The Pact Ch. 02

"And Della Harlow had this to say. Roll tape." said Bettina.

Tape rolled, showing Della Harlow screaming at an alleged campaign speech: "Donald Troy bypassed a woman in the TCPD's Internal Affairs Department to hire a yes-man lackey that will do his bidding in a quid pro quo arrangement! When I am Sheriff, I will clean out this racist, sexist stench from the TCPD! Women and minorities will be given proper opportunities, opportunities they will never get now unless they kiss Donald Troy's (beep)!"

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

"Thank God for the seven-second delay." I said as Cindy, Captain Thompson, and I watched in Cindy's office. Cindy laughed out loud at that.

"The Press is gathering in the Press Room now, sir." said Captain Thompson. "They're demanding a statement from you."

I considered my options. "Naah, let's not bother." I said. "As to the Press themselves... it's your playground they're soiling themselves in, Deputy Chief Ross."

"Thanks for nothing." said Cindy. "Okay, Damien, let them sit in there for an hour, then tell them the Commander will not be making a statement. By the way, Don, I'll be in Midtown tomorrow. Answering my subpoena..."

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

"Harlow gave it away." I said to the Chief an hour later. "She brought up Tunnin. I'm expecting that Tunnin will file a grievance over not being hired, citing sexism."

"She's ahead of you, Mr. Crowbarrrr." said the Chief. "She filed the grievance an hour ago..."

Needless to say, I underwent a lot of dog-petting therapy when I got home that evening.

Part 8 - More Info

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Fox Two News!" shouted the redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, May 30th, from in front of City Hall. "Fox Two News has learned that Superior Court Judge Patrick R. Folsom has ruled that the political ad by Police Commander Donald Troy concerning District Attorney Gil Krasney was legal, as Commander Troy did not represent himself as a Police Officer at any time. Judge Folsom did say that Commander Troy might not have used his best judgement in making the ad, but it was within the bounds of the Law. The Federal Elections Commission and State Elections Board followed up on that ruling by dismissing Mr. Krasney's formal complaint against Commander Troy."

Bettina continued: "Judge Folsom also dismissed with prejudice the lawsuit filed by Citizens for Police Accountability, et al., citing a lack of standing on their part to file such a suit. But Judge Folsom did let stand Commander Troy's lawsuit against the CFPA, and ordered that they comply with the subpoena to release all their financial records and documents to Commander Troy's lawyer, Mike G. Todd of the Madison & Ives Law Firm... again, that's Mike G. Todd of the Madison & Ives Law Firm.

"In addition," went on Bettina, "Judge Folsom also ruled that Commander Troy's past lawsuit against State Senator Maxine Watts and her political group 'Black Voices Raised' has standing, and that she and they must comply with subpoenas to turn over emails, texts, and other documents related to their potential collusion with the CFPA and other entities to intentionally financially harm Commander Troy. Judge Folsom gave next Wednesday, June 6th, as the time limit to comply with the subpoenas and his Court order, but Senator Watts has already stated that the subpoenas and rulings are racist, and that she will not comply, quote, 'even if they lynch me by hanging me from a tree', close quote."

"And in other news," said Bettina, "TCPD Detective Gayle Tunnin filed a grievance with the Police Union, saying that she was passed over for promotion to the Internal Affairs leader position by Commander Donald Troy because he is a proven sexist and she is a woman. Detective Tunnin has been with Internal Affairs since before Commander Troy was even hired by the TCPD, and has a stellar record of service with the Internal Affairs branch."

"Commander Troy has refused to answer our questions on passing over Ms. Tunnin for the job as well as the reasons he hired his former crony Ted Orosco of the SBI. The TCPD issued a statement saying that they will show the Police Union their very good reasons for the hire they made as well as the reasons for the hires they did not make..."

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

"Sir, do you think Maxine Watts will comply with your subpoena?" asked Teddy Parker as we watched in MCD while consuming Jerome Davis's Navy coffee. Theo had brought in boxes of doughnuts, the price for losing to Jerome in the Boxing Matches the previous weekend. We were enjoying doughnuts for a week, thanks to that little side bet of theirs.

"No." I said. "I don't think any of them will. I'm going after their money sources, and they'll protect that information with everything they've got. And Maxine Watts really does hope she gets arrested. She'll be crying racism and everything else if they do arrest her."

