Bleeding Blue

by Don Weston

  When we finally arrived at New Hope Community Church, I noticed the parking lots were already full. Our procession entered on an adjoining street, and we travelled down blocks reserved for the procession to park on the street.

  The hall held three thousand people and it was packed with uniformed police officers from around the country, along with news media, city officials, friends and well-wishers. Dan said more than 330 jurisdictions planned to attend. I couldn’t help thinking the person who killed Darrin was inside this great hall pretending to mourn my brother’s death. It made me feel angry and frustrated. At the appropriate time, Mayor Clemons walked up to the podium.

  “Darrin Bly was a model police officer,” he began. “He represented everything good about the Portland Police Bureau. He was kind, patient, and respectful toward everyone he came in contact with. Two years ago, he was named Patrolman of the Year by his peers.”

  Clemons looked over the sea of cops nodding their heads at his words and smiled a little. “He was a true hero sacrificing his life for that of another human being, in this case, his own sister.” He smiled at me, and I tried to avoid his gaze. Clemons went on for another twenty minutes before finally yielding the floor.

  Next, Dan gave a eulogy and we smiled, wept, and laughed at memories Darrin left behind. Dag tried to talk but had to sit down because his voice failