Falsely Accused Ch 06

This story is part of an ongoing series.

The chronological order of my stories is now listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and

constructive

criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 22 - The Verdict

"

... not guilty.

"

Peter Gordon almost collapsed with relief. He turned to Mike G. Todd and they hugged. Then Peter turned to me, tears running down his young face as he hugged me. "Thank you, thank you, sir." he sobbed. He hugged Teresa, too, as I congratulated Mike on a job very well done.

The look on Jenna Stiles's face was of ugly bitterness at losing. D.A. Krasney looked more sad than bitter. The looks of utter hatred on the faces of the women behind them were almost shocking in their intensity. And their looks were at me, and Teresa. Needless to say, they got a 'Teresa Cunt' look back at them.

*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*

The Judge was working his gavel as he demanded order in his Courtroom. Reporters had rushed out, knocking each other over to get the news out first. Everyone else had started murmuring as the 'not guilty' verdicts of the other counts were also read.

"Mr. Gordon, you are free to go." declared the Judge. "Members of the Jury, you are released, and the Court thanks you for your service. This Court is adjourned." He banged the gavel and left for his Chambers.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"This is John Hardwood, KSTD Five-Alive News!" said the untrustworthy and visibly angry reporter. "In a shocking denial of justice for women, Peter Dwayne Gordon was found not guilty of raping Kendra Luskin! I have with me Police Deputy Chief Della Harlow. Commander, what do you think of this shocking verdict?"

"It's a miscarriage of Justice, John." said Della Harlow. "Commander Troy's misogyny and his zeal to blame the woman has succeeded, and women everywhere know that their rights, their safety, and their voices have been trampled upon. Raped women will get no help from Commander Donald Troy's Police Force if he can help it!"

"Oh... here is State Attorney Jenna Stiles!" said Hardwood, abandoning Della. "Ms. Stiles, do you have a comment on this shocking verdict?"

"We must respect the Jury's decision." Jenna said. "I obviously did not do an adequate job of prosecuting this case, and I apologize to women everywhere for failing to bring justice to all of them..."

"Ms. Stiles did her job very well." said a voice. Cindy Ross had come up behind her, and was now taking over the microphone. "She did her best, but this case wasn't the one, and our System of Justice worked like it was supposed to! People should know that those women who truly are abused and brutalized will find their attackers arrested by me and prosecuted by Ms. Stiles. The fight for Justice and for Women's Rights

will

continue, and the Town & County Police Force will be the front lines of that fight for Justice..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Fox Two News!" shouted the redheaded reporterette. "The verdict is in! Peter Dwayne Gordon has been found not guilty of all the charges against him!"

Bettina: "Women are beginning to chant, and are gathering in larger numbers. The TCPD is already deployed, keeping the protesters well away from the Courthouse complex. And I have Captain Teresa Croyle of the TCPD here. Captain, what do you think of this verdict?"

Teresa took Bettina's microphone, which was broadcasting over speakers to the crowd on Courthouse Square as well as over the airwaves.

"I understand," Teresa said to them, "the emotions that women feel in a case such as this. But what you must understand is that a false accusation like the one in this case does all of us women much more damage than anything else, and women's rights were protected today, not harmed but protected, by the Jury in this case!"

Teresa was not finished: "Additionally, Commander Donald Troy has been relentlessly attacked for his investigation of this case and his quest for true Justice... not just for the Defendant, but for the rights of all of us women, rights which were besmirched and damaged by this woman and her false accusations. If you are a woman hearing my voice, you should be praying thanks for a great man like Commander Troy fighting on

your

behalf..."

Part 23 - Aftermath

8:30pm, Friday, September 8th. I was standing on the deck of The Cabin. I could see the light of a train coming out of the western horizon. The sound of a band was drifting up to me; County High had a home football game tonight, while Town High and Booker T. Washington High had away games.

There was a celebration of sorts going on inside. Mike G. Todd had brought Peter Dwayne Gordon up, as The Cabin was a safer place to be than most anywhere else. Also at the party were Todd and Teresa, Cindy and Callie, Joanne and Seth Warner, Chief Griswold and his wife, Chief Moynahan, my mom Phyllis, Eddy the Bounty Hunter, Laura, Molly, and of course all the kids and two outstanding dogs.

