Send in the Clowns Ch. 02

Jack Muscone said "He's been in our faces for years now. He's escaped Supermax twice. He goaded Don while Don was going after him for the Black Velvet murders. It's... it's just the way he is."

"Is it?" I asked.

"What do you meeeeen, Mis-ter Crowbarrrr?" drawled the Chief, peering at me.

"Laura," I said, "did you study the psychology of George Aurus?"

"Not as much as you did when you were hunting him down." Laura said. "And Bonnie Karpathian was our resident expert on serial killers... until she became one herself." (Author's note: 'Return of the Black Widow'.)

"That's true." I said. "Anyhoo, my analysis of George Aurus is twofold: like me, he never did or does anything without purpose, intent, and plenty of thought behind it; and while he did goad me just a wee bit while I was hunting him down, it was only after I was inexorably on his trail. He didn't draw attention to himself until then."

Me: "So yes, Tracy, your point, if recast in the form of a statement, might be that Aurus would not be goading me like this, and that leads to the conclusion that it is very possible, if not likely, that George Aurus did not compose the clown painting."

"So who did?" asked Jack Muscone.

I shrugged my shoulders. "As Laura said, it's someone who wanted to cause the the most emotional pain. May I suggest a rogue if not outright dirty BAU Unit that has been trying to goad me into a physical confrontation with deliberate, sneering insults for several days now."

Julius Jefferson said "Commander, you said a minute ago that we were wrong in thinking that Aurus is behind this crime. Is that what you're saying now?"

"Heyyy, you did catch that." I said, admittedly being snarky about it. "And yes, I've been saying it, and I keep saying it, but no one has been listening. After all those years of me being accused of holding things back... when I do give you the truth, no one listens, and apparently no one believes me. Like Cassandra of Troy, I guess."

Jack Muscone said "It's not that we don't believe you, Dog, but the FBI and Homeland Security have poured a lot of time and resources into catching George Aurus. And my bosses, all the way up to the top, believe the intel that he was going to steal the Lost Greuze was good, at least good enough to spend all that money on. And he was painted into the clown picture, and Aurus was once in the circus------"

I held up my hand. "And isn't it amazingly convenient that he was painted into it." I said. "And how conveeeeeenient for that theory that the clown painting was left behind at all."

"I understand what you're saying, Commander." said Julius Jefferson. "But our going theory is that the clown painting was left so that people looking over there didn't see a missing painting, and it took a bit of time before people realized the Greuze was lifted."

I said "And isn't that interesting? My point is that there were actually Secret Service Agents in the room, the people we trust to protect the President and our highest officials, who are trained to be the very best in the world... and they didn't see it."

"How did you know------" Jack Muscone started, then stopped in mid-sentence.

"Their badges." I said. "Unless they were fake badges or someone was impersonating Secret Service Agents. And from your reaction, I suspect they were real Secret Service Agents."

"They were." said Muscone. "The Secret Service used to be part of the Treasury Department, before being put under the Homeland Security umbrella. They still handle things like counterfeiting, thefts of gold and art, and such stuff."

Mary Milton's voice cut through the room. "Chief, with respect, I must again renew my objection to the presence of these Federal Agents in this room, and their involvement in our case. Especially if Commander Troy's thesis is correct, and Aurus is not behind the theft."

And again Tanya Muscone looked daggers at Mary, but then she caught my 'look' at her that underscored my most very strong desire for Tanya to say nothing. Chief Moynahan did not say nothing.

"Looo-tenant," Chief Moynahan said, "we are all on the same teeeeeem, herrrre."

"She does have a point, Chief." said Jack Muscone, using Mary's words as an excuse to get out of the meeting. "Julius, Tracy, why don't we go back to the Federal Building, and work on our aspects of this." As he got up, he said "We'll let you guys know of any breaks in the case we find, and I'd appreciate it if you'll do the same for us."

"We will." said me and Tanya simultaneously.

"Jinx on both of you." Cindy said. Everyone laughed. Jack, Julius, and Tracy made their goodbyes and left.

The Chief looked like he was about to go off on some of us, but Laura rescued us (especially her loving husband) by saying "Chief, why don't you and I go to your office, so I can fill you in on some things."

