Smoke on the Water Ch. 01

Claire nodded. "Yes sir." she said.

I said "So to answer your question: yes, I am your point of contact for all things regarding Federal Agents."

Claire said "Thank you, sir. As to our cases, Purvis is working on the credit card fraud cases, and Vice is working on the fentanyl rumors. Lieutenant Rudistan is going to contact Dwight Stevens of the DEA, unless you object, sir..."

I said "I don't object, but you might do that yourself. You can get to know Supervisory Special Agent Stevens, and I'm sure he's going to like you far more than he likes me." I reiterated how I'd unpleasantly surprised Stevens a few times. (Author's note: 'Schoolhouse Rock')

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

The door opened, revealing the Duty Desk Sergeant who said "Sir, ma'am, a dead body was called in half an hour ago. One responding Officer was taken ill at the scene, but I don't have details..."

Part 3 -... And By Force

10:05am, Monday, November 9th. The Town & County Farmers Market was in the southwest part of the County, situated just off County Road 5, and also accessible by the Bypass. It was in the Farmer's Market Restaurant parking lot that a body was found.

When I drove up, there were a number of Police vehicles, an EMS ambulance, and a Public Health Department HAZMAT unit already on the scene. Two Press vans had been held back outside the lines. I was allowed to drive in, but was stopped before getting close to the body.

After giving Patrolman Culver my badge number, I said "What is going on up there?"

"I'm not sure, sir." said Culver. "I know that a Police Officer took ill and was taken to Hospital, and then a HAZMAT crew showed up, but I have no further details."

"Okay, keep up the good work keeping the Press out." I replied. I parked near some other Police vehicles, and Claire Michaels parked next to me. We walked towards the body and the people surrounding it, both of us wearing standard armor over our uniforms. I was wearing my trenchcoat over the armor, a star on each shoulder epaulette,. Claire was wearing the leather 'bomber' jacket with an embroidered badge over the heart and metal Captain bars on the shoulder epaulettes.

"What's going on here, Lieutenant Davis?" I asked MCD Lieutenant Jerome Davis, who was wearing the standard blue Police work jacket over his uniform and armor.

"Good morning, sir, ma'am." said Davis. "First, I have to tell you that you need to stay here with me and not get closer yet. What happened is that a body, a female in her twenties, was found in the parking lot but near the entrance to the restaurant. There's no video coverage of this area, so we don't know if she was coming or going."

Davis: "Parker and Rodriguez were the first Detectives on the scene. The woman had some powdery residue around her lips and nose, and Parker sniffed at her face. He immediately became ill, having trouble breathing. Rodriguez immediately gave him the fentanyl antidote injection we carry around, and Parker stabilized. He was instructed by Lieutenant DeLong to be taken to the hospital to get checked out."

Davis: "At that point our Uniformed Officers on scene did the right things: they secured the scene and set up a perimeter, then called the Public Health Department to get a 'level one' response, a couple of people with masks and proper gear to come handle the scene and transport the body to the Morgue. Instead, we got a 'level two' response, a full-on four man HAZMAT team with full protective gear, special masks and breathing apparatus, acting like there's been a spill of radioactive anthrax or something."

I said "Yeah, it may be overkill, but I won't complain about being safe rather than sorry. Remember the 'frozen mothballs'." (Author's note: 'Frozen Mothballs', Ch. 01.)

"Yes sir." said Jerome. "What bothers me, sir, ma'am, is that the KXTC Press van was right behind the HAZMAT truck. Right behind it. We stopped them from coming past the outer perimeter, of course, but they were here."

"Do you know which reporter it was, or is, as the case may be?" I asked.

"Yes sir. Amber Harris." said Jerome. I nodded and looked around. I saw the KXTC Press van, and a camera mounted on the roof, filming the scene. I surmised the athletic blonde reporterette and her crew were buttoned up inside the van; ergo, they knew this was a dangerous substance situation...

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

"Good morning, Martha." I said as Martha the M.E. came up to us. "You know Claire Michaels?"

"Yes, I do. Welcome home, Captain." said Martha. She then looked up at me and said "I believe the substance on the woman's face is fentanyl, but the HAZMAT guys are taking no chances. They've sealed the body in a plastic bag, and put that in a body bag, and they'll transport it to the Morgue."

"Will it be safe in the Morgue?" Claire asked.

