Letters from an empty trailer
the Valley of Decision
chapter twenty two
Detective Penny Swallwell, along with her partner, sat patiently waiting for her lawyer to finish reading a dossier of charges laid against her. He looked up and smiled. “They’re running scared. This is all smoke and mirrors, peanuts. They could have been nice and wooed you, but they chose to play hardball with no evidence,” said her lawyer. “Especially bad for them, coming from a place of very shaky ground.”
“So, what now?” smiled Penny.
“Well when the idiots get my files on them, especially now that more damaging info has come to me, via other detectives, I say the cops are up-shit creek in a sieve.”
“Good!” exclaimed Penny. “Drain the whole swamp!” Smirked, detective Swallwell.
“Now, your ex boss and a few higher big-wigs will be attending the hearing tomorrow. This isn’t a trial, it’s a meeting to find out if there is enough evidence to proceed. Off the recorded I suspect some of them in the room to be tarnished to some degree or another! They’re either going to play hard, or offer you something? I suspect a little of both. It will be designed to scare you into keeping your mouth shut, hopefully ending with your resignation? This file I’m sending will rattle their chains and take them down a few pegs. It will arrive on the San Rafael police desks just before closing today, it’s going to throw a giant wrench into their plans.”
“Interesting,” said Penny.
“You’ll walk in there tomorrow from a place of power, use it. I wont be allowed in. If the Mayor drops in, and I suspect he will, your power will be even greater. The more publicity the better,” he added.
“Some good news for a change,” sighed Penny. “No sweeping under the carpet this time.
“The investigation has already found some very severe infractions, and maybe even criminal wrong doing within the police force. It’s still early, but sadly wont effect tomorrows’ meeting. I applied for postponement but was refused,” mused her lawyer. “No matter they’ll be hampered in their decision making, by this file getting out as well,” he continued. Rest easy, nothing to fear tomorrow.”
“Never was scared, in fact I seem to thrive on fear?” Blurted Detective Swallwell. I suspect my supervisor did this because he was sick of it, and was his only recourse. I think he’s a good man and a good cop?” “But never the less…thank you.”
“Never the less,” repeated her lawyer. “let the chips fall where they may.”
Penny checked her phone, and there was a message saying that the cigarette butt forensics indicated it belong to a major criminal. A Mr.Illich Ramirez Sanchez, a very dangerous long-time member of Red’s gang. Why would this turkey sit on a cliff side smoking a day’s worth of cigarettes? Had it something to do with the attempted takeover, believed to be an on going war?
“He’s a well-known listening man for hire. He has a reputation for bugging people.” Replied Doug, scrolling his computer, when Penny ran it by him.
“Then who was he listening too up on that cliff?” Asked Penny. “And you’d think he’d be smarter than to leave a pile of butts laying around?” She continued.
“They all fuck up sooner or later!” answered Doug over the phone.
After finding out Axle and the others had checked out the night before their plans to interview him, the detectives put out a silent alert to find him. One that wouldn’t frighten him off.
They found that Sanchez last known address was in San Jose. They contacted the San Jose police and found he was still residing there. He drew no attention to himself and lived a quiet life. Never once was he involved in any disturbance, that would alert the police to his ware-bouts. An arrest warrant was issued for his immediate arrest, by the San Jose Police.
He had a rap sheet as long as your arm. Starting with petty offenses as a preteen. Suspected of murder, and extortion, but was always suspiciously set free? The San Jose police were very great full for the heads up. Penny was told that if there were any further updates on him, or arrests that they’d be notified.
When Axle told Angela about the fire at the beach estate she started to cry uncontrollably. Rosa sat with her trying to comfort her, to no avail. And ended up crying with her. After crying themselves out, they decided to stay at Rosa’s sisters until they realized Red would look for them there. Angela didn’t want any grief to fall on Rosa’s family. Axle wanted to know about their bikes, and suggested they grab a motel and go check out the estate themselves. Since no one would probably look for them there?
They rented a car under Rosa’s name, and booked in a Bolinas Motel as husband and wife. With Rosa booking in separately shortly after to not raise suspicion. They dined, and waited till nightfall, and drove out to the burned beach estate. They drove up to the entrance gate and passed by. Returning a few minutes later, then sat and watched. After twenty minutes and no lights or activity, they left Rosa in the car.
