Unresolved Ch. 05

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, 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.

Part 23 - Standoff

"Here's what we know." said Alison McFarland into the microphone of her podcast. "Confessions have been made, plea deals made, perpetrators arrested in the Stephen Henry/Wendy Withers double murder case. Additionally, warrants have been issued in the murder case of a young Congressional intern.

"But it's not the end. The Swamp is deep, muddy, and putrid, and 'powerful interests' are fighting desperately to prevent Justice from being administered to those who have allegedly committed these crimes. U.S. Senator Samuel Russell is hiding behind a Constitutional clause to keep from being arrested and tried for rape and possibly murder. And the forces of Government Power are being marshaled to save and protect a Fraternity of rapists and murderers. This is Alison McFarland, and things are still... Unresolved."

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

9:30am, Monday, April 22d. The standoff was incredibly tense. The corrupt FBI BAU unit of Bob Rovers was clearly itching to start a bloodbath. I was totally shocked that Edward Blassingame and Nathan Masterson had come in without armor on; their lives would be forfeit when the shooting started.

"This is a judge's order, Troy!" snarled Masterson, holding up a document. "Are you going to obey the law and release those unlawfully arrested prisoners? Or are you going to get a lot of your people killed?"

"Said by the guy who has no armor on himself?" I said "And will be the first to die?"

"We're willing to die in the cause of destroying you, Troy." said Blassingame.

"And you're literally standing here," I said, "unarmored, ready to have these dirty FBI Agents commit more murders to save your worthless rapist, murderer son?"

"I'd do anything to save my son, asshole." snarled Blassingame. "Wouldn't you do the same for your daughter?"

"My daughter didn't rape and murder anyone!" I thundered. I drew my Beretta 96 service weapon, aimed it at Blassingame, and cocked the hammer. "And I'm going to make sure your son is not only convicted, but executed by the State for his crimes. And when the shooting starts here, you'll be in Hell waiting for him."

"Stand down, Mr. Crowbar!" I heard a voice yell behind me. It was Chief Moynahan. He and District Attorney Miriam Walters came into the lobby. They were followed by FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone, and FBI Supervisory Agent Melina Troy Allgood. The Chief and Melina were armored, and Melina was well armed. Muscone and Walters were not.

"You're behind the times, Masterson." D.A. Walters said. She held up a document. "An emergency appeal to Judge Leahy of the Appellate Court was made. He rescinded Nance's ridiculous order, and ordered a re-examination by the lead Superior Court Judge, Patrick R. Folsom. Judge Folsom has already stated that Nance's order was so egregious that Nance will once again be referred to the State Legislature for impeachment and removal from the Bench."

Masterson took the document and looked at it. "Damn, it's dated after ours. They got to Leahy and Folsom in time, Mr. Blassingame."

Melina added her voice to the tense situation: "Every Federal Marshal and FBI BAU Unit member is here illegally. You are now technically trying to unlawfully break prisoners out of jail. The TCPD is well within their rights to shoot every one of you dead. And if any stray bullets blow your head off, Blassingame, it won't hurt my feelings one bit."

I don't know why Melina had such hostility for Blassingame, but I was liking it that she did. Then Jack Muscone spoke: "You heard her, Rovers. Get your people out of here. Now."

"Yezzzzzz." said Chief Moynahan. "I can't stop the Iron Crowbar from shooting you where you stand for too much longer, Mr. Roverzzzzz."

A Federal Marshal whispered something to Bob Rovers, who still had Teresa's M4 practically in his earhole. "All right." Rovers said. "Stand down. Let's get out of this shithole." The Federal Marshals were obviously very relieved as they quickly left. The BAU team members glared hatefully at me as they filed out, but with TCPD Officers now between them and me, they had no chance to do anything about their hatred for me... and I had no chance to do anything about mine for them.

"Let's go, Masterson." said Blassingame.

"I'm here to see my client, your son." said Masterson.

"He's not here." I said. "He's at his arraignment. All of this would've been for nothing; he hasn't been here for an hour." Blassingame blanched at that.

"Masterson, what the hell are you doing here?" Blassingame hissed. "Get to the Courthouse and do your job!"

