Secrets Ch. 01

"I see." I said. "Sounds like the Crown Chemicals attack."

"The what?" Hicks asked.

"Crown Chemicals?" I said. "Their plant is by the River? They were attacked by the PCGW a few years ago... weren't they?"

"Uh, sir," said Hicks, "there's no Crown Chemicals in this County."

"Oh." I said, surprised. Then I realized that I was remembering something from a dream I'd had. I felt a headache beginning. "It must've been somewhere else, not here. Okay, I'll get out of here before I cause you guys any trouble."

"Thank you, sir." said Hicks. "Just pull into the drive to turn around." I did so, noticing that Hicks was noting my car tag as I backed onto the road going in the direction from which I'd come. I drove on down the hill, thinking that something was very odd, there...

Part 3 - The Mission

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am Monday morning, from in front of the Courthouse complex on the east side of Courthouse Square. "The Proactive Citizens of Greenworld have been defeated in Court again!"

Bettina began: "The PCGW, an environmentalist group that has been labeled a domestic terrorist organization by the Federal and State Governments, had pushed for murder charges against the SBI, the Town & County Police, and BigCommunicationsCorp over the shooting deaths of several PCGW protestors nearly two years ago during a protest at the cell tower on top of the ridgeline behind the University. Judge J.B. Stone of the Superior Court issued a directed verdict of acquittal, absolving the SBI, the TCPD, and BCC's Security of any wrongdoing in the shootings."

Bettina: "And tensions between the SBI and FBI continue to mount, after SBI Captain Richard Ferrell went public with the SBI's s suspicions that the FBI was behind the torture and murder of City Police Detective Bunson McGinty. Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone of the FBI issued a searing attack upon Captain Ferrell and the SBI in general. SAC Muscone also called for the Federal Government to investigate Governor Graham Collins, who as you know became Governor last year after the death of our beloved Governor Valnius Jared."

As Bettina turned to some sports jock reporter with a badly-fitting toupee for the Sports report, I remembered that Governor Jared had been on a jobs tour of an old factory in Pottsville when a gas explosion pulverized the building and killed twenty people inside, including the Governor and most of his staff. Lieutenant Governor Graham Collins had not gone in the building with the others; instead, staying outside and giving an interview to the Press. The SBI considers the death suspicious, as Governor Jared had supportive of the SBI as he had waged a very popular legal war on the FBI's encroachment upon the sovereignty of the State...

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

"Hi Don!" said Captain Angela Harlan as she came out from behind the Duty Desk at TCPD Headquarters. I was going to shake her hand, but she wrapped her long arms around me in a warm hug. Surprised, I gave her a hug back.

"You look like you're fully recovered, and doing well." Angela said as she looked me over. "How's the back?"

"I'm 'fully functional', as Mr. Data would say," I said, making a Star Trek joke, "but I still feel the pain in my back a lot."

Captain Harlan had me sign in, then led me into the back areas and down the long hall. I said "So, any idea what this is about? So I know what I'm dealing with when going in to see the Chief?"

"I have no idea, I truly don't." said Angela. "Chief Malone asked me to call you and have you come up if you could." As we walked down the hall, I felt something, just s sense... and it was a sense of foreboding. The Vice and MCD rooms were full of Detectives, but were very quiet.

"Kind of quiet here." I said.

"Yeah." said Captain Harlan. "Step into my office for a second." I followed her into her office, saying hello to Officer Peter M. Feeley at his desk in the anteroom, and being greeted enthusiastically by him in return.

As we sat down in Captain Harlan's office, she said "A lot has changed since you were here a couple of years ago, and I think you had a sense of it just walking down the hall."

"Yes, I did." I said. "A lot of tension."

"Yeah." said Angela. "Detective Tanya Perlman quit. She took a job with the State Crime Lab. She told me and Feeley privately that she hated working here, and especially having to work with Steven Ikea and Teresa Croyle, but we know that wasn't the problem with her. Detective Sharples has solved several cases in almost brilliant fashion... but the other Detectives in MCD hate him, and Perlman accused him of looking into her case files then 'jumping her claim' in making arrests. Sharples has gotten three Commendation Medals since we hired him, and the rest of MCD zee-rrrooooo." I nodded.

