Chapter 17

As Bryant was racing down the streets in pursuit of Cassidy Bell, Jan Elliot was trying to track down an anomaly in her department. For months, there had been a line item in her budget for someone named Scott Lewis. She knew he worked somewhere for the city. She had received e-mails from him any number of times. But she had never met him and she couldn't seem to locate him.

It took three wrong turns and twenty minutes of wandering through City Hall before Jan located a small office on the fourth floor. There was a handmade sign tacked to the wall outside: Emerald Cove Police Department, Division of Community and Media Services.

She knocked on the door and opened it.

The man inside sat behind a desk piled high with papers. There was a Dry-Erase board behind him with a host of unintelligible scribbles on it. The man was on the phone but he motioned her to a chair with a smile.

"That's perfect," he said. "Thanks so much for your help. I think this is going to be fantastic."

When he hung up the phone, the man turned to Jan.

"What can I do for you, Chief?" he asked earnestly. Jan looked at him closely.

"Who are you?" she asked finally.

"Uh, I'm Scott Lewis," the man said. "Sorry, I guess I should have introduced myself."

"Do you work for me?" Jan asked.

"I think so," Lewis replied. "I mean, my checks come from the city and Chief Hawkins said he was going to keep me affiliated with the police department."

"Do you still answer to Chief Hawkins?" Jan wondered.

Lewis shrugged.

"I've never been real clear on that," Lewis admitted. "I just pretty well sent e-mails to anyone I can think of. You get them; Chief Hawkins gets them; Steve Curtis and Linda Roberts get them."

Jan nodded as though she understood. She really didn't.

"Well, I guess I should just get this out," she decided. "I have no idea who you are or what you do. I noticed a couple of months ago that I was paying for you out of my budget. This is the first chance I've had to track you down. So, what is it, specifically, that you do?"

"That's not an easy question to answer," Lewis confessed. "I've sort of been making this up as I go. I can give you a few instances of what I do. Will that help?"

"As much as anything," Jan said with a shrug.

"Okay, the first thing I set up was handling the non-litigious complaint calls," Lewis said. "If someone calls griping about getting a speeding ticket for going fifty in a twenty-five zone, I take those calls and explain that radar doesn't lie and they should go slower if they want to avoid tickets. If it is something bigger, well, that's above my pay grade."

"Huh," Jan said thoughtfully. "I've wondered why I didn't get many calls like that. It's been a big help, actually."

"I'm glad," Lewis said sincerely. "Uh, I'm not sure if you know the circumstances of how I got here."

"I didn't until today," Jan admitted. "Now I understand it a bit better."

"Okay, then," Lewis said. "You see, Chief, we never really had someone in this job. Like I said ... I'm making this up as I go. I put together a team in the summer softball league. We're teamed up with the fire department and the EMTs. It's always been a problem because the league is pretty strict about their rosters. I got all the teams to agree to let us have an expanded roster because it's impossible for us to restrict ourselves to only eighteen players. Our shifts just don't work out that way. I thought it was a good idea to interact with the other first responders in the area. We don't really do much with them. I also liked the idea of letting the population see us outside of uniform – or at least in a different uniform. It's been a big success. We usually have ten or fifteen cops in the stands for each game. It's gotten a real positive response from those who play and those who watch."

"I'll bet," Jan said, impressed with the idea.

"That was the first thing I did," Lewis said. "Since then I've helped set up a survivor's network with the spouses of other first responders. You know, in case the unthinkable happens. My wife was a big help in setting that up. A lot of the spouses of cops, fireman and EMTs get together a few times each month for lunch. It's in the opening stages right now. There are plans for it to grow. They brought in the state police spouses a few months ago."

"That's great!" Jan said. "I had no idea. I'm not really that clueless."

"No, I understand," Lewis said. "Most of what I do is below the radar. Our next big project would probably get your attention. I just finished setting up 'Shop With A Cop' with the downtown merchants and the mall. That was harder than I expected."

"The Chamber can be tough to deal with it," Jan said sympathetically.

"It wasn't them," Lewis said, shaking his head. "They signed on immediately. It was getting the names of the kids. I thought it would be a breeze to go through the county's Children and Youth Services. That was a bust. They wouldn't give me the time of day. My wife finally thought about going through the Angel Tree Network. That hit the jackpot. We're going to have about fifty kids. I'd hoped for more but I think it will grow by next year. Right now I figured we'll have about three cops for each kid."

