At six forty-five the elevator doors opened and Frank Foyle knocked on Mike's door.
"Morning Mike, what are you up to? I haven't seen Bob so chipper in the past year."
"Well as you know, I'm moving all the lieutenants over here. I've assigned offices based on impressions and what you and Herb have been able to tell me. Alvarez will be at the end of the hall. We'll be able to see him coming and going. I have Miller next to me and Enright next to you. I've been talking to people about all four of you, Enright as you say may just be getting bad guidance and I think he can be turned around and straightened out. His biggest sin is playing golf and not having the balls to tell Alvarez to fuck off. Brad Holtz told me that Alvarez came over from custody after a brief stint in patrol. His performance was under par there. He impressed the former sheriff enough in some way that his name made the lieutenants list and it finally rolled up and he was sent over here to work with Reyes. Those two were a match made in hell. The detectives were pretty much set adrift except for you and Herb and then the move to this facility made it even more difficult to manage them. Some of them did fine without management but some have developed bad habits. I think we can train around that but that will come with time.
"So what did he say about Miller?"
"Miller also came from custody and at Reyes request. He was a disaster as a Sargent but he's a good test taker. He basically talked himself into a job he couldn't do. But he lucked out and fell in with Reyes and Alverez, which brings me to you Frank."
"And?"
"My only beef with you is Enright, how hard did you try to break the bad influence he was under?"
"Maybe I didn't try hard enough, he's a nice enough guy but I think he was suffering from 'Command Staff Lunacy', he suddenly became one of three African American Lieutenants in the whole department and it went to his head. Initially he seemed to see a path to higher rank and didn't make much of an effort to support his men. I tried to straighten him out but Reyes got in my way pretty regularly and marginalized my influence. Now that he's seen Reyes go down in flames he's a little less cock sure and more open to advice. He still spends too much time on the fucking golf course, but then I hate the game."
"Fair enough, so you've been reestablishing lines of communication with Enright then, that's good. His file says he's pretty good and could be an exceptional manager. He came up from patrol and it was a hard fight for him. I think he warrants another chance to square himself away. What do you think Frank?"
"I agree, in all fairness I think Miller and Alvarez are up to something. I don't know what but I think a visit from IA is in their future."
"I suspect somethings up there too; I just don't know what." Mike grumbled.
Since you are the senior Lieutenant I'm going to have Enright shadow you. Maybe we can teach him some good habits to replace the bad ones he's already got. He'll be riding with me too but he could use some exposure to someone who knows what the job is about, and that's you.
"You know if you keep on like this I'm going to have to delay my retirement," Frank grinned.
"That would break your heart wouldn't it," Mike smiled back.
"Charles One!" squawked the radio on Mike's desk.
Mike answered, "Charles One go ahead."
Sir, I have someone to see you, shall I send them to the elevator?"
"Please do, I'll go and meet them."
"Good morning sir, I'm detective Sargent Antonia Putnam from Kitsap county."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Mike and I'm glad to see you. Let me call another detective and we'll all sit down and chat. I know there's coffee here somewhere I could smell it when I arrived. I know it's this side of the Red Zone."
"What I need at the moment is a toilet, it's a long ferry ride from Bremerton," Antonia indicated.
"Actually , you walked past them on the way in. Behind you about twenty feet on your left, would you like me to hold your case?"
"Thanks, er Mike, I'll be right back."
"So what's the red zone?" Antonia asked when she returned.
"It's a no carry zone, no guns beyond the gate unless there's an alarm. Gun lockers are just outside the gate. It keeps guns out of interrogation," It's not something I want to change.
"Well I haven't been here since before Reyes quit, he and our Sheriff didn't see eye to eye on much."
"So I heard, Herb is just pulling up out back, he should be in here soon," Mike shared. Coffee and vending machines are just down here.
"Thanks Mike, my favorite place to get coffee is gone, even the building. I could use some chips and a coke or something," Antonia replied.
"Morning Herb, an emissary from Kitsap county has arrived bearing information I hope."
"Morning Mike, that's great, who did they send?"
"Sergeant Putnam, she's struggling a bit with the informal approach."
"Antonia?! She's a good one, we've worked together before."
"Hi Herb, how are you. It's been a while hasn't it," Antonia chirped.
