Scavenger Hunt Ch. 03

Teresa said "Isn't it a conflict of interest for lawyers to represent multiple people in the same gang, unless they're representing everyone in a class action or mass plea bargain or something?"

I said "That may be part of their plan... they'll say these two gangs are completely separate entities. I also suspect they don't know just how much we know."

Teresa said "That's true. Whoever the masterminds behind all this are, they may not be telling the legal beagles that these gangs are not separate, nor that there may be more perps out there. The lawyers may be flying blind as much as the rest of us are... except you, of course."

"Butter me up, butter me up." I replied.

"It's not asskissing." Teresa said. "Once again, you are in the unique position of having dealt with the crimes in Apple Grove and Donnan County, as well as the Toyota Gang all these months. So yeah, you're seeing a lot more that the rest of us. My only request is that you share with the class, at least the TCPD Detective Corps."

"I certainly will share... as soon as I know what's going on myself." I said. "And what I see right now is that these four perps are being represented by Big Boy, Swamp Frog attorneys. And which one is representing which one is most very telling, do you not agree?..."

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

It went predictably: the lawyers conferred with their clients, Detectives came in, the perps invoked their Fifth Amendment rights to answer no questions. They were returned to their isolation cells until their scheduled Monday arraignment.

Those of us with offices at Police Headquarters moseyed back over there. Shane O'Brady rode with the Chief, and Sheriff Griswold rode with me at his 'request' (meaning order).

"All right, Crowbar," the Sheriff growled, "we can't put it off any longer. Tomorrow night I am submitting the name of our nominee for Internal Affairs Commander. Whose name am I going to give them?"

"Two names, Sheriff." I said. "One for the Lieutenant Commander position, as I.A. leader. And one for Lieutenant, to fill the I.A. Captain slot." I named names.

"Those names make sense, and I like them." Griswold growled. "Did they accept the appointments?"

"I haven't asked them yet, sir." I replied. "But I suspect they'll agree..."

Part 9 - When In Charge, Take Charge

When we got back to Headquarters, Sheriff Griswold went to his office space to make some phone calls. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle brought Captain Claire Michaels to my office. I poured three cups of coffee, put 'pollutants' in mine, and we all sat down.

Claire began: "I wanted to tell you privately, sir, that last night the Rojas burner phone began pinging, about one hour before the Toyota Gang B-Team hit the pharmacy's jewelry store."

"Do tell." I said. "From where?"

Teresa said "From the building that we know the Feds are renting office space from, sir." (Author's note: 'God Save The Queen', Ch. 01) "And we had a near-disaster in that Purvis told Sidney Plant to call the Courthouse to get a warrant to raid the place. Fortunately, I had talked to Magistrate Judge Doss beforehand, and she called me to confirm that we wanted it issued. I asked her to hold off until I talked to you first. I know that's a cop-out, but it seemed to work."

"Not a problem, you did what you had to do." I replied. "And yes, it would've been an absolute disaster if that warrant had been issued, much less executed. Captain, didn't you tell them?"

Claire said "Yes sir. Purvis acted in spite of my instructions to come to me for permission first."

"Were those instructions in writing, or by email or text message?" I asked.

"No sir. They were verbal." Claire admitted. "I messed up on that, sir. I'm sorry."

"l'm going to barbecue Purvis, anyway." I said. "So is that why you sent him home?"

"Oh, no sir." said Claire. "I understand that you're not happy with me for that, but he really was exhausted, and needed down time." I saw Teresa make the slightest raise of her eyebrows, which told me volumes.

"Okay, I need for him to be here at noon, and ready to brief me on whatever he's found." I said. "And before you go, I have to tell you both this. The Sheriff is recommending the names I gave him for the I.A. positions. It will affect both your lives." I named names.

"Shut the front door." Teresa said, pretty much in a whisper. Claire blinked hard, but otherwise took it in stride. Teresa said "Those choices make sense, but you're right: you just made my paperwork go up exponentially. You trying to keep me on Desk Duty or something?"

"And it's not even December yet." I said with a grin. "Okay, Captain, you can go. Follow up on everything, especially those addresses of the 'B-Team'. Commander, stay here a moment."

After Claire exited, I looked at Teresa and said "So why did she really send Purvis home?"

