Witness for the Prosecution Ch. 02

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

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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.

There may or may not be discussion of political issues in my stories. If you are a Snowflake that feels you need to be protected from any mention of politics, then click the Back button now, and never attempt to read any of my stories ever again. You've been warned.

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Dedicated to Dame Agatha Christie, with apologies for the riff of the title of one of her greatest stories.

Part 6 - Cause and Effect (continued)

A collective groan filled the office as the import of Jack Muscone's words that Maribel Isadora was dead hit us all. Savannah Fineman had to grab the back of Cindy's chair to keep from collapsing. Miriam Walters led her to the sofa and they sat down.

"Where are you now, Jack?" I asked.

"The Federal Building in The City." Muscone replied. "Let's videoconference in five minutes..."

As everyone got up and exited to go to the Main Conference Room, Cindy held me back for a moment. She whispered "There's something off about Savannah. I'm getting a vibe from her."

"That she's upset?" I asked.

"Yes, but not like I'd expect." Cindy replied. "It's almost like... crocodile tears. She's upset about Maribel dying, but it's more like a 'this wasn't supposed to happen' kind of upset, not really any genuine concern for Maribel's life. In other words, it's as if she knew the Feds were going to come in and take the Toyota Gang, but she believed they would protect Maribel, and now she's more afraid of the blame than caring about Maribel being murdered..."

I nodded. "Okay, we'll see in five minutes..."

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

And five minutes it was. In the Main Conference were the Chief at the end of the table, me to his left and Tanya to his right, Teresa to my left, Cindy to her left, Savannah to Tanya's right and Miriam to Savannah's right.

The videoconference line rang, and a moment later we had Jack Muscone on the monitor. He was in his corner office within the FBI suite at the Federal Building. With him was Supervisory Special Agent Julius Jefferson, Special Agent In Charge Clark Webster of the region's Missing Person's Bureau... and DEA SSA Dwight Stevens!

"You got nerve, bringing Stevens in on this." I said angrily.

"No one feels worse about this than I do---" Stevens started.

"Except Maribel Isadora, maybe?" I fired back witheringly.

Jack Muscone said "Don, he's helping us as much as he can. He was duped like a lot of other people---"

"And he should be fired for it." I replied with no small amount of hostility in my voice.

"Let me just give you my report." said Muscone. "Here's what we know. All four members of the Hispanic Team were taken to the Federal Prison near Acropolis City. Miguel Carlena was processed there, but he was then transported by the Marshals to Miami, Florida---"

"What about Maribel?" Savannah Fineman all but shouted.

"I'm getting there," said Jack Muscone, "but Don and the others need to hear the rest of this, and in full context, so let me get the story out." Savannah was about to say something, but Miriam Walters grasped her wrist in a clear sign to stop talking.

Muscone: "There's no trace of Carlena after he was transported to Miami. Some think he is going to be flown to Colombia or El Salvador, and returned to his grandfather and his family in order to avoid a diplomatic crisis. Others don't believe that, though, and we simply have not found out anything else about him yet."

Muscone: "Carlos Rojas and Peter Segui are still in holding cells at the Federal Pen, awaiting processing, and they're essentially protected. But Maribel Isadora was not given any protection. And despite not being convicted of anything yet, she was put in 'gen pop' with the convicted, hardened female prisoners."

Muscone: "Two Hispanic women, serving long sentences for crimes of violence and drug distribution, took shivs to her in the cafeteria. They carved her up like a roast; one clapped a hand over her mouth and slit her throat, then stabbed her in the kidney and cut and sliced as much as she could. The second woman stabbed her right in the gut and tried to make the two seppuku cuts, and was largely successful. Maribel bled out within a couple of minutes."

I said "Do you have proof she died, or are you taking the Prison people at their word?"

Julius Jefferson said "It's been confirmed. It really was Maribel, and she really is dead. But you do bring up a good point, Commander: it's very hard finding out anything, and it's getting even harder. We got good cooperation from the Bureau of Prisons at first. But after Maribel's murder, they clammed up. Everyone is covering their asses and battening down the hatches."

Muscone: "And it definitely is hard to tell who to trust and not trust, these days."