"We've got it covered." said Masterson. Still, having no reason to be at County Jail, Blassingame left. Masterson followed.

As Blassingame walked by me, he stopped and glared at me. "Like I said, I'll do anything to save my son... or avenge him. Are you willing to do the same for your child?"

"Is that a threat, Blassingame?" I fired back. "Because all the King's horses and all the King's men won't be able to put you back together again if you threaten my family. At all."

Blassingame left the building. I said "Great job, everyone. Captain Croyle, have everyone stand down. Triple our protective coverage of the suspects at the Courthouse, and transporting them back and forth."

"On it, sir." said Teresa.

"My office, Mr. Crowbar." the Chief said. "Make sure you're there by the time I arrive."

Part 24 - Monday Maneuvers

As I waited in the anteroom of the Chief's office, I called Laura and gave her the 'red alert' that our children might be in clear and present danger. Laura said she'd call the school to watch out for anyone suspicious, and she would also call Molly Evans and Paulina Patterson. I asked her to try to get in touch with Sandra Speer to protect Greta, as well.

When the Chief arrived, he invited me and Cindy Ross into the Chief's Conference Room. As we sat down, the Chief said "I know you didn't start that one, Mr. Crowbar. I cannot bee-lieeeeve that FBI unit did that."

"I should've anticipated it, sir." I said. "And I'm feeling lucky they didn't realize Blassingame's son was being transported to the Courthouse. We had extra protection and some deception maneuvers, like multiple paddywagons going three different ways, but if they'd known, they could've attacked us."

"You make it sound like a military operation." said Cindy. "Blassingame isn't like that. Not even the FBI is like that."

"Trent Ridge and Quint Starr are like that." I replied. "And guess who controls their puppet strings.. or at least their purse strings."

"Yezzzzz." said the Chief sourly. "Now that you mention that, it could've been a real threat." He sat back in his chair, almost lost in though. "Christ, this is big, isn't it?"

"I admit I may have been wrong about Miriam Walters." Cindy said. "She acted quickly to overcome Nance."

"Spit in his face, she did." I said, using Jedi Master Yoda grammar. "Saved us some serious trouble, as well."

"How did she know?" asked the Chief. "Did you make one of your famous 'suggestions' to her?"

"I didn't realize my 'suggestions' were famous, Chief." I replied. "And no, I wasn't the one. Maybe Paulina suggested to be on the lookout. In any case, I'm not looking the gift horse in the mouth."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Cindy opened it, to see District Attorney Miriam Walters standing there.

"Come on in, Ms. Walters." said the Chief. "Your ears must be burning. We were just complimenting you on the speed and efficiency with which you overcame Judge Nance's absurd maneuuuuuuverrrrr."

"Yes, we appreciate it very much." I said. "Not to mention standing amongst all those Government Guns without any armor on." That got the first glimmer in Miriam Walters's eyes I'd ever seen.

"I wish I could take credit for knowing about it." said Walters as she sat down. "I got a call from a friend of yours, that podcast woman, Alison McFarland. She tipped me off to what Nance was going to do. I thought maybe you'd had her warn me, Commander."

I admit to feeling totally stunned. "Er, no, I had nothing to do with it." I said. Cindy also looked totally stunned.

"I came by to ask why that FBI unit not only interjected themselves into that situation," said Miriam Walters, "but why they were so eager to free the arrested people by such a display of force. I've filed for an injunction in Federal Court to force that BAU unit to stand down its operations in this County, and to leave it completely. At the least, Special Agent in Charge Rovers is going to have to explain himself to Federal Judge K.M. Landis, who does not tolerate fools very well at all."

"Oh, that's awesome." I said. "As to the reasons for that display of Federal Government Guns this morning, I can sum it up in one word: desperation."

"On whose part?" asked Walters.

"Edward Blassingame's." I replied, making sure my gray eyes locked onto her beady black peepers.

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

"And welcome back to Point Taken!" said moderator Connie Chen as the program returned from a commercial break. "And now let's move to the news of the multiple arrests and indictments coming out of the Town & County over the weekend. Commander Donald Troy has been a very busy man, arresting several University Tau Fraternity and Pi Omega Sorority members for a hazing incident where at least one woman was allegedly raped, and two University students were murdered in cold blood."

