Riverboat Gambler

This story is part of an ongoing series.

The chronological order of my stories is 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 15 - Solution

The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon as we drove up the Dagny Piers to the

Riverboat Gambler

, which was closed. The restaurant would re-open the next day.

As I walked along the dock, I saw Captain Sig Colburn and First Officer Phil Anderson standing near the gangway to the boat. Captain Sig was smoking a cigarette.

"Good evening, gentlemen." I said as I came up and shook hands with them.

"Hi, Commander." said Captain Sig. "Have you guys solved the murder?"

"Yes and no." I said. "I think the FBI will put some perps in jail. Oh, is Dave Larsen still here, or did he go back to the Merchant Marine Academy?"

"He's still here." said Phil. "He's leaving tonight, to get back to the Academy tomorrow."

"Great." I said. "I need to ask him a couple of clarifying questions. Permission to go aboard?"

"Permission granted." said Captain Sig. "I think Dave's on the back bridge."

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

Entering the back bridge, I saw the packed duffel bag near the door. Dave Larsen was sweeping the floor, leaving everything spotless before his departure.

"Hi Dave." I said. "Got a minute?"

"Yes, Commander." Dave said respectfully. "How can I help you?"

"Let's sit down a second." I said. We sat down on the bench/sofa that was under the stern windows.

"I just came by to tell you a couple of things before I leave for home and you go back to the Merchant Marine Academy." I said. "First of all,

I know that you killed Tom McCovey.

I also know why, at least I think I do."

"Uh..." said Dave.

I held up my hand. "Look, don't say a word." I said. "I'll do the talking, and you just correct me where I go astray." Dave nodded, his face looking very nervous.

"I know

that Tiffany Ambrose Grundfeld is your sister.

" I said. "She ran off and got married when she was eighteen. Her first husband, who was named Ambrose, unfortunately died. She then met Don Grundfeld and married him. But her maiden name... is Larsen."

"I also know that Tom McCovey liked to prey on the wives or girlfriends of the people he was blackmailing." I said. "And that

is

what he was doing: those poker games were really just a scheme to transfer the blackmail money. But whenever he could, he demanded that the wives or girlfriends of his blackmail victims give him sex. One woman submitted, and later felt so guilty about it that she committed suicide."

"So what happened is that there is audio of the poker rooms that you can hear from the bridge here." I continued. "I know, because I happen to be the person that sold the company the security equipment. You couldn't have videocameras down there, but you did have audio equipment in case of trouble."

"You overheard Tom telling the Grundfelds to go to his stateroom with him." I said. "Inside there, Tom demanded Tiffany have sex with him, or he'd expose Don Grundfeld for whatever he may or may not have done in the past. Grundfeld was told to leave the room. You turned off the alarm to the double doors, went down there with the keys and went through the doors, and went into the stateroom. You did not waste time; you grabbed the nearest thing you could find, and you whacked Tom on the head."

"I don't know if you meant to kill him, but you did." I continued. "Tiffany had been removing her clothes, so they avoided getting blood all over them. You were not as lucky, but you had extra clothes on the back bridge in case you had to get dirty for some reason on ship's business. So Tiffany got dressed and left the room, and you came back to here, the bridge, changed clothes, threw the candlestick into the River through that window I perceive to starboard, there, washed your shirt then secured it with your other dirty laundry... and the Police never even looked through your clothes... and I suspect you did some laundry yesterday, so the only real evidence connected to you is gone."

"I... I heard that bastard talking about my sister like she was some kind of whore, a piece of meat." said Dave. "He was demanding sex from her for what her husband had done years ago. I just lost it. So... what now?"

"Well." I said. "I'm only here in a capacity of an FBI Consultant, and I have discretion in what I tell them. I think you acted honorably on behalf of your sister, at least in the Japanese sense. I know that you have no prior record, and you're doing well in the Merchant Marine. So go back there and finish the Academy, then make us proud on whatever ships you sail around the world."

"Will Tiffany get in trouble?" asked Dave.

"The FBI might arrest her and her husband." I said. "Well, technically they already did so for questioning. But they've taken the Fifth. That's the second thing I wanted to tell you. If the FBI ever arrests you, demand a lawyer, take the Fifth, and have your lawyer call me."

