Little Red Haired Girl Ch. 02

With that, the meeting was essentially 'ovah'. Katherine Woodburn said "If I might have a word alone with Commander Troy..." That generate silence: everyone knew what Katherine had done to try to remove Betsy from Cindy's parentage, and Cindy was my blood kin. For Woodburn to ask to be in a room alone with me was... well, it was very brave, to be sure.

I nodded. "It'll be okay." I said to Sheriff Griswold.

He got up and patted me on the shoulder. "Don't make any messes for me to clean up." he growled quietly. I arched my eyebrows at him, which he correctly took as a sign for him to not worry.

Once alone in the room, Katherine got up and came over and sat down next to me. "I want to apologize to you." she said. Yes, my eyebrows shot way up at that.

"I was wrong when I tried to call DFACS on your cousin." Katherine said. "I went too far on that one." I could see the flicker of fear in the back of her eyes as she said the words.

"No doubt." I said. "And you owe Jimmy Cerone big-time for interceding with me on your behalf."

"Yes, I know." Katherine said. "And I lost a lot out of that bad decision. Priya resigned as my Press Secretary, and she left me. That hurt more than you know. Anyway, I'm asking you to let it go, and I won't come up against your family ever again."

A lot of retorts passed through my mind, but I simply said "Okay. And I don't have to tell you what will happen if you break that promise. Ever."

"Thank you." said Katherine. She sat back and asked: "So... any idea who burned my home down?"

"No." I said. "And it wasn't me that was behind it. Scout's Honor. As to your office down here? That wasn't me, either, and I really have no clue what that was about..."

Part 13 - Funeral For The Fallen

Wednesday, February 20th. The weather was beautiful: sunny and cold but not too cold. That was the good news. The bad news was that no one was enjoying the weather: it was the day of Officer Barker's funeral.

A hearse transported the American-Flag-draped casket to the garage of City Hall. It was transferred to a horse-drawn carriage, which was being pulled by two white horses on loan from Town Councilman John Colby.

Just about every Police Officer had requested to be part of the Honor Guard and Pallbearer Team. Captain Teresa Croyle sent out an email to all that she appreciated the offers, but the only fair way to choose was to let the established Honor Guard team do their jobs. And they did their jobs with unswerving ability and devotion to their duty, especially on this sad occasion.

From City Hall the funeral cortege walked behind the casket, down Riverside Drive and onto College Avenue, ironically the route the car that had hit Barker had taken. Walking with the carriage, two of them leading the horses, was the Honor Guard team. In the first row behind the carriage were the Medal of Valor recipients: Sheriff Griswold in the place of honor at right, me to his left, Cindy to my left, Teresa to her left, and Roy Easley to Teresa's left.

In the next row was Police Chief Moynahan, Fire Chief Quinlin (who had requested to be part of the procession), Precinct Captain Carswell and Precinct Captain Abram. After that came Captain Damien Thompson, Lt. Rudistan, Lt. Irwin, and Fire Marshal Zoe Singer.

Next were the cars that carried Officer Barker's parents and their close friends. Then came the Thin Blue Line: over 100 Police Officers, many off-duty, had come to be part of the final farewell to a fallen comrade.

The street was lined with hundreds of Citizens, most standing respectfully silent, some holding lighted candles. It warmed my heart to see the large turnout.

At the Presbyterian Church, the walkway on the front lawn was lined on both sides with Police Officers, all of whom saluted as the Honor Guard brought Officer Barker's remains inside. The family followed, and then we MOV recipients led the Police Force inside. We ringed the sides and filled in the back of the church, which was already nearly full of Presbyterians and others that had come. I remembered the last time I was in this sanctuary: for Charlie Griswold's funeral.

Dr. Edward Ayers gave a stirring sermon on Barker's inspiration to overcome obstacles. Then Lieutenant Rudistan came up, and told humorous stories of Barker, the young man and young Police Officer, bringing some levity to the somber occasion. Captain Teresa Croyle spoke of Barker's professionalism and heroism as a Police Officer, then asked the Officers present to go on outside. We (including me and Cindy) lined the walkway again, and saluted as the casket was carried out.

And at the cemetery, Captain Croyle somewhat pulled rank, saying it was her 'giri', and personally took the folded flag and presented it to Barker's mother, then saluted. The Barkers began crying again as the finality of that act hit them...

