Chapter 6 - Round Two
That day, defined things for the near future. I called my work and explained the situation I was in. Since I was between big projects, was there any way I could take some kind of a leave of absence. My fiancee was brutally murdered. I was in the cross-hairs of an investigation. I was falling to pieces emotionally as one could expect. I had to be hospitalized briefly and medicated.
My boss called me back, and said if I wanted to take an open ended, unpaid leave of absence? The company understood. When this huge fiasco was over? I could come back and we would talk. He wished me all the luck in the world, and how sorry he was. I thanked him for understanding. He told me I didn't create the situation, and good luck settling personal matters. A leave of absence when a loved one dies? Not unheard of. He wished me the best.
The detectives got a weekly camera shot. The boyfriend being walked in for questioning again. The news vultures speculated, and it heightened the drama. With nothing from any corner but no comment for a comment? They naturally came up with all kinds of theories. Once inside he station and into a locked interview room? The gold shield lead detective, and his chrome plated regular detectives under his command, transformed. The detective in the meeting was true to his word.
With my guardian angel legal eagle hovering over me, I felt safer now. With all the detectives, I opened up over time about all aspects of our relationship. They were particularly interested in any tidbits I had gleaned about her work life. I knew the rank basics. She had worked as an entry level lawyer for a brief period for one of her father's friends.
Digging, they got his story. He had once been a young politician of low status. He wanted to take a run at getting elected to state congress. His team behind him, talked him into a run at state senator instead. The aging state senator in a nearby district, was ripe to be challenged. And the state congressman they had originally entertained? Was better entrenched.
My girl's dad? Had already had his business venture flower. He had access to other big business owners. He organized fundraisers and shoveled campaign money and support to this guy. It was explained to me. Big businessmen? Like to play the ponies. The politicians are the ponies. You back one on the ground floor, well. They make it? Now you have unparalleled access to something there. You've bought influence. In on the ground floor, you had top level access and care coming back. You believed in him when he was a nobody. The care and favors coming back? Obvious.
He won his state senator seat. Politically adept, he navigated his freshman tour of the senate and avoided any pitfalls. As an incumbent, and with big business in his area backing him, he became the perennial incumbent. This saw him move up. Sitting on committees is a sign of importance. The differing committees each have more or less importance level to them. One of the biggest? Ways and means. This, is the budget purse strings for the whole state budget. Chairing that committee? Made him bigger yet.
In charge of the state budget, various things across the state can have their budget increased, decreased, or scrapped altogether. Politics is all about horse trading. You need X number of votes more, to get legislation Y passed. Politicians want things for their home district. If you control the ways and means committee? You can get legislation through.
This, makes you an effective and respected politician. The man retired at the height of his game. He passed his reins to another senator under him. This man, inherited his fundraising capability. He also honored the fund raisers, the businessmen back home. A few phone calls from a powerful senator? Can affect things. Little things to the senator, but big things to the businessmen. Access and approval for bidding on big jobs for the state. Zoning and various legislation. This replacement senator? Also inherited his predecessor's people.
From anything anyone could gather, anyone being the detectives and the law office investigator. My girl had been passed on to the new senator. They all said that investigating her was easy. Everyone wanted to help with her murder. They knew she had a fiancee boyfriend, they just didn't see him much. No one at work had a bad thing to say about her. I had related what she was like. A polite stubborn streak. A boy scout honor code. A work ethic. A certain naivete about how things really worked in some areas. They asked for examples.
"Okay. She was asked to volunteer for campaign duty. When the governor is in the party you're in? He asks for volunteers to do weekends and evenings for a number of littler people's campaigns. For certain key positions. If you volunteer? You're a solid team player. You get major brownie points. It never hurts your career, it only helps it."
"Okay. How is this... explaining how she's naive in certain areas."
I sighed.
"She's not what you would call... streetwise. I'm getting there. So. The campaigns were over. Number of successful runs. The governor? Happy his power level increased. More politicians that owe him, that he can count on to do things when asked. So. She was excited to get asked to the big... thank you party. At the governor's mansion. She asked me to go."
"Did you?"
"No. I'm not into politics. I don't... I'm not one of those people that wants to kiss ass. Listen to a bunch of people brag about... investments, how important they are, all that. I turned it down. So, she reports back to me later. Something puzzled her at the party. She'll typically come to me, to ask what she was missing."
