The Babymaker Ch. 03

"Wow, I'm sorry, Don." Teresa said. "I was just kidding with you. I didn't think the Sheriff would go off like that."

"Neither did I." I said. Then I grinned and said "Well, you've thrown me under the bus again, Iron Wolf!"

Tanya chuckled, but Teresa didn't, so I said "Don't worry about it, Teresa. He knows you weren't serious. And I think that even if you had not said that, he'd have found a reason to go off on leaks after that KXTC report this morning."

"Well," Tanya said, "I better have my wheelchair checked for bugs again."

"All kidding aside, yes, do that." I said.

"Wait, that's it!" Tanya exclaimed.

"What?" Teresa and I said together.

"I just realized what was wrong with that news report... well, not 'wrong', but different." Tanya said. "Neither Bettina nor that new Lemay guy said that Finneran was endorsed by KXTC! Not even once. And usually Bettina can't say that enough."

"You're right, Lady Ironside." I said thoughtfully. "Great observation. And we have to wonder why..."

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

7:40am, Thursday, October 1st. Teresa and I were called into the Chief's office. The Sheriff was not there; he'd just left. As we sat down at the Chief's hand gesture, I saw him take a handkerchief and wipe his brow.

"Everything okay, Chief?" I asked.

"Nooooo, Mr. Crowbarrr." said the Chief. "I know the Iron Wolf was joking, but the Sheriff really took it to heart. Not that she was the Mole, but that someone is, and he thinks we may be being bugged."

Chief Moynahan: "The Sheriff ordered me to begin another forensic search for listening devices in every building and Police cruiser that the TCPD owns or uses. He's going to order the same forensic search for all Public Safety buildings and vehicles, including every Public Health clinic in the County."

Chief Moynahan: "He gave me orders to find out if our Police radios can be turned on or made to be listening devices when we think they're not on or in active 'listen mode'. And he wants me to have Internal Affairs, quote, 'get off their asses and find any leakers', unquote. He's going to do the same for all Divisions of the Public Safety Department, though the I.G.'s Office."

"We'll get it done, then." I said. "I guess we need to look for gym bags appearing in strange places, too... or other devices like that."

"Okayyyy." said the Chief, "do we have anything on the videos you guys found last night?"

I said "Not yet, sir. Mary Milton was putting it all into the encrypted servers last night, and access to the data is restricted to you, me, Teresa, and the Miltons. Not even Cindy can access it. Mary is going to do the facial rec personally. She's going to give me a report right after the Angels Meeting at 8:00am, with whatever she has. I would imagine she and Myron worked all night on it, so if I see that they're exhausted, I'll send them home for a few hours."

The Chief nodded. "Okay, but we're at a critical stage, and if we need them here, keep them here and let them get power naps but keep driving on. It's not that they're the only ones that can do the job, but they already have seen the videos and know what's going on, while very few others dooooo. And I want it to stay that way. I share the Sheriff's (air quotes) 'paranoia' over any leaks, especially after what KXTC has so blatantly done to intentionally destroy Cindy's bizzz-nessss..."

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

The Fox Eight News broadcast did not mention Town Fitness Centers, though they did mention that Police were following 'new leads', but declined to say what those leads were. After it was done, I expertly used the remote to turn off the TV monitor.

As we began the Angels Meeting, with Tanya and Teresa in my office with me, Teresa said "I hate what's happening to Cindy's business. Can you or I make a statement that we're not investigating their customers anymore?"

"Unfortunately, no." I said. "We've got new leads, but we haven't identified the women Carl was inseminating. We need to confirm that they are, or are not, among the gym's customers. And the silver lining, for us at least, is that with KXTC concentrating so hard on the gym, I'm hoping they won't catch wind of this new evidence."

After discussing what we were doing with the case, and with our Police Force, Tanya said "Today is Pete's birthday. We're going to have a party for him on Saturday. You and especially your kids are invited."

"Wow." I said. "Six years old. They grow up fast, don't they?..."

Part 16 - Data Dump

At 9:05am, Thursday, October 1st. Lt. Mary Milton came to my office with her report. I turned my 'fake iPhone' bug killer, which was more powerful than the ink pen. I needed to be absolutely sure, this time.