"Yes." said Martha. "The autopsy room can be sealed off with a HAZMAT-capable air filtration system. I'll wear a Tyvex suit and a chemical mask, then clean it up after the autopsy is done."

"We had that installed after the 'frozen mothballs' case." I added.

As the body was loaded into the HAZMAT vehicle, which was similar to ambulances and paddywagons but tricked up to deal with hazardous substances (or viruses) situations, I looked around again. The camera had disappeared from the top of the KXTC Press van; it appeared they were getting ready to follow the HAZMAT vehicle to the Morgue. I saw a few other cars, as well; apparently they were too-curious passers-by.

"Jerome," I said quietly, "have a couple of Patrol cruisers escort the HAZMAT vehicle, one in front and one behind. Lightbar turned on on the front vehicle."

"Yes sir." said Davis, who went to the nearest Uniformed Officer to borrow his radio and implement my instructions.

"Sir," asked Captain Michaels, "do you think this is that dangerous a situation?"

I replied: "I doubt it, but that Press vehicle is about to follow the HAZMAT vehicle, and I want to make it look like we're taking this situation seriously. If we don't, they'll accuse us of (air quotes) 'endangering the Public by letting a vehicle with a hazard substance drive through Town without an escort'. Of course, they'll accuse us of that, anyway..." I let the sentence hang.

"Sir," said a clearly surprised and skeptical Cpt. Michaels, "is the Press really that bad?"

"Oh, yezzzz, Ms. Michaels." drawled Chief Moynahan, who'd just come up behind us. "And worrrrrrse. That's why I'm here, or else they'll say the Town & County Police Chief doesn't care about hazardous material incidents."

ADA Savannah Fineman had appeared with the Chief, wearing a fur coat over her white blouse, black skirt and black high heel pumps. "What's going on here?" she asked brusquely.

"We're trying to find that out ourselves." I replied. "What brings you here, Ms. Fineman?"

"Obviously a serious crime has happened here, along with the HAZMAT Team being sent out." Savannah replied. "And Don, you know Miriam wants us to be more involved from the beginnings of the criminal investigations."

I asked "Are you here for Vice or MCD? We know we have likely drug involvement, but nothing yet to suggest it'll be an MCD case."

"Either way, Miriam called me and told me to come out here." Savannah said, not answering me any further, and thus denying me the information I really wanted to know: which ADA, her or Paulina, was going to be assigned to MCD or to Vice...

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

The convoy of vehicles pulled out. Jerome had rejoined us and we all went up to where the body had been found. Julia Rodriguez had been wearing a protective mask, and was taking it off and replacing the filter immediately per standard operating procedure.

"That was excellent work giving Parker that antidote so quickly, Detective." I told Julia, complimenting her in front of her bosses, and especially the Chief. "So what happened here?"

Julia began: "Thank you, sir. An employee coming in to work saw the body right in front of the front steps. She ran inside and the manager and two others came out and took her pulse, finding none. They called 9-1-1, and Johnson and his trainee, Patrolman Smith, arrived first. They secured the scene and established the first perimeter."

Julia: "Then Teddy... er, Detective Parker, and I arrived. He saw the powder around the woman's lips and on her nose and forehead, and sniffed it. He began reacting immediately, and I administered the fentanyl antidote and he stopped reacting. He stayed awake the whole time, but by that time Lieutenant DeLong had come up and ordered Parker to go with the paramedics to the hospital, then called for a HAZMAT unit------'

"If I may interrupt for just one second," said the aforementioned Lt. DeLong, "I called for their two-man team that we normally call for when we have a powdery substance issue, like fentanyl or suspected anthrax. They'll wear Tyvex suits and masks, and can quickly test the substance in question. What we got was the full-meal-deal four-man team in full HAZMAT suits."

DeLong: "I asked their leader why they sent the full team when I asked for the two-man team, and he said the call had come in for the four-man team. I didn't argue with him, but I will put it in my report that I asked for the two-man team."

"Yes, do that." I said. "I was told the KXTC Press van literally followed the HAZMAT van to the scene, and I smell a rat, there."

"Does that matter?" Savannah Fineman interjected sharply. "Why wouldn't you want the full protection team?"

"Overkill." I replied. "It could hinder our investigation, and our case for the D.A.'s Office." I didn't mention the other, also important reasons: the optics, the chances for the Press to misreport the situation and gin it up into something worse than it was, and their desire to unnecessarily scare the hell out of the Public... and also what I was perceiving to be something suspicious about the whole thing.