"What was your girl scout missing."
"Hmm. She said, everyone was going to check the turkey. Couples and groups. Hey, did you check the turkey? Oh, it smells great. Can't wait till its done. She said, she just found it weird."
"What did you tell her."
"I asked her. So. You're telling me, that all the thank you party people. Being rewarded with governor time at a party with him... were all taking turns going to the kitchen. She says... yeah. I made a joke."
"What... joke did you make."
"I was just kidding. I said they were probably all going to the kitchen, to do big hairy lines of coke. And everyone knows she's a stick in the mud? And were being polite. I asked her if she went to check the turkey."
"And?"
"She did. Said the turkey was on really low heat, it was going to take forever. Then, I made the joke. Well? Was there a giant pile of powdered sugar out in the kitchen? Rich people thank other rich people, by putting a kilo of cocaine out, you know."
"And what did she say."
"She looks at me. Funny. And says you know what? There was a big pile of powdered sugar in the kitchen. On a big tray. Someone came in as she was leaving, and she said when she asked? She got smiled at, and told that was for the candy. She asked me, what the stuff looks like. I don't do the shit? I just smoke a joint on weekends, does me fine. I had her describe it to me. I told her? It would look like ground up aspirins. The size of the pile she indicated with her hands? Sounded like a shitload to me."
"That was that?"
"I made more glib jokes. Was everyone all smiles and talkative? All big shots. Sniffling all night. She said... now that I mention it? She just thought everyone was getting drunk on all the expensive champagne, but yeah. I told her. Rich people? And coke. Go together like peas and carrots."
"Did she say anything to anyone? Raise hell."
"Nope. I just told her that was what was going on, just ignore it if you don't do it."
"So. That is naive. Book smart, not street smart."
"Pretty much. Sheltered upbringing."
"Kind of girl that would believe anything you told her with a straight face. Could walk in on a Roman orgy, you could tell her it wasn't what it looked like, everyone was getting a breast exam."
"So. What tipped her off about the... turkey."
"Honest? She noticed that I, uh... will disappear for 10 or 15 minutes at a party or get together? Then I reappear shortly. She knows I go off to blow a joint at a party. She said, people were disappearing just like that, and it reminded her of how I disappeared at a party."
"Okay. Why, would a party leader? Stick someone naive like that. In charge of different things. Wouldn't you want someone who... knows how things really work? The last thing you want, is a boy scout."
The law office investigator raised his hand.
"I can offer insight into that question. We, uh... among other things? We... provide outside auditing for a few things. Independents are considered more trustworthy in reporting, than insiders with loyalties."
"Go. You're on."
"Actually. When there's been a couple of scandals? You're looking for a loyal to a fault, hardworking, naive person to put in charge of something. Someone not streetwise? Perfect. You got your squeaky clean cover. Couple years of having a boy scout run something? You move them onto the next thing. Everything is still going on, but... they're clueless. They can swear everything is on the up and up, and pass a lie detector test, and investigators believe them. Because they're telling the truth.
I chuckled.
"You? Are describing her. To a capital letter T."
"Okay. What were some of her jobs. Read them back to me."
A detective started.
"Here's a stretch. Senate judiciary committee. Vice chair."
I piped up.
"I remember that one. There was no chair? It was vacant. She basically ran the committee for a while. I asked why not just put her in the chairperson seat? She said, a lawyer isn't allowed to chair it. So? They left her vice chair, and with a vacant chair left not appointed? She basically ran it."
The led detective asked for a definition.
"I don't speak political. The hell does that committee run, anyways."
I raised my hand.
"Actually, I always wondered that. She didn't talk about it much, other than she was tickled pink to get a position like that. I found out from someone on line, that had to tell me. They said, every magistrate and judge in the whole state would know her name. If a judge was naughty? He'd have to face her for disciplinary measures. I laughed when he told me that."
"Why."
"If you knew her. She's big, no huge. On... well, that's against the rules. You shouldn't do that. I mean, my joke was. Those judges were in for it, if they ran afoul of her. I wouldn't want to be in the hot seat with her finger on the button. She's a girl scout."
The detectives looked at one another.
"I want a list. Get it quietly. Of every last magistrate or judge she ever put the spanking to."
"It'll take time, but okay. Boss, what are you thinking here."
"We've had some real winners over the years in this state. Some of them? Were tied to organized crime. You get in with a judge? Racketeers love that buddy system. She could have seriously pissed off the exact wrong people, in that position."