"He was tired, sir." Teresa said. "But I think Claire got frustrated with him. He mines good data, but he's slow. I remind myself that we're comparing him to Mary Milton, who types SQL commands at a thousand words a minutes and knows where to dig. Bottom line is that Purvis is great with financial data, but he never was a born leader, and he's been overwhelmed since Mary went on maternity leave."

"Even with Joanne Warner in there supposedly helping him?" I said.

Teresa said "I'd say 'helping' may not be the right word, sir. There has been... confusion... about who is in charge, and whose orders are to be followed."

"Ahhh, I think I can see what's happening there without being told any more." I said sourly. "And they all better get their shit straight, or they'll find out the hard way who's really in charge... me." I then caught myself and exhaled. "No, I'm sorry, I was wrong to say that. I'm tired, too. Okay, I believe we will soon be visited by Federal Agents..."

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

That was an easy one. At 9:00am, FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone came into Headquarters. With him were Special Agents Christy Cassidy and Steven Gable. Also with them were DEA Supervisory Special Agents Dwight Stevens and Lorena Rose. The Sheriff, Chief, Deputy Chief, and Captain of Detectives joined them and Teresa and me in the Main Conference Room.

Muscone said "We got warrants to search the apartments of the 'Apple Grove Four', and we executed the raid in the wee hours of the morning. No one was at home, and no one came to nor inside the apartments since we began surveilling them."

Muscone: "The apartments were lived in, but were clean and tidy, as if they'd been staged. I had a 'deep clean' team come in and take samples from the shower drain, lavatory drain, stuff like that, to get solid DNA. And we did get some hairbrushes, so that might help."

I said "Any communications devices in the homes?"

Muscone: "We secured eight burner phones, two in each apartment, hidden in air conditioning vents. But their regular cellphones in their names... Deems, Allison, Reskind, and Wescott... are missing and we have been unable to turn them on nor ping them."

I said "I'll bet four of those burners have the names 'SHWhiskey' 1 through 4. I would just love to know the names and emails on the other four burners."

Muscone said "We have to crack them open, first. Cardigan and his team are working on that now."

I asked "Here? Or in The City?"

"The City." said Muscone. "They don't have the physical tools and devices here--- what?" He'd seen all of us staring most very skeptically at him.

I knew they did have the tools in their offices in the Federal Building in our County, but for the moment I let it go. I said "Nothing. But I really do need the data when you get the phones cracked."

Jack's beady black eyes gleamed just a bit as he said "I'm sure we can arrange a one-for-one trade with the data you get from this group you busted last night."

Tanya was shocked at her husband's words. "Jack! Don't play games with him like that!" she admonished.

"I'm not playing games." said Jack, as if having to 'mansplain' to his wife. "We'll give them what we find, but I do want access to what they found last night."

Seeing my 'most very unperky' look in Muscone's very specific direction, Chief Moynahan said "I am surrrre that we can work together and share data in the spirit of harmonious co-oper-ay-shunnnn. Is that not right, Mister Crowbarrrr?"

After a long pause, I broke the tense silence in the room by saying: "I should probably wait until I get some sleep before making any responses, as I'm making too many mistakes right now to trust either my brain or my potty mouth. However, I do have a question: why do you... or more accurately, the Feds... need our data of our local cases so badly?"

Jack said "There are links between the Apple Grove Four and the Stubbs & Wheaton company, and I'll be looking into those as part of my investigation. And, of course, them being found dead to distract you from being here last night while the Toyota Gangsters robbed that jewelry store is an issue... and yes, I believe you are correct that your four bodies in Donnan County are our four industrial espionage spies up here."

"But exactly what are those links, especially to the Toyota Gang?" I asked incisively.

Jack replied: "Uhhh... you know, it might be a good idea for me to plead the Fifth, and let your wife answer that question." I felt my eyes widen at that.

Dwight Stevens said "In addition to the Apple Grove Four crossing State lines in their recent activities, I may be able to give a reason why Federal involvement may become necessary. But let's finish with the search of the homes first."

I was 'not pleased' with that, but I said Okay, what else did you find in the apartments? Xboxes?"

"Yes." said Jack Muscone. "And iPads. No full computers, though."

I said "They probably have an office space somewhere that has their computers. Okay, Dwight... whadda y'all got?"