"Go ahead, Detective Rodriguez." I said.

Julia said "My apologies if I misrepresented you, Lieutenant." DeLong nodded, then Julia continued: "Once the HAZMAT team got here, I masked up, put on a Tyvex suit, and watched them work. The deceased woman is white, light brown hair, appears to be in her twenties. She was wearing a white blouse and lime green skirt, white stockings and no shoes. There was no purse, cellphone, nor ID on her person nor in the area. Martha will run fingerprints as part of the autopsy."

Julia: "While I was with the body, Johnson and the trainee were interviewing the employees. They park in back and go in the back door, so it's not surprising that several people came in the other way and didn't see the body."

"They don't serve breakfast here?" Claire asked.

"Only on weekends." I replied. "The Country Breakfast Diner north of here and closer to the center of Town took all the weekday breakfast business. They also have exhibits and things like gun shows at the Farmer's Market on the weekends, so the restaurant here has a massive brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. So did the employees have anything of value to tell us?"

Julia replied "Not much sir, just how the body was found and what they did when they found it. Johnson did ask if anyone saw a purse or cellphone, and they all said they don't remember seeing one."

"All right, then." I said. "It'll be up to Martha to find out------"

*BWEEEEE!*

It was the break button sound on our radios, and it was followed by chilling words: "Break! Break! Break! Mayday! Mayday! This is the HAZMAT truck. We are under attack! I say again, we are under attack!..."

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

We drove at high rates of speed up County Road 5 towards the intersection with Jefferson Avenue and it's bridge over the River. The HAZMAT vehicle, which I'll just call 'the truck', and two Police cruisers were on the side of the road, all three burning their lightbars. The front Police cruiser was facing the truck, as if going the wrong way Two old-model cars were bracketing the truck, the front one having cut off the truck, the second one behind the truck.

Two dead perps were lying on the ground next to the doors of the cab of the truck. Two more perps were lying behind the second old car, whose trunk lid was open. Between the perps was the body bag containing the mortal remains of the deceased woman from the Farmers Market Restaurant.

Further behind was the KXTC Press van. Amber Harris and her cameraman were right behind the rear Police cruiser, filming everything. Amber was talking into her microphone, recording what she was seeing, which she could edit into the video later.

I got on the radio and said "Clear those Press people! Force them back 500 feet, and make them move their van back! If they don't comply, arrest them and confiscate their camera and impound the van!"

I got out of my Police SUV. The Chief, Captain Michaels, and Lt. Davis had parked behind me, and caught up to me as I came up to Amber and her cameraman, who were furiously arguing with the two Uniformed Officers trying to force them back.

"I've got this, Mr. Crowbarrrr." the Chief said. "You go up and find out what the hell just happened here."

"Yes sir." I said. I went on up to the scene. "Is everyone okay? Any casualties on our side?"

"No sir." said Sergeant Chester Morton, who had been in the lead Police cruiser, which was being driven by Sr. Patrolman Johnson. Sergeant Clark had been in the follow-up vehicle, which was being driven by Sr. Patrolman Meir.

"You first, Morton." I said. "What happened?"

"Sir," said Sergeant Morton, "we were in the lead vehicle, and we noticed the truck wasn't behind us, then saw that it had been cut off by that car. We did a 180 and rushed back. Two men were yelling for the truck driver and passenger to open the doors, and fired shots at the windows and the windshield. The glass is bulletproof, so our guys weren't hurt. When we pulled up, the perps shot at us. We returned fire and they dropped dead."

"Clark?" I asked.

Sergeant Clark said "We were trailing behind when a blue car passed us and got between us and the truck. We would've pulled them over, but we had follow-up duty, so I told Meir to burn the lightbar and pass the car. They didn't pull over, but jut slowed down in front of us. That was when we heard the break button sound and the mayday call."

Clark: "I had Meir pull around the blue car, into oncoming traffic, which fortunately moved to the side. When we got to the scene, two guys in the brown car behind the truck had jimmied open the back door with those 'jaws of life' on the ground there..." He pointed at the powerful device on the ground below the back doors.

"I have got to get me some of those!" I said, holding up my red crowbar. "Crowbar on steroids!" Everyone chuckled, then I said "So keep going. They forced open the door?"