"Sure has, um let's grab the small conference room, is Frank going to sit in?" Herb asked.
"I'd like him to, but I left the call sign sheet on my desk."
"How about I just text him," Herb chuckled.
"So here's what I have, Female age thirty-one known prostitute found wrapped in a drop cloth in her own minivan. Across the street from Bremerton's ferry docks. Vehicle was in the lot for three days before discovery. She was pretty at one time, name of Alicia Urcutt from Bellingham. She used a service to book clients but the guys haven't been able to get past her phone to find out which one. I brought a copy of the file for you guys to keep, the postmortem is pretty clear that it was torture then asphyxiation. Rape with a foreign object and no DNA trace. We found some trace that Pierce County's lab is calling paint, dark green, they're having trouble finding the maker."
"Well maybe Bruce will have better luck with the trace, Shit! Herb look at this, the trace is in the same location, I think it's the same guy and the paint is on his gloves that he uses to move them around by the wrists and ankles."
"You know, the ferries are green and white, the handrails are green and they always need painting," Frank put in.
"I think we need to call Scott and get busy canvasing the Ferries, I think we can safely say this is a serial case. Antonia I'm sure you know that this requires secrecy, the press could give the subject a heads-up so just be careful who you tell."
"You got it Mike, give me a call if you need manpower or anything else. I'll help wherever I can," Antonia declared.
"So is this SOB smart or lucky. Five murders in four counties so far, was he counting on poor communication or just very fortunate. Let's get a team together, I want to know who was working which Ferry around the dates that the bodies were found. On both ends of the run, that makes two in Kitsap, One in Pierce and one in Snohomish plus ours here. We have about a week maybe two before he gets hungry again. Let's get a presentation together for the people we're going to involve and I want to address them as a group. We have to act quickly before he grows a brain, and don't exclude women from the suspect list just because of gender. Women serials are rare but not unheard of," Mike counselled.
"Hey Antonia, if you hang around I wouldn't mind picking your brain a little. We could hit Red's for a bit of lunch before you catch the late Ferry," Herb offered.
"Actually I'm staying in town tonight, I'm going shopping tomorrow before I head back so, yeah I'm in."
"Great, I'll go through the roster and see who we have available and which of them is suitable. We have a few problems here and I don't want the investigation compromised by somebody with a flappy mouth," It's going to be a busy day but there's only so much we can do in the time we have, at least we know what we're looking for. Who would be better but knowing it's a serial will get us plenty of support," Herb added.
"Hey Scott, I think we have made a determination, definitely a serial, We're going to put a team together to canvas the ferries, it might be a crew member, Bruce can tell us if that green trace the M.E. found, is paint from the ferries."
"Ah shit Mike, you really know how to spoil a good Monday. Okay, what do you need from me?"
"At the moment not much, if we get the cooperation we need from the Transportation people. Otherwise you might have to twist an arm or two. Oh and let's leave Miller and Alvarez where they are. I'll bring you up to speed as to why. But I want Enright in place tomorrow, he needs to bring his office stuff, I get the impression from Frank that Enright is salvageable if we can break some bad habits."
"I guess I threw you in at the deep end, or did you jump? I recall that you made first contact."
"Doesn't matter, I'm in it now and I'm here till I'm done."
"Okay Mike, I will update the Sheriff and she'll see to the budget."
"Thanks Scott, talk to you later."
****
"Good morning Janisse, is Chase awake?" I asked.
Good morning Etienne Yes, he's upstairs, is this John?"
"Yes, I'm sorry I forgot you hadn't met him yet. John this is Janisse. She's very nice and she takes very good care of them."
"Hello Janisse, Carter says you are very nice. Can I go up and see him now?" John asked.
"As soon as I get a hug from you two boys you are free to go."
John grinned and leaned out of my arms and hugged Janisse' neck and I followed his lead. I had John knock on Carters door. The two little guys squealed at the meeting and disappeared into Carter's room.
I knocked on Chases door and entered. Chase was looking up seemingly random facts on his computer.
"I called Nate last night, he's doing well and I told him we could meet him and his foster dad at Lincoln Park whenever they make it over."
"Great, I'd like to see him again. I've never been around him when he was happy," Chase uttered absently.
"Are you okay Chase? you seem upset. Is there anything I can do?" I asked.