Stevens said: "Our investigations of Carlos Rojas and Michael Carlena have led to connections to some drug trafficking operations we've been aware of for a little while. Mostly in Southport and points south, like Chippewa Crossing. But their presence up here in your Town & County has caused a (air quotes) 'recalibration' of our thinking."

Stevens: "We now suspect they're trying to open new pipelines to the northwestern part of the State. Drugs, prostitution, maybe more. And they may also be trying to redraw the Organized Crime turf lines in this State. Cerone and Molinari are retired, and Orrin B. Taggart in Southport and Anthony B. Capella in The City are, in our analysis, beginning to lose their respective grips, leading others like these Hispanic gangs to move into new territories."

Teresa cut in with the incisive question: "And how does the Toyota Gang fit into all that?"

Lorena Rose said "If I may... Commander Troy, these guys Mr. Muscone is... was... pursuing, they may have been doing two things at once. Their industrial espionage work is exposed, and you may be right that the links to the Toyota Gang are incidental... or coincidental. Ditto that for Carlena... and Rojas. They may have been doing things with the Toyota Gang, but that's a sidebar for the other stuff they're doing, trying to create Central and South American gang footholds here."

I said "Mr. Stevens, you better appreciate the treasure you have working with you in Lorena Rose. Why I let her leave the Town & County Police Force, I don't know. But it's proof I'm not perfect and I do make mistakes."

Claire said "I agree, about how good Lorena is." Lorena smiled shyly at the compliments.

I said "I do want to correct one thing you said, though. I do believe the Apple Grove Four is the White Team of the Toyota Gang."

Dwight Stevens said "And that's why I want to have Lorena work with your Vice guys up here in the northwest Tri-County area. Whether informally, or as a Joint Task Force, this is a huge chance to collect intel on the workings of these gangs, and maybe busting them up and taking their leaders off the streets of the world."

Claire Michaels said "Commander, Chief, I'd like to endorse that idea. It could really help us interdict drug flows to our University's students."

Cindy Ross piled on: "I agree. This might be a huge opportunity."

"I like the idea, tooooo." drawled the Chief.

"What do you think, Crowbar?" growled Griswold, his mustaches twitching.

"I think I'm at the bottom of a dogpile, Sheriff. I can tell when I'm being ganged up on in an orchestrated fashion." I replied, to some chuckles. "Captain Michaels, make it so. Get with Rudistan and his people, and start setting things up. However... our Intel Branch is not subservient to the Federal Government, nor exclusively available for their exclusive use. Mr. Stevens, Ms. Rose, we are working with you, not for you, and that means you share data with us at least as completely as we share with you."

"Does that include me and Ashton Cardigan, too?" asked Jack Muscone, and very inappropriately. "We can expect to receive your data in exchange for ours?"

"Jack!" Tanya exclaimed.

I turned in my chair to face Muscone, and let my gray eyes bore right through his beady black peepers as I said. "Truth be told, Mr. Muscone... I do not need you. I'm going to get what I need to solve the Toyota Gang case... and yes, it needs solving... with or without you."

Everyone in the room was totally stunned, none more than Jack Muscone. I continued: "Now if you were to do the right thing and give the TCPD any phone data you come up with... or better yet, hand us the phones and let us crack them and handle the data... I am sure that you will get the information you need, and in an appropriate and timely manner. But like the Deputy Chief said... do not play games with me."

I turned to the DEA Agents and said "And as part of that sharing of data, Dwight and Lorena, let me give you some more names to look very closely into: Fred Spencer, with regards to possible drugs and Organized Crime activities. And Roger Earnest to a lesser degree. Tom Allison, a.k.a. Tom Tamayo, one of the Apple Grove Four, now believed to be dead. I believe they are the Organized Crime members of each team, along with Carl Rojas."

I continued: "And Feng Xingshi, who worked with Peter Segui for Stubbs & Wheaton, is also someone to look into. If the pattern holds, someone else in his cell is the gangster, and we know nothing of who they are, so you'll have to work on getting date for him."

Me: "Teresa, and Claire, you and our people need to be looking into Feng Xingshi, as well. If you can find him, or get any info on him, see if he associates with any groups of young Asians. Some of them may be who we are looking for."