"That's okay," Jan said.

"I hope so," Lewis replied. "I figured we'd have more kids than cops but it's been hard to get their names."

"You've done a great job, Scott," Jan said. "I'm really impressed with what you've put together. Your title says you also handle media relations. What do you do there?"

"That's been trickier," Lewis admitted. "I've sent out releases on mundane things. I don't announce arrests or anything like that. But, well, just today I sent out the news that we'd met the state hiring requirements. I sent that to Linda Roberts for her approval. She'll get it to the right people if she thinks it's appropriate. I've also set up some public service announcements with local radio and TV stations. I'm going to get a few volunteers to warn about drinking and driving over the holidays and urging tourists to use proper caution when leaving the bars and such."

"Wow!" Jan said. "You've done this all by yourself?"

"I've had help," Lewis told her. "My wife has been a great sounding board. She suggested that I get in touch with some other cities – Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Columbia – to see how they do things. Some of the things they do won't work for us. Others we've modified to fit our needs. Our next big thing is getting the officers involved in some of the local charity events. I've been working with the local abuse shelter for a fund-raiser in the spring."

Jan nodded her head again.

"So, uh, the reason I'm here," she said, "is that your circumstances have changed. Allyson Granger got a judge to sign off on having your record expunged. You're clear to return to active duty. Is that what you want?"

Lewis sat silently for a moment. He had been certain after months of hearing nothing that he would never get back to the police force. Now he wasn't certain what he wanted.

"If you'd have asked me six months ago, I could have given you an immediate answer," Lewis told her. "But, well, my wife sort of likes the fact that I'm home every night at five. I like the fact that I get to kiss my little girl before she goes to sleep each night. I also think I'm doing something worthwhile here."

"You are," Jan cut in. "What you're doing is very worthwhile – not just for the community but for the police force."

"Thanks," Lewis said. "The thing is, well, this is pretty self-sustaining. Once I get the programs in place, there isn't going to be much to do. Since we haven't had anything like this before I've just been taking as much time as it takes to get things done. But I honestly don't think you'll be able to justify my salary full time after the next few months."

"Well, let's deal with that in a few months," she said. "I have an administrative post that you can slot into pretty easily. Your file says that you are a fine officer. You would have been promoted to sergeant without this stuff hanging over your head. We can use you as a training officer and move the community and media relations thing to part-time if you want."

"I'd like to be a part of the police force again," Lewis admitted.

"I want to be clear," Jan said. "You have never stopped being an integral part of our department. What you've done has been immensely beneficial – even if up till now, I didn't know about it."

Cassidy Bell sat in the interview room along with Holly Garvin when Regina Post entered and took a seat.

Holly had pulled Bryant aside when she had arrived back at headquarters.

"That house has no electricity," she had explained. "She's managed to keep the water on but that's all."

Bryant had frowned at the news.

"The place was clean, though," Holly had continued. "It isn't like she lives in squalor. She takes care of the place pretty well given the lack of utilities. She's not some strong-armed robber."

Now Holly sat across from Cassidy Bell as Regina Post opened a folder.

"Before we start, I want to make sure that you're here to answer questions of your own volition," Regina said. "I also want to advise you that you are entitled to an attorney if you desire one."

Cassidy scoffed.

"I can't afford an attorney," she said.

"We can appoint one for you," Regina said.

"Like hell," Cassidy spat. "I have a job so I'm not eligible for a public defender. I checked all that out after that awful woman stole the watch. So when I say I can't afford an attorney, that's exactly what I mean."

"If you want an attorney, I'll pay for it," Holly cut in. "But I think once that Regina sees your evidence everything will be fine."

Cassidy sighed.

"She's right, Cassidy," Regina said. "I don't want this to be adversarial. We just want to get to the bottom of things. You said you own the watch. Can you prove that?"

Cassidy opened up a folder in front of her and passed across several pieces of paper. Regina saw it was a Last Will in Testament.

"The watch belonged to my mother," Cassidy said. "She died last spring and left the watch to me. It's on the last page."

