35 comments/  74428 views/  11 favorites

Brodricksburg Pt. 01

By: K.K.



Author's Note: Once again I want to thank Techsan for taking time from his busy schedule to correct my spelling and punctuation errors for me. This is a lengthy story so I have divided it into eleven parts. I will get all parts posted as quickly as I can.

Just so you don't waste time trying to find Brodricksburg, Pennsylvania on the map, it doesn't exist. Brodricksburg and Fort Brodrick are fictitious. 

Please provide feedback. It is the only payback we authors get for our efforts. Thanks

PART ONE

*****

Baltimore, Maryland August 15, 1998

*****

"Lieutenant, just got a call for a domestic. Guy is threatening to shoot his wife," my partner John Hastings said.

"Why they calling us?" I asked.

"It was a call for closest unit. We're only three blocks away," John said.

"Okay, let's roll," I said as I dropped my half eaten sandwich on the tray.

Two minutes later we pulled up in front of a duplex in Hudson Heights. As we arrived on the scene, we found a man holding a woman hostage in front of the house. He had his left arm around the woman's neck and he was holding a gun in his right hand, which was pointed at her head. As John and I stepped out of the car the man started yelling, "Stay away or I will shoot you too."

John started moving to the right while I moved to the left to make it harder for the man to watch both of us. I started talking to the man to draw his attention as John pulled his weapon and continued to slowly move to the right. 

"Stop moving," the man shouted and pointed his gun at me as he turned his head to look at John. I stepped closer and started reaching for my weapon but before I could get it the man turned his attention back to me and started shooting. His first two shots hit me in the vest and knocked me back against the car. The third shot entered under my arm and exited my back. I heard two more shots as I fell to the ground. When I was able to look again, I saw the man lying on the ground and half of his head was gone. John had dropped him before he had a chance to fire a fourth shot at me.

The next few hours were a blur to me. It wasn't until seven o'clock that evening that I was awake enough to see that Carrie was sitting next to my bed holding my hand. Carrie, my wife of just four years, tried to be strong for me but I could tell how scared she was. My wound could easily have been fatal but I was lucky that the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs. I don't think that it had even really occurred to Carrie before that day that she could lose me and after that she lived in fear every time I went to work. 

After a few months of her often breaking down and crying we had a long talk about my career and how it was affecting her. She told me that she knew I loved being a cop and she couldn't ask me to quit so we worked out a compromise. I agreed to take a job in a small town where the job would not be as dangerous."

I made a few calls and found an opening on my hometown police force. Carrie had grown up in Philadelphia and moved to Baltimore after college. Brodricksburg, Pennsylvania was much smaller than either of those cities and I wondered how Carrie would adapt to life in a small town. 

*****

Brodricksburg, Pennsylvania

Thursday January 27, 2005

11:25 PM

*****

"That's it, right there. Oh, that's good," I moaned. "Now just a little to the right. Push just a little harder."

"How's that?" Carrie asked.

"That's great, babe. Ah... That's it. That feels better now."

"Are you okay now?" Carrie asked.

"Yep. You've got the magic touch. My back feels a lot better now."

"Your back wouldn't hurt so much if you stopped playing basketball on Tuesday nights."

"You know I can't do that."

"Yeah, well, now that I fixed your back, how about you taking care of my needs?"

I rolled over and took Carrie in my arms and kissed her. "I'd be glad to take care of your needs, Mrs. Flintstone."

"Then get busy, Mr. Rubble."

As I kissed Carrie again I slipped my hand inside her nightgown and began to massage her right breast.

"How does this feel, Mrs. Flintstone?"

"That feels nice," Carrie answered, "but, since we are about to become very intimate, don't you think it would be more appropriate to call me Wilma?"

"Okay, Wilma it is and you can still call me Mr. Rubble."

"I don't think so."

"Okay, call me Barney."

The reference to Wilma Flintstone and Barney Rubble here comes from a long running joke between Carrie and me. Once, while watching 'The Flintstones' cartoon on television I told Carrie that I had heard a rumor that Barney Rubble was banging Wilma Flintstone behind Fred's back. 

Not to be outdone, Carrie said, "Well, I heard that they have been having an affair for more than two years." Since then references to the Flintstone characters occasionally come up while we fooled around in bed.

When I moved my hand between Carrie's legs and pressed my finger against her damp slit, she moaned, "Oh, Barney."

I started laughing and before I could regain my composure the telephone rang.

Carrie rolled over and picked up the phone up from the bedside table. "Hello... Yes, he's here... It's for you," she said as she handed me the phone.

"Lieutenant Hobbs?"

"Yes."

"This is Sergeant Giambo. We have a report of a shooting at 5219 River Road."

"Any details?

"No, sir. The call just came in."

"Call Sergeant Hanratty and tell him to pick me up ASAP."

"Yes, sir."

I handed the phone back to Carrie so she could put it back on the table. "Sorry, Babe, there was a shooting on River Road and I have to go out there."

I could see the worry in Carrie's eyes. "This isn't Baltimore," I said.

"I know, but it is my right to worry, isn't it?"

"As long as you don't worry too much," I said. "This may very well turn out to be nothing so I might be back soon to finish what I started, Mrs. Flintstone."

That brought a small smile to Carrie's pretty face.

*****

5219 River Road

*****

Richard Hanratty arrived at my house fifteen minutes after I had told the dispatcher to call him. Richard Hanratty is a sergeant on the homicide squad and had been my partner for the last four and a half years. Hanratty, as I always referred to him, and I had grown up together and except for the eleven years I lived away from Brodricksburg, we had been close friends.

"What do you know about this?" Hanratty asked me.

"Nothing more than you," I said. "Just that there was a shooting out on River Road. The dispatcher said he didn't have any details."

"Fifty-two-nineteen is out near Grayson Road, isn't it?" Hanratty said as he stuck the red gumball light on the roof of our unmarked car. 

"I believe so."

River Road is the portion of State Route 32 that passes through Brodricksburg, Pennsylvania running along the west side of the Delaware River, and 5219 River Road is on the extreme south side of Brodricksburg, an area that is more rural than urban. The homes in the area are all on the west side of the road, as there isn't room for houses between the road and the river bank on the east side of the road. The houses along this stretch of River Road are old and most of the properties had been farms at one time. 

Hanratty had been correct. Number 5219 River Road was the address of the house on the corner where Grayson Road dead-ended at River Road. It was a large white two-story farmhouse that was built in the 1920s. The front porch went the whole width of the house and wrapped around both sides. Behind the house there was a large white horse barn and a four-car garage. There were already two black and whites and another unmarked car in the driveway when we arrived. 

As we got out of the car, Hanratty said, "Remember that cabin we built out of railroad ties when we were kids?"

"Yeah, I remember that."

"Didn't we build it out in the woods behind this property. I remember that it wasn't into the woods that far from Grayson Road and I remember seeing the back of that barn when we walked down the old J&J rail bed."

"I think you're right. The cabin was probably a few hundred yards behind the barn. Luckily they couldn't see the cabin from up here."

When Hanratty and I walked up onto the porch the officer at the door nodded his head. "Lieutenant," he said as a way of greeting me. "Captain Ross is already inside. He asked me to send you in as soon as you got here. You'll find him in the study off to your right." 

I said, "Thanks Henry," and then headed inside. I looked at Hanratty and said, "What the hell is Captain Ross doing here?" He wouldn't be the first call out for a shooting; I would.

Hanratty shook his head. "Beats me."

As we stepped into the study I saw the body on the floor. It was a man, mid-sixties, dressed in riding pants and a down vest over a fleece shirt. From the doorway I could see what looked like a single gun shot wound in the side of the man's head. In spit of the blood on his face, I was able to recognize him. It was Donald Boland, the owner of the house.

Before I could get close to the body, Captain Ross stepped in front of me. 

"Well, the bookends have finally arrived," Ross said.

"We came as soon as we got the call," I said. "What are you doing here?"

"When one of Brodricksburg's leading citizens commits suicide someone from the BPD should respond, don't you think?" Ross said. 

Other than the Chief of Police, Captain Ross is the highest-ranking officer in the Brodricksburg Police Department and normally would be considered the most likely successor to the Chief. The problem is that I hold the highest scores on the tests used by the department to determine who gets promoted and that includes the test for Chief of Police. That might explain why Captain Ross doesn't seem to like me very much.

"I am the head of the homicide squad and suicide or homicide, I am supposed to be the first one called," I said, "so why were you called before me?"

"I guess someone felt that Mr. Boland deserved a quick response."

I knew that Ross was just trying to piss me off so I let it go. "Well, let's see what we've got here," I said.

"I already told you what we have. It's a suicide," Ross said.

"Was there a note?" I asked.

"No note."

"Then what makes you think it was a suicide?"

"Single gunshot to the head at close range. The gun is in his hand and there is no sign that anyone else has been in the room."

"Somebody was in the room," I said.

"What? Who? What makes you think someone else was in the room?" Ross asked, looking a little flustered.

"Who found the body?" I asked.

"His wife."

"Did she come into the room? I mean did she check to see if he was alive before she called 911?" I asked.

"I don't know. I guess she did."

"Then we know that at least one person came into the room."

Ross was getting red faced but he didn't say anything for a couple of minutes. Then finally he said, "Well, take a look for yourself. I am sure you will end up agreeing that it was suicide."

I looked the scene over carefully but could find nothing that would conclusively rule out suicide although I just had a feeling that something was wrong. The way he was dressed bothered me. He looked like he either just came back from riding his horse or was just getting ready to go for a ride. I considered the possibility that he could have gone for a last ride before ending his life. That would still fit the suicide theory, but what if he had hadn't gone for a ride. Would a man dress like he was going riding and then shoot himself? This just didn't fit for me.

The coroner came and fixed the time of death at approximately twelve hours earlier. That put it between 11:00 AM and noon. 

I noticed that Ross stayed in the background while I worked but he never took his eyes off me. I had sent Hanratty to interview Mrs. Boland while I looked for whatever physical evidence I could find. 

One thing that really bothered me was the apparent lack of any physical evidence. It almost looked as though the room had been cleaned after Mr. Boland was shot.

When I saw Hanratty come back into the study, I moved to his side and asked him what he had learned from Mrs. Boland.

"Didn't get much," he said. "She took the train into Philadelphia this morning and spent the day shopping with her daughter. She arrived back in Brodricksburg a little after ten o'clock this evening." Hanratty looked at his watch and said, "Well, actually last evening. She said that she arrived here, at the house, just before eleven o'clock. She said that there were no lights on in the house so she thought that Mr. Boland had gone to bed. When she didn't find him in the bedroom she went looking for him and finally found him in the study. When she went to check to see if he was alive she saw the gun in his hand. Then she called 911. I checked and the 911 call came in at 11:11 PM."

"Anything else? 

"I asked her if Mr. Boland had been depressed lately and she said that she didn't think so. That was about all I could get out of her. Her doctor is with her now. He wants to give her a sedative but she doesn't want one."

I went over to Captain Ross and told him I wanted to call the state police and ask them to send over their crime scene guys.

"Why waste their time?" he said. "This is obviously a suicide."

"Just the same, I'd like them to take a look," I said.

I went out on the porch to make the call. I talked to the Captain in charge at the state crime lab located in Bucks County and was told they would have a team meet me at the house within the hour. When I went back into the study I found that the coroner had already zipped Mr. Boland's body into a body bag and four officers were lifting the bag onto a gurney. Two of those officers were standing in the blood pool on the floor.

"What the hell's going on?" I asked.

"Captain Ross gave me the okay to remove the body," the coroner said.

I looked at Ross and said, "The crime scene guys are on the way and you just compromised the crime scene. The body should have stayed where it was until they got here."

"Look, I am the ranking officer here and I made the call. This was a suicide so there is no sense wasting anyone else's time on this," Ross said and then walked away from me.

Hanratty, who was back by my side by then, said "What a fucking asshole." 

"Incompetent fucking asshole is more accurate,' I replied. "Now we may never know what really happened here."

*****

Suicide?

*****

The coroner left with the body and the Captain left five minutes later, leaving Hanratty and me to wait for the guys from the crime lab.

While we waited we went into the kitchen to talk to Mrs. Boland. 

"Detective Hobbs, my husband did not kill himself. He would not have done that," Mrs. Boland said in an almost pleading voice. 

I wasn't ready to tell her that I agreed with her just yet.

"Your husband was dressed in his riding clothes. Would that be normal attire for him to wear around the house?" I asked.

"No... I mean, yes. He doesn't dress that way to hang around the house but he does go riding almost every day. He normally takes his ride around 11:00 AM. After his ride he comes up to the house for lunch."

"When you came into the kitchen tonight, did you see any sign that your husband had eaten lunch?"

"No. When he is home by himself he usually just makes a sandwich and has a bottle of beer with it. There are no dishes in the sink and there's no empty beer bottle on the counter."

Nothing I had heard so far helped me. 

"I don't understand why he was wearing his vest," Mrs. Boland said.

"What? Are you talking about the down vest he was wearing?"

"Yes. When Don goes riding he puts his vest and riding hat on just before he leaves the house and removes them and hangs them in the mudroom as soon as he comes back into the house," Mrs. Boland said and pointed to the mudroom. 

I could see several coats and hats hanging from hooks in the mudroom. On one hook I could see Mr. Boland's riding hat. It was a canvas-covered hard hat commonly worn by equestrians.

It might not have meant anything but I had wondered about the vest when I first saw the body and now it had context. 

"Do you know of anyone that would want to hurt your husband?"

"No. He had lots of friends. I can't think of any reason anyone would want to hurt him."

"Mrs. Boland, has your husband had any business dealings lately that might have gone badly?" asked Hanratty.

"No. My husband is retired. The only business dealing he has spoken of in the last several months was when someone called and asked him if he would like to sell our farm."

"How long ago was that?" I asked.

"Maybe two months. Don told him that he wasn't interested and we never heard from him again." 

"Did your husband tell you who it was that wanted to buy your place?"

"Don told me who called but I don't remember. It wasn't a name I knew and it wasn't important to me."

"If you should happen to remember, would you call me?"

"Yes. Do you think this might have something to do with my husband's death?"

"I don't know. It's unlikely but I would like to talk to whomever it was that talked to your husband."

"I wish I could remember that name."

The guys from the crime lab spent an hour taking pictures and looking around Mr. Boland's study. Detective Robertson, the lead investigator for the crime lab, spoke with me before he and his team left.

"The crime scene was contaminated by your officers, but I guess you already knew that," Robertson said. "If you can send us any pictures taken of the scene before the body was moved, it would be helpful."

"I'll get them to you as soon as I get back to the station."

"As to what I've seen here, I can't rule out suicide because I saw nothing that would indicate foul play but based on what you have told me about the way the deceased was dressed and what his wife told you, I do share your skepticism. I just don't think we'll find enough evidence to prove that this wasn't suicide."

"That's what I expected to hear," I said.

"Once we get a look at your pictures and run some tests on what little we found here, I should be able to send you our findings in about a week."

I walked Detective Robertson to the door and thanked him for his time and then I went back to the kitchen to speak with Mrs. Boland.

"We have done all we can tonight. I'll try to keep you informed of anything we find out from our investigation," I said.

"My husband did not commit suicide," she repeated.

*****

Wednesday, February 16

*****

When I woke up I was still a little stiff from the basketball game the previous evening. After I showered and dressed, I felt better as I went downstairs for breakfast. Carrie was already at the table with the morning paper and her coffee. I got myself a cup and sat down across from her. I had finished almost half my cup before she looked up and noticed me staring at her.

"What?"

"Good morning," I said.

Carrie smiled and replied, "Good morning to you too, tiger."

I had to laugh.

"Oh, you were so tired last night," she said. "Wore yourself out playing basketball and didn't know if you had enough energy left to make love to me."

"Well, I thought..."

"I probably should have just let you go to sleep. You just about wore me out. I'll be walking funny all day today," Carrie said.

"Am I to take that as a complaint?" I asked.

"What do you think?'

"I would guess that to be a yes."

"And you would be right," she said. "Want some more coffee?"

"Please."

Carrie brought the pot over and refilled my cup. Then she bent down and kissed me on the cheek and said, "You want to try that again tonight?"

"I might be too tired," I said and we both laughed.

"Don't forget to pick up your blue suit at the cleaners, "Carrie said. "I want you to wear it Friday night."

"What's wrong with this suit?" I asked, already knowing the answer.


Brodricksburg Pt. 01



"It's at least four years old, it's brown and it's ugly."

"If you don't like this suit just say so."

"Okay. I don't like that suit," Carrie said. "Rich is still coming with you, isn't he?" Carrie asked.

"You know Hanratty, he'll never pass up a free meal but why is it so important that he come? You never asked me to bring him to any other fundraisers."

As the chairperson for the fundraiser, Carrie got four free tickets for the dinner dance. Of course I get one of those tickets and Carrie asked me to invite Hanratty.

"There is someone I want him to meet?"

"Oh, shit, you're trying to fix him up again. If he knew that's what you were up to he wouldn't come," I said.

"So don't tell him," Carrie said. 

"Who is it this time?"

"Linda Abbot."

"The new girl that works with you?"

"Yes. She saw Rich the day the two of you came by my office. She thought he looked kind of cute."

"Does she know what you're up to?"

"No. I thought it would be more natural if neither of them knew that they had been set up. Linda will be sitting with me and I will just happen to introduce them during dinner and let nature take its course."

"You are something else, Carrie Hobbs. If I didn't love you so much I would be a little afraid of you."

"Why don't you fix yourself some bacon and eggs with some whole wheat toast," Carrie suggested. "Have a good breakfast for a change instead of going to Dunkin Donuts for your daily fix of sugar."

"You know I never eat donuts," I said.

"Yeah, right," Carrie said with a smile. "Well, I have to get ready for work. Just make sure you eat a good breakfast before you go."

Carrie works as a legal aid for Mitchell and Horne, the city's largest law office. 

"I will. Bacon and eggs sounds good."

As soon as Carrie left the kitchen I tossed a Pop-Tart in the toaster and filled my traveling mug with coffee. When the Pop-Tart popped up I wrapped it in a napkin, grabbed my coffee and briefcase and headed out to my car.

*****

Brodricksburg, PA

*****

It was the middle of February but we had only had one significant snowfall so far. Most of that snow had already melted but it was a cold morning and the sky was a dark gray color. It was already spitting snow when I backed my car out of the garage and it looked like it was going to get a lot worse before the day was over.

I drove up route 32 along the river and when I saw the "Welcome to Brodricksburg" sign I thought about how little Brodricksburg had changed since I was a kid growing up on the south end of town. The population of Brodricksburg in the seventies was less than 45,000. In the last twenty years the population had only grown to about 58,000. But that was about to change.

Brodricksburg is about fifty miles north east of Philadelphia on the west bank of the Delaware River. It was originally the site of Fort Brodrick, built in 1757 to protect settlers in the region from attacks from the French and their Indian allies during the French and Indian War. Fort Brodrick was rebuilt and expanded after the American Revolution and was used to billet troops during the Civil War. The fort was closed in 1868 and remained closed until 1920, when it was restored and became a state park. The city of Brodricksburg grew up along the riverbank north of the fort. In the late 1890s Brodricksburg had become a steel mill town but eventually lost out to Allentown and Bethlehem. By the end of the Second World War the steel industry in Brodricksburg was gone. Because of the proximity to Philadelphia, Brodricksburg became a bedroom community for wealthy lawyers and doctors who wanted to live along the river and were willing to make the fifty-mile commute to the city each day. 

Over time the old mill workers were forced to leave because they could no longer afford to live in Brodricksburg. By 1950 the population of Brodricksburg had leveled off at 45,000 and remained about the same until five years ago. With new roads and more train service, Brodricksburg is again growing. Now there are several developers buying up land around the city with plans for several new subdivisions. It was beginning to look like there would be a lot of growth in Brodricksburg over the next fifteen to twenty years.

I was still thinking about the coming changes when I pulled into the parking lot behind the station. While getting out of my car I saw something that I had rarely seen in my five years on the Brodricksburg Police Department: the chief's car in the parking lot before seven o'clock in the morning. Chief Pasiak had been a Brodricksburg police officer for over thirty-five years and had been chief for the last fifteen. He usually doesn't come into the office until nine o'clock and he usually leaves by 4:30 PM each day. No one complains about the chief's hours because the city of Brodricksburg loves Chief Pasiak.

Parked next to the chief's car was a plain blue Chevrolet Malibu that I hadn't seen before. I gave it a quick look and headed into the building.

*****

Brodricksburg Police Station

*****

My office cubicle is on the third floor and it is my habit to take the stairs so that I get at least some exercise every day and I like to get my heart pumping first thing in the morning. The stairs come out on the third floor next to the chief's office, so I looked in as I passed. Chief Pasiak was sitting at his desk talking to a man, maybe thirty years old, with short brown hair. He looked like he would be about six feet tall if he was standing and probably didn't weigh more than 170 pounds. 

