Sam Kincaid 01 - The Commission

Chief Puffer, Captain Hyrum Locke, and Kate. Across the table sat my boss, Brad Ford, and me.
    Locke spoke first. “We have several issues that require our immediate attention. Given that we now know Charles Watts was murdered in Wendover, and considering that the evidence amassed in our own investigation makes it a virtual certainty he was the shooter in the Vogue homicide, do we continue allocating our resources to the investigation, or do we leave the matter in the hands of the Wendover P.D., which now has primary jurisdiction? ”
    That was the big question, and Locke put it on the table in record time. Kate looked concerned.
    “Which leads directly to the next issue. Who is going to act as spokesperson to the Vogue family? And how much information do we give them and when? Since the investigation appears about to be resurrected, is it time we level with them about Levi’s extra curricular activities? If they find out about it from some other source, we’re toast.
    “And that brings me to the last question. How do we handle the press now? The moment this hits the wire, we’re right back in the hot seat. We might be able to delay releasing the information for a few hours, or perhaps a day, but that’s about it.”
    Turning to Kate, Locke asked, “Do you guys see any advantage in delaying the press release?”
    “Only that we’d have a few more hours to work the case without members of the media lurking behind every tree. Actually, Sam and I have discussed the issue and we think a carefully worded press release wouldn’t hurt the investigation and might even be useful.”
    “In what way?” said Hansen.
    “Up until now, whoever is responsible for the murders has to be thinking they’ve gotten away with it. Let’s make them uncomfortable. Let’s use the media to send them a message. Who knows, maybe they’ll panic and make a mistake. We don’t think there’s anything to lose. We go public, explaining that the death of Watts involved foul play and is being investigated as a criminal homicide, not a suicide. We don’t need to be specific. We don’t reveal that the alleged suicide note was a forgery and has been wiped clean of prints. Let them wonder just how much we do know,” said Kate.
    “Sounds all right to me,” said Hansen. “Anybody have a problem with it?” Nobody spoke. Several heads nodded in agreement.
    “Let’s get back to the main issue for a moment,” said Hansen. “Do we continue this investigation using our personnel, or do we hand it off to Wendover P.D. and get the hell out of it?”
    For the first time, Deputy Chief Puffer spoke. “I think we’ve done our job and done it well. I recommend we pull out. Our investigation correctly identified Vogue’s killer and found plenty of evidence to support a successful prosecution. It’s not our problem that the perp got himself killed before we had a chance to apprehend him. It’s Wendover P.D.’s problem now. Let them handle it.”
    Spoken like a true wimp, I thought. The man was predictable if little else.
    Hansen turned to Kate. “Lieutenant McConnell, what are your thoughts on the matter? You and Kincaid have been the ones carrying the ball on this.”
    Before she had a chance to respond, Locke interrupted. “I support Clarence’s position, with one possible caveat. How would the press portray our decision to withdraw from the case and how might that affect public opinion?”
    Clearly, Locke and Puffer were making a power play that put Kate in an unenviable position. She would have to make a choice to support or oppose her superiors, and risk some kind of retaliation later, if she took a position in opposition to theirs.
    Locke was smart, politically savvy, and a highly capable administrator who also happened to be a ruthless organizational climber. He had never hesitated to run roughshod over others on his way up the career ladder, and he rarely missed an opportunity to pander to the TV cameras in high-profile cases. I was more than a little surprised that we hadn’t seen him at Vogue’s residence the night of the murder or at the Mayor’s initial press conference.
    The lady didn’t disappoint. Glancing quickly at Puffer and then Locke, Kate shifted slightly in her seat and looked directly at Chief Hansen. “I think we’ve got a clear obligation, both practically and ethically, to remain on the case. Nobody has a better understanding of the case than we do. If we pull out now, we leave the job half-finished.