Regina opened the document to the last page. There was a highlighted paragraph that read: "To my greatest treasure, my daughter Cassidy, I leave the memento of my proudest moment, the Tag Heuer watch she has admired since the day I brought it home. I hope it will serve as a reminder of the love I have for her."

Regina closed the will and put it aside.

"It just says she left you a watch," she pointed out. "There is nothing that says it's the one you took from Adele Sullivan."

Cassidy nodded slightly but pulled out another document.

"This is my mother's insurance policy," she said. "It has a picture of the watch, along with a certificate of authenticity."

Regina's eyes widened as she read over the pages.

"Look, you people have all this stuff," Cassidy said. "I came straight down here when it happened. They patted me on the head and told me that they were too busy to put out a manhunt for every lost item."

"Bastards," Regina muttered.

"You might not have noticed but those men are all gone," Holly said. "They're either in jail themselves or on the unemployment line. You can trust Regina and Bryant. I give you my word on that. Now why don't you tell her how that Sullivan woman came to have your mother's watch?"

Holly had heard the story as Cassidy was gathering her documents and changing her clothing. She knew the girl was eighteen years old, even though she didn't look older than fourteen or fifteen. Holly felt a maternal stirring that she didn't know she possessed.

"My mom was sick," Cassidy said sadly. "She had ovarian cancer."

"I'm sorry," Regina told her.

"She was still working," Cassidy continued. "We needed the money after my dad ran off and left us with nothing. Mom worked at a store downtown – Monique's Boutique. It was a dress shop but I guess the woman who owns it thought boutique sounded classier or something. One morning, mom had an aneurysm burst in her brain. She only had a few months left anyway but she dropped over right there at the store."

"The ambulance took her to Memorial Hospital. I had to wait until I turned eighteen before I could get medical power of attorney. They kept her on a ventilator until I could get that shit done. That cost me three thousand dollars that we didn't have. We already had all the paperwork. But I couldn't get it through the court until I turned eighteen. I had to get an attorney just to file the stupid paperwork."

"So, as soon as I got that, I had them pull the plug and let her go. Once that was done, I went to collect her personal affects. I couldn't have those as long as she was alive, either. I signed the itemized list and they passed me a paper bag that had my mom's things in it. I didn't look inside. I had just watched my mom die. I had a funeral to plan. I had to try to track down my father."

"I didn't open the bag until it was time for her memorial service. I wanted to wear her watch to her funeral. When I opened the bag, the watch was gone. I went through the list and everything was there except for her watch. They had included her soiled underpants, for God's sake, but the watch was missing."

"I called the hospital first thing. I got transferred to Patient Services and the woman told me since I had signed the itemized list, there was nothing she could do. I told her that since someone at the hospital had stolen from a comatose patient, I thought she might be a little more interested. She hung up on me pretty quickly after that."

Cassidy shook her head and picked at a fingernail.

"So I called back and talked to one of the nurses who worked with my mom," she continued. "She explained that the hospital didn't use paper bags. They kept the personal items in clear plastic bags. The nurse who admitted the patient would put the items in a clear bag while she compiled the itemized list. The bag would be sealed and the list would be folded over the top of it and stapled to it. That was standard procedure."

"So how did you track it back to Adele Sullivan?" Regina wanted to know.

"She was the head of Patient Services," Cassidy explained. "After the list was stapled to the bag it was turned over to the Sullivan woman. She is the only one who had access to the belongings until the patient was released or the next of kin came for them. It couldn't have been anyone else but her."

Adele Sullivan walked into the Emerald Cove Police Department with the air of someone who was used to getting things her way. Her husband was one of the most influential people in Emerald Cove. A retired attorney, her husband was on the board of directors for several local foundations – including Memorial Hospital.

She looked with disdain at the black detective who met her.

"May I assume that you've located my watch?" Sullivan asked in a haughty voice.

"It's the ownership of the watch that we want to talk you about," Regina stated.

"I would think that would be evident – even to you," Sullivan sneered. "After all, I've filed a theft report."

"The problem is that someone else had already filed a police report about the item," Regina said.

"Well, I'm sure my word is more valuable than hers," Sullivan shot back.

Bryant had noticed the hateful woman walking in. He had moved over to the gate when she had glared at his detective.

