Witness for the Prosecution Ch. 02

"We'll talk again Monday." I said. "I want to hear what Dee Stubbs and Roger Earnest tell my Detectives and Paulina, and then we can decide what to do about them as well as pressing charges against various Federal Agents."

"Okay." Miriam said, her voice muted as everything began hitting her at once. We left the office. People started making their goodbyes. The Chief was good to drive, and took Miriam home. The Sheriff was not good to drive, and would be 'camping out' with us at The Cabin...

Part 12 - Cleanup on Aisle 5

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Monday, November 22d, from the Anchor Desk of the KXTC studios. "Commander Troy again confronts Federal Agents!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "After two escaped members of the Toyota Gang were recaptured by Police, Federal Judge Ruth B. Taney issued a Court Order demanding they be returned to Federal custody, and issued warrants to have Federal Agents take custody of the perps by force, if need be."

Bettina: "However, far-right White Nationalist Judge K.M. Landis issued an order that the perps be kept in TCPD custody, and disallowed Federal Agents from taking custody of them. The Federal Appellate Court, composed of a majority of ultra-Conservative Judges, sided with Judge Landis."

Bettina: "Channel Two News has learned that Commander Donald Troy, supported by at least 200 local and State LEOs, squared off against the Federal Agents sent to take custody of the perps. Ultra-right White Nationalist Governor Sharon Marshall egregiously called up National Guard troops to augment and support Commander Troy's shock troops that were ready to shoot and kill the Federal Agents that were just doing their jobs to support and enforce Judge Taney's legal order---"

Bettina was hearing something in her earpiece, and after a second, without blinking an eye, as if she'd said nothing before, she said "And in other news, the world-renowned Tokay Emerald, the Crown Jewel of an eastern European country, was returned home after decades of being stored in Fort Knox, Kentucky for safekeeping during the years of World War Two. A delegation of Japanese diplomats acted as intermediaries, and returned the Emerald to its home country."

As she talked, video was shown of the ceremony where Takaki Mariko and a young male Japanese diplomat returned the Tokay Emerald to the leader of the Parliament of the jewel's home country. Takaki Nagamasa did not appear on the cameras, of course. As I saw the jewel, I thought that just hours before, it was being held by my eight-year-old daughter.

Bettina: "And now let's go to Sports reporter Jeff Hull, for more on the University Bulldogs's crushing loss that cost them a shot at the Conference title. Jeff!..."

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

"Someone got in Bettina's ear, and told her to break off that talk about our confrontation with the Feds." I said as myself, Sheriff Griswold, Chief Moynahan, Deputy Chief Muscone, Chief Deputy Ross, and Lt. Commander Croyle drank coffee and watched the broadcast in the Chief's Conference Room.

Teresa said "Wonder why? She was getting in every adjective she could accusing Judge Landis of being biased, if not worse."

Tanya said "Maybe the FCC saw it and made a phone call to KXTC. Or maybe Ava Hinds of the DOJ saw it."

I said "Whoever it was realized that showing locals standing up to the Federal Government is not a look they want to be showing, no matter how many adjectives Bettina was using. It's like the Ronald Reagan 'Morning In America' political ads... the positives of the ads outweighed the Media's attacks on them."

"She did mention the Tokay Emerald." Cindy said. "I wonder why."

"It's a big national storrrry." drawled the Chief. "The Federal Government in Washington is trying to claim credit for the jewel's returrrrrrn."

Tanya said "And they're trying to spin it positively in case questions start being asked about how it disappeared out of Fort Knox."

I said "That'll be shut down quickly, if they do start asking. Kind of like stories about laptops belonging to that corrupt family from Wilmington, Delaware, and other stories of Federal Agencies in Washington suppressing some investigations while making fake investigations of Conservatives. The sheer corruption by them and their complicit allies, the deeply biased, dishonest, and corrupt Mainstream Media, is worse than staggering."

"Changing the subject," said Tanya Muscone, to change the subject, "I'm hearing that we're going to be having a meeting this morning with Federal and State Agents?"

"Yes, yes we are." I replied. "And that is one of two very important meetings we'll be having. The other is with Paulina and Miriam Walters, to decide the way forward regarding the remaining perps of the Toyota Gang..."

