For NaNoWriMo: The Field of Blood, part 12

Captain Lee goes out on surveillance and comes back with a full trash can ... the Tinyville City Council gets a visit from some townspeople who are not having any more nonsense ... and Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant O'Reilly discuss blindness, and Judas Iscariot, before Captain Lee calls back with a line on a suspect ... You can get caught up on part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9 , part 10, and part 11 to catch up on all the twists and turns!

As Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant O'Reilly began to put the accounts of Ms. Lofton and Mrs. Drake and the others whom they had talked to into their data set, Captain Lee returned to the office. Lieutenant O'Reilly could not get his mind around it, for as the captain passed through a beam of sunlight that lit him up at just the right angle, there was the image of General Lee, chuckling and holding a metal trash can. The entire schoolboy image of the whole thing just blew up – and, once again, Henry Fitzhugh Lee became a real person to the lieutenant.

“What have you done, Captain Lee?” Captain Hamilton said as he started laughing at just the look on his cousin's face.

“Who, me? Innocent Lee?”

Captain Hamilton's laugh got louder.

“I've known you 43 years – don't even try it, Captain Lee. What have you done?”

“First of all, I want you to remember that I know that I am working in Tinyville, and the captain here is of clement mindset,” Captain Lee said, now smiling hugely.

“Why, thank you,” Captain Hamilton said. “I haven't gotten a call of complaint yet, so I assume you either knocked the man out with one blow or killed him humanely or maybe, just maybe, didn't have to touch him.”

“The third – I have so much respect for you, Captain Hamilton, that I do things your way as much as it is possible for me to do that when in your jurisdiction.”

“Still precious little – but, spin us the yarn.”

Captain Lee put the trash can down on Captain Hamilton's desk.

“It is getting to be that time of the year when men begin to think of their wood pile and kindling. Thus I arrived while the president and vice president of Topia Development Group were having a spirited discussion – I do not say argument because it would be against the rules of polite society to say that such men as Timothy Bolling and Adam Folsom-Slocum ever do such common things – about certain paperwork that we witnessed being lifted from Mr. Rett's apartment.”

“Oh,” Captain Hamilton said. “Tell us more.”

“I can do better than that,” Captain Lee said. “They were so absorbed in their discussion that they did notice me placing my camera on the windowsill. You of course can view the carnage at your pleasure, gentlemen, and see that it was not my fault that we ended up at the county hospital. Yet the gist of the matter was a dispute over whether the paperwork should have been lifted, and then, now that of course it has been stolen, whether it should be preserved or destroyed.

“Mr. Folsom-Slocum was of the opinion that of course the paperwork had to be stolen and kept, because Topia needs that insurance against further attacks from the Black Historical Preservation Society and the Lofton County Free Voice – something to damage their credibility because of the problems they have in their own ranks and did not know it.

“Mr. Bolling was of the opinion that all evidence of the work Topia was doing with and paying Mr. Rett for had to be destroyed, because the instant it was exposed in any way, the Black Historical Preservation Society would have occasion to appeal, and the Free Voice will shake it off because they have called out traitorous Blacks before.”

“Oh, snap,” Lieutenant O'Reilly said. “That confirms what we thought was going on.”

“It certainly does,” Captain Hamilton said. “But, continue – where did the carnage come in?”

“Mr. Bolling is not used to being contradicted by those he thinks are his subordinates – that runs in the family, of course. As the discussion became more heated, he finally grew tired, shouted 'You're fired, you fool!' and then knocked Mr. Folsom-Slocum clean out.”

“Oh – seven years for assault, right there,” Captain Lee said.

“Yes, Captain Hamilton. Right there. He then proceeded to want to add destruction of evidence in a murder case – he tipped all of those files into this trash can and went out on the back porch. I went around the house and got there just as he was about to light it all up with his lighter.

