The Babymaker Ch. 03

"That means don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out, Mzzzz Millll-tonnn." drawled the Chief. Mary smartly and quickly exited the office.

"That was probably the best way that could've been handled, Mr. Crowbarrrr."said the Chief. "So... what about these interviewwwws, and this case?"

"It's a mess, Chief." I said. "I must again apologize, this time for my poor management of this case."

"I must disagreeeee." said the Chief. "You have made tremendous progress, despite the obstacles in your path. The only question izzzz.... will we be able to progress to an arressssst?"

"I have hopes, Chief." I said. "I have hopes..."

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

6:30pm. The MCD Detectives were at their desks, doing their paperwork. I'd told Joanne, Theo, Julia, Teddy, and Jerome to stay here at Headquarters until I'd talked to them and dismissed them.

I brought Julia and Teddy into Classroom 'E', along with Lieutenant Jerome Davis and Captain Tanya Muscone.

"Critiques are by nature negative," I said. "I'm giving them not to berate you, but for all our education, good or good?" Everyone nodded.

"First, the lighting." I said. "Cardinal error in that you allowed them to seat you facing the window, and the light coming through it. They also sat wide apart, so that you had to look from side to side to see them. In the future, strive to control the seating. In this case, I would've stood and had them sit on the sofa. Even if that's unavoidable, don't let them choose the seating to be far apart." Everyone nodded.

"Second," I said, "when I was in Army ROTC, one of my instructors, who was a Green Beret with Viet Nam experience, said to (air quotes) 'keep abreast of the tactical situation at all times'. We need to do that in our interrogations. When you started off slow, Carla called you out on it, then David really hammered you on it. That told me two things right then: that they knew why you were there, and she had surmised you knew a lot more than you were telling, and possibly trying to entrap them in a lie. Ergo, I told you in your earbuds to get straight to the case, then to just read them their rights and not play around."

"Next,:" I said, "well, lets go back to the beginning. Carla avoided answering your question about how long they were married. I found that very unusual, and was instantly on my guard. And y'all needed to be aware of how on guard they were. If you sense that they are going to break their flow of information over something really small like that, move away from it, and drive on. Ditto that if they're balking on a question. You didn't need to ask Carla if she were invoking; indeed, you were very lucky she didn't invoke right then and there."

"Next," I said, "let's notice how well-informed they are that paying Carl would've been illegal, and opened up the door if they'd admitted to it. That'll come into greater context in a bit."

"Next," I said as the tape of the interview played along, "Teddy, you were absolutely correct in your line of questioning David Rose about being a cuckold... but I'll bet you have no idea why, do you?"

"I thought it was weird, sir." said Parker. "I was really trying to understand how a man could do that. I mean, I know you have an open marriage, sir, but not like that."

"And that's a key observation... his cuckoldry, that is, not my marriage." I said. "But we'll circle back to it. The good news is that you did get Carla to voluntarily admit that they were swingers... though I suspect myself she did that as a distraction, a dodge... but more on that later."

Me: "She also (air quotes) 'admitted' that she met Carl at the gym... which we pretty much know to be an absolute falsehood. It's also a dodge that has been used before; in fact, it's such a common fairy tale that I believe it is a pre-conceived, scripted response to that question. Now we know that, so it's something we can use in the future. And that's why I told you to let it sit and move forward from it."

"Okay," I said as we moved along, "that's good getting it out of Carla about the other liaisons with Carl. Besides making David admit he wasn't there... and by both their reactions, he may not have known about it even though he said he did... the important thing about that is that we don't have tapes for the extra coupling, so Carl either didn't tape it, or he did not upload it to the storage devices he and his wife were using. And that's another important point to store away in our fertile little minds, pun fully intended." Everyone chuckled politely. Good asskissing skills.

"Okay," I said, "I'm undecided about the way you asked them to release their medical records. It put them on guard, and they could've just ended the whole interview when it was at a critical juncture. Maybe in the future you ask antagonistic questions like that at the very end, to rattle them before you leave, eh?" Everyone nodded.

"And once again," I said "I'm hearing that dodge about the Police intruding into the lives of people, giving David and Carla the excuse they need to avoid answering the question. Damn KXTC for that! But it is what it is. Overall, not bad, and we got some good information. But give real thought to how your interrogation flows, and what's more important to learn about before risking them cutting it off."

"I have a question, sir." said Julia. "Why didn't we just bring them into Headquarters and interview them separately?"

"I was wondering that too, sir." Tanya said.