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

"Hello and welcome to Fox University Sunrise!" said Catrina Pierce at 8:00am. "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. The Tokay Emerald was returned to its thousand-year-old home in the heart of eastern Europe over the weekend. Officials of the Japanese Government acted as intermediaries to return the jewel to its homeland."

Catrina: "The Tokay Emerald was believed to be stored at the gold depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky during the period before and during World War Two. Many nations stored valuables at Fort Knox, including Great Britain storing their Crown Jewels there for a time, Hungary storing their thousand-year-old Crown of Saint Stephen there, and other nations that fell under the Iron Curtain in the postwar era."

Priya: "The current American Government denies that the Tokay Emerald was stored at Fort Knox or stolen from the Depository facility, and has refused further comment on the transfer of the emerald back to its homeland. The Japanese Government has likewise declined comment other than to say they were, quote, 'honored to be of assistance in returning the Tokay Emerald to its rightful homeland' close quote."

Catrina: "And in possibly related news, the Town & County Police, led by Police Commander Donald Troy and supported and augmented by elements of the State Patrol and SBI with the authorization of Governor Sharon Marshall, stopped armed Federal Agents from illegally kidnapping two suspects of the Toyota Gang again."

Catrina: "The Federal Agents, led by rogue U.S. Attorney Richard Baldwin, attempted to act upon a warrant illegally issued by activist Judge Ruth B. Taney to regain custody of the suspects, but an order by Judge K.M. Landis was held by the Appeals Court to be the legally issued order. It stated that the suspects would remain in local custody, and enjoined Federal authorities from taking custody of them."

Priya: "The suspects were recaptured by the TCPD at the Smith-Morra Jewelry Store, the same location they were apprehended the first time several weeks ago. Sources tell KFXU Fox Eight News that those suspects may have had the Tokay Emerald as well as two 1933 Double Eagle coins in their possession when they were apprehended."

Priya: "Earlier, Federal Agents seized the 1933 Double Eagles, which are illegal for the General Public to own, and apparently still have them, though no one in the Federal Government, from the DEA to the FBI to the Office of US Attorney General Derrick B. Harland would confirm that nor comment to KFXU Fox Eight News..."

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

"Welp," said Teresa Croyle as my Angels and I watched in my office, "KFXU has no problem tearing the lid off Hell and giving the Public the news they have the right to know."

Cindy said "And they named names... Baldwin in particular. I wonder who gave them his name. I wonnnn-der who that could be."

"Whoever he is, everyone should buy him a bottle of Tokay wine for spilling those beans to the Press." I said with a smile. Tanya began laughing at that, and Teresa even had a little smile on her very attractive face.

Cindy said "Well, KFXU has upped the brinksmanship. And I have a feeling that we are the ones that will be made to suffer the consequences when the Federal Government brings its full power to bear on us."

"Time will tell." I replied. "Time will tell...

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

9:00am, Monday, November 22d. I went into the Main Conference Room with Teresa and Cindy. Already there was Chief Moynahan in his usual chair, Deputy Chief Tanya Muscone in her usual place to his right, FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone to her right, with two spaces between them... and to his right was FBI Supervisory Special Agent Dwight Stevens(!)

While we had been having our most very productive Angels meeting, I was aware that two people had come to Police Headquarters, and had been meeting with Chief Moynahan in his office. And those persons were now in the room, as well: SBI-OER Lieutenant Karina White, and SBI Director Wes 'Coldiron' Masters, who would be sitting to Teresa's left when she and I sat down in our normal places to the Chief's left. Cindy would take the seat to Karina's left.

"What the hell is he doing in here?" I snarled upon sight of Dwight Stevens. I was still standing as I said it.

"He came to apologize." said Jack Muscone, doing very little to boost my opinion of him (Jack) for taking up for Stevens. "Hear him out, willya?"

"I doubt there's anything he has to say that I care to hear." I replied.

"Have a seat, Mister Crowbarrrr." ordered the Chief. "We have some business to attend tooooo, that I want both yoooo and Mr. Stevens to seeeee." I sat down as he sent a text on his Police iPhone. An instant later the door to the room opened. Captain of Detectives Claire Michaels came in, followed by DEA Supervisory Special Agent Lorena Rose.

Claire sat down to Jack's left, and Lorena to Tanya's right. I noticed that Dwight Stevens had looked openly shocked at Lorena's appearance. And for him, the hits kept coming... like crowbar blows to his backside.

