Chapter 7

Dinner Date

On the drive home I was thinking about a lot of little pieces of information that were starting to form patterns but the patterns weren't clear enough to make any sense yet and I wasn't sure that they were of any importance. What did all this have to do with someone trying to destroy my marriage or how I was going to prove that Commissioner Buske was taking bribes or kickbacks from CSC?

By the time I got back into the apartment, my ankle was throbbing. I took one of the pills the doctor prescribed and put some ice in a plastic bag and strapped it to my ankle with an elastic bandage. Then I called the law offices of Mitchell and Horne and spoke to the receptionist and told her to ask Carrie to call me. I could have called her direct line but because of the restraining order I was playing it very carefully.

It was less that five minutes later that Carrie called me back.

"You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah. I need to cancel our dinner tonight."

"Really, why."

"Something came up and I have to take care of it tonight."

"You're not doing this to get even with me for the restraining order, are you?"

"No. I really wanted to have dinner with you tonight but like I said something came up."

"When can we get together?"

"I don't know."

"Can I call you tonight?" Carrie asked.

"Not too late, I have to get my beauty sleep."

"Sleeping won't help. I'll call around eight?"

"Okay."

I followed the doctor's instructions for the rest of the day, taking my medication and keeping ice on my foot. At 5:30 that afternoon, Hanratty called me.

"How's the ankle?" Hanratty asked.

"Still hurts like a son-of-a-bitch."

"What did you plan to do about your dinner?"

"I got a pizza in the freezer; I'll just heat that up," I said.

"You want me to pick you up in the morning?"

"No. I drove myself home today so I think I can get myself to the station in the morning."

At seven o'clock I was trying to get the plastic wrap off my frozen pizza when someone knocked on my door.

"I'll be right there," I called as I picked up one of my crutches and painfully made my way to the door.

When I opened the door, I was shocked to find Carrie standing there, holding a couple of grocery bags.

"Carrie?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your ankle?" she asked.

Before I could respond to her question, Carrie moved past me and walked over to my dining table and began to empty the grocery bags onto the table.

"What are you doing here?"

Carrie looked at me for a moment and then said. "Well, you couldn't come out for dinner so I brought dinner to you. I would have cooked the dinner myself but I didn't find out about your injury until six o'clock. I have a roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and a nice bottle of wine. Now, where can I find dinner plates and wine glasses?"

"In the cupboard next to the refrigerator."

I stood and watched as Carrie started putting the food on plates she found in one of the cupboard.

"You still didn't answer me. Why didn't you tell me about your ankle?"

"Because I knew what you would do."

"Oh? And just what did you think I would do?"

"Exactly what you are doing right now."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew that you would feel sorry for me and want to come over and take care of me," I said. "Who told you?"

"Is that important?"

"Hanratty is the only one who knew about my ankle and I told him not to tell you."

"Rich didn't tell me. Linda did."

"I didn't think to tell him not to tell Linda."

"If you really don't want me here, I'll leave," Carrie said.

"Don't leave. I am glad you're here," I said.

"I still don't understand why you didn't want me to know that you injured your ankle."

"I knew you would feel sorry for me. I want you to be with me because you want to be with me, not because you feel sorry for me."

Carrie had finished serving out the food and turned to look at me. "I do feel sorry for you and want to take care of you but that's because I care about you. We aren't apart because I don't love you anymore. The reason we are separated and not divorced is because I do still love you and I know you still love me. I just can't be with you when you don't trust me. All of the fighting was breaking my heart. I want us to be back together but I am not going to rush things just because you hurt your ankle. I want to help you but it doesn't mean I am going to ask you to come home yet."

For the first time since she asked me to move out I really understood why she had done it and I knew she was right. I was starting to understand the truth. It just didn't all make sense yet.

Carrie and I ate the dinner she had brought and then sat and talked like we did before the trouble started. Carrie didn't leave until almost ten o'clock that night and on her way out she kissed me, said that she would call me the next night, and then said that she was free Thursday night. She suggested that she would come over and make dinner for us at my apartment.

Progress Report

My ankle hadn't improved much overnight. My morning routines took much longer then usual so I didn't get to the station until almost 8:30 AM. I was pulling into the parking lot when I saw Agent Van Horn leaving the building. He never even looked in my direction as he got into his car and drove away.

I took the elevator up to the third floor and as I walked through the bay I saw Hanratty sitting in Captain Ross' office.

I thought to myself, "What the hell is Hanratty talking to Ross about?"

Rather than going to my desk I went straight to Chief Pasiak's office. When he saw me standing at his door he motioned me in. "Sit down, Brian."

I sat down in front of his desk.

"How's the ankle?"

"It hurts."

"Shouldn't you be home resting it?"

"Is that what you would do?" I asked.

The Chief smiled at me. "No."

"I saw Agent Van Horn in the parking lot. What did he want?" I asked.

"He was just sniffing around to see if we were investigating Commissioner Buske."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that I had my best man on it and we were making slow progress," the Chief said. "Then I asked him how the FBI's case against CSC was going. Agent Van Horn didn't want to discuss that."

"Figures."

"Have there been any new developments?" the Chief asked.

"Nothing new," I said. "I am thinking that we may have to use his lover to nail him."

"What did you have in mind?"

"I am guessing that the Commissioner will probably go to the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo again this October. If he does and if he takes his lover with him, I was thinking I might be able to convince his lover to wear a wire," I said.

"How will we justify the wire? I don't think we have enough evidence to get a warrant."

"I'm still working on that, sir."

Hanratty's New Friend

Back at my desk I found a note from Hanratty. "I am hitting the street with Captain Ross. If you get out of your secret meeting with the Chief in time you can meet us at DDs."

The note gave me the impression that Hanratty was bothered by my private meetings with Chief Pasiak. I could understand that but Hanratty becoming friendly with Ross bothered me. Hanratty never liked Ross so why was he going for coffee with him?

I didn't know if Ross was involved with Commissioner Buske in any way but I had some suspicions about it. I began to wonder if Ross was trying to recruit Hanratty to spy on me. If that were the case, it would mean that Ross knew that I was investigating the Commissioner, but how could he know that? Chief Pasiak and I were the only ones that knew. It wasn't as if it were an active investigation. One person, slowly working the investigation for over six months being careful not to arouse anyone's interest but somehow Captain Ross seemed to know what I was up to.

I thought about that for over an hour but I couldn't come to any conclusions so I moved on. Ever since I had passed by the Boland house on my way to Grayson Road Sunday evening I had it in my mind that I should give Mrs. Boland a call and let her know that I hadn't forgotten about her.

I pulled out my notes on the Boland case and found the phone number. I called the number and got a message that the number I was calling was no longer in service. That got my interest. I went back through my notes again and found the number in Philadelphia for Mrs. Boland's daughter.

"Mrs. Turner, this is Lt. Hobbs of the Brodricksburg Police Department. I was trying to reach your mother. Do you have a number where I can reach her?"

"What is this in reference to?" Mrs. Turner asked.

"I wanted to speak to her about your father."

"Have you found out who killed him?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, no. I haven't found out anything new but I wanted to talk to your mother and let her know that I haven't forgotten about the case."

"Just a minute," Mrs. Turner said.

She must have put her hand over the mouthpiece because I could not hear anything.

"Lt. Hobbs, what can I do for you?" Mrs. Boland said.

"Mrs. Boland, how are you?"

"I am fine, thank you, Lieutenant. My daughter said that you wanted to talk to me."

"Yes, I do. I wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten about your husband. Unfortunately I haven't found anything new but I haven't given up. I tried to call you at home but was informed that your phone had been disconnected."