I heard someone come out of the house and onto the deck. It was Teresa. And the two outstanding dogs.

"We've got some people on standby," Teresa said, "but there's no reports of any violence or protests. I'm kind of surprised."

"Looks like the money to pay the protesters dried up." I said. "With the case overwith, and with me reinstated, looks like they're backing down. Oh, have a seat."

Teresa sat down in the chair to the left as I sat down on the loveseat. Buddy went to Teresa, and Bowser over to me, and they got the skritchins the were expecting. Someone had someone trained, I thought to myself...

"So these protests are all funded?" Teresa asked.

"Oh yes." I said. "The people that gin them up are paid, anyway. They get the ball rolling, then the so-called 'Useful Idiots' come in and keep the momentum going."

"And speaking of that, my insubordination hearing is on Monday." said Teresa.

"I know. I'll be there." I said. To my utter shock and disbelief, the I.G. had sent Harlow's complaint of Teresa's insubordination to a Board of Inquiry. "I am going to flog them; well, verbally at least." Teresa gave a little grin at that one.

"By the way," I said, "that was an awesome speech you gave today. You running for political office?"

"I just might... for Sheriff." said Teresa. "I'm still pissed at Daniel Allgood for suspending you like he did."

"So am I." I said. "You'll have competition for Sheriff... I get the idea that Loran T. Michaels is going to run, and Della Harlow is going to run against Daniel. Then again, maybe I'll run. You're doing pretty well with the red crowbar as it is... in the Police Boxing Matches, breaking down riots and busting up Harlow..."

"Heh." said Teresa. "No, that crowbar belongs in your hands, sir. You're not really running for Sheriff... are you?" I just arched my eyebrows...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Is Jenna pissed at you for that last TV incident?" Callie asked Cindy, partly to generate trouble.

"Not really." Cindy said. "I think she got it. She told me she wants to talk about something in a few days, after all this dies down."

"That altercation the other day in front of Priya was the real barrrrrn-burner." said Chief Moynahan.

"And a very good plan." said my mom Phyllis.

"Of course." Callie said, grinning her beautiful grin. "

It was your son's plan.

"

"

What?!

" gasped Cindy. "I thought it was

your

plan!"

"Yeah, that's what he told me to tell you." Callie said, grinning her beautiful grin some more. "He called me and told me about everything before I talked to you when I got home, and he had everything figured out."

"He always does." said Molly. "I'll bet he knows why Kendra Luskin tried to set up Peter, too... but he won't say."

"That's because retribution is coming... for someone." said Todd.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So, young man," Chief Moynahan said to Peter in the front room, "what are you planning to do nowwww?"

"I don't know, sir." said Peter. "My father is making sure I don't find a job anywhere near here... or anywhere in the State."

"You were doing some polling work for Senator Nunn, weren't you?" asked Chief Griswold.

"Yes sir." said Peter. "But even though I was acquitted, I'm still toxic to any public person."

"Nonsense!" said Chief Griswold. "I happen to have a few political connections. You might have to move to the City or Midtown, or maybe Washington, D.C... but we'll find you something..."

"What about you, Mike?" asked Moynahan. "Women's groups are very angry at you, right now."

"And they're going to be a lot angrier." said Mike with a grin. "I was talking to Don earlier..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Teresa and I came back inside, the dogs hurried upstairs to where the children were. My mother looked up at us and said "Don, I have one question: what is going to happen to Kendra Luskin?"

I understood her question, as did everyone. "I don't know." I said. "I've been trying to find something to pin down on her, but I'm not having any luck."

"How about filing a false Police report?" asked Molly. "Or making a false allegation against any one of these men? What she did put these men through the emotional wringer, and damaged their lives and careers."

"And she likely will do it again." said Laura. "This is the first time she's been found out and defeated."

I pulled up the hardback rocking chair and sat down, feeling my back begin to hurt as this issue stressed my mind. "I know." I said. "There are a lot of problems, though. First, filing a false report is not even a felony offense in this State. She wouldn't even get jail time. And the whole 'false allegation' thing is complicated by the fact that the companies involved made settlements, and it's a 'he said, she said' type of thing... proving a criminal allegation would be difficult, if not impossible. In fact... in this Gordon case, we just created reasonable doubt. We never proved anything."

