior from the AGPD. "Touchy, touchy." he said.

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH, ASSHOLE!" yelled Watson.

D.A. Tittle joined in, and said "Keep showing these Police Officers disrespect, and I'll barbecue your clients, Sekou. We're not taking any more shit from you, not even one word of sarcasm."

"All right, all right." Sekou said, holding up his hands palms-outward in mock surrender. Then he said "Do we have an immunity agreement here, in exchange for my client's truthful answers and testimony?"

"No we do not." D.A. Tittle said with alacrity. "I might make a plea deal, though, if he cooperates."

"A plea deal? For what?" Steve Greene exclaimed. As Sekou tried to get him to stop talking, Greene said "I didn't do anything wrong!"

I said "Aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive in eluding capture by the Police. And conspiracy to commit attempted murder, which will become Felony Murder if Craig Reynolds dies."