The Hot Date Mystery Ch. 02

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is now listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 6 - Making the Law

Sunday, January 22d. I was in Midtown, having driven down the afternoon of the previous day. The Governor had invited me to stay overnight at the Governor's Mansion along with Chief Griswold and his wife, and I accepted his hospitality.

I'd ended the meeting the previous morning, telling my Detectives and Officers to collect as much data as possible... talking to other apartment occupants that might've heard something, people at Luigi's Restaurant, more digital records and data. I told them that either Detective Warner would've solved the case by Monday morning, or we'd have a meeting on Monday to update where we were with the case.

When I got to Midtown, I stopped by the Headquarters of the Midtown Police Department. The new Chief of Police, Frank Soltis, greeted me warmly, showed me around their offices, which were next to City Hall, and introduced me to the Midtown PD top brass. No one present was fooled: this was a clear demonstration by the new Chief to his new Staff that he had the Power of the Crowbar backing him up when it came to honest law enforcement...

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

There were eight people in the conference room at the State Capitol building. Governor Jared sat at the head of the table. To his left was State Senator Sean Stockton (R), House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Wilson Hammonds (R), Chief Griswold, and myself. To the Governor's right was State Senator Katherine Woodburn (D), State Senator Jimmy 'Coffin' Cerone (D), and State Representative Justin Madoff (D).

Before the meeting, as tension was already thick in the room, Senator Cerone came up to me and said "Commander, would you please give your wife my congratulations upon her retirement after over thirty years in our Nation's Intelligence services?"

"I'll be glad to, Senator." I said, shaking his outstretched hand. "Thank you." If you think that relieved any of the tension in the room, you would be wrong. Madoff looked angry, and Katherine Woodburn looked non-plussed, herself, though she respected decorum and offered her own congratulations.

"I want to thank all of you for coming in on a Sunday." said the Governor to begin the meeting after we were all seated. "It is unfortunate we had to postpone the meeting, but Commander Troy had an investigation to handle in his County."

"Yes sir." I said. "Perps behaving badly in Senator Woodburn's district. Unfortunately, it's a murder investigation. I do appreciate everyone's understanding of the delay."

"You'd think criminals would learn not to commit crimes at all in the Iron Crowbar's district." retorted Katherine, and perhaps her hypocrisy went over everyone else's heads.

"Okay," said the Governor, struggling to regain control of the meeting. "now that we're all here, let's begin. This meeting is to try to reach some kind of compromise over the budget, and especially the State Law Enforcement bill. The two competing versions that have been submitted are going to be non-starters with the other Party, so I'm hoping to begin a framework for a bill that can be accepted by both sides and passed." The silence in the room was deafening.

"Okay, who wants to start?" asked the Governor. "Sean? Wilson?"

"Governor," said Wilson Hammonds, "as you know, I believe the overall budget should be treated separately and passed separately. Then we can work on the real issue: the SBI."

"Not going to happen." said Katherine Woodburn, matter-of-factly. "No budget at all unless and until the SBI budget is a part of it. And that means the SBI bill is passed and signed... or veto overridden... before we allow a budget vote."

"So you're going to hold the entire State budget hostage." said Sen. Stockton. "And hold the jobs of all our State employees hostage, as well?"

"No, it's you holding them hostage by not accepting our proposals for a strong SBI." sneered Justin Madoff.

"Chief Griswold," said the Governor, "this is why I brought you in here."

"Darn tootin', Governor." said the old Chief, who was already getting flushed in his face and neck. "I'm here to remind you legislators, sitting in your gold-domed State Capitol here, that the people on the outside, the voters, the ordinary folks, do not think the same way you do. They are a lot smarter than you are."

Griswold went on: "My point is that they do know who is holding what hostage, but more importantly, they don't give a damn about your rhetoric and blame games... on either side. They want action, they want solutions, and they want honesty and integrity in our State institutions. That does not exist in the SBI today, and they want it corrected."

It was like talking to a brick wall. I noted the looks on Katherine's and Madoff's faces; they were set in stone. What might've surprised me more is that Wilson Hammonds and Sean Stockton's faces were equally set in granite against the Chief's words on behalf of the People.

