The Cascading: Knights of the Fire Ring

by CW Ullman

  When Darla and Charlie read the story, both wondered what the ramifications would be. The story quoted a number of colleagues who said Luemveld was dedicated to the protection of children and felt it was a mission that particularly suited her. What was not included in the story, because no one would say it aloud, was that most of them were glad she was gone. They may have wished she had been transferred or dismissed, but the guilty relief they all felt at her death was the same.

  The CPS had sustained a number of complaints directly related to the way Luemveld ran her office and carried out her duties. Most of her cases that went to court were thrown out as departmental overreach. CPS had been sued and lost a $300,000 judgment when it was determined she entered into a child custody dispute on the side of the father with whom she was sleeping. Against her will, the department head had approved her transfer to the city’s motor pool, which would have taken place the week after the riots. However, the transfer and the problems were not reported in the Times, so she was lionized for a life of service to children and elevated to the level of hero. Posthumously, she was awarded an accolade she had always sought, and one she would have never received had she lived.

  The Department of Child Protective Services began to review her cases. They read her files and finally came across the Tobie Armstrong/Russell Armstrong file. The two people assigned to it thought there was no probable cause in the case and wanted to close it, but they could not. Because of the high profile Luemveld had gained from the Times article, they decided to clear up any loose ends by bringing Tobie Armstrong in for an interview.

  CPS called Jim Halloran, Darla’s attorney, and told him it was perfunctory to interview the child before they could close the case. They promised they would not arrest Mr. or Mrs. Armstrong and would not hold the girl. Halloran was told he could accompany Tobie to the interview. They just wanted to hear Tobie’s account of her life with her father and if there was nothing unusual, they would close the file.

  Halloran met with Darla, explained the phone conversation, told her to talk it over with the family, and let him know what she wanted to do. She did not reveal to Halloran a serious problem Rusty had that might jeopardize the meeting and force her, Tobie, and Rusty to leave the country. Darla had to talk to Charlie.

  <>

  “You know what’s going to happen when Tobie gets in that room?” Darla rhetorically asked Charlie.

  “She’s going to tell them about the Enterprise,” Charlie answered.

  The five men involved in the incident set up a meeting that night at the fire ring. They each grabbed a beer and sat in their beach chairs. Charlie started, “The Enterprise is probably going to get a full airing when Tobie goes to CPS.”

  “I’ve been waiting for this day ever since Lieutenant Calley,” Curtis said, referring to Lieutenant William Calley, convicted in March 1971 of killing hundreds of Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai, South Vietnam in 1967. While over twenty soldiers were alleged to have been involved, he and his captain were the only two to stand trial. The incident had been covered up for years until a military tribunal found Calley guilty. The My Lai Massacre, as it became known, was a horrible misdeed that in the eyes of war critics, stained everyone who served in Vietnam..

  “We’re hardly in the same category as that,” Gaston said. “Why are we here?”

  “Darla said she, Rusty and Tobie would leave the area if we don’t want Tobie to go to CPS.” Charlie asked.

  “I say let her go to CPS; let the chips fall wherever,” Curtis said.

  “I’m with Curtis,” Ronnie said.

  “Me, too,” Charlie said.

  Gaston and Carlos had not voted. They looked at each other and Carlos said, “This will probably kill my career with the department.”

  They all looked at Gaston and he looked at each one of them and gave an unexpected response.

  “It was Rusty who threw her in, it should be his responsibility,” Gaston said. “I know the many questions and ramifications that could come from it, but the truth is, we didn’t do anything.”

  “That’s the point, we didn’t do anything. We didn’t stop him or intervene. We could be held accountable. I am asking you guys, are we as guilty as Rusty? “ Charlie asked.

  “Fuck, you had to ask that question,” Carlos said. “The same fucking question I’ve asked myself a million times since it happened. Would I have done it had the Old Man singled me out? Should I have stopped him? If it happened again would I have the balls to stop it? You know what, I want to be done with it. Let her go, let her tell the story.”