"O-kayyy, Doctor." drawled the Chief. "Commander, do you want to talk to everyone still here?"

"Yes sir, if you don't mind." I replied. Laura and the Chief left.

"O-kayyy." I said. "Muscone was right in that the Feds have wasted a boatload of money and time on this pursuit of Aurus. And since I don't want to be accused by the Green Crowbar of holding back, I'll point out a few things before we go to work finding the thieves."

"And then you can set those brackets up right." Cindy said as a green crowbar was waved in my general direction. Neither Teresa nor I could help but grin at that one.

"Mary," I said, "put up the videos of the reception before the Greuze was brought out, from the cameras mounted over the doors from the lobby into the Main Hall, and each front corner of the Main Hall." She did, and I drove the computer and paused it where I wanted to.

"Okay, you've all heard of 'Mission: Impossible'." I said. "The original television show of the 1960s and -70s had the plot where ordinary people were trained and then called together to go on secret missions. In our real world, those IMF teams do exist, but not like the television show or the movies."

Your Iron Crowbar (YIC): "In this case, I observe four people that I suspect were acting as a team. The young woman carrying the tray of drinks is first. She's looking around at everyone and everything, and she continued to carry the empty tray around for a good few minutes before positioning herself between the Greuze and the Gift Shop door."

YIC: "Next is the younger man that was one of the two Security guards for the painting. He has military bearing; his uniform is perfectly-fitting, his shoes are shined to a military standard, his haircut and freshly-shaved face also showing that standard. The other guard is slovenly, and as Detective Rodriguez said, his shoes are in a deplorable condition; indeed, if any TCPD Officer looked that bad, I'd lock his or her heels and chew him or her out until he or she was crying. But the issue here is that most of the Security guards tended towards the bad example here, and the good example man is the one who stands out like a sore thumb."

YIC: "Additionally, before he goes to get the Greuze, he and the young woman exchange eye contact no less than three times, though they do not speak to each other. He also looks over the room at specific places, one of them being where the smoke grenade was thrown, another towards the back of the Main Hall."

YIC: "The third person is the plainclothes Federal Agent in the very back of the room. He also happens to be the Secret Service Agent that tried to lay hands on my daughter, and the Sheriff saved his life by putting his gun in the man's earhole." The Sheriff's mustaches were twitching merrily at that.

"YIC: "The security guard nods at the Agent in the back just seconds before the smoke grenade is popped, and the Agent disappears around back. After hearing Julius say the videocamera feeds stopped being recorded and the wifi going out, I can make an 'edumacated' guess where he was going and what he was doing at the time of the incident."

YIC: "And the fourth person... is one of the Federal Marshals, or is impersonating a Federal Marshal." I went to different places in the video. "He came into the Main Hall three times, and made eye contact with the woman with the tray all three times. Just before the grenade was popped, he came in, looked over at the Greuze and the woman, then at the table with the two servers, then at the place the smoke started billowing... and then he ran back to the control room set up in the conference room. I suspect he's the one that immediately locked the doors so no one could get out."

"Why do that, sir?" asked Teddy Parker. "He was too fast. Nobody got out at all."

"And that, Detective Parker, was part of the deception that this whole case has become." I said, then said no more despite the silence hoping I would.

"So the Greuze... never left the Museum?" asked Julia Rodriguez thoughtfully. "But... but they searched the whole place, top to bottom, back to front, before anyone was allowed to leave, even the Agents and the Security, and the Deputies, too. And the search found nothing."

"That is because they did not know where nor how to look." I replied. I got up and said "And I would not dream of making another search for it without more data. The perps will lead us to it, in time. In the meantime, I have places to go, things to do, people to see."

"And so does Captain Michaels." said Teresa Croyle. "Me, in my office. Right now, Captain..."

Part 9 - Pain of the Past

"You weren't here when Angela Harlan murdered Peter Feeley." Laura said to the Chief as she showed him the full clown painting photo she'd taken with her iPhone. "Pull up the crime scene photos, and you'll have to get through the password protection..."

The Chief did so, and groaned when he saw the photos. "Oh my God. They're identical... Corporal Feeley bound to that chair..." He did not finish the sentence as he closed the file.

