Beth found a report from Norm Higashi in her in box and read it quickly. There was a list of officers and offenders from the Harlan County area and a financial report on the city manager which clearly indicated that he was living well beyond his means with no source of income other than his job to explain it. His resignation had been under a cloud of sorts and it was rumored that he had been asked for his resignation. Norm’s last note said he couldn’t find anything on the city manager, Mark Simmons, prior to his job in Harlan County.
She called a federal agent she knew and asked if she could get an unofficial rundown on Mark Simmons and gave the agent Simmons’ previous job and his current job and address.
“I’ll get back to you judge,” the agent said and she gave him her mobile number. Later that day she heard from her agent friend and he asked, “Do you have his prints, Beth?”
“We should he’s a bonded city employee,” she said, “I’ll get the information to you later today,” she said.
“The sooner the better,” the agent said, “And be careful about it. If he’s who we think he is he could be dangerous.”
When she was informed Simmons could be dangerous Beth decided to check the file herself to keep attention off of fellow team members. She called the agent back when she discovered the prints were missing from Simmons’ file. He told her to let it be that he would get back to her. She received a call from the local federal office a couple of hours later and the agent said someone from his office would be in Alta Vista tomorrow to check into the matter.
She went in and found Matt and Norm still working. “Great report Norm, very helpful but it’s late, time to go home,” she said.
“Matt do you want to come by for a drink?” she asked, “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“No problem, I’ll follow you home,” he said and they locked the office up together.
Driving home Matt noticed a car tailing Beth and started watching it more closely. He called Beth on her mobile and told her what he suspected and she told Matt that it could be dangerous to lay back.
“That’s an order!” Beth said.
The veteran homicide detective in Beth switched into high gear and all of her years of training took over. She recalled that two veterans were patrolling her area tonight and she asked to be patched through to them.
“John,” she said, “this is your new chief.”
“I know your voice Detective Able, what can I do for you?”
“I need silent backup at my residence, immediately,” she said.
“You got it chief.”
She knew that she had a tactical advantage because the jerks didn’t know she was on to them. Coldly, her mind rehearsed her next set of actions, knowing she was prepared for the confrontation.
They were still a half block behind her when she pulled into her usual place in the driveway and quickly rolled out of the car and dropped to the ground. Drawing her gun in a crouching run she reached the side of the garage just as the other car pulled to a screeching halt behind her car. Two men got out and riddled her car with bullets while Matt braked to a stop in the street.
The thugs checked the car and swore when they found it empty and then ducked when they were caught in cross fire between the chief and Matt. They were trying to get into their car to escape when John and the other officer pulled their patrol car into the driveway trapping them. The men tried running but the judge threw on her yard lights and they were easily rounded up by Matt and the two officers.
The officers cuffed them and put them in their patrol car.
Matt stalked over to the judge hands on hips and out of breath but held his peace when the other officers came over and said, “It’s Mark Simmons, our city manager.”
“Book them and hold them, a federal agent will show up tomorrow to check their prints.” “And thank you men, good work.”
They looked at her car, “damn, he really wanted you dead,” the officer said. Matt’s face turned white when he saw the bullet riddled car.
Within fifteen minutes Lowe from the crime lab showed up at the judge’s house and began supervising his technicians.
Beth had been watching Matt’s face and said, “Let’s get the coffee pot out and set it up this is going to be an all-night session.”
As soon as they were inside the door Matt yelled, “What the hell were you doing playing the Lone Ranger?”
“Matt, calm down your warning call allowed me to prepare. I got right on the phone and called for backup and I was ready for them.”
“You knew it was Simmons’ why didn’t you tell me he was a criminal?”
“Matt, I just found out an hour or so before I came in and asked you over here to talk about it and to make sure our offices were cleared out.”
“Look Beth, you can’t catch all of the bad guys yourself. You’re the chief now, damn it!”
“Matt, I didn’t want to discuss it in the office just to be on the safe side and it was my decision.”
A knock on the door slowed Matt down and he went to get the coffee pot and card table for the front porch while she answered the door.
The retiring chief asked if she had been hurt and she reassured him and said, “as a matter of fact I was going to dig the coffee pot out and set it up on the porch.
“Damn it Beth the car’s wiped out! How long were you on to him?”
“Only about an hour chief and I didn’t know for sure, I suspected,” she told him.
“Well, from now on use a driver when there is the slightest danger,” he told her.
She maneuvered the chief out to the porch and they sat talking while Matt set up the coffee pot. She could tell Matt was still pissed but they could talk later.
Headlights and flashing red, blue, and amber lights bathed her front lawn; chatter from police radios filled the night air and lab techs quietly worked the crime scene as a crowd began to gather behind the yellow crime tape. Sadly, the judge was reminded of the night they found Jose’s body in her car trunk. This one was for Jose’s kids she thought grimly.
The chief poured a cup of coffee and sat down with Beth and a couple of minutes later the commissioner showed up and walked across her lawn to view her car and then join them on the porch for coffee.
“So, whose cage did you rattle this time Beth?” John asked.
“Alta Vista’s local gang and drug connection,” Beth told the commissioner.
“Yes,” the chief said, “Our esteemed city manager,” he told the commissioner.
“Congratulations, Beth, good work,” and he shook her hand while reporters watching from the crowd behind the tape took pictures with their phones and transmitted them to the Evening Standard’s office.
Beth gestured to Matt and he finally came and joined them.
“Evening Matt,” the commissioner said, “Congratulations to the whole team.”
“Thanks, commissioner.” Matt sat sipping his coffee and thinking, I hate it when Beth’s in danger but that’s where she always is, right in the middle of the action. I might as well get used to it; I’m not going to leave the team to avoid the worry. Damn woman was the best homicide partner I ever had.
The four sat on Beth’s porch chatting and drinking coffee into the night and soon a few officers from other shifts began to filter the police tape in groups of two or three and walk up to the porch to shake the new chief’s hand. They had heard about the action on dispatch and on the local television station and they came to quietly pay their respect and show their support for Chief Able. Beth handled them with just the right touch of friendliness and dignity while on the inside she was aware of the growing sense of brotherhood among her men and between her and the men that would help her gain control of department operations and implement her new programs. She was a cop again and it felt good.
(C) August 2013 Karen MacEanruig
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