"Wow, so this bitch goes free... and can do it again." Teresa said. I just looked at her and nodded.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"My God, I just cannot believe it." said Kelly Carnes. She took a big gulp of wine.

"I know." said Thomas P. Cook. "I mean, the case

was

weak, but the Iron Crowbar is the luckiest son of a bitch on the planet."

They were at Cook's home, along with

trusted

reporter John Hardwood, Malinda Adams, Della Harlow, Holsom 'Hal' Briggs of 1st Precinct, and Scott Peterson of the Sheriff's Department. State Senator Katherine Woodburn had been invited, but had refused to come; she did not like to hang out with

losers.

Peterson said "I did everything I could to get the Sheriff to come down on Moynahan for that announcement to reinstate Troy, but he just said he was going to let it go."

"It was that protest where Teresa Cunt came out with that damned red crowbar." said Kelly Carnes bitterly. "That's when Moynahan began pushing back on the Board of Inquiry stalling. If that protest hadn't happened, no one would've seen the need to bring the Iron Crowbar back."

"I've put her up on insubordination charges." said Della Harlow, her voice dull though bitter.

"That'll be swept aside." said Cook. "Our effort to delay the outlining of the chain of command backfired, as well. We should've acted, to make sure you were in charge in Troy's absence. But I

did

think we'd have more time..."

"Spilt milk." said Malinda Adams. "By the way, where's Katherine Woodburn?"

"She's going to be meeting with other State-level people tomorrow." said Cook. "She is very angry that the Iron Crowbar was reinstated as quickly as he was, as are her colleagues in the State Legislature. They were going to go to the State Supreme Court to get the permission to convene the Legislature, and oust Jared."

"Why couldn't they do that anyway?" asked Adams.

"I don't know." said Cook. "I was told that that was the plan, that Troy had to be neutralized as a Law Enforcement entity, and only then could we go after Jared. I don't see it, so maybe it's above our pay grades."

"What do we do now?" asked Briggs. "The entire TCPD is so solidly behind Troy and Croyle that we have no chance to create divisions within the ranks. And Ross is back in the good graces of her Detective Division."

"They're more cohesive than ever." Kelly Carnes said. "They think Troy walks on water."

"Yes." said Cook. "But the silver lining to the cloud is that we were able to sneak in and get that

eminent domain

order from the Courts, and I'll soon be developing a new block of apartments... after demolishing the houses on the grounds now. And Troy was too occupied to raise any public ire about it." His face relaxed into a mold of pleasure as he thought about what was to come soon.

"I'm loving that, especially kicking those old homeowners out on their sorry asses." said Hardwood. "Meanwhile, Della, we need to get together on a public campaign against Teresa Cunt, to gin up some public sentiment against her for her hearing."

"That will be no problem." said Della.

Part 24 -

Karma

Monday, September 11th. Neither Bettina nor Hardwood had mentioned the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks from 2001. How quickly we've already forgotten, I thought to myself.

And how quickly the damage to Peter Dwayne Gordon was forgotten. Neither Bettina nor Hardwood had discussed the aftermath of the trial. Bettina did mention that Professor Marvin Milton was released from the Hospital, and continuing his recovery at home. Myron and Mary were back at work at Headquarters as the ladies of the Veasley Community Center (including my mom) took turns staying with Professor Milton.

Meanwhile, Hardwood talked almost exclusively about the Guardians of Justice and the failure of the FBI to discover who they might be, then Hardwood attacked Governor Val Jared with malicious lies and smears that the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda would've been proud of. Yes, I am comparing the Mainstream Media in America today to the Nazi Ministry of Propaganda. The Press has their First Amendment rights; I have mine.

And then... it seemed like an electric current began running through the Headquarters building. Deputy Chief Harlow made a point of escorting Kendra Luskin through the hall, ostensibly to pick up her things that had been taken into evidence, via the very circuitous route of Harlow's office. And just as I was going from MCD to my office with Cindy.