"So they won't arrest her?" asked Theo Washington.

"I didn't say that." I said.

"Sir," asked Joanne in what sounded like a hurt voice, "what is this about no more crowbars in future Police Boxing Matches?" There were murmurs in the room, kind of like Parliament agreeing with something by murmuring "Yeah yeah yeah yeah..."

"It's true." I said. "The Chief told me yesterday, and is putting out the word later this morning. And I understand his reasons."

"What reasons are those?" asked Teresa Croyle. She had been told along with me, but was asking to make me tell everyone.

"Well," I said, "the Chief and my wife both are concerned about the physical injuries that have occurred, including some concussions and bad bruising. A lot of the Officers are not as skilled as some of you in this room now, and don't defend themselves properly. The Chief's second concern is how it looks publicly; he defends me by saying that like the Lone Ranger's mask, my crowbar stands for the law. But that starts getting weak when all of the Police Force uses them, even in the Boxing Matches."

"And last but not least," I said, "there's the history of it. It used to be only real boxing, with gloves and head protection. Then the Freestyle Division came along in response to the 'Octagon', and a desire to use more martial arts and takedown tactics. Then billy sticks started being used, and then for some reason I can't fathom, people wanted to start using crowbars." That drew some laughter.

"Soooo..." I said, "the Chief has expressed a desire to return to weaponless defense, or maybe billy sticks. But no more crowbars." There was gloom in the room at at that announcement, but of course mischievous Officers broke through that.

"It's just as well." Joanne said brightly. "Crowbars didn't help Theo and Roy at all."

"Hey," said Roy McGhillie, "I lost to the Defending Champion. I lose no face in that." Teresa gave Roy a 'thumbs up' for that.

"Jerome beat me fair and square." said Theo. "I may not have lost face, but I lost money on all these doughnuts. You guys eat a lot of doughnuts!"

"We're Police Officers." said Teresa. "That's what we do." That brought the house down...

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

"This is Priya Ajmani, KSTD Five-Alive News in the Morning!" shouted the gorgeous Indian reporterette at 8:00am, Wednesday, May 30th. "Five-Alive News has learned that lawyers for Captain Teresa Croyle and the Office of Independent State Counsel Robert Mullen have reached an agreement for her to be questioned under oath on Tuesday, June 12th!"

Priya: "Many Democrats and Social Justice groups complained about the timing of the meeting, saying that Captain Croyle should've followed the law like everyone else and appeared on May 19th, as she was originally ordered. It took a Court Order staying the subpoena until June 4th to delay Captain Croyle's testimony."

"We have with us Dr. Adam S. Keller of the City University Rodham Institute for Political Policy and Social Change." said Priya as the camera panned out to include him. He wasn't all that much taller than the very short Priya, though to be fair she was wearing high heels and I assumed he wasn't doing likewise. "Dr. Keller, what did this delay in this testimony mean?"

"It means Commander Donald Troy is dragging this whole thing out." said Keller, speaking softly and measuredly, as if that would give his words truth... and to the gullible, it would. "If Captain Croyle had testified when she was supposed to, this whole process would be moving along much more swiftly by now. But with their usurpation of the Courts to delay, delay, delay, in order to protect the Governor from the inevitable findings of his corruption, this just gets dragged out."

Back to Priya. She went through the Court rulings. "Attorneys for Senator Maxine Watts say that she should not be required to answer Commander Troy's specious subpoena, as the lawsuit is against 'Black Voices Raised', and that any attempt to subpoena her personally is based on Commander Troy's racism against blacks and her bringing the light of truth on the CIA's assassination of superstar singer Jasmine Nix last year. The CIA has long denied having anything to do with Ms. Nix's murder, and the FBI's findings were that one of the security crew of rapper 'Big Ice' was the killer."

Priya: "When asked about Senator Watts's comments, Commander Troy's attorney Mike G. Todd of the Madison & Ives Law Firm... again, that's Mike G. Todd of the Madison & Ives Law Firm... stated that Senator Watts is using the cry of 'racism' to make herself above the law, and such tactics should not be tolerated by the Courts..."

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

"Wow." said Teresa. "She didn't mention Tunnin's grievance. At all. What's up with that?"

"She may know something Bettina doesn't." I replied.

