Chapter 9

Dale approached the gated lot at City Hall and stopped at the guard station. He presented his driver’s license. “I’m sorry -- I can’t find your name on the list,” the guard told him.

“I’m expected for a meeting in the mayor’s office at eleven,” Dale replied.

“I’ll call up there.” The guard picked up a telephone handset and pressed in an extension. “Are you expecting Dale Whitely? ... I see...” He hung up the phone, handed Dale his license and pressed a button to raise the gate. “Go ahead -- any vacant stall.”

“Thanks...”

Dale headed into City Hall, passing through a security checkpoint, and registered at the reception desk. He slipped a lanyard attached to a guest pass around his neck and looked around for Tiffany. “Someone was supposed to meet me here,” he told the receptionist.

“I’ll call up there and see,” the receptionist said. “Someone will be down shortly.”

Dale watched the elevator bank. The door opened and Deirdre headed toward him. “Hello, Dale. Follow me. It has been one hectic morning.”

“I can imagine.”

He followed her into Tiffany’s office. Inside he recognized Lieutenant Shilling. Also present was a tall woman with glasses and gray-streaked hair up in a bun.

Tiffany embraced him. “I’m so sorry I forgot to give your name to the parking lot guard,” she said. “I’ve been on the go since I walked in here this morning.”

“If I’m going to be underfoot, I’ll leave,” he replied.

“No, no -- I want you here. I do appreciate your moral support. Jan’s been tied up all morning but should be joining us shortly.” She led him to the woman in glasses. “This is Sharon Lasko, the city attorney. Sharon, this is my partner Dale.”

“Hello, Dale. Pleased to meet you.”

“Sharon will put together a cease-and-desist order that I’ll send out to the media.”

“That ad,” Dale said, “how could it be legal?”

“The precedent in defamation law is quite clear,” Lasko replied. “Since Mayor Maarten is a public official, only false statements of fact are actionable and then only if they represent actual malice. Opinions based on true facts are not actionable. It is, unfortunately, one of the burdens of office to endure this sort of negative campaign.”

“What about how they used footage of Tiffany’s press conference?”

“Again, they are not presenting false statements of fact. However, since Ms Coxx is not a public official, the bar is lower. We can claim they are violating a private citizen’s right to privacy. That could be actionable.”

“The main thrust of our demand to take down the ad,” Tiffany added, “is that the organization that claimed responsibility for the ad -- Citizens for Moral Truth -- is not registered with the state election commission.”

“That’s right,” Lasko continued, “and we cannot identify the name on the ad as the organization’s treasurer. We suspect it’s a sham organization. We suspect that the ad came directly from Chris Strider’s campaign. The so-called Citizens for Moral Truth PAC claiming responsibility is intended to give Strider plausible deniability.”

“Have you asked the Strider campaign about the ad?” Dale asked.

“Strider claims no knowledge of the ad or who produced it,” Tiffany replied. “He refuses to condemn it, however. We checked with the television stations to see how it got into their rotation. It’s through an ad agency that sells political ad placements for right-wing candidates. The ad agency claims Citizens for Moral Truth is a new client.”

“We asked them for contact information,” Lasko added, “but they refused based on client confidentiality. We could subpoena them but we’re not at that stage yet.”

“Whoever put that ad together,” Dale observed, “has to be the same as whoever sent Tiff that blackmail letter. Have you been able to trace the printer from the watermarking?”

“We have turned it over to the local FBI office and they are pursuing it,” Shilling replied.

“The purpose of the ad,” Tiffany said, “is to gin up outrage among Strider’s base and encourage them to go to the polls. It’s too early to know if it’s doing any real damage to our numbers.”

“We are making progress,” Shilling added, “in other prongs of our investigation. However, I’m not at liberty to discuss it.”

“I had a very nice call from Jake Michaels at WNLX,” Tiffany said. “He’s appalled at the ad and will do what he can to get it off the air. However, the news department and the business office at the station are separate and independent and his influence is limited.”

“It’s good to know you have a friend there,” Dale replied.

Jan Maarten stepped into Tiffany’s office. She gave her Press Secretary a hug. “I’m so sorry it turned out this way.” She spotted Dale. “Thank you for coming. I’m sure this is distressing to you, too. Now I regret encouraging Tiffany to out herself.”