"Your word is no more valuable than anyone else's," Bryant said. "Just because your husband is some muckety-muck doesn't make you anything more than what you are – a thief. Now you can come back on your own or we can slap the cuffs on you and drag you back. But you are going to answer our questions – on your own or at trial. I truly don't care which."

Adele Sullivan's face dropped. It had been years since anyone had spoken to her in such a manner. Regina took the opportunity to lead the stunned woman back to an interrogation room.

"The watch is mine!" the woman said angrily. Regina took a seat across from her as Holly Garvin sat down at another chair and Bryant stood by the door.

"See, that's the problem," Regina said, shaking her head. "We only have your word for that. So, let's talk about the watch. Your report said that your husband gave you the watch. You said it was about three years ago. Is that right?"

"I suppose," she said.

"Was it a birthday gift?" Regina asked. "Maybe an anniversary?"

"No, nothing like that," Sullivan said. "It was a 'just because' gift."

She seemed proud of the fact that her husband would give her a watch for no reason.

"Interesting," Regina said. "Very interesting. Did you insure the watch?"

"No," she said. "It's just a bauble."

"A bauble?" Regina inquired. "Really? You consider a watch valued at more than $8,000 a bauble?"

"Eight thousand dollars?" she gulped. "That's impossible."

"Surely your husband must have told you," Regina added. "The watch in question is a custom-made Tag Heuer. It was valued at $6,000 when it was made but we had it appraised by a reputable jeweler in Augusta, Georgia. He said the watch was worth at least $8,000 and maybe as much as $12,000."

"I did some digging," Regina continued as she slid a piece of paper across the table. "I got a warrant for your insurance policy. You insure several baubles that are worth far less than the value of the watch."

"We also found some other interesting things about your time at the hospital," Holly cut in. "Do you know that over the last eighteen months, there have been seventeen instances at Memorial Hospital where the next of kin received a dead loved ones belongings in a paper bag. We pulled the death records and contacted the families. In every case, the itemized list did not match the contents of the bag. In most cases, the items were of little monetary value. But the watch ... well, that's a whole different ball of wax."

"She gave it to me!" Adele shouted.

"Oh, bullshit!" Bryant roared. "She was unconscious from the moment she dropped at Monique's Boutique. She never regained consciousness. There was no way she could form the requisite capacity to give you a God damned thing."

"That's the other thing, Adele," Regina piled on. "You stole from an incapacitated patient. That pushes the crime to first-degree felony. We searched your home, Adele. We found eleven items that had been listed as missing from hospital patients. I expect that it will be a long time before you see the outside of a prison cell."

"I want a lawyer," Adele said.

"You better get a good one, you God-awful woman," Holly spat. "Because I will make it my life's work to see that you spend at least a decade in prison – and I will make sure that you're broke by the time you get out."

The winter months were far different than what the newcomers had grown to know.

Winter in Chicago was always brutally cold – and winter in Huntington, W.Va., and Gallipolis, Ohio, wasn't exactly fun.

For Bryant, Jan, Holly Garvin and Barry Chumley (who had taken Bryant up on his offer to look what life in Emerald Cove might be like), the months they usually spent bundled up in 10 layers of Thinsulate were spent in short sleeve shirts and cotton pants. The temperature rarely dropped below 50 degrees because of the small isthmus that shielded Emerald Cove from the cold northern winds off the water.

The pace of life was far different for the group, too. Emerald Cove pretty well ground to a halt from November through January. What little crime existed was committed by perpetrators well known to the group of officers that had kept their jobs on the police force. That fact allowed Jan and Bryant to demonstrate investigative techniques to the holdovers, who uniformly had seen nothing of the sort under the previous regime.

It also permitted the group of men and women that had come to Emerald Cove from other places to take a few moments away from the job to focus on personal aspects of their lives.

But before long, the calendar changed to March and it was time to gear up for the busy portion of their work lives again.

Jan enlisted Bryant's help in moving into her new home the week before the spring tourist season began. It was the virtually the last time for five months that they could be guaranteed to have a free weekend.

Jan had found a house not far from the Curtis and the Granger homes. It was a two-story brick dwelling with a few well-placed shrubs in front and a privacy fence in the back. Bryant thought the house and its location fit Jan pretty well.