Scavenger Hunt Ch. 03

Me: "And there are others involved: at least four persons that are called the 'Liaisons'. They're the watchers, maybe the referees or advisors. And then there are the leaders... don't forget Lindsey Black and Karl Coleman have been spotted in Town in the last few weeks, and Rojas's phone pinged from the building where they were seen. I sure haven't forgotten that for even one moment."

Teresa said "And that leaves the Asian Gang. I did want to ask... why did you think they might come back to that location, and so you didn't want Muscone to raid it? Claire made sense when she said she didn't think they'd come back."

I replied. "Because their game has been this Scavenger Hunt, collecting small things that lead to larger things. I'll just say this: you'll know I'm right if their raid finds small things, like the stolen wheelchairs and medical clothing and masks. If that stuff is found, then we lost a great opportunity to catch those that would have come back for the stuff."

I said "And yes, Feng Xingshi and his team are the most dangerous of all. I think the Hispanic Team, especially Rojas and Isadora, didn't get to complete their truly big mission. And that's going to fall to the Asian Team, which they will execute, pun fully intended, with absolutely ruthless efficiency---"

*CHIME!*
*CHIME!*

Both my and Teresa's Police iPhones chimed with a text. I said "It's from the Chief. He wants us to meet him for lunch at the Cop Bar."

"To apologize, I hope." Teresa said. "I almost told him to go fuck himself earlier this morning..."

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

The Sheriff joined us for lunch at the Cop Bar. "How's it going with the Assembly, Sheriff?" I asked as we sat down.

"Rough." Griswold growled. "Cindy's giving the Fire Department budget today. Ryan Paulson asked why doesn't the Fire Department have the HAZMAT unit instead of the Public Health Department. Cindy said HAZMAT was the Public Health Department's legitimate function, and Paulson went off on her. He was literally yelling, and Cindy pulled out her green crowbar and told him that if he didn't stop disrespecting her by yelling at her, she'd come up there and shove her crowbar down his throat."

Griswold: "When Paulson began losing it, Mayor Allgood told him that if he didn't get his head out of his ass, he, Daniel, would help Cindy shove that crowbar up Paulson's various orifices. The Assembly Democrats sarcastically applauded Daniel for that. I don't know what the fuck is going on with Paulson. He is really going after the Public Health Department."

"Part of the plan, part of the plan." I said, then said no more as the server came up to take our orders.

After we ordered, Griswold growled "I heard Jack Muscone just blew through us to raid that building. And jaws are flapping; people are talking about it all over the Courthouse. The Mayor even asked me about it."

"Yezzz." said Chief Moynahan. "And I want to apologize to you, Mister Crowbarrrr, and you too, Mizzz Croyle, for seemingly going along with it. But Muscone was hell-bent on making that raid, and I'd rather have our guys there than just leaving it to the Feddzzz."

"It is what it is." I said. "And Muscone will pay a heavy, heavy price for dissing me in front of everyone like he did. And so will Claire Michaels."

"Huh?" gasped the Chief.

I said "That was obviously concocted between them. And Claire thought Lorena Rose was going to back her up, and got slapped back. But Commander Croyle made an excellent observation, that all of the Detective Corps was pretty somber today, even Rudistan."

Me: "I think Claire told everyone to not speak to me about the cellphone data showing Della Deems's phone at the location Tuesday night, and then her and the White Team never being heard from alive again. She got together with someone, most likely Jack, and they planned together to make the big raid. Maybe they didn't expect my opposition, or maybe they did, but they were dug in about it, and Jack finally just rode roughshod over us, like the FBI everywhere has begun doing in the name of Derrick B. Harland."

"Are things really that bad with Captain Michaels?" the Chief asked, stunned.

"If I may, sir." Teresa said. I nodded, and she turned to the Chief and Sheriff and said "I think Claire lost 'Ice Cube' Perry today, when she put him on the spot in that meeting. He did not want to go against Commander Troy in there, but she... and you, Chief... forced his hand. She directly argued with Commander Troy in there, as well. She is becoming a disaster in the Detective Corps."