"Are you her source on that 'something'?" asked Tanya, peering at me.

"No." I said. "She probably slept with a Union official to get the scoop."

"And that 'scoop' is?" asked Teresa Croyle.

"I'll refrain from a dirty joke in reply to that." I said. My Angels laughed, especially Tanya. I then said "Seriously, I got some very backchannel word that the Union is going to squash Tunnin's grievance like a bug. Most of them are current or former Police Officers or Firefighters, and they don't like Della Harlow one little bit. And they see Tunnin's grievance as a political stunt to help Harlan."

"Okay," said Tanya, "what is that business about repeating and emphasizing your attorney's name and who his firm is?"

"Intimidation." I said. "They're already trying to start up a process to get him disbarred in this State so that he cannot be my representation."

"Are they going to do that to all our lawyers?" asked Tanya.

"I don't know." I said. "It might depend on how successful they are against the Independent State Counsel. But I think it's just Mike they're threatening right now."

"Damn, they're really playing dirty, aren't they?" Teresa asked rhetorically.

"You have no idea how dirty they intend to get." I said. "They are truly out for blood... my blood, the Governor's blood. They literally will stop at nothing, so you guys be on the lookout, too. They intend to get at me through you."

"Why?" asked Teresa. "I mean... why are they so out for your blood, Don? I know they hate the Governor for daring to win and daring to keep his campaign promises... but why you?"

"That's a goooood question." I said. "And I think it's because someone is scared of something. And scared of me finding out about that something. The power behind all these shenanigans is huge, and is coming from Washington, D.C. as well as Midtown."

"Would you mind making it sound a little less gloomy, Don?" said Tanya, half joking but half serious.

"Ladies..." I said, straightening up in my chair, "I do not want to deceive you in any way. The threats to me are the greatest I have ever faced. Worse than Westboro, even. But I get to fight back... and I am doing so. So let not your hearts be troubled."

The mood of the room was somber, so I said "Okay, we still have a Police Force to run. What's new?..."

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

At 9:00am, TCPD Deputy Chief Cindy Ross, wearing a tasteful blue civilian skirt and jacket, and a lighter blue blouse, entered the room in the State Capitol Office Building being used by Independent State Counsel Robert Mullen. Microphones were on the desk, cameras hidden and unhidden were there to record everything.

With Cindy was her lawyer Cy Hart. Moments after being seated, Robert Mullen and Brafford Bacon came in. Mullen read Cindy her rights, then had her sworn in as if she were in front of a Jury in Court. The questions began...

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

At 10:00am, the MCD Detectives gathered in Classroom 'E' to discuss the Clarkston home invasion. With them were Captain Perlman and me. Joanne had wheeled in the whiteboards, which they were starting. Photos of the four family members were on the boards already.

"Okay, Jerome." said Tanya. "What new things have we found out since the weekend?"

"We've got a better idea of who these people are," said Jerome, "which we hope will lead to naming some suspects. First of all is Richard Clarkston. He has a reputation of being a really good electrical contractor. But the local I.B.E.W. (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) doesn't like him because he uses non-Union labor on all his in-State contracts. He's also developed a reputation for being hard on his employees and really driving them hard to finish contracts. Most like the bonuses for finishing on time, but he's fired some people just before the work is finished, and they don't get those bonuses. That's caused some resentment, and some lawsuits."

"Any threats against him because of that?" I asked.

"None specific, sir." said Jerome. After a pause, he said "Next is Marcia Clarkston. She's a very good tennis player and competes in the CTLA, the County Tennis League Association. She applied to be part of the County Wives Investment Club, but hasn't been admitted yet. That might be because there are just no openings. She's been fairly active with the various school associations, usually involving her daughter's softball team. No one saying bad about her, but no one gushing, either."

"Next is Dave Clarkston." said Jerome. "He's graduating County High this year, and is planning to attend Eastern State in the Fall. He was on the County High football team, wide receiver and sometimes tight end, lettered the last two years. According to the County High counselor's office, he gets good grades, is not a troublemaker, and is fairly popular around campus."

"Then there's Tiffany Clarkston." said Jerome. "She'll be a Junior next year. She's on the softball team, as I said before, but didn't make the Cheerleading squad. She has a clique of friends, but isn't very popular overall; a lot of people think she's stuck up."

