The Whole Nine Yards Ch. 03

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 15 - Exposing Anonymous

SBI Agents Carter Fischer and Ted Ruble came into the living room where the Democrats and their Media ally Bettina Wurtzburg were sitting. They were drinking the 'French Connection' cocktails that Bettina had made... and they all needed them. Kelly Carnes was in the den room, having been separated from the others for individual questioning.

A State Crime Lab CSI tech came up to Carter Fischer. "No fingerprints on the mask or the paper, at all. No smudges, nothing. Nothing on the fireplace mantle, either. Whoever put them there was very careful. There's no sign of forced entry anywhere; all the doors and windows are locked, except the front door we all came through to get inside."

"What about the alarm?" asked Bettina.

"We downloaded the information temporarily stored in the alarm panel." said the CSI. "It was shut off by a shunt, which was removed about five minutes later." He named the timeframe, which was when the Democrats had been meeting. "We're checking with the alarm company, but we don't expect anything more. Also, there were no fingerprints on the alarm box nor the wall around it, but we found a minuscule amount of cornstarch. That suggests the perp used common latex gloves."

"All right, thanks." said Carter Fischer. To the others, he said: "Okay, one more time... why did you call the SBI in instead of the TCPD?"

Bettina said with alacrity: "Because I believe Donald Troy is the culprit. He's worn an 'Anonymous' mask before. One time he confronted another person wearing a Guy Fawkes mask at Police Headquarters. Another time he wore one on Guy Fawkes Day when he was running with the University ROTC cadets." (Author's note: 'Six Degrees', Ch. 05; 'Case of the Fake Badges', Ch. 04.)

She did not mention out loud that after the Consultant of Crime, Pastor Raymond Westboro had died, an Anonymous mask and a warning had been found in Westboro's church office. She did not mention it because she was not supposed to know that. (Author's note: 'Six Degrees', Ch. 05 Epilogue.)

SBI Agent Ted Ruble said "I remember something about that. The group 'QAnon' today is ultra-conservative and desires violence against the Government. But back in the day, when Commander Troy did that, the 'Anonymous' at the time was Left-leaning and complaining about the Republicans. And it was the Left-leaning one that used those lines in his YouTube videos."

Bettina said "Commander Troy has a side business selling alarm systems, and supposedly has great knowledge of how to disable them... and he'd know something about that from being a cop. And Kelly Carnes recently called Troy's daughter a halfbreed, so there's motive if you need it."

Agent Fischer said "But didn't she publicly apologize for that?"

Agent Ruble said "Not to Commander Troy; in fact, she doubled down on her attacks on him."

"All right, we'll check up on him." said Carter Fischer, though not with enthusiasm. "Ruble, we'll need to check with the Heritage Cloisters front gate guardhouse, as well as get street camera video..."

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

10:00am, Sunday, July 26th. The redoubtable Bowser was furious with anger. He and Buddy had been trying to find the source of tiny meows, to no avail, and now he was suffering the indignity of hearing my Police iPhone ringing. I answered it anyway.

"This is Chief Moynahan, Commander." said Chief Moynahan. "Can you come down to Headquarters? And it might be good to wear a uniform."

"Uh, sure, sir." I said. The Chief's words about the uniform were code, suggesting that I prepare for 'trouble'.

When I got to Headquarters, I went to the Chief's office. "Don't sit down, Mr. Crowbarrr." said the Chief. "We're going into the Main Conference Roooom. Do you want a Union Rep?"

"Do I need one?" I replied.

"You make the call." said the Chief. I followed him into the Main Conference Room. Sitting at the table were SBI Agents Carter Fischer and Ted Ruble.

"What's this about, Chief?" I asked. The Chief indicated to Agent Fischer.

"Commander, we need to ask you a few questions." said Carter Fischer, who looked a lot younger than he really was, and had a full head of brown hair.

"What's it about?" I asked.

Agent Ted Ruble said "We just need to ask some clarifying questions about a case we were asked to investigate last night."

"What case is that?" I asked.

"We'll give you the details," said Ruble, "but we need to ask a few questions first."

I looked over at the Chief. "No, Chief, I don't need a Union rep. But I want my lawyer here for this questioning."

"It's just a conversation, Commander." said Ruble. "No need for a lawyer yet, though we understand if you want your Union Rep."