Before I went to my desk I checked to see if Captain Ross was in his office. He wasn't. Ross usually arrives just before eight o'clock. I guessed that whatever was important enough to get the chief into the office before seven in the morning didn't involve Ross. Not being included in an important meeting would piss Ross off. That made me happy. Anything that pissed Ross off made me happy.

"Hey, Lieutenant. How you feeling this morning?" asked Sergeant McKinstry.

"Not too bad, Mike," I replied to the desk sergeant. "Just remind me to wear my vest next time we play. I think my ribs got rearranged by some of those elbows under the basket."

"Oh, come on, quit your bitchin'. You guys gave as good as you got. It was a good game though."

"Yeah, good game to you because you guys won. We'll get you next time."

"Looking forward to it, Lieutenant."

"Why so formal? You weren't calling me Lieutenant when you were talking trash last night."

"I don't think those names would be appropriate in the office, do you?"

"No. I believe you are right about that," I said. "Got the OAR sheets?"

"Got 'em right here," Sergeant McKinstry said as he handed me the Overnight Activity Report.

I took the reports to my desk and read through them and as usual found little of importance. The benefit of living in a small town like Brodricksburg is that the crime rate is very low. That's great for the citizens of Brodricksburg but very boring for a police officer, especially a homicide detective.

When I was finished with the reports, I got myself a cup of coffee and took the newspaper out of my briefcase and started doing the crossword puzzle. I was trying to remember the name of a small Russian city, four letters, located near the Caucasus Mountains when there was a sudden loud crash behind me. 

I jumped up so fast that my chair fell over. I spun around to find Hanratty standing behind me laughing his head off. He had intentionally dropped a trashcan on the floor behind me.

"You asshole, you almost made me crap my pants."

"Sorry, Hobbs, couldn't resist," Hanratty said. "I saw you concentrating so hard I just had to wake you up."

"You know, the chief is here," I told him.

"Yeah, right. It's only 7:45."

"Take a look. He's is his office meeting with someone."

Hanratty peeked over the top of our cubicle and looked toward the chief's office.

"Oh, shit. He is here. You think he heard that."

"How could he miss it?"

"Just what I need, get the chief pissed at me," Hanratty said. "Captain Ross already hates me."

"That's what I like most about you, Hanratty, the fact the Ross hates you."

"Gee, thanks," Hanratty said. "Who's the guy in with the chief?"

"Don't know."

"Got any guesses?"

"Nope."

"Curious?"

"Not unless it affects me," I said.

"Well, then let's hit the streets before the chief comes out."

"In a minute, I need to relieve myself first."

"Make it fast; I'm hungry."

For Hanratty 'hitting the streets' was a euphemism for "Let's go to Dunkin Donuts."

Hanratty's idea of a good breakfast was coffee with cream and two sugars and two glazed donuts. Other than at breakfast, Hanratty took good care of himself. He worked out three or four nights a week so he was in excellent shape. At six feet three inches tall and weighing just over 190 pounds, he and I were built very much alike, which caused some of the guys on the squad to refer to us as the bookends. 

When I returned to my desk after taking care of my business, Hanratty was looking a little agitated. 

"What's up?"

"The chief stopped by while you were in the john. Said he wants to see you in his office now. I hope it's not about me dropping that trashcan."

"You worry too much. Relax, I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, you're a real pal," Hanratty said.

*****

The Assignment

*****

"Morning, Chief," I said as I walked into Chief Pasiak's office.

"Brian."

"Hanratty said that you wanted to see me?"

"Yeah. Come on in and close the door."

I closed the door and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the Chief's desk.

"Does this have something to do with the FBI agent you were talking to earlier?" I asked.

The chief's mouth dropped open and he just stared at me for a few seconds.

"Now, how in the hell did you know I was talking with the FBI this morning?" Chief Pasiak asked.

"I saw his car in the parking lot. Blue Malibu with government plates. Saw him in your office when I came in. Not too hard to spot those guys. Nice suits and short hair cuts," I said.

"You never cease to amaze me, Brian. You don't miss a trick do you?" Chief Pasiak said.

"It's all that great police training I've received."

"Yeah, right. Sometimes I feel like we are wasting your skills here but I would hate to lose you."

"Thanks, Chief."

"Well, you were right. This is about my meeting with Agent Van Horn," the chief said. "What we are about to discuss cannot leave this room. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Agent Van Horn has presented us with a very delicate situation. It seems that the FBI has been investigating a company called Comprehensive Supply Corporation - CSC for short. They sell automotive and heavy equipment parts and supplies to the government and hold similar contracts with several state and local governments. Agent Van Horn said that a couple of months ago, CSC participated in a large business show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The FBI had some undercover agents at the show keeping a close watch on the CSC folks to see what they were up to."

"So how does this involve us?" I asked.

"Among the things that the agents reported was that CSC entertained several people representing different states and local governments. One person that they entertained repeatedly was a city official from Brodricksburg," the chief said. 

"Who was the city official?"

"Stanley Buske."

"The Commissioner of Works?

"Yes. Agent Van Horn said that Commissioner Buske had at least two lunches and a dinner with the CSC folks. The FBI has no proof of any illegal activity but it was obvious to the agents that CSC was trying to win favor with Commissioner Buske. Agent Van Horn stopped by to give us a heads up so that we could do our own investigation into the Commissioner's activities. So you can see why this is so sensitive."

"Holy shit. Buske is one of the Mayor's closest friends. This could get ugly real fast."

"That's why it is so important that we keep this whole thing between the two of us. I want you to look into this. See if the Commissioner has compromised himself. No one else can know about your investigation. If it gets out that we are investigating Commissioner Buske and if he hasn't done anything wrong or at least something that the DA is willing to prosecute him for this will turn into a three-ring circus. This could cost both of us our jobs. I can retire but you still have your whole career ahead of you. So, if anyone asks you what you are doing just refer them to me. Any questions?"

"No questions. If the Commissioner is doing anything illegal, I will find out."

"You are the only person I can trust to handle this. The others either don't have the necessary skills or they are tied too closely to the Mayor and other city officials to be trusted."

That last was the Chief's way of saying that he would not trust Captain Ross with this investigation. 

"This shouldn't take up all of your time but you will have to make up an excuse to tell your partner. I know you trust Hanratty but I would prefer that he not know what you are working on," the Chief said. 

"No problem. I'll just tell Hanratty that I am doing a personal favor for you. He won't ask any questions."

"Good."

"What's the time line on this?"

"However long it takes," the Chief said. "I don't want you to rush your investigation. Take your time and do it right."

"I will, sir."

"Keep me informed."

"Yes, sir."

"Did the Chief ask you about the noise?"

"No. You're in the clear."

"What did he want?"

"He asked me to do him a personal favor. I really can't discuss it with you. Sorry."

"Got ya. No questions, right?"

"Right."

"Okay. Can we hit the streets now?"

I knew Hanratty would understand.

"Yeah, let's go."

*****

The Investigation Begins

*****

After stopping at the donut shop, I asked Hanratty to drop me back at the station before he headed over to the high school. Our usual practice was to drive by the local schools and make sure there were no drug dealers or pedophiles hanging out on the school grounds. This was an idea I had proposed three years earlier. I had suggested that any officers that were not busy should drive by the schools and question anyone they found hanging around the school grounds. Since we implemented this program drug dealing at the schools had declined dramatically and there had been no reports of students encountering pedophiles or flashers at any of the Brodricksburg schools.

Once back at my desk I made a list of the questions that had been forming in my mind all morning.

Why was Commissioner Buske meeting with CSC in Las Vegas?

How does the city choose suppliers?

Does Commissioner Buske have input to that choice?

Who does the city of Brodricksburg buy its automotive and heavy equipment parts from now?

Did the commissioner violate any laws or do anything unethical while he was in Las Vegas?

I sat looking at my short list of questions for a minute thinking about where to start. I picked up the phone and called the city clerk's office. An assistant to the City Clerk named George Thomas answered the phone on the second ring. After identifying myself, I told George that I was interested in finding out how I should go about ordering some new GPS equipment for our police cruisers. 

"Lt. Hobbs, you will need to fill out a purchase order and submit it to procurement. They will then check to see if any of our contracted suppliers carry the item you want and if they don't procurement will contact several vendors and get prices for the item. They will then order the item from the lowest priced provider," George informed me.

I then asked George whom in procurement I should talk to for more information.

"Hang on a sec and I'll transfer you," George said and was gone before I could even say thank you.

"Procurement, Dan Martin speaking," the voice on the phone said.

"This is Lt. Hobbs, BPD," I said and then repeated the same question I had asked George Thomas.

Dan Martin gave me basically the same answer that George had. 

"Those GPS devices would most likely be ordered on our automotive supply contract," Dan said.

"Who holds that contract," I asked.

"A company named Comprehensive Supply Corporation," Dan said.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck bristle. 

"When did they get the contract?" I asked.

"About three years ago," Dan said. "We bid the supply contracts every year and CSC was the low bidder for the automotive supplies for the last three years."

"If I wanted to set up a contract to order items that are not covered under an existing contract, how would I go about it?" I asked.

"We would have to put together an RFP and posted it publicly so that vendors could bid on it."

"What's an RFP?" I asked.

"Request for Pricing."

"How would I put one of those together?"

"Well, we would help you with that but if you want to see how it's done you could look at some of the RFPs in our files."

"If I came over there later this week, could I look at some of the RFPs and the responses you received from vendors?" I asked.

"Of course. These files are all opened to the public but we don't have them here. They are kept at the City Clerk's office."

I thanked Dan for his time and put the phone down. I was surprised at how easily that had gone. I had learned that CSC was the city's supplier for automotive parts and supplies. I already knew that the Brodricksburg Department of Works maintained all of the city's vehicles and purchased all of the maintenance and repair parts for those vehicles and Stanley Buske is the Commissioner for the Department of Works. 

What I didn't know and would have to find out was, if CSC had won that contract in a fair bid or did they have help from the commissioner?

I wasn't sure how Buske could have influenced the contract award but if he had it would explain the meetings the FBI had observed between CSC and Commissioner Buske while he was in Las Vegas. They were giving him some perks for his assistance.

I decided then that I was going to have to find out more about Commissioner Buske's trip to Vegas.

*****

Friday Evening

*****

It was 6:50 PM when I pulled into the parking lot of the Brodricksburg Inn. Carrie had told me to be there at seven o'clock so I had ten minutes to kill before I had to walk into the ballroom. This would be the seventh time in the last three years that Carrie had acted as chairperson for one of these charity dinner dances. After the success of Carrie's first dinner dance three years ago, every charity in town wanted her to run their fundraisers. To her credit, Carrie is an excellent planner and organizer but she just didn't know how to say no. Carrie had organized dinner dances for the Red Cross, the Heart Fund, the Cancer Society and she even did the Policemen's Ball. Her current effort was for the Brodricksburg Memorial Hospital Building Fund. In addition to all that she served on the Brodricksburg Board of Education Planning Board.

I had been by her side at every one of these occasions. One thing that Carrie had made clear to me after the second event she put on was that if she told me to be there at seven o'clock she meant exactly that. She didn't want me to arrive early because she that when I arrived early she was too busy with last minute details to talk to me so my being there made her nervous. She also didn't want me to come late because of my job. Any time I am late for anything she begins to worry.

So I waited until 6:58 before I got out of my car and headed into the Inn. When I walked into the ballroom, Carrie was checking seating assignments at the tables against her master chart. When she saw me she smiled and held up a finger to indicate that she would be with me in one minute.

When Carrie was finished checking the seating she came over and kissed me.




Brodricksburg Pt. 01



"Hi, sweetie. The blue suit looks good on you," She said.

"That black dress looks great on you. I can't wait to get you out of it when we get home," I said.

Carrie blushed a little and punched me on the arm.

"If you don't behave yourself, you won't get that chance," she said. "Rich is still coming, isn't he?"

"Gees, I am beginning to wonder if you were more worried about whether Rich was coming than you were about me," I said.

"Well, he is a good looking guy," she said. "Besides, I mentioned to Linda that you might be bringing Rich with you and I think she was excited about that."

"You know, if those two should fall in love and get married and end up hating each other, it will be all your fault," I said.

"Hey, we've been married for ten years and we still love each other," Carrie said and then kissed me again. "Come on, our table is over here," Carrie said as she led me to the left side of the room near the head table.

"This is the same table we always sit at," I said.

"I arrange it that way so you don't get lost on your way back from the men's room."

"Very thoughtful of you," I said.

Even though Carrie was the chairperson of these events, she never sat at the head table. She reserved that for the big shots in the charity that was hosting the event and the attending dignitaries like Mayor Gargas and Congressman Freewater, our local representative in congress. Carrie always said that she didn't like sitting at the head table because she didn't like being the center of attention at these events but I know she did it for me, so that I wouldn't feel uncomfortable.

We had just arrived at our table when Carrie spotted her friend Linda coming into the ballroom.

"Brian, be a sweetheart and get a couple of glasses of white wine while I go get Linda,"

"Yeah, any excuse to get rid of me," I said.

"I won't be getting rid of you for at least another fifty years," Carrie said as she moved off in Linda's direction.

I had just ordered two glasses of Chardonnay and a beer for myself when Hanratty appeared at my side. 

"Wow, you clean up pretty good when you want to," I said.

"Gotta look good for tonight's victim, don't I?" Hanratty replied.

"What do you mean by tonight's victim?"

"Come on, we both know that your wife is going to try to fix me up with one of her friends again tonight," Hanratty said.

"I didn't tell you that."

"Didn't have to. I know Carrie won't rest until she makes me as miserable as you are." Hanratty said.

"I am not miserable," I said.

"I know. That's why I don't stop Carrie from trying."

"I think you'll like Linda," I said. 

While I waited for Hanratty to order a beer, I looked back into the ballroom and saw that Carrie was back at our table with Linda. Then I saw something else that really caught my interest. I saw Commissioner Buske standing with Mayor Gargas and Congressman Freewater. Standing near enough to this group to be part of them but far enough away that I couldn't be sure was Captain Ross.

Hanratty and I took our drinks back to the table and while Carrie was introducing Linda to Hanratty I excused myself. I said that I had to say hello to Captain Ross. Hanratty gave me a funny look but didn't say anything and then turned his attention to Linda Abbot.

I really didn't want to talk to Ross but I was hoping that I might hear some of what the other three men were talking about. The trip across the room turned out to be a waste of time. The three men stopped talking as soon as they saw me approaching Captain Ross. 

"Good evening, Captain, nice to see you," I said.

"Yeah, good to see you too," he snorted. "I see your wife managed to arrange the seating so that Chief Pasiak and his wife will be sitting at your table again."

"Really? I hadn't noticed," I said. 

Actually I knew that the chief would be at our table because Carrie always sat him with us, but she didn't do it to help my career, she did it because she and Mrs. Pasiak had become close friends while working together on a lot of charity boards. I must say that it pleased me to know that the seating arrangements bothered Ross.

I tried to keep a conversation going with Ross but when I saw the Mayor and Congressman Freewater wander off in one direction and Commissioner Buske in the other I ended the conversation and went back to my table.

When I got back to the table Chief Pasiak and his wife, Audrey, were just sitting down.

While Carrie was introducing Audrey to her friend, Linda, the Chief looked at me and with just a very slight nod of his head let me know that he had seen the three men talking. 

The rest of the evening was very pleasant. We had an excellent meal and Carrie and I danced until we were both too exhausted to move. As the evening came to an end, I noticed Hanratty and Linda Abbot huddled in a corner talking. They were both smiling a lot and they looked very comfortable together. I knew that there would be no living with Carrie if those two became a couple. 

As Carrie and I were saying good night to the Chief and his wife, the Chief whispered, "See me in my office Monday morning, early." 

"I'll be there."

*****

Back home in bed that night, Carrie was full of herself. We were both naked and she was sitting on top of me with my erection embedded in her hot nest. Carrie was moving up and down slowly as she talked about the evening.

"Wasn't that meal great?" she asked. "And the band, they were really good, weren't they?"

"Yes, everything was perfect, as usual," I said. "You know what this means, don't you?"

"No. What?"

"Tomorrow you will get a call from someone that desperately needs you to run their next fund raiser and you won't be able to say no."

"You don't mind me running these fund raisers do you?"

"Of course not. You know that I am proud of you."

Carrie began moving a little faster. 

"I think Linda and Rich hit it off, don't you?" she asked.

"Looked that way to me," I said.

Carrie bent down and kissed me. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"A lot, I hope," I said.

"You're right."

Carrie wrapped her arms around me and rolled us over so that I was on top of her.

"Finish me off now," she said.

I started taking long hard strokes into Carrie and soon she was breathing hard and her whole body tensed up as she climaxed. Seeing her orgasm took me over the brink and I was soon pumping my seed deep inside her.

*****

Monday Morning

*****

"Any idea what the Commissioner, the Mayor and the Congressman where talking about Friday night?" Chief Pasiak asked.

"Not a clue, sir," I said. "They broke up their little meeting before I could get close enough to hear anything. Do you think Captain Ross is part of that little club?"

"Don't know, but I think we should assume he is," The Chief said. "He probably thinks that the Mayor will help him become Chief when I retire."

"Probably so," I said.

"What did you find out last week?" The Chief asked.

"I found out that CSC holds the contract to supply maintenance and repair parts for our motor fleet and they have been the low price bidder for that contract for the last three years," I said. "Friday I went over to look at the bid request the city wrote for those services and all of the responses received from vendors including CSC.

"The RFP was very specific in what it asked for to the point of specifying the brand names of the replacement parts requested."

"That is probably not unusual," the Chief said. "You would want everybody to be bidding on the products, wouldn't you?"

"That's true, but what I found interesting was that all of the normal maintenance parts and supplies for the motor fleet called out in the RFP had the same brand name."

"Why do you think that was interesting?" the Chief asked.

"Well, everything from the motor oil to the replacement sparkplugs called out in the RFP were all from one manufacturer," I said. "That includes oil filters, air filters, antifreeze, shock absorbers, windshield whispers, belts and tires and a lot of other stuff."

"That is interesting."

"What was even more interesting was that I have never heard of the brand name before," I said. "The RFP specifically listed Mazura Maatsa as the brand name for all of those products and more."

"Mazura Maatsa? Who the hell are they?"

"I looked them up on the Internet and found their home page. Apparently they are an off shore company with their offices in Malaysia. Their web site lists all of their products and they are all in the RFP. There was a statement on the web page that said that all of their products met or exceeded the original manufacturer's specifications," I said.

"Aside from the RFP single sourcing all of those products did you find anything suspicious?" the Chief asked.

"Actually, yes. The web site did list all of the parts that are included in the RFP but there was no price list and I could find no way to order the parts from Mazura Maatsa. There was no contact information and no e-mail address. It appeared that there was no way to order any of the products shown on their web page."

The Chief sat quietly and waited for me to continue.

"There were eight vendors that responded to the RFP that the city posted three years ago. Seven of the vendors were disqualified because their bid responses did not include pricing for the Mazura Maatsa parts. Those bids gave pricing for common American brands of the same parts. Champion spark plugs, Quaker State Oil, etc. Only CSC quoted prices for the Mazura Maatsa products. The next year there were only five responses and three of those were disqualified for not quoting prices for the Mazura Maatsa parts and supplies. The one vendor, other than CSC that quoted the Mazura Maatsa parts had higher prices for those parts.

"Then last year there were five bidders again. Two of them were disqualified for not quoting Mazura Maatsa parts. CSC and two other vendors responded with the Mazura Maatsa prices but again, CSC had the lowest prices for those parts."

"Why do you think CSC was able to quote a lower price for the same parts from Mazura Maatsa?"

"That puzzled me too, so I called one of the other vendors that had quoted Mazura Maatsa parts and asked them about that. They told me that CSC has exclusive rights to sell Mazura Maatsa products in the US. So they had to get pricing for the Mazura Maatsa products from CSC. The price CSC quoted them for the Mazura Maatsa parts was uplifted by ten percent."

"I am not sure there is anything illegal about that," the Chief said.

"Right, but I do wonder why the RFP required the Mazura Maatsa parts when the more popular brand parts were no more expensive," I said. "If there is anything illegal here it will be in why Mazura Maatsa parts were required by the RFP. My suspicion is that CSC bribed someone to specify the Mazura Maatsa parts in the RFP. I don't know if we can tie that to Commissioner Buske yet but I am working on it."

"What are you going to do next?" The Chief asked.

"I am going to examine the Commissioner's expense reports from his Vegas trip to see if there is anything there that will help my investigation."

"Okay, keep me informed," the Chief said.