"What my grandmother would call 'snooty'." said Theo Washington helpfully. Everyone laughed.

"You get the idea." said Jerome. "Anyway, her brother has been something of her bodyguard, so other people don't mess with her. Without him there next Fall, though? I guess time will tell, as the Commander likes to say."

"Dave and Tiffany." I said. "Are either of them dating anyone, and by that I mean seriously?"

"Dave has gone through half the cheerleaders." said Theo. "And I mean that in the sexual sense. He's one of those jocks in a clique of jocks that pass girls around, and the girls don't mind. I got a tip that one reason Tiffany didn't make the Cheerleading squad is because the Cheerleaders make themselves 'available' to the football players at parties, and Tiffany's brother was one of those football players."

"What guys are in this little wolfpack?" I asked.

"There's five other guys." said Jerome. "One is this past year's high school quarterback, Tom Kane. He's the BMOC, the Big Man on Campus. He has a reputation of having been arrested by the Police for DUI, but the school got him off. Of course we know that's not true, because Commander Troy would've busted some asses if anyone tried that with our Police Force."

"You got that right." I said. "Who else is in this fun little Cool Kids club?" It is possible my voice was full of acerbity as I said that.

"Sven Radcliffe... his mother is Swedish and his father American." said Jerome. "Then there's Roddy Hightower and Gary Melton. Roddy and Gary have been in trouble with the Law in the past: trespassing, one charge of breaking and entering that was reduced to trespassing. They've been caught parking with girls at Promontory Point and at Point Hollow in the past. And we're talking sexual intercourse, as the Officers had to take the girls aside and ask if they were being raped, and such stuff. The girls said the sex was consentual, and they were 18 or older, so nothing illegal... sexually, anyway."

"So was Tiffany dating any of these guys?" I asked. "If not, who was she dating?"

"She was known to hang out with Sven Radcliffe, and they'd double-date with her brother Dave and one of his various girlfriends at times." said Theo.

"That's gotta suck for her." said Joanne Warner. "On a date with a hot football player, and her brother is tagging along."

"Quite the contrary." I said. "The way this case is shaping up, her brother would be the perfect cover for her against her father's intrusive protectiveness. At any rate, this is good information, guys. I don't know who your C.I.s are, and I don't want to know, but they're good."

"You'd be surprised, sir," said Tanya, "to know just how many of our Officers and their spouses are friends with other parents. And people love to gossip."

"Yeah, Elsie Gringer and my own mother are in a class by themselves in that department." I said. "Okay, so any ideas at all on possible perps?"

"We did find out that Dave went to a party on the night of the home invasion." said Jerome. "Fairly well attended, kind of a graduation gathering. Not really Dave's normal crowd, but since he's going to college like many of them are, that may be why he went. Some of the other jocks went to the party, also. No booze or drugs at it; it was chaperoned."

"What about Tiffany?" I asked.

"She went to a different party, with her friend Jenny and a bunch of other girls in her class." said Theo. "She went home with Jenny and was staying the night when Police came and got her. Both Jenny and her mother confirmed that Marcia Clarkston has said Tiffany could stay with Jenny."

"Sir," said Tanya, her eyes sparkling, "do you think this case has something to do with Tiffany?"

"I dunno." I said. "We have a 'strangeness' in that her father really expected her to be home that night, but his wife, the girl's mother, had given the girl permission to stay with a friend. Strange... and interesting..." As I thought about it, I noticed out of the corner of my eye that every Detective in the room was furiously scribbling notes. Good, I thought. About damn time they realize that when I see a 'strangeness', they should see a cluuuuue..

Part 9 - Legal Battles and Crowbar Battles

8:00pm, Wednesday, May 30th. I was at the office of my lawyer, Mike G. Todd. A few moments after I arrived, Cindy and her attorney, Cy Hart, came in.

"Mullen and his assistant Brafford Bacon were the only ones in the room with us, but I felt like others were watching via the videocameras." Cindy said. "Mullen asked the questions himself at first."

"The most commonly heard phrase all day was 'beyond the scope'." Cy Hart said. "Mullen started off on the two cases he's authorized to investigate, but when it became clear that Ms. Ross had nothing to do with those, he began asking about her involvement with you, Commander Troy, in your other cases. I began objecting, not letting her answer, and it became an almost automatic thing."