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

Wednesday, February 20th. After returning to Headquarters after the funeral, I went back to my office. Taking off my jacket and MOV, I sat down at my computer and began working on the Shimono/Paco/Barsbane stuff.

At 5:00pm my door was open when I saw Teresa Croyle come into the anteroom. I waved for her to come on in before Helena had a chance to buzz me. I told Helena she could go on home, and had Teresa close the door and sit down.

"You did very well today." I said. "It was a nice service."

"Thank you sir." Teresa said. After a moment, she said "I know you still have a lot of pain over Pete Feeley's death. Back then I wasn't where I am today. With Barker, I know there was nothing to be done, but this was one of my Officers that died, and I can't help but wonder if there was something I could've done..."

"This is one of the down sides of being in charge of others." I said. "When you let us pin those Captain bars on you, you accepted the responsibility for those under your command, and you're feeling that now. I know I feel the same way about it, and I'm sure the Chief does, also."

"The Chief once told me," Teresa said, "that when he was in command in the military, that even though it was war and casualties were expected, it still tore him up when any of his people died, especially if he thought he might could've done something different that would've prevented the deaths."

I nodded. "I've always felt that Pete Feeley died because I did not act fast enough, even though I knew enough to act fast enough, and I'll never feel otherwise. And that is what hurt me the most about his death. And the silver lining to that is that I've learned to act faster. We got to Cindy in time in that Clinton County facility because I knew what I knew and acted, when I should not have, and most people would not have, committed so quickly until there was more information."

"I just can't help but think," Teresa said, "that our telling Barker on Thursday that he was going to be separated from the TCPD led him to being on that sidewalk on Saturday. If we could've done something different, found a place for him so he didn't have to leave the Force..." She did not finish the sentence.

"That," I said, "we will never know. Tell you what... why don't we continue this conversation at the Cop Bar, over beer and nachos. I'll ask the Chief and Cindy if they want to join us."

"Great idea, sir." Teresa said. "No wonder you've been promoted so quickly and at such a young age." I laughed, and we got up to go...

Part 14 - Information Underload

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the red haired reporterette at 7:00am, Thursday, February 21st, from in front of the State Office Building. "The State Legislature is at a virtual standstill as Legislators scramble to forge a Budget bill for the year!"

Bettina began: "There are rumors that a Budget deal between Legislators and the Governor have been reached. Not true, says State House Minority Leader Wilson Hammonds. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Wilson Hammonds saying "I can tell you how to know that a rumor is not true. If the rumor says that the racist Governor Val Jared is getting anything to help him implement his inexcusable policies of discriminating against Undocumented Workers, then you know that rumor is not true. I have a very strong, bipartisan coalition that will simply not allow any Budget deal that allows racists to cripple our businesses and suppress undocumented workers."

Back to Bettina live: "Sarah Honeysuckle, spokeswoman for the deeply unpopular Jared Administration, issued a statement saying that Wilson Hammonds was not even influential in State politics anymore, and that his voice is certainly not the one that will make or break any Budget deal. Ms. Honeysuckle refused to confirm that a Budget deal was in progress, and that any deal would contain the strong anti-Illegal-Immigration language that the Governor is demanding."

"And the Town & County Police still have no leads on the perpetrators of two devastating arson fires in the last few weeks." Bettina continued. "State Senator Katherine Woodburn has asked the SBI to take over the investigation of the arson fire that consumed her home, and her office issued a statement saying that the TCPD is unable to handle the case. SBI Director James 'Curly' Goodwin said in a statement that the SBI would only assist in the investigation of the arson fires if asked to do so by the TCPD. Commander Donald Troy has refused to respond to repeated requests for comment on the matter."

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

"I think Commander Troy was right." Tanya Perlman said as the Sheriff, Chief, me, and my three Angels drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. I noticed a certain gleam in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" said Teresa, as if on cue, a bit of a gleam in her eyes, as well.

"He said the Press would try to sabotage any Budget deal." said Tanya. "And every single thing Bettina reported on was to that very end."

"Really?" Cindy said witheringly, glaring at Tanya.