"Well, what do you want to do?" the Chief asked. "What can we do? Has she done anything actually wrong?"

"Not really, Chief." I said. "She was close to insubordination with me, but I've been further down that path with you."

"What do you want to do, Crowbar?" growled Griswold.

"Before I admit total failure on hiring her," I said, "there is one other thing I want to try...

Part 13 - Raid Results

2:00pm, Tuesday, October 11th. The Detectives had trickled back into MCD and Vice. It was very quiet, not the normal banter after an operation. I began wondering if someone had gotten hurt, but I heard Claire Michaels talking enthusiastically with someone, who turned out to be Lt. Joanne Warner.

Five minutes later, Teresa came to my door. "The Chief wants us to come to Classroom 'E'." She then turned and told Commander Tanya Muscone, who was in her office, the same thing. I followed them into the hallway, and we followed the Chief down the hallway and into the room, which had been restored to its normal configuration.

Sheriff Griswold, Captain Michaels, and Lieutenants Washington, Parker, Warner, and Rudistan were already in the room. Corporal Penny Scott was working the laptop that was projecting onto the 5x4 matrix of monitors. Only Claire Michaels looked enthusiastic and happy; everyone else looked solemn.

To my surprise, the only Federal Agents in the room were DEA SSAs Dwight Stevens and Lorena Rose. Lorena gave me a look that was something between 'I'm sorry' and 'I had no part of this', and I nodded back to her. Dwight Stevens had no expression on his face.

"Soooo," drawled the Chief, "tell us what happened."

"Who wants to go first?" Claire asked. She was met with total silence. "Lieutenant Washington?" she finally said.

Theo said "Federal Agents executed Federal warrants to raid the location. We had Superior-Court-issued warrants as well, but were relegated to the status of observers---"

"C'mon, that's not true." said Dwight Stevens. "You were full participants in the raid. Your Uniformed Officers cleared the building, and in a very efficient and professional manner, Commander Croyle." Teresa said nothing, but she nodded her acknowledgement of his acknowledgement."

Claire said "Let's just give the Chief the facts, and not needlessly unimportant evaluations. Lieutenant Parker?"

Teddy Parker said "First of all, no blood was found, nor any places wiped down by bleach. Next: four Toyotas were found inside the building. Two Camrys, painted the same gray color; and two Corollas, also painted identically to each other, but not quite the same as the Camrys. All four were tricked out with the same communications equipment and accessories as the Camrys we impounded when we captured the Asian Team and the Black Team. They were parked neatly together, and there were spaces for four more vehicles. They were wiped down completely; no fingerprints at all."

Parker: "Lieutenant Washington is correct in that we were held back by the Feds once the building was cleared. And that's factually important because we got to see and video-record everything only after the Feds were alone in the room. In fairness, it was not SSA Stevens nor SSA Rose that was doing that, but SAC Muscone and the BAU Team he had with him---"

"What?!" I thundered, practically coming out of my chair and now sitting up fully straight. "Who was on that BAU team?"

Dwight Stevens said "It was Aaron Russo's team, Commander, not the corrupt ones. Jack says they're good guys, and that we can trust them."

"Was Luke Morgan one of them?" I asked sharply.

"Yes sir." Lorena Rose said with alacrity.

I said "He told me to my face that he was out to get me. So trust him and that entire team at your peril. I sure as hell don't." (Author's note: 'Cool For The Summer', Ch. 03)

"Let's keep go-inggg." drawled the Chief. "What else was found on the site?"

Teddy Parker said "Several wheelchairs, a box of surgical masks, a box of clothing that doctors and nurses wear, what they call 'scrubs'. And in a locked gun safe were two 1933 Double Eagle gold coins, encased in hard plastic sleeves, and two coins that were among the very first produced by the U.S. Mint in 1795."

Parker: "And last but not least, sitting on a table in the back room... were four bricks of high-grade, highly purified 'China White'. The wrappers don't have any markings to indicate which gang they came from."

