Sugar and Spice Ch. 02

"Good morning, ma'am. Good morning, honey." said Todd, kissing Teresa on the cheek as he came up.

"Oh, do call me 'Aunt Clarissa' like your lovely wife is entitled to." Clarissa said. "Have a seat, have some breakfast. I hope everything is going well back home."

"Thank you, and it is." said Todd. "I was just getting some routine reports. And Uncle Don says hi, Teresa." Teresa nodded in acknowledgement of the unspoken confirmation that Todd had talked to Don about Jen Sakai, and perhaps other things.


"Good morning, Grandma Clarissa!" said Beatrice as she appeared at the door, followed by her sister Eugenia. "Good morning, Todd and Teresa." Eugenia also greeted everyone as they sat down to breakfast...

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

10:00am. The other adults were just beginning to have their breakfasts when Teresa sat down next to her aunt on the sofa in the 'sitting room', as Clarissa called it, the original room where they had first met Clarissa. Beatrice and Eugenia were in chairs just across from them, and Todd was sitting nearby but slightly apart from the others.

As she handed Teresa a large book of photographs, Clarissa said "Thanks to the marvels of modern technology, I've reproduced all the photos of your mother Sarah that I have, and put them into this book for you to take home, if you like."

"Thank you, that's very thoughtful." Teresa said. She opened the book to see photos of her mother, from the time she was a baby to not long after her high school graduation.

"Your mother went to college, and met your father." said Clarissa. "She brought him home... once. It became clear that the family did not think much of him, nor he of us. Physically, he was a handsome man, tall, strong, everything you'd expect an Army Officer to be. He had a strong, commanding presence, which I see in you, Teresa. He was a natural leader, and he embraced it. And it was clear he loved Sarah, and she loved him."

"So what went wrong?" Teresa asked.

"As you know," Clarissa said, "the Vietnam War was raging in the late 1960s, and he was actually looking forward to going over there. My grandfather's business grew as a result of making candies for soldiers in World War Two, but they cut off his contract after the Japanese surrender. He did not blame the military, but I think my father did, and my mother definitely did. And on top of it, you can generally see the political direction of this family, with Colin being the most extreme example."

Teresa said "But Robert Edwards isn't. He's a Republican."

"True." said Clarissa. "But he married into the family. Clara is fairly neutral in her politics, and doesn't speak much about political issues, but she is not necessarily in sync with him on things... and please note that they never had any children."

Clarissa: "Anyway, after meeting your father, my father attempted to force Sarah to have nothing more to do with him. She rebelled, and things grew quite heated. I might say that Sarah was always the 'rebel' (air quotes) of the family. She often went her own way, did what she wanted, broke the rules, dated the most disreputable of young men... which made it all the more surprising that she fell in love with your father, a committed military man."

Clarissa: "Two weeks later, Sarah ran away from home. Apparently she and your father had anticipated potential problems, and had everything planned for her to pack a bag of clothes and meet him somewhere nearby. We... never saw her alive again."

She spoke the last words sadly. Then she said "My father searched for her. He hired detectives, but they were not 'Iron Crowbar' quality, and they failed completely. He contacted the Army to find your father, but they would give us no information about him. Despite all of his power, my father never found either of them."

Clarissa: "Many junior Officers that were sent over there never came back alive, so we thought he would be killed in Viet Nam, and Sarah would come back home. But she never did---"

Colin Esterson came into the room. "So, didn't die in Viet Nam, after all." he said. "What, did he have a cushy desk job in Ho Chi Min City? Run a mess hall or something?"

Todd saw the merest flash in Teresa's eyes, that often foreshadowed somebody getting hurt. But she remained calm as she said "My father was in the 173d Airborne Brigade, leading his soldiers in some of the hardest combat of the Vietnam War. After the 173d came home in 1971, his unit remained and undertook some of the most dangerous missions of the war. He was wounded leading a rescue of a team of Green Berets, for which he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor a few years ago."

"Colin, you owe your cousin an apology." Clarissa said strongly. Colin was not happy about it, but he stepped up and did the right thing.

"No offense meant. I do apologize." he said. Teresa let it go. "How did your mother pass away?" Colin asked.

"In childbirth, delivering me." Teresa said. "I never knew her."

"Did she have cancer, like you had?" Clarissa asked.