"Yes ma'am." Tanya said. "Since when has Wilson Hammonds become popular with the Press? And then Bettina gives air time to Jared's spokesperson taking shots at Hammonds, all but goading Hammonds into doing something to stop the Budget deal from happening... if it's happening, I guess I should say." Neither the Sheriff nor I even blinked as Tanya peered at us for a reaction.

"What I noticed," I said a second later, "was Bettina trying to cause trouble between Senator Woodburn and this Police Force. Woodburn did ask the SBI-OER to look into the arson fire when it happened... when she thought I was behind it. And Bettina was careful to say that it was Katherine's office, not her herself, that said the TCPD was unable to handle the case. And, of course, Bettina took her requisite shot at me for 'not responding' to her bullshit, as if they even asked me to comment."

"They did." Cindy said. "And they call and ask Damien Thompson every morning if Commander Troy will be made available to answer questions."

"And no matter what Captain Thompson says," I replied, "the Press says I'm refusing repeated requests for comment. And if that isn't proof of how dirty the Press is, and how they'll never end their war on me, I don't know what else I can show you."

My comment was directed right at Cindy, and she knew it. She did not bother replying, nor even looking over at me. The Chief and Sheriff did watch both of us during that 'exchange of philosophical ideas'.

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

8:15am, Thursday, February 21st. My meeting with two of my Angels, Tanya and Teresa, was interrupted when my assistant Helena buzzed me and told me that my boss was in the anteroom. Not Chief Moynahan... my real boss, my wife Laura. Of course I had Helena show Laura in.

Laura exchanged greetings with Tanya and Teresa, and they left. They knew as well as I did that Laura coming to my office, especially at this hour, must be a 'BFD'. And it was.

Laura accepted a cup of coffee from the pot I'd made (yes, I have my own coffeemaker in the office, where I make 'weak' coffee), then we sat down side-by-side on the sofa so that she would not have to talk very loudly. She also had her bug-killer on, which was the real-deal, no-shit technology I only wished I had. The television and my Police radio were knocked out.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting." Laura said. "But this is big, really big."

"That's okay." I said. "I have all day to talk to them. And it must be big for you to come over here. Whassup?"

Laura began: "I contacted some old friends in the 'Company' that I can and do trust, and asked them to check on that DNA situation we looked at last Fall. They ran it, and they confirmed completely that the DNA from the body in Coltrane County was Tomoko Shimono, our disavowed agent."

"But there's more, n'est pas?" I asked.

"Not much gets by you, Darling." Laura said with a glimmer in her eye, teasing me. Then she said "Yes, there's more. A lot more. The DEA made an official request for information on Tomoko Shimono, including inquiring if she'd been disavowed and was dead. The data on her that is not highly classified was sent to them. But here's the catch: the DNA scan they sent the DEA was a different file than the one my contact had confirmed was Shimono!"

"Uh, dirty dealing going on here?" I asked.

"No." said Laura. "The DNA in the two scans are the same, but one file is not a copy of the other. When I found out about this, I made a formal request through proper channels to look into it, and they opened an internal investigation. They've confirmed that both DNA scans are genuine. But it took them a while to figure out why."

"Identical twins?" I guessed. Laura just peered at me.

"You just guessed in one second what took them an hour to even guess at." my wife said. "How'd you know?"

"Been there, done that." I said. "The Arruzio case was my first real biggie around these parts." (Author's note: 'Case of the Murdered Lovers'.)

"Oh yes, that's right." Laura said as she remembered. "So, it looks like the Company had two Tomoko Shimonos, and apparently our left hand did not know what our right hand was doing. It's being investigated, but we don't know which Shimono was which... if the one found in the Coltrane County compost heap was the disavowed one, or if she was just a twin and stand-in that was unhappily murdered while our Shimono got away and only now has surfaced again."

"Wowwww." I said. Then something struck me. "Laura, who in the DEA made the request of the CIA for the Shimono information? Dwight Stevens?"

Laura gave me a pursed smile and said "You're batting a thousand today. Yes, it was Dwight Stevens. And I'll add that his request was forwarded by the FBI SAC (Special Agent In Charge) for this region... our cheeseburger-loving friend Jack Muscone, who asked that the report back be cc'd to him."

"I seeeeee." I said, my voice almost a whisper.

"Did either of them tell you they were going to ask?" Laura said, peering at me.