“ 'Excuse me, Mr. Bolling,' I said. 'Captain Lee of police, assisting Captain Hamilton. You are already going to be under arrest for assault. Don't add destruction of evidence.' ”

“He looked at me like I was a mosquito on the other side of a glass, and put that match right down on that pile of paper. The man's knowledge of physics is of course utterly deficient – a big pile like that won't just go up without preparation. So, he plucked up a piece and lit it up – and was not ready when I snatched it from him and folded it in my hand and extinguished it.”

Lieutenant O'Reilly jumped.

“At that point, he of course ran clean out of courage, and started running. Now I am 45 years old, and in excellent condition for a man at any age, but I am now 45, and I do not appreciate having to run down people, so whoever makes me have to do that annoys me greatly. However, Captain Hamilton, I put you in mind, and so did not land on the man with my knee in his back –.”

Lieutenant O'Reilly jumped again.

“I simply picked up one of Mrs. Folsom-Slocum's potted plants and nailed her husband in the middle of his back with sufficient force to knock him down, and then leisurely collected him. He is in the car, sulking, and handcuffed. I have Mirandized him, and he is not likely to say more than that he wants to call a lawyer, but you are more persuasive than I am. Meanwhile, I took Mr. Adam Folsom-Slocum to the local hospital here – he has a mild concussion, so he will be available to be booked at your leisure. I suspect that both of them will have interesting things to tell you just to spite each other – but like I said before, you are the persuasive one.”

“Well, thank you, Captain Lee,” Captain Hamilton said with a smile. “Believe I'll just go arrest Mr. Folsom-Slocum while he is at the hospital, and Lieutenant O'Reilly, you go ahead and book Mr. Bolling after I tell him that whatever he won't tell me, I'm sure Mr. Folsom-Slocum will.”

Mrs. Folsom-Slocum arrived at the police station frantically looking for her husband just after Captain Hamilton left, and Lieutenant O'Reilly was glad Captain Lee, in his calm and soothing way, was there to direct her to the hospital. However no such easy out was to happen, because Jonathan Bolling was still so angry that he let the cat out of the bag. This led to Mrs. Folsom-Slocum snapping – she jumped up and over the lieutenant's desk to get at Mr. Bolling, and there they were, that tiny woman with her nails sunk deeply into the man's face, riding a wrathful rodeo around the office until Captain Lee and Lieutenant O'Reilly got a grip on them and pulled them apart.

Mrs. Folsom-Slocum had strong legs – it took some pulling to get the job done, and she was strong overall and didn't care about not hurting the young lieutenant who was trying not to hurt her. Elbows and feet everywhere – until finally she stopped cold as Captain Lee took her shoulders and squeezed, hard.

“Enough,” he rumbled.

She stopped, and Lieutenant O'Reilly got her hands behind her back and started booking her as Captain Lee did triage on Mr. Bolling's wounds. They kept shouting across the room at each other until Captain Lee took Mr. Bolling away to the county hospital.

Captain Hamilton and Captain Lee found a tired-looking but resolute Lieutenant O'Reilly, doggedly filing the information in the trash can after checking it against the scanned copies already inputted into the case's digital file.

“I told you he was the best,” Captain Hamilton said.

“Since I am in Tinyville, I will not dispute it,” Captain Lee said.

Lieutenant O'Reilly basked in the approval of the two older men … it made up for a lot of the annoyance.

“The two Topia canaries sang loudly and passionately,” Captain Hamilton said, “but, for all that sound and fury, there was nothing the data has not already shown us. The Black Historical Preservation Society had a traitor in its ranks all along – Mr. Rett himself, who knew their arguments throughout the case and then presented a copy of them to Topia and their Tinyville partners with the weak points marked up.”

“He did a lot of that kind of work for them across the South – on a lot of boards that have fought Topia and lost over the years, and that is where his money was coming from.”

“I guess when it came to his hometown, I guess he didn't feel as if he could turn back by the time the field came into Topia's view for development,” Lieutenant O'Reilly said.

“Apparently not,” Captain Hamilton said.

