The Ensigns of Detection Ch. 02

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Part 10 - Weekend Worries

A strange and rare thing occurred over the weekend of November 21st-22d: I got to stay home with my family. There was no football game, with the Bulldogs having an open date before the big game against State Tech the next week. The next week was Thanksgiving week, and many people were taking a full week of vacation and were getting out of Town while the getting was good. Traffic was wonderfully light, and the criminal elements were seemingly taking a weekend off, as well.

Letting Lieutenant Perlman handle MCD and the ongoing cases of Dr. Laramie Wilkins and Dr. Robin Grayson, I spent time playing with Carole and Bowser, playing separately with little Jim and getting in some good father-son time.

On Saturday, Molly brought Ross over. Jim and I played with Ross while my mom Phyllis kept Carole and Bowser, and Laura gave Molly a checkup. To no one's surprise, Laura said that Molly's next baby could make its appearance in the world any day now.

The next day was Sunday. November 22d. For me, this date had a special meaning: it was the one-year anniversary of the fire at the old Cabin. I took a moment to reflect on all that had happened since that horrifying night: of how Cindy's premonition that had saved us was now explained, and she knew that Dr. Eckhart was her biological father; of her promotion and knowledge of her blood relationship with me; of bringing my favorite dog Bowser into the family; of Molly now being much closer to us, of her pregnancy, of Paulina's...

And I thought with gratitude of the new Cabin, and my benefactor in building it from the ashes of the old house. I did this as I drove up to The Cabin and do my research work on the Consultant of Crime, especially about the new material I had from the 'Intendent Files', the things she'd hidden in Jack Burke's apartment. There were strings tying Victory Christian Ministries to the Oldeeds Organization, which I knew. There were strings going to a 'Castor & Pollux Enterprises', appropriately based in the Twin Cities of Westphalia and Eastphalia, which were south of the City.

And then there was Vauxhall. 'Vauxhall Holdings, LLC' was its formal name, and it was nothing more than a shell, a 'pass-through' company. I accessed the IRS computers, the FBI's computers, the State's computers, and I could not get wrapped around this entity. Money came to them obvious laundering, as well as pure cash. And then that money got paid out in a way befitting laundering. It was set up as a non-profit, with the sole name listed on the corporation records as 'Mr. Hector Priam'.

Interestingly, I had a full workup on Mr. Hector Priam. A birth certificate from New Jersey. An undergraduate college degree in Business from Vanderbilt University. And a drivers license from the State west of ours... with a picture on it of one Harold Malone, formerly of this Police Department.

So Malone was deeply immersed in this mud pit, I realized to myself. Yet after he left Town, and indeed after his death in Alabama, Vauxhall was still going strong in this digital age, digitally moving money in and out of its coffers and its bank accounts.

Just then the little device outside that warned me of approaching vehicles coming up the Cabin's driveway went off, emitting a soft chirp and a flashing light. I quickly secured my work and turned off the 'cage' around my office room, then went to answer the door. To my astonishment, my visitors were my mother Phyllis... and Mrs. Adele Peabody, the Town & County Intendent.

"Son," said my mother, "my friend Mrs. Peabody needs to talk with you. We couldn't reach you on your cellphone when she came by the Mountain Nest, so I took the liberty of bringing her up here."

"I'm glad you did, Mom." I said. "So what can I help you with, Mrs. Peabody?"

"I'll go make you some lunch in the kitchen." said my mom. "Adele, I could never make this boy eat properly."

"He looks pretty well fed and energetic to me." said Mrs. Peabody, her eyes twinkling.

"Why don't we go upstairs." I said, knowing that Mrs. Peabody might not want to talk in front of my mother. We went up to the master bedroom, where I opened drapes over the windows to let in some light. I noticed Mrs. Peabody staying well away from the windows, and I told her that they were bulletproof.

"Don," said Mrs. Peabody, "I'm very concerned."

"Why's that?" I asked innocently.