"But yes, Ikea and Croyle are a handful of it, too." Angela went on, and I realized she was talking to me so freely because she needed one person, one outsider she could confide in and get stuff off her (very well-endowed) chest. "Detective Timothy Geiger was badly wounded in a drug raid... he's still not recovered... and Ikea and Croyle are blaming each other for the failures that led to Geiger being ambushed and wounded."

"Don't tell me, let me guess." I said. "It was Ikea's fault, but Croyle will be blamed for it because they're working up a file to get rid of her."

"Close." said Harlan. "Ikea was the team leader on the mission, and he was at fault for a lot of it. But Teresa Croyle stayed back when the gunfire started, then pulled back and left. She ran away from her comrades in battle. But Chief Malone is protecting her, and squashing the investigation."

"Wow." I said. "I know I've only met them once or twice, but I'd think Croyle would stand and fight while Ikea would run away."

Harlan said "Don, you're pretty good, but you missed the call on Croyle. Even Sharples has more bravery than Croyle does. She hates the world, especially since Chief Griswold and Detective Ross were killed, and she has no sense of loyalty to her teammates on this Police Force. I'm not sure why Malone is keeping her... maybe she's giving him good blowjobs or something."

"I woulda thought..." I started, then stopped. I was going to say that Julie Newton would be giving Malone the blowjobs, but my head started hurting again and the thought left me. "Well, never mind---"

*BUZZZZZZZ!*

"That's our cue." said Angela Harlan. "Let's go see the Chief."

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

"Thank you for coming up." said Chief Harold Malone as he came around his desk and shook my hand. "How was your drive up yesterday?" he asked as he had me sit down then went behind his desk and did the same.

"Good, Chief." I said. "Until the Coltrane County Sheriff pulled me over with no probable cause."

"Worst speed trap county in the State." said Malone. "Governor Jared had a sign put up at the county borders, saying 'Don't get caught in a speed trap; don't get fleeced in a clip joint.' They've got illegal gambling going on out the wazoo there. Governor Jared was about to shut 'em down, but he was killed. And Governor Collins doesn't give a crap as long as they pay him his kickbacks." I just nodded.

"And that somewhat brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about, Don. May I call you 'Don'?" I nodded and Malone said "You heard about City Detective Bundy McGinty being murdered?"

I said "Yes sir. Sounded a lot like what I went through at the Asylum."

"It was." said Malone. "I've read the classified file. It was truly brutal what they did to him. After reading that, I'm really impressed that you survived it." I nodded, and Malone continued: "They had him in an underground facility not far from City Airport... there may be tunnels from there running to the Airport, but that's for another time. What's important is that his body was found after the SBI got an anonymous tip suggesting where he was, and that facility was an old CIA facility that they'd abandoned at the time your own torture had been going on."

Chief Malone: "What is not being reported in the Press, because they don't have it yet, is that Detective McGinty is believed to have left behind a lot of dirt on a lot of people, especially politicians and law enforcement officers. This collection of papers and other materials that he had have been dubbed 'McGinty's Materials', and everyone from the Feds to local level LEOs to criminal organizations have been looking for them."

Malone paused, then said "What I called you in for, Don, is to ask you to find McGinty's Materials, and bring them to the TCPD. If you successfully do so, I can assure you a job with us... MCD if you want it, Vice if you want it, fast track to leadership. But only if you find McGinty's Materials."

I nodded. "If I may ask, how do you know these papers even exist?"

Malone slid a dossier stuffed an inch thick full of papers. "Here's everything we have on him, and by 'we' I mean all LEOs across all spectrums. We've got a new Data Guru, we call him 'The Geek', and he's really good at mining data for us... probably too good, but I don't ask too many questions; we're here to get criminals off the streets."

Malone continued: "Basically, the going theory is that McGinty had some dirt on the Feds. Maybe he was going to give that dirt to the SBI or to what's left of Governor Jared's people, or maybe he was blackmailing the Feds. Either way, they nabbed him, put him through the ringer, and he died from the torture."

I asked "If he did have this material, wouldn't he have had a means of having it released upon his death? That stuff is no good to him if he's dead, or as vengeance for his death."