"I'll get on it."
"Remember. Get on it like a church mouse. This all stays off the books. Until we come up with something substantial enough to even think about it."
"Hey. Tell me another story. Where she was naive. This is all pay dirt, maybe."
"If you value hearsay."
"Hey. Hearsay, when you have nothing? Is something. We're generating leads. Give me another one. Wait. First? What was another job she did."
"Uh. Senate democratic policy committee. Was vice chair, then moved up to chair it for a while, before moving on."
"The hell do they do. I don't speak political, I speak cop."
Law office investigator's turn again.
"Oh. You ever notice, every politician in a party? They all have key things they all say. Its handed out to them. This year? Here's what we're all pushing. That? Is the party's official stance on things. They set... policy for the party. If a platform is hurting more than helping? They discuss changing a platform issue. Adding, subtracting, changing positions."
Lead detective mused on it.
"Doesn't sound like something to kill someone over. That all they do there?"
"No. Lobbyists? Come to that committee. With what they're paid to push for. That committee? Hooks lobbyists up with the sitting politicians they need to talk to."
"Lobbying? Is legal bribing of politicians. You make big enough campaign contributions, you can get any law or regulation passed. I'm streetwise? I know better than to get between important people that have money and want something, and politicians with their hands out, begging hat in hand for campaign contributions. Rule number one, never, ever... get between important people, and what they crave."
"Another case again. Putting a girl scout, with a squeaky clean sense of what's the letter of what's right? In charge of something that could have kinky shit happening."
"Well? Now give me a story about that period in her life."
"Funny story. Okay, here's one. Years back, there was that bath salts stuff going around."
The detective laughed.
"Yeah. The golden age, of the perfectly legal, over the counter designer drugs. You take a drug like meth or cocaine. You make a similar acting, but perfectly legal drug. That does the same thing. It takes years, to get a specific chemical compound, outlawed. A lot of money to be made in those couple years, perfectly legal."
"Right. I remember when she was talking about bath salts getting shut down state by state. Our state? Was late to the party. Seems old lawmakers don't hear about the young kid's party favors much. Not like anyone tells grandpa about the fun times."
"Okay."
"Well? I went on vacation. Another state. I had never seen or heard of... spice before."
"I remember that designer drug. Meth or cocaine, was marketed as bath salts. That? Was imitation THC. Active ingredient in pot. They sprayed it on... harmless dried leaves and sold it. The compound? Was marketed as plant food as a chemical. In reality? It was so you could spray it on oregano or anything you wanted, and it was identical to pot. Anyone that smoked pot? Had a couple years to enjoy it for perfectly legal."
"Yeah. Funny story there. So. I'm on vacation. Local kids? Are running in and out of the local convenience store there. I mean, this incense? Is flying off the shelves."
Lead detective, and the other detectives, chuckled copiously.
"Right. So... I'm camping out on a gun range. Gun competition vacation once a year for me. I'm with all these cops and military guys all around me. My buddy? We both noticed that stuff. We asked the lady at the store. She says, this incense? People reported it gives a relaxing feeling. She's foreign, Hindu or some shit. Anyways, me and my buddy both bought a packet."
"You didn't know?"
"No. Its night time. All the cops and military? Everyone's drinking beer. We're sitting at a picnic table? Putting pieces of this incense, herbs looking stuff. Into an ashtray, trying to set the incense on fire? And breathe smoke in. We want to try the relaxation incense."
The detectives are starting to laugh.
"And who is the naive one now, huh?"
"Yeah. So... younger kid walks by, asks. We explain. He says, I swear to god. Why don't you just roll a joint of it up? You're guaranteed to get some smoke into you that way. This incense routine isn't working. I mean, cops and sheriff deputies are walking by, watching us try to inhale incense out of an ashtray? Said have fun. No one knew."
"How did this go."
"We sent the kid to the convenience store we all used for staying there. He brought us back more beer, and... a pack of cigarette papers. We rolled up a fatty, and... sat there taking hits of the worst tasting shit I ever smoked in my life."
Cops are busting a gut now.
"And?"
"Next thing you know? I feel... really funny. Paranoid. My buddy comes up to me, asks me if I feel funny. He says he feels funny too."
"You guys were stoned off your ass, right?"
