Send in the Clowns

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, racism, 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 7 - The Lost Greuze Lost

"Come on, girls!" I said, grabbing Carole and Marie's hands, and guiding them towards the painting. I saw Stephanie Steele and handed Marie off to her, then took something out of my pocket.

"Here, Carole, put this on." I said. It was her silver TCPD Auxiliary Badge on its chain. She put it around her neck as we walked towards the painting.

Someone had grabbed a fire extinguisher and was trying to put out the purple smoke grenade. The result was a mess of purple and white particles billowing in a cloud, but the grenade was burning itself out and soon died down.

"All clear! All clear!" a voice said over the intercom. "Do not panic. The fire is out. Do not panic!"

People were finding that the doors were locked, and now Federal Agents, Sheriff Deputies, Campus Police Officers, and Security Officers were herding the cats back into the Main Hall.

Meanwhile, Carole and I had reached the painting, just as other plainclothes Federal Agents and uniformed Sheriff Department personnel, including the Sheriff himself, got to it.

"Get back!" one plainclothes Agent said, trying to force me back.

"I'm the Police!" I yelled, pulling my suit jacket back to reveal my badge on my belt.

"You can't have that little girl with you." the Agent persisted, as another Agent came up to help him.

"She's Police too!" I said loudly. Carole helpfully held up her badge.

"I don't care!" the Agent yelled back. He moved to grab Carole, which was about to be fatal for him.

"

GET YOUR HANDS OFF THAT GIRL!

"

Nope, it wasn't me. It was Sheriff Griswold. His gun was drawn and pointed at the Agent's head. "You touch her, and I'll kill you where you stand!" the Sheriff yelled.

The Agents were stunned, and had frozen in place, as had just about everyone else. And then FBI SAC Jack Muscone came up. "You guys back off. I'll handle this." he ordered. The Agents backed off. The Sheriff lowered his weapon, and eventually holstered it.

"Sheriff! Mr. Muscone!" FBI SSA Julius Jefferson called out. He was standing by the painting, the two guards still there. As we came up, he said "The painting has been changed out."

Indeed, we were looking at a painting of six clowns. The one in the middle was looking shocked, as a red crowbar was being poked at his rear end by another clown with a malicious face. The other clowns, all in whiteface and makeup with the ubiquitous red bulb noses, were looking either stupid or scared, except two on the left side. The one standing looked like he was swinging a baseball bat at the back of the head of the clown on the far left side, who was sitting in a chair, tied up, and looked to be dead.

Something was nagging me about the painting, but my attention was distracted by FBI SAC Jack Muscone yelling at the guards, his face gray with mortification, "What happened, here? How did this happen?"

"We don't know, sir." said the more slovenly guard. "We were standing here the whole time."

"Did you move towards the smoke?" Muscone asked. "Did you leave your posts?"

"No sir." said the younger guard. "We looked up at the smoke, but we stayed right here with the painting, like we were supposed to."

"That's true, sir." said a plainclothes Agent. "They stayed behind the velvet rope, there."

"Then what happened? Who changed the paintings?" Muscone asked.

"He did it!"

The voice was my daughter Carole's, and

she was pointing at the younger guard.

Carole said "I saw him take the painting and pass it to someone behind him, then take the clown painting and put it there." All eyes went to the younger guard, who was looking at Carole with great malice.

"That's not true!" he snarled. "You're outta your tree, kid."

I said "Place him under arrest." Deputy Anya Krush and another Deputy moved swiftly to disarm the guard and cuff his hands behind him. Two more did the same to the other guard.

"Did you see who he gave the painting to?" Jack Muscone asked Carole.

"Not really, sir." Carole replied. "It was a lady, but I didn't see her face. She ran through that door." She was pointing at the side door to the Gift Shop. I have never seen Federal Agents, especially Muscone, move as fast as they did towards that door and into the Gift Shop and the front lobby.

Teresa Croyle had come up and said she would guard Carole. Deputy Krush came up and got Carole's statement while Teresa recorded it on her Police iPhone.

I went to the Gift Shop. Inside the Gift Shop, the young man who had been behind the counter was now standing between two Federal Agents, while others were going through every nook and cranny of the place. Their search was fruitless.

I noticed the two replica Greuze paintings behind the counter. The one on the right, with the red and white 'SOLD' tag, was still there. The one on the left now had a blue tag with 'SOLD' in white letters.

