by Mark Hazard
“Trouble, sir?” Chu asked
“You two were the fastest rising stars in the department, until this last year. Apologies Lieutenant, but your erstwhile Chief Detective’s failures have reflected poorly on you and your numbers too.”
Chu nodded. “I’m aware of that sir.”
“I have a mind to use this.” Sheriff Honchak raised his index finger. “I have a mind to manipulate your misfortune for my own benefit.” He leaned forward again, elbows on mahogany.
Chu and Corus exchanged a concerned glance again.
“Gentlemen, at any point in the last year, have your investigations been hampered? In any way?”
Corus was silent, cast into thought.
Chu tilted his head unsure. “I don’t think so.”
Corus’s eyes flickered around the Sheriff’s desk, but he saw only the images flashing through his mind, case files and evidence from the investigations at Skokim Pass, Burien and Redmond.
“Like sabotage,” the Sheriff said.
“Sabotage, sir?” Chu asked.
“URM…” Corus whispered.
Sheriff Honchak tilted his head back and regarded Corus down his nose.
“The 5th precinct contract. Ed Garvey’s suspicions.” Corus glanced to Chu, then back at Honchak. “I hope you aren’t saying that Ed Garvey is right about corruption.”
“I cannot speak to each rumor, or every raving old man,” the Sheriff said, “but I have reason for concern. I know you’ve been dealing with personal issues, but I have to wonder if your sudden decrease in success this year had only to do with your personal life. Proving it in court is one thing, but we know Skokim Pass was connected to Russian mob interests. It only makes me wonder about Burien and Redmond, about other cases that you solved, despite interference.”
Corus thought over the statement.
“You mean, you think someone has been hamstringing me?”
“I’m asking the question is all at this point,” Honchak said. “Most of my years were spent in SoCal, dealing with cartels and Latino gangs. I don’t know if this Russian mob is similar to that or not.”
“What are you saying sir?”
“Forgive me, gentlemen, I’m not sure what I’m saying. I’m still much in the dark. I want to bring this all into the light, to understand the extent of organized crime in our county, and I want your help doing it.”
There was a long pause, and Corus tried to understand the Sheriff’s meaning.
“So you don’t understand the Russian mob enough to know if they would try and subvert our department and our local government, but you have reason to believe they have?”
“Yes,” the Sheriff answered. “It’s the reason I called you in today, of all days. Merry Christmas by the way, men.”
“Merry Christmas, sir,” Chu said.
“It’s the reason I dressed down and came in through the basement parking garage stairs. The HQ building is almost empty today. I took advantage of that because I didn’t want you to receive your medals at a Wendy’s.”
“It’s ok, sir.” Chu shifted in his seat.
“But from now on we will need to meet elsewhere to discuss this.”
“So, why are you telling us all this?” Chu asked. “I still don’t understand.”
“He’s going to fire us Chu,” Corus said, finally picking up the thread. “As a ruse.”
“No. No.” Honchak waved a hand. “I thought about it long and hard. No, I think publicly disgracing you and keeping you within the organization will work best. Same goes for you Lieutenant.”
Chu swallowed hard. “But sir,” he whispered with a wounded air.
“Lieutenant, you and I would have the understanding that you’ve given exemplary service. Same goes for you, Deputy Inspector. I mean that, but publicly you will both be censured, Chu for simple mismanagement and failure to meet expectation. Corus, you will be censured for conduct unbecoming an officer of the law, racial insensitivity in the workplace and failure to meet expectations. We will make it appear that your case with Garvey ended under a pall of suspicion, even though it was clear-cut police work.”
Corus laughed. “Jesus, sir, for that laundry list could you at least let me kick Pineda’s ass first?”
“I’m sorry you can’t be lauded for your work here, especially as I wonder to what extent your previous failures were even your fault. But let’s not make this any more conspicuous than it needs to be.”
“So you’re asking me to go undercover as a…a bad Lieutenant?” Chu asked
“Precisely, Lieutenant. You will continue to serve in your post, and I will appoint overseers, ostensibly to help fix your shoddy work. In reality they will be there to pick up the administrative slack as you work to help Inspector Corus investigate possible corruption within the department, along with the other unsolved murders in Burien and Redmond.”
“We the disgruntled employees might make good potential hires for any Russians looking for an inside man.”
The Sheriff bobbed his head. “Precisely. We can’t be solely focused on Russians, though. Let’s remember that the Cold War is over. I’ve heard enough dumb Polack jokes in my life to understand how easily these stereotypes can affect our perception. The Russians do happen to have an organized criminal element, but they aren’t alone.”
“Agreed sir,” Corus said. “We’ll retain our equanimity. The plan makes a lot of sense, frankly.”
“Oh God,” Chu said as he pitched forward and put his face in his hands.
The Sheriff turned to Chu. “I know it’s a lot to ask a man to sacrifice his reputation, Lieutenant. But I believe you are singular men and up to the challenge.”
“Hear that, dragon rider?” Corus clapped him on the slumped shoulder and smiled. “It’s time to burn it all down.”
A bit of understanding seemed to pass through Chu’s eyes, and he sat up straighter. “If there is corruption in the department, I want to beat it in the ass.”
“Hey, they don’t call you the paperwork ninja for nothing.” Corus glanced to the sheriff. “Fine, sir. We will be your whipping boys and moles. We will play our parts and lure in the baddies. I only ask one—no, two things.”
“Name them.”
“A deputy named Rosen gets promoted to Deputy Inspector.”
“Done.”
“Jim Cummins gets hired on as a civilian consultant.”
“Also done.”
Corus looked to Chu. “That was easy.”
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow in agreement.
“Well, you better go enjoy your day, gentlemen,” the sheriff said. “Because your next disciplinary panel convenes in the morning.”
Corus nodded at Sheriff Honchak, then grinned at Chu. “Well, come on L-T. Aren’t you gonna invite me for Christmas dinner?”
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Thank you for reading,
Mark Hazard