"I told you some of it the other day... after we'd made love in this bed." Mrs. Peabody said, sitting on one of the two chairs in the room that were against the wall near the closet door, facing the foot of the bed. "I told you that I'd taken measures to protect myself against certain criminal entities. Unfortunately... that protection has recently been destroyed."

My sweep of the room with my anti-bugging device revealed nothing. I sat down in the other chair, next to Mrs. Peabody, admiring her crossed legs in her patent leather high heel pumps. My loins began stirring.

"Does this criminal entity know that the protection has been destroyed?" I asked.

"I have a suspicion," said Mrs. Peabody, "that he knows very well."

"If you know that," I said, my eyes boring into Mrs. Peabody's, "then you must have other suspicions, as well." I saw the first look of cunning in Mrs. Peabody's eyes, and that she well understood. Still, she played the Game.

"What suspicions would those be, my handsome friend?" she asked.

I smiled briefly. "I am sure our police reports have not escaped your attention."

"No, they haven't." Mrs. Peabody replied. "The Council has me collect that data and give them synopses of what is going on amongst their constituents. I did not include in those reports my correlations of a drug raid by your Police Department yielding a strange drug product, followed by attacks upon Dr. Grayson and the unfortunate suicide of Dr. Wilkins, both of BigPharmaCorp."

"And what do those correlations tell you?" I asked.

Mrs. Peabody smiled. "I've heard that you like to quote the writer Dame Agatha Christie. Her books were somewhat boring to me; it was too easy to figure out who the criminal was in her writings. But your referral to her comment on coincidences... is very true."

"And, of course," I said, "you knew Jack Burke."

"Almost as well as I know you, Commander Troy." said Mrs. Peabody, her eyes heavy-lidded with lust and flirtation. "Intimately. Very intimately. And that brings us full circle back to my original problem."

"Oh, it does?" I asked, making my voice sound innocent. For the first time, Mrs. Peabody was silenced as she began to realize the inference of my seemingly cryptic words.

"Of course." she said quietly, more to herself than to me. "So either... no, he's just that close behind you."

"Yes. He's watching me. Like a hawk." I said. "I'm sure he saw the police raid and put two and two together. It was by sheer coincidence we interdicted a highly refined research drug being transferred between criminal entities. James and Susan Douglas were the couriers. But he saw through that."

"And now those apartments are ashes, with a fireman in the hospital." said Mrs. Peabody. "Thank God he's recovering well. And a certain application to the Council came to my desk. They're beginning a formal Board of Inquiry to determine if the Medal of Valor is appropriate."

"Just let me know to whose ass I should apply a red crowbar, if they try to downgrade it the least bit." I replied. Mrs. Peabody smiled.

There was a knock on the door, and my mother poked her head inside. "Lunch is ready, you two."

As we got up to go downstairs, Mrs. Peabody said "Your mother is a very interesting woman. I do believe she knows far more than she lets on."

"A problem I have had to deal with my entire life." I replied...

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

"Darling," Laura said to me that evening, "on Tuesday night, President Wellman is hosting a Faculty event. Ostensibly it is for the Thanksgiving holiday, but it's going to be a reception for Dr. Stephanie Steele's return from her sabbatical to Hawaii and New Zealand."

"Steele?"

"Yes, she's Edward's wife and Selena's mother. She's also going to be receiving her full Professorship in Physics and Astronomy. She's been at the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii, as well as observatories in the Southern Hemisphere, especially New Zealand and Australia. Anyway, the Council is not meeting Tuesday, so keep your calendar clear so that you can escort me there."

"I'll ask the criminal elements of the County to cooperate, so that I'll be free to attend." I said jokingly.

"Speaking of that, how is this suicide case and the Grayson attack case shaping up?" Laura asked, just a shade too innocently and nonchalantly.

"Well, I should find out tomorrow." I said. "We'll be following up on the data, the autopsy report should be in. I am surprised about one thing, though."

"What's that?" Laura asked, after I paused.

"I'm just wondering why the FBI hasn't come in on this yet, and when they'll get around to coming in on it." I replied, then added: "Which is what you're wondering, as well."