  “Gaston, you’re the last one,” Charlie said. Gaston took a sip of his beer and did not respond right away. He spoke as though he was mulling it over as he talked.

  “We subject ourselves to everybody who’s got an ax to grind against Vietnam vets. Once this gets out, there’s no going back. The truth is if not now, it could be at any time in the future,” Gaston said. “Has Rusty said anything?”

  “No.” Charlie said. “Rusty pays the price every day. It still haunts him to the point that if somebody were to waste him, he’d be relieved. The way I look at it, even if I lose everything because of this, I didn’t lose my life like the girl did.”

  They all drank their beers and looked into the fire. They contemplated the potential outcomes and resigned themselves to the process.

  Charlie felt very good about his friends and wanted to toast them by saying how proud he was of them. But he stopped because he remembered Captain Derrick on the Enterprise had told them at a small, onboard rally how “proud” he was of them. The irony of it all brought a smile to Charlie as he instead announced, “Fuck it.”

  They held their bottles aloft in a toast.

  <>

  Darla, Tobie and Halloran met in downtown Los Angeles at the offices of Child Protective Services. The head of CPS, Dexter Smith, a career bureaucrat, had one year to go before retirement. In his thirty years of working for the City of Los Angeles, he had a spotless record. He had successfully maneuvered through city politics without drawing unwanted attention or scrutiny. People like Wilamena Luemveld challenged that record. She was not the first political appointment he had to deal with in his many positions. Some appointees intended to make a name for themselves and improve or change whatever department they were assigned; that was until they encountered Dexter.

  When the appointee would announce their vision for streamlining, making employees more accountable, or improving their new job, Dexter was a master at sabotaging their plans. He would ingratiate himself and energetically jump on board, seeming to share the same enthusiasm for change. He would inform the visionary of the city’s charter, by-laws, and amendments, then ask which one of these the doomed appointee wanted to use. Once the appointee was buried in the six-hundred-page book of laws, Dexter would prevail, because he had memorized the entire tome. When the appointee found a way to save money by cutting a service or a department by invocating some statute on page twenty-four, Dexter would point to a line item on page one hundred-ninety that prevented it. He always encouraged them to keep looking, and when the appointee announced a new edict, Dexter “dejectedly” referenced another statute that derailed their attempt. When a discouraged appointee resigned and bemoaned his disappointment at failing to change anything, Dexter agreed frowning, “It can be impossibly frustrating.”

  Dexter knew that the canonization of Wilamena Luemveld by the press was going to bring a klieg light’s worth of attention to his department and he would have to be very careful. He did not like her, no matter how she died. He had found her incompetent and contemptible. Now, in death, she had been elevated to Mother Theresa status, which was all the more galling. She never correctly filled out paperwork or submitted the necessary forms. She was condescending and continually reminded CPS staff that she was appointed by the mayor of Los Angeles to clean up the department. Dexter thought she would be lucky to clean up a closet. When she found protocol to be an obstacle, she would ignore what she c
alled “minutia” and do what she wanted, causing more problems and bringing unwanted attention to Dexter’s department.

  After the city lost the $300,000 lawsuit, the mayor stopped taking her calls and ordered Dexter to bury her in a job that she could not “fuck up.” That was about to happen, but Dexter thought, she had to get killed in the line of duty, giving the Los Angeles Times fodder that would not let Wilamena Luemveld die, so Dexter could rest in peace.

  When the Times inquired about the case Wilamena had been working on, Dexter with faux regret, responded, “I would love to tell you, but because of privacy issues, I cannot.”

  He surmised once the Armstrong girl told her side of the story, the case would be found feckless, and he could close it.

  Dexter met Tobie, Darla, and Jim Halloran and escorted them into a conference room with a large table surrounded by twelve chairs. At the end of the table were two caseworkers to witness Tobie’s testimony. Tobie sat at the head of the table, with Attorney Halloran next to her, and Dexter on the other side. Once everyone was seated, Dexter started to record the meeting.