"I don't know." Teresa said. "From my conversations with... a gynecologist at University Hospital, who found my cancer and got me treatment for it, it could have been any of several things. My own understanding is that the doctors of that time did not realize she was bleeding out until it was too late to help her."

"That must have been hard on your dad." Beatrice said, not realizing just how much of an understatement that was.

"Worse. He never got over it." Teresa said. She began telling the basics of her story of growing up with Alexis, leaving the worst parts out, but telling how Alexis's death on Christmas Eve had driven her father over the edge, and also had affected her (Teresa's) life for many years. As she told the story, the rest of the family trickled in.

"Just a few months ago," Teresa said, finishing up, "someone vandalized my mother's headstone over her grave. We went to check it out, and came across some things, including who my mother really was and the inheritance that ultimately came to me." (Author's note: 'Centuries'.)

"Wow." Beatrice said sadly. "I don't know what I would've done if I'd been in that situation. You're very tough."

"Not really." Teresa admitted. "I was beginning to spiral down, too. And then the Iron Crowbar pulled me out of the abyss. I'm here... literally, still here on this earth... because of him."

Then she looked at Beatrice and Eugenia and said "The Iron Crowbar takes care of his people, his Police Officers, and his family. He does not leave any of us behind, bleeding on the battlefield. And that's what I want to be remembered for, also. You two will never have to endure the unendurable, because I will be there for you if and when you need me..."

Part 8 - Infinity Circle

"Any more on that drug case?" Jack Muscone asked as he, Tanya, Cindy, and I were eating lunch at the Cop Bar.

"Yes, I think so." I replied. "First of all, please thank Dwight Stevens and Ashton Cardigan for their help. I've gotten every piece of information I've asked for about the operation."

"And what does that data tell you?" Muscone asked.

"Well," I said, "the names of those undercover agents that allegedly put the L-sugars into the original heroin shipments are redacted, and rightly so. But I've also come to realize that just trying to put some sugar into the pure product would not have been feasible. Ergo, while I think Dwight Stevens believes what he was told, that heroin was not supplied at the beginning of the chain... I believe it was."

"Aw, crap." said Muscone. "You're probably right. And that makes this thing bad, like 'Fast & Furious' was vis-a-vis guns."

"Yes, maybe." I said. "But here's my deduction from that: the DEA made up several large batches of pure heroin, then somehow got some of it into the hands of the original distributors. And then they started doing their tracing job. That led me to peeking into some files that not even most of the 'CHICAGO SPICE' team know about."

I continued: "I discovered that six batches were made: three with L-glucose that went to Texas; and three with more complex sugars, that went to Miami. One batch of L-heroin, for lack of a better term, was substituted for a batch en route to Houston, Texas. Another was sold at the source in Mexico. The same in Miami: the perps's batch was substituted for in a warehouse, while another was sold to the suppliers."

"What happened to the stuff they confiscated and swapped with the L-heroin?" Jack asked.

"That is one thread I'm still looking into, and it may take some time." I said. "It might have been destroyed... it should have been destroyed... or it might've been laced with more L-sugars in another facet of the operation."

"Anyhoo," I went on, "that left a couple of big batches left from the original source product. Since the stuff was 'off-book', and meant to supply heroin in the first place, those batches were likely stored somewhere for future use. I have not yet found anything that is telling me where the batches were stored nor what happened to them."

I continued: "As to the important question of where the L-sugar the Block House Boyz were using to cut their product with came from? I think that's what I'm going to be looking at next..."

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

After lunch, as Cindy and I drove to County Jail, she said "Was it just me, or was Jack really pressing you for information?"

"He was pressing." I said. "And he has been ever since we discovered the L-sugar secret and I had him call Dwight Stevens. What's your vibe on it?"

"He's... nervous." Cindy said. "But I'm not sure exactly why nor what about. I don't think he's worried that you'll find something out, but maybe he's worried that whatever comes out may be more harmful than good."

I said "And taking that further, what do you infer from it?"

"That this could be like 'Fast & Furious', and embarrass the Federal Government?" Cindy guessed.

I replied: "You know how frogs drink water all day just in case you pick them up? I'm thinking along the lines that we may have picked up a frog... a Swamp Frog, and it's going to get messy."

There is a building on the grounds of County Jail, separate from the Jail and Precinct facilities, and enclosed by another layer of fencing with triple-concertina wire on top. It was the long-term Evidence Warehouse. In addition to older evidence, we stored large size or large quantity items there.