I got up. "Chief, Sheriff, if y'all will excuse me, I have a couple of urgent phone calls to make." The Chief just thumb-pointed at the door, which I speedily used to exit the room...


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

"My God." Teresa said when she came into my office ten minutes later, upon my invitation. "You totally punked Jack Muscone, right there in front of everyone. Yeah, he was being a jerk, but did he deserve that?"

"Yeah. He had it coming." I said.

Teresa said "And now he may be inclined to not share any data they get on the burner phones they found at the scene. Especially the ones that aren't connected to the Toyota Gangs."

"Ohhh, I think we will get that data." I replied. "And we did give Ashton Cardigan's people the metadata on the Black Team's burners, so it begs the question of why Jack was even asking. It's bad for Jack if even Cardigan is treating him like a mushroom." Teresa became thoughtful at that.

I continued: "By the way, be available for the next few hours. At some point in time my wife is going to come to Police Headquarters, and she will have information for us about the 'White Gang', which I like better as a nickname than the 'Apple Grove Four'. Laura may even ask you to leave the room, and I will insist that you stay, so keep your fourth point of contact planted in the chair."

"Wilco." Teresa replied. "So it seeeeems to me that you know what's going on with all this. Hint hint."

I said "No, I don't know everything, but ideas are swirling around in my head. Maybe after I get some sleep, my brain will start making sense of it all."

Teresa said "I've never heard you gripe about lack of sleep before, and your energy when on a case is the stuff of legend around here. You okay?"

"Yeah, I will be." I said. "I need to start working out regularly again, and maybe harder than I have been. Without the Police Boxing Matches to look forward to, I've been letting my training slip."

Teresa replied "Well, let's start working together on more advanced Aikido and other marital arts. I got a feeling we might be needing them in the near future." I nodded vigorously in agreement...

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

10:30am, Saturday, October 9th. FBI SAC Jack Muscone came into my office, and he was not alone. Dr. Laura Fredricson and FBI SSA (and 'dark agent') Melina Allgood also came into my office. I had a fourth 'hot chair' in the room, and Teresa was sitting on the 'far side' (to my right as I looked across the desk at them), Melina to her right, Laura to Melina's right, and Jack at the end near the door... and acting like he was ready to leave in a hurry if he had to.

"All right, all right." Muscone said, handing me a large plastic bag made to protect sensitive electronics. Inside were eight cellphones. "They're yours, meaning the TCPD's. Just sign for them." Teresa did so as I had my assistant Helena call Lt. Myron Milton. He and Corporal Penny Scott came in, and Teresa started 'trouble' by asking about Myron's new baby. Photos were shown by the proud papa.

After they left, Laura said "Darling, this may need to be a private meeting." as her eyes cut towards Teresa.

"It is a private meeting." I replied. "And Teresa will be staying in it. She has a Top Secret clearance, but more importantly: if I'm right, this involves her husband and her children's safety." Teresa's eyes widened a little bit... and so did Melina's; after all, Melina was the 'birthing person' of one of those children.

I said "It's also been pretty clear to me since we were in Apple Grove that the White Team, which is my new name for the Apple Grove Four, are involved in industrial espionage. And that was confirmed by their associations with Stubbs & Wheaton Venture Capital, LLC. And it's clear that BOW Enterprises has been a target, likely because of their nanotechnology."

"Okay, then. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Teresa." Laura said, conceding the point more easily than I'd expected her to. "So let's just get right into it. Don, you unerringly spotted those four in Apple Grove, and you were suspicious of them from the beginning. Well, so was I." (Author's note: 'Reunion Fever'.)

Laura: "They acted in a manner that was very consistent with CIA-trained operatives. They were well-prepared, as those name tags with the photos showed. They had backstop stories. They knew where every camera and every exit was. They avoided answering your questions when you asked one of them his name. And their interest in Lisa Baker was (air quotes) 'abnormal'."

Laura: "I've seen enough of those types of people... and trained enough of them myself... that I could see what they were. I should have been even more suspicious and alert, and maybe I could've prevented Craig Reynolds from being stabbed, instead of having to help put him back together in surgery."

"It is what it is." I said. "And like the beating of a butterfly's wings, some interesting air currents resulted." That was a reference to the thesis that a butterfly beating its wings affected the air currents of the entire world.