"I like the way you're thinking about this." said Malone. "And yes, the entire State and Federal Governments are holding their collective breaths and praying that the stuff doesn't get into the wrong reporter's hands. We control most of the Press, but there are a few out there that might be thinking Pulitzer for themselves over their best health interests. And it's not just LEOs, Don... it's the Mob. That's why I want you to find the Materials for us. We could totally destroy the Mob... in the City, in Southport... and rub the FBI's faces in their own dung of constant failure for not destroying the Mob."

"Okay, then." I said, pretending to let him use the FBI argument to 'persuade' me. "I can't promise you anything... they may not exist, or they may have been found and destroyed already... but I will try."

"Good." said Malone. "I'm forbidden to hire P.I.s, but if you need some expense money for gas, food, stuff like that, I can help you out. But all cash, of course... I can't afford to have a paper trail leading back to you, if you get my drift."

"Okay." I said. "I'll see what I can do..."

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

It took the morning to read what Chief Malone had on McGinty, and I was disappointed to see that it wasn't a lot. Why I was disappointed, I wasn't sure, but for some reason that's how I was feeling.

"Let's go to lunch." Captain Angela Harlan said to me at 11:30am. "My treat. Cop Bar."

She drove me to the Irish Pub, which apparently was the Police Force's main hangout in Town. As we went through the front room, I noticed the photos of Police Officers from the distant past. Towards the bar in back were two portraits that seemed hauntingly familiar to me: Chief Griswold and Detective Cindy Ross, both killed in the line of duty when my nephew Todd's car crashed into them.

"You know they exonerated your nephew?" Angela said as we sat down in a booth in the back room. "A judge went back and reversed the charges, said it wasn't his fault at all. Apparently someone tampered with his car."

"Yeah, I got a courtesy call about it." I said. "The Court was looking for his mother, and called me to find out where she was. But I had less idea than they did."

"At least the stain is removed from his name." said Angela. "So, the Chief wants you to find McGinty's Materials?" When I looked at her in wary surprise, she smiled and said "Hey, I was the one that suggested to him to call you about the stuff. I think you're good enough to find those Materials. God knows nobody else in the Police Department could."

"Oh?" I asked. "I heard the TCPD was pretty good."

Harlan said "Well, in some ways they are. At the same time, Ikea and the Chief wanted Sharples over you... and that has been a near disaster."

"Oh?" I asked.

"He is a really crafty son of a bitch." said Harlan. "One thing Tanya Perlman found out is that he developed C.I.s by giving them money and promising them immunity from prosecution. Then he gets the information to make busts, makes the busts... and busts the C.I.s along with the rest of the trash. You know that rapper T-Square?"

"I've heard of him." I said. "Lucky he didn't get killed when he was caught in bed with Jasmine Nix by her husband 'Big Ice'. 'Big Ice' wasn't so lucky; there wasn't much left of him after that machine gun caught him in his car at a traffic light."

"That's the same T-Square." said Angela. "Sharples did the dirty to one of T-Square's 'Regiment', and T-Square has sworn vengeance. Sharples has survived two attempts to murder him already."

"So why hasn't Sharples been fired?" I asked.

Angela shrugged. "He's the Chief's mole in MCD. I'll tell you this, too: I'm the Captain of Detectives, but in reality I'm just in charge of MCD. The Chief directly controls Vice, and Ikea is his proxy in there. The Town & County Council has refused to promote Ikea to Lieutenant or even Supervisor; even those corrupt politicians think Ikea is too dirty for them... kind of like the Democrat Party passing over their dirtiest politician because she's too dirty even for them." I chuckled at that.

"Anyway, Tanya got fed up, and got hired by the Crime Lab before we could stop it." Angela said. "She seems much happier there, and I don't think she'll come back to the TCPD even if things get cleaned up. But the point of the story is that she was my best Detective in there, Cindy Ross is dead, and all that's left is Teddy Parker and Sharples. Parker ain't worth a warm cup of spit, and I just told you about Sharples."

"So Chief Malone's job offer might not be one that I should take, eh?" I said.

Angela shrugged. "Would you take it if you came straight in as MCD Lieutenant?" I blinked at that, and Angela said "Find McGinty's Materials, and that's what will happen."

I nodded, not saying out loud what I was thinking: it had been obvious to me that Chief Malone did not want me to find McGinty's Materials for the good of the People nor the Police Force. He had ulterior motives, possibly including suppressing any bad information about himself in those Materials.