"I appreciate you and Myron working all night on this." I said after Mary got coffee and sat down. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Yes sir." Mary said. "After you left, Myron got some sleep while I processed the drives. At 2:00am, he relieved me and I got some sleep while the facial recs were processing. I got up and put together the report at 6:00am. So I'm good for a while."

"Good." I said. "We're going to need you and Myron, mostly because you already know about this, and we want to keep as tight a lid as possible on it. The Press has already been finding out too much."

"We're here for you, sir." Mary said. Then she began her report: "There are twelve women on the tapes we have. Some of them had multiple sessions with Carl, always a month apart. And many of what is recorded as one tape is actually two sessions on consecutive days. All that suggests to my dirty mind that the inseminations were for the purpose of impregnating the women."

"And I agree." I said. "About your analysis, and also the state of your mind."

Mary laughed, then said: "Some of the women met with Carl alone, but some of them had their husbands with them. And a couple of them had a female friend with them, probably for safety reasons. In some of the tapes, a third person is doing the taping with a regular camera. And then there was one particular case."

"Before you tell me," I said, "how do you know who had husbands and friends there from the tapes?"

"Uh, bring out your 'clean' laptop, sir." Mary said. I rolled my chair back and took out the 'clean' laptop, which Myron and I had custom built. It did not have the electronics to connect to Wifi or the internet, and its radio signal was heavily shielded. The antivirus programming on it was 'CIA-approved'... because I got it from my favorite CIA Officer (my wife), and it was what they themselves used.

Mary had me plug in one of the external hard drives she'd created, and it was the 'extra' set she'd made for me to keep. "Bring up Number 2." she said. I did so.

"Okay, I see what you're saying." I said. The video started with the camera walking up to University Hotel, then inside and up the elevator to the 4th floor. Obviously Carl was carrying the gym bag, and the camera was already activated and recording.

After walking down the hallway to Room 404, Carl went inside. The camera showed a couple, the man in a chair, the woman sitting on the edge of the king-size bed. The video whirled around to face the bed; Carl had put the bag down with the camera facing in that direction. He then went off camera, and there were first-name introductions and small talk.

Mary said "We'll be enhancing the audio and reviewing it, but so far we've found no talk about money changing hands, and Carl smartly kept the camera from recording it visually."

I said "Carl is... well, was... pretty smart. He carried the bag to show what hotel it is, what floor, what room, and then gets video of all the people in the room. And like you said, he just casually set the bag down, and no one else realizes that the sex is being recorded."

Mary said "Yes sir. But some of the sessions were not recorded on Carl's gym-bag-cam, but a regular video camera. The quality is better. Anyway, facial rec has positively identified eight of the twelve women and all six of the men. I did not need to use facial rec to identify 'Love Client Number Seven' nor the people with her."

She handed me a sheet with 'TCPD Classified' stamped on the top and bottom, and the list of twelve places, with nine names filled in. and third parties to the side next to the first name. And No. 7 was my wife's assistant Laurie.

"Uh oh." I said as I plugged in the appropriate hard drive and brought up the tape. "Ohhh, and this is getting worse by the minute." I was watching the black-haired fitness beauty Ariel hungrily eating the pussy of the lithe blonde Laurie. I went to the beginning, and saw that when Carl came in, Wanda had walked in ahead of him. And Ariel must've been behind them, as only Laurie was in the room when they came in.

Mary said "We still have to get the last three names, sir, but of the nine we have, none of them, not even Laurie, are listed as customers of Town Fitness Centers... except Wanda and Ariel themselves, I guess."

I said "I would imagine Cindy gave Laurie a free pass card, or Laura let Laurie borrow hers." After a pause, I said: "Okay, let's get Joanne Warner in here." I called Joanne in, and the beautiful blonde Detective appeared almost instantly.

"Joanne," I said, "here's what's going on. We've found videos of Carl having sexual liaisons with a number of women, apparently for the purpose of impregnating them. Mary is the only person in Intel that knows this and is working on it. Because it is absolutely imperative that we keep this data as secret as possible, you will be the only other Detective to work with this information." Joanne nodded.

I continued: "I want you to do workups on everyone whose names are on this list. You have a Top Secret clearance, so I'm trusting you to keep this data as classified as if it were a military secret. You should also use every asset available to you, if you get my drift." Joanne knew I meant using the Federal assets available to her, as well as State and local ones.