"What's it about, then?" I repeated.

"As I said, we'll tell you after-"

I held up my hand. "Lawyer."

Carter Fischer turned to Ruble and said "He knows the Game, so we're wasting time trying to play it." To me he said "Yes, call your lawyer, Commander..."

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

Half an hour later, my attorney Mike G. Todd arrived. When Fischer and Ruble attempted to begin the questions, he stopped them immediately.

"Gentlemen," he said, "you either tell us what this is about, NOW... or I'll just stop the charade. And I'll remind you that you're speaking with an SBI Inspector and the Police Commander, not some rookie Agent or Police Officer, much less a civilian on the street."

"And I'll remind yooooooo," admonished the Chief, "that you are talking to someone who not only knows the Game, he's the best at interrogations that I have ever seeennn. So why don't you stop wasting our time, and tell us all what this is about."

Ruble looked angry, but Fischer said "Okay, that's fair. Last night someone left an 'Anonymous' mask, also called a 'Guy Fawkes' mask, along with a threatening letter inside someone's home. That person had to have broken into the home to leave the mask and letter where they were found. The alarm was compromised to gain entry to the home."

"Did this happen here, in our Town & County?" asked the Chief.

"Yes sir." said Fischer. "But the SBI was called in because a witness the scene suggested that you, Commander Troy, was the culprit. So... may we ask our questions?"

I nodded, and Mike Todd said "Go ahead, but ask them through me."

Ruble said to Fischer "In that case, we should read him his rights."

Fischer said "That's not necessary at this point."

Your Iron Crowbar said "Ruble is right. You should read me my rights, as you should for any questioning that has reached this point. For your own protection as well as mine." The SBI Agents were stunned that I'd self-closed that potential loophole. "The Constitution comes first." I said, having 'read' their thoughts.

Ruble read me my rights, then asked "Commander, where were you last night from 7:00pm to 11:00pm?"

"At home." I said.

"Can anyone verify that?" Ruble asked. Mike Todd nodded, and I answered:

"My wife, Laura Fredricson." I said. "Nextdoor County Police Chief Molly Evans. ADA Paulina Patterson. I would say my children, but there is no way on God's green earth I'm letting you speak to any of them. And, of course, K-9 Corps Police Sergeant Bowser. You should interview him."

"Commander, this is a serious investigation." said Ruble. "I suggest you take it seriously, and answer our questions seriously."

"Then... seriously... maybe we should just end it now." said Mike G. Todd.

Carter Fischer said "Have you ever worn a Guy Fawkes mask, also called an 'Anonymous' mask, in public?"

"Uh, yeah." I said, as if surprised and letting the answer hit me. "Several years ago, when the Consultant of Crime was still alive. Some bozo was protesting in front of Police Headquarters wearing an Anonymous mask, and I went out there wearing one and confronted him. And one time I wore one while running with the University ROTC cadets on Guy Fawkes Day, because the Press was trying to film me running with them."

"What happened to that mask?" Fischer asked.

"I have no idea." I said. "I haven't seen it for years. It's probably in the County Landfill."

"That's not a statement of fact." said Mike G. Todd. "Just speculation."

"How'd you feel when Kelly Carnes called your daughter a 'halfbreed'?" asked Ted Ruble.

"Ah, she must be the one who called you guys in." I said.

"How did you feel about what she said?" persisted Ruble, though he looked chagrined that I'd deduced that about Carnes.

"Pissed off, of course." I said. "But she apologized."

"How about the things she said about you, Commander?" asked Carter Fischer.

"If it's about me, it doesn't bother me." I said. "I've heard a lot worse."

"Will you allow us to download the GPS logs of all your vehicles?" asked Ted Ruble.

"Not his Po-leece vehicle, at least not without a warrant.": said Chief Moynahan. "That's SOP as well as State Law."

"And not his private vehicles, either." said Mike G. Todd. "At least not until you exhibit your lawfully obtained warrant based upon probable cause... which you do not have."

"So now," I said, "you will tell me everything about this case that you know. The what, who, when, where, and how."

"We can't do that while we're investigating-" started Ruble. I held up an object in my hand... my SBI Reserve Inspector badge.

"That wasn't a request." I said. "And I can assure you that if you refuse to tell me, the SBI Director and SBI-OER Inspector will ask the same things of you, and then tell me. Your only other option is to go to the SBI-OER and ask them to take over the investigation."