They slipped under a police tape stretched across the open gate, even in the dark the place looked like a devastated moonscape. The only thing still recognizable was the garage. “Just as I suspected, he wouldn’t ruin his fucken cars.” Whispered Angela.
Seeing that no one was around, they slipped into the garage. The only light available was a small spot light, that came on for half an hour, when you opened the door. Casting long shadows, that made all the cars look weird and ghostly.
They worked their way back to the bikes and rolled them to the side door. They were not able to squeezed through the door way preventing them from escaping. They had to open a garage door. Angela ran back and opened the first door. Axle listened thinking everyone in Bolinas heard it open?
He rolled each Harley out, clear of the door. She closed the door quick and simple. Angela phoned Rosa as she made her way to the side door and told her to drive back to the motel, and they’d follow later by another route. Since they were in a rural area no one cared hearing them open the garage door or start the engines.
When they saw Rosa’s car lights leaving, they slowly followed. Once off the estate, anybody would think them just a couple out for a moonlit drive. Even with their hearts in their throats, it was good being back on their bikes again. They enjoyed drag racing each other on the dark lonely highway. Each taking turns flying past one another.
Axle wrapped a short length of chain around the front wheels and locked them together, in front of their room. A minor deterrent to the unprofessional thief, but a deterrent never the less. Then joined Angela in Rosa’s room. They all hugged and sat on the beds, thinking what to do next?
After a long pause, Rosa said. “I have friends on a ranch out near Altamont. Red, not anybody knows about them. I called them and they said I could come and stay anytime. You both need space and time to figure things out. Threes a crowd.
“No Rosa, we’ll think of something?” Cried Angela.
“Rosa’s right,” interrupted Axle. “Painful yes, but right”
“They’ll come and get me, all I have to do is call them. I’ve made up my mind, I’m just so sad all our beautiful things are gone. And now you my darling, losing you will be the hardest thing of all. I felt like a criminal sitting in the dark outside my own home tonight.” Said Rosa. “I want this to end now, I can’t take it anymore.”
“You’ll never lose me Mamma Rosa, I promise!” Cried Angela. “Never!”
Angela and Rosa exchanged numbers. In bed that night her and Axle decided to go back to the trailer. After seeing Rosa off the following morning, spilling more tears, they headed south to Arizona. Angela had no idea where Red would dig in and hold up, but they figured the best spot to hide was in plain sight. They bought small personal items and some booze, the next morning, walked Stinson beach, and rode out of Bolinas that very afternoon.
Mayor Thorogood, stood his ground. His original running platform was ethics, and he was dam well was gonna see it through. “Not on my watch!” He yelled. In his diatribe, he called for a major inquisitor to be appointed, a veritable witch hunt was his actual words.
“There is no better weapon in the criminal’s arsenal, than a crooked cop!” He yelled into the high-pitched screeching microphone. “The moral decay has eaten its way into the very heart of the San Rafael police force.” Continued the mayor. He timed it perfectly for the very morning of the investigation into Detective Penny Swallwell’s complaints. Although it was really a meeting to discredit her. To move the focus from the San Rafael police force, onto her.
“It’s my moral duty to rid the force of this cancer. And the best way to remove a cancer, as far as I know, is to cut it out.” Repeating the sentence for effect. “I'm personally going to make a public showing of everyone crooked cop we route out! If you're one of them start shaking because you’re gong into the Maine prison population. The Mayor continued. “You’re the worst kind of crook there is, and I’m going to see to it that you pay for it.”
He went on about the grafters resigning first, to make it go easier on you. A few with minor infractions, fell for this tactic, and eventually brought down a cop that otherwise may have weathered this investigation. A cop on Penny's squad. “Detective Swallwell is a public hero, and I will be personally attending her hearing this afternoon.” Yelled the Mayor’s final words. In a short q&a afterward the Mayor was asked if the cancer extended into his branch and higher?
“I have no idea, I certainly hope not. But no one, will be exempt?" Spouted the Mayor. “No one is above our laws!” He continued.
Dan Ger