"Yeah." I said, "especially that DEA Agent sitting next to you, that waltzed into our Courtroom and took my perps into Federal custody... and after he had promised me he'd let us convict them of the State charges first!"

"And I wanted to!" Dwight Stevens said, getting defensive and angry. "But I had my orders!"

"Yeah?!" I fired back. "So did the Nazi guards that led the Jews into the gas chambers! They had their orders, too!"

"Oh, come on! Don't give me that shit! I---"

"You got Maribel Isadora KILLED, you fucking asshole!" I thundered.

Dwight threw up his hands in exasperation. "Look, I'm trying to tell you---"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!" I shouted, rising to my feet. In a calmer voice, I said "Jack, get him out of there or I'm walking out of here."

Jack nodded to Dwight Stevens, who had already risen to leave. After I heard the door close, I said "What about the others? What happened to the Black and Asian Teams?"

Muscone said "According to the Bureau of Prisons, the Asian Team was taken to Seattle. My fear is that they are going to be repatriated to the Red Chinese, as a gift to the Chinese from the Wilmington Delaware Family that the Chinese have bought and paid for, if you get my drift."

I said "I do, and I believe you when you tell me that. But I am verrrrry skeptical that they were taken to Seattle. Li Wei Guo was the one connected to the Chinese and the Cartels; it is far more likely he was slipped into the group taken to Miami. And the others had more connections to the Big Boy Corporate Elites than the Chinese."

Muscone: "You make good points, and you might be right. As to the Black Team, they are completely off the grid and off the radar. Clark Webster here has been treating them as Missing Persons, with no results. No facial rec sightings anywhere in the country. And unlike the Asian and Hispanic Teams, the Bureau of Prisons totally and emphatically denies ever having any of the Black Team in their custody... and call it a hunch, but I believe them on that."

I said "And you should... the Black Team was the Swamp Frogs's true targets. And I seriously doubt you'll be hearing from or about any of them... well, I take that back. Mr. Webster, I can give you one potential lead to follow. Look for the dead body of Dwayne Heywood, a.k.a. 'Heywood J'."

"Okay." said Clark Webster. "But why him? And why dead?"

I said "Of all the Toyota Gang, he's the one of least value to anyone, and he's of no value at all. Not to the Swamp Frogs, the Corporate Elites, the Chinese, nor the Cartels. He's pure liability, and I expect that he will be treated accordingly, and soon..."

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

4:45pm, Wednesday, November 17th. After disconnecting the call, I looked balefully at Savannah Fineman. "Get Chip Blake on the phone. Now."

"Why?" asked Miriam Walters as Savannah looked at me skeptically.

"I want to know who gave him that tip about Maribel." I replied. "Make the call." Fineman got out her cellphone, looked at Walters, who nodded, then dialed a number.

When Chip Blake answered, Savannah Fineman said "Chip, this is ADA Savannah Fineman. I'm putting you on speaker with Miriam Walters, Police Chief Moynahan, and four people named 'Commander'." (That would be Me, Cindy, Teresa, and Tanya.)

"How can I help you?" Blake said, his voice becoming stiff and formal.

Savannah said "The FBI just confirmed that your clients were taken to the Federal Pen near Acropolis City... and they said Maribel was put in the general population. She was murdered."

Blake: "Are the others there? Are they still alive, and protected?"

Fineman: "Segui and Rojas are, at least we think no. Michael Carlena was reportedly taken to Miami, but we have no confirmation and no idea where he is right now."

"Mr. Blake!" I called out in my authoritarian voice. "I need to know who gave you the tip that led us to finding out this much. It's the only way I can help you help your clients."

Chip Blake said "Well, it was an anonymous tip."

"Mis-ter Blake." I said. "You surely cannot have heard of any small reputation I possess if you are going to play games with me like this. Who gave you the frickin' tip?"

Miriam Walters said "Mr. Blake, if you know, you need to tell us. Right now."

Chip Blake finally said "No, I'm not going to. I'm asserting attorney-client privilege in the matter. I will not help the Police, and especially not Commander Donald Troy."

"Blake, you're on thin ice---" I started, but the call dropped as Chip Blake disconnected.

I stood up. "And Fineman, you need to think about a few things, yourself. Maribel Isadora trusted you, and now she's dead. And now I've got to get to work... to try to save the others. If I can. May I be excused, Chief?"