"Yep. I'm a one hit wonder when I smoke, it hits me harder. I went and laid down, I'm crushed. An hour later, laying there in la la land? I can move around. Man, I ate so much of that barbecued whole spit roasted pig we had going? Wasn't even funny."
Cops were still chuckling.
"Yep. That was spice. But, how does this... relate."
"Getting there. So. I have perfectly legal... pot? I bought some. I had traveling money on me. I bought a nice bag. When we broke up the competition, and I traveled back home? I stop off at her place, cause its on the way back home, breaks up this long drive. She asks me what I'm doing? I told her. Smoking incense on the back porch. Perfectly legal, as good or better than the real thing. Its legal. No drug test, no more worrying I left a joint in the ashtray or a cop finds my dime bag. This? is the best thing ever."
The cops were still chuckling.
"I bet. You're at her house. I smell the tie in."
"Yeah. I drive home. With my perfectly legal stash. God, I loved it. Couple weeks I'm back out her house? She casually drops to me. Hey, you remember that stuff you found out of state? I said yeah. She's all smiles. Thanks, honey. None of the old men lawmakers? Knew anything about it. You made me a hero. I brought it to their attention? Bang. Emergency session was on anyways, I authored the bill that the signatures went on? Sailed right through. Thanks honey. Looking like you got me a big promotion, maybe. Everyone loves me now."
"Hmm. How were you about this."
"Honest? I about wanted to strangle her. Its like... she ruined my fun. And? I actually felt bad. If I had just kept my mouth shut? Everyone having perfectly legal fun across the whole state? Might still have had more years of it. I mean, it suddenly dawned on me. I actually had to watch, what I said to her. It could make things happen, across the state. I never realized it before, how important she was. The hell do I know what stupid committees do, anyways. I'm a computer programmer."
"Anything else?"
"Well, yeah. Every once in a while? She'd use me for a sounding board. See. I'm a republican, and a big conservative on most things. She? Works in the democratic party. She'd argue something. Politically oriented. An issue. Me? I'd laugh at her viewpoint, and tear her apart. She liked it when I did it. Apparently? She'd write my arguments down, and take it to work. They would study my objections she couldn't overcome? Try to come up with good answers to win. She said, I was helping her out at work, everyone said her policy papers, were gold."
"Its funny. You? Are a republican. Arguing and winning to her. She, is taking that to work, so the party can come up with answers to those arguments."
"Yeah. Not what I intended. But... until stuff like these last two examples? I never realized how important she was. She was just... my quirky eccentric girlfriend."
The detective took leads to look into out of that.
"Okay. She could have got in the way somehow, of lobbyists, and campaign money. Find out what bills she authored, or worked on. Has to be a way to find out, quietly. I'm maybe? Starting to see a pattern here."
"Name that pattern, boss."
"Little miss goody two shoes, Bill? No disrespect. Is that a fair estimation of her?"
"Perfect."
"Little miss goody two shoes. Up in the reins of power. Naive as a babe in the woods. Wouldn't recognize a cocaine party, when she's at one. She... did the wrong thing, and didn't even know it."
"Boss? How do we pin that thing down. How do we know it, when we see it?"
"I don't know, but. They move her around. She's... the squeaky clean girl, they put in charge of things, to give it the up and up appearance, while everyone carries on in the background. We'll find it maybe, we keep nosing around. Now, what else did she do."
"Uh... counsel for the senate, for a while."
"I speak cop, someone translate political into cop for me."
I got that one.
"I know this one. The people that write laws? Want it to have a certain effect. You might intend to close one loophole. Or? Open another one, deliberately. As counsel, she interprets the law by the book, to ensure it says what you want it to say, or not say. As a corporate lawyer, she was good at legal research."
"We run out of her jobs yet?"
"Yeah."
"Okay. Brainstorm, ladies and gentlemen. What are the common threads."
Detectives and the investigator and even my lawyer, everyone gave ideas.
"Cocaine party at the governor's mansion. Drugs."
"Common theme. She single handed, shuts down legal spice sales, across the state. Even jacked her own boyfriend off, for taking the beach ball away at the concert. If someone had big money invested in the legal sales? She suddenly pissed them off."
"She pissed off any dirty judge that had to deal with her. A goody two shoes? Would have no sympathy, for a naughty judge acting up."
"We missed one little job. It was a brief one. She was on... senate ethics committee. Counsel for it."