"Well, if it isn't Commander Troy." Luskin said acidly as she saw me. I turned to look, feeling the anger welling up inside me as she continued: "I guess you won this one, Commander. But you know what they say... you can't win 'em all."

There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to do it, that she was going to entrap and falsely accuse someone else of raping her, and maybe destroy that person's life. I knew that right now I had only one way of stopping her, of

permanently

stopping her. The red crowbar was whispering to me as if it were the Crowbar Katana...

"Don't do it, Commander." I heard Cindy whisper. She could sense what I was about to do. I knew she would try to stop me, but she would be too late if I moved fast enough...

"Hold on there, Ms. Luskin!" said a voice.

I looked up to see FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone coming down the hallway. With him was FBI Special Agents Martin Nash, Lindy Linares, and Julius Jefferson.

"Kendra Luskin," said Jack, coming up to her, "I have a Federal warrant for your arrest, for interstate fraud, illegal money wire transfers across State lines, and RICO violations."

Lindy already had Kendra pushed up against the wall. "Kendra Luskin, you have the right to remain silent. If you waive the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a Court of Law..."

As they took Luskin away, I stood immobilized. I admit that I was as stunned as I've ever been. It was almost as surreal as those moments at the tea ceremony with Takaki Misaki after the helicopter crash...

"Well, Don," said Muscone, "we can't let people like her continue to accuse innocent men of crimes they didn't commit, now can we?"

I exhaled, knowing what was being done, and somewhat on my behalf. "Thank you, Jack. Thank you."

"It's like Tanya's favorite movie,

The Godfather

," said Jack, "I do a favor for you, maybe one day you can help me out in return, eh?"

"Yeah... yeah." I said, nodding.

I barely remember walking into my office after the FBI Agents were gone with their captured perp. Della had looked furious, and had retreated to her office. Cindy, of course, followed me into mine. I sat down, numb with shock... and relief.

"Good timing, huh?" Cindy said. "You were about to spill blood out there."

"Yes..." I said, still in a near trance. "Yes, I was. I was about to kill that bitch. Literally." Then I remembered that the office might be bugged, and I looked up at the light in the ceiling. Cindy grinned, pulling her activated bug killer out of her pocket.

I said "Was it

you

that got them over here just in time?"

"No, it wasn't me." said Cindy. "All I'm going to say is that my father and I made a deal... he got the information on Luskin, and I gave it to Lindy, who took it from there."

"What was your part of the deal?" I asked.

"You'll see, in time." Cindy said, and I knew she was just

loving

keeping me in suspense like I so often did to her. But I did not let her see if it was bothering me or not. I just nodded.

"Okay, that's one big, big problem solved..." I said, then went into a reverie on what the next problem was...

Part 25 - Chains Of Command

At 10:00am, Monday, September 11, Teresa got into my Police SUV and I drove her to City Hall. We went into the chamber of the Board of Inquiry, where Chief Moynahan awaited us... as did Deputy Chief Della Harlow, to give her testimony against Teresa.

The Commissioners of the Board were the same three that heard my case just a few weeks before. The one named Finneran was his usual anti-Police self. I'd taken the time to learn about him after my hearing; the man was a card-carrying member of the American Socialist Party, the Green Party, and NAMBLA.

Della was called first, and gave her statement. Mr. Fitzgerald had tough questions for her, especially questioning her orders to put Police into harms way. She denied that her orders would do that.

Then I was called to the stand. I was asked about the chain of command, and I gave what the military does (follow your direct chain of command, even if someone else outranks your boss) and what we do by position in the TCPD. Finneran blasted that the TCPD was not the military. "Just because you and your Chief were military officers doesn't make you right. Commander Harlow outranks Captain Croyle at all times!" he all but screamed.

"You're contradicting yourself." I said. "In the TCPD, it's by position, not rank, especially at the top levels. This was clarified by rulings during the Brownlee-Ross situation some time ago. Captain Croyle cannot be insubordinate to Harlow because Harlow has no authority over Croyle. Period."

"But further," I said, "and speaking as a military veteran who has some experience in tactical battle situations, Harlow's orders

would

have put our Officers in a position to be ambushed... just as I was ambushed at the Psychology Building earlier. Captain Croyle was very correct to countermand Harlow's harmful and in my opinion unlawful orders."