"No." I said. "No they did not. But we'll see if Jack comes correct and tells me after the fact."

"Don," Laura said, "Jack gave you that photo, apparently wanting you to look into it, and didn't tell you he and Stevens were talking to the CIA about it? Or were they hoping you'd talk to me, to be a backdoor confirmation?... which would piss me off if they used you and me like that."

"Forgive them, my love," I said, "for they know not what they do. And they possibly were nonplussed by my apparent lack of interest... which I admit was a lack of interest until you came here just now and told me all this."

"What do you think this is about?" Laura asked. Yes, she was picking my brain for the info, too. But she's privileged; she's my wife. And she gives me great blowjobs nearly every morning.

"That's what I'm starting to look into." I said. "I back-burnered it after Barker died, and we had all that going on. It's not Shimono that interests me, though... it's that other guy, Barsbane."

"What about Paco?" Laura asked. "He's a bad enough dude that his name has come across my desk in the past... my 'Company' desk."

"Yeah." I said, mostly to myself. "He may have been a go-between for Shimono and Barsbane, or he has another role..." After a moment of thought I snapped out of it, then said "Well, no sense theorizing without data. I need more data."

Laura smiled. "Oh, it might do you good to go crazy and theorize without data for a change."

"What will do me good," I said, "is getting you into bed tonight and ravishing you into pure exhaustion."

"Mmmm," Laura said. "Sounds like a promise I'm going to make you keep."

Long hard night secured, I thought to myself...

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

At 10:00am, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone came to my office. I had him come in and sit down. Normally, I would 'impress' him with a knowledge drop that would elicit a work order for firewood and a stake. But today I decided to let him tell me what I knew he knew... or not.

"Terrible about Barker." Jack said. "It was a nice funeral for him, though. Tanya cried a lot. I think it reminded her of Pete Feeley's death and funeral."

"Yes, I'm sure it did." I said. "So... what's new with you?"

"Dwight Stevens of the DEA has been looking into those three perps whose photo I showed you." said Jack. "He even contacted the CIA to confirm Tomoko Shimono's disavowal and death. They did confirm it, but couldn't send anything that was classified. So we're trying to get what we can."

I nodded. "Tell me about these other two. Barsbane and Paco."

"Barsbane," said Muscone, "was most recently seen in the City, in the Railyards area. The DEA picked up his tracks a few days ago." He got out his iPhone, and a second later my Police iPhone chirped that I'd gotten a text.

"This was taken at a bar not far from the State Parcel Service Main Distribution Facility in the City." said Jack. "It's unbelievable how good cameras in shirt buttons and Google glasses have gotten. An undercover DEA Agent got this."

It was a photo of two men at a table in a bar. "Ahhhh." I said as I recognized the man Barsbane was sitting with. "Dick Granger. Haven't heard from him in a while, since he was arrested during the SPS murders case." (Author's note: 'Delivery In The Rear', Ch. 01.)

"He got three years suspended," said Jack, "and a $10,000 fine, which we've learned was paid by SPS. He was a Distribution Director at that time, but has since been promoted to Vice President of Transportation. He's kept his head down since you and the City Police busted him, and has essentially gone off the grid; no credit card usage, at least none in his name; he doesn't own a POV; and he lives in an SPS-owned apartment in Eastphalia, all utilities paid."

"And apparently he was discussing transportation issues with a well-known expert of illegal transportation methodology." I said. "I did know Barsbane had come up from Southport as soon as Parsons and Rovers were kicked to the kerb down there. Word on the Southport 'Street' is that he wanted to steer clear of that area while the new FBI guys, Crenshaw and Jenkins, were coming in and actively seeking perps to bust. And here he is... having a beer with a trusted, high-level executive of SPS, the company of one of the last remaining Establishment Elitists that might've had something to do with Superior Bloodlines."

"Exactly." said Muscone. "So... anything else you can tell us?"

I looked right into Muscone's beady black eyes as I said "Yes. I have more. But not until you come correct with me."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked. He maintained the eye contact, but I could see that he was getting nervous.

"Jack..." I said witheringly. "We have been working together for what, six years or more now? And we've become good friends. You're engaged to one of my Angels, who you know I consider to be like sisters that I'll do anything to protect like a good brother should. And you should know by now that not much gets past me. I can tell when you're holding something back."