“We have a lot more suspects than we thought if this does turn out to be a murder,” Lieutenant O'Reilly said. “If just one person in the whole thing knew and started telling the others – the dominoes would start falling really quick.”

“Which brings us to finding out if any of them knew,” Captain Hamilton said. “I suspect the Black Historical Preservation Society knows something, because no one from that cohort of contacts has returned our calls. But, it is just a suspicion – no real evidence can be drawn from their silence, particularly since so much is at stake for them.”

“They have broken their silence, actually,” Captain Lee said.

Captain Lee had picked up the Tinyville Times for the day on his way through the door, and Captan Hamilton and Lieutenant O'Reilly got over next to him to read the society's statement: “Although the strong track record of Lofton County's people in authority suggests the cause of Mr. J. Oscar Rett's death to those of us who cherish memory, it is important for us to remember the past is not the only informant of the present and the future. It is important that we allow the investigation of the police to take its course, and not to jump to undue conclusions based on the most regrettable history of Tinyville's past.”

Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant O'Reilly looked at each other, then at Captain Lee.

“What?” Lieutenant O'Reilly said for all there. “They put *that * in the Tinyville Times? Not even the Free Voice, but the White paper – and that?”

“One might say,” Captain Lee said, “that they are trying to be fair, and thus conciliatory.”

“With James Varick IV on the board of the society – how in the world?” said Lieutenant O'Reilly.

“He got outvoted,” Captain Hamilton said, “or may know the best way forward is just to let the thing run its course. Either way, we will put in some work tomorrow in seeing if society members have anything to say beside repeating the official position, and I think Mr. Varick will be the one to level with us.”

Tuesday morning: Laurence Cobb, the head of the economic sub-committee of the Tinyville City Council, woke up with a more advanced version of the headache he had when he went to bed. The headache got worse when his executive assistant sent his daily news summary.

“Topia's president and vice president, caught up on theft, assault, bribery – what in the world is going on?”

He called his executive assistant – “Rogers, send me the full stories.” On came the Big Loft Bulletin
online and the daily Lofton County Free Voice … oh, it was horrible.

Mr. Cobb went three-way on the phone with the president of the city council and the mayor – “Are y'all all seeing this?”

That went on for an hour. The council called an emergency meeting – only to hear the sound of a flash protest materializing outside the council chamber, reading the news on the bullhorns and calling out the council on the corrupt and shady dealings Topia had been involved in.

“We ought to call the police!” one councilman suggested.

“We only have two in town,” another said.

“Well, it will give them something better to do beside exposing our partners – I like Captain Hamilton and all, but he is starting to do a bit too much!”

“Yeah, but, they sort of walked into his hands,” another said, “and really, this is a blessing in disguise. Imagine we had gotten started on this project and then all this came out. Captain Hamilton is worth every dime, because down the road we are going to be able to do what we want without having difficulty. We just need a new management company, and better research on what our predecessors were doing in Tinyville before we took power.”

“Okay, so how do we get rid of Topia? Their stupidity aside, they haven't done anything to breach the contract we have.”

“The answer is literally knocking at our door,” said the councilman – Mr. George Smith was his name. “Permission to let the public in and speak their peace on the record.”

“No one has ever allowed the Black public in to speak to the council except for chosen representatives – and even that's a modern development,” said Mr. Van Buren, the president. “That's a lot of heat for us to take in Lofton County.”

“It's 2019, and we need to be out of the Topia contract and this whole mess so we can start again in 2020, fresh – and we definitely need to hire some better researchers, next time out,” Mr. Smith said. “Consider it this way. We put the mess on Topia – they can't defend themselves because the news is out. Topia will turn around and blame the Black people of the town for holding up progress, but Topia will be out of here, so they can't do anything. Our Black people will be pleased to have been heard out, and unless we mess up and pick another spot where there was a massacre, those same Black people will be willing to hear us out. Not only that: we all have alibis because of our Friday meetings. Do you think Topia's people do?”

The mayor, Mr. John Buchanan, laughed.

“I like it,” he said. “It has a certain elegance to it.”