*****

Captain Ross

*****

When I got back to my desk, Hanratty was waiting for me with a smirk on his face.

"Captain Ross just stopped by to say hello," said Hanratty.

"What did he want?"

"Don't know for sure but he said that he wanted to know what you were talking to the Chief about," Hanratty said. "I think his nose was a little out of joint that he wasn't included in your meeting with the Chief."

"I guess he's a little insecure," I said.

"Insecure? Hell, he is terrified that the Chief is going to retire and make you the new chief on his way out the door," Hanratty said. "I suggest that you watch your back around him. I think he is waiting for you to make a mistake so that he can discredit you."

"You may be right. What did Ross say?"

"He just asked if I knew what you were talking to the Chief about."

"What did you tell him?"

"What could I tell him?" Hanratty said. "I told him I didn't have a fuckin' clue."

"Bet he didn't like that answer."

"You'd be right. Can we hit the streets now?"

*****

New Tires

*****

"I think I better take the car in for new tires," Hanratty said as we sat down with our coffee and donuts. "This morning I almost went off the road when I hit a small puddle of water. The damn tires are almost bald."

"When you drop me back at the station why don't you take the car over to the public works garage and get them to put a set of tires on it," I suggested.

"That's what I was thinking of doing this morning."

At two o'clock that afternoon Hanratty was back at the station. "You want to make an afternoon run by the schools?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go," I said. "I'm afraid that if I sit here much longer my ass will root itself to my chair."

As we walked down the stairs, I asked Hanratty how he made out at the garage.

"Four brand new Goodyears," he said.

The significance of what he said didn't hit me until we got outside and I saw the car with the new tires. Four new Goodyear tires, just like Hanratty said. My first impulse was to say, "What the fuck?" but I kept my mouth shut.

The next morning I told Hanratty I had to run an errand so he would have to go for coffee without me. Then I took my unmarked car and drove to a parking lot about a mile from the public works garage. I opened the hood and pulled one of the spark plug wires loose and then I drove my misfiring car to the garage.

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" It was Manny Thompson that asked. Manny had been working in the garage servicing the police department's cars for fifteen years and knew most everyone on the force by name.

"Got a skip in the engine," I said. "You got time to look at it now, Manny."

"Yeah, pull it over here."

Manny popped open the hood and found the problem almost immediately. 

"Loose plug wire," he said as he reached in and reattached the wire.

"You think this thing needs a tune-up?" I asked.

"How many miles you got on it?" 

"About seventy thousand."

"Better schedule it with Frank before you leave," Manny said. "Probably can't get it in until sometime next month though."

"Will you be putting in those Mazura Maatsa spark plugs? They any good?" I asked.

"I ain't never seen any of them Mazura Maatsa plugs. We've got Autolite plugs for this car."

"I thought the city contract required you to use the Mazura Maatsa replacement parts."

"Don't know about that," he said. "We order everything from CSC. I don't know what they's supposed to send us but the stockroom is full of Autolite spark plugs and Fram oil filters and such. Everything in there is American made."

"Thanks, Manny."

"No problem, Lieutenant."

*****

The Scam

*****

The next morning I met with Chief Pasiak to bring him up to speed.

"I think I have a pretty good idea of what CSC is up to," I said. "They get the person who writes the RFP for automotive parts and supplies to specify Mazura Maatsa parts because nobody can get them. I believe that CSC made up the company and created the web site. Then they generate a contract that says CSC is the only approved distributor of Mazura Maatsa parts in the US. That way no one could underbid them in their RFP responses. Apparently when CSC wins the bid they put a paragraph in their contract with the city that states 'if the required Mazura Maatsa part is unavailable for any reason, CSC will supply a part of equal quality at no extra charge.' Since there are no Mazura Maatsa parts, CSC always provides the typical American brands."

"Can we prove this?" the Chief asked.

"I think so but it would be very difficult. We would have to be able to prove that Mazura Maatsa does not exist. Because they are not chartered in the US, it would be difficult for us to prove. It would cost us a small fortune to even try. The FBI should do that. I'd be willing to bet that they already know what I found out."

"I am sure they do but for some reason they want us to do the leg-work for them," the Chief said.

I was beginning to get an idea of what the FBI was up to but I wasn't ready to discuss my theory with the Chief.

"Even if we could prove that, we still need to find out how we can tie Commissioner Buske to the scam. It could still be that he was duped into specifying the Mazura Maatsa parts, or it may even be someone else on his staff."

"Thanks, Brian. Keep picking at it; you may still find the loose thread that pulls the whole thing apart."

"Will do."

*****

Back To The City Clerk's Office

*****

I waited until March fifteenth before I went back to the City Clerk's office to look at Commissioner Buske's expense accounts for his trip to Las Vegas. The reason I waited so long was that I didn't want to raise any eyebrows in the clerk's office. The last thing I needed in my investigation was to have the staff in the City Clerk's office asking questions about why I was spending so much time looking through their files. 

I told one of the clerks that I needed to look at some of my old expense files and he led me back to the expense files for 2004. He pulled out the folder that held my expense reports and I began to look through them. I had timed my visit so that I arrived just before noon because I suspected that everyone in the office would go to lunch together and I was right. The clerk that had shown me where to find the expense files told me I could stay if I wanted and to just put the folder back when I was finished. I thanked him and turned back to my expense sheets.

As soon as the four people that had been in the office when I arrived had left for lunch, I put my expense folder back in the file cabinet and went looking for Commissioner Buske's folder. It only took me a minute to find it. I took the whole folder over to the officer copier and quickly copied every expense report and receipt in his folder and locked them in my briefcase. When I finished, I put his folder back in the file where it belonged and left the office.

I wasn't able to look at the expense reports until I got home that evening. I couldn't take them to the station because I couldn't let anyone see what I was working on. At home I put my brief case in the study until I would have time to look at them after dinner.

When Carrie came in from work, she gave me a kiss and headed into the kitchen to get herself a glass of wine.

"You ready for another beer?" she called to me.

"Not yet."

We sat and talked about our day and then I told her that I was going to have to work in the study that evening and wasn't to be disturbed. That caught her interest because I very seldom brought work home. 

"Can I ask you why you brought work home? You don't usually do that," she said. 

Usually if I had work to do after my normal hours I stayed at the station to do it. Carrie works in a law office and I am a cop, so we keep our work separate from each other. There have been times that her law firm represented someone I arrested so Carrie and I had to avoid any conflict of interest. We usually talked about our jobs in general terms but never specifics. That protected both of us from getting into compromising situations. 

I didn't like telling Carrie that she wasn't allowed to come into the study while I was working but I couldn't let her see that I was examining Commissioner Buske's expense reports because I had already confirmed that Richard Mitchell of Mitchell and Horne was commissioner Buske's attorney.

"Sorry, Babe, can't tell you about it," I said. "It's police business."

"Okay, I'll leave you alone."

"I won't be long," I said. "Maybe when I am finished we can have a little fun in bed." 

"Fun for whom?"

"Both of us I hope."

"We'll see about that," Carrie said as she spread her legs and gave me a quick peek up her skirt. "Wilma will be ready to play, but will Barney?"




Brodricksburg Pt. 02



PART TWO

*****

Moving On

*****

In the morning I was sitting at my desk when Hanratty came in.

"Did somebody shoot your dog?" Hanratty asked.

"What?"

"You look kind of down this morning," he said. "Just thought that maybe someone shot your dog or something."

I really didn't want to talk about my problem but I knew I couldn't keep it a secret, not from Hanratty anyway.

"Carrie and I are separating," I said.

"What? You can't be serious."

"Unfortunately I am dead serious."

"What the fuck did you do?"

"Why do you assume I did something wrong?" I asked.

"Because I know Carrie wouldn't."

I was tempted to dispute Hanratty's opinion but decided to let it go.

"We're just having some problems and decided that maybe some time apart might help."

"Man, I am sorry to hear that," Hanratty said. "You guys were my image of what a marriage should be. Do you think you'll get back together?"

"I really don't know. I hope we can work it out," I said. "Can we not talk about this now?"

"Okay. But if you want to talk later, just let me know."

"Thanks, I appreciate that."

Hanratty went to talk to some of the other officers in the squad room and left me to my dark thoughts. My emotions were mixed between anger and sadness. I almost called Carrie to tell her I wanted a divorce but I knew that was not what I really wanted. I wanted things to be the way they were before I got that first phone call. 

By 10:00 AM I realized I wasn't going to get any work done so I left the station. I signed out my unmarked car and drove home. I didn't go in, I just sat in the driveway staring at the front door. Carrie was at work so there was no reason for me not to go into the house but I just couldn't make myself get out of the car. It didn't feel like home anymore. I had slept in the guest room the previous night and I didn't want to do that again. I knew that I was going to have to find a place to live but I was having a hard time taking that first step. 

My first thought was to go talk to Ted Brostek, an old friend from my high school days. Ted was the manager of the Riverview Apartments on Fort Street. Fort Street is another part of Route 32 where it passes through Brodricksburg. The Riverview Apartments are on the west side of the street and only the third floor apartments that face the east actually have a view of the river. 

"Hey Brian, what's going on? You're not here to arrest me are you?" was the greeting I received when I walked into Ted Brostek's office.

"I should arrest you just for being so ugly," I said.

"Well, my wife might agree with that but my girlfriends wouldn't."

I actually laughed at that. It was the first time I had laughed in quite some time.

"How have you been, Ted?"

"I'm doing good. How bout you?"

"If I was doing any better I would have to shoot myself," I said.

"So, is this a social visit or business?"

"I guess it's business. I need to find an apartment," I said.

"Apartment? For you?"

"Yeah." 

"What's up?"

"Carrie and I are separated."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You think you'll get back together?"

"Hope so, but who knows?" I said. "You got any openings?"

"I've got a couple of three bedroom apartments open right now but I don't really think you would want anything that big and you'd have to sign a one year lease," Ted said. "You might not want to sign a year's lease in case you and Carrie get back together. I'll have a two bedroom opening up in a couple of weeks and I can get you a 9 month lease on that one."

" I need something right away," I said. "I have to get out of the house today if possible."

"Oh shit, I almost forgot. I have one tenant that left for a temporary job assignment in Europe last week and he had asked me if I could help him find someone to sublet his apartment for the next six months. It's only a one bedroom but it's on the third floor and it is completely furnished. It would be perfect for you."

After looking at the apartment I quickly signed a sublet agreement. I then went back to the house and packed up as many of my clothes and personal items as I could carry and took them over to the apartment. I left Carrie a note telling her that I had found a place to live and that I would come over on the weekend to get the rest of my things. I don't know why but I didn't tell her where I was going to be living.

*****

The Stalker

*****

For the next couple of weeks I just went through the motions at work. Hanratty did his best to try and cheer me up but I just wasn't in the mood to be cheered up. I spent my days trying to tell myself that I didn't care what Carrie was doing but I knew it was a lie. I knew it because every night I found myself sitting in my car half a block from the house watching to see if Carrie went out or if she had any visitors. She didn't go out other than her normal nights out for meetings and she didn't have any visitors.

A few times I sat outside the law offices where Carrie worked and followed her to see where she was going when she left the office. By Wednesday of that first week I was calling Carrie three or four times a day. At first she was patient with me but by the second week I could tell my calls were making her angry. I knew I should stop but I couldn't. I really didn't think I was doing anything wrong. After all, she was my wife.

The following Monday as I returned to my apartment after work I was met at my door by a man I didn't recognize.

"Lt. Brian Hobbs?" he asked.

I said, "Yes."

He handed me a folded sheet of paper and said, "You have been served." Then he walked away.

I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I was sure I had just been served with divorce papers. I didn't look at them. I somehow believed that if I didn't look at them, they weren't real. I went into the apartment and dropped the papers on the dining table and went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed.

"What do I do now?" I asked myself, but there was no answer.

I don't know how long I sat there before I forced myself to get up. I went into the kitchen and poured myself two fingers of Scotch and then sat down at the dining table.

I stared at the folded paper while I took in a mouthful of Scotch and let it burn its way down to my stomach. I took a second swallow before I pick up the papers off the table and unfolded them.

It wasn't what I thought but it wasn't much better. Instead of divorce papers I had been served with a restraining order. The order basically said that I was to have no contact with Carrie. No phone calls, no e-mails, no stopping by her office or the house and I was not to come within fifty feet of her.

Once I got over the relief that they weren't divorce papers I felt my anger grow. How dare she take out a restraining order against me? I was no threat to her. She knew that I would never hurt her. My first impulse was to reach for the phone and call her. I wanted to tell her what I thought of her restraining order but then it hit me. If I called her I would be violating the order. For the next two hours I sat in anger as I tried to figure out how to handle the order. In the end I realized that I was going to have to obey the restraining order. Violating the order would not help me solve my problems with Carrie and I couldn't afford to get arrested for violating the order. I knew that I would not be put in jail for violating the order but it could end any hopes I had of ever becoming the Chief of Police in Brodricksburg or anywhere else.

In the end I decided that I would obey the restraining order and make no attempts to contact Carrie. I decided to carry that to the extreme. There were still some of my personal items in the house so I contacted a lawyer and had him contact the lawyer that wrote up Carrie's restraining order. My lawyer informed her lawyer, who was also her boss Richard Mitchell, that I needed access to the house to get my property and asked that she not be present while I was there.

In order to get on with my life I buried myself in my work.

*****

Back in the Saddle

*****

Monday morning, before Hanratty arrived, I dug out my notes from my investigation of Commissioner Buske. I read through everything I had and in the end all I had was a suspicion. I knew that I couldn't stake out his house again. Captain Ross had made that clear so I was going to have to follow a different tact. 

That morning I went with Hanratty to Dunkin Donuts and then we checked out the school grounds. We then spent the rest of the day doing follow ups on some of the items I had seen on the OAR.

I asked Hanratty if he wanted to stop for a drink after work.

"Can't tonight. I have a date with Linda."

"How are things going for the two of you?" I asked.

"Great. I think she might be the one. I owe Carrie big time for that," he said.

I felt a pain in my chest when he said that but I let it go without comment.

"How about we stop tomorrow night?" Hanratty suggested.

"Sounds good," I said. "See you in the morning."

I sat at my desk for a few minutes after Hanratty left and Captain Ross stopped by.

"What are you still doing here after five?" he asked.

"Looking over my notes on something I've been working on."

"What's that?"

"I'd rather not say until I have enough evidence to go to the DA," I said.

Ross made a sound that was a kind of snort and said, "Good luck with that."

I wondered if I had pushed the right button. There was no possible way that Ross could know for sure that I was investigating the Commissioner and there should be no reason for him to suspect that I was. I just thought I would plant a seed of an idea in his head and see what happens. If he was somehow connected to the Commissioner, would he worry that I was investigating him and would he try to keep me away like he did the night I was staking out the Commissioner's house?

After Ross left I closed up my desk and headed out to do something that I found personally distasteful.

Half an hour after leaving the office I was parked across the street from Farlow Reality. Fifteen minutes after I arrived, Stephen Farlow exited the building and got in his silver Lexus. As he pulled away from the curb I pulled out and followed him. Since I didn't have any idea where he might be headed I just planned to follow and learn what I could about him. 

Farlow drove about three blocks and then pulled into the parking lot at a small tavern. I waited till he was inside before I pulled into the parking lot. I was driving my personal car so I wouldn't be noticed. Through the front window I could just make out Farlow sitting at the bar. I waited long enough for him to have ordered his drink before I went in.

I ignored Farlow as I went to the bar and ordered a Yuengling draught. When the bartender set the glass in front of me I looked over at Farlow as if I had just noticed him sitting there. 

"Hey, Stephen, how are you?"

"I'm good, Brian. How are you?"

"I haven't seen you in a while. How's the real estate business?"

"Good, why do you ask? You want to quit police work and become one of my agents."

"I am sure I could make more money doing that but I think I'll stick to busting heads with my night stick," I said.

"If you'd ever want to change jobs, let me know. I'd be glad to sponsor you through the real estate school."

"Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind," I said.

"Please do," Farlow said. "Things are going to be heating up in the real estate business around here in the very near future. We are getting a lot of interest from developers who want to start building in the area."

I managed to keep Farlow talking and then bought him a drink and suggested we sit at a table. Farlow bought the next round of drinks and then I decided it was time to drop the hammer, but as gently as I could.

"It's kind of funny that I ran into you today," I said. "A couple of days ago I ran into George and Karen Murphy." 

"Really? Where are they living now?"

"They live in Maryland. They were just passing through and I ran into them in the Cracker Barrel Restaurant out by the Hampton Inn," I lied. "They invited me to join them for breakfast."

"How are they?"

"They looked really good. The reason I brought this up is because they said that they saw you back in October. They were out in Las Vegas and they saw you with Glen Buske. They tried to get your attention but you didn't see them and they lost sight of you before they could get across the room."

Now I just waited to see if Farlow would lie about being in Vegas. I noticed that his face turned red but he didn't say anything right away. Finally Farlow asked, "Does anyone else know I was out there?"

"I don't know. I didn't mention it to anyone."

Farlow looked relieved but didn't seem ready to say anything more so I had to push it.

"Listen, Stephen, you don't need to feel uncomfortable about this. I could care less what you were doing out there. It's not like I was surprised when the Murphys told me you were there. Although, I don't think they understood the significance."

"You won't say anything, will you?" he asked. "I mean... The Commissioner is a married man and he has two kids. This would destroy his family."

"I would never say anything," I promised. "I'm just curious, how long have you and Glen been seeing each other?"

"For about three years," Farlow said, "but never in town. Glen takes me with him when he goes out of town for meetings. We are lovers but we are not in love. For business reasons, I don't want people to know I am gay so I don't have a lover here in Brodricksburg. Glen is a family man and he has an important job and his reputation to protect so he leads a straight life here and takes me with him when he travels. I have wondered how long it would take for anyone in Brodricksburg to catch on."

"Don't worry, nobody in Brodricksburg has caught on. I am the only one who knows and it was just by accident that I found out. And if I didn't know you as well as I do I wouldn't have thought anything of your being in Las Vegas with Glen. Your secret is safe with me."

I could see the relief in Farlow's face. I ordered another round of drinks and then went to work on getting information from him. I just kind of led him along so that he told me what I wanted to know without really having to ask a lot of questions.

When I got home that night I didn't feel very good about myself. It was just after nine o'clock so I called Chief Pasiak and said that I would like to talk to him in the morning.

*****

Meeting With the Chief

*****

"What have you got for me, Brian?"

"I need to handle this delicately to protect my source."

"Okay, understood," the Chief said.

"Commissioner Buske was not alone on his trip to Las Vegas last year. He is having an affair and he took his lover with him."

The Chief's eyes opened a little bigger, "Really?"

"I meet with his lover last night and managed to get some information."

"You didn't try to coerce or blackmail information from this person, did you?"

"No, sir. It just sort of came out in conversation," I said.

"I'll bet it did," the Chief said with a sly smile.

"From the expense report and receipts turned in by the Commissioner Buske for the Vegas trip, I was able to determine that the Commissioner had taken someone with him on the trip and I later discovered that it was not his wife. In examining his expense report, I found that everything he claimed was allowed and I noted that he had paid expenses that were not allowed out of his own pocket. 

"What I found out last night was that his pockets were full of CSC money. My source let it slip that CSC gave the Commissioner ten thousand dollars to gamble with, got him two tickets each for three of the top shows in Vegas and paid to have his airline tickets upgraded to first class.

"Well, that is what I know. But I can't prove any of it at this time. I only have one witness that can corroborate this and I can't be sure that he would agree to testify."

"Did you say he?"

"Yes, sir. So you can see what a mess this would be if we tried to get an indictment based on the evidence we have. The whole thing would probably get thrown out of court."

The Chief said, "You're right. We don't want to stir up a mess like that if we have no hope of a conviction. I just worry that the FBI is watching us to see how we handle this. It probably looks to them as though we aren't doing anything."

"Well, I wonder what the FBI is doing," I said. "CSC is not just a Brodricksburg problem. By the way, you may want to keep an eye on Captain Ross too. I don't know how he ties into this but I get the impression that he is worried that I might be investigating the Commissioner but I don't know how he could know. I have been extremely careful. I have left no notes where he might have seen them and I haven't said a word to anyone about what I am doing, except you of course. One possibility I am considering is that my source mentioned our conversation to the commissioner and he may have said something to Ross, although I don't know why Ross would be involved with Commissioner Buske."

"You never mentioned any of this to Carrie?"

"No, sir. I would trust her but I would never have put her into a situation where she could compromise either my investigation or one of the law firm's clients. Buske happens to be a client of Richard Mitchell's."

"I'll keep an eye on Captain Ross. And you just keep digging."