Dwight Stevens said "As y'all probably know, 1933 Double Eagles were never put into circulation, and most were destroyed. Any that are found were stolen from the U.S. Mint. If the 1933 Double Eagles recovered in this raid are verified as authentic, then they are stolen U.S. Government property. We will definitely be looking into this 'National Collectibles' and their coin shops that may have been where these coins came from."

"How much are those worth? The 1933 Double Eagles?" the Chief asked.

I said "King Farouk of Egypt had one, and it sold at auction for over seven million dollars. Now, since the Federal Government has deemed them illegal to privately own, there's no telling how much they potentially could go for in the underground market."

"If they're authentic." Tanya Perlman said. "Who in the world could get whatever's left of those coins from Fort Knox, where they were stored?"

"Brendan Chapel." I said. "While he was DNI. And that 1795 coin could also have been obtained by him... and by very few other people." That struck the room silent for a long moment.

Dwight Stevens finally broke the silence, saying "Well, you've got camera footage you can review. I just came to give you guys a heads-up that the eight perps you busted are yours to put on trial for armed robbery, but the case going forward is going to be taken over by the Federal Government after finding the coins and the 'China White'."

Claire Michaels said "It's still a joint operation, isn't it?"

"Mister Crowbar?" the Chief asked.

"No." I said. "It's totally yours and the FBI's. You should already have all the information we have, unless the FBI is hiding something from the DEA."

I stood up. "Unless the Chief directly contradicts me here and now, the Joint Task Force between the TCPD and all Federal Agencies concerning the Toyota Gang is ended, and the TCPD will not participate further in your investigations."

"Consider that from my mouth to your earrrrrzzz." drawled the Chief.

"But Chief---" started Claire, but the Chief held up his hand.

"No." said Moynahan. "Jack Muscone wanted it. It's all hizzz, now."

I added "And when he fucks it up, he won't have me bailing him out, so sorry." I was not being helpful, and both Claire and Tanya's looks at me showed it...

Part 14 - Council Internal Affairs

7:30pm, Tuesday, October 12th. I was wearing my Duty Dress jacket with 'boxes' over a white shirt and black tie as I watched the public Council meeting come to order. The Sheriff and Police Chief were similarly attired in their Duty Dress uniforms, the gold stars on Our Sheriff's uniform glittering in the light.

For some reason, Teresa Croyle had chosen to wear civilian clothes. She was attired in a tasteful navy blue dress and matching matte navy blue high heel pumps. And I saw why she had chosen to wear civilian clothes: she was also wearing a necklace, which she had received as a gift upon the occasion of her wedding. (Author's note: 'Soap Opera', Ch. 04)

It went predictably: the Mayor led the Council and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, for which the Democrats on the Council and some in the audience rudely remained seated and did not participate.

After the submissions of formal documents as well as lawsuits against the County were received and the readings of them dispensed with by voice vote, Old Business was brought up. Kelly Carnes brought up yet again that the TCPD had not nominated anyone for their vacant Internal Affairs positions, and J.P. Goldman made a Point of Order that such nominations would be forthcoming during New Business. And when New Business came up, the Sheriff took to the lectern in front of the audience to place the names in nomination.

"That will require an Executive Session to discuss." said the Mayor. "I will entertain a motion to go into Executive Session after public business tonight is concluded." There being no further public business, the Council went into Executive Session. The Sheriff, Chief, myself, and Teresa Croyle followed the Council upstairs to the private Council Chamber.

Once the Executive Session was called to order, the Mayor indicated for the Sheriff to name names. The Sheriff deferred to Your Iron Crowbar. I got up and went to the lectern at the head of the table and said "There are two positions in the Internal Affairs Division that need filling. The I.A. Commander, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander, the equivalent of Commander Croyle, here; and the I.A. Senior Officer position, which can have a Captain, but we are going to promote the candidate to Lieutenant for the time being."

I continued: "The names of the candidates for the positions are..."

To be continued.

Two questions: 1) what is the final mission of the fourth cell of the Toyota Gang? And 2) admittedly I did not leave many clues to it, but take a guess at who the names the Iron Crowbar is submitting for Internal Affairs. Answers next chapter!