Power Ch. 03

Most of the girls would take the deal, and would answer the questions. The questions were simple: where were you around February 13t to 15th or so? Did you go out of Town then, or were you working? Why did you leave Town during that time?

I told the Detectives, and also the Uniformed Officers present and watching, that if any girl or her answers didn't seem right, to put them in the second Interrogation room, and I would talk to them myself. There were eight girls and one guy, and two of the girls and the guy were interesting to talk to...

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

"Her name is Sally Romaine, and her working name is 'Astral', as in the Astral Plane." said Joanne Warner, who was helping Precinct Captain Thompson and Lt. Carswell process everyone, watching interrogations but otherwise keeping out of sight, and looking up data with Myron Milton when needed. "A ton of arrests, all for prostitution."

I looked at the woman in the Interrogation Room. Attractive, very fit. Dirty blonde hair, dyed that way. In her late 30s, but looking much older; she was a smoker and a drinker, and the years of turning tricks were taking their toll, etching lines on her face that shouldn't be there on a woman her age.

"Oh wow, the Iron Crowbar himself." she said in a scratchy voice when I went into the room. "Must be big."

"Hello, Astral." I said, sitting down opposite her, Cindy sitting down next to me. "So I understand you got out of town around Valentine's Day."

"You bet I did, and so did a lot of other women." Astral said.

"And why did you do that?" I asked.

"So that's what this bust is about." Astral said, putting it together. She then said "All right, I'll tell you. I was escorting a guy the weekend before. I don't remember his name, of course, but he said he was a junior executive at BigPharmaCorp. He did have money; bought me a dress, shoes, took me out to dinner at The Chop House, then we stayed the night at the University Hotel." I nodded.

"So we were lying in bed after he fucked me, and he asked what I was doing on Valentine's Day." Astral said. "I thought he was going to ask me out for that night, so I said I didn't know. But all he said was that he would be back home, and that I should stay out of Town that night, and especially avoid the Tenderloin District. When I asked why, he just said there might be trouble, and to stay away. So I went to the City that night, and worked the pole at a club, came back that next weekend."

"He didn't say what it was about?" I asked. "The trouble?"

"No." said Astral, "but I heard that reporter talking about poison gas attacks, and I wondered if that is what it was. But I don't know for sure."

I had Astral work with the sketch artist to get a workup of the BigPharmaCorp junior executive, then let her go home.

The next girl was a black woman named 'Diamond'. Just 'Diamond'. She was pretty, her breasts artificially enhanced, and she had bright, mesmerizing eyes.

"Well, if it ain't the Iron Cracker." she said to start.

"No need to blaspheme, Diamond." I said. "Consider me to be red and not White today." I exhibited the red crowbar as I spoke.

"Whaddya want, Cracker?" Diamond asked, her eyes boring into me in a challenge.

"Why were you out of Town on Valentine's Day?" I asked.

"C'mon, you the Iron Crowbar, you should know." Diamond replied.

"I don't know why you were away." I said.

"Man, we all know you've been putting your white crowbar into that reporter Bettina." Diamond said. "And I hear she likes that big cock; maybe I should give you a freebie and find out for myself. Or would your bitch here get jealous?" She was looking at Cindy.

"Her?" I asked, gesturing at Cindy.

"Oh, never mind, she's not on your team." Diamond said. "So what do you say, Cracker? Want to get some of the best black ass in the County?"

"I dunno." I replied. "You ran out on me on Valentine's Day, of all days."

"Yeah, and that reporter you've been banging had the word." said Diamond. "Fucking nerve gas? And yeah, I know they were trying to kill T-Square. That's what Jasmine Nix said."

"Mmm hmmm." I hummed. "So did Jasmine say this before the 14th?"

"No, that was later." Diamond said. "I got told the night before that something bad might happen at one of the clubs. I thought it was going to be a Police raid. I've always heard about those in time... until tonight. You keep secrets good, Iron Crowbar."

"Who told you about this bad something the night before Valentine's Day?" I asked.

"One of Big Ice's guys." said Diamond. "I was paid to fuck his balls off, so I did. He let it slip after we were done." I nodded.

"Okay, Diamond." I said. "I'm a wee bit too busy to take you up on your offer tonight. And let's hope I don't have to see you again, professionally... my profession. You can go. Have a good night."

"Do I even get a ride home?" Diamond asked.

"Sir," Cindy said, "they're shuttling people back to the Cub Club when they're done."