"We'll all go." said the Chief...

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

Your Crowbar's Angels followed Your Iron Crowbar into my office and made themselves at home in front of my desk as I all but collapsed into my comfortable 'Command Chair' behind the desk.

"Sooooo..." said Cindy Ross, tapping the green crowbar into the palm of her hand, "... the Black Team was the true target, were they now?"

"What. Isn't it obvious?" I asked, pretending shock.

"You're just trolling us now, arentcha?" Teresa asked, with what was for her a little grin.

"Yeah, I am." I admitted. "It's not all that obvious, and it's eluded me for a while. But I'd rather talk about it over beef nachos at the Cop Bar. Who's in?"

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

After our strategic redeployment to the Cop Bar, and joined by the Chief, the Sheriff, Captains Claire Michaels and Janice Holloway, her fiancé Lieutenant Teddy Parker as well as Lieutenants Theo Washington, Joanne Warner, and Detective Sergeant Julia Rodriguez, we ate beef nachos and drank either Regular or Cherry Coca-Cola Zero as we discussed the case on the outside deck, with the fire pot giving us warmth.

I said "Okay, let's look back at the Toyota Gang crimes. Which one was not like the others?"

"Do you consider the train explosion to be their work, sir?" asked Teddy Parker.

"No, I do not." I said. "I am blaming the Swamp Frogs for that one."

"I'd say the Sedgwick murder." Joanne replied. "The others were robberies, mostly of convenience stores."

"But wasn't that the Asian Gang filling in for someone else to do that? And on the Swamp Frogs's behalf?" asked Julia. Then she said "For sheer size and scope, I'd say the Smith-Morra Jewelry Store burglary, except they broke into Coin Shops and stole those 1933 Double Eagles."

I said "You're on the right track. "The Sedgwick murder was about revenge, and didn't really profit anyone financially. The convenience store robberies were small-time in both appearance and reality. The coin shop robberies were small-time on the surface, and we later found out about the Double Eagles that may or may not have been the targeted result of those crimes."

I continued: "But the jewelry store robbery... now that was big. On the surface, behind the scenes, it was big and for big money. And it was very efficiently executed... except for the small fact that the Police were outside waiting for them, and arrested them." Everyone laughed at that.

Me: "I will also add that on the night of the jewelry store robbery, I was distracted by being called to the other corner of our State, to investigate the murders of four people we now know were the White Team. My being in Apple Grove when the Hispanic Team was caught was pure coincidence... indeed, the White Team would probably have preferred I not have been in Apple Grove while they were. But arranging for the Donnan County trip was not a coincidence at all."

Me: "It was the Black Team that made the jewelry store attempt, which is why I said, and believe, that they were the real targets in getting the gangs out of our jails and into the Feds's hands. This whole business about Michael Carlena being sent back to the Cartels is a red herring. Ditto that for the desire to return the Asian Team to the People's Republic of China."

"Okay, but why?" asked (who else) Cindy Ross.

"That's what we have to figure out." I replied. "And let's start by asking: why was it important to get them out of our hands before we convicted them in Superior Court?"

"Ohhh." said Julia Rodriguez. "Leverage. "Once they're convicted in our Courts, the Feds can't offer them plea deals or Immunity Agreements, because they can't take away the State convictions!"

"Very good! Hold this." I said, passing the red crowbar to her. She happily examined it as I said "Kind of like Savannah Fineman in reverse. She didn't offer a joint Federal immunity to Maribel Isadora, only a State one, and the Feds pounced on it and took advantage. And the mirror-image of that is that the Feds have nothing to offer if all their offering is for the perps to rot in our State jails."

"So what is it they're trying to use that leverage to get?" asked (who else) Cindy Ross.

"Ahhh, the $64,000 question." I replied. "Actually, probably a lot more than $64,000."

"So what do we do?" Teresa asked.

"We keep our eyes and ears open." I said. "We wait for developments. I'm expecting to hear of the death of 'Heywood J' at any time... maybe he'll be found this weekend. And Teresa, tell Todd that his buddies Lindsey Black and Karl Coleman are very much involved in all this, so he needs to keep tight security. I haven't forgotten seeing them come out of that building the Feds both own and have rented." (Author's note: 'God Save The Queen', Ch. 01.)