"All right, here's what happened-" said Carter Fisher.

"Hold on." said Ruble, stopping Fischer.

"It's also a local jurisdiction case," said Chief Moynahan. "When the Sheriff hears of this... and he willlll... it's going to get verrrry toasty around your backsides."

"It's our case." said Ruble.

"One more time." I said. "You can be brought up for insubordination, or you can transfer the case to Britt Maxwell. What's it going to be?"

"He's right, and it's a legal order." said Fischer to Ruble. He then told us what had happened the night before.

After he finished, I said "So Bettina Wurtzburg was there? All along?"

"Yes sir." said Carter Fischer.

"And she was the one that pointed out that I'd worn a Guy Fawkes mask in public before?" I asked.

"Yes sir." said Carter Fischer.

"And she was actually at the scene of the crime... while I was at home, petting my Police dog." I said as a statement... and a 'hint'. Fischer got that hint; Ruble looked like he wanted to pretend he had not heard it.

"All right, let's go." Fischer said to Ruble. To us he said: "Thank you for your time and cooperation."

"Stay in Town." said Ruble.

I laughed derisively. "Agent Fischer, educate this poor lost soul." I said, my eyes boring into Ruble's.

After they left, the Chief muttered "Pretty damn arrogant of that guy Ruble."

"He's one of those SBI Agents from the past that contributed to the Agency's useless reputation." I replied. "Fischer, he's not a bad guy, but he's a bit too willing to do what he's told by the likes of Katherine Woodburn."

"So the Press is behind this?" asked Mike Todd.

"So I read the riddle." I said. "And a riddle I don't really care to dwell on..."

Part 16 - The Board of Inquest

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Monday, July 27th, from the roof of the building at Riverside and College, with City Hall in the background. "The Day of Reckoning for Commander Donald Troy has finally come!"

Bettina began: "The Board of Inquest to determine Commander Troy's fate is scheduled to begin at 9:00am this morning. The Police Union will finally get its chance to make its case for Commander Troy's firing after the Town & County Police ignored the Union's grievances of Troy's actions that abused the rights of two of his Officers."

Bettina: "Dr. Clarence P. Chase, the head of the University Law School, will be the Presiding Officer, and his actions will set the path of future Boards of Inquest in how they will be run. Dr. Lionel Carmela, head of the University Department of Political Science, has demanded that Dr. Chase step down from being the Presiding Officer, and that if Dr. Chase refuses, he should be fired by University President Sidney P. Wellman, tenure notwithstanding."

Bettina: "The Police Union threatened to file a new lawsuit after their demands to have more involvement in the jury selection was denied, but Federal Judge Ruth B. Taney, who ordered the Board of Inquest as an alternative to Federal mediation of the dispute, told the Union it would be in Contempt of Federal Court if they did so."

Bettina: "Unlike trial juries, Inquest juries are selected almost at random from the weekly jury pool at the Courthouse. Their rulings will be non-binding. Even so, experts believe the Union will score a resounding victory at the Inquest, citing Commander Troy's clear guilt in denying an Officer his rights to Union representation and then harassing that Officer."

Bettina: "And in other news, D.A. Miriam Walters's Office is seeking to move Breonna Bryant's trial up to early August, just a few weeks away. Experts believe Ms. Bryant will be easily acquitted of the brutally overbearing charges, but her Defense counsel is resisting efforts to move the trial up, and have expressed their preference that the trial be in September..."

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

"Well, that didn't last long." said Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle as she, Captain Tanya Muscone, and Sheriff Antonio Griswold watched with me in my office. "Bettina's back to her rabidly dishonest ways."

Teresa, the Sheriff, and I were in our semi-formal uniforms with full 'fruit salads' of ribbons on our jackets, as I was technically the Defendant. Teresa and the Sheriff were going to be called to testify.

"I know she'd love for the Union to win," Tanya said, "but Teresa's right... she was particularly vicious and dishonest in that report. What got her ticked off?"

I just shrugged my shoulders, not saying out loud that I suspected it was because of the 'Anonymous' visit to Kelly Carnes's home. Bettina and KXTC owner Katherine Woodburn both knew that mask and note were more than just a warning.