*****

Phone Calls 

*****

For two weeks I kept myself busy with my usual routines at work and managed to put in some time working on the CSC/Commissioner Buske conundrum. I tried to act as if I didn't notice that Captain Ross was dropping by my cubical more often than ever before but I was careful to make sure that he never saw me working on anything connected to my investigation of Commissioner Buske.

On Sunday, August 7, I was out playing volleyball with several of the other residents of the Riverview Apartments. We had four teams and we rotate games so that no team played more than two games in a row. During one of the breaks I went up to my apartment to use the bathroom and get a cold drink. I had just retrieved a bottle of water from the refrigerator when the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Carrie. 

I couldn't imagine what she would be calling about. She is the one who got a restraining order against me so that I wouldn't call her. I thought for a moment about not answering but I couldn't ignore the call.

"How are you, Brian?"

"I'm getting by," I said.

"How's work?"

"Okay."

I felt that she was trying to build up to something that she wanted to say but was afraid to say it. To me, that could only be bad news. Was she going to tell me she wanted a divorce or that she had met someone new?

"How are things at your job?" I asked because I didn't know what else to say.

"Very busy."

"Listen, Carrie, I know you didn't call to just ask me how I am. Whatever it is you want to say to me, it would be easier for both of us if you just said it."

"You're wrong. I did just call to see how you are. It's been more than two weeks since we last spoke to each other."

"Well, that was your choice. In case you have forgotten, it was you that took out a restraining order against me."

"I haven't forgotten. You didn't give me any choice. You were stalking me. I saw you watching the house and I saw you sitting outside my office. You were calling me all the time and I couldn't get you to stop. I didn't want to do that but I had to."

I felt the tension leave my body as I realized that the worst-case scenario didn't happen. 

"It's nice to hear your voice again," I said.

"I didn't mean for the restraining order to end all contact between us," Carrie said. "I probably should have called you sooner but I knew you would be angry and I didn't want to deal with that."




Brodricksburg Pt. 02



"I would like to be able to talk to you," I said.

"I was thinking that maybe we could get together once a week and talk."

"I'd like that. How about this evening?"

"I can't do it tonight. I have to work. I'm sorry."

"It's Sunday. What work do you have to do tonight?"

"I have to meet with a client."

I felt the anger coming back. I wanted to believe her but what possible reason would a legal aid have for meeting a client on a Sunday night and since when did she have clients? I didn't ask the questions that I had in my head because I didn't want to start an argument.

"Can we meet tomorrow after work?" Carrie asked.

"Dinner?"

"I'd like that."

"How about seven o'clock at Donohue's?" I asked.

"That sounds great," she said and then after a short hesitation, "I miss you."

"I miss you too."

After the call I was feeling better but I was uneasy about her meeting with a client that night. I tried to push that concern out of my mind and headed back to the volleyball court.

Around three o'clock that afternoon the volleyball games broke up. My mind was drifting back to Carrie's phone call as I walked up the stairs to my apartment. Her call had lifted my spirits a little but I would have been much happier if it weren't for the meeting she was going to that night. Was it really a business meeting? If it weren't, why would she even mention it to me?

I grabbed a bottle of cold water and held it against my forehead as I walked to the bathroom. I peeled off my sweat soaked tee shirt and shorts and climbed into the shower.

I was shampooing my hair when I heard the phone ringing in the living room. I was going to let the answering machine pick up the call but then thought it might be Carrie calling so I jumped out of the shower and left a trail of water all the way to the phone.

'Lt. Hobbs," the familiar female voice said.

"What do you want now?" 

"I just thought you would like to know who your wife has been seeing."

"Why are you doing this? Why do you care what my wife does?"

"I don't like her and I don't like what she is doing to you," she said.

"And just what is she doing to me?"

"She is making a fool out of you."

I didn't respond to that comment. I just waited to see what she would say next as I looked at the display on my phone for the caller ID information. "Unknown Caller."

"Your wife is meeting her friend tonight. Would you like to know where?"

I wanted to tell this woman to go to hell. "Where?"

"They are meeting at 207 Munt Street at nine o'clock. I really think you should be there to confront them," she said.

"How do you know this?"

"I keep my ears opened."

"Carrie and I are already separated so why should I care what she does now?" I cared but I didn't want the caller to know that.

"Don't you want to catch her in the act? Put an end to all her lies."

Again I didn't respond.

"Well, it's up to you. Go or don't go. I think you will go because you want to know the truth, don't you? Bye, bye."

The line went dead but I couldn't put the phone down. Who was this woman and how did she always seem to know where Carrie was going to be. I had begun to convince myself that Carrie hadn't done anything wrong and that one phone call brought all of my doubts back to me. I was going to have to go to 207 Munt Street to find the truth.

*****

The Munt Street House

*****

After putting the phone down I decided to take a drive by the house on Munt Street to get the lay of the land. I was familiar with Munt Street because I grew up near there but I wasn't sure enough of the numbering to know which house was number 207. Munt Street was about three miles long running from Fifth Street on the west and ending at River Road on the east. I knew that the houses were numbered from east to west so that 207 would be close to the River Road end of the street.

I cut through town and headed south on River Road, which climbed a steep hill up away from the river just before intersecting Munt Street at the top of that hill. I hadn't been on Munt Street in years but as soon as I turned off River Road it all looked familiar to me. As a kid growing up on Fifth Street south of Munt, I used to walk down Munt Street to River Road and then climb down the steep riverbank to go fishing in the Delaware River. Munt Street is kind of the dividing line between the more urban parts of Brodricksburg to the north and the more rural part of the city to the south. The houses on Munt Street are spread far apart on very large lots. Most of the homes dated back to the thirties or early forties and had been small farms at one time.  

On the southwest corner of Munt and River Road there is an abandoned house, the yard overgrown with weeds and bushes. Nobody had lived in the house in at least five years and maybe more. I remembered that when I used to walk by the house to go fishing there was always an old man sitting on the porch and he would wave to me and yell, "Catch a big one."

On the right side of the road was a very large wooded area. I always wondered why no one did anything with that land. Munt Street goes down hill for the first quarter mile and then flattens out as it crosses what used to be the J&J Railroad. J&J went out of business and the trains stopped running in the late fifties. The tracks were still there when I was a kid in the seventies. They tore the tracks up in 1987. That was when Hanratty and I and two of our friends carried off the old railroad ties and built our cabin in the woods behind the Boland property. The cabin stood for about two years before someone tore it down.

When I got to the bottom of the hill I looked to the south down the old rail bed. Although covered with tall weeds and small trees it was still easy to see where the J&J Railroad had been. It was a wide flat trail going straight south. The J&J Railroad used to run from Brodricksburg south thirty miles and connected to the main line going into Philadelphia. As kids, Hanratty and I had walked at least ten miles south along the old rail bed. How much of the rail bed was left, I had no idea.

On the north side of the street a small portion of the old rail bed had been paved over. The pavement went about fifteen yards north along the rail bed and stopped and beyond that was a wooden fence. It looked as though the city had planned to put a road in there but then changed their minds. 

After crossing the old rail bed the street climbed up hill for about 100 yards. At the top of the hill on the left side of the street was the first house with a Munt Street address.

It was 207. I drove by the house slowly. It was typical of the houses built in the area in the forties. It was a two-story white clapboard house. The house was about thirty feet wide and forty feet deep and sat about thirty feet back from the road.. The door was on the left side of the front of the house. 

I had been in enough of these houses to know what they looked like. Inside the front door you would find a small foyer. Straight ahead would be the stairs to the second floor and to the right would be the living room. Behind the living room was the dining room and behind that was the kitchen. Off the back of the kitchen would be a bathroom. When these houses were built they didn't have a bathroom in the house. When indoor bathrooms were added they were build off the back of the kitchen because that is where the water pipes and drains were located. Upstairs there would be three small bedrooms, one behind the other.

As I passed the house I saw that the driveway was on the west side of the house and ran from the street all the way back to a dilapidated old garage. There was a two or three year old Ford Ranger parked in front of the garage. Off to the left of the garage, standing by itself, I could see the old outhouse. It's surprising how many of these old outhouses are still standing. 

The next house on Munt Street was 100 yards past 207 and was also on the left side of the street. I continued down Munt until I reached the first cross street and then I turned around. On my second pass I noticed something I had missed the first time. There was a "For Sale by Owner" sign in the yard. Judging by how tall the weeds growing around the sign were, I figured the house must have been on the market for a couple of months at least.

If I were going to spy on Carrie during her visit to the house I would have to find a way to get close enough that I would be able to peek in the windows. I had to stop and think about my options and come up with a plan. I drove down to the bottom of the hill and turned left into the paved portion of the rail bed on the north side of the street and swung the car around so I was facing south. 

Approaching the house from the west was out. There was no cover on that side of the house and I would be exposed. The neighbor in the next house down the road would be able to see me. Another problem with the west side of the house was that there were no windows close enough to the ground that I would be able see in. I would need a ladder to see anything on that side of the house. 

The east side of the house would be easy to approach. There was plenty of cover on the hillside and then, about twenty feet from the house, there was a hedgerow that was about four feet tall and ran the length of the house. I could easily hide behind the hedgerow and then get closer to the house if necessary. 

The next problem was, where would I leave my car? I thought about parking right were I was, on the paved portion of the rail bed. I quickly ruled that out. The car would be completely exposed and I couldn't chance Carrie spotting my car or having a patrol car drive by and see it. There was no safe place for me to park on River Road or Munt Street.

I was staring straight ahead when the idea hit me. Grayson road was about three miles south. I could park down there and walk back along the old rail bed. That might work if I could get the car far enough off Grayson Road so that it would not be noticed. I put the car in gear and turned left onto Munt Street and then turned right on River Road. 

A few minutes later I spotted the street sign for Grayson Road and as I approached the turn I looked to my right and felt a knot in my stomach as I looked at the Boland house. I still couldn't get the feeling that I hadn't done enough to get justice for Mr. Boland. In my heart I still didn't believe that he had killed himself. It still bothered me as I made the right turn onto Grayson. 

There were deep woods on both sides of Grayson Road and the canopy created by the trees made it nearly impossible to see anything except what was straight ahead of you when you drove down the road on a summer night. All I would need was a place to get my car off the road far enough so that it wouldn't be picked up by the headlights of a passing car. I found what I needed just before reaching the rail bed. It was a break in the trees on the right side of the road. It looked like a farm road, probably leading into the fields behind the Boland house. I turned in and drove about fifty feet and found that the little dirt trail opened into a large field. It was just what I needed. I could pull in there and hide the car from sight even during daylight hours.

I turned around and drove back out onto Grayson and found the rail bed just another twenty-five yards down the road. My plan was set so I drove back to my apartment to get ready.

*****

The Mission

*****

Back in my apartment I fixed myself a sandwich and made my final plans for the evening. I remembered from my experiences in the woods as a teenager that I was going to have to deal with mosquitoes. This meant that I would have to wear long pants and a long sleeve shirt and use mosquito repellent. I needed to wear something dark so I chose my navy blue warm-ups. They were lightweight but would still be uncomfortable in the heat of an August night. I got a pair of dark socks and black running shoes out of my closet. To the pile of clothes I had gathered I added a black ball cap, a flashlight, a fanny pack, a pair of field glasses and my digital camera. 

I figured the distance from Grayson Road to Munt Street to be no more than three miles. Normally I could easily walk three miles in forty-five minutes but I didn't know how difficult the walk would be. The rail bed was straight and flat but I was sure that a lot of it would be overgrown with weeds and brush. I decided to allow myself an hour and a half to walk from Grayson Road to Munt Street.

I left the apartment at 7:10 PM dressed in black jogging shorts and a black tee shirt. The rest of my things, including three bottles of water, I put in my backpack. To anyone watching me leave my apartment, it would look like I was on my way to the gym. 

Fifteen minutes later I pulled off of Grayson onto the tractor trail I had found earlier and parked my car out of sight of the road. I left the car running with the air conditioner on while I put on my warm-up suit and pulled on the black socks and laced up my black running shoes. The last thing I did before getting out of the car was to apply the Avon skin cream Carrie had given me for golf. She told me it was better than mosquito repellent and I found that she was right. The stuff really kept the bugs away. I rubbed it on my face, neck and hands. Then I shut off the car and got out. I strapped on my fanny pack which held my camera, field glasses, flash light and three bottles of water and headed back out to Grayson Road.

As I came out of the woods I was careful to make sure there were no cars coming and then I jogged down to the rail bed and turned north. I was pleasantly surprised that the path wasn't more overgrown than it was. Being daylight helped but the weeds weren't difficult to walk through and there weren't that many trees on the bed itself. I guessed that whatever J&J Railroad had used to keep weeds down along the rail line nearly 50 years earlier was still helping to keep the weeds down.

It was only 8:30 and just starting to get dark when I was close enough to see the house on Munt Street. I was still nearly a quarter of a mile away but I stopped there to wait until it got a little darker. I sat and watched the house while I drank a bottle of water. 

By 8:45 I felt that is was safe for me to move closer so I continued down the rail bed until I was below the house and about twenty yards from Munt Street. The lights on the first floor of the house were on and the light over the front door was on. I used the field glasses to check to make sure no one was walking around outside the house before I started to climb up the steep hill toward the house. 

There was a ditch about four feet deep near to the rail bed that I had to cross before I could start my way up the hill. The ditch was wide so I had to climb part way down into it and then jump across to the other side. When I came up out of the ditch I was about 85 yards from the house. I was far enough away from the house and it was dark enough by then that I was able to move freely up the hill. There was a large growth of Sumac about ten yards short of the hedgerow. I sat down behind the clump of trees to wait. I had a better view of the front door from where I was than I would have if I moved forward to the hedgerow. I planned to wait there until I was sure that Carrie was in the house and then I would move in closer.

I had been close enough to watch the street and the house for almost thirty-five minutes and I had not seen even one car pass on Munt Street. It was 9:05 when I finally heard a car approaching from the west. When the car turned into the driveway I could see that it was Carrie's car. Up until that moment I had been holding out hope that the caller had lied to me. My stomach was full of butterflies and I felt a cold chill in spite of the warm evening.

My emotional condition worsened with each passing moment as I waited to see Carrie enter the house. From my position behind the Sumac trees I could only see Carrie's head and shoulders as she approached the front door. Carrie knocked on the door and it was opened just seconds later. I could hear voices but I couldn't make out what they were saying. A moment later Carrie was in the house and the door was closed.

I told myself it was time to move closer to the house to see what was going on inside but I couldn't make myself move. A sudden, very strong foreboding feeling came over me. I came there to find out the truth but something was telling me to leave. I sat frozen for a minute, unable to make a decision about what to do. Finally I told myself that I had come there to get some answers and it was time to do that, but just as I started to get up I heard a car turning off River Road on to Munt. I stayed low and turned to look at the car. It was a Brodricksburg black and white. 

My whole body suddenly felt cold as I watched the patrol car slow down as it crossed the rail bed and start up the hill. The black and white was halfway up the hill when I saw a flash of light swing over my head. I looked back toward the house just in time to see another black and white turning into the driveway. As the second patrol car pulled to a stop he turned on his light bar and the first car did the same a moment later. 

The first car had stopped just short of the top of the hill and started playing his searchlight along the side of the house. At that point I got control of my body again and started sliding backward down the hill staying as low as possible. I watched as two officers got out of the car in the driveway. One of them went to the front door and the other headed around to the back of the house. 

None of the officers seemed to be looking in my direction yet so I keep moving as fast as I could down the hill. Suddenly I saw the search sweep across the tops of the weeds I was crawling through. I stopped moving and hoped that they hadn't seen the weeds moving. The light made several passes over the area where I was hiding. All I could think about was the disaster that was about to befall me. If I got caught I would be charged with trespassing, prowling, peeping, and violating Carrie's restraining order. My marriage and my career would be toast. I just had to get away.

When the light beam finally moved away, I started moving down hill again. I must have been halfway down the hill when I stopped and dared to lift my head to look up toward the house. Both patrol cars were now in the driveway. I could see that one of the officers was talking to someone at the front door of the house and two others were walking around to the west side of the house with flashlights and guns drawn. The forth officer was still in the car now sweeping the searchlight along the hedgerow and toward the back yard. 

No one seemed to be looking in my direction so I stood partway up and began running down the hill. I kept waiting to hear one of the officers shouting at me to stop but it didn't happen. I could see the flat rail bed just fifteen yards away. I stood up straight and ran as fast as I could. It wasn't until I saw the drainage ditch that I remembered that it was there. I was moving too fast to try to stop so I jumped.. 

I don't know if I jumped too soon or the ditch was just too wide, but I landed half way down the far side of the ditch. When I hit the ground I felt my right ankle twist and the pain was instant. I almost shouted. I had to put my hand over my mouth and lay still against the side of the ditch until the pain subsided a little. One benefit of my position was that I could see the activity around the house but they could not see me. 

I managed to get my breathing under control and I started to crawl up the side of the ditch. Every time I moved my right leg it felt like someone was stabbing my ankle with a red hot poker. When I reached the flat surface of the rail bed I lay there on my back for a while.




Brodricksburg Pt. 02



The fear of being caught was being replaced by the fear that I wouldn't be able to get back to my car. I turned my fanny pack around so that I could open it. I got a bottle of water out and then looked to see if the small first aid kit that I usually carried was still in the bag. It was there. I don't know what I thought I would find in the kit that would help but I looked anyway. I found band-aids, a needle and thread, and two packets of ibuprofen. I took all four tablets and finished the bottle of water. I put the empty bottle back in the pack. I didn't want to leave anything behind. I untied my right shoe and pulled the laces as tight as I could and retied it. Finally I gave myself a little pep talk and prepared myself for the pain as I stood up. 

The pain wasn't nearly as bad as I expected until I tried to put weight on it. Once again I almost screamed. I managed to start walking in spite of the pain. I was moving very slowly and I was worried that I might pass out but I kept going. After about ten minutes it wasn't as bad. I don't know if my body had just become numb to it or if the ibuprofen had helped. Maybe it was a bit of both. It still hurt like hell but I was able to walk. I wanted to sit down and rest about every five minutes but I knew if I did I would have a hard time getting started again. I had to just keep moving. The weeds and small trees that had not been a problem while walking toward Munt Street were a big problem on the way back. I could only use my flashlight where it wouldn't be seen from the houses I was walking behind so I frequently stepped on the side of a tree trunk with my right foot causing pain to shoot through my body like an electrical shock.

It took me almost three hours to walk back to my car. When I climbed in and closed the door I began to cry. I had never endured that much pain for that long a period of time before. The last three hours were like the worst nightmare of my life, but now I had another challenge. Trying to drive the car. I discovered a way to do it without using my right foot. I used cruise control to accelerate and maintain my speed and used my left foot for braking. I had to go slow and avoid the main roads where I might encounter a patrol car but I made it home. 

The next obstacle was to climb two long flights of stairs to get up to my apartment. I wished that I could just sleep in the car but I knew I had to get up those stairs. I left the fanny pack in the car and hobbled over to the stairs. The hot poker was back with each step. I kept looking around hoping no one would see me and when I got to the stairs I sat down on the second step. Then using my left leg and my hands I was able to move backward up the stairs one step at a time.

I was drenched with sweat by the time I reached the top step. From there I literally crawled to my apartment door. Just being inside my apartment with the door closed made me feel better. I got back up on my feet or rather my left foot and I hopped into the kitchen. I got a plastic dishpan out from under the sink and emptied the contents of the icemaker in my freezer into the pan saving five ice cubes and putting them in a glass. I spent the next hour with my right foot on ice while I sipped Scotch. 

*****

Morning With Pain

*****

I crawled into bed just after 2:30 AM. I don't know how I managed to sleep at all with the pain in my ankle because it was that pain that finally woke me up at 6:30 AM. I got up and hopped out to the kitchen and put the coffee on and I even manage to take a shower.

I was on my second cup of coffee when I picked up the phone and called Hanratty.

"Hello?" It was a woman who answered the phone. The voice was vaguely familiar but I couldn't place it.

"I am trying to get a hold of Richard Hanratty," I said.

"Rich is in the shower, Brian."

"Linda?"

Apparently Linda had spent the night with Hanratty. I didn't realize that they had moved that far in their relationship.

"Yep."

"Huh. Tell him to call me when he gets out of the shower please," I said.

"Okay, I'll tell him."

"Thanks."

Fifteen minutes later Hanratty called me. "What's up?"

"You're asking me what's up?" I said. "You've been holding out on me. Since when does Linda spend the night?"

"It's been about a month."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I felt guilty. I didn't want to brag about my love life when you were having problems with Carrie."

"I appreciate that but you don't have to pussy foot around me. I am happy for you."

"Thanks. So what can I do for you?"

"I need you to pick me up at my apartment as soon as you can." I said.

"Okay, I can be there in fifteen minutes. What's up?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just come up to the apartment, the door will be unlocked."