I pointed at the replicas and said loudly "Someone get Dr. Nadler in here, and have him check out those two paintings."

"That's a great idea, Don." said Jack Muscone. "Yes, someone get Dr. Nadler."

A moment later Dr. Nadler was brought in. He examined the paintings, and even used his UV light. "No, these are computer generated replicas." said Dr. Nadler. His announcement had the same effect as someone letting the air out of the proverbial balloon.

"Hold the employee behind the counter as a material witness." I said to a Deputy Sheriff. I also gave word to have the servers at the champagne-and-snack table held for further questioning.

"Don, can you come out here for a minute?" EAD Owen Lange said. I followed him to the Main Hall and to the painting. It had been dusted for fingerprints, and none found.

"Carole has made an important observation." said Owen Lange.

"Daddy," Carole said, "that clown in the middle of the painting is you. And Aunt Cin-dee and Grandpa Grizz are in it, too." I peered at the painting. Indeed, I could see through the makeup that the clown with the red crowbar being prodded into his backside was me. And as recognition dawned upon me, I saw that

the clown prodding me was George Aurus

.

One of the clowns that was looking like a lost idiot was Cindy, and another one was Sheriff Griswold. The fifth clown, swinging the baseball bat and looking most very sinister, was Pastor Raymond Westboro with his beak nose. And then I fully realized who the clown was that was tied to the chair, the victim of an extremely accurate recreation of the worst crime scene I had ever witnessed:

it was Peter M. Feeley!

(

Author's note: 'Case of the Black Widow', Ch. 05.

)

"Daddy, are you okay?" Carole asked, looking up at me. She had felt the tremendous emotions running through me. Shock... pain... and deep, deep anger. And then she figured it out: "That's Pete's daddy in the chair, isn't it?"

"Yes. Yes it is." I said sadly. I took a breath and exhaled, getting a grip on myself. Then I said "That was very observant of you, Carole, to see our faces under that clown makeup."

"And seeing the guard change the paintings, too." said EAD Owen Lange. "You're going to be an even better Detective than your daddy one day. Would you like a job with the FBI?"

"No thank you, sir." Carole said politely. "I want to be the next Iron Crowbar..."

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

2:00pm, Saturday, March 20th. It had been a busy three hours since the theft of the Lost Greuze. The auction had been canceled. Ruth Heidelmann Baker had been told what had happened, and she had accepted the news stoically but sadly.

I had contacted TCPD Lieutenant Jerome Davis, who had called Detectives Julia Rodriguez, Teddy Parker, Roark Coleman, and George Newman. The five of them joined Teresa, me, Sheriff Griswold and his Deputies in interviewing every guest on camera. We also interviewed the Federal Marshals and Secret Service Agents on the scene, as well as the Curator, Dr. Nadler, and the other employees. Once interviewed and their personal information taken, the guests were allowed (and even encouraged) to leave.

I had pointed out the salient features of the clown painting to Jack Muscone. "Carole recognized Pete's father in it." I said. "It might be a most very good idea that Tanya not see this."

"You got that right." said Muscone. "I'm sorry, Dog. I know it's hurting you, too." I just nodded.

And just then Bob Rovers of the Rovers BAU Team came up with David Rovers, Andrew Parsons, and Peter Page. Other Federal Agents were with them, hanging back but warily watching as they looked at the painting in front of us.

"Yeah, that painting is exactly right." David Rovers said. "The Iron Faggot with a crowbar shoved up his ass!" The Rovers BAU Team laughed heartily. Jack Muscone was doing everything he could to get me out of there.

"I just called you a faggot, Troy!" yelled David Rovers. "What are you going to do about it, you little pussy?"

EAD Owen Lange came up. "You know, I might just clear the room and let you find out what he'll do." Then he said loudly. "All Federal Agents, all of you, except Muscone! This is no longer our jurisdiction, since the painting is gone and George Aurus never showed up. So go to the conference room, get your gear, and leave. Go to the Federal Building. And that means you too, Rovers. Unless you have the balls to be alone with the Iron Crowbar, and I don't think you do."

"Yeah, I'll stay here." said David Rovers. "This fucking faggot won't do anything, because he knows I'll whip his ass------" At that point, three Federal Agents were physically whisking him out of the room, as they'd seen the look on my face and also saw that Muscone was losing the battle to restrain me.