"Commander Troy also secured indictments against U.S. Senator Samuel Russell in the strangling death of an intern of U.S. Congressman Gerald A. Condor." said the beautiful Zara Zeigler. "The intern, whose name is not being released at this time, was found strangled in a hotel bedroom rented by Congressman Condor. A semen sample has been DNA-matched to Senator Russell."

"Senator Russell has been indicted by a City Grand Jury for the rape of Jayne Hallerton, a former University basketball player." said Connie Chen. "The Senator's wife had given depositions that the sex between them was consentual, but she recanted that over the weekend and said the her husband did rape Hallerton."

"However," said Rosie Berkmar, "attorney Gwen Munson, who represented Donna Rodman and Hillary Braselton during their legal battles with Commander Troy over their credible accusations that Governor Jared sexually harassed them, said that Commander Troy illegally interrogated Mrs. Russell, and quote 'browbeat' unquote Mrs. Russell into recanting. The video evidence has been submitted to the judge overseeing the case to determine if Commander Troy acted properly or not. Our colleague Ruby Russell is the daughter of the Senator and his wife, which is why she's not here today; she's participating in the lawsuit against Commander Troy."

"We should also add," said Zara Zeigler, "that one of the Fraternity members arrested, and indeed the prime suspect of the murders in the case, is Peter Blassingame, son of Edward Blassingame, who was the founder and CEO of State Parcel Services and recently was named CEO of BigAgraCorp after the death of Mitchell Bain Willis."

"Well, once again Commander Troy browbeats a woman." said Donna Roselle, the black, fiercely militant leftist of the group. "While I think Senator Russell is a despicable man and a rapist, that doesn't justify what Commander Troy did to his wife."

Connie Chen immediately stepped in: "We still have to hear from the Court to see if Commander Troy did wrong, there. Another issue is that warrants to raid the Tau Fraternity House at the University were rescinded by a Federal Court, which normally does not have jurisdiction over murder cases. Then Judge Harry Nance issued an order to free the arrested suspects because the warrants were rescinded, but it turns out that the evidence to arrest them was based upon new evidence completely unrelated to the previous warrants. Judge Patrick R. Folsom rescinded Nance's order, and has suspended Judge Nance and referred him, Nance, to the State Supreme Court and State Legislature for what will be Nance's second impeachment inquiry."

Donna Roselle jumped in: "The State Legislature needs to support good judges like Judge Nance, and focus their impeachment inquiries on the most racist Governor this nation has ever had, Val Jared!" The audience applauded.

Zara Zeigler said "I'd really like to know what prompted the Federal Court to even get involved in that murder case. It's true: they really have no jurisdiction."

Rosie Berkmar added: "And maybe someone can explain to me why Samuel Russell, a Republican, was at a gathering of Democrats being hosted by Democrat Congressman Condor, and why a married man like Russell was having sex with Condor's sweet young intern. Republicans are always so sanctimonious about marriage and religious values, but we don't hear a word from them about one of their own allegedly raping one woman and now allegedly having sex with a woman who was found dead very shortly afterwards."

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

"It's official." said Cindy as she came into my office a half hour later. "Folsom overturned Nance's order. Also, Peter Blassingame was ordered held without bail as he is a considerable flight risk. Susan Dougherty is also being held without bail, and the others had their bails set at $1 million apiece and will have to be ankle monitored if they make bail."

"Good." I said. "Have a seat; I can tell you want to ask me something."

Cindy gave a wan smile as she sat down. "Yes, I do. If you didn't tell Alison McFarland to warn Walters about Nance, if you weren't behind it at all, who did tell her?"

"I dunno, but I'm grateful to whoever did." I replied.

"She seems to have been ahead of us on a number of things." Cindy said. "She brought in Kitty Summers. She brought in Carrie Lucas and Marla Hanson. She found Sophie Westbrook. She showed up here right as that murder case exploded. Do I need to quote the Iron Crowbar on coincidences like that?"

"You really don't like her, do you?" I asked back, getting straight to the heart of the matter.