"Yes sir, I will." Joanne said brightly. I handed her the sheet of paper and she looked at the names. "Er, sir, should I do this on your wife's assistant Laurie?"

"Yes." I said. "And on Ariel and Wanda, and all those husbands listed, as well. Mary, give Joanne the rest of the names if and when you come up with them..."

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

Sheriff Griswold came into Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle's office and handed her a paper sack. "This is to apologize to you for going off on you this morning."

Teresa pulled out the bottle of Old Pulteney 12-year Scotch. "Thank you, Sheriff." she said. "We'll crack it this weekend." That meant they'd open it and try it.

"May I sit down?" asked the Sheriff as he sat down anyway.

"I'd tell you you have to keep standing," Teresa replied, "but my bad jokes aren't going over very well with you today."

"Har." barked the Sheriff. "First, I'm going to have Captain Muscone be in charge of an operation to find any bugs, listening devices. While she's doing that, I'd appreciate it if you step in and help with her role as Captain of Detectives, and keep an eye on them."

"Yes sir." said Teresa. "Of course we both know who the real Captain of Detectives is during this case, even though he's barely old enough to be a Captain."

"Just how much sugar did you put in your coffee this morning, Ms. Croyle?" the Sheriff asked. "You're just the Good Humor Woman today. But keep the day job; the jokes suck. Anyhoo, there's something else I need to talk with you about. A lot more serious, and a lot more important..."

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

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

Captain of Detectives Tanya P. Muscone drove into the Chief's office and parked in front of it. "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yezzz." said the Chief. "Sheriff?" he said to Sheriff Griswold, who had been sitting on the sofa to the side, but was getting up and seating himself in the chair next to Tanya.

"Tanya," said the Sheriff, "I've ordered a forensic search for listening devices on every piece of property and every vehicle in the Public Service Department. The Chief has allowed me to put you in charge of that operation. Don and Teresa will cover your Captain of Detective duties while you give this task your undivided attention."

"Yes sir." Tanya said.

Sheriff Griswold: "As an aside, I want you to evaluate our properties for compliance with the Federal and State disability laws. That's the kind of little crap the US DOJ Civil Rights Division will try to find problems with, so that they can use it to come in and dig a lot deeper."

"I'll do it, sir." Tanya said.

"Good." said the Sheriff. "Now the Chief and I have something very important to talk to you about..."

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

11:30am, Thursday, October 1st. It's amazing how seemingly coincidental things happen in perfect sequence. For example...

I got a call from Alison McFarland. "Don," she said, "there's a breaking story brewing, that State Rep. Lamar Linder, the State Republican Chair, and his wife are somehow involved in the Carl Ryder murder, and other Republicans are ratting him out by going to the Press. But here's the kicker: other Republicans are telling Linder that you, the Iron Crowbar, are the one ratting him out to Conservative Republicans and to the Press."

"Well, you know I'm not the one doing any of that ratting out crap." I said. "And I have no comment on the rest of it."

Alison said "Okay, but let me ask this: I'd like to run a piece defending Town Fitness Centers against KXTC's smear jobs. Can you help me with that?"

I said "Alison, I really wish you wouldn't. I know you want to help, and I know you have a good heart. But please, just don't touch anything to do with Wanda and especially Ariel right now. Trust me, it will do more harm than good. And that comment is off the record...."

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

Sure enough, not ten minutes after I disconnected the call with Alison, a commotion started up in the hallway. I heard the Duty Desk Sergeant yelling "Stop! You can't go down there!"

And then I heard the voice of State Representative Lamar Linder shouting "I'm a State Legislator, and I'll go where I God damn well please! Now you get out of my way!"

Detectives were pouring out of Vice and MCD, all with their service weapons in their hands. I came into the hallway to see Lamar Linder and two security men behind him striding down the hallway. I stepped up and said "What the hell is going on here?"

"There you are, you goddamned turd!" yelled Linder. "I want to talk to you."

"You don't just come trespassing into a secure area like that." I said.

"I'LL GO WHERE I GOD DAMN WANT TO, TROY!" yelled Linder. "I AM A STATAE LEGISLATOR! YOU ARE A PIECE OF DOG SHIT!"

I advanced upon him with the red crowbar in hand. One of the security men went for his gun, but he was not fast enough. I had mine out and was pointing it right at his head.