Laura said "Tanya was engaged to Pete and was carrying his son when he was murdered. Don kept Tanya out of the crime scene, and also prevented her from seeing the crime scene photos. And that is why he cropped off the end of the photo that he had Mary show."

"And he didn't want to say it out loud in front of her, eitherrrr." said the Chief, nodding sadly. "One more thing, Doctor, and I'm aware I'm asking you to talk about your huzzz-bnnnd. He was complaining about not being listened to, and not being belieeeeved. I can assure you that every word he says is listened to and taken into full consideration, though sometimes we want to see more so that we can understand what he's already see-innnng. Does he really believe he's being treated like Cassandra in Trojan mythology?"

Laura said "There's a lot going on with him, Chief. He had to work his ass off to keep Wes Masters from being framed for crimes done by dirty City cops and the Federal-level Swamp Frogs." (Author's note: 'Who Watches The Watchers'.)

Laura: "The Feds, even the ones he considers to be good, treated him like shit, so he turned in his FBI credentials. And now stuff he's saying is getting back to the Swamp Frogs, to be used against him... but if he doesn't say anything, Cindy is right there verbally slamming him for holding back, and she's been doing that to him for years. And today you were about to do the same thing."

"In hindsight, I can see that." said Chief Moynahan. "What do we need to doooo?"

Laura said "I would say he needs a vacation, a week off to relax and forget everything. To just recharge the batteries. But now is not the time. I was sorry to see him turn in his FBI credentials because the Swamp Frogs are getting worse. They're more active, and that little shit David Rovers was openly insulting him and goading him. They're up to something, and we need Don here to catch it and stop it."

"We-ell," said the Chief, "he didn't stop the theft of the Greuze."

"Oh?" Laura replied. "Want to put a hundred on it that he'll have the case solved by the time of the Council meeting Tuesday?"

"Nooooo." the Chief said. "I am not stoop-idddd...."

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

"You weren't here during the Black Widow case, when Corporal Feeley was murdered?" Teresa said after she and Claire Michaels reached her office.

"No ma'am." said Claire. "I got here the summer after that." (Author's note: 'Dark Side of the Force', Ch. 01.)

Teresa was typing furiously on her computer, then printed out two photos. "This is the full photo of the clown painting. And the other one is from the Corporal Feeley murder crime scene."

"Ohhhhh." said Claire as she examined them side-by-side.

Teresa said "Tanya Perlman was Pete's fiancée at the time, and Commander Troy prevented her from seeing the crime scene. And that's why he cropped the photo that was shown, and he wasn't going to talk about it while Tanya was in the room."

Claire said "So whoever created this clown art knew about that case, knew enough to paint a replication of it, and put it in the painting to cause Commander Troy pain. That's despicable."

"Yes it is." said Teresa. "But first things first: I suggest you apologize to Commander Troy for your insubordination in that meeting, and that you never again go against him in front of others like you did." She took the photos she'd printed and shredded them, then said "You're dismissed..."

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

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

I'd barely gotten into my office when Tanya Perlman Muscone drove in right behind me and parked on the dime on the door in front of my desk. I had not sat down yet, and just turned to look at her.

"It was Pete, wasn't it?" Tanya said. "That part of the painting you cropped off, it was Pete."

I went over and shut the door, then sat down in the near-side hot chair next to her. I made sure to look right in her eyes as I said "As you know, I kept you away from that crime scene and made sure you couldn't access the photos, because I did not want what was in there to be your last memory of Pete."

"And I'm still not sure you did the right thing, though you meant well." Tanya said, her eyes sparkling... with forming tears.

I said "I am sure. It still haunts me from time to time, and I am very comfortable with the decision I made to keep you out of there. Anyhoo, yes, what was at the end of that painting is from that crime scene, and in very exact detail. And it obviously was meant to cause me pain and anger, but maybe to cause you pain, as well. And so I had Mary put up a cropped-off version. And I probably can't stop you from seeing that whole painting, but I would ask that you don't try to see it."

Tanya nodded. "Wow, that's some serious hatred to do that. Does Aurus really hate you that badly?"

I said "Like I said before, I'm not convinced it was Aurus that created it. And think about it... how would Aurus even know what that crime scene had looked like?"

