by BJ Bourg
“Are you coming with us?” I asked Susan as I gathered up my case file.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
We filed out of my office and stopped briefly in the dispatcher’s office. I told Lindsey we were heading out and I told her to call me if a state police detective showed up. She made a note in the dispatcher’s log and handed me a telephone message.
“This man has called at least ten times demanding to speak with you,” she said. “He said you were supposed to have some deputy check on his sister-in-law, but you never did.”
I groaned and glanced down at the note, but I already knew it was from Fred Plant. Although I didn’t know what to tell him, I also didn’t want to keep him hanging on any longer, so I fished out my cell phone and began dialing his number as I headed for the door.
I was just putting the phone to my ear and stepping out into the sunlight when I heard a loud voice blaring across a bullhorn.
“Clint Wolf!” it bellowed. “Lay down your weapons and proceed to the street with your hands in the air!”
CHAPTER 28
Keeping my phone pressed against my ear, I coolly studied the scene before me. Four marked state police Suburbans were lined up in front of the station, and the four uniformed Troopers had taken cover behind their units. Their firearms were drawn, but pointing toward the ground. They seemed confused about something.
I recognized two of the uniformed Troopers. They worked this area and were good officers. Right now, they were only following orders and acting off of information provided by the state police detective, and that information apparently painted me as a dangerous fugitive.
Throughout my entire career I had been sensitive to making false arrests. I had always deemed it better to allow a murderer to go free than to arrest an innocent person, but I was not so naïve as to think every law enforcement officer shared my views. While the vast majority of them did, there were a few—like the asshole with the bullhorn—who did not. He was one of those who thought the ends justified the means, and he was known for taking misguided shortcuts. He was also known for something else, and I still had a bone to pick with the man.
“Hello,” said Fred Plant into my phone. “Is this Detective Clint Wolf?”
“Mr. Plant,” I said, “I’m in a bit of a pickle right now, but I promise to contact you as soon as I know something.”
“I’ve been waiting all night and day for answers,” he said, clearly frustrated. “What in the hell’s going on in that backwoods southern town?”
“No need to disparage the town,” I said calmly. “There appears to be some sort of mix-up, and I’m about—”
“Throw down your gun and surrender immediately!” came the voice through the bullhorn. “This is your last warning! If you don’t, we’re going to take that as a sign of aggression and you will be fired upon!”
I saw one of the Troopers turn and look at the detective, his face twisted in confusion. He exchanged heated words with David Monier, and the Trooper slowly straightened and holstered his weapon. The other three Troopers followed suit. Monier’s face was red and I could hear him hollering at the men to get back on target.
“What’s all that yelling?” Fred’s impatient tone had been replaced by one of genuine curiosity.
“It seems someone thinks I attacked Kim last night,” I said, anger growing within me. On a normal day I didn’t like people pointing guns at me, but I especially didn’t like the asshole who was pointing the AR-15 at me now. “I don’t know her condition, but it seems like she’s alive.”
“She’s alive? That’s all you can tell me?”
“Yeah, the state police are involved and it seems they’ve made a mistake,” I explained. “I’ll try to sort this shit out and get back to you as soon as possible.”
Without waiting for a response, I ended the call. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Susan standing to my left, her hand on her pistol. I glanced to my right, and Amy held the same posture.
“It’s okay, y’all,” I said. “Let’s not force anything. David’s a loose cannon.”
I was about to remove my pistol from its holster and surrender when screeching tires and roaring engines approached from up and down Washington Avenue.
Monier’s head jerked from left to right, his eyes wide. The four Troopers with him also turned to see what was going on. Even I wasn’t sure what was happening, but Susan told me to just stand there and watch.
“Don’t say anything,” she said, as Melvin’s truck approached from the west and Regan’s patrol cruiser approached from the east. “Let Melvin handle it.”
“But what’s he doing here?” Confused, I watched as Melvin jumped out of his truck and approached Monier with his rifle in his hands. Takecia was with him, and she exited with her shotgun poised and ready.
“How’d he know to be here?” I asked.
“Drop your weapons and get on the ground!” Melvin bellowed. “Do it now!”
Baylor and Regan exited Regan’s patrol cruiser. They fanned out so they wouldn’t create a crossfire hazard. The four Troopers had raised their hands to indicate they weren’t a threat, but David continued to clutch his rifle in a menacing manner.
“You said this would be peaceful!” one of the Troopers said, spitting the words in David’s direction. “You said we were just coming to talk to him.”
“Stand down, Officer Saltzman!” said David. “We’re here executing a lawful arrest warrant. This operation was sanctioned by the district attorney of Chateau Parish. You’re interfering with a lawful arrest and I will have to press charges on you if you continue in this manner.”
I was tense. I didn’t like that this was happening, but I felt powerless to do anything. After all, I was a wanted man, so David Monier wouldn’t listen to a word I had to say.
“If you don’t lower your weapon, you’ll be headed straight for hell,” Melvin said in a low but menacing tone. “No one shows up at our police department and starts pointing guns at our officers.”
I shot a confused glance in Susan’s direction.
