Interlude Ch. 06

"Any idea who is behind him on this?" I asked.

"No, Lieutenant." Orosco replied. "But the SBI's Internal Affairs has been looking into Ferrell. He's been acting strangely the past few weeks."

"Good luck with that." I said. "By the way, did you come here with Mr. Wargrave?"

"Oh no." said Agent Orosco. "I just happened to walk in right behind him. Was that really the billionaire Henry Wargrave?" I noted the tinge of awe in the SBI agent's voice.

"Sure was." I said. Orosco seemed honest in his answers, but I was not totally convinced, at least not yet. And after some further but innocuous pleasantries, the Chief dismissed Orosco. Once alone in the room, the Chief looked at me.

"Were they trying to bait you into something?" the Chief asked.

"Yes and no, sir." I said. "Sure Ikea and Ferrell are always looking to start shit with me as well as trying to get something over me. But Ferrell really did want those drugs, and he showed some fear about not getting them. He was clearly desperate if he was trying to browbeat Tanya into giving them to him and he didn't want me to know he wanted them. Then he realizes he has to go through me, so he comes to you and is actually prepared to confront me over them. That bespeaks desperation more than sanity."

I then told the Chief about the situation with Tanya, Christina and Dr. Mays, including a full report on the true nature of the synthetic drugs we'd captured. "Dr. Mays has been murdered; it was on TV this morning. I'm betting Mays was the leak to someone who wants those drugs."

"Your nephew involved in this?"

"It's unlikely, sir. Ned would be making more drugs like this, not worried about obtaining the previous set. No sir, this has Federal Government fingerprints on it."

"Think you need to talk to Muscone about it?"

"Why yes, he certainly does." said FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone as he strode into the chief's office, having been admitted by the secretary after asking properly. "I see I got here just a bit late for the party..."

Part 6 - Sparring Partners

"I heard there was some excitement at Police Headquarters yesterday." Laura said as we sipped drinks on the back porch of The Cabin on Thursday at sunset. She had just returned from her symposium. I was sipping single-malt Scotch while Laura sipped club soda. The view was lovely; the view of the pregnant woman was even lovelier. Then she messed it up by talking 'shop'.

"You heard correctly." I said, then sipped my drink.

After a pause, Laura said, "Well?" After another sip of my drink without speaking, she said "You're not going to tell me about it?"

"Not much to tell." I said. "SBI Agent Ferrell had his panties in a wad, and made the very brave gesture of confronting me and the Chief about it with his dingleberry Ikea in tow. Your friend and patient Mr. Wargrave came in, and he saved Ferrell's ass from getting spanked black and blue by an iron crowbar."

"What was the fight about?" Laura said. I knew why she was probing. I loved this woman, but I wasn't going to play some games.

"Nothing." I said. "What happens in the Chief's office stays in the Chief's office."

"I see." Laura said, knowing that in spite of our relationship, I wasn't going to tell her about this one. "But it had to be serious; Chief Griswold put out an alert to the entire Police Force and the University Police to be cautious about being observed or watched, and to be on heightened alert overall when approached. Then he calls me and tells me to be careful, and to watch over you, too."

Boy, she was pressing hard, I realized. Surely she already knew...

"I couldn't have a better looking babysitter." I said. "Do you really not know what it was about?"

"No, I really don't." Laura replied, then added "I've been out of town for a few days, as you know. I heard a rumor that some drugs were confiscated, but that's all I could find out. Any relation to that?"

I peered hard at my fiancee. "You really don't know, do you?" I said, thinking aloud.

"No, darling, I really don't." Laura said, her eyes locking with mine. "But what I did hear was that Agent Ferrell has been instructed not to show his butt in this County again, lest it have that crowbar you mentioned applied to his ass. He's going to be working out of the City, or maybe Midtown."

"Good." I said. "Can we get Ikea transferred, also?" I wasn't really paying attention to Laura, my mind was blazing... if she really didn't know about the drugs, then they didn't come from her friend Dr. Heinz's projects. And if Bounel wasn't part of a chain that stole them from Heinz, where DID he get them from? I wondered. And to whom was he to deliver them?

All this, unless Laura was lying, of course, but she didn't seem to be...

"No such luck, he's all yours." Laura said. seeing that I was thinking about things. "You know, you really have people talking about that crowbar; I'm surprised how far your reputation has reached."

"Mm-hmm." I replied, smiling. "Especially when one sexy professor of psychology keeps bringing it up in all the right places." Think-time was over, and my 'little head' was taking over my thinking: I wanted to fuck my future wife.

"Can't imagine who that would be." Laura said drily. "But you and your Iron Crowbar notwithstanding, Ferrell is lucky to be alive, to be honest with you."

"I know." I said, slipping up. "Did Mr. Wargrave tell you about his visit to our humble Headquarters?"

"What happens in my office, stays in my office." Laura replied, her voice smoothly casual.

"Touché!" I said, grinning, acknowledging her victory. We clinked our glasses, understanding each other.

"Okay, let's talk about our wedding plans." Laura said. "I've got the guest list done, invitations out, the Justice of The Peace has agreed to the date, and we're-- what?"

"We can talk about that later." I said, getting up. "It'll be good pillow talk... but first, I haven't had you in days, and I'm going to correct that situation right now." I took my beautiful fiancee's hand and we walked back inside...

To be continued.