We drove up, and I was happy to see that Lt. Jerome Davis, Sr. Detective Joanne Warner, and Sr. Patrolman (soon to be Detective-1) Penny Scott were waiting for us, as was DEA Special Agent Juan Alberto Morales It is possible that Cindy was happier than I was to see who else was there: FBI Special Agent Tim Jenkins.

"You're looking much better, these days, Mr. Jenkins." I said as we came up to them and I shook his hand.

"I'm feeling better, now that I have this case to work on." said Tim "And it's shaping up to be a big one."

"All of the Iron Crowbar's cases somehow end up that way." said Cindy.

"And we wouldn't have it any other way, ma'am!" Joanne Warner said brightly.

"Okay," I said, "we're here to examine the evidence from the Block House Boyz bust. And after we look at the evidence, a couple of us will interview the arrested suspects while the rest of you will have to watch from the anteroom."

We went inside and checked in. A Deputy Sheriff escorted us to where the evidence was being stored. "It's all stacked on the shelves of that far wall, sir." the Deputy said.

"What about the cutting agents?" I asked. "Are they in here, too?"

"They should be, sir." said the Deputy. "We don't separate drugs from non-drug paraphernalia. The only things we ever store separately are explosives and flammables, including unfired bullet cartridges."

"Okay, thanks." I said. We went into the fenced-in room and started to look at the packaging.

"Ah, this is interesting." I said, picking up (in my latex-gloved hands) a kilo brick of pure China White, wrapped in plastic. "Any of you ever see this symbol before?" It was a sideways '8', the symbol for Infinity. Through each circle of the 8 was one large circle."

"The Eighth Street Latinos?" suggested Joanne Warner.

"They do use an '8' as a symbol," I said, "but it would be upright, and this '8' is on it's side. It's the symbol for Infinity. Juan, have you come across this in your DEA work?"

"No sir, I can't say that I have." said Morales as he examined it. He got out his iPhone and took a photo of it, then used an app to run it. Meanwhile, I was looking through boxes until I found what I wanted to find.

"Eureka!" I said. "They're here!"

"What is it, sir?" Jerome Davis asked as he looked into the box.

"The cutting agents." I said. "Our CSIs and Crime Lab were kind enough to label the packages. These are bags of cornstarch, and this one bag is sugar... and I'll bet it's the source of the L-sugar the Crime Lab found."

"It is, sir." said Joanne Warner as she looked through the paperwork and checked the ID numbers against the analysis reports.

"And lo! and behold!" I said. "That Infinity Circle logo is on the box of the stuff. That's pretty huge." I photographed the box of sugar, which was a plain white box with the logo hand-drawn on it.

*CHIME!*

It was Morales's app on his iPhone. After reading the information, he said "You were right, Commander... this symbol is in the DEA's national database as being from a gang called 'Infinity Circle'. There's nothing here on them; it says 'contact your Special Agent In Charge for more information'."

"Don, how did you know that name 'Infinity Circle'?" Cindy Ross wanted to know.

"Uh, just a guess?" I tried. "It's the Infinity symbol and a circle." Cindy wasn't buying it, and Joanne and Jerome caught on quickly.

"You don't guess. You know." Cindy replied. "Spill it, Crowbar 1."

"All right, you got me." I said, realizing I'd made a mistake in saying the name. "Yes, it's the logo of a drug gang called 'Infinity Circle'. And since you all have clearances, I can tell you this, but don't say even one word of it to anyone else. 'Infinity Circle is a front... it's really the DEA itself."

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

In County Jail, Wahir Al-Jabazz of the Block House Boyz gang and his Court-appointed attorney were waiting in I-1 when we got there. I said that Lt. Jerome Davis would go in with me, while the others watched and listened in from the anteroom I had an earbud in my ear, so that those in the anteroom could ask a question through me if something came up.

Their eyes barely flickered when Jerome went into the interrogation room, but the same could not be said when Your Iron Crowbar appeared in the doorway a second later. The lawyer looked surprised. Al-Jabazz looked totally shocked... and afraid.

"What have I done," said Al-Jabazz shakily, "to merit the personal attention of the Iron Crowbar?"

"It's just your lucky day." I said, not saying if it was his good or bad luck.