"All right." said the Governor. "Let's try to start from a point we can all agree upon, okay? The State Troopers are respected by our Citizens and our Legislators. Let's at least put their budget, which we know, into the overall budget and pass it."

Katherine Woodburn rolled her eyes. Then she stood up. "Governor," she said, "I think we should stop wasting everyone's time, and let Chief Griswold and Commander Troy get back home and to their murder case. You just don't seem to understand, Governor, that we are not backing down, nor compromising on this. No SBI bill, no budget."

"Oh I totally agree." I said, shocking everyone in the room... except Chief Griswold.

"What do you mean, Commander?" asked the Governor.

"No compromise, no budget." I said. "Shut the Government down. And you Republicans... grow a spine and do it. Call the Democrats' bluff on this. Show the people of this State that they CAN live without Government, and how well they will do."

"That's crazy talk." said Wilson Hammonds.

"Is it?" I asked. "These Democrats are counting on you thinking that. Stand up to them for once in your lives."

Wilson Hammonds turned in his chair to face the Governor. "I now agree with Senator Woodburn that this meeting is a waste of time, Governor. Having to listen to this crazy... this shit from this man who is not a Legislator, has no idea what the concept of compromise is... yes, it's a waste of our time."

"At least Commander Troy has a spine." growled Griswold. "Which is something you have no concept of, Mr. Hammonds." Hoo boy, this was about to get ugly... oh wait... it already has...

"Wilson," said the Governor, who was trying his best, "Commander Troy is also an Inspector in the SBI Reserve, and his knowledge of law enforcement matters is of the highest value to us, which is why I've asked for him to be here and give his immensely valuable input."

"Here's some 'input', Governor Jared." said Justin Madoff, beginning to show disrespect in his voice. "There's not going to be an SBI Reserve if I can help it. That program has been a disaster from the beginning, and I'm going to demand that it be eliminated completely. Troy can stay at home and sit and spin on his crowbar."

"Let me just ask you one question, Mr. Madoff." I said. "You represent the City... which has standing orders from their Police Commissioner, their Mayor, and their City Government to arrest any SBI Agent that comes into their City Limits, if they don't actually shoot the SBI Agents on sight. I'd think you'd want less SBI based upon your constituents's wishes, not more."

"That shows how stupid you are, Troy." said Madoff. Yep, getting disrespectful. "I want a strong SBI that the City and my people can respect, not a useless shell of an organization that can't enforce dog catching regulations!"

Madoff was rising out of his chair as he screamed: "And the SBI Reserve is just an excuse to let bastards like you exercise police brutality all over the State!---"

Jimmy 'Coffin' Cerone stopped Madoff's rant by slapping the back of his hand to Madoff's chest, forcing Madoff to sit back down in his chair. "You show more respect, young man. That's not Ferrell and Ikea you're shouting at over there."

The silence was most very awkward for all the politicians. Chief Griswold's mustaches were twitching, and I did not know if it was from sarcastic merriment or from anger... or both. The Governor looked like he genuinely did not know what to do. Madoff looked still angry but chastised. Hammonds and Stockton both looked a little shocked at the lack of decorum by Madoff, but otherwise looked bored. And Katherine Woodburn had a look on her face of smugness, as if she thought she was winning. Time to wipe that smug look off her face.

I said: "Governor, Senator Woodburn thinks she's winning, but she does not hold the true trump card. Whether or not there's a budget, if there's no money for the SBI, there will be no SBI at all on July 1st. And I would be perfectly happy with that."

"That's not true." said Wilson Hammonds. "If we don't pass a budget, last year's carries forward per the State Constitution. So the SBI will be fully funded."

"No sir." I said. "The SBI bill last year was a separate bill. Last year's budget bill without the SBI money is what will go forward. I'm sure that'll reach the Courts and be tied up for months, too... in fact, any attempt to fund the SBI that way, and I personally guarantee that it will result in a lawsuit. Also... if there is no budget going forward, then... per that State Constitution you just quoted... the Governor is authorized to make unilateral spending cuts... he can just wipe out the SBI with a pen and a phone."