“I texted Melvin as soon as Amy got the call from the judge’s secretary saying David Monier was involved,” she explained. “I figured that asshole would ride in hot and do something dramatic. I won’t stand for it. This is my town, and I’m not about to let some two bit asshole come down here and throw his weight around.”
I sighed. Susan had also recognized David Monier’s name. The last time we’d seen him, he had been part of a team that had shown up at Susan’s house to arrest her unexpectedly on trumped up charges. The only other time I’d seen him was when he’d shot Achilles when they’d raided my house. Achilles had only been a puppy at the time and hadn’t been a threat to anyone. Luckily, David was a bad shot and Achilles was tough, so my dog had made a full recovery. However, I’d never forgotten nor forgiven the asshole, and it secretly pleased me to see Melvin ordering him to the ground.
CHAPTER 29
Once Melvin had cuffed Detective David Monier, Susan marched down the large concrete steps that led from the police department to the street to meet him. Amy and I followed.
“Hey, Chief,” Melvin said, helping David to his feet. “I received a call that the police department was under attack by criminals dressed as Troopers.”
“I am not a criminal!” The veins in David’s neck were bulging. He jerked his head in my direction. “He is the criminal and you all are interfering with a state police investigation! I’m placing all of you under arrest!”
“You’re not placing anyone under arrest,” Susan said. She indicated the surveillance cameras fastened to the fascia boards above the hurricane-proof police department. “We’ve got you on tape pointing guns at our police department, and then you aimed your rifle at me, Detective Cooke, and Detective Wolf. That’s three counts of aggravated assault upon a police officer. You can get up to thirty years in prison for pulling that kind of shit.”
“I was pointing my rifle at my suspect!”
; “How in the hell was your suspect supposed to know you had a warrant for him?” Susan hooked her right thumb over her pistol. “If you show up and start pointing guns at cops, you’re gonna get dead real fast—and it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a uniform or not. For all we know, you’re going through a divorce or some other personal trauma and you decided to start killing cops.”
Although David was still defiant, he seemed to be growing less confident with each breath. “I’m here on lawful business to arrest a dangerous suspect. I saw him through the glass windows approaching the entrance to the police department and I could tell he was armed. I have a duty to protect the public, so—”
“Of course he’s armed, you idiot,” I could tell Susan was losing her patience with Monier. “He’s a detective and he’s on duty.”
“He’s a reckless and dangerous man,” David said. “I didn’t know if he would resist arrest or not, so I had to show some muscle to help deescalate the situation. And you can’t blame me, because he’s fast on the draw. I’ve heard the stories. He’s killed people before and I couldn’t take the chance that—”
“How dare you!” Susan marched right up to Monier and got nose-to-nose with him. I was afraid she was gonna break his jaw. “Clint has been forced to use his weapon on duty to save his own life and the lives of other police officers and citizens. You, on the other hand, have only fired your weapon once in the line of duty, and it was to shoot an innocent and harmless dog. You’re a reckless piece of shit and you deserve to be in jail! I can’t believe they promoted you to detective.”
“It’s not a promotion,” called one of the Troopers. “It’s a lateral transfer. He’s got no rank over us.”
Another Trooper—there were chevrons on his shoulders and he had dark hair with a hint of gray—stepped forward.
“Chief Wolf, I’m Sergeant Callais. Detective Monier asked us to accompany him here to speak with Detective Clint Wolf. When we arrived, he hollered that he perceived a threat and he proceeded to whip out his rifle and take aim at the police station. My men and I didn’t know what he saw, so we instinctively took up defensive positions. That’s when we saw you, Detective Wolf, and the other detective walking outside peacefully.” He paused and indicated his three Troopers. “When we realized there was no threat, we immediately holstered our weapons.”
“There was a threat!” David hissed. “My suspect is armed!”
Trooper Callais ignored David.
“Chief,” he continued, “I’m really sorry about the way this was handled. If you just let David go, I promise I’ll report his actions directly to the captain at the Troop and he’ll be severely disciplined for what happened out here.”
“I don’t need you to talk for me!” David said, saliva spraying from his mouth. “I came here for Clint Wolf and I’m not leaving until he’s in handcuffs and—”
“If you don’t shut your mouth,” Callais said, interrupting David, “I’ll take my guys and ride the hell out of here and let you fend for yourself. And if that happens, I can guarantee you this—they’ll put your arrogant ass in jail and you’ll lose your job. To be honest, I don’t give a shit about you, but I don’t want you embarrassing the Troop.”
I stepped forward and addressed the group. “I know David has a warrant for my arrest that was signed by a district judge, so I’ll go peacefully, but this is a mistake. I didn’t assault or rob anyone. These are trumped up charges that are going nowhere.”
“You beat the daylights out of Kim Plant and stole her iPad,” David charged. “She gave sworn testimony directly to the DA and I’ve got physical evidence corroborating everything she said. You’re going away for a long time, buddy.”
“So, we were right—someone was after Ralph’s iPad.” I shot a glance in Amy’s direction, and then turned back to David. “How’d they get in the safe?”