I saw Teresa's eyes turn jet as I mentioned those names. A few minutes later I said to her quietly and privately, "We'll talk about it later. For now, I'll just say this: do you want a shot... at the title?"

"Don't mind if I do." Teresa replied, her eyes boring into mine...

Part 8 - No Way Out

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Thursday, November 18th, from the rooftop of the building at the corner of Riverside and College, with City Hall in her background. "The Town & County Council meets in Special Session to force Police Commander Donald Troy to accept guilt in the lawsuit by the family of an unarmed black man Troy severely injured!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "Mayor Daniel Allgood has called a Special Session of the Council for tonight, for the purpose of following parliamentary procedure to set up a 'Committee of the Whole', which will contemplate and debate settling the lawsuit filed by the family of Anthony Wilson, whose shoulder was separated by the violently physical excessive use of force by Commander Troy in arresting Wilson at last week's Council meeting!"

Bettina: "City Attorney Dennis Garland has recommended that the lawsuit be settled, and he has also recommended that Commander Troy be stripped of his indemnity if he, Commander Troy, does not drop his countersuit against Mr. Wilson and his family."

Bettina: "And the Public Safety Department faces further turmoil as the Union and the Captain's Union are demanding that Sheriff Antonio Griswold clarify the rank and structure of each unit within the Public Safety Department. At issue is who has command authority in situations like the peaceful demonstrations during two recent Council meetings. Political experts are saying that the failures of the current structure are due to Commander Donald Troy's poor decisions in re-writing the County Charter..."

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

"Hmmph! Bettina is wayyyy behind in her coverage." grunted Sheriff Griswold as he, Your Iron Crowbar, Chief Moynahan, Deputy Chief Tanya Muscone, Chief Deputy Cindy Ross, and Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle drank coffee and watched the propaganda-cast in the Chief's Conference Room.

"How so, sir?" Teresa asked.

"The Union made their so-called 'demands', and rather politely, I might add." growled Griswold. "And I've responded. We've agreed that a more comprehensive overhaul of the rank structures is needed since the Charter was re-written, with a particular eye towards the future and possible events in the coming year. And I'm going to do that.. well, I'm going to get Crowbar to do it and take the credit for myself."

We all laughed at that, then Tanya asked "What's so wrong with it now, Sheriff?"

Griswold: "It's not that it's wrong, but there are a couple of things I want to do. First, Crowbar fixed a lot of the Fire Department problems during the re-writing of the Charter, and now we need to fix the problems that showed up in those last two violent protests at the Council meetings. I'm also looking at that through the lens of the train car explosion. Our response went well, but what if Louis Bailey had shown up and said he was in charge at the scene?"

After a moment's silent pause, Griswold continued: "And the second thing is scalability. I think everyone here knows what's coming in the next year. The weaponized US DOJ is going to come after us, and the State Legislature may merge one or two other counties into ours. So we need to position ourselves to handle whatever comes along."

Griswold: "And that's what I told the Unions. I also told them that I needed to take some time, consult with the Public Safety Department leadership as well as select Council Members and of course them, the Union. And hustling on doing this only to have the Legislature convene in January and fuck us over would be a waste of time. So it will be early next year before anything comes out."

"How did they take that?" asked Cindy.

"They were surprisingly accommodative." replied the Sheriff. "And I don't know whether or not to be happy about that... or worried..."

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

"Hello and welcome to Fox University Sunrise!" said Catrina Pierce from the KFXU studios at 8:00am, Thursday, November 18th. "I'm Catrina Pierce, and with me as always is Priya Ajmani. Good morning, Priya."

"Good morning, Catrina. Good morning, everyone." said Priya. "Here's what's in the news. Maribel Isadora, one of the Toyota Gang members who were literally taken out of their trial in Superior Court by Federal Agents this past Monday, was murdered in the Federal Prison near Acropolis City."

Catrina: "The Federal Agents took custody of all twelve Toyota Gang members that the Town & County Police captured over the last several weeks. Ms. Isadora turned State's evidence and testified against the other Gang members. She had been given State immunity but not matching Federal immunity, and when she testified about the gang's drug operations, she and the others were immediately taken into Federal custody, generating a mistrial in the Superior Court case."