The smug look on Katherine's face was gone. She knew I was right. Chief Griswold's mustaches were twitching again... this time in an effort to keep from laughing out loud.

"So you think you're a fucking lawyer now, eh?" snarled Justin Madoff.

"No, he's right." said Stockton, finally growing a spine and a voice. "Especially that this could get tied up in the Courts for years. So why don't we do our jobs and get this worked out, eh?"

The silence that met him was oppressive in its intensity. Then Madoff spoke.

"No way." he said. "I'll be opposing any reduction in the SBI just because Troy wants it. Anything Troy says is good, has to be bad and should be opposed to the last ditch."

Finally, Katherine Woodburn spoke up. "I think there are too many cooks in this kitchen, even in this small meeting. I propose that Senator Cerone speak with Mr. Hammonds and Senator Stockton, and I will have a one-on-one conversation with Commander Troy."

Everyone was surprised at that. Madoff was angry. "I thought we were agreed about this." said Madoff. "We were going to hold the line and not give these Republican bastards a God-damned thing---"

"Son," said Cerone, jabbing his finger almost into Madoff's face, "I've asked you nicely to shut your trap. If I have to ask again, then you and I will be having a private conversation." That was the kind of 'private conversation' that usually was fatal for whoever Jimmy 'Coffin' Cerone was talking to... after all, he was the Southport Mob Boss-of-Bosses Emeritus, so to speak.

"I think that could be a good idea." said the Governor. "There are a couple of side room to this one. Why don't you meet, while Chief Griswold and I talk about fishing, and Mr. Madoff finds a way to calm himself down." Madoff reddened at the baiting insult, but held his tongue, knowing that Cerone had not been kidding around.

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

"So who was it that died last night?" asked Katherine as we sat down at a small table in the side room.

"Woman named Terry Schultz." I said. "Single, no family that we know of, at least not yet. Ran a small staffing business."

"Sad." said Katherine. "If she has family, let my office know, so we can send condolences."

Those preliminaries now aside, Katherine squared up and her eyes became more intense as she said "Commander Troy, I'm not trying to be disrespectful like some of those turds in there. I am very aware of your capabilities and your record of achievements with the Police. But one thing said in there is true: we're the Legislators, we're the ones that make law and compromises for a living."

"You should be telling the Governor that, not me." I said. "If he wants me in the meeting, that's where I'll be. He's asked for my input in crafting the SBI bill, and he knows I'll have a lot to do with it going forward."

I then said "And as to compromise... I'm not seeing a bit of it from you nor your fellow Democrats. With you guys it's 'our way or the highway'. Now you know Jack Lewis's SBI was so corrupt that there is no rebuilding it without tearing down what's left of it now. Don't insult my intelligence by pretending otherwise, and I won't insult yours by having to spell it out."

Katherine gave a grunt that was meant to be a laugh. "Then I won't insult your intelligence by telling you why we don't have to compromise."

"Because Wilson Hammonds and the Republican Establishment will cave?" I asked. Katherine's eyes lit up. Yep, that was it, I realized.

"You've said it yourself a number of times." Katherine said. "So what you should be thinking about, Commander, and I will insult you by telling you what to think here, is what you can do to support the SBI like you do the FBI. We're going to win. We're going to make the SBI the boss of all the counties' law enforcement entities. We're going to run Tom Conlan out on a rail, and if you're smart, Commander, you'll consider taking the job of SBI Director yourself and making the SBI great again."

"Don't know where you're getting the 'again' from, there." I said. "The SBI has always been a corrupt and incompetent organization, practically from the day it was started. And no, I won't take the SBI Director job... and for the very same reasons you're offering it."

Katherine saw that I was seeing right through her. "Well then," she said, getting up, "we'll just have to see where the cards fall."

"You know, I wasn't kidding." I said. "No SBI is better than the SBI we have now. And that's where you're heading. Governor Jared has nothing to lose by vetoing the entire budget. The Republicans will be destroyed if they cave in, and I'll make sure they know it."

Katherine did not even bother to reply. She just gave me a brief, pursed smile, and exited the room.