"But... but Tiffany could be charged with the murder, couldn't she?" asked Dave.

"Oh yes." I said, then added: "She likely will be, she and her husband."

"Then go ahead and arrest me now." said Dave. "I'm not going to let my sister go down for what I did. I'll take my chances in Court."

I smiled, and extended my hand. "I was just testing you." I said. "And you ring true." Dave shook my hand as I said "Again, you, your sister, and her husband need to just keep your mouths shut, keep taking the Fifth, make sure to demand lawyers and don't let them intimidate you. Unless the FBI really does try to charge someone else with the crime, you have nothing to fear from me."

I got up. "Good luck to you at the Merchant Marine Academy." I turned to go.

"Commander Troy." said Dave. I turned back, and he said "I probably shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but I gotta know... why are you letting me off the hook like this?"

"I could say it's because Tom McCovey was a reprehensible, evil man, and a cold-blooded murderer that got what he deserved." I said. "But that's not the reason. The reason is that I have very young daughters and very young sons. I do hope that when they grow up, my sons will defend their sisters's honor as you defended yours. Again, best of luck to you."

I turned off the bug-killer as I left. You damn well better believe I had it on during that conversation. Some would condemn me for letting a killer go free, no matter the circumstances. But I had the privilege of choice, and I chose 'Justice' over 'the Law'.

And if idiots like Parsons and Rovers couldn't figure it out, that was their problem...

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

As I left the boat and came back to the dock, I saw Jerome Davis talking to the Captain and First Officer in a friendly conversation. I came up to them.

"Okay, I'm done here." I said. "Ready to go, Davis?"

"Yes sir." said Davis.

"All good here?" asked Captain Sig. I understood what he was really asking, and realized he likely knew more than he'd let on. After all, the First Officer had been ashore, tying up the boat, when that should've been the Second Mate's job. They'd assigned Dave to the back bridge, left him alone, and in that way covered for him.

"All good, Captain." I said. "Thanks for all your help." Jerome and I shook hands with the men, and headed back to shore and my Police SUV.

Part 16 - Valley Villages

There was only a thread of twilight left to the west, soon to be conquered by the copper-colored lights of the city, as we cleared Southport on the Interstate headed towards Midtown. My 'Siri' on my iPhone was telling me that the Interstate was the fastest way to go, though not the shortest.

"So," I said to Jerome, "what do you think of the case?"

"I don't think you were talking to Dave Larsen just for your health, sir." said Jerome. "But I have no proof of anything." I chuckled.

"You never heard me say a word about young Dave, either." I said. "But the FBI can bring a gang of bank robbers to justice, so it was not entirely unsuccessful."

"You know, sir," said Davis, "I could never have beaten down two FBI Agents like you did, and gotten away with it. I could make a joke that it's because I'm a black man, but I don't play that card. But still... how do you do it?"

"You just gotta know when to hold 'em, and when to fold 'em." I said "But you're right. And I didn't like doing any of that, but I did what I had to do. I guess in the long run... I'm just a 'riverboat gambler'." Jerome laughed.

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

Almost three hours later, we pulled into the Sheriff's Office in Valley Villages. Jonathan Davis was there; Jerome had called him just before we arrived. He took us inside and introduced us to the LEOs there.

"This is Rivers County Sheriff Art Dodge." said Jonathan. "Sheriff, this is my son, Detective Jonathan Davis of the TCPD, and his boss and mentor Commander Donald Troy."

"Nice to meet you, Detective Davis." said the Sheriff, shaking his hand. As he shook my hand, he said "And I've heard all about the Iron Crowbar, of course. We're really glad to have you guys stop by. This is Chief Warrant Officer Logan of the Army CID."

Sheriff Dodge was tall, slender, and going on elderly, though not as old as Sheriff Griswold. CW3 Logan was wearing an Army uniform, which surprised me as CID agents usually are in civilian clothes. He was around my age, maybe a bit younger.

"Glad to meet you guys." said Logan. "Why don't we show you the crime scene, then we can discuss the case."

We got into our vehicles and drove to the cul-de-sac Jonathan Davis lived on. He parked in his own garage and we parked in his driveway, then walked over to where the other cars had parked.