"Yes sir." said Clark. "By the time we got here, the perps had removed the body from the back of the truck and were about to put it into the trunk of the car. As we pulled up right behind them, they kept trying to get the body in the truck of their car, but dropped it. That gave us time to draw our gun and order them to surrender. They instead pulled out guns and were about to fire at us, so we shot them."

"Good work." I said. "And keeping them from getting the body may be very crucial. Did you see what happened to the blue car? Did it stop? Continue on?"

Meir said "I think they kept going, but by that time I was watching the car and the perps at the scene, here. We did get their car tag on our dash cam video."

"Get that sent in to the evidence servers and the Intel Department immediately." I said. I went over to the back of the truck and looked inside.

"There's no connection between the cab and the back of the truck here?" I asked as I made just that observation.

"No sir." said the HAZMAT Team leader, who had been riding shotgun up front. "That makes it much easier to separately button up the front and back if we need to."

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Allen, sir. Team Leader, equivalent to a Sergeant in the TCPD."

"So, Allen, were your other two guys in back with the body?" I asked.

"No sir." said Allen. "It's procedure that no one rides in the back if the hazardous materials are there, being transported. Our other guys stayed back at the crime scene, just in case, and we were going to go pick them up after we delivered the body to the Morgue."

"Okay, so what happened?" I asked. "That green car cut you off?"

"Yes sir." said the driver. "it just appeared out of nowhere, it seemed, then it was just there, cutting me off. I hit the brakes and had to go off the road to avoid hitting it. And then those two thugs got out, shot at the windshield, then came up to us and ordered us to open the doors. We're unarmed, so we refused, and the team leader radioed the mayday call. They began shooting at the windows when the Police car that had been ahead of us came back, and they took out the perps."

"Okay, good work. Cool thinking under fire." I said. "By the way, do you have a dashcam?"

"Yes sir, but it wasn't on." said Team Leader Allen.

"Okay." I said. "We'll need you to give your statements, preferrably on camera. And we may need a follow-up interview later."

As the scene was processed, I went back to where the Chief was. After I filled him in on what had happened, he said "If those perps up front were shooting at the people in the truck cab, it's damn lucky no one was in the back of the truck, or they might've been shot dead. But what was the purpose of all this?"

I replied "This is pure speculation, sir, but I think they started shooting immediately to distract the guys in the cab, so that the guys behind the truck could break in and get the body out."

"So the body was the target?" said the Chief.

"Yes sir." I replied. "Excuse me one second; I need to call Martha and let her know to be on the lookout for anything unusual she finds during her autopsy..."

Part 4 - Lunches and Philosophy

One thing I've learned over time is that I have to be patient and let my Police Force and our Medical Examiner do their jobs. When I got back to my office, I wrote up my Police Report and submitted it, then began reviewing maps of the areas of both crimes, then photos and other data submitted by our CSIs.

It was nearly 12:00 noon when I got a call on my cell phone. It was Jack Muscone, asking me to meet him for lunch at the Cop Bar. I said I would leave for the Cop Bar right away.

Since the Archie Brody incident (Author's note: 'Cool For The Summer'.), my relationship with Jack Muscone had never recovered. It had remained professional, but we rarely met for lunch anymore, and virtually never alone. So I knew it had to be a big deal that he'd called me and asked me to meet him for lunch. It was no surprise where he wanted to meet; after all, the owner of the Cop Bar had named the 'Jack's Double Cheeseburger' after him.

When I arrived, Jack was already at the table in the back 'Command Room'. He got up and said "Thanks for coming." as he shook my hand. We sat down, me to his left, both of us having sight of the door to the rest of the facility.

"Something big brewing this morning?" Jack asked.

"It's a 'strangeness', to be sure." I said. "Young woman found dead, very likely of a fentanyl overdose. Then someone carries out a four-man operation to steal the body from us, and that with Police accompanying the vehicle the body was in."

Muscone said "Yeah, that was weird. But why not try to hit it when the body was being unloaded at the Morgue?"

"Would you want to try to do that in what is literally the Police Headquarters parking lot?" I asked back. "Seriously, I'm not sure if the perps realized there was a follow-up Police cruiser, just the one leading. They worked very fast, and it was almost a suicide mission for the guys that cut off the truck. But I need more data, a lot more data, before I try to form any cogent theories on all this."