"Not much gets by you." my wife said. She looked at me questioningly as I stood up... then she saw Bowser sitting patiently by the back door, and said "... including knowing when the dog needs to be taken out..."

Part 11 - Monday Morning Blues

I was in my office at 6:30am, Monday, November 23d, having done my work with Sgt. Tate and my run with the ROTC cadets. I was looking at the data that had been compiled for me over the weekend.

There were phone records for the Wilkinses, the Graysons, and almost all of the BigPharmaCorp Research staff, as well as other company officers whose records I'd requested. And there was the other information I'd requested, as well...

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

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, Monday, November 23d. "Channel Two News has learned that the County Coroner, John Quincy Kelly, has called for a Coroner's Inquest in the death of Dr. Laramie Wilkins, Senior Vice President and Head of Research Operations at BigPharmaCorp. This could open a deeper investigation by the Town & County Police."

"Asked if BigPharmaCorp is cooperating with Police, a spokesperson for the TCPD said that BigPharmaCorp has responded positively to all subpoenas and warrants issued." Bettina continued. "However, other sources tell Channel Two News that BigPharmaCorp has been less than cooperative with the Police in the investigation, making the subpoenas and warrants necessary in the first place."

"In other news," Bettina said, "Deputy Police Chief Robert Brownlee remains in critical condition following a massive heart attack last week. Neither the Police Department, Sheriff's Department, nor the Town & County Council would comment on contingencies in the event Deputy Chief Brownlee does not return to duty. And now the Sports report with Chuck Pringle! Chuck!"

"Thank you, Bettina!" said the deliberately-gray haired Sports reporter. "This week is the big rivalry game, as the Bulldogs travel to State Tech. While Coach Groves said he expects his team to be disciplined, after last year's events, which involved our KXTC colleague Nick Eastwood, it is not clear what can be expected. The Conference is also monitoring the game, and have cautioned both Schools and their fans and boosters to be restrained and show good sportsmanship..."

"Who in the hell is this 'spokesperson' for this Police Department?" growled Captain Cindy Ross, barreling in as the newscast continued.

"Guess I don't need to ask how your weekend was." I said. "Grab some coffee and take a breath." Cindy turned to the coffeemakers, only to find Detective Cummings pouring her (Cindy) a cup.

"Thank you." Cindy said as she took the proffered cup of coffee, sucking in her breath, then exhaling. "And yes, my weekend sucked. So, Commander, the 'spokesperson'..."

"Was not me, and that's all I can tell you." I said. "I think I'm going to tear Scott Peterson a new one, though. If it wasn't him, then we have a mysterious 'spokesperson' and also 'sources' giving competing views."

"Think they're making these sources and spokespersons up, Commander?" asked Theo Washington, who was just coming in.

"If it were KSTD, that'd be a real possibility." I said. "But Bettina is usually better than this. I think I'll go rattle Scott Peterson's cage a little bit over it. Care to join me, Captain?"

"I wouldn't miss it." said Cindy. Together we left MCD and went to the front lobby area, the only way to get to Lt. Peterson's office in the Media Relations area.

Lt. Peterson was in his office. When he saw us, he immediately said "I'm not that spokesperson, nor their 'sources' on the other side. I've already called them and demanded Wurtzburg get back to me on that."

"If she doesn't respond by lunchtime today," I said, "let me know."

Back in my office, I poured Cindy some more coffee. "Okay, partner," I said as we sat down, "what's going on with you?"

"Jenna is going back to work today." said Cindy.

When she said no more, I was compelled to ask "And that is bad... how?"

Cindy replied "Look, I've never been raped, though I broke the arm and shoulder of a guy in college who didn't want to take 'no' for an answer. So I can't say what Jenna is going through. But it's... almost unnatural the way she's acting... almost like nothing happened."

"Are you sure that's all that's happened?" I asked. That got me a 'look' from my cousin's ice-blue eyes.