Master Sergeant Terhune's cottage, or bungalow, was a mirror-image of Jonathan's home. Going through the front door of Terhune's place, there was a den on the right and a kitchen and breakfast room area to the left. Two bedrooms were side-by-side in back, with a bathroom to the right, and a storage closet next to it, just behind the den. I noticed a pull-down staircase for access to the attic, but otherwise there was not a lot of storage space.

"He was found in his bed, in the bedroom on the left." said Sheriff Dodge. He had brought his iPad tablet and let me look at the photos that had been taken. "Nothing was taken, that we can see; his wallet was on the dresser, there, money still in it."

"By the looks of his disfigured, purple face," I said, looking at a photo of the deceased, "it looks like he was strangled."

"Yes." said Dodge. "Our Coroner here is a political figure. A Medical Examiner from the State Crime Lab came down to help us. He said it's very possible MSG Terhune was injected with some kind of drug, as well."

"And he left no notes, or anything that might suggest why he was targeted for murder?" I asked.

"Not that we've found." said the Sheriff. "His desk is in the greatroom, in the corner, there. Everything is clean, all the papers filed away properly. There's some tax returns in the drawer, there."

I had 'moseyed' over and looked at the desk, then put on latex gloves and went through the drawers. "Y'all didn't find and bag a notepad, or anything like that, did you?"

"No, we didn't, at least not that I know of." said the Sheriff.

"I don't remember seeing one, either." said the CID man.

"Too bad." I said. "Either he never had one, or it was taken. I was hoping he'd written something down, then we could see if there were indentations in the next sheet of the pad. But it's a 'NO GO' there." The CID man nodded at the military term 'NO GO'.

"I know it's not much, Commander," said the Sheriff, "but you can access our computer files and get all our reports." He gave me a card with a guest ID and password to do that.

"Thanks." I said. "I'll read them all when we get back home. Detective Davis, anything you want to look at, or ask these guys?"

"Did Sergeant Terhune say anything to any of you about any threats or other 'strangenesses' that he might have seen?" I smiled at the use of the word 'strangenesses'; Jerome was learning from the ol' Police Commander, I happily noted.

"Not to me." said the Sheriff. "I'll ask my Officers and Deputies if he ever said anything to any of them. We're a pretty small Department down here, and news travels fast. If anyone heard or saw anything, we'll likely hear about it soon enough." I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Jonathan Davis looked pensive, though saying nothing.

"Okay, then." I said. "Thanks for showing us the home, here. I'll look at all the reports and see if I can spot any... 'strangenesses'." Jerome grinned at that as I finished: "I'll give you a call tomorrow, Sheriff."

We left the bungalow, which was re-sealed by the Sheriff. As we went to our vehicle, Jonathan Davis said "Why don't you guys come in for a moment, have a Coke for your trip home?"

"Sure." I said. We followed Jonathan into his home. It was extremely clean and well-kept, I noted with no surprise at all. It was kind of strange seeing the mirror-image of the other home, with the kitchen on the right and greatroom on the left.

"I wanted to tell you guys something I didn't mention to any of them." said Jonathan as we sat down in the den (greatroom). "I talked to both of you at the November TCPD ceremonies about some people seeing some trucks come in to the school from time to time. Terhune had inquired about it, and the School people said it was probably just deliveries. Terhune was never happy about the lack of response, and he was keeping watch. I don't know for sure, but he may have seen something Saturday night and went to investigate."

"Did he tell the Sheriff or anyone else?" asked Jerome.

"Not that I know of." said Jonathan.

"If he had, I would expect the Sheriff would've said something." I said. "So let's not mention anything to him right now: either nothing was said, or he's keeping the information from us. Chief Davis, you'll likely hear something around here if he did say anything. In the meantime, keep your doors locked and the alarm on."

We made our goodbyes and got back on the road for home. As I drove, Jerome Davis looked over at me. "Commander Ross's vibes must be wearing off on me, sir." he said. "I get the sense you're worried about this one."

"Yes, I am." I said. "There's something not right about this. Too many... 'strangenesses', to use your term..." Jerome chuckled.