"That's a good question." I said. "And the answer is: I believe that if we had brought them in, and especially if we'd separated them, they would've clammed up. They would've demanded lawyers, and they very likely would have taken the Fifth at the first hint of a need to do so. In their homes, together, they were more comfortable for that first interview... emphasis on first."

I continued: "And that bring me to some questions for all of you. Having seen that tape, which I realize is not the best quality because it's a hidden button cam, and Teddy was facing the light of the window though he did try to turn to get Carla and David in the picture, what did you observe of Carla and David?"

Julia shook her head. "I'm... not sure, sir."

I sped through the tape to a certain point, where Carla was pretty visible. "Tell me about Carla's makeup, the makeup on her face." I said. "Did anything strike you about it?"

"Oh, I think I see it." said Tanya. "Pretty heavy powdering, especially around her eyes."

"Yes, that's it." I said. "And heavy eyeliner, especially on her right eye. I've seen that plenty of times... after a woman has been hit in the eye and has bruising, especially after she's been beaten."

"You... you think David beat up Carla?" Julia gasped. "If you ask me, sir, I don't think he has it in him."

"And that's exactly my next point." I said. "What is your evaluation of David? And Carla? Their personalities? Teddy, you get to go first."

Teddy: "Carla was the more assertive of the two, sir. David seemed to take cues from her. And my apologies for being prejudiced and pre-disposed to this evaluation, but I think David Rose is a vey weak man to let other men have his wife. Again, sir, I know about your open relationship with your wife, but I've also seen you as the leader you are. David? I don't see the (air quotes) 'manly' qualities in him at all."

I nodded. "Excellent observations, though do be careful about emotional evaluations. Julia?"

Julia said "Early on, he was advising Carla to be careful about their rights. Later on, it was she telling him to be careful about their rights. And I agree with Teddy, sir... David didn't strike me as the confident, authoritative man I was expecting to see."

I nodded. "Great job, both of you. And I'll crystallize your observations and thoughts in the form of these questions: we've been told that David Rose was in the Tau Fraternity, the fraternity that is nationally known for having future leaders of the Nation and our biggest Corporations. The Establishment Elites. Indeed, we've found out that Rose Advertising has good, strong connection to Big Boy companies, and are doing very well as a direct result."

I then asked: "So tell me... does the David Rose you met today fit that mold? Does he look like the kind of guy that the Tau Fraternity would bring into their fold, that would be hobnobbing with the State and Nation's Elites?"

"Uhhh..." said Julia, "if you're implying that he's not David Rose, all I can say is that his DMV ID and photo match the man we saw today, and photos we found of him going back several years."

Teddy Parker said "I'm not sure the Elites would be letting their wives be... used... by other men, so that's a point."

"Oh, you'd be shocked at what goes on among those thugs." I said. "Remember when Condor's sweet young intern Chandra came over all dead? That was at a political event." (Author's note: 'Unresolved', Ch. 03-04.)

I continued: "They're used to helping themselves to the daughters of weaker men beholden to them, like State Senator Nathan Allen did," (Author's note: 'Dark Side of the Force', Ch. 02-03.) "and they tell their wives to go get laid by their personal trainers and whatever Satyrs they can find, like those at Rita's clubs."

Tanya was trying very hard not to laugh, and lost the battle. She knew...

"Anyhoo," I said, "I want you both to concentrate on these two, Carla and David Rose. My kids play that 'hot and cold' game, where they tell if someone is closer to the hidden object by saying 'warmer', and 'colder' as they get farther away. We were 'warm' when you were interviewing those two, and we get 'colder' every step away from them we go."

I then said: "Jerome, assign Julia and Teddy some Detectives, and have them go interview the employees at the Rose Advertising Firm's local office. Make sure to ask about Carla earlier this week, if she was wearing makeup to cover up a black eye. I have a... premonition... that that is a big clue in all this..."

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

With Sheriff Griswold, Commander Teresa Croyle and Captain Tanya P. Muscone with me in Classroom 'E', I brought in Joanne Warner, and had her sit down next to me to review her interview with Laurie.

"All I can say, Detective Warner," I said when it was over, "is that that is one of the very worst interviews that I have ever seen. I cannot un-see that."

"I'm sorry, sir." said Joanne. "I messed up, and then messed up with Lieutenant Milton."

"We'll talk about that later." I said. "It's not your fault, though. It's my fault."

"Sir?" said Teresa.