After a little while longer of hemming and hawing, the mayor himself went to open the chamber door and let the protestors in – mostly Black, but with a goodly number of young White supporters as well. The council and the mayor heard them out, on the record, complete with all the data they had on how Topia had been bribing and corrupting people along the path of their projects for a decade or more. They presented sources – good sources. The Lofton County Free Voice had been on its job. All that went into the record. After that, and on the record, the council then passed a resolution to reconsider its relationship with Topia Development Group. The protestors were disbelieving for joy, and one of them said, “What about the field?”

“We will have to reconsider the whole project,” Mr. Van Buren said. “Certainly it will not be able to proceed this year or next year.”

“We don't want it ever – we have a plan for how that field should be used.”

“Bring it to us,” Mr. Van Buren said. “Everything is back on the table – and that is on the record.”

The protestors left at once, guardedly rejoicing, and Mayor Buchanan congratulated Mr. Van Buren after the meeting was over.

“Brilliantly handled, even though I know you didn't want to do it.”

“We get to choose what we take off that table; it didn't cost anything to get them out of here,” Mr. Van Buren said. “The next step is to get our lawyers in step to end that contract – and first – Mr. Cobb, get on the phone or go over to Captain Hamilton's office and get up on what he knows that will help us get through this step.”

Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant O'Reilly were having an interesting morning, calling around to every organization that had Mr. Rett involved with them at around the time that said organization had a dispute with Topia Development Group.

“We know; the secret is asking the question in such a way that it does not tip off anyone we talk with,” the captain said to the lieutenant. So, this is how we need to ask the question; we have learned that Topia may have had an informant inside their organization and that Mr. Rett may have had a line on who that person was.”

“I should say he did!” Lieutenant O'Reilly said.

“Especially pay attention if you get a reaction like that – or if you get stonewalled, like the Lofton County Black Historical Preservation Society is doing us,” Captain Hamilton said. “But the rest of the question is: 'do you have any information related to that?' Let it look like we are lining Topia's representatives up for the kill, and if these organizations will not feel as threatened.”

“Got it, sir.”

All around the organization mulberry bush, then – nobody seemed to have any idea that they had been infiltrated, or had any conversations with Mr. Rett suggesting he was worried about any such thing. All of them had plenty to say about Topia being just the kind of company that would do such a thing, and that if anyone were to have reached out to do in Mr. Rett – faithful, smart, dedicated Mr. Rett – Topia would be just such a company.

What was remarkable was how Mr. Rett, who was treasurer, secretary, timekeeper, various other supportive positions, always ended up in the position of having access to legal strategies and arguments.

“No one, in a world like this, can resist the highly skilled volunteer, especially in small grassroots organizations.” Captain Hamilton said. “He, or she, can do so many things and is so glad to do it. So, if he or she is lured away by evil forces, he or she is nearly impossible to bring to account. No one will believe it until it is far too late.”

“You would think – I mean, Lofton County is big, but it is also small – these people should have run into each other and compared notes.”

“They did – about Topia – how are they doing it to us, and such,” Captain Hamilton said. “There is so much overlap between the personnel of grassroots organizations in this environment that Mr. Rett's ubiquity would not have triggered suspicion.

“Beside that, Lieutenant, I can tell you something from army life that will help you: we talk often of types of blindness, and here is another one: when you have been in battle with people, they become family to you in a way that others who have not been through that shared experience with you can ever understand. This is part of what makes it hard for career military men like Captain Lee and me to readjust to civilian life – civilian life robs us of the close brotherhood we know of fighting men who form those close bonds in the midst of facing danger and death side by side, and also of the depth of relationships we experience. Because I am a family man, it is not hard for me as for some others, and also, you and I have such a bond after the Gilligan House Stand.”

Lieutenant O'Reilly smiled.

“You're right, sir. I do understand what you are saying.”

“Good. Can you then understand how hard it would be for you to believe if you found out I was also corrupt?”

“I would never believe it,” he said. “Never. I know you.”

