Chapter 11

Deputy John Steigerwald was terminated after Internal Affairs reviewed the case. He also had several other items on his record of ‘overzealous conduct’ that showed an ongoing pattern of his abuse of authority. Previous reports that where noted, but due to insufficient information or evidence, allowed him to continue service. The recordings of the stop, along with the fact that he had fired his service weapon without real cause to do so, made it that much easier to reach the decision. Possible criminal charges were being looked at, but right now, Chief Margolis was sitting in his office with Yzzy and Arnold Cunningham, concerning civil penalties.

“Miss d’Santos,” he began, keeping language formal as this was a serious matter, “I once again want to offer my apologies for the conduct of Deputy Steigerwald and the emotional trauma and pain that you endured over this. I know that replacing your car window and covering medical costs is really nothing, so please, tell me, how can we make this right?” He was fearing a large civil suit that would seriously impact the county budget.

“Well,” Yzzy sat back, a serious look on her face. She had decided that the county shouldn’t be penalized too harshly for the actions of that idiot who stopped her, but she did have a few demands. “We can start by having him hung up by his nut-sack and I get an hour alone with him, with a riding crop.” She smiled to herself at the pained expressions of the other men. “If we can’t do that? Well, I want him black listed nationally so he is never able to get any type of employment ever again as a law enforcement officer. Right down to being a security person at a shopping mall. I think that he is also mentally unstable, but I’m not qualified to make that diagnosis. Seriously, I was stopped for no other reason than the fact that I’m a minority and a woman. If I hadn’t known my constitutional rights and not refused his orders, who knows what might have happened?” She had heard a few rumors that Steigerwald was known to demand sexual actions from frightened women when stopped in a remote area, and would only let them go after they had complied.

“I don’t think we can accommodate that riding crop request.”

“Fine,” Yzzy sighed, settling back in her chair as her shoulder throbbed slightly. The stitches had been removed several days earlier, but she was not happy about the dark scar that remained. “I’m not going to ask for a financial settlement. That would hurt the county and the people who live here. But there is something that I do want,” she looked directly at the Chief, “I want a MANDATORY sensitivity training program to be created and every LEO* has to complete it on an annual basis. I don’t want what happened to me happening to anyone else. In California there is a phrase called ‘DWB’ or driving while brown, or black. Minorities are targeted for no other reason than the color of their skin. I’m a mix.White, Black, Hispanic. I sort of stick out around here and I can tell you I never want to endure this sort of thing from ever happening to me again!”

“You have my word on that.”

“Good,” standing up from the chair, Yzzy faced the man behind the desk. “However there is one final request.” She paused as she smiled.

“I need a hug.”

*LEO: Law Enforcement Officer

Mickey soon found himself spending more and more time at the law office, when possible, where Anne would always welcome him with a smile. Their friendship was growing, and neither was willing to broach the topic of possible deepening feelings. Anne didn’t care about his ravaged face, because she saw the sweet and gentle man underneath. Mickey knew that she had her own personal demons from her past that she had hinted at, but he trusted that when she was ready, she would share. Often, they were seen enjoying a cup of coffee at the diner, and they would sit together on Sundays for church services. She was now fully moved into the apartment above the law office, but other than the time that Mickey had first helped Yzzy up there after her being shot, he had never stepped foot in it.