"Go ahead, Director Masters." Chief Moynahan said.

"Thank you, Chief." replied Masters. He slid a document across the table. "Lorena, this is a formal job offer with the SBI. I need experienced people that have also shown high integrity, but more than anything else, I need leaders. You would be a perfect fit for us, and I hope we'll be a good fit for you, as well. If you accept, you will be a part of our Drugs and Trafficking Division, the SBI-DTD... as an SBI Lieutenant."

"Wait a minute!" protested Dwight Stevens. "She already has a job, and a good career path... with the DEA."

"Not anymore." Claire Michaels said, goading Stevens.

Lorena Rose said "Dwight, I resigned from the DEA last week. It was bad enough that you and others lied me about taking custody of the Toyota Gang perps the first time, but when I heard that at least three of them have died, and when Baldwin tried to get custody of them again with an illegal warrant? I just can't work with you any more."

"I didn't lie to you!" Dwight Stevens said. "I was duped, too!"

"Bullshit!" I exclaimed.

"I was!" Stevens persisted. "They lied to me, too!"

"They may have." I said. "But you are now treating me as if I am an Agency of the Weak-Minded. You are treating me as if you think I am stoo-pid."

"No I'm not!" Stevens said."

"I was in the Courtroom, Dwight!" I yelled. "I SAW you with my own eyes! You were gloating! You were goading Savannah Fineman about the immunity!"

In the pall of silence that followed, I said "You went along with it because you wanted a citation on your wall. You never forgave me for the Marcie Harper bust, even though I saved your ass and your reputation on that, because you wanted the citation on the wall for it! And you gave me crap in the case involving the City Police I.A., and almost cost Kevin Pitts his life!" (Author's note: 'Schoolhouse Rock'; 'Who Watches The Watchers')

"You didn't do much for me, either, on that." said Wes 'Coldiron' Masters.

"So now," I continued, "you got several people murdered by going along, taking orders, and betraying the trust of those working with you. I told you before that you had two strikes on you, as far as I was concerned. And now you have three; you're out. I'm done with you."

"So am I." said Claire Michaels. "The TCPD will no longer be working with you. At all. But I can work with an SBI that has Lorena Rose in it."

"So can I." I said.

"So what do you say, Ms. Rose?" asked Wes Masters. "You'll be assigned the northwest region of the State. You'll be working with the TCPD a lot."

"Twist my arm." Lorena said humorously. "I accept." And with that, Director Masters and Lorena Rose stood up, he swore her in, she signed the paperwork, and she was issued her SBI Lieutenant's badge.

"What about me?" Dwight Stevens said forlornly. "Any place in the SBI for me?"

"No." Wes 'Coldiron' Masters said coldly. "Captain Michaels and Chief Moynahan's recommendations of her were excellent, and when the Iron Crowbar vouched for her, that was all I needed to hear. He's never wrong about things like this."

Lorena looked over at me. I just nodded slightly. She had been a TCPD Officer, and a good one. And she was a good person. She was one of my people. And I take care of my people. In case it was not obvious, I had arranged every bit of this.

"Yeah, you can stay in the DEA." I said to Dwight. "And you got your promotion. It only cost two or three people their lives. Their blood is on your hands, but you got what you wanted."

Jack Muscone groaned. Everyone else looked at me with either shock or wonder in their eyes. "What do you mean, Don?" Tanya Muscone asked.

I said "Oh, didn't your husband tell you? For his (air quotes) 'daring' apprehension of the Toyota Gang perps, taking them right out of our Courtroom, and following orders like a good Federal Agent, Dwight Stevens has been named DEA Special Agent In Charge for this Region."

As gasps filled the room, I said "Good luck, SAC Stevens... you're going to need it."

"How in the hell did you know that?" Jack Muscone. "And no, I didn't tell even my wife that. They're trying to keep it under wraps, to keep the perps out there from knowing."

"And I'm not saying a word to anyone else." I replied. "But please stop treating me as if I am an Agency of the Weak-Minded..."

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

11:00am. My office was full of lovely women. Teresa was in her normal far-side hot chair. Paulina Patterson was in the near-side chair, and in the middle chair I'd brought in and put in Tanya's normal space, was Detective Joan Laurer. Behind them on the sofa were Dr. Laura Fredricson and Chief Deputy Cindy Ross.