“You do, indeed,” the captain said, “but now do you understand the blindness within the unit? Had I come with the intention only to let you know what about me would produce the impression I wanted, you would still think you knew me, and be convinced of your opinion.”

Lieutenant O'Reilly considered this, then sighed.

“I see it, sir. We are all limited in what we think we know. I suppose we Christians really ought to be humble, given that none of Jesus' disciples suspected that Judas Iscariot, one of their own, who walked and talked and worked with them and was stealing from them the entire time, was the betrayer.”

Captain Hamilton's face went blank for a moment, and then he nodded.

“Hadn't thought about it that deeply, Lieutenant, but yes, indeed. Yes, indeed.”

“Please don't ever do that,” Lieutenant O'Reilly blurted out. “I couldn't handle being wrong about you, any more than I could handle being wrong about my father or grandfather.”

“Then pray for me, and I never shall,” Captain Hamilton said. “Any man can fall, but because I know you and my own children are watching, I shall forever endeavor to stay far from the edge. That is how it happens, by the way; people ease up to the line of big betrayals with little ones, and one thing builds upon another until the catastrophe hits. This is also why betrayers are often killed if they are found out – no one can handle being that wrong. That is also why we are being very careful not to tip off people yet. They can come to terms with it later; it is important to our investigation that minds remain clear and emotions as calm as possible.”

“But this is what I don't understand,” Lieutenant O'Reilly said. “He was fooling everybody. He was getting away with it. Assume a suicide – what motive? He can walk away from all of it, like he told Ms. Lofton he was going to – he also could have taken Mrs. Drake! Topia couldn't touch him without blowing itself up! The man had no motive for suicide, unless someone was about to expose him!”

“But that's the thing – how much do we ever know anyone's motives, for anything?”

“Right, sir. I forgot, just that quick.”

“Evidence, Lieutenant. That is why we have to stick right with the evidence. We are about to get some more good evidence, too – Captain Lee will be calling in from Big Loft just about … there he is, like clockwork.”

Captain Lee was back in Big Loft, reveling in his element of big data – he had done a deep dive on Topia Development Group and came through with some big news.

“In sleepy Tinyville, the news is bad but things are quiet – but up here, every hour, Topia is imploding as people are coming forward. They have grown by 20 times in the last ten years, and bribed judges, lawyers, informants, anyone they have needed to in that time. This is why the president of Topia is going to be facing assault as the least of his charges – if word about one informant got out with exactly how the scheme worked, the towns and organizations Topia had defeated would know where to look to find out what had been done to them.

“Not only that, Ham – although the president and vice president were the ones panicking, they weren't directly involved in the Tinyville project. A Mr. Thomas B. Hancock was the project manager. I'm sending you a copy of what was publicly filed with the county, along with other documents I have obtained showing that Mr. Hancock was paid a cool million in a bonus after the closing of the court case a few weeks ago. One wonders what exactly he did to earn that other than show up in court on time every day and pass things back and forth to Topia's lawyers.”

“Depends on what he was passing – and what was being passed to him,” Captain Hamilton said.

“Precisely – the evening before Mr. Rett was murdered, Mr. Hancock and someone matching Mr. Rett's description were seen arguing violently – the subject was money. The man resembling Mr. Rett said, 'You wouldn't have a project to manage if it wasn't for me and my work, Hancock – but as usual, you folks always want to low-ball a n****r. I'm not going to ask again, either – you've got the wrong man to play these games with, and you give me until Monday, and you'll know. Mr. Hancock got racial, and then got decked – laid clean out in that alley where the argument was taking place. I'm sending you the name and statement of the witness.”

“That's excellent, Captain Lee – by all means, send it on, and I'll call you back with more updates – Mr. Cobb from the city council is calling, and I'm sure he has a ton of interesting things to say. I'm also having Mr. Varick in today for a nice little exchange of information – that was the only way to break the wall with the historical society of which he is also a member. I'll call you back later with updates – and thanks again!”

Day 13 is up