He was there in ten minutes.

"Jesus, what did you do to yourself?"

"I twisted my ankle yesterday."

"How?"

"I must have done it playing volleyball," I said. I hated lying to Hanratty but I couldn't tell anyone what really happened.

"Why didn't you call yesterday?"

"It wasn't this bad yesterday but it seems to have gotten a lot worse overnight. I need you to help me get downstairs and then drive me to the emergency room so I can have this checked out."

"Does Carrie know about this?"

"No, and I would rather she didn't."

"She won't hear it from me," Hanratty said.

*****

Overnight Activity Report

*****

I was lucky. The emergency room was just about empty when we got there. They took me right away. The ex-ray was negative. No broken bones, just a very bad sprain. The doctor told me to go back home and keep ice on it for the rest of the day and then I could use heat after that. He gave me a prescription for an anti-inflammatory and told me to get a pair of crutches.

Hanratty took me to the drug store to fill the prescription and pick up the crutches I needed. Afterward, Hanratty wanted to take me back to my apartment but I made him take me to the station.

The first thing I did was go over to Sergeant McKinstry. He looked me up and down and smiled at me.

"Christ, you'll do anything to get out of playing basketball against us," he said.

"Don't worry, Mike, I'll be ready before basketball season starts. You got last night's sheet?"

"Right here."

I took the overnight activity report back to my desk and sat down. I had already told Hanratty to hit the streets and make the run past the schools. I told him I was just going to finish up some paper work and go back home.

I took a quick look toward Captain Ross' office but he was not in. "Asshole," I said to myself.

It was on the second page of the activity report. 

8:57 PM -- Report of a prowler outside 207 Munt Street.

Report called in by a passing motorist.

Two cars dispatched and arrived on scene at 9:07 PM. Prowler not found at scene. Occupants of the house were unaware of any problem. 

Incident closed at 9:20 PM

Apparently I was in the clear. I found it strange that the report said that the call came from a passing motorist. I saw no cars other than Carrie's for more than thirty minutes before the two black and whites showed up. Was that a mistake? Unfortunately I couldn't go asking any questions about the call. There was only one thing I could do about it.

*****

A History Lesson

*****

I told McKinstry that I was going home and asked him to mark me out as ill. Then I went down to the garage and pick up my unmarked car. Using the same technique I did the night before with my own car, I managed to drive myself out to 207 Munt Street.

The Ford Ranger was parked in the same place at had been Sunday afternoon. I found that it was almost as difficult to get the crutches out of the car, as it was to get myself out of the car. After wrestling with the damned things for a few minutes I did manage to free them from the back seat. On my way to the door I noticed the "For Sale by Owner" sign was gone.

I only had to wait a short time for someone to answer my knock on the door. The man that opened the door was about five foot seven and maybe 155 pounds. He had silver hair that was cut short and was wearing Levis and a tee shirt.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"I am Lt. Hobbs of the Brodricksburg Police Department and you are?"

"Nice to meet you, Lieutenant. I'm Frank Izzo."

We shook hands. "Mr. Izzo, I am here to follow up on the report of a prowler on your property we got last night. This is your property, isn't it?"

"Yes, this is mine but I really don't know what to tell you. I never saw the prowler and the officers that came last night didn't find one either."

"So you don't know who placed the call?" 

"No."

"I thought possibly one of your neighbors may have called it in and may have mentioned it to you today. I would really like to get a description of the prowler if I could."

"If it was one of my neighbors, they haven't said anything to me about it. If anyone mentions it I can tell them to call you."

"That would be very helpful," I said and pulled a business card from my wallet and handed it to him.

"The officers that responded last night said that there was someone else in the house with you. Was that person also a resident of this house?"

"Oh, no. It was actually two other people," he said. "The woman - I think her first name was Carrie but I don't remember her last name - she was here when the police arrived and then Mr. Farlow arrived a few minutes later while the police were still here."

"Stephen Farlow, the real estate agent?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Did you sell this house?"

"Sort of. That's what they were here for last night."

"Why was the woman here?"

"She was a legal aid from the law firm handling this deal."

I wanted to keep this guy talking in hopes of picking up some more good information. Knowing that Carrie was there for work made me feel a lot better while at the same time making me feel pretty stupid for putting myself through all that pain for no good reason.

"You know, I passed here a few days ago and saw the for sale sign out front. I was thinking of stopping by for a look. I'm in a small apartment right now and this would have worked nicely for me. Can I ask what you got for the place?"

"It's not actually sold yet. Mr. Farlow put an option to buy on the house for a client of his."

"Option to buy?"

"Yeah. I never heard of that before either. I was trying to sell the place for $320,000. Mr. Farlow offered to give me $5,000 to take the house off the market for three months and then his client would either buy the place for an addition $315,000 or I could keep the $5,000 and put the house back on the market. I wasn't in that big a hurry to sell anyway so I took the offer. Last night I signed the papers and they gave me a check for the $5,000. I am actually not supposed to discuss this with anyone or I could nix the deal. I figured that since you're a cop it would be okay to tell you."

"I won't mention our conversation. Sounds like a good deal for you though. How much land is involved?" I asked.

"It's thirty acres. I own from the corner of Munt Street and River Road to about 150 feet the other side of the house and the rear of the property goes back almost 1,000 feet."

"You own the abandoned house up there?" I said as I pointed toward the house on the southwest corner of Munt and River Road.

"Yeah, that was my dad's house. I inherited it when he passed away about ten years ago. The house wasn't worth fixing up so I let it go."

"I suppose the client that's interested in this property wants to develop it."

"Well, good luck with that. This isn't much good for development."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you know the story about that developer? What was his name? Ah... George Kasperek, that's it. I still have a pretty good memory."

"I never heard of George Kasperek," I said.

'He's the guy that bought all that land across the street. There's about 250 acres in there. He planned to build about two hundred high-end houses. All brick or stone, 4,000 square feet or more and each on at least half an acre wooded lot. He had all the permits and was ready to start building. He's the guy that paved that piece of the old J&J Railroad bed. That was going to be the main entrance to his subdivision. He was going to put up a big stonewall along Munt Street and at the entrance, in gold letters it would say, 'The Woods, a George Kasperek Development.' That was in 1999."

"That was before I moved back here. What happened?"

"The J&J Rail Road. Do you know the history behind the J&J?"

"No. I remember the rails being there when I was a kid but I really never knew much about it other that it was a passenger service from Brodricksburg to Philadelphia."

"The train ran through our property so I remember it quite well. It started back in the late thirties. I wasn't born yet but my father lived in that house up there back then. I was born in that house. We owned this property back then, before the J&J ran through it. When Franklin Roosevelt started the National Recovery Administration, or NRA, one of their projects was to improve rail connections between large cities and the smaller communities around them. 

"To interest the railroads in participating, the federal government said that they would purchase a 250 foot wide right of way for the rail beds and lease the land for one dollar a year to anyone that would build and run the railway. Once the rail line was built, the company operating the line could use the approximately 100 feet of land on each side of the railroad for whatever they wanted to do.

"None of the big railroads were interested in building a line from Brodricksburg to Philly so J&J stepped in. Their railroad experience prior to that was building rails for coal mines. With WPA workers and government assistance, J&J was able to get the J&J Railroad built and running in two years. 

"They did all right for a while but in the fifties, Pennsylvania Railroad saw an opportunity to make money on the passenger traffic between Brodricksburg and Philly.

The Pennsylvania Railroad already had tracks that came into Brodricksburg from back when the steel mill was still in operation. All they had to do was build a station and start running trains. Pennsylvania Railroad had the added advantage that they ran their passengers all the way into the city. J&J passengers had to change trains when they got to the main line so it wasn't long before J&J was in financial trouble. In the end they just walked away from the business in 1956.

"That brings us up to George Kasperek's problem. Like I said he was all ready to start building and had already started putting the road in so he could get the heavy equipment in there. That's when one of his lawyers found the problem with the title to the land Kasperek was about to build on. Everyone kind of assumed that the 250 foot railroad right of way reverted back to the original owners when J&J went belly up. What the lawyer found out was that in the lease agreement J&J signed with the NRA, there was a clause that stated that if the operator were to suspend operation of the railroad or go out of business the 250 foot right of way became the property of the NRA.

"Since making that discovery Kasperek and his lawyers have been trying to find out what department of the federal government now owns the land since NRA no longer exists. I read somewhere that the property owned by the NRA was now under the Department of the Interior and controlled by the people who run our national parks. If that's the case they will never get that land because you cannot buy park land from the Department of the Interior. Kasperek's lawyer seems to think it would be easy to get the government to move the land into a different department and then they could sell it. Kasperek's lawyer has been trying to find someone in the government that can help him ever since. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for those bureaucrats in Washington to do anything.

"So the Woods is still the woods, only there ain't no houses over there," Mr. Izzo concluded.

"Does kind of make you wonder why anyone would want this land when there is a big hole in the middle of it," I said. 

"That's what I was thinking too. They didn't tell me who their client was or why he is interested in this land so I didn't mention the J&J factor," Mr. Izzo said.

*****

Dinner Date

*****

On the drive home I was thinking about a lot of little pieces of information that were starting to form patterns but the patterns weren't clear enough to make any sense yet and I wasn't sure that they were of any importance. What did all this have to do with someone trying to destroy my marriage or how I was going to prove that Commissioner Buske was taking bribes or kickbacks from CSC? 

By the time I got back into the apartment, my ankle was throbbing. I took one of the pills the doctor prescribed and put some ice in a plastic bag and strapped it to my ankle with an elastic bandage. Then I called the law offices of Mitchell and Horne and spoke to the receptionist and told her to ask Carrie to call me. I could have called her direct line but because of the restraining order I was playing it very carefully. 

It was less that five minutes later that Carrie called me back.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah. I need to cancel our dinner tonight."

"Really, why."

"Something came up and I have to take care of it tonight."

"You're not doing this to get even with me for the restraining order, are you?"

"No. I really wanted to have dinner with you tonight but like I said something came up."

"When can we get together?"

"I don't know."

"Can I call you tonight?" Carrie asked.

"Not too late, I have to get my beauty sleep."

"Sleeping won't help. I'll call around eight?"

"Okay."

I followed the doctor's instructions for the rest of the day, taking my medication and keeping ice on my foot. At 5:30 that afternoon, Hanratty called me.

"How's the ankle?" Hanratty asked.

"Still hurts like a son-of-a-bitch."

"What did you plan to do about your dinner?" 

"I got a pizza in the freezer; I'll just heat that up," I said.

"You want me to pick you up in the morning?"

"No. I drove myself home today so I think I can get myself to the station in the morning."

At seven o'clock I was trying to get the plastic wrap off my frozen pizza when someone knocked on my door.

"I'll be right there," I called as I picked up one of my crutches and painfully made my way to the door.

When I opened the door, I was shocked to find Carrie standing there, holding a couple of grocery bags.

"Carrie?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your ankle?" she asked.

Before I could respond to her question, Carrie moved past me and walked over to my dining table and began to empty the grocery bags onto the table.

"What are you doing here?"

Carrie looked at me for a moment and then said. "Well, you couldn't come out for dinner so I brought dinner to you. I would have cooked the dinner myself but I didn't find out about your injury until six o'clock. I have a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a nice bottle of wine. Now, where can I find dinner plates and wine glasses?"

"In the cupboard next to the refrigerator."

I stood and watched as Carrie started putting the food on plates she found in one of the cupboard.

"You still didn't answer me. Why didn't you tell me about your ankle?"

"Because I knew what you would do."

"Oh? And just what did you think I would do?"

"Exactly what you are doing right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew that you would feel sorry for me and want to come over and take care of me," I said. "Who told you?"

"Is that important?"

"Hanratty is the only one who knew about my ankle and I told him not to tell you."

"Rich didn't tell me. Linda did."




Brodricksburg Pt. 03



PART THREE 

*****

DEATH OF A CLUB MEMBER

*****

I sat up quickly and tried to focus on the digital clock on the bedside table. It was 3:45 AM. I wondered who the hell was pounding on my door at that hour.

"Just a minute," I yelled, causing my head to ache. 

When I got to the door I asked, "Who's there?"

"It's Officer Martin and Officer Condon. You are wanted down at the station."

I opened the door to the two uniformed officers. "What's this about?"

"Don't know, sir," Officer Martin said. "We were just told to come over her and pick you up."

"Okay, give me a minute to get dressed."

Twenty minutes later I was escorted into an interrogation room where Captain Ross was waiting for me.

"What the hell is this about, Ross?" I asked.

"I have a few questions for you," Ross said.

"And they couldn't wait till morning?" I was beginning to feel as though I was being set up for something but I couldn't imagine what.

"No, this couldn't wait till morning. Where did you get these pictures?" Ross asked and tossed five photographs on the table. They were all pictures of Carrie sitting on a park bench with Commissioner Buske. There was nothing incriminating about the pictures. Carrie and Buske weren't touching each other, just sitting together.

"I've never seen those pictures before," I said. "Where did you get them?"

"They were on your desk," Ross said. "

"Then what the hell are you doing with them? If they were on my desk, they obviously don't belong to you," I said. I was beginning to get pissed. I didn't know what Ross was up to but I knew it wasn't going to be good for me. "If those pictures were on my desk, you had no right to touch them." 

Ross just smiled at me. "You're in deep shit, Hobbs. Did you follow your wife and take these pictures or did you hire someone to do it for you?"

A group of curious officers had started to gather outside the interrogation room. When I looked out at them I saw Hanratty pushing his way through the group and into the interrogation room.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hanratty asked.

"Your partner is in deep shit," Ross said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Just be quiet and listen. You'll know everything it a couple of minutes," Ross said to Hanratty and then turned back to me.

"So, you say you don't know anything about these pictures?"

"Is there a point to this?"

"Where were you earlier tonight?"

"When earlier? What time are you talking about?"

"Between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM," Ross said.

I was losing patience with Ross and decided not to be cooperative.

"Why don't you tell me where you think I was and I'll tell you if I was there or not," I said.

"Don't try being cute with me. We both know where you were," Ross growled.

"I don't really think you know where I was so why should I help you by telling you where I was?"

Just then I saw Chief Pasiak coming through the squad room. People quickly moved out of his way to allow the Chief to enter the interrogation room.

"What the hell is going on here?" the Chief asked while looking at me.

"Don't know, Chief. You'll have to ask Captain Ross. He seems to think that where I was between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM last night is important but he won't say why."

The Chief looked at Ross. "Well, what the hell is this all about?"

Ross picked up the photographs off the table and handed them to the Chief. "It seems that the Lieutenant has either been following his wife or hired someone to follow her. These pictures where found on Lt. Hobbs desk."

The chief looked at the pictures without comment and then looked at Ross and waited for him to continue. 

"At eight o'clock last night Mrs. Hobbs was seen going into a house at 37 Third Street. She left the house shortly before 9:00 PM. At 9:05, Lt. Hobbs was seen going into that same house. A few minutes after Lt. Hobbs entered the house, a gunshot was heard. Shortly after the gunshot Lt. Hobbs was seen running from the house. The witness called 911. When officers arrived on the scene they found Commissioner Glen Buske dead on the floor with a single gunshot wound to the head."

"Commissioner Buske is dead?" I asked as I felt the blood draining from my face. I looked over Chief Pasiak and shook my head. "You think I killed him? You can't be serious."

"We've got you, Hobbs," Ross said. He smiled at me before he spoke again. "You had reason to believe that your wife was having an affair with Commissioner Buske. You followed her to 37 Third Street last night and when she left you went into the house and found Commissioner Buske and in a jealous rage you shot him."

In spite of the shock of finding out that the Commissioner had been killed and the anger I felt toward Ross as he accused me of killing him I couldn't help but laugh.

"You think this is funny, Hobbs?" Ross said.

"How many witnesses were there?' I asked. "I am guessing just one. One person saw everything. Saw Carrie enter and leave the house and then saw me enter the house, heard the shot and then saw me leave and then called the police. Is that about right?"

"That's right," Ross said.

I heard Hanratty say, "Bullshit."

"How did you know there was just one witness?" Chief Pasiak asked.

"Two witnesses would increase the chance that they would screw up the story they were paid to tell."

"What the fuck are you trying to pull?" Ross shouted with spit flying from his mouth.

"I just think it's curious that your witness happened to know that it was my wife that entered that house and happened to record the time and then recorded the time when she left. Then that very same witness recognized me and recorded the time that I entered that house. That last part would have been especially difficult considering I was nowhere near that house last night."

Ross started to say something but the chief cut him off. "Can you prove that you were not near that house last night?"

"Do you have Agent Van Horn's cell phone number?" I asked.

"Who's the hell is Agent Van Horn?" Ross shouted.

"An FBI Agent from Philly. He was up here working on a case last night," I said. That would give Ross something to worry about.

The chief pulled out his cell phone and looked through his directory. "Got it."

"Dial it on the speaker phone so everyone can hear this?" I said.

The Chief dialed the number.

"Chief Pasiak? What time is it?" Agent Van Horn asked.

"It's five o'clock."

"Why are you calling so early?"

I motioned for the Chief to let me talk. 

"Lt. Hobbs wants to ask you something."

"Hobbs?"

"Good morning, Kyle. How are you this fine morning?"

"You should know. My fucking head hurts. Is this something important or did you just call to harass me?"

"There seems to be a problem here that can be solved by information that you have." I said.

"Oh? And what is that?"

"Where were we last night between the hours of 7:30 and midnight?"

"What? You don't remember?"

"I remember but there are some people here that want to know if you remember."

"Okay, we were in a pizza restaurant called Dominic's," Van Horn said.

"The whole time?" Chief Pasiak asked.

"Yeah. We drank some beer, ate some pizza. Told some lies about how great we are at our jobs and shot some pool. It was almost midnight when we left the restaurant."

The Chief smiled and said, "I hope you boys were sober when you drove home last night."

Van Horn replied, "Of course we were, Chief.

Then Ross butted in. "Did Hobbs leave your sight at any time between 8:00 and 9:15?"

"Other than nature calls to the men's room he was with me all evening." 

I thanked Van Horn and so did the Chief. 

"Can anyone else back up what Agent Van Horn said?" the Chief asked.

"A couple dozen people at Dominic's. Our waitress, the bartender and the guys we shot pool with."

Ross' face turned bright red, I think more from anger than embarrassment but I am sure there was some of that too.

"So who is this witness that was so sure they saw me last night?" I asked Ross.

"He was a confidential source so I can't give you his name."

"Bullshit. Your witness lied so I don't see how they can be claimed as a confidential source," I said. "Why do you think your confidential witness would want to try and pin the Commissioner's killing on me?"

"I have no idea," Ross said. "Maybe the killer looked like you."

"That still doesn't explain why your witness was watching the house in the first place," Hanratty said.

"What makes you think he was watching the house?" Ross asked.

"Why would he have noticed the time that Mrs. Hobbs entered the house and when she left?"

"I can't answer that but you can be sure I will ask him about it when I see him again," Ross said.

"Are we through here now?" I asked. "I have a murder investigation to run."

"You're off this one, Lieutenant," Chief Pasiak said. "Too close to home. Carrie may have some involvement in what happened last night so you need to stay away from the investigation... Hanratty, I want you to handle this. Keep me informed." When the Chief turned to leave the room the group of officers that had gathered outside the interrogation room quickly dispersed.

Ross was visibly shaken. I wondered if it was because he had really believed that I had killed the commissioner or was it because his plan for pinning the murder on me didn't work. He left the room and headed over to his office and closed the door.

"I'll keep you in the loop," Hanratty said. "Anything I find out I will let you know."

"You'll do more than keep me in the loop. I'll let you run the investigation but I will be the one to interview Carrie," I said.

"I'll let you talk to Carrie but please don't do anything to compromise this investigation. This is my chance to show the Chief that I am a good detective."

"Don't worry, I won't screw this up for you," I said. "Let's go get some breakfast and I'll help you plan your investigation."

*****

QUESTIONING CARRIE

*****

Hanratty and I arrived at the law offices of Mitchell and Horne at 9:30 AM.

"We need to speak with Mrs. Hobbs," Hanratty told Marge Burke, the receptionist, after we had identified ourselves as police officers and showed her our badges.

Marge gave me an inquisitive look as she reached for her phone to call Carrie. Marge had known me for five years so our identifying ourselves as police officers and asking to see Mrs. Hobbs had to strike her as being a little odd. 

"Mrs. Hobbs, there are two police officers here to see you."

Marge put down her phone and said, "You can go right up, Brian."

I thank her and Hanratty and I took the elevator to the second floor. When we got to Carrie's office I asked Hanratty to give me a few minutes alone with Carrie before he came in. 

Carrie looked worried when I came into the office. "What's going on, Brian? You know you aren't supposed to come here."