"What, you gonna come into MY Police Station and pull a gun on me?" I yelled. The man took his hand off his gun and raised his hands halfway up, but that was not enough.

"Get up against the wall, you piece of shit! Both of you! Put your noses against the fucking wall!" I yelled, my gun now right in his face. "MOVE!" I shoved him into the wall, then pushed the other security guard into the wall.

"DON'T YOU LOOK AT ME!" I yelled at the second man. "I told you to put your fucking nose against the wall!" I put my gun in his earhole. "You take your nose off that wall, and I SWEAR TO GOD I will blow your head off!"

"Uh, we got 'em, sir." said George Newman. He came up searched the first man, relieved him of his gun, and cuffed him. Theo followed his example and searched, disarmed, and cuffed the second man.

"Run 'em through Booking, sir?" Newman asked. "Assault on a Police Officer, trespassing, and all that?"

"Not yet." I replied. "That would generate paperwork. Take them to I-1 by the back way, and hold them there. Commander Croyle!"

"Sir?" said Teresa, who had drawn her service weapon and was ready to do some shooting herself.

"Commander," I said, "what is the difference between God and a State Legislator?"

"God doesn't think he's a State Legislator, sir." replied Teresa correctly. All the Officers laughed. Linder's face was beet red with fury.

"That's right!" I said, taking Linder by the forearm and half-pulling, half-shoving him down the hall to the Main Conference Room. "And I'm going to personally teach this piece of shit that lesson. You're with me, Croyle. Everyone else, do whatever you want to those pieces of shit..."

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

"What the hell is your major malfunction?" Linder all but yelled as I shoved him into the Main Conference Room and forced him to sit down in the nearest chair.

"What's yours?" I snarled, hovering over him. "You come into my Police Station, trespassing and illegally entering the secure areas, and with your shit security about to draw weapons on me. You disrespect me like that in my own Police Station, and you wonder why I'm going off on you? You're lucky I didn't just shoot you and both your slugs dead, right on the spot!"

"Why did you tell the Press about my wife's breeding with that dead boy, after you promised not to?" snarled Linder.

"I didn't." I said. "I didn't tell the Press a goddamn thing!"

"Bullshit!" Linder fired back. "Why should I believe you?"

Teresa yelled "Because he just told you he didn't, you moron! I know it's a foreign concept to you politicians, but the Iron Crowbar keeps his word!"

"I didn't say a fucking word to the goddamned Press." I replied. "And that's the only reason I didn't shoot you nor arrest your security... so the Press wouldn't find out. "

I fished out my cellphone. "But If you think I did, why don't I just call Bettina Wurtzburg and tell her about your wife and Carl Ryder, hmm? When you see what the Press does with that, you will know that it wasn't me, at least to this point. And Commander Croyle, since there's no longer a reason to not arrest Danielle Linder for repeatedly lying to me, go ahead and put out an arrest warrant for her. Bring her in. Full booking. Statement to the Press afterwards."

"Wait, wait!" gasped Lamar Linder, who had suddenly become afraid, very afraid. "Okay, I believe you. But someone did tell the Press. Who? If it wasn't you, who was it?"

"Let me answer that with a question, and you better play it real straight with me." I said. "Who told you that I told the Press about any of it?"

Linder's face fell. "Cain Mitchell. And Wilson Hammonds, too. But Mitchell was the one who came to me, said the Press knew that my wife was fucking that kid that got killed in your County, and said that you had told the Press about it."

I knew Establishment Republican Cain Mitchell hated me immeasurably after I helped prevent the Governor's conviction in his impeachment trial. (Author's note: 'Jupiter Rising', Ch. 03.) And Wilson Hammonds was the poster child for the Establishment Elites.

"Looks to me like your Establishment Elitist buddies are throwing you under the bus, Representative Linder." I said. "Gotta wonder why. Gotta wonder why." That shut Linder up, and his face became contemplative.

I went over and opened the door to the Conference Room. "Get the hell out of my Police Station, and don't try to come back. Croyle, take Linder and his henchmen out by the gym door in case the God-cursed Press is watching the front and side entrances."

As they were about to exit the gym into the back parking lot, the security guards were handed their weapons back, in evidence bags, the magazines separated from the pistols and empty of bullets. "Hey! Where are our bullets?" one of them protested.