I then said "What I noticed is that Bettina made sure to mention that the Breonna Bryant trial, but did not say one word about Inga Gunddottar coming out of her coma and recovering steadily. And that's in spite of Captain Thompson putting out a statement about it, and Cindy personally calling KXTC with the news. But not one word from KXTC."

Sheriff Griswold growled: "That's because it would remind their viewers that black men committed violent actions against a white woman, which does not fit the Media's narrative and agenda to create hatred against whites based on race."

I said "I read on a Police-only website, not available to the general public, that a Police Officer in Wilmington, Delaware severely beat up a demonstrator, and his partner stood there and did nothing, except laugh. But not one word from the Media at any level, local or national."

"Ahhh." Tanya said. "I'll bet the Police Officers were black. Doesn't fit the Media narrative."

"Give that Detective a blue crowbar!" I said enthusiastically. "And as your reward, you're Acting Commander today while we're gone."

"Aw, that's chickenshit." replied Tanya with a wicked grin. When I 'looked' at her, she said "I'm Acting Chief today. Chief Moynahan is going to be with you at the Inquest Board, and Commander Ross has her appointment with her gynecologist... you know that doctor, by the way... and Cindy will go see Inga afterwards. So the power is mine! MINE! Moohahahahahaha!" We all broke out laughing at my Captain of Detectives's blatant power grab...

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

8:30am. We were at City Hall, waiting for the Board of Inquest to begin. After talking with Mike G. Todd, I asked Teresa "By the way, anything on those bugs in Tanya's wheelchair and the Conference Room?"

Teresa replied: "Tanya and I spent all day yesterday discussing it. The worst of it is that we're having to look at some of the people closest to her and her husband, as well as BOW Enterprise employees, and that's pretty demoralizing. Jack Muscone is pretty upset about it all, too... and yes, he knows. He's not an Agency of the Weak-Minded, either, and he knew something was up when Myron came to the Muscone home to sweep it for more bugs. So we told him in confidence."

"That's okay." I said. "We could use his help. But he needs to not tell anyone at all about it."

"Yes sir, we told him that." Teresa said. "Anyhoo, one thing we're hypothesizing is that if it's the same person planting both bugs, it has to be a Police connection. That does not exclude the FBI, though it makes the BOW people less likely... except me, of course."

I chuckled, then said "That's true. But I'm not enthusiastic about the hypothesis that only one person planted both bugs."

"I agree, sir," said Teresa, "but it's just our starting point. And another reason for a potential Police connection is that Tanya is very rarely away from her wheelchair, unless she's in the tracked Tank, which means the wheelchair would be left unattended in her modified Police van."

"Good thought." I said. "I thought of something, too. Look into University Hospital... Tanya goes to rehab every Wednesday, and that's a time she's away from her wheelchair at times."

"That's a thought, sir." said Teresa.

"Soooo," i said, "with the data you have, what are your theories on who and why?"

Teresa barked a laugh. "The 'why' is easy... to gather intel on us, the Police. Getting more granular, bugging Tanya' wheelchair is the perfect way to hear a great many of the Police Leadership's conversations, as well as her discussions with the Detectives and Intel... such as potential raids on drug deals and stash houses. As to 'who'? I don't have as much data on that."

I replied "I think we can safely formulate a few theories. First of all, remember that I got onto it because Bettina Wurtzburg was arrogant enough to report from an ice cream shop about Hunter Stenson stopping at an ice cream shop... after I mentioned that earlier."

Your Iron Crowbar: "Ergo, Bettina, and more accurately the Media, are getting the information from the eavesdropping. And as you've heard me mention, the Media is driving certain agendas and cooperating with certain entities, and information on what we the Police have been saying, planning, and doing would be vital to the Media's agenda..."

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

At 9:00am, Dr. Chase gaveled the Inquest into session. He laid out the ground rules: the Jury of six women, four white and two black, who were already in their seats, were tot make findings, like a Grand Jury would, as opposed to a verdict.

Witnesses would be under oath, but the rules of questioning them were more relaxed than a Court trial, which meant 'leading the witness' would be okay. More importantly: rather than the formal questioning of a trial, both sides would be questioning a witness at the same time, with the Presiding Officer controlling the civility of the back-and-forth. That had not been set in stone before, but Dr. Chase wanted to try it... and he was 'the man' when it came to this new experience. And it seemed to work well in the early going, and contributed to the brisk pace of the proceedings.