"This is important, Carrie, and it's work related."

Carrie seemed to relax a little when I said that. "I just worried that you were violating the restraining order. People here know about it."

"I know but I had to talk to you about something," I said and then laid the pictures of Carrie and Commissioner Buske sitting in the park on her desk. "What can you tell me about these pictures?"

"Oh, my God, have you been following me?"

"No, I have not."

"Then where did these pictures come from?"

"I don't know where they came from but I have to know why you were with Commissioner Buske?"

"Are you accusing me of something here? I thought we were making progress and now this."

"I am not accusing you of anything but I need to know what this is about. I have to know why you were with Commissioner Buske," I said. 

Carrie looked hurt. She took a deep breath and said, "That was last Wednesday afternoon. Mr. Mitchell gave me some papers that he needed to have Commissioner Buske sign that afternoon. I call the Commissioner's office and was told that he was out of the office for the afternoon. His secretary gave me his cell phone number and I called him to ask him if I could meet his somewhere to get his signature on the papers. He told me to meet him in the park. We were there for no more than five minutes. He signed the papers and I went back to my office."

"That's all?"

"Yes. Now why do you have pictures of that meeting?"

"The caller that started all the trouble between us had them delivered to my desk yesterday."

"Why?"

"I am not sure yet," I said. "At first I thought it was someone who was just trying to break up our marriage, but after last night I think it is far more sinister."

"What happened last night?"

"You don't know?"

Carrie shook her head and I could see that she really didn't know what had happened.

"Did you go to see Commissioner Buske last night at 37 Third Street?"

"How did you know that? Did you follow me?"

"No."

"You better not be lying to me," Carrie said.

"Have I ever lied to you about anything important?"

Carrie looked directly into my eyes and then said, "No... So how did you know I went to see Commissioner Buske last night?"

"The same person that sent me the pictures told me that you would be there at 8:00 last night."

"So did you go there to spy on me?"

"No. I was at Dominic's all evening," I said. "So why were you meeting Commissioner Buske last night?"

"It was just business. Why is this so important?"

"It's important because fifteen minutes after you left your meeting with the Commissioner someone killed him."

"Oh, my God. Are you serious?" Carrie asked but then when she saw the look on my face she knew."

Carrie looked like she might get sick. "Why would someone want to kill him?" she asked.

"I don't know why he was killed but I believe I know why it happened last night right after you left the house."

Carrie said, "I don't understand."

"Pictures of you sitting in the park with Commissioner Buske appear on my desk and I get a call telling me that you will be at 37 Third Street at 8:00 PM last night. Shortly after your meeting with Commissioner Buske someone killed him."

Carrie just looked at me in bewilderment.

"At four o'clock this morning I was hauled down to the police station and questioned. It seems that Captain Ross had a witness that saw you enter the house at eight o'clock and leave just before nine o'clock. That same witness claimed that they saw me enter the house shortly after you left and then heard a gunshot. The witness claimed that he saw me running away from the house after he heard the shot. Captain Ross was trying to pin the murder on me."

"You were able to prove that you didn't do it?"

"What do you think?"

"I know you wouldn't do that but were you able to convince Captain Ross?"

"The fact that I am standing here should answer that," I said. "Now, can you tell me why you met Commissioner Buske at that house last night?"

"It was a real estate deal he was working on. I had to get him to sign a contract for an option to buy some land."

"Was this land out on the River Road?"

"Yes. How did you know that?"

"I'm a detective."

Carrie smiled at that. 

"When did you find out that you had to meet Commissioner Buske at that house last night?"

"Mr. Mitchell handed me the papers last evening at six o'clock. He apologized for the inconvenience but said that we had to have the papers signed that evening. Then he gave me the address."

I had a sudden sick feeling come over me. 

"What happens now?" Carrie asked.

"Hanratty is going to come in and take your statement. He'll just ask you about why you were at the house, when you got there and when you left. Don't worry about it," I told her then opened the door and invited Hanratty in to ask his questions.

As I listened to Carrie answering Hanratty's questions I reviewed everything I knew, thought I knew or suspected about the Commissioner, and his relationship to the other members of the Thursday Night Club.

When Hanratty finished his questions we got up to leave Carrie's office. 

Carrie reached out and took my hand. "Brian." 

I turned to look at Carrie to see what she wanted. 

"I never lied to you about anything important either," she said.

"I know." 

Carrie smiled at me.

As I turned to go out the door I saw Mr. Mitchell staring at me. The way he was looking at me made the hair on the back of my neck bristle. From behind me I heard Carrie say, "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"Yes... Ah, no," I said. I turned and looked at Carrie. "What do you think would happen if Fred ever found out that Barney was tapping Wilma?"

Carrie laughed and said, "Fred would probably kill Barney."

I nodded my head in the direction of Mr. Mitchell and said, "What would Fred do to Wilma?"

Carrie's whole demeanor changed as she began to understand. "Fred wouldn't do anything to Wilma because he would never find her."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Wilma is smarter than Fred. He would never find her."

I said nothing more to Carrie as I left her office. I saw Mr. Mitchell going into Carrie's office as Hanratty and I got on the elevator.

"Were you and Carrie talking about the Flintstones?" Hanratty asked as the elevator started down.

"Yeah. It's an old joke between us. I told her once that Barney Rubble was banging Wilma behind Fred's back. It's been a private joke between us ever since."

Hanratty just shook his head and laughed.

"Why don't you drop me back at the station and then you can carry on with your investigation?" I suggested to Hanratty.

"What are you going to do?"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything that would compromise your investigation."

"I know you wouldn't. I just wondered what you are planning to do," Hanratty said.

"I don't have a plan yet. I need to think things through and try to make sense out of all this."

"I wish I could be of more help but until you can tell me what is going on there isn't much I can do."

"Sorry I have had to keep you in the dark but it won't be for much longer," I said.

*****

CARRIE GOES MISSING

*****

Back at my desk I couldn't get the image of Mr. Mitchell staring at me when I was in Carrie's office out of my head. He was a part of the Thursday Night Club and that worried me. My investigation was putting Carrie in danger.

I felt like I had figured out what was going on but I didn't have everything I needed to prove it. I was going to need help with the rest of this investigation but first I was going to have to make sure that Carrie was safe.

Just before noon I saw Hanratty walk through the squad room and into the communications room. When he came out of the com room I asked him if he wanted to go get lunch. 

"Can't now," he said. "I got to go check on something. I'll be back later to fill you in."

He was gone before I could ask him what he was up to.

At three o'clock Captain Ross came into the squad room and headed toward my cubical followed by Hanratty.

"Where is your wife?" Ross asked.

I looked at my watch and said, "Should still be at work."

"She's not there and I want to talk to her," Ross said, raising his voice to make sure I knew he was serious. "She went out to lunch and didn't return to the office. No one seems to know where she is.

"Why do you think I would know where she is," I said. "We are separated and she doesn't tell me what she is doing."

"Doesn't it concern you that she is missing?"

"Missing? She didn't return from lunch, that doesn't mean she is missing," I said.

"Why do you want to talk to Mrs. Hobbs?" Hanratty asked Ross.

Ross turned to look at Hanratty and said, "I don't have to answer to you."

"The shooting of Commissioner Buske is my case," Hanratty said. "It was assigned to me by the chief. Mrs. Hobbs is part of my investigation so I want to know what you want to talk to her about."




Brodricksburg Pt. 03



"I have some questions about what she was doing with the Commissioner last night," Ross said.

"I have already questioned Mrs. Hobbs so there is no reason for you to question her again."

"I am your superior officer. I will question anyone I feel I need to question," Ross growled.

"Take it up with the Chief."

"This insubordination will cost you, Sergeant Hanratty," Ross said and then walked away.

"He's right, you know. He can question anyone he wants," I said.

"I know but I just wanted to piss him off. Are you worried that he will find Carrie before we do?

"No."

"You're not worried?"

"Not yet," I said. "You got anything for me?"

"Yeah. Earlier today I went into the com room and looked to see where Captain Ross was. His car was on Tenth Street across from the Black Lantern Apartments so I drove over there. I watched his car from a distance. I spotted him exiting one of the apartments and returning to his car."

"Did you get the apartment number?"

"Better than that. I also got the name of the tenant," Hanratty said. "The apartment is occupied by Daniel Lucia."

"Lucia? Wasn't he Captain Ross' snitch on that drug bust he made last year?" I asked.

"That's the guy."

"What made you follow Ross?"

"I got suspicious this morning when he wouldn't identify the witness that identified you as the person that ran out of the house after Commissioner Buske was shot. I figured that Ross' might want his witness to make a quick exit out of town so that I couldn't question him."

"Good job."

"I have Lucia under surveillance. If he tries to leave town he will be picked up. After Ross left Lucia's apartment he drove over to Mitchell and Horne then I followed him back here. You know that Ross will probably have every cop in the city looking for Carrie?"

"Probably. Try to stay of top of that. If anyone finds her I want you to get to her before Ross does."

"I'll take care of that. The guys in the com room dislike Ross almost as much as I do. I'll have them let me know if Carrie is spotted before Ross finds out." (I'm dense. How will the boys in the com room know if she is spotted? It's not like they had a way to trace her, is it? Does 'spotted' mean a call from an officer?)

"Thanks."

Hanratty headed over to the com room and I turned on my laptop. I was opening my e-mail when Hanratty returned. The only new e-mail was an ad for a resort in the Berkshire Mountains called the Porches. 

"Carrie's car was found," Hanratty said as he approached. It's parked in the public parking lot on First Street. The car wasn't locked and her briefcase was still inside the car. There was nothing else in the car. I told the officer to lock up the car and bring the briefcase into the office. This doesn't look good."

I didn't say anything. 

Hanratty went off and got us both a cup of coffee while we waited for the officer to bring in Carrie's briefcase.

Officer Thompson arrived ten minutes later and handed the briefcase to me. I took a quick look inside and smiled. "Good girl."

"What?" Hanratty asked.

"Nothing. I have to take this home and study the contents. I'll talk to you later."

I shut down my laptop and put it into my briefcase and picked up Carrie's briefcase and headed out to my car.

Back at my apartment, I made a close examination of the contents of Carrie's briefcase. After making a few phone calls I sat back to wait. 

*****

THE MEETING

*****

Chief Pasiak arrived at my apartment at 5:30. "When the hell are you and Carrie going to get back together?" the Chief asked as he got a beer out of my refrigerator.

"Soon I hope."

"If you don't, my wife is going to come over here and straighten you out."

"That won't be necessary."

The Chief had just settled into a chair when Agent Van Horn arrived. I told Kyle to get himself a beer before we started.

"Are we all here now?" Chief Pasiak asked.

"Not yet. We're waiting for one more person," I said and as if on cue there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door and Hanratty entered the room. He looked at the Chief and then at Van Horn. "What's up?"

"Get yourself a beer and then I will explain."

"Kyle, Sergeant Hanratty is my partner and is here because he is the only officer on the Brodricksburg police force, other than Chief Pasiak, that I know I can trust. I think you will understand why I say that as we get into this. 

"Rich, this is Kyle Van Horn. Kyle is a Field Agent for the FBI out of the Philadelphia office."

Hanratty reached over and shook Kyle's hand and then sat on the sofa. I was pacing back and forth in front of them trying to think of how to begin.

"Gentlemen, we have a mess on our hands. A case that started with me trying to find out if a city official from Brodricksburg was accepting bribes to influence the awarding of contracts has grown to include two murders, fraud and conspiracy involving Commissioner Buske, Mayor Gargas, Richard Mitchell of Mitchell and Horne, Superintendent of Schools Robert Kelley, Stephen Farlow, George Kasperek, Congressman Freewater and our own Captain James Ross."

"Holy shit," Hanratty muttered.

"Exactly," I said.

"You better start explaining all this, Brian," Chief Pasiak said.

"This all started several years ago when Superintendent Kelly contacted the State Department of Parks and Recreation to ask about the possibility of purchasing 300 acres of the land that is part of the Fort Brodrick State Park. Mr. Kelly was told that the state could not sell land from a state park unless the legislature voted to close the park and then the land would be sold at auction.

"About that same time, George Kasperek bought 250 acres of land at the Northwest corner of Munt Street and River Road. Mr. Kasperek had hoped to build high-end houses on the land until he found out that the federal government owned a 250 foot wide right of way right through the middle of his development. The right of way was the land that had been owned by the J&J Railroad and reverted to the feds when J&J went out of business. Kasperek and his lawyers, which happen to be Mitchell and Horne have been trying to find a way to purchase that right of way from the feds ever since.

"Then, a little less than a year ago, George Kasperek contacted Donald Boland and wanted to purchase his land out on River Road. Mr. Boland turned him down. Last January Mr. Boland was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. The interesting thing here was that Captain Ross was the first on the scene when I should have been the first to be called. Ross had labeled Mr. Boland's death a suicide before I was able to investigate. Ross then released the body to the coroner before I had a chance to have the state crime lab boys take a look. By the time the state boys got there the crime scene was contaminated and they couldn't find anything to prove that it wasn't suicide. My gut feeling was that Mr. Boland did not kill himself.

"A few weeks later the Chief asked me to see if I could find out if Commissioner Buske had possible accepted a bribe from Comprehensive Supply Corporation to influence the awarding of purchasing contracts. This was based of information provided to us by Agent Van Horn." That last bit was to bring Hanratty up to speed.

"What I found out was that Commissioner Buske attend a conference in Las Vegas apparently as a guest of CSC although the Commissioner's expense report covered that up. From my investigation I found out that Commissioner Buske attended the conference with his gay lover. I tried to stake out the Commissioner's house so that I could follow him and see if he met with his lover in town but somehow Captain Ross got suspicious so I had to change my tactics.

"I went and had a conversation with Stephen Farlow of Farlow Real Estate. Farlow is - or rather was - the Commissioner's lover. Farlow told me that CSC gave the commissioner ten thousand dollars and tickets to some of the top shows in Vegas."

"Why didn't you arrest the Commissioner then?" Van Horn asked.

"If I did, Farlow would have denied everything. We would not have had a case."

"Anyway, I was still trying to find something that I could use to get to Commissioner Buske when I started having problems in my marriage. Some woman kept calling me and implying to me that Carrie was fooling around. This woman seemed to know every move Carrie was making and was able to make me wonder if maybe she was fooling around on me. The rift this caused in our marriage made me lose my concentration at work and I let things slide on my investigation until Carrie got a restraining order to keep me from contacting her. At that point I sank myself back into my work and the phone calls started again.

"One call told me that Carrie and her lover were going to meet at a house out on Munt Street. So, like a fool I went out there to see if she was really going to meet some guy out there. Carrie did show up and a few minutes later two black and whites showed up. 

"I was set up. Someone wanted me at that house that night. They wanted me to be caught spying on my wife so that I would be arrested for violating the restraining order. Luckily I never got close enough to the house to be seen.

"I went back to the house the next day and that's when the rest of the story started to unfold. Mr. Izzo, the owner of the house, told me that Carrie had been there with Stephen Farlow to close a deal for an option to buy his land. Carrie was there for work, not to meet a lover.

"That is when I learned about Kasperek's problems with the 250 foot right of way on his property. Mr. Izzo told me that all the of properties along the old J&J Railroad path had the same 250 foot right of way running through their property. 

"After that I was able, with Hanratty's assistance, to find out that Stephan Farlow had either written an option to buy or was in the process of doing it for every property along River Road between Munt St and Grayson Road. All of these properties have one thing in common. The J&J right of way runs through the property.

"One night I followed Stephen Farlow after he had met with one of the homeowners on River Road. He drove out to the Brodricksburg Inn where he met with Commissioner Buske, Mayor Gargas, Richard Mitchell of Mitchell and Horne, Superintendent of Schools Robert Kelley, Stephen Farlow, George Kasperek and Congressman Freewater.

"The bartender told me that they had been meeting out there every week like some kind of club. He referred to them as the Thursday Night Club. Shortly after I had arrived, Captain Ross showed up. I am not sure but I suspect his job was to make sure that people like me didn't go bothering the rest of the club members during their meeting."

"So just what do you think is going on, Brian?" the Chief asked.

"My guess is that they are planning a land deal that will make them all very rich. This is my best guess. Superintendent Kelly has known for several years that the city of Brodricksburg cannot purchase land in Fort Brodrick State Park for the new schools he wants to build. So why does he keep pushing that as the best site for the new schools? 

"Because it has allowed his friends in the Thursday Night Club to put options to buy on over five hundred acres of land along the River Road while no one is paying attention. They have to know about the problem caused by the J&J right of way because George Kasperek is part of club. I think that because of the J&J right of way they are getting the land for a lot less that it would have cost them otherwise. The question then is, what can they do with the land if they can't get the federal government to sell the right of way to them? I believe that somehow Congressman Freewater has found a way for them to get the J&J right of way lands released to them. They will either buy the land from the government of possibly get some sort of long term lease.

"Carrie told me that the school board is going forward with a five hundred million dollar school bond referendum on the November ballot. It is no coincidence that the options to buy all come due the end of November. Once the referendum is passed our little group will then exercise their options to buy the land along River Road. Once the land purchases are complete, Superintendent Kelly will announce that the State will not sell the land at Fort Brodrick State Park to the school board so the city will have to scramble to find another suitable location. Suddenly there will be 500 acres of land available along the River Road."

"Son-of-a-bitch," Chief Pasiak said. "Those bastards will make millions if they can pull that off."

"But why was Commissioner Buske killed?" Van Horn asked.

"I am guessing that Farlow must have told Buske about the conversation he had with me about their trip to Vegas and Buske told the others thinking that they would find a way to protect him from me. In the end I think the others worried that Commissioner Buske might get his nuts caught in a ringer because of the bribes he took from CSC. They decided that the Commissioner was too big of a risk to their River Road land deal so they had him killed. And what better way to get me out of the picture than have me framed for his murder."

Chief Pasiak looked at me. "What about Carrie? If her boss is involved in this, as it looks, is she in any danger?"

"She disappeared this afternoon," Hanratty said. "We found her car downtown with her briefcase in it but there was no sign of her."

"Brian, why didn't you tell me this sooner?" the Chief asked.

"If we can put these people out of business quickly Carrie will be okay," I said.

"I'll have to take your word on that," Chief Pasiak said.

"This might interest you," I said. I opened Carrie's brief case and pull out her files. Inside she had every file pertaining to the option to buy contracts for the properties along River Road. 

"These files will make it clear that Farlow and the Mitchell and Horne Law Offices are involved in this scam. Now we just have to prove that Farlow was acting as an agent on behalf of the other members of the Thursday Night Club."

"We are going to have to act fast," Hanratty said. "After their attempt to frame Lt. Hobbs failed, I am sure they will be looking for ways to hide what they have done."

"This is what I think we need to do from here," I said. "Kyle, we need you to see if you can find out who Congressman Freewater is working with in Washington on getting control of that right of way land. Hanratty, I need you to pick up Daniel Lucia without letting Captain Ross knowing we have him."

"How bout if I drive him down to Bucks County and ask the state boys to hold him for us?" Hanratty replied.

"Good idea. We need to do the same with Stephen Farlow. I think they are the weakest links. We need to keep Ross from catching wind of what we are up to," I said.

"I'll take care of Ross," Chief Pasiak said. "I think he needs some training if he wants to be Chief of Police. I know of a great class he needs to take that is being offered by the FBI in Quantico. I believe Agent Van Horn could help get his application fast tracked. I'll have him out of town by Monday. Sergeant Hanratty, I want you to personally pick up Lucia and take him down the Bucks county substation. I know Captain Hastings down there. I'll call him and give him a heads up so that they will be expecting you."

"Yes, sir. I'll take care of that tonight."

"Now, about Mr. Farlow," Chief Pasiak said.

"I'll take care of Farlow," I said. I want to question him myself before I take him down to Bucks County."

"Okay, make it happen," the Chief said. "Agent Van Hone, how soon do you think you can find out something about Congressman Freewater's activities in DC?"

"I'll make some calls tonight and should be able to have something by the middle of next week."

"I guess that's all we can do right now," the chief said. "You're right, Brian, this is a real mess."

*****

Hanratty stayed behind when Chief Pasiak and Agent Van Horn left. He stood looking at me for a long time before speaking.

"You don't seem overly concerned about Carrie's welfare," he said.

"Should I be?"

"She's your wife and she is missing, I would expect that you would be very concerned."

"There is too much going on right now for me to waste time worrying about her," I said.

"I know you better that that, Hobbs. If you thought Carrie were in danger you would do everything in your power to protect her. I think she left town and you know where she is."

"Why would you think that?"

"I caught the end of that little conversation you had with her about the Flintstones this morning. When you asked her what would Fred do to Wilma if he caught her messing around with Barney, that was a hint to her that she was in danger. When she told you that Fred would never find her, that was Carrie's way of telling you she understood the message and that she would go somewhere to hide."