"She wants to know where Gor-don is." Cindy said. "I told her he's gone missing and that we're searching for him." After a pause, Cindy said "I did not give her the details of us going to his apartment, nor did I discuss our... suspicions... of his possible role in the abduction."

"Think she'll come to the conclusion herself?" I asked.

"That's the rub." Cindy said. "I think she's refusing to believe it. After asking about him, Jenna didn't say any more about it... but she was morose and moody the rest of the weekend. She did access her computers, through which she can access police servers. I don't want to pry, but I'll bet if I ask Myron what she was looking for, it'll be about Gor-don."

"Except that I've pre-empted that, and had Myron put security protocols on the Gor-don disappearance. She has to contact you or me to get through that... and it doesn't take my mother to observe and deduce she hasn't asked you." Cindy nodded vigorously, then sipped her coffee.

I said "Okay, let's get this week's party started." I looked at my emails. "Oh, good, autopsy and Crime Lab reports on the Wilkins case." I opened the Crime Lab report. "Wood splinters and varnish in the grooves of the hammer of the gun. Supports the thesis that the gun hit the desk and caused that gouge when it was dropped."

"Playing Devil's Advocate," Cindy said, "that's not enough to show it wasn't just him dropping the gun after shooting himself."

"True." I said. "Ah, this is interesting...Dr. Wilkins's fingerprints were on the gun, but no fingerprints were on the magazine... or any of the cartridges, either." Cindy's eyes widened.

"Oh, that's weird!" she exclaimed. "His prints should be all over the magazine and the bullets of his own gun."

"Yes, they should." I said. "Ballistics show that it was indeed the gun used; they found the expended shell among the paperwork on the desk. No prints on it, either, by the way. Oh, wait... the bullets in the magazine, and the one that chambered into the breach, were the expanding self-defense variety, copper-jacketed lead. The bullet found in the brick wall, that went through Dr. Wilkins's brain... was a copper solid round."

"Wow." said Cindy. "Were there one or two empty spaces in the magazine?"

"Two." I said. "They're good about checking that. Dr. Woodrow was all over them a few months ago when they failed to see that during a shooting in the Tenderloin District last summer."

"I don't remember any case about that." Cindy replied.

"You and I were a bit busy at the time." I replied. "In that little incident, nobody was injured. Basically a bar fight at a strip club. They were ascertaining how many shots each person had fired, and were a round short. Okay, on to the autopsy."

I read the Wilkins autopsy report. "Right through the head, death instantaneous. The copper bullet expands to sharp edges, and sliced a fairly wide swath... what's curious to me is that the bullet went through skull, brains, skull, drywall, space, drywall, large space that was the living room, drywall, and flattened against the brick."

"Powerful round." Cindy said. "Did ballistics check if the powder was the same in the expended round as the others?"

"Nope." I said, checking back with the other report. "Good catch. Why don't you call them and ask them to follow up on that?" Cindy got out her cellphone and made the call as I perused the rest of the autopsy report, which was consistent with a man falling dead out of his chair and to the floor.

Just then, there was a knock on my door, followed by a fireball of a young blonde Detective blasting into my office. "Sir!" Joanne Cummings all but shouted, "this ballistics report--" I stopped her by holding up my hand.

"Captain Ross is on the phone." I said quietly. "And I just saw it. You're right..."

The party was just getting started as Detective Martin Nash appeared in the doorway. He did not burst in as Joanne had, befitting his unnervingly calm demeanor.

"Sir," Nash said, "the Duty Desk just got a call. A body has been found behind BigPharmaCorp's property..."

To be continued.

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4 Comments
chytownchytown9 months ago

*****Bodies falling all over the place. Good chapter. Thanks for sharing,

WhitewaterbumWhitewaterbum9 months ago

Who is the body? Gor-Don? Or Bryce?

Ravey19Ravey19about 2 years ago

Damn it. Supposed to be going to sleep but have to find out.

AnonymousAnonymousalmost 8 years ago
Taste

I hadn't really enjoyed a who-dun-it since Nero Wolfe, but you've got me hooked on this series.

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