  He intoned, “Today is May 21, 1992. A hearing is being held for Child Protective Services Case, Number 442, regarding the matter of Tobie Armstrong and her welfare in her home. The case was opened in March 1992 by agent Wilamena Luemveld, who has since passed away.” He was interrupted by agent Claude Hadder, one of the two at the end of the table, when he cleared his throat. He was the only one in CPS who thought highly of Wilamena.

  Dexter noted Hadder’s interruption and added, “She passed away in her duty to Child Protective Services. Seated at the table is Tobie Armstrong, her attorney James Halloran, Agents Claude Hadder, Kathy Wiley, and myself, Dexter Smith.

  “Tobie Armstrong, you have voluntarily appeared here today to testify about your relationship with your father. You are not being coerced in any fashion, is this correct?” Dexter asked.

  “Yes,” Tobie answered.

  “For the record will you please state your full name, age, birth date, and residence?” Dexter asked.

  “My name is Tobie Sofia Armstrong. I am fourteen. I was born on January 28, 1978. I live at 13 Catalina, Redondo Beach, behind Girl’s Eyes Surf Shop,” Tobie said.

  “May I call you Tobie,” Dexter asked and Tobie nodded. “Let the record reflect that Tobie nodded in the affirmative. Tobie, please tell us about your home life and the relationship you have with your father?”

  Tobie was nervous and kept her head bowed. The advice given her by Halloran and her mother was now a jumbled mess in her mind. She did not know where to start, so she said what was in her heart.

  “I love my dad a lot and he loves me and he’s never done anything to hurt me,” Tobie said. Her silence had everyone at the table wondering if she was finished.

  “Do you know why Ms. Luemveld was investigating your father? Had you or your mother ever filed a complaint against Mr. Armstrong?” Dexter asked.

  “No. She was investigating my father because of something to do with his experience in Vietnam, where he and his friends threw a girl overboard,” she blurted out. Halloran hoped that Tobie would have said that differently, so he intervened.

  “Russell Armstrong’s time in military service has little bearing on his relationship with his daughter. As you’ve heard, Tobie said they have a wonderful relationship and there are no problems between her and Mr. Armstrong. So, I think we’re done here,” Halloran said.

  “Not quite,” said Kathy Wiley. “I want to hear more about…that.”

  Tobie and Halloran whispered in conference. Tobie sat back and continued.

  “You’d have to know my father; he wouldn’t harm anyone. He spends his whole day in the back of a surf shop shaping boards. He doesn’t say much of anything because he has a hard time talking.

  “When he and his friends were in the Navy, they pulled a girl out of the ocean after her helicopter crashed. His friend, Charlie, told me it was a rough ocean. Charlie owns the surf shop we live in. He said they all worked really hard to pull this girl into the ship. They dried her off after they saved her life. Well, when the captain of the ship came down, they thought he was going to give them medals or something, but instead he got real mad and said they disobeyed orders and told them to throw her back in.

  “My dad was the one who threw her back in the ocean. It messed him up real bad, but he couldn’t disobey a direct order, so he kind of had to do it. Charlie said they should have stopped him, but they didn’t. Ever since that happened, my dad’s been going to therapy and stuff, but it doesn’t help. So, when he sees Asian girls, he goes up to them and apologizes. None of the Asian girls knows what he’s apologizing for. So, he got arrested a bunch of times and I think Ms. Luemveld read about him in the paper and thought he was a perv or something and came out to investigate him.

  “I’m sorry she’s dead, but my dad is no molester. I could have told her that, but she…well, you know. My dad has got mental problems, but he’s a very gentle person,” Tobie choked up. “You can’t arrest my dad. He’s never done anything to hurt anybody. Besides, he would never survive in jail; it would crush him. Please.”

  Halloran comforted Tobie as she cried. He handed her Kleenex and waited a few minutes for her to compose herself, then asked Dexter, “Are we done here?”

  Halloran could not read the faces of the two at the end of the table. The man looked almost bored, but the woman had narrowed her eyes a few times and put her hand over her mouth. He did not know if she was moved or angered by the Vietnam story. He looked over at Dexter who exhaled. Halloran took it to mean they were done.