"Yes, Commander." I said. "I'm the one that put her in there to conduct that interview, and I clearly have failed to train her properly beforehand. And your re-training starts now, Joanne, with this advice: DO NOT start being Agent Lindsey Black with the 'you have to answer', and the arrest threats."

"You got that right." growled Sheriff Griswold. "You're better than Agent Black is, Warner. Don't stoop to her level."

"Yes sir." Joanne said forlornly.

"There was some good that came of this." I said. "I find the comparison of that interview to the one Rodriguez and Washington conducted with the Roses to be very instructive. Okay, Captain Muscone, it's your son's birthday. Go celebrate, and give him that present Carole sent through me today."

"Yes sir, thank you sir." said Tanya. She drove out smartly.

"About that insubordination spat," I said, "you were definitely wrong, but for Lt. Milton to go all 'R. Lee Ermey' on you might've been a bit excessive. I've asked her to forget about it, and that I would handle it. And I'm handling it by telling you here and now, with no additional paperwork, to be extremely respectful to superior Officers at all times... with the possible exception of the week after Alabama beats Auburn in the Iron Bowl."

Joanne grinned at that, and the Sheriff barked a laugh. Teresa did not.

"Good thing I don't carry a crowbar, sir." Teresa fired in my general direction.

"It wouldn't matter if you did." I fired back. Teresa just shook her head, as if dealing with an Agency of the Weak Minded. The Sheriff's mustaches were twitching most very merrily.

"Okay, let's get serious." I said. "At one time, Detective Warner, you were considered the top candidate to succeed Lt. Davis should, perish forbid, something happen to him. However, after that interview, and the incident that followed, I am telling you here and now that your name is no longer at the top of that list."

Joanne's face fell at that, and I continued: "You need to work very hard on all aspects of your Detective skills, and if you do, you'll be right back up there again. But you've got a ways to go, and the only thing you can do about it is to do your job, and let's move on."

"Yes sir." Joanne said. Then she said "May I ask a question, sir?" I nodded and she said "Sir, I've studied our tapes of your interviews and interrogations, and I just don't know how to duplicate what you do. How do i get to... that level, sir?"

"Welcome to my world, Detective." said Teresa.

"And mine." said the Sheriff. "Nobody can do what Crowbar does in an interrogation room. The rest of us just have to do the best we can to do the best we can..."

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

8:45pm. I went home to the Mountain Nest, only to find it empty. I called Molly at The Cabin, and she said that Laura had dropped off Carole and Jim, saying that she (Laura) said she had some work to do at her office. Molly also said that she and the kids were having pizza, and that the boys had hollow legs as they ate all of two pies. I heard laughing in the background; the boys still thought it was uproariously funny that they had 'hollow legs'.

I drove down to the Psychology Building and let myself in with a passkey. Eschewing the side door, I went into Laurie's anteroom, then, without knocking, I grabbed the handle to Laura's office door and flung it open. Laura was typing away on her laptop, and her head didn't move as her eyes cut over to me.

"Don't you knock?" my wife asked acerbically.

"Not when I want to see your face before you realize it's me." I said truthfully as I came on into the office without invitation.

"Touché." Laura said, closing her laptop and turning her attention to me as I came up and sat in the chair in front of her desk. "So what's going on with Laurie, and why the hell didn't you tell me beforehand?"

"I was forbidden to." I said. "She's your assistant, you're my wife, and I'm damned near being forced to recuse myself as it is."

"Husband-wife privilege." Laura said. "We can't testify against each other."

"True." I said. "But consider if our roles were reversed, and there was some CIA thing going on involving the TCPD, or one of my Officers with Federal clearance. You couldn't talk to me about it, and rightly so."

Laura's face softened somewhat. "Okay, I can understand that. Do I need to not say anything to you? Plausible deniability?"

"That would be best." I said. "Unless you have some knowledge of who Carl's killer is. Then you'd need to tell me what you know."

"I don't have that knowledge," Laura said, "or you'd know it already. So what now?"

As I got up out of the chair, I said "Let's go have dinner at someplace nice, and I'll tell you the things I can tell you."

"Like what's going to happen to Cindy?" Laura said.

"Yeah. That too." I said...

Part 20 - Not Very Handy

5:00am, Friday, October 2nd. My cellphone rang just as I was getting up. I could almost hear Bowser barking furiously with anger, except that he was at The Cabin with the kids, and Laura and I were alone at the Mountain Nest.

"Troy." I answered.

"Sir, this is Julia Rodriguez." said Julia. "We have a dead body at Ronald Reagan Park. It's David Rose, sir...

To be continued.