I said, "Really? You got all that from our conversation?"

"Say what you want but I know you. I know both of you too well. Besides, if someone had abducted Carrie they would not have left her brief case in the car. She left it there for you."

I couldn't help but smile. 

"Hanratty, you are going to make a good detective some day," I said. "Are you after my job now?"

"I'll take your job when you make chief."

"Okay, let's do this," I said. "You go grab Mr. Lucia and I'll go have a talk with Stephen Farlow. I will probably see you down at the Bucks County substation later tonight.

*****

Stephen Farlow

*****

It was almost nine o'clock when Stephen Farlow turned into his driveway and his garage door began to open. I had parked my car a block away so that it would not be noticed and I had been in the bushes next to his house for nearly an hour waiting for him to get home. I moved into the garage as Farlow pulled his car in and managed to stay in his blind spot until he got out of the car.

"Jesus Christ, Brian, you scared the shit out of me," was Farlow reaction when he saw me. "What are you doing in my garage?"

"We need to have a little talk," I said.

"About what?"

"Let's go into the house," I suggested.

"Why are you here?" he asked as I followed him into the house.

"I just thought we should talk about your friend's murder."

"Oh, shit, you did kill Glen, didn't you?"

"Now who told you that I killed your lover?"

I could see that Farlow was looking around as if trying to find a way to get away from me.

"Stephen, why don't you just sit down and talk to me? You must know that if I have to chase you it will probably hurt when I catch you."

Farlow slowly sat down on the sofa. "What do you want?"

"First I want to know who told you that I killed Commissioner Buske?"

"Captain Ross told me that this morning. He said that they had evidence that you had killed Glen because you thought he was having an affair with your wife."

"And you believed that?"

"He said he had evidence."

"Come on now, Stephen, you and I both know that other than his wife, Commissioner Buske wasn't interested women. Why would I ever think he was having an affair with my wife?" 

"I don't know. I thought it was strange but Captain Ross said..."

I cut Farlow off. "Forget about what Captain Ross said. He was wrong. So, if I didn't kill Buske in a jealous rage who else might have had a motive to kill him?"

"I don't know?"

"Let me help you think this through, Stephen," I said. "Commissioner Buske was taking bribes from CSC to make sure they won the automotive parts supply contract with the city. You found out about it when you were in Vegas with him. You thought it was funny that they gave him ten thousand dollars to use while he was at that conference with you last October. Did you happen to mention to the Commissioner that you and I talked and you mentioned that we talked about your trip to Vegas?"




Brodricksburg Pt. 03



"So?"

"So, that's what got him killed," I said. I could see the color draining from Farlow's face. "I don't believe that. You're crazy."

"Tell me this, if Commissioner Buske was concerned that I might be looking at what he was doing in Las Vegas, who might he go to for help."

"His attorney, I guess," Farlow said.

"That would be Richard Mitchell of Mitchell and Horne, wouldn't it?"

"Yes."

"What do you think Commissioner Buske would have done if he was indicted for accepting bribes from a vendor?" I asked.

"I don't know. I guess he would let his attorney handle that for him."

"That would be Mr. Mitchell again. Now how do you think Mr. Mitchell would feel about his client, who also happens to be a partner in the land deal you are working on, getting himself busted for accepting bribes. As his attorney he would want to try and make a deal with the DA to help his client but what if Commissioner Buske wanted to trade information about your land deal to save his neck?"

Farlow stiffened and his jaw tightened as he realized where this conversation was headed.

"What land deal are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the deal where you went around putting options to buy on all of the land along River Road between Munt Street and Grayson Road. The property that your exclusive little club plans to sell to the city when it turns out that the city can't buy land at Fort Brodrick for the new schools."

Farlow began shaking his head as he looked down at his hands.

"Do you really think that your friends would take a chance on letting Commissioner Buske expose their project to save his own ass?"

"Oh, God."

"Here's your chance to save your own ass and get some justice for your lover."

Farlow cringed a little when I said that. "I have nothing to say to you," he said.

"Do your friends know that you and Commissioner Buske were lovers?"

Farlow didn't have to answer. I could tell by the look on his face that they didn't.

"What do you think they will do when they find that out?"

The fear was evident in his face.

"I guess that if you aren't going to talk to me now I will have to bring you down to the station to question you. While we are there I will make sure that Captain Ross finds out about your relationship with Commissioner Buske and I'll tell him that you are being very cooperative."

"You can't do that. If they killed Glen, they will surely kill me too."

"I can only help you if you cooperate."

"I'll cooperate but you can't let Ross know."

That confirmed what I suspected, that Ross was part of the conspiracy. Over the next hour, speaking in front of a video camera, Stephen Farlow confirmed what I suspected. 

Before we finished I asked him, "Who killed Donald Boland?"

"I thought Boland killed himself."

"No. His was killed and I am certain that his death is connected to this land deal so if you know anything about this you better tell me now or you will be an accessory to murder."

"I don't know anything about that. I honestly believed that he killed himself. I would never have gotten involved in this if I thought anyone would be killed. Besides, Boland died before I got involved with these people."

I put the video camera into my briefcase and then Farlow and I walked back to my car for the ride down to the Bucks County substation. When we arrived Hanratty and two state police detectives were still questioning Lucia. Hanratty saw me come in and excused himself to come talk to me. 

"The little bugger was getting ready to skip town when I grabbed him. He spilled everything but he still claims it was you he saw coming out of the house after he heard the gun shot," Hanratty said. "He said that Ross paid him $25,000 and told him to go to the house a little before 8:00 PM and wait to see what time your wife arrived and what time she left. He was told to wait until he heard a gun shot and then call 911 and report it."

"Did Ross tell him to leave town?"

"Yep."

"Good. When Ross checks up on him, he'll think Lucia left town as instructed," I said.

I walk into the interrogation room and stood directly in front of Lucia.

"Who was it that you saw coming out of the house at 37 Third Street after you heard the gun shot?" I asked him.

Lucia looked at me and his expression showed that he obviously had no idea who I was.

"I already told them what I saw," was his response.

"Now I want you to tell me. Who did you see leaving that house?"

"It was Lt. Hobbs."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Do you know who I am?"

"How the fuck should I know who you are?" Lucia said.

"I am Lt. Brain Hobbs of the Brodricksburg Police Department."

Lucia's eyes opened wide as he stared at me.

"Now, who was it that you saw coming out of that house?"

"Ross told me it was Lt. Hobbs." Lucia said.

"I don't give a fuck what Ross told you, who did you see coming out of that house?"

"I don't know. It was some guy in a dark coat. I couldn't see his face. Ross told me he saw him too and that it was Lt. Hobbs."

"Ross said he saw the man?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't he tell anyone else?" I asked.

"Ross said that he couldn't say anything because he wasn't supposed to be there."

"Did that make sense to you?"

"Hey, for 25K I was willing to say whatever he told me to say."

"When did Ross say that he would contact you again?"

"He said he wouldn't contact me and that I should never try to contact him," Lucia replied.

I turned to one of the State Police detectives in the room and asked him to lock Lucia up and hold him as an accessory to murder. Then I turned back to Lucia. "I don't think you're going to get to spend that 25K for a long time."

*****

The Next Morning

*****

"So far we have Ross, Lucia and Farlow," I said. Hanratty and I were sitting in my apartment with Chief Pasiak the next morning. 

"Lucia puts Ross right in the middle of this mess. The rest of them will be a little harder to bring down. I did get some information from Farlow that should help Van Horn's investigation of Congressman Freewater. Apparently Freewater already has the paper work to release the J&J railroad right of way lands. He managed to work something out with someone in the US Department of Interior. Farlow said that some money changed hands to make this happen so we have to follow the money.

"My money is on Kasperek being the man behind this whole scheme. He was the first to find out about the J&J railroad right of way problem. He and his lawyer - guess who that is - have been trying to find a way to get that land from the government for the last six years. It looks now as though with the help of Congressman Freewater they have been able to accomplish that."

"Well, that's a start," the chief said. "I think we need to stay away from Richard Mitchell and Mayor Gargas for now. Mitchell will just claim that he is the attorney for these men and then claim attorney/client privilege. We can't get to him until one of the others in the group is willing to identify Mitchell as a full participating member of the Thursday Night Club. We don't have any direct evidence against Mayor Gargas yet and he is just too cool under fire to be scared into giving us any information. He'll want to call his attorney immediately and we end up with Mitchell involved and nobody talking."

"The next person on my list is our Superintendent of Schools, Robert Kelly," I said. "We already know that he had talked to the State Department of Parks several years ago and was told that the school board could not purchase land at Fort Brodrick. That's enough to put him in the middle of the conspiracy. I think he'll break pretty quickly when he finds out how deep the shit is that he is standing in."

"I am starting to understand the picture now," Hanratty said. "Kasperek finds out he can't build his fancy subdivision unless he can get title to the J&J railroad land so he goes to Mitchell and Horne to enlist their help. Mitchell goes to Mayor Gargas, who happens to be a personal friend of Congressman Freewater. So Mitchell asks the Mayor to see if the congressman can help. Coincidentally the law firm of Mitchell and Horne are the attorneys for the Brodricksburg Board of Education, so they would have known of Robert Kelly's attempts to get the Fort Brodrick land for the school district."

"How did you know that Mitchell and Horne represented the school board?" I asked Hanratty.

"When I got home last night I got on the Internet and did a little research on the players in this game," Hanratty said.

"Better keep an eye on this guy, Chief. He may be after both of our jobs," I said.

Hanratty smiled and then continued. "My guess is that Congressman Freewater found a way to get the right of way lands from the feds and that's when the idea came to them to buy up all the land along River Road and then sell it to the school board for a huge profit. That's where Stephen Farlow comes in. They needed a real estate agent to contact the landowners and make the option to buy offers. What I don't understand is why Commissioner Buske and Captain Ross were involved. What did they bring to the table?"

"Commissioner Buske brought money to the table," Chief Pasiak said. They needed a lot of money to buy the options on the land and to pay bribes where needed. Captain Ross was their eyes and ears within the police department. It was his job to make sure no one was snooping around asking questions about their land deal."

"I think that Farlow must have told the Commissioner that he and I talked about his trip to Las Vegas and Buske must have told Richard Mitchell," I said.

"Why do you think he would go to Mitchell?" Hanratty asked.

"Mitchell is his attorney," I said. "I am guessing, of course, but it makes sense. Mitchell then contacts Ross and tells him to keep an eye on me to see what I am up to. Ross had already been watching me ever since the Boland shooting. I think he was afraid that I would eventually prove that Boland was murdered."

"Why do you think Boland was murdered?" the Chief asked.

"I'll tell you why and who I think did it or at least had it done," I said. 

"Sometime near the end of last year, George Kasperek contacted Mr. Boland and offered to buy his land. Boland turned him down flat. I think that Kasperek must have tried to approach Boland again, which probably made Mr. Boland wonder why Kasperek would want his land when he already had a few hundred acres along Munt Street that he couldn't develop because of the J&J right of way. I believe that Kasperek was worried that Mr. Boland would start asking questions and would ruin the group's plans to purchase the land along the J&J railroad right of way, so he had Mr. Boland killed."

Hanratty and the Chief sat quietly looking at me as my comments sank in.

"Chief, didn't you wonder at the time why Captain Ross was the first officer on the scene? He just happened to be near the Boland farm when the call came in, which allowed him to be on site before the lead homicide detective was even notified of the shooting."

"That is very suspicious," the chief said.

"Then Captain Ross pulls rank on me so that he could release the body to the coroner before I could get the crime lab boys up from Bucks County. Ross ruled it a suicide and the coroner agreed and they closed the investigation. It has always bothered me that Ross was in such a hurry to close that case. At the time I just thought he was trying to embarrass me but now I suspect that he may have been the shooter."

The Chief spun around to look at me. "You think Ross shot Boland?"

"Yes. I think he shot him and then waited for the body to be discovered by his wife so that he could be there before me so that he could call it a suicide and prevent a full investigation of the shooting."

The Chief shook his head in dismay.

"What a piece of shit," was Hanratty's comment.

"This afternoon I am going to ask Captain Ross to go down to Quantico to take that leadership class that the FBI is sponsoring," Chief Pasiak said. "Once he is safely out of town, you can pull Robert Kelly in for questioning. You will have to break him fast; if he asks for his lawyer before you get him to implicate Richard Mitchell, we may never be able to get enough evidence to get the whole group."

*****

Superintendent of Schools

*****

Later that afternoon I watched Captain Ross go into Chief Pasiak's office. The success of the rest of our investigation depended on Ross believing that the Chief really wanted him to take the leadership course at Quantico. 

Half an hour later, Ross came out of the chief's office with a big smile on his face. When Ross left the station I went into the Chief's office and asked what he told Ross that made him smile.

"I told Captain Ross that I didn't think you would be a good candidate to replace me as chief because of the cloud hanging over you because of Commissioner Buske's murder. I told him that it appears that you are innocent but that the public may not accept that. I told Ross that he would most likely be the next chief. Then I told him about the class at Quantico and he could not have been happier. He left to make travel arrangements to leave for Quantico on Sunday."

Monday morning I called Van Horn to make sure that Ross was in the leadership class at Quantico and then made my plans for the day. Hanratty and I kept a low profile over the weekend so that we wouldn't raise any suspicion among the members of the Thursday Night Club and I planned to grab Robert Kelley on his way home from work, again to keep from alerting the rest of the club. 

That evening Hanratty and I followed Robert Kelley from the School Board offices to a supermarket about two blocks from his house. As soon as Mr. Kelly got out of his car Hanratty grabbed him, spun him around and pushed him face down on the trunk of his car.

"Robert Kelly, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit land fraud, and accessory to murder," Hanratty said as he cuffed Kelley. 

Robert Kelly tried to protest but Hanratty cut him off by reading him his Miranda rights and then pushed him into the back seat of our car.

We made the forty-five minute trip down to the Bucks County substation in silence. I could almost smell the fear on Kelley. That made me smile. The more fear he had the easier it would be to break him.

*****

"Whose idea was it to play this bait-and-switch with the land for the new schools?" was my first question to Mr. Kelley.

"I think I want to talk to my lawyer," Kelley said.

"You are welcome to call your lawyer as long he isn't a lawyer from Mitchell and Horne," I bluffed. "Richard Mitchell is also a suspect in this case so he will not be able to represent you."

Robert Kelley's face went completely white. 

"While you are trying to decided on who you can call to represent you the rest of the members of your little club are trying to make deals with the DA to stay out of jail. They are going to pin this mess on you. After all this was all your idea, wasn't it? You're the one that knew that the school board couldn't buy the land at Fort Brodrick but you kept pushing that site as the best place for the new schools. Now two men are dead because of you."

"I didn't kill anyone and this wasn't my idea," Kelley said.

"Doesn't matter if you killed anyone or not. You'll go down as an accessory to murder."

'It wasn't me. I didn't even know about the murders," Kelley said.

"How could you not know about the murders of Donald Boland and Glen Buske?" Hanratty asked.

"I didn't know about them when they happened," Kelley cried. "I found out afterward."

"Who killed them?" I shouted.

"Kasperek had Ross do it. He said it was done to protect us."

"Protect who?" Hanratty asked.

"Me, Richard..."

"Richard Mitchell?" I asked. 

"Yes, Richard Mitchell."

"Who else?" I asked.

"Stephen Farlow, Mayor Gargas and Congressman Freewater."

"Can you prove that Richard Mitchell was an active member of this conspiracy?" I asked.

"Yes. He came to me with the idea. The original idea was Kasperek's. He involved Mitchell and Mitchell brought me into it," Kelley said.

"Do you know who Congressman Freewater's contact is within the Department of Interior?" I asked.

"I don't know the name but it is someone that works in the Bureau of Land Management. He found the deeds to the J&J railroad right of way and he is going to sign them over to us."

"For how much?" I asked.

"Fifty thousand."

After that Kelley opened up and give us the whole story with as much detail as he could. It was obvious that he was trying to be cooperative.

***** 

The FBI Takes Over

*****

After interrogating Kelley I called Van Horn and told him about the Congressman's contact within the Bureau of Land Management.

"That fits," Van Horn said. "We pulled the Congressman's phone records for the last two years. We found several calls to the Department of Interior, but he seldom called the same number twice. But over the last eighteen months he has called one number several times. That number belongs to a clerk in the Bureau of Land Management. We'll pick this guy up tomorrow and if he rolls we will probably pick up Congressman Freewater on Wednesday."

"That's great," I said. 

"You may not think so when I tell you the rest of this," Van Horn said. "Because this conspiracy involves the illegal transfer of Federal lands to private citizens, a federal employee of the Bureau of Land Management, and a member of the United States Congress, the FBI is taking charge of this case. Also, because the two murders were part of this conspiracy they will also be part of our investigation. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get credit for your part in the investigation."

I was a little pissed but I kind of expected this to happen right from the beginning, it's just that I never dreamed that this case would become so big. 

"So when is the round up?"

"Assuming our friend at the Bureau of Land Management is cooperative tomorrow, I expect that we will pick up all of the members of the Thursday Night Club on Wednesday. So, I guess I'll see you in Brodricksburg Wednesday morning."

*****

The Roundup

*****

By noon on Wednesday it was over. The FBI picked up Richard Mitchell, Mayor Gargas and George Kasperek in Brodricksburg and had arrested Congressman Freewater at his office in Washington. The FBI also took Robert Kelley, Stephen Farlow and Daniel Lucia into their custody. 

It became evident rather quickly that Kasperek was the leader of the Thursday Night Club and Captain Ross was his enforcer. While trying to save their own asses, the other suspects said that Kasperek had ordered the killings of Donald Boland and Glen Buske and Ross did the deed.

I asked Agent Van Horn how the arrest of Captain Ross had gone down. 

"I don't know how that went down," he said. Van Horn then pick up his phone and made a call.

"He what?" Van Horn yelled. "God damn it."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Agents were going to grab Captain Ross when he came into class this morning but he didn't show up. His hotel room was empty and his rental car was gone."

"Fuck. Now where the hell is he?" I said. "He must have found out what was happening back here."

After asking around the station I found out that Ross had called the office that morning to find out what was going on and the duty sergeant told him that I was in the chief's office with five FBI agents and the FBI agents had a handful of arrest warrants. I guessed that Ross jumped to the right conclusion and skipped town. The question became, where would he go?

Ross was now the FBI's problem but I didn't like that he was running around loose somewhere. 

"Why don't we go have a chat with Mrs. Ross. See if he has talked to her today. Maybe she even knows where he is."

"How well do you know her?" Van Horn asked.




Brodricksburg Pt. 03



"Not very well. I've met her at a few social functions but I never spent much time around her."

"Okay, then, you make the introductions and let me do the questioning," Van Horn said.

"Whatever."

It was obvious to me that from the moment Mrs. Ross opened her door she appeared to be nervous. I wondered it that was because two cops showed up on her doorstep or was it because she had been in contact with her husband and knew that we were looking for him.

"Hi, Jean. How are you?" I asked. 

"I'm fine, thank you. Jim isn't home," she said.

"We aren't here to talk to Jim. We came to talk to you," I said. "Jean, this is Agent Kyle Van Horn of the FBI and he would like to ask you a few questions."

Mrs. Ross invited us into the house and we all sat in the living room.

"Mrs. Ross, have you spoken with your husband this morning?" Van Horn asked.

"No. As Lt. Hobbs can tell you, my husband is away taking a class at your FBI school in Quantico," she said.

I felt the hair on my neck stand up when Mrs. Ross said, "Lt. Hobbs."

Mrs. Ross was the voice on the phone. I didn't say anything until Van Horn finished his questions, which had garnered no new information as to the whereabouts of Captain Ross. Van Horn thanked Mrs. Ross for her time and stood to leave.

"I have one more question for Mrs. Ross," I said.

Van Horn looked at me and sat back down

"Jean, a lot of people are in a lot of trouble right now because of what you husband has been involved in," I said. "Now I need to know, who told you to make those calls to me?"

I could see that Mrs. Ross had become even more tense that she had been while Van Horn questioned her.

"What calls are you talking about?" she asked, with an obvious quiver in her voice.

"Jean, there have been two murders, government fraud, and charges of conspiracy against the people your husband was associated with. If you don't cooperate with us, you will also be charged with these crimes," I said.

"Jim made me do it," she blurted out. "Jim told me that we were going to be very rich and all I had to do was make a few phone calls. I didn't want to do it but Jim told me I had to."

"Who told you what to say?" I asked.

"Richard Mitchell. He would call me and tell me when I was to call you and what I was supposed to say."

I looked over at Van Horn and he shook his head in disgust. "Mrs. Ross, you are going to have to come with us," Van Horn said.