"It's not that!" Cindy said, beginning to become exasperated. "I admit, she's done very well, and she's helped us a lot. But come on, Don, how has she been able to do this?"

"It must be nice to be an independent agency, not constrained by law enforcement duties." I said. "Of course I personally prefer the steady paycheck the TCPD provides better than being a struggling podcast journalist."

By now Cindy knew me well enough to know that anything I said was not idle. She peered at me and I peered back. Then I saw her eyes change, and go introspective. She was thinking about it, and I hoped she'd figure it out...

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

*Whirrrrrrrr*

At 3:00pm, Captain Tanya Perlman drove into my office. "So, sir," she said with a happy smile, "the Sheriff has authorized a victory celebration now that Peter Blassingame is formally indicted and behind bars. When shall we do it?"

"Thursday, I guess, or Friday." I said. "The Council is meeting tomorrow, and the Charter Commission on Wednesday."

"Friday sounds good." said Tanya. "I'll call Jack Colby about getting the back room of The Steakhouse. So, are you going to be at the Council meeting? Help clean up that trash I heard about last week?"

"I'm on standby." I said. "Mayor Allgood is going to bring the hammer down. They'll have the second reading of the promotions bill, and if that passes, and I think it will, then we'll have to talk to a couple of Detectives Wednesday morning."

"Davis and Warner?" asked Tanya. I nodded and she said "Telling them who's getting the promotion and who isn't." I nodded again. "Sir," she said, "if it's going to be hard for you, I'll do it."

"Thanks." I said, knowing that she knew that I always remembered having to tell Pete Feeley that he didn't make Detective... and his murder at the hands of Angela Harlan a short time afterward. (Author's note: 'Case of the Black Widow', Ch. 05.) "But this is different. And you have the right to tell both of them, of course."

"We'll do it together, then." said Tanya. "I know that they'll want to hear it from you directly, especially the 'winner'..."

Part 25 - Tuesday Trials and Tribulations

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, Tuesday, April 23d. "Many lawyers have expressed outrage at several judicial rulings favorable to TCPD Commander Donald Troy!"

Bettina began: "Judge Harry Nance's order to release everyone arrested in a Fraternity hazing case was overturned by Judge Patrick R. Folsom after Appellate Court Judge Leahy ordered a review. In addition to his order being overturned, Judge Nance has been suspended and referred to the State Supreme Court and State Legislature for review for possible impeachment. This is the second referral of Judge Nance for impeachment, which has outraged many legal experts that are said Judge Nance's ruling against Commander Donald Troy's action was both legal and proper."

Bettina: "And even more chilling, according to legal experts, is that a judge ruled that Commander Troy did not exceed Constitutional constraints in what was described as a 'very harsh' interrogation of the wife of Republican U.S. Senator Samuel Russell, who recanted her earlier testimony that her husband did not rape former University basketball player Jayne Hallerton. Additionally, Republican Senator Russell is wanted for questioning in the death of an intern of Congressman Gerald A. Condor, but he cannot be compelled to return to our State while the U.S. Senate is in session."

More Bettina: "And in State news, with the State House Judiciary Committee convening to begin impeachment inquiries of deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared, sources tell Channel Two News that Administration aides are discussing the possibility that Governor Jared will resign rather than put the Republican Party and the State through the humiliation of an impeachment investigation and trial, and his ultimate removal from office..."

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

"Harumph!" growled Sheriff Griswold as we watched the news in my office. "Val Jared has no intentions of resigning, and it's not even likely they'll get to a formal impeachment vote in the State House, which would have to be brought into session to make that formal vote. So what the hell is Wurtzburg talking about?"

My Angels and I were also present, but the Chief was at a breakfast meeting with the Mayor and some Council Members.

"I think we're hearing wishful thinking on the Media's part, there, Sheriff." I replied. "Maybe they're hoping if they tell the lie enough, it'll come true for them."

"Hell," said Tanya Perlman, "if the total waste of time and money for the Independent State Counsel couldn't touch Governor Jared, why do they think this specious piece of crap will?" No one answered; I just shrugged my shoulders and sipped coffee out of my Airborne School mug.

"Bettina must be really disappointed with those legal rulings." said Cindy. "She all but said they were wrong since they favored you, Don."