Bob Rovers was about to leave when I got in his path. "Your brother is a dead man." I said, softly but very menacingly. "I'm going to kill him, and there's not a God damn thing you can do about it. And if you get lucky, and I die before he does, then someone else will kill him. Your brother is going to die, Rovers. I guarantee it."

Stupidity ran in the Rovers family, but Bob Rovers had a sudden moment of clarity. He just walked past me and followed the other Federal Agents out.

Part 8 - Two-Ring Circus

At 2:00pm, the meeting convened in Classroom 'E' at Police Headquarters. Present from the TCPD were Chief Moynahan, Me, Deputy Chief Tanya P. Muscone, Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle, Captain Claire Michaels, Lt. Mary Milton, Lt. Jerome Davis, Detectives Julia Rodriguez and Teddy Parker.

Sheriff Griswold, Chief Deputy Cindy Ross, Sr. Deputy Louis Bailey, Campus Police Commissioner and Provost Marshal Bob 'Brick' Briscoe, and SBI Agent Terence Johnson were also present.

The FBI was represented by SAC Jack Muscone, SSA Julius Jefferson, and SA Tracy Stone. And sitting in, representing the University's interests, was Dr. Laura Fredricson.

The meeting started with immediate tension. Mary Milton said "May I ask why the Feds are here? This case is not their jurisdiction at all."

"They are herrrre at my in-vi-tay-shunnnn, Lieutenant." the Chief drawled sternly as Tanya Muscone looked daggers at Mary, which Mary studiously ignored.

"If I may, sir," I said, seeing Mary getting more than a little pissed at the Chief's response, "your question is legitimate, Mary. And the answer is that the Feds believe Federal prison escapee George Aurus is behind the theft. They're wrong, but that was the reason for their large contingent at the Museum today, and the reason the Muscone team is here now."

Jack Muscone added: "We also know that this artwork can cross State lines quickly, and may already have done so. So I'm here to help with those aspects of the case."

Mary looked over at me, clearly not happy with that. I just shook my head slightly, making her understand that this was not a point to start pitched battle over. She nodded her head once, acknowledging it.

"All right, what do we haaavve?" drawled the Chief, and I did notice he was not delegating running the meeting to me, as he usually did.

Julia Rodriguez said "We've arrested five people: the two guards standing by the painting, the Gift Shop employee, and the two servers behind the table with the champagne and snacks, as the smoke grenade was thrown right where they were at. I'll add that those two are very recent employees of the University's Food Services Division, and the manager that assigned them the duty said they had asked for it because they wanted to be there for the Greuze unveiling."

Julia had a piece of tape begin playing, which showed people in the Main Hall milling about. She said "The young woman with the tray of champagne glasses was also a Food Services employee, and hired only last week. She was seen by several persons standing between the painting and the Gift Shop side entrance just before the grenade was thrown."

Julia: "Detective Carole Troy said she saw the younger guard hand off the painting to a woman and take the clown painting that he then put on the easel. Carole did not get a good look at the woman, only that she went to and through the Gift Shop door. When I showed Carole this film clip, she said the woman she saw looked like the mobile server, but she wasn't completely sure. Carole also said that the woman's clothes were different."

I said "I saw her myself just before the alarm went up. She was in her server uniform, but could easily have taken off or put on a piece of clothing when she saw the grenade being dropped on the other side of the room. So, what happened to her?"

Julia said: "She totally disappeared, sir. Even though the doors were locked immediately and a parking lot camera showed no one coming out of the Museum at that time, we could not find her at all. A lot of people began running into the lobby to get out of the building, and she may have just mingled with them. They were panicked, so they likely did not take notice of anyone in particular coming into the lobby from the Gift Shop."

"But they

would

have noticed if she was carrying a painting the size of the Greuze." I countered. "Ergo, we can deduce that the Greuze either didn't make it to the Gift Shop, or it did get that far but no farther."

Jack Muscone said "But that expert, Doctorrrr... Nadler. Yes, Nadler. He said the two Greuzes in the Gift Shop were replicas."

I said "Yes, he did, and I believe he was correct about that. So Julia, let's

circle back

to the narrative of the arrests."