And I had no doubt at all that if I brought him those Materials, I wouldn't have to worry about the job offer... because I would not live to be able to take it.

"And there's another reason I hope we can hire you." said Angela, her voice dropping. "Have you heard of the Shadow Hand?"

"Er... no." I said.

Angela said "I've been aware for some time that the criminal elements in this County a well as the State and this region of the country appear to have 'adult supervision', so to speak. Someone organizing them, binding them together. He's been called the 'Professor Moriarty' of our time."

"No, no inkling of that." I said, wondering why this all sounded familiar.

"Well, I've been quietly working with some SBI friends on it." said Angela. "An informal network of LEOs across the State. One of them was Detective Shane O'Brady of the Pottsville Police, who was killed by the same gas explosion that killed the Governor. I didn't personally work with Bunson McGinty, but O'Brady did. I won't mention the others in the network, for their safety, and I don' know all of them. But if you come on with the TCPD, I'd love to get you into the 'club'..."

"Guardians of Justice, eh?" I said, wondering why that name had just popped into my head.

"Hey, that sounds like a cool name. I like that." said Angela.

Part 4 - Hatred and Disloyalty

2:00pm, Monday. I was at TCPD Headquarters, working in the unoccupied office between Captain Harlan's office and the Chief's suite. The office was furnished most simply with a desk, a chair with lumbar support, and a computer hookup. The office felt very familiar to me, and very comfortable, as if I belonged in it.

"Have you found everything you need?" asked Detective Julie Newton, looking in on me. Chief Malone had told her to help me get everything I needed on City Detective Bunson McGinty.

"Yes." I said. "Yes, thank you. You've helped me out more than you know."

"If I may ask," said Julie, "what are you looking for?"

I sat back in the chair, letting it support my aching back, and said "If I'm going to help the Chief find McGinty's Materials, I have to understand the man himself so that I can figure out what he might've been thinking when he set up his hiding place."

"Anything to that, Commander Troy?" asked Angela Harlan as she came in behind Julie. When I looked at her strangely, she said "This office and the one next door were meant to be for the Police Commander and Deputy Chief positions, but those were never filled."

"Ahhh." I said with a wan smile. "Well, to answer your question, I'm not there yet. According to City Police records, McGinty was considered to be a very good cop when he was in Vice. He made a good number of drug busts. The only problem was that City Internal Affairs had been watching him for a while... some of the drugs and especially the cash would come over all missing, but they never could pin anything on McGinty. He lived simply in a cheap apartment on the southside, drove an old car and would use City Police unmarked cars if he needed transportation for his work, and only frequented one bar... more of a strip club... called 'Bangkok'."

"Maybe he had accomplices?" Julie Newton offered.

"May-be." I said. "But that's some serious trust with that kind of data. From what I'm hearing, those papers were powerful stuff. They could bring down politicians, or the Mob..." I began drifting off as I thought about it.

"What I need to do," I said, coming out of it, "is talk to people that knew Detective McGinty, but without spooking anyone or getting them suspicious."

"That rules out the entire City PD." said Angela Harlan. "And I've got a source telling me that they're looking for McGinty's Materials, too. They might not like competition."

Julie Newton had been typing on my laptop. She then twirled it around to face me and said "I just pulled up case files that cross-referenced Detectives in other jurisdictions that McGinty might've worked with."

"That's great thinking!" I said. "Okay, Detective Shane O'Brady, Pottsville Police." I saw both Julie and Angela wince. "What?"

"He's dead." said Julie.

"He was part of Governor Jared's security detail in Pottsville." said Angela. "He died in the gas explosion." Yes, she had told me this, and yes I realized it was cover to prevent Julie Newton from knowing we'd talked about it before.

"Hmmmm..." I said, mostly to myself as I leaned back in the chair.. "Maybe I'm cynical, but is that too much of a coincidence? Says here that McGinty and O'Brady collaborated on several big cases, and made some big drug busts together..."

"Could well be." said Julie Newton. She stood up. "I have to get back to my desk. Just buzz me if you need anything."

"Okay, and thanks a lot for your help." I said, but mostly to her back as she was leaving the office.

"Hmm, there's another name here." I said, again pretending that I was learning this for the first time. "Tony Long. Works in Hamilton County now, but was a City PD cop before, and worked with McGinty. Maybe I should go down and visit him."