"Translate into cop for me. I don't usually hear politicians, and ethics? Used in the same sentence except as a punch line."
My lawyer handled that one, too.
"Political ethics. As counselor? Lets say, a politician is on some committee. Or had business dealings in a certain area. You run it by the ethics committee, who can tell you if you have a conflict of interests, that could bite you in the ass later on. You want to reward your campaign contributors? But, you don't want to get in trouble doing it. You run it past ethics, who makes the call."
"Short stint at that? Sounds like someone, probably more than one person? Didn't appreciate little miss goody two shoes, interpreting the letter of the law. Quieter than quiet? Someone find out. Who moved her out of that. Who motivated them? To move her. She stepped on toes. Again. That? Is another trend."
"Bill? Let me ask you something."
"Shoot."
"Naive. What would happen, if... say someone was hinting around at something. What was she like, taking hints."
"What kind of hints."
"Oh, the you gotta play ball speech. But in those coded hints people pick up on. Or... the polite warning. You know, you might not wanna do that."
"Oh. Really smart girl, but... sometimes? You have to draw her a picture. I... used to color the pictures in crayon for her sometimes. That way."
"Smart girl. Goody two shoes. Down to her core. In and out of powerful positions and around the powerful people. And... no street smarts. How accurate is that."
"That's her."
The lead detective thought about it.
"Motive. Either... revenge. For stopping the good times, on... something. Or? Someone got tired of having to side step around her, and her naive nature. Anything else... controversial she was involved in? Anyone."
My lawyer came in on that one.
"I know one."
"What's the timeline? Something recent would be nice. I'm hearing about her past."
"Okay then. Her original senator? He was the minority or majority senate leader, depending on her party was in or out of numbers from elections that term. That? Was the most important senator in the state, while he was active."
"Continue."
"He passes her on? To his hand picked replacement. Now. That senator? He went down. Big corruption scandal. People went down right and left. All the... lobbyist gifts? Were looked into. Lots of fallout, on that one. It was huge."
"She involved?"
"Her? Not at all. Its the one time being squeaky clean in politics? Helps."
"How's that controversial."
"After that? She goes to another senator. She, spent a long time working on something."
"What."
"Did you ever notice, when you go to other states? None of them had... gambling machines in every restaurant, every coffee shop, every bar and club. Only Pennsylvania. You put that amusement only sign on it? Like magic, its legal. And... it was gambling. All my friends from out of state? Noticed it. Gambling? Perfectly legal in my state. No different than putting a cigarette machine in."
"I remember. That, changed."
"Right. The casinos go legal. The casinos? Are complaining. They're losing business, to every coffee shop in the state. Why go to the casino, when you can gamble right out your front door. She? Worked for a long time. Shut that shit down, enforce the gambling laws. Make it legal. Put... registered casino machines in, that won't cheat everyone. Regulate it. You make it legal? You get all the taxes that you're losing out on, by having shady people run all the gambling machines. When its technically illegal? You don't pay taxes on all those profits. There were... zillions of illegal gambling machines, everywhere across the state. For many years. Each machine? Brings in hundreds or even thousands a day. Tax free. The state? Picked up a huge windfall from that finally going through. Took forever."
"How recent?"
"Couple years."
"That? Is food for thought. I wonder if she just stepped on one too many toes, got between rich people and they're money, one too many times. I mean, the trend is clear."
"Boss?"
"I'm thinking. Give me a minute... see if there's a way, to tie this all together. This stuff? Has to all intersect, somewhere. We find that place? Might be the right place to look."
"Boss."
"What?"
"Idea."
"Well? We want ideas. We're brainstorming. Go."
"The whole... decades of illegal gambling machines? Being the only state that tolerated it."
"Yeah."
"Who ever thought it was a bright idea, to make some law. Oh. You just make an amusement only sign? Like magic, you're fine. I mean, who in the hell came up with that idea? And who let that shit run like that. For decades."
"Good question. I'm hearing all about... drugs. Now gambling. She shuts down legal pot sales. She shuts down... illegal gambling, makes it legit. She was around lobbyists. But? She didn't last long, in the ethics committee. But? I can answer your question, about the amusement signs."
"Okay..."
"Lobbying. Someone? Decades ago. Went lobby crazy, and got that amusement sign regulation or interpretation going. Follow that trail. That? Tells you who was into the machines, at the high level. That? Was run by all the local organized crime, all over the state."