"Huh? No I'm sorry, I'm just trying to figure out what purpose my mother killing my sister served. How can anyone be so crazy that they'd kill their own daughter. I didn't sleep much last night, I had a nightmare and relived it again," Chase explained.
"Would some fresh air help you get a handle on it?"
"Maybe, I may need to go see the doctor about it again. I thought it was behind me but it came back."
"You know I'm here whenever you need someone to listen," I soothed.
"Thanks Jem, I love you. Just having you here helps."
We looked in on the little guys and let them know we were going for a walk.
It's nice out today, let's walk to the Mooks and wander around, Chase suggested.
We let Janisse know where we were going and agreed to return in less than two hours.
Chase and I walked towards the park enjoying the sun.
"Jem, have you ever had anything really bad happen in your life?"
"Yes Chase, a couple things. When I was seven I saw an older boy run over by a garbage truck. He tried to cut across the road between two parked cars. He didn't see the truck. It was pretty awful. A year later one of our neighbors killed her three year old girl and then herself with a shot gun. I was sent over to give her some mail that had ended up in our mailbox. The front door was open. Everyone had heard the shots but we thought it was backfires from a motorcycle. One of the other neighbors heard me screaming and discovered the bodies. I missed a month of school. But it's not the same thing, I didn't know them and I wasn't nearly killed myself. You've been incredibly strong Chase, maybe you could cut yourself some slack."
"I'm trying Jem, I wish I could just forget but I can't, it will always be there.
"I know you can't forget, but you can recognize that it was beyond your control. I know you feel like you should have saved your sister but it wasn't possible. You will probably never know why it happened, mental illness is so destructive, it doesn't just affect one person, it affects everyone that cares about them," I said softly.
"Thanks Jem, I love you so much, thanks for all you've done."
"For you I would do anything in my power.
****
Mike sat at his desk making an organizational chart of the taskforce he would assemble when he heard the chime of the elevator. He looked up to see Lt. Enright begin to walk past and invited him to sit.
"Good afternoon Captain Mac Gregor, I was told to report here in the morning and I thought I would stop in and set up my desk," Paul Enright uttered a bit nervously.
"Well let's talk a bit and then you can check out your office. You'll find your name written on blue tape on your door. We'll worry about nameplates later. You and I need to have a serious talk. I have reviewed your performance in other divisions and bureaus and they all seem exemplary examples. You have eleven detectives that report to you directly and none of them are getting the support that they need to do their job. I also hear you spend an inordinate amount of time on golf courses with Alverez and Miller, are you a cop or a pro golfer? Mike asked pointedly.
"Before I answer your question sir, do you know Louis Baker?"
"Yes, I do, he's a damn good man, I have a lot of respect for what he's accomplished and I like to think that my guidance had an effect. How do you know Lou?"
"He's my uncle sir, he said you were the real deal and I could level with you without any blowback, is that true?"
"It is, I like to think I give everyone a fair hearing, I try to learn as much about a situation as I can before I act."
"Fair enough, I'm a cop first and foremost. Lt. Foyle tried to warn me off getting too chummy with Alvarez and Miller but I didn't listen. It took me a while to learn that he was right, and I should have listened. It's true I like golf but I won't be playing on company time anymore. Are you familiar with the term "majate?"
"Yes I am, literally it means black dung beetle but in Mexican Spanish it's comparable to the "N" word," Mike put in.
"Well I heard Alvarez refer to me in that fashion in the locker room, he and Miller had a good laugh. It pissed me off so I started digging into their other activities. It looks like they are picking up where Reyes left off, they meet with Gang members that aren't related to any open case and I'm reasonably sure I saw money change hands. Two days before you were hired I took my findings to Internal Affairs. Just before I left the castle I told the undersheriff also. I think they were trying to recruit me or at least see if I was amenable to a little extra cash. I'm not, just so you know. I didn't like being separated from the men but I acquiesced and that's something I'll have to live with. If I have the chance to prove myself under honest leadership you won't be disappointed sir," Enright finished.
"That is the assessment that I made with Frank's help yesterday. From what you tell me we may have to get by with fewer command officers for a while. To address your remarks, I think maybe you picked up some bad habits without a competent leader to keep you pointed the right direction, further I don't think at this point it would take much effort to convince you to toe the line. We'll know pretty soon. Here's the deal, you will have no private contact with Miller or Alvarez. That goes for your off hours too. How anyone approved the three of them working together is beyond me. It took place before the current Undersheriff and Sheriff took over so I can't blame them. Anything beyond that is up to I.A. , Can you live with that?"