Joan had just handed me her report, along with transcripts of her and Paulina's interviews of Dee Stubbs and Roger Earnest after Judge Franklin Washington and Federal Judge K.M. Landis signed off on their plea deals. And it was a brutally chilling report, the details of which this website's readers are not ready to read.

"So," I said as I skimmed the report, the details of which I knew already from having reviewed the video recordings, "the Black Team had eyeless hoods put over their heads so they had no idea where they were taken to, and the room was windowless and allowed in no light. They were subjected to what Dee thinks was about 48 hours of physical abuse to weaken them... and then they were waterboarded."

"Yes sir." Joan said. "Roger and Dee didn't break. Dwayne Heywood held up until the waterboarding, and then he broke. Fred Spencer was already broken, and he went into cardiac arrest during his waterboarding. He was revived, but Dee said he was comatose after that. Dwayne and Fred didn't know anything about the emerald, anyway."

I said "And Dee said Karl Coleman took her into another room on three separate occasions, and raped her."

"Yes sir." said Joan. "She said she did not think it was part of the torture. She thought he was just getting his nut. She also said it helped her keep track of the passage of time; he did her every night before going to bed somewhere else, and the times were about 24 hours apart."

I said "And Dee recognized Lindsey Black, as well, but there were two other men there, and they were not Cabe Andrews nor Herman Toobin?"

"That is correct, sir." Joan said. "Roger said the same thing. They didn't see Andrews and Toobin until they were loaded back into the vehicle and driven to the Smith-Morra Jewelry Store the second time. And let me point out something I thought was interesting, sir: Dee said after they were picked up from County Jail and the hoods put on them, they drove for at least two hours, maybe three, before stopping at the location. But when they were driven to Smith-Morra, it was a very short trip, about fifteen minutes.

Joan: "I remember a Sherlock Holmes story where someone was driven six miles out and six miles back by horse-drawn carriage, and maybe that's what happened here: they were driven west and then back east, and were in one of the farmhouses just on the other side of the State Line."

"Sherlock Holmes would say that you are scintillating today." I said. "Yes, the Conan Doyle story was 'The Case of the Engineer's Thumb', and I have no doubt you are correct that that is what they did. So neither Roger nor Dee broke from the waterboarding?"

"Dee said neither did." Joan said. "She said she didn't know where the emerald was in the first place, and Roger withstood the waterboarding."

I said "Laura, would you agree that they held out for each other's sakes, being brother and sister?"

Laura said "That's as good an explanation as any. But I would like to add something. I saw part of the interviews at County Jail. Both Roger and Dee talked about their ordeals rather dispassionately, especially Dee. As you know, our CIA Agents are put through rigorous training, including rape of both sexes, waterboarding, and other torture methods. It sounds to me very much like Roger and Dee had had that training."

"That would explain a lot of things, would it not?" I replied. "I remember you telling me that the White Team appeared to have a certain type of training, as well." (Author's note: 'Reunion Fever') Laura nodded. "Anything else, Joan?" I asked.

Joan Laurer said: "Sir I have a question, something I can't quite reconcile in my head. Roger said he hid the emerald because he was monitoring Police radio and knew we were coming. I don't know how; we maintained radio silence that night. But that's not my issue."

Joan: "We busted them, and the Tokay Emerald was not part of the stash we recovered. But what if it had been? And I ask that because it links to another thought I was having... the entire operation to get the perps in Federal hands, to take them from us, apparently was to get the Black Team back and get the emerald. In other words, sir, they knew Roger had hidden the emerald, that it was not part of our evidence!"

"Ahhh, I see where you're going with this." I said, catching on. Seeing the others had not, I said "Share with the rest of the class."

Joan said "If we'd gotten the emerald as part of the evidence, they would've had to have had a way to get it from us. But as it was, they knew we didn't have it. And that suggests to me, sir, that we have a mole within the TCPD."

"Right you are." I said. "And there's one other thing I just thought of. I'm going to send you two photos. I want you to show them to Dee and Roger, and see if they recognized them as the two other men that tortured them."

I showed Teresa and Laura the photos, as well. Laura said "Gil Cox and Gary Fenton, two of Lieutenant Jeff Bayport's rogue Navy SEAL team members. Good call, dear. They'd definitely be trained in torture and information extraction tactics. Lindsey Black and Karl Coleman? Not so much."