Part 17 - Uniformed Presence

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" said the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Monday, January 14th, from in front of City Hall. Bettina was looking pretty good this morning, I thought to myself as the Police Command Group and my Angels watched in the Chief's Conference Room.

"Channel Two News has learned that the State House Democrats intend to subpoena

deeply unpopular

Governor Val Jared's tax returns as well as all records of all meetings he's had since becoming Governor." said Bettina. "The Democrats have said that despite the Independent State Counsel's official report not bringing any new indictments nor charging the Governor with any crimes, the Democrats believe they must further investigate Jared for any wrongdoing he may have done."

Bettina: "Some Republicans, including Lieutenant Governor Sharon Marshall, issued statements saying that the Democrats's actions are 'fishing expeditions' and political harassment of the Governor. They say that there is no probable cause for any investigations of the Governor after the ISC report 'exonerated' him and Commander Donald Troy. They have encouraged the Governor to resist the Democrats and not turn over any documents by using executive privilege."

"Other Republicans, including State House Minority Leader Wilson Hammonds," said Bettina, "issued statements saying that the Governor needs to be investigated further. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, with Wilson Hammonds saying "If Governor Jared has nothing to hide, then he should fully cooperate with the Legislature, turn over all requested documents and especially his tax returns. His lack of cooperation with the Independent State Counsel was very suspicious... why not cooperate if he has nothing to hide? And ditto that for Commander Donald Troy."

Back to Bettina live: "Both the Governor and Commander Troy are protected by Federal Law from having to release their tax returns, but they could be forced to release official documents. Sheriff Griswold issued a statement yesterday that anyone subpoenaing TCPD or Town & County Public Safety Documents would have to show probable cause, or else he would not honor any subpoenas for those records. Sheriff Griswold is a longtime friend of Governor Jared, and of course is a close associate of Commander Troy."

"And in area news," said Bettina, "retired Army Master Sergeant William Terhune died Sunday morning at the Valley Villages community in Rivers County to our south. Police are investigating the death, but have issued no statements at this time."

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

"Now why did she report on

that?

" asked Detective Jerome Davis, as he and the other Detectives watched the news in MCD.

"Possibly suspicious death." said Joanne Warner. "Why wouldn't she report on it?"

"My dad lives in the same neighborhood as Sergeant Terhune." said Jerome. "Commander Troy and I went by there on our way home from Southport. Definitely a suspicious death, but the Police made no public statements. So why is Bettina on it?"

"Something dramatic to report, maybe." said Julia Rodriguez. "They can only say so many bad things about the Governor in one morning's report. Sad for Sergeant Terhune, though." Julia Rodriguez had served in the Army, and felt the loss of a fellow former soldier. "So how was Southport, Jerome?" she asked.

"It was... interesting." said Davis. "A lot of tie-ins to some old cases... and to the Consultant of Crime."

"Did Commander Troy solve it?" asked Joanne.

"Officially, he did not solve the murder." said Jerome. "Officially. I'll just say no more."

"Did he really beat up an FBI Agent again?" asked Lieutenant Mary Mahoney, who had just come in a moment before for some coffee.

"Ohhhh, yeahhhhh." Jerome said happily. "You remember those two Agents that accompanied that Civil Rights woman to arrest Commander Troy a few months ago?" (

Author's note: 'The Guardians of Justice', Ch. 03-04.

) Everyone nodded, and Jerome said "It was them. Commander Troy beat the shit out of one them, and Martin Nash beat the crap out of the other one. Nash even rubbed the slug's face in his own vomit!"

"Wow!" said Roy McGhillie. "And nothing happened to them?"

"Oh... that's right." said Jerome. "Agent Muscone's boss, the EAD? He was served retirement papers by Commander Troy, and he signed them. He's gone."

*Whirrrrrrrrr*

That sound was followed by the sight of Captain Perlman driving into MCD. "That's right." she said. "Jack no longer has adult supervision. Except for me, of course." Everyone laughed.

"That could be bad, though." said Teddy Parker. "No telling who they might replace the EAD with..."

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

"I heard Bettina got ten inches of college cock this weekend." said Tanya Perlman as she, Teresa, and I met in my office for the Angels Meeting.