I nodded. "Take the shuttle, Diamond."

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

Last was 'Kevin'. Metrosexual. Smallish, slender, fit, brown-black hair looking like a toupee combed sideways over his head.

"I was at 'The Why' when your raid busted me." said Kevin.

"The where?" I asked. This could quickly become an Abbott & Costello routine, I realized.

"Sir, 'The Why' is a gay club south of the Cub Club." Cindy said. "They called it 'The Y', but the real YMCA threatened to sue them, so they changed it... patterned after the 'Why so serious?' comment from The Joker in the Batman movies."

"Okay, I see." I said. "So, Kevin, where were you from the 13th to the 15th of February, give or take?"

Kevin said "I'll spare you the boring routine, Commander. I usually hang out at Whippets on the weekends. Word was going around that something was going on, maybe something against T-Square. We thought it might be a raid, or possibly a bomb going off. So I got out of Town until the weekend, when I got the 'all clear'."

"Who was sending you those warnings and 'all clear' messages?" I asked.

"I don't remember who told me about the problem." said Kevin. "It was really going around Whippets; it seemed everyone knew. Then one of my clients--- er, buddies, told me it was all clear. Don't know how he knew, except that he stayed in Town. He's a University Student, but I won't tell you his name. You're the Iron Crowbar, so you'll figure it out, if you really want to."

"Or you could just tell me and go home now." I said. "Or not tell me, I'll figure it out, and you'll be bored for two days in jail while I do." Kevin gave me the name. It was Ken Eidex.

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

5:00am, Saturday, February 25th. All of the Detectives, their leadership, me, and the Chief were in Classroom 'E'. The Chief had come in armed with coffee and a spread of doughnuts and pastries. I just had coffee.

"First of all," I said "I want to congratulate Lieutenant Masters on putting together the raid. It went beautifully, and with surprise. Nobody got hurt, either, which makes me happy. Good job, Coldiron." The room applauded Coldiron.

"Okay, get your reports in before you go, then go home and get some sleep." I said. "But first, is there anything out of the ordinary that anyone saw? Anything at all?"

"Just how quiet they all got whenever you came into a room, Commander." said Theo. "And I'm not just saying this to be saying it. They really did hold you in awe, sir."

"Yes sir, we all saw that, and remarked on it." Teddy Parker said.

"Okay, I'm out of the ordinary." I said wearily. "Anything that we can use to catch perps, though?"

"This may or may not be strange." Joanne said. "But they all seemed to not care about being there. And they all seemed to know each other."

"They live for the moment." Cindy said. "They don't really think all that far ahead, and just accept where they are." Everyone nodded. I didn't mention that my two dogs acted a lot like that.

Just then, the Duty Desk Sergeant came into the room. "Commander, there's two FBI Agents and an SBI Agent up front. They say they need to talk to you, and that it's urgent."

"Okay." I said. "Put them in the Main Conference Room. We'll be there in a minute."

"I'm going to be there, too." said the Chief. "Okay, everyone, finish up and go home."

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

FBI Special Agent in Charge Les Craig and FBI Special Agent Miles Winters were in the Conference room. Also in the room was SBI Agent Ted Orosco. When the Chief came in, he shooed Craig out of the end table seat nearest the door, taking it for himself. Craig didn't put up a fight, moving to the Chief's right, his back to the door. I was asked to sit in the seat in the middle of the far side, facing off against the three Agents.

"Commander," said Miles Winters, "we understand that you visited the Asylum the other day?"

"Yes, I did." I said.

"And you spoke to a prisoner, Leonard Lotz?" asked Winters.

"Yes, I did."

"Why? What did you talk to Lotz about?" asked Winters.

"He was at the Millwakee Camp at the same time as a person of interest in the Black Velvet case was there."

"Who is that?" asked Les Craig.

"I thought you guys had dropped the Black Velvet case." I replied, meeting Craig's peering stare at me.

"Why are you being evasive, Commander?" asked Craig. My eyes went over to the Chief, who was looking skeptically at Craig.

"He's not being evasive." the Chief said. "He's correct... I was told by your Deputy Director that you're no longer investigating the case; therefore, you do not have a need-to-know basis for having that infor-MAY-shunnnnn."

"Maybe we need to interview Commander Troy alone." said Craig in reply.