  Dexter asked, “Tobie, is there anything else you want to add?” She shook her head. “Mrs. Wiley are there any more questions?” She also shook her head. He asked Hadder who also declined.

  Halloran asked, “May I get a copy of the tape?” Before Dexter could answer, Mrs. Wiley said she wanted a copy, too. Dexter nodded and told them he would need about a week to review everything and he would call them with the official dissolution of the case.

  Dexter walked Tobie and Halloran out of the room where they met Darla, and thanked them for coming. After he left, Tobie asked Halloran how she did and he said, “Fine.” Turning his head, Halloran rolled his eyes so only Darla could see. He shook Tobie’s hand and kissed Darla on the cheek.

  “I have to get back to the office; I’ll call you later,” Halloran said.

  <>

  After Halloran received the tape, he called Charlie and said, “Darla thought you guys involved in the Enterprise incident should hear Tobie’s testimony.” Charlie got the tape and one night at his house, he had the guys over and they sat in his living room and listened to Tobie’s testimony.

  “I’ve never heard anybody who wasn’t there describe what happened. It sounds pretty bad.” Carlos asked.

  “It sounds horrible,” Charlie said. “Halloran doesn’t think anything will come of it, but he also wants us to be prepared in case it goes sideways.”

  “What does that mean?” Carlos said.

  “I don’t know. I guess we might need lawyers,” Charlie said.

  CHAPTER XII

  Bryce stayed in the hospital for a month. He developed complications when they removed the bullet from his hip. Jordan came to Bryce’s hospital room every day after school. When Bryce was strong enough to come home, Cindy decided to have a party for him at Girl’s Eyes because he often hung out at the shop, even when he was not working there. He enjoyed watching Rusty craft surfboards so much, he had told his mom when he was old enough, he wanted to shape boards in his own surf shop.

  Claudia had a change of heart about Jordan Franklin and told Curtis he could stay with them until he graduated from high school. She even suggested they pay for his college. Curtis was moved by her change of heart, but thought Jordan would most likely get an athletic scholarship. Claudia apologized to Jordan for the way she previously treated him and tried to explain her behavior. Jordan, like most teenagers, felt uncomfortable wi
th the long-winded awkwardness of Claudia’s apology.

  Charlie and Cindy mended their relationship. Cindy never told anyone she almost ended her life the night she believed her family was lost. Her family meant more to her now than ever. She celebrated Catholic Mass daily at American Saints and worked at the church once a week doing odd jobs. She watched Cecily when Molly was at El Camino Community College taking pre-nursing classes.

  Molly still spent much of her free time with Sister Marie Celeste. They formed a strong bond and spoke at local schools about the consequences of teen pregnancy and drug use. While Sister Celeste kept most of the details of her life private, she did inform her listeners that her life had been crazy prior to turning it over to Jesus. Molly’s approach was simpler; although she loved Cecily, she would say, “One night of passion can lead to a lifetime of misery.”

  Everyone was mystified by the things Cecily said. Charlie realized her uniqueness made her one in a million. Charlie stopped asking Cecily about things she was seeing, because he could not decipher what he nicknamed Cecily-speak. But every now and then, she would predict something that would later occur. When Charlie mentioned it to Knights of the Fire Ring, Ronnie asked how she was at picking lottery numbers.

  Ronnie’s brother-in-law, Frank, was sent to rehab by his family. The police had to be notified whenever a shooting occurred, and even though there were no charges pressed, Frank was eventually arrested. At his arraignment, the judge suggested that if he enrolled in a drug treatment program, his sentence at trial might be probation. Ronnie was hoping he would be involuntarily enrolled in Pelican Bay Prison for life, so he would not have to see him again. He told Frank Sr. that Frank Jr. should not come back to A-1 Carpets until he was sober for a year. The only reason Frank Sr. agreed was that Frank Jr.’s wife backed Ronnie. While Frank Jr. was in county jail, he didn’t share his theory about how the LAPD was in league with the Mexican Mafia when he spoke with his Mexican cellmates.