"Yeah." Tanya said thoughtfully. Then I saw that she was unable to hold back any further. I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around her in a hug, and she began sobbing as she held on to me, her anchor in her sea of misery.

And I resolved to make whoever had put that into the painting pay a heavy price for causing my Angel that misery...

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

Some minutes later, Claire Michaels came to my office and stood in front of at attention. "Sir, I wish to apologize for my actions earlier today------"

"Me toooooo." said the Chief as he came in behind her without knocking. He's the Police Chief; he can get away with that. He continued: "I believe that Captain Michaels and I both understand much more than we did beforrrrre."

"At ease, Captain." I said. "Sit down please, both of you." As they sat down in the hot chairs, I said "We need to discuss how we're going to get the Greuze back..."

Part 10 - Interrogations

4:00pm, Saturday, March 20th. Claire Michaels came to my office and said "The attorneys finally showed up. The two servers at the champagne table and the fat guard have public defenders. The squared-away guard and the Gift Shop employee have... other representation.

"Gresham & Mason?" I asked. "Nathan Masterson and Chip Blake?"

"You're half right, sir." said Claire. "Chip Blake, and Edward N. Parker. That guy Parker looks like The Riddler from the comic books, but I digress. Do you want their clients first?"

"Yeah, put the Gift Shop guy in I-1 and the guard in I-2." I said.

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

"Okay, Teddy, you're with me." I said to Teddy Parker. He and I went into I-2, where Chip Blake and the squared-away security guard were. One of our SWAT Team Officers was the Uniformed presence. The young man seated at the table was now wearing the stylish orange jumpsuit and slippers that was the fashion of the TCPD's 'hospitality suite', and he had been deprived of his belt and shoelaces.

Chip Blake said nothing as Parker and I sat down. I said "O-kayyyy, I am going to read your client Nicholas J. Mancini his rights."

"His name is Matt Jones." Chip Blake said.

"Today his name is Matt Jones." I replied. "Yesterday, his name was United States Marine Captain Nicholas Mancini. Tomorrow his name will be 'State Prisoner' Nicholas Mancini. But first things first." I read the man his rights from the card. He nodded his acknowledgement, and did not invoke immediately.

"And before you invoke," I said, "I'll just ask you one question: how is it that an Annapolis graduate and Marine Corps Officer with a very promising career has stooped to the level of participating in the theft of a painting like you were caught doing today?"

Mancini said "Before I invoke, I'll say one thing, and this is not an admission of guilt. That batty old Jew that owned that painting does not deserve the money from auctioning it, and she has been stopped from giving the money from its sale to kike causes. And you, Bar Code Troy, can shove your red crowbar up your Jewish ass. I now invoke my Fifth Amendment rights, and will answer none of your questions." Chip Blake was grinning happily at the insults that had been hurled at me.

"I think we're done here." I said brightly to Parker. We got up and left the room.

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

The Gift Shop employee was in I-1. He was being represented by Edward N. Parker of Gresham & Mason, P.C., who had helped Matthew Willis's legal team in the 'Price No Object' case.

"Walter Corning." I said. "You were arrested as a material witness and person of interest in the theft of the Lost Greuze." I read him his rights from the card, and he said he understood them.

I looked at my file on him. "Okay, you're a third year student at the University, majoring in Art History. I'll buy that for a dollar. Worked in the Gift Shop last school year, laid off during the renovation, came back when the Gift Shop reopened. I'll buy that for a dollar, too."

Corning was 21 years old and reminded me of Jesse Smallwood of the Peter Blassingame/Tau Fraternity case (Author's note: 'Unresolved'; 'Vox Populi Vox Dei', Ch. 03.). He was a bit heavyset, a bit pudgy, and he face looked a little bit dumb. But his eyes gave away a shrewdness that Smallwood had not had.

I continued: "And then there's... oh my!... two classes taught by Dr. Lionel Carmela, and you got 'A's in both of them. That speaks volumes. Hmmm... you're a member of the student group 'Students for Climate Justice', whatever that means. What does that mean, (air quotes) 'climate justice'?"

"It means we will get justice for the earth against those who are destroying the earth and consuming its resources for their own profit. And against anyone who doesn't respect the settled science that proves Climate Change is real." snarled Walter Corning.