"Maybe you need to shut your fucking mouth, and leave." replied Chief Moynahan. "This is my Police Headquarters, not yours, Mr. Craig. You have no authority nor jurisdiction here. What -I- have is a Captain of Detectives that would love nothing more than to physically harm you over your insults to her integrity. I'd suggest... you learn to show some res-Pect."

"Commander Troy," said SBI Agent Orosco, trying to ease the tension in the room, "you talked to Leonard Lotz, and about the Millwakee Camp. How did you find out he was once at the Millwakee Camp as an inmate?"

"Confidential informant." I said. "And I'm sure you understand that I'm not being evasive, but protecting the C.I."

"Commander, did Leonard Lotz mention breaking out of prison?" asked Winters. I began seeing the dots fall into a pattern.

"As I'm sure you will see from the prison's tape of the interview... if you haven't already... you'll see that he said he was good at prison breaks, but didn't mention specifics." I replied.

"Did he mention anywhere he would go, anyone he might try to see?" asked Winters.

"Again, it's on the tapes." I said. "He mentioned no specifics. He did say he'd like to be in a cell with the Silverfish, to learn bank robbery methods. How serious he was, or if he was joking, I don't know."

Then I added "Look, I've been around the block when it comes to interrogations, and I can see the direction this is taking. So what happened with Lotz?"

The three agents became uncomfortable, and Les Craig's face looked almost sullen. But it was Orosco that told me, possibly as a dig against the FBI Agents.

"Sir," said Orosco, "Leonard Lotz escaped from The Asylum a few hours ago."

"Goddammit, Orosco!" whispered Craig.

"What, you want us to tell you what Lotz said," growled Moynahan, "but you don't want us to know Lotz escaped? Your double-standard hypocrisy is breathtaking, Mr. Craig. Positively breath-taking."

"Well, now you know." said Craig. "And Lotz is an exceptionally dangerous man. We've got to get him back."

"Has Lotz ever killed anyone?" I asked. The three Agents looked at me with various expressions between skepticism to downright anger. "Well, has he?" I asked again.

"Not that we know of, Commander." said Miles Winters. "But he's still dangerous... and there could always be a first time."

"Yes," I said, "but my point is that you guys are trying to pull the wool over my eyes, and why you think you can get away with that, I don't know. Lotz is dangerous, sure, but that's not why Agent Craig is so desperate to capture him. It's what Lotz knows that has the FBI very scared and agitated. And I'll make you a free present of something else: that is also why he escaped... he's not sitting around and waiting to be murdered."

"What?!" gasped Orosco. "What the hell is going on here?" It was obvious he didn't know, and possibly had been told some b.s. by some Federal Agents.

"Ask FBI Agent Craig." I said. "Well, Mr. Craig? Going to tell us the real story?"

"No." said Craig, getting up. "And if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your mouth shut about it."

"Is that a threat?" I asked, standing up. "Because if it is, I'll call your fucking bluff just to see what you can do about it."

"Go ahead." said Craig. "You're already suspected of giving a reporter classified information. And our second interrogation of you will not fail as the first one did."

"That's enough." said Chief Moynahan. "Mr. Craig, I'd suggest you get out of here, get out of my County, and never come back." When Craig did not immediately move, the Chief said. "Get moving, Mr. Craig."

It was most very fortunate for Les Craig that I did not have my red crowbar (or my gun) with me at that moment. Otherwise, he would be dead. The Chief escorted him and the other stunned Agents to the front door, shaking hands with Winters and Orosco but not Craig. He then told the Duty Desk to have a standing order that FBI Agent Les Craig was to never be admitted past the Duty Desk again.

When he got back to the Conference Room, he was surprised to see his Police Commander sitting there, stunned by what Craig had just revealed, and in the deepest of reveries...

Part 13 - Power of Hate

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" blared the lovely redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Saturday, February 25th, from in front of Police Headquarters. "Channel Two News has learned that a dangerous criminal has escaped from The Asylum!"

"The escaped criminal is named Leonard Lotz." Bettina continued as a mugshot of Leonard Lotz appeared on the television screen. "Authorities consider him to be armed and extremely dangerous. Sources tell Channel Two News that Lotz may have some connection with the Black Velvet serial killer, and that Lotz may be in this area. Citizens are asked to not approach this man if you see him, but to call 9-1-1 or the FBI immediately."

"Authorities are not revealing how Lotz escaped The Asylum, but have said he is the only person to have escaped. All other prisoners are accounted for." said Bettina. "The SBI's Office of Ethics and Review is conducting an investigation of how Lotz escaped, but have made no public statements, so far."