David laughed. “Nice try, hotshot, but it won’t work on me. I know you did it and I have the evidence to put you away. So, why don’t you tell us how you got in the safe?”
I scowled. I didn’t have time for these games. I needed to get back to work on my case right away. If too much time passed, we might never solve Ralph’s murder. I quickly weighed my options. There was no way I could litigate the charges against me on the side of the road, and I realized I would never change David’s mind, so my best option would be to cooperate, make bail, and get back to work. I could deal with the charges against me later. They were false, so they wouldn’t stick.
“Melvin, let him go,” I removed my pistol from its holster, unloaded it, and handed it to Susan. “I’ll ride with Sergeant Callais, but I won’t let you handcuff me.”
“You’re in no position to demand anything,” David said through gritted teeth. “You’ll be travelling to the detention center cuffed and stuffed in the back seat like a common criminal.”
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about Detective Wolf,” said Callais. “I’ll take him to the detention center and he can ride in the front seat with me.”
I nodded my thanks.
David’s face grew even redder, and I thought about telling Melvin to go ahead and charge him anyway. This was a colossal screw up on his part and his ignorance was costing me precious time, but arresting him wouldn’t speed things along. It might actually slow them down, and it would cause too much of a stir.
If word about the showdown in front of the police station made the news, it wouldn’t benefit either agency. David was a hothead who had made a gross error in judgment and who needed to be taken down a few notches, but I needed to quickly resolve the issue with the arrest warrant so I could refocus my attention on Ralph’s case.
The quickest way would’ve been to go with David, convince him that he had the wrong guy, and then have him recall the warrant. At that point, the two of us could’ve joined forces to solve the murder, because I was pretty confident the same person who’d attacked Kim had also killed Ralph, and comparing evidence from both scenes might provide additional clues.
However, I didn’t believe I could convince David Monier of anything. Once his mind was made up, nothing would change it. Talking to him would be as productive as talking to a sack of rotten kumquats, so I’d just have to settle for being booked and bonding out of jail.
Once Melvin had removed the cuffs from David and he had retrieved his AR-15 from the ground, I walked right up to him.
“If you ever point that rifle at any of our officers again,” I said calmly, “I’m gonna feed it to you.”
CHAPTER 30
Empyrean Parish Detention Center
“I’m real sorry about this,” Trooper Callais said as we pulled into the parking lot of the detention center two parishes west of Chateau.
“You’re just doing your job,” I said. “But David, he’s screwing up big time. He’s lucky I’m not the suing type, or he’d pay dearly for this false arrest.”
Callais pursed his lips and nodded. We sat in his Suburban for a few seconds, neither of us saying anything. I looked over at the tall cyclone fences topped with razor wire that circled the large prison. I shook my head and cursed David under my breath. I began to wonder if he had set me up somehow and, if so, why? Was he somehow involved with Ralph or Kim?
Callais indicated the large sign at the entrance to the sally port of the jail. It was where they took in prisoners, and the sign warned that all prisoners must be thoroughly searched and handcuffed.
“I’m sorry, but I have to search and cuff you.”
“No problem.” I stepped out of the Suburban and let him do his job. Once I was cuffed and seated in the back of his Suburban, he drove up to the electronic call box and pressed the button. Within a few seconds, the large garage door lifted and he drove inside. I fought back a sense of panic as the door lowered behind us. I loved my freedom. I had always tried to do the right thing and follow the law, yet here I was, being locked away for doing absolutely nothing—and all on the sworn testimony of a single person. I knew David couldn’t possess any e
vidence, because I didn’t do what he was accusing me of doing.
Although I knew it would be a waste of time to try and convince David that I was innocent, I knew I needed to talk to him so I could find out what he knew. He was a hothead, so I was sure I could push his buttons and get him to reveal more about his case than he wanted to.
I held my head high and kept my mouth shut as I went through the doors, was searched again, and then had my picture taken. One of the corrections officers tossed me a jumpsuit and told me to remove my clothes. I did as ordered and slipped into the jumpsuit. It rode a little high and I didn’t like it one bit, but I didn’t ask for another one.
The guard began shoving my clothes into the large property bag that already contained my keys and wallet, but then he stopped when something caught his eye.
“Why in the hell do you have a handcuff key on here?” He regarded me suspiciously as he lifted my key ring from the bag.
I knew if word got out that I was a cop, I’d probably have to fight my way out of the prison, but in my present mood I thought I might welcome a scrape or two.
“I’m a detective from out of Mechant Loup.” I indicated the warrant the other guard was entering into the system. “Those charges are bogus. I didn’t do the shit they’re accusing me of.”
Both guards burst into a fit of laughter, and I realized how ridiculous it sounded. I couldn’t help but laugh with them.
“Yeah, we haven’t heard that one before,” the older of the two guards said, still laughing heartily.
I made small talk with them while they finished booking me in. They were cool enough and seemed like easygoing fellows. Once I was printed and photographed, they handed me off to a young officer who led me to a small room furnished with a metal table and two chairs. All three items were securely fastened to the concrete floor. A phone hung from the wall, and the cord was extra short. I figured it was so inmates couldn’t use it as a weapon.