"All I did was make a few phone calls. I didn't know what Jim was up to. He never told me," she cried.

"You'll get your chance to explain it all later."

Mrs. Ross looked like a broken woman when we walked her out to the car.

*****

Mrs. Ross wasn't able to help us locate her husband so I decided to back off and let the FBI do their thing. Besides, I had my own business to take care of. 

Van Horn was still in talking to the chief when I stuck my head in the door at five o'clock that evening. 

"Chief, now that this case is off my desk I think I'll take a few days vacation," I said. 

"Good idea. How long will you be gone?" the Chief asked.

"A week."

"Where you headed?" Van Horn asked.

"The Berkshires," I said. "Oh, and give my best wishes to Captain Ross when you find him.

*****

The Tail

*****

By ten o'clock Thursday morning I had exited I-380 onto I-84 east and was approaching the Mount Cobb exit when I spotted it. The light blue Malibu was about 25 car lengths behind me. Too far back for me to be sure that it was Van Horn but I was sure the car was following me. I had my cruise control set at 75 MPH. Most of the other traffic on the road was either traveling faster or slower than me but the Malibu was keeping pace with me. 

I needed to be sure. I was coming up on a tractor-trailer so as soon as I passed the truck I pulled in front of it blocking the view the driver of the Malibu had of my car and accelerated up to 78 MPH and reset my cruise control. After a few miles I had increased the distance between us considerably. I was just beginning to think the it had been just a coincidence when I saw the Malibu rapidly closing the distance until it was about twenty car lengths behind me and again keeping pace with my speed.

I no longer had any doubt that I was being followed, but why would Van Horn be following me. I started spinning everything I could remember about the Thursday Night Club case and the involvement of Agent Van Horn in the investigation. Could he have been a part of it? That didn't make sense. After all he helped arrest all of the players. It had to be something else.

I picked up my cell phone and called Van Horn's cell but I got no answer. I knew I was going to have to resolve this situation before I reached my destination so, when I spotted a rest area just past Exit 20, I turned off the highway. I pulled all the way down to the far end of the parking lot and casually walked to the rest rooms. The Blue Malibu parked at the other end of the lot but no one got out. 

I walked through the welcome center and out the back door toward the truck parking area and peeked around the corner of the building to see if Van Horn would get out of the car. He didn't.

While watching Van Horn's car I called Hanratty.

"Hey, Rich, what's going on with Van Horn?" I asked.

"Van Horn? How should I know? He left here last evening and said he was heading back to Philly."

"He's following me," I said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I am looking at his car right now. I can't see him but it's his car. I spotted it following me about twenty miles back. I pulled into a rest area and he followed me in but parked at the other end of the parking lot," I said.

"Why don't you just go over to his car and ask him what he is up to?"

"I would rather have a better idea of why he is following me before I do that. If his motive is of a sinister nature I don't want to walk up to his car unprotected," I said.

"You think he might be dirty?"

"I have no idea. I only know that he is following me and I can't think of any good reason why he should," I said. "Do me a favor and call the agent in charge at the Philly office and see if he can tell you what Van Horn is up to. Call me back when you find something out."

"Will do. What are you going to do in the mean time?"

"I am going to get back on the road," I said. "As long as he is following me and I can see him in my mirror I'll be okay."

"Be careful."

"I will. Thanks."

Van Horn didn't move when I backed out of my parking space. He apparently wanted to give me plenty of room before he started following me. After all, he knew that I was headed to the Berkshires, so he didn't have to follow too closely until we got into Massachusetts. What I couldn't understand was why he had allowed himself to get as close to me as he had. He had to know that I would spot him. This whole thing was giving me a knot in my stomach. 

Thirty miles later I crossed into New York at Port Jervis with Van Horn still keeping pace about twenty car lengths behind me.

*****

Was It Van Horn?

*****

Another half hour passed and I was beginning to wonder why I hadn't heard back from Hanratty yet so I tried calling him but I wasn't able to get a connection. 

It wasn't until three hours later as I was leaving Hartford, Connecticut heading north on I-91 that I heard back from Hanratty.

"What did you find out?" I asked.

"The agent in charge, Lance Fielding, told me that Van Horn was supposed to be in the Philly office this morning but he didn't show up," Hanratty said. "They called his wife and she said that he didn't come back from Brodricksburg last night."

"That's strange," I said.

"Fielding said that he can't think of any reason why Van Horn would be following you. They have tried to contact him on his cell phone but he hasn't answered their calls."

"Have they tried tracking him via the GPS transmitter in his car?" I asked.

"Fielding said that Van Horn's GPS unit is not transmitting. Apparently it has been disabled."

"I am going to have to do something soon," I said. "I can't have him follow me all the way to my destination. I'll call the State Police when I cross into Massachusetts and ask them to stop him. I might need the FBI to assist with this request as Van Horn is one of theirs."

"Let me call Fielding again and see what he says," replied Hanratty.

I passed through Springfield, Massachusetts and was nearing Northhampton when Hanratty got back to me.

"Sorry it took so long but we have a very big problem," Hanratty said. "Agent Fielding wanted to wait until we checked something out for him. He said that he called the hotel that Van Horn stayed in Tuesday night in Brodricksburg and the manager said that Van Horn hadn't checked out yet. Fielding ask me to go over to the hotel and see if there was anything there that might explain why Van Horn hadn't returned to Philly like he was supposed to."

"What did you find?"

"Nothing in the room. It was empty. He must have packed his bags and put them in the car but he never got around to checking out. What we did find was Captain Ross' rental car abandoned in the parking lot of the hotel. We think Ross is with Van Horn."

Suddenly things started to make sense. The reason it was so easy for me to spot the car following me was because Ross was driving. If Van Horn was driving he would have been much more careful knowing that I am an expert at spotting a tail. That would also mean that if Van Horn is with Ross, he was not there by choice. If he were, he would have told Ross to not follow me so closely.

"Okay, I need you to contact the Massachusetts' State Police and tell them what is going on. I am going to have to get some gas soon. Tell the troopers that I will get off I-91 at Exit 25 and fill up there. Then I am going to head west on 116 until I find a place to confront Ross."

"What are you carrying?" Hanratty asked.

"I've got my service thirty-eight."

"Be careful man. You know Ross carries a nine millimeter and he probably has Van Horn's piece too."

"Well, I don't plan to stand still and let him shoot me."

"Okay, let me get on to the state cops up there and get you some help."

"Thanks."

*****

The Confrontation

*****

At Exit 25 there were three gas stations. I pulled into the Exxon station on the northeast corner of the intersection of 116 and US 5. Ross went into the BP station across the road from me.

I tried to act like I was uninterested in what was happening across the road but I did manage to peek over there as I was putting the pump into the filler hole. I saw Ross get out of the car and start pumping gas.

I casually glanced over at the blue Malibu a few times trying to see if I could spot Van Horn but I couldn't see him. I was beginning to think that Van Horn might be in the trunk, hopefully alive. The only reason I could think of for Ross to follow me this far was to kill me and if that's what he wanted to do he wouldn't have hesitated to kill Van Horn.

I only put ten gallons of gas in the car and then I headed back out onto 116 and headed west. I guess I caught Ross by surprise because he was still pumping gas when I got into my car. I accelerated hard but not enough to spin the tires. I didn't want to alert Ross to the fact that I knew he was following me but I wanted to get some distance ahead of him.

I figured that I had about a three quarter mile lead on Ross when I crested a hill and spotted a place to pull off the road. I had to brake hard to get slowed down enough to pull off the road. I popped the hood latch and got out of the car. I opened the hood and then ran off into the woods at the side of the road. I worked my way east through the woods going back in the direction I had come from.

I don't think I had been in the woods more than thirty seconds when the blue Malibu crested the hill. Ross was past my car before he realized it was mine. I watched from the woods as Ross continued down the road another quarter mile and then stopped. 

I guessed that he was waiting to see what I was up to. When he saw no activity at my car he turned around and headed back toward me. Ross pulled over in front of my car and stopped. As he stepped from his car I could see the nine-millimeter in his hand. That gun gave him more firepower than my thirty-eight so I had to be extra careful not to give my position away. 

Ross walked over to my car and looked inside. I could see the realization on his face. He knew that I had spotted him and had fled into the woods. He just didn't know how far into the woods I had gone. My hope was that Ross would come into the woods looking for me so that I could circle back to the cars and check to see if Van Horn was in the Malibu and if so was he alive.

After standing and staring toward the path I had taken into the woods for what seemed like and eternity, Ross started into the woods. I knew that Ross was a hunter so he wouldn't feel uncomfortable hunting me in the woods. I waited until he was a good fifty feet into the woods and then I crawled out of my hiding place and keeping low I crept up to the Malibu and looked inside. 

There was nothing of interest in the front seat but there was a large blanket on the floor in the back. Luckily Ross hadn't bothered to lock the door so I opened the back door and lifted the blanket. Underneath the blanked I found Kyle Van Horn. His hands and feet were bound with duck tape and he had tape over his mouth. Kyle appeared to be unconscious but I was able to feel a weak pulse in his neck. He was alive but he needed to get to a hospital. I pulled the tape off his mouth to help him with his breathing and then peeked over the trunk of the car just in time to see Ross coming out of the woods.

He had spotted me and was lifting his gun to point it at me. I had less than a second to decided whether to run or stay with Van Horn. I was afraid that if I ran Van Horn would have no chance so I ducked down behind the car and pulled my thirty-eight. My only hope was to keep Ross away long enough for the state police to show up. 

I slid over so that I was sitting on the ground with my back against the rear tire. I didn't want to get hit by a shot fired under the car. Ross' first three shots took out the side windows on both sides of the Malibu. From the sound of the gun I guessed that Ross was still standing by the edge of the woods. He was smart enough to not come charging toward the car leaving himself unprotected. He was just far enough away that my thirty-eight with its short barrel wouldn't be much use. I only had six rounds in the gun and the rest of my ammo was locked in the trunk of my car so I couldn't waste any shots. I had to get Ross close enough that I couldn't miss. 

That's when Ross decided to taunt me.

"Hey, Hobbs, pretty soon you'll be in the back of that car with your buddy Agent Van Horn. Of course you'll both be dead then. After I set fire to the car I am going to go find that pretty wife of yours and when I do I am going to rape her in every way imaginable before I cut her throat."

I didn't say anything. I was pretty sure that he didn't know where Carrie was and I hoped that the state police would show up before he had a chance to get away from here. 

"Hobbs? I am getting hard just thinking about what I am going to do to your wife. How do you like that?" Ross yelled.

"Your chances of pulling that off are about as good as your chances were of pulling of that land deal. You guys weren't nearly as smart as you thought."

"Fuck you, Hobbs. If it wasn't for that stupid fucker Buske taking bribes from that vendor, we would have gotten away with it."

"No, you wouldn't," I said. "It was only a matter of time before I would have had the proof I needed to arrest you for the murder of Donald Boland. A coward like you would have given up his friends in a heart beat to try and save his ass."

"Who you calling a coward, Hobbs? Why don't you step out from behind that car and we'll see who the coward is?"

"I don't think so. I am going to stay right here until you get bored and come a little closer and then I am going to put a big hole between your eyes," I said with a lot of false bravado. I needed him angry, so angry that he would make a mistake.

I figured he would have to make a move soon because I could hear the sirens off in the distance. They were still a long way off but if Ross figured to get away, he was going to have to take me out first. 

"Hear that?" I asked. "That's the sound of the Massachusetts' State Police coming. I called them before I stopped for gas. They'll be here soon. Your only chance of leaving here alive is to surrender to me know."

"Bullshit! You couldn't have called the state cops because you didn't know I was following you until we stopped for gas," Ross shouted.

"Oh, you are so wrong, dick breath," I said. "I have known you were following me since I turned onto I-84 this morning."

The sirens were getting much louder. I turned around so that I was on my knees facing the car, still using the rear tire for protection. My guess was that when Ross made his move he would come around the front of the car. I waited quietly, listening for any movement on the other side of the car.

From the sound of the sirens I figured the state police were just turning off I-91 at Exit 25 which meant that Ross only had a couple of minutes to make his move.

Then I heard it. Footstep moving across gravel, picking up speed as they got closer. My timing was going to have to be perfect. When I felt that he had reached the front of the car I quickly moved around behind the car, keeping low so that I wouldn't be seen.

Ross sprang from the front of the car to the side I had been hiding on and fired three rounds before he realized I wasn't there. Then I popped up from behind the trunk and put two rounds in Ross' chest before he had a chance to react.

I moved around to Ross' side and kicked his gun away and then checked his pulse. He was alive so I searched him and found Van Horn's gun in Ross' pocket. With the guns secured I moved over to see how Van Horn was doing. His eyes were opened and he just stared at me as I checked his injuries. It looked like his only injury was a hard blow to the head. 

"Hang on, help's on the way," I said just as the first of the state cruisers came over the top of the hill.

As the trooper's cars approached, I moved away from the car and placed my gun on the ground. Then I held up my badge.

The first officer out of his car yelled, "Who are you?"

"I'm Lt. Brian Hobbs, Brodricksburg PD," I shouted back. "We need medical transport for two. This one," I pointed at Ross, "has two gun shot wounds to the chest. The one in the car has a bad head injury."

I could already hear one of the other officers repeating what I said into his radio then he yelled, "med assistance is on the way."

"Where is Agent Van Horn?" This question came from a man in civilian clothes that stepped out of the last car to arrive. 

I pointed to Van Horn.

The man, who I figured out was an FBI agent, got on his phone and I heard him telling someone that Van Horn was alive but had a head injury.

***** 

Personal Police Work

*****

I spent the next three hours in a Massachusetts State Police substation going over the events of the day. Van Horn was in the hospital with a concussion although he was expected to recover but Ross wasn't so lucky. His wounds weren't fatal but one of my bullets damaged his spine, which meant he would be spending the rest of his life in a wheel chair. It was also quite likely that he would be spending the rest of his life in jail. 

I was finally allowed to leave at five o'clock that evening. I continued my trip by heading north on I-91 to Greenfield and then I took Route 2 west to North Adams. In North Adams I drove past 'The Porches' resort and turned up a narrow road about a mile from the resort. The road I was on was only two miles long and it dead-ended in a small parking area. The parking area served four cottages set high on a hillside with a beautiful view of the valley below.




Brodricksburg Pt. 03



I parked my car and walked up to the cottage on the far right. When I knocked on the door, it opened almost immediately. The tall brunette standing in the doorway was the best looking woman I had seen in quite some time.

"Mrs. Carrie Hobbs?" I asked.

"Yes, that's me," as the smile spread across her face.

"I am Lt. Brian Hobbs of the Brodricksburg police Department."

"What do you want, Lt. Hobbs?"

"I am here to arrest you."

"On what charge?" she asked.

"For withholding sex from your horny husband," I said.

"Oh, that sounds serious," she responded. "Do I have to go back to Brodricksburg with you or can I just pay a fine?"

"I don't know if you have enough money to pay this fine."

"Why don't you come in and see if there is something you like, then maybe we can work out a trade."

"Are you trying to bribe me, Mrs. Hobbs?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, then I accept."

"How did you find me?"

"It was easy. I am a detective."

*****

I spent the next three hours collecting the various fines that Mrs. Hobbs was required to pay and then we went out to dinner.

At dinner I brought Carrie up to speed on everything that had happened. 

I explained to her how I got involved in the Commissioner Buske case and when I started to make progress, that is when I started getting the calls telling me that Carrie was lying about what she was doing at night. I apologized to Carrie for going off the deep end. I told her that after we separated and she took out the restraining order against me I started concentrating on the case against Buske again and then the calls started again. 

"Who was making those calls?" Carrie asked. "It had to be someone that knew my every move."

"It was Jean Ross."

"Jean made those calls? Why would she do that?" Carrie asked.

"Captain Ross insisted that she make the calls."

"How did she know what I was doing and where I would be?" 

"Your boss would call Jean and tell her when to call me and what to say."

"Richard? Jesus! Who were these people? I would never had suspected Richard of being involved in something like this."

"It wasn't till after Jean called me and said that you were meeting your lover on a Sunday night at a house on Munt Street that I was able to figure out what was going on. I found out on Monday that there had been the report of a prowler at that location Sunday night so I did a follow-up at that address. That is when I found out that you were there for work. You went there with Stephen Farlow to get a contract for an option to buy signed. Someone wanted me to go there thinking that you were there to meet your lover. The plan was for the police to catch me trying to see who you were with. That would have caused me a lot of trouble and put me off of my investigation of Commissioner Buske.

"That's when I saw the pattern of the land purchases and the puzzle started to come together."

I explained how I put it all together and why Buske and Boland were murdered.

"Brian, I swear to you that I had no idea what they were doing," Carrie said.

"How did you get involved in these lands deals?" I asked.

"Remember back in April, when I started having to work some nights?"

"Yes."

"That's when it started. One afternoon at work, Richard called me into his office. When I went in, Mr. Buske was in the office with Stephen Farlow. Richard told me that Mr. Buske represented a group of men that want to invest in and develop some property along the river. Richard explained that to begin with, they only wanted to put options to buy on the properties they were interested. Richard then said that Stephen was going to act as an agent for Mr. Buske and his partners and that Stephen would contact the property owners and make the offers. My job was just to go along with Stephen to get the contracts signed and hand over the check to purchase the option. Richard made it clear that nothing was to be said about these deals or who the buyers were until the options were exercised."

"Did it make you suspicious when you found out what properties were involved?"

"No. Why should it? Actually it made sense to me. The property along the river would have been a great place to build new homes."

"Didn't you realize that the J&J railroad right of way would have made the land useless for development?" I asked.

"J&J railroad? I never heard of it. There was no mention of a railroad right of way in any of the documents I saw."

"That's true. I didn't see any mention of that in the documents that you left in your briefcase."

Carrie smiled. "I was hoping that whoever found my car would bring you my briefcase."

"I don't think you need to worry about any of this. You didn't do anything wrong. The land deals themselves were not illegal. It was the conspiracy to defraud the taxpayers of Brodricksburg that was illegal. What they did to get their hands on the J&J Railroad right of way was also illegal."

Carrie shook her head. "You keep talking about the J&J railroad. What is that all about?"

I spent the next twenty minutes explaining the J&J railroad and how it played a role in the case of the Thursday Night Club.

Carrie asked a lot of questions and I answered them all as completely as I could with the exception of the events that took place earlier that day on route 116. I didn't want to upset Carrie that night. Those details could wait till we were back home.

"So what's next for us?" I asked.

"We go back to Brodricksburg and you move back home. I don't know what I'll do about my job. With Richard going to jail I am not sure I'll have a job to go back to. Maybe it's time we start making babies."

"Really?"

"Yes. I am ready for motherhood now. I think I can wait until our future kids are in high school before I go back to work."

"You think we can afford to live on one salary?" I asked.

"I expect that very soon, you will be the Chief of Police. You'll make enough then to support us," Carrie said.

"Should we start working on one of those babies tonight?"

"That's why I let you find me."

"That was a pretty good trick, sending me an e-mail with the brochure for 'The Porches' in it. It let me know that you would be here at my uncle's old cottage but anyone else seeing it would think it meant that you were at The Porches."

"I am not stupid," Carrie said. 

"How did you manage to get out of town without anyone noticing?" I asked.

"When you were leaving my office and you asked what Fred would do to me if he found out about Barney, I knew your were telling me something important. So when you looked over at Richard, I understood that you saw him as a danger to me. As soon as you left my office Richard came over and was very agitated. His first question was, 'Why isn't you husband in jail? He killed Glen Buske last night.' 

"I told him that you said you didn't do it and had an alibi to back you up. Then he asked my why you were in my office so I told him you were just asking why I was at 37 Third Street to meet with Mr. Buske. I could tell Richard was angry but he tried to hide it from me. Before he left my office he told me that if the police wanted to question me that I was to tell him and he would go with me.

"As soon as he left my office I called my dad and asked if I could use one of his cars. I didn't tell him why or where I was going. I ask him to park the car in the grocery store parking lot two blocks from the house. I must have scared the crap out of him with my instructions but he didn't argue. He just asked, 'You will explain this later, right?' 

"With that set up, I drove to the public parking downtown and when no one was looking I left my car there and walked two blocks over to the 7/11 store and called a taxi from the pay phone. The cab took me to the train station and I paid cash for my ticket to Philly. In Philly I picked up my dad's car and drove up here."

"I thought you might just go stay with your parents but this was even better," I said. "I am extremely proud of you. You did what you needed to do to be safe so that I could do what I had to do."

Carrie smiled and said, "It was kind of scary but it was kind of an adventure too."

"Well, it's over now," I said. "Okay Wilma, are you sure Fred is out of town?"

"Oh, Barney, you worry too much. Let's just go in the bedroom and have some fun."

THE END