"And in other news," Bettina said, "the Town & County Police staged a massive raid in the Tenderloin District, arresting dozens of suspected prostitutes. Most of the suspects were released after being interrogated, while some have been held over for arraignment. One woman, an Eileen Brandon, who is a law student at the University, has declared her intent to sue the Town & County Police and Commander Don Troy, saying her rights as well as many of the other arrested persons' rights were violated during the raid. Citizens for Police Accountability spokespersons Jay Swenson and Ken Eidex released a statement saying they will also file a lawsuit on behalf of the arrested women."

"And the complaints about Commander Donald Troy's brutal methods are continuing," said Bettina, "as Town & County Councilpersons Thomas P. Cook and Kelly Carnes issued a joint statement condemning the Police in general and Commander Troy in particular. Part of their complaint is that the accused prostitutes were released instead of being taken to Court and made to pay fines."

Bettina then ended her commentary by saying "All the way around, this looks like yet another disaster for Commander Donald Troy and his Police Force. And now to Sports..."

"God damn!" Cindy muttered under her breath. "She's out for blood, Commander. Your blood."

"Yeah, and what's up with that?" asked Jerome Davis, the only other Detective in the room at the moment. Cindy also turned to look at me as Jerome asked the question.

"Usually," I replied, "when the Media starts coming after me by name, it indicates that they're taking a shot across the bow, so to speak, and they're trying to make me duck and keep my head down. And why do that? Because something's about to happen, and they want me to hesitate in taking action."

"Like that's ever stopped you before, sir." Cindy said.

"I didn't say their tactics work." I said. "But they continue to beat their heads against brick walls, anyway."

"So what's the deal with Leonard Lotz?" asked Jerome. "I looked up his rap sheet. Pretty much all bank robberies. They're acting like he's a mass murderer, or this Black Velvet killer."

"Yes," I said, "that is interesting..." A moment later I realized that Cindy and Jerome were watching me, and that I'd gone into a reverie.

When I came out of it, I said "Cindy... contact Priya Ajmani. She's about to get an exclusive interview."

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

It felt like a meeting of world leaders, or of high-powered Mob leaders. Tense members of armed security were on high alert as they ringed the three black celebrities, each having one lieutenant at the table. Jasmine Nix, Big Ice, and T-Square were separated by equal thirds at the table, their own eyes wary and mistrusting. The location was a penthouse office in one of the City's higher skyscrapers, and the view out the windows that were the walls of the room was breathtaking.

"I'm telling you, T-Square," said Jasmine Nix, "this whole thing is being done by the Crackers to fuck with us. One of those three bums the Iron Cracker caught was an FBI mole. And that bitch reporter keeps telling us that it was nerve agent being brought in. The Man would not let her report that if they're own fingers weren't in the pie."

"Yeah." said Big Ice, trying to sound as intellectually proficient as his two 'partners' at the table. "And that stuff would kill a lot of niggas in the clubs. That's white trash at work. And how did the Iron Cracker find them and that shit so quick?"

"The Iron Crowbar is just that good." said T-Square. "You saw how it was when Eidex and Swenson started those riots. That man was all over their shit; figured them out before they figured themselves out."

"And who started that shit going?" asked Jasmine. "It wasn't us; we weren't ready yet. Our shit is going to hit the fans when our new album comes out. Then we start hitting the fucking cops."

"Just the white ones? Or all of them?" asked T-Square's lieutenant T-Mac.

"Any nigga cop is a tool of The Man." said Jasmine. "And deserves to be shot down in cold blood, like a rabid dog. That's all the Uncle Tom's working for The Man are: rabid... dogs."

"So you think it was the Government trying to kill me, Jasmine?" asked T-Square. "You sure it wasn't someone else... making it look like The Man was coming for me?"

"I have no fucking idea." said Jasmine. "It could be anyone. Spics, NS-14, White Roots, or some of those worthless niggas whose lives don't matter because they're too fucking stupid to serve the Cause."

"Or maybe there's treachery going on." said T-Square. "Get me out of the way, and some people get more of the profits of what is going to happen."

"You sayin' one of us was behind that shit?" asked Big Ice, peering at T-Square as he finally realized what was going on .

"You tell me." said T-Square. But he was not looking at Big Ice. He was peering through his shades straight at Jasmine Nix. She met his look, underscoring it.