Jerome read Al-Jabazz his rights from the card, then said "We know you have not invoked yet. We just have a couple of questions for you. First, where did you get the pure China White from?"

"My client is not answering questions like that without an Immunity Agreement." said the lawyer. I laughed out loud.

"I have to admire you for the grandiose level of your fantasies." I said. "We have your client dead to rights on numerous drug charges. I may consider cutting him a plea deal like he was cutting that smack with that sugar... if he cooperates."

"Immunity, or nothing." said the lawyer. Al-Jabazz put his hand up, stopping the lawyer from continuing. The lawyer looked put out, rolling his eyes when Al-Jabazz whispered something to him, but then said "My client insists upon us hearing you out. What's your offer?"

"Everything dropped to misdemeanor status if your client cooperates fully." I said. "Which means much less time in jail, but there will be either parole or deportation, depending on what the judge wants to do. But I'm not even promising that."

"What are your questions, then?" asked the lawyer.

I said "Like my fellow Officer here asked, where did the Block House Boyz get that product? And where did they get those cutting agents?" The lawyer looked impassive, but Al-Jabazz peered at me.

"Why do I think that you are more interested in those cutting agents than the product itself?" he asked. I did not let my face show anything as he peered hard at me.

"I'm interested in all of it." I replied. "So what's your answer?"

"I will only say this, and it is not a confession to anything." said Al-Jabazz. "Jacquez Wilson, may he rest in peace, obtained the supplies of everything. He had a deal with someone, I know not who. He obtained everything very cheaply, even the China White. The cutting agents were familiar to Jacquez, may he rest in peace. They were seized by the DEA after those filthy Federal Agents did not find any drugs... just the cornstarch and Monopoly money."

"Ah, so you know about that." I replied.

"As you apparently do, Iron Crowbar." snarled the lawyer. "Did you throw Curtis Halsey into that metal grinder?"

"I'm not the one being interrogated here." I replied flatly. "Wahir, you will get the deal if you tell me who Jacquez's trading partner was?"

Al-Jabazz shook his head slowly. "I sincerely do not know. Your Vice Squad was very good; they were pinching off the normal supplies. And the shipment had fentanyl; Jacquez, may he rest in peace, did not like dealing in fentanyl. It was too inconsistent, and he did not want to sell bad product that would kill people accidentally. Bad for his reputation, and for business."

"No doubt about that." I said. Then I heard in my earpiece to ask him if he knew where Jacquez Wilson got the C-4 plastique from.

"Any idea where the plastique came from, the stuff that blew up and killed Jacquez and his associates?" I asked. As I expected, the lawyer stepped in.

"Don't answer that." said the wily lawyer. "That's totally outside the scope of the charges against my client. Go fishing somewhere else, Iron Crowbar."

"And I don't know anything about the explosives." said Al-Jabazz, earning a rebuke from the attorney.

"This interview is over." said the attorney. "You've colored outside the lines, Iron Crowbar."

"Did I." I replied flatly. But Jerome and I got up and left, anyway.

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

"We interviewed everyone." I told the Chief as those of us at County Jail and Captain Tanya P. Muscone sat with him in the Main Conference Room. "Al-Jabazz was the most forthcoming, but I don't think the others knew much of anything. I did get one tidbit from Al-Jabazz... he did know the source of that product and cutting agent, though he may not have known individual names."

"And who was that source?" asked the Chief.

"Anyone want a shot at the title?" I asked the room.

"Undercover DEA Agents?" said Cindy Ross.

"Close." I said. "Verrrry close. Let me put this sequence together for y'all: Al-Jabazz was not one of those at the Block House when it blew up, lucky for him. So he wasn't one of Jacquez Wilson's closest people, but he was a trusted associate vis-a-vis drugs. He knew where the cornstarch came from... and his lawyer had the temerity to ask me about an event that happened that same night, but I digress."

Your Iron Crowbar: "So Wahir knew that. I also remember that I believe KXTC was the source of the tips that led to the gang's arrests. KXTC heard what some of us heard: that the Block House Boyz thought KXTC had betrayed them, which may be true."

Your Iron Crowbar: "But it occurs to me that KXTC was working closely with the US DOJ Civil Rights Division to blame the Police for any violence caused by Jacquez. And who else has been working with Ava Hinds and the Civil Rights Division? The Swamp Frogs."