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

"I want you to join me for lunch, Commander." said Senator Jimmy Cerone. "There's a great little restaurant right across Capitol Square."

"Okay, Senator." I said. We walked across the Capitol grounds to one of the many restaurants and bistros in the area. Curiously enough, the place was called Luigi's.

The back of the restaurant had an open area that looked upon a park on the other side of the street. It was enclosed by clear plastic sheeting and therefore was plenty warm as we sat down.

"Allow me to order the lasagna for both of us, Commander." said Cerone. He did so, also ordering wine and bread rolls. He then said to me "I met the chef down in Southport. Best Italian food I'd ever had. I helped him open his own restaurant, and now he has places here, in the City, and a new place in your Town, near the River. Took us a long time to get that spot, and Thomas Cook took me to the cleaners on the price. But it was worth it... now please don't go raiding the place, it's a clean, legit business."

"I know." I said. "The only raids I'll be doing there are for the food, I hope. So... what did you want to discuss away from all the hotheads?"

Cerone laughed. "Yeah, that Madoff gets ahead of himself. They used to say you were a hothead, Commander Crowbar, but I know that's not true... you don't really lose control. When you beat down Sergei Molotov with that crowbar, that was a brilliant, calculated move. And I've enjoyed watching your career these past few years. To tell you the truth, I'm glad as hell you're not in Southport."

"Butter me up, butter me up." I said. Cerone laughed.

The food arrived. The lasagna for both of us came in one 13x9 casserole dish. Per protocol, Cerone took a large portion and ate some to show it was 'good', then I took some. And I had to admit, it was the best lasagna I'd ever tried.

"Mmm, very good." I said. "You weren't kidding."

As we ate, Cerone said "So what I wanted to talk to you about is this SBI bill. Everyone's dug in. You know something about 'honor', in the Japanese sense. It's like that with some of them now. Katherine Woodburn can't back down, or she 'loses face', as the Japanese say. Madoff, don't worry about him, he does what he's told in the end of it all."

"Governor Jared, though," continued Cerone, "he's dug in, too. And between you and me, Commander, I don't blame him. He's won his last election, the Republicans are stabbing him in the back right and left, pardon the pun, and they were doing that during the campaigns, too."

"Now me," said Cerone, "I'd love to see the SBI go away. My boys down in Southport have no respect for 'em, but they don't have any love for 'em, either. So I have no problem with your plan and Jared's plan to reduce the SBI down to a support organization. Where the problem is for me, is the rest of the budget. If that doesn't get passed, people start losing things that prop them up. And people start getting restless, then hungry, then desperate, then violent. And they commit crimes... crimes that can't be controlled. Not by Police, not by my Boys, either."

I nodded, then Cerone went on: "And Commander, I know there's some crap going on about race wars, and ginning up stuff. It's at the Federal level, too. And stuff like that is as bad for my business as it is yours, and threatens good order in Society. So we have to find a way to get something done, let people like Woodburn save face, make everyone happy and unhappy at the same time..." He finished his lasagna and helped himself to another portion.

"I think I have a solution." I said. "You won't like it, he won't like it, nobody will like it. But it's the only way to get it done." With that, I got on my cellphone and said "Come on over to Luigi's."

A moment later, Jimmy Cerone almost choked on his lasagna as State Senator 'Moe' Molinari (R) stepped up to our table. "What is this, Crowbar Man?"

"Oh, I know you don't like Senator Molinari, and the feeling is mutual." I said. "But you're the two toughest Legislators in the State, and whatever gets worked out will be accepted by all the wimps of both parties. Have some lasagna, Senator Molinari, it's really good."

"I gotta admit," said Molinari as I fixed him a plate and poured him some wine as he sat down on my other side from Cerone, "only the Iron Crowbar would have the guts to do this... much less the brilliance of it."

"And why do you think I'm going to work with this guy?" asked Cerone.

"Because," I said, "you're practical, you're smart, you want the same things that he and I both do. And because you two will both be better off letting the past go. And it'll be a face saving thing, like that meeting of the Five Families in The Godfather... you make a truce, you make compromise legislation, you hug in a public press conference, and you both win in your respective zones of influence... which should never cross mine, of course."