"I can sir, I have no particular desire to associate with them on or off the job," Enright agreed.
Good, next, lose the sir, we will have better unit cohesion if we are all on a first name basis, that means me too. My name is Mike, you know Frank and tomorrow all the people in the office will be addressing us by our first names. I hate to put you in a spot but do you know of any detectives that are particularly close to the dynamic duo?
"Only one sir um Mike, Marty Hill. He's not one of the more productive men and he has a lot of unaccounted for time. I think he might be the errand boy."
"Funny you should mention him, he's the only one that knew I would be here this morning. He spouted off to Bob as soon as he walked through the door. I'll have to find something for him to do for the next few weeks, I don't want anybody discussing the case that's hitting the fan tomorrow."
"I guess I'll hear about it tomorrow, I know trust will have to be earned Mike."
"You'll notice I didn't bring either of those two over here. I had a reason for that Paul, we have something that needs to remain leak proof. If it gets out before we're ready to tell the press, I'll be the one calling I.A. and someone will lose their star. If I can't fire them they'll be writing parking tickets in Burien, Mike threatened.
"Custody is always shorthanded, they could use the loan of a body for a couple of weeks, obviously he can't work in the blocks but he could free up someone who can," Paul suggested.
"That's not the worst idea I've ever heard. I'll have Frank make the call. That way it won't come back to you. I'd like to get him moved before tomorrow. Why don't you stop by Frank's office and see if you can mend some fences there? I'll walk over with you."
The two men joined Frank in his office and gave him the short version of what was needed.
"Did you see the group email Mike?"
"About?"
"About custody's need for any spare manpower that can be spared. They need a month's commitment," Frank advised.
An interesting smile crossed Mike's face, "do it, have him report tomorrow. Do you think there's a chance he has a uniform?"
"Probably not, but we all have coveralls, if you give me your sizes I know who to call and they can have a couple of sets here tomorrow," Frank offered.
"Thanks, I'm a 46 long usually but have them send a 48 long too and I'll see which fits best. Oh and get me the number please, and tell them no rank insignia."
"You got it Mike, I'll give her a call and text you the number. Have a seat Lieutenant," Frank said as Mike took his leave.
"So what do you think of our new Captain?" Frank asked.
"I think he's a square deal kind of guy. Do you know if he was a submariner?" Paul asked.
"Nope, he was a Marine Major, he spent a lot of time in the gulf and that general part of the world. More than that you'd have to ask him," Frank revealed.
"Well sub crews are pretty familiar, I wondered if that was where he got it from."
Paul looked Frank in the eyes, "I owe you an apology, I didn't value the advice you gave me early on. I was the first black lieutenant in CID and I thought I was ridin' high. I feel like a complete dumbass at the moment but I'm ready to commit to this unit and pull my weight. There's a lot I don't know about this job but if you're willing to teach me you'll have a willing pupil."
"How long did you practice that speech in the mirror?" Frank asked.
"About half an hour, but I mean every word."
"Alright then, Cleanslate, go peel Millers name off the office next door and stow your gear. Mike intends for this to be our house until the new facility is finished. Scott called me about what you told him this afternoon, you made the right choice and I respect it. We sure don't need another Reyes and Mike is a truly committed individual. It's probably going to get a little ugly as the house cleaning commences. I'm sending Harris down to Olympia to work with a group that's after a counterfeit handbag ring. I hope that's all the intel assets those two had, I'm betting they're greedy so they wouldn't have a lot of people in the loop."
"I thought Harris was out on Medical," Paul imparted.
"Nope, he's been back for a month, it was like old home day for him and Miller. Screw him, he's useless as an investigator, Frank growled.
"Won't that compromise the other investigation Frank?"
"No, they just need bodies for surveillance work, mostly sitting on his ass in a car with another empty suit. Of course when I told Harris I threw in the word taskforce a lot and interdepartmental unity and support," Frank smiled.
"So he's excited then, eh?"
"Hey, maybe it's his calling. He might be really good at looking at the same door hours on end," Frank chuckled.