Julia: "Yes sir. Of the five we arrested, the servers and Gift Shop employee asked for lawyers immediately upon being read their rights, then again after we took them through Booking. The older guard, the one with the scruffy beard and poorly shined shoes, said he saw the purple smoke and was watching that, and did not see the paintings be exchanged." I smiled at that; Julia had been in the Army, and had noticed what I'd noticed, and her voice connoted 'disapproval'.

Julia: "When we started bearing down on him, and asking how he possibly could not have seen the exchange, he asked for a lawyer. They're all in holding cells now, awaiting their public defenders."

Chief Moynahan said "We-ellll, let's just look at the tapes to see what happened."

"We can't, Chief." said Julius Jefferson. "The security cameras went out... well, it'd be more accurate to say that they kept working but the video was not recorded; the recorders stopped working. They were not turned off, but power to them may have been cut somehow. They resumed working ten minutes after the attack."

Commissioner Briscoe added: "And the wi-fi sending the feed to Campus Police Headquarters was jammed. It looked like the Slender Man had walked into the room or something."

"Well, that's just bloody fantastic." spat Chief Moynahan. After a pause, he said "Let's look at that painting they substituted for the Greuze. Mary, do you have a photo of it that you can put up?"

Mary said "I have the one Commander Troy uploaded to me." She put the photo on the projector screen. On the left side, the 'Westboro' clown was barely visible, and the 'Peter M. Feeley' clown was cut out completely.

"That's not the whole pho-tohhhh." drawled the Chief.

"No sir, it's not." I said. "The cut-off portion is not relevant nor helpful to the investigation."

"What?!" gasped the Chief, looking at me as if I'd lost my marbles. "How can you say that?"

"Take his word for it, Chief." said Jack Muscone. "And mine."

"With all due respect, Commander, Mr. Muscone," said Claire Michaels, "there may be valuable clues on that side of the painting------"

"I SAID IT'S NOT RELEVANT!" I yelled, feeling the heat on my face. "Now move on!" Everyone except Teresa, the Sheriff, and Laura were looking at me in utter shock.

"Hold on." said the Chief. "I want an explanation for this, and I want it right here and right now------"

"No you don't!"

That was Laura that had said that as she stood up. "Chief, that photo was left to deliver the maximum possible emotional pain to Don and to many of you in this room. My husband and Special Agent In Charge Muscone are absolutely correct. I'll tell you more when you and I can talk... alone."

I had been staring hard at Claire Michaels, who'd been staring at me in shock turning to anger. I stared mostly to not look at Tanya. But Jack Muscone had not avoided his wife's peering looks at us. And Cindy had seen it, and figured it out, too.

"If we can move on, ladies and gentlemen," said Chief Deputy Sheriff Ross, "our chances of recovering the Greuze will be a lot higher."

"Yes, let's move on." growled the voice of Sheriff Griswold. "If you guys haven't figured out by now that the Iron Crowbar knows what he's doing when he does something, and what he's talking about when he says something, then there's no hope for you. Now I'm far more interested in where the Greuze went to than in this piece of shit they left behind."

"Okay, let's keep go-ing." said the Chief. "Dr. Fredricson, you were saying that this paint-innngg was meant to cause Mis-ter Crowbarrr and others emotional pain?"

"Yes, Chief." Laura said. "If you look at what's here, you see my husband being... abused... with his own crowbar, which is a deliberate, goading insult similar to David Rovers's words earlier today... which will get Rovers murdered, but I digress. And two persons near to my husband's heart, his first cousin and the Sheriff, are made to look like simpering idiots. That is a shot at them as well as Don."

"And that looks like Pastor Westboro at left." said Tanya Muscone. "He caused us a lot of pain, but Don defeated him. So why put

him

in the painting?"

"And why not a cheap shot at Commander Croyle?" Cindy asked. "She's as close to Don as any of us."

"Yeah, I'm miffed that I was left out." Teresa replied. "But I didn't have a lot to do with the Black Velvet case, and Chief Deputy Ross did."

"Commander Troy, may I ask something?" FBI Special Agent Tracy Stone said. I nodded and she said "What I

don't

understand is why George Aurus would goad you with that painting like that. And what I mean is... it's like... it's like poking at a dog restrained by an electric fence, getting him all riled up and furious... and then going over and turning off the electricity. That dog is going to come at you. Why would George Aurus seek that kind of attention? Especially from the one man who defeated and captured him the first time, and the man to whom he turned himself in the second time."