“We’re more angry than hurt,” Dale replied. “I thought Tiff should come out and I still think it was the right decision.”

“Dale told me the truth would set me free,” Tiffany added. “I feel a weight has been lifted from me. I’m living and loving better than before and doors I never would have knocked on are swinging wide open for me.”

“Well, then something good is coming from this. What do we know as of this morning?”

“We know that a fraudulent PAC claims responsibility and Strider is denying any knowledge of it,” Tiffany replied.

“I’ll get started drafting a cease-and-desist letter,” Lasko added. “I should have it by one if not before.”

“Who should get copies?” Tiffany asked.

“We should send it to the agency placing the ad and to the legal departments of every television station in the state. Send via email and through the post office -- certified with return receipts.”

“Got it “ Tiffany replied.

“I suppose I should issue some sort of statement,” Jan added. “Tiffany, maybe you could draft something and we can go over it. I want to respond to the insinuations regarding our policies regarding the gay community.”

“Okay...”

“Good,” Jan said, “We have the right team in place. Let me know if you need anything else from me.” Jan scanned the room. “Then, let’s get at it.” She headed out the door with Deirdre following her.

“I had better get started on that letter,” Lasko added and closed her briefcase.

Tiffany put her arms on Dale’s shoulders, held the back of his head and kissed his lips. “You see, I have my work cut out for me, starting with looking up the addresses of every TV station in the state.”

“You’re kicking me out?”

She kissed him again. “I love it that you came for moral support. But, yes, I’m kicking you out. I suppose you have some work at home you can do.”

“I told you that I’m between assignments. However the grass is getting long and that lawn won’t mow itself. Good luck and I’ll see you tonight.”

Dale stowed the lawn mower in a tool shed in his back yard. Inside the house he spotted his phone with a text message from Tiffany.

Jan scheduled press conference for 4PM. WNLX carrying it live.

Dale switched on his TV, brought up WNLX and muted the audio until he saw an image of City Hall’s press room. Shortly Jan, accompanied by Tiffany and Lieutenant Shilling stepped from behind the curtain and stood behind the podium. Tiffany took her usual place to the left and a step behind the mayor. Dale unmuted the audio.

“This morning, Capital police in conjunction with the FBI and officers from my department served search warrants on and took into custody one Rodney Roth, also known as Rodweiler Roth. Officers searched Roth’s office and home, and computer equipment along with boxes of files were seized. Among the items taken was the printer upon which the extortion letter received by Ms Coxx was printed.”

Jan leaned toward the microphone. “Rod Roth is a Capital area private investigator who is widely regarded as Chris Strider’s political problem-solver. I have locked horns with Mr Roth in the past.”

Shilling continued. “Also, County Sheriff’s deputies have taken into custody one Evan Buckley, a records clerk at the County Courthouse. Mr Buckley is cooperating with authorities and has admitted to forwarding sealed court documents regarding Ms Coxx to Mr Roth. Mr Buckley also admitted doing the same for documents regarding Michael Finnegan during the previous election.”

“I remember that,” Dale said to himself, “Finnegan was regarded as the strongest candidate against Strider and then dropped out of the race without an explanation.”

The screen switched to a slide of the City seal and Dale switched off the television.

His phone signaled an incoming call and he answered it. “Hi, Tiff.”

“Did you watch?”

“I sure did. All I can say is, wow.”

“That’s the tip of the iceberg. There’s more I can tell you when I get home.”

“How late do you think you’ll be?”

“I hope no later than seven.”

“There’s a lasagna in the freezer I can put in the oven.”

“Mmm ... I love lasagna.”

“I love you, Tiff. See you later.”

“I love you, too.” The call ended.

Dale headed to his basement shop. He took down a small plastic tub containing his eighteen-karat gold sprues and scraps. He fired up his torch to melt the material. From his kiln he retrieved a flask he had been heating, turned it over onto the plate of his vacuum chamber and filled it with the glowing molten metal. Covering the chamber with its bell jar he switched on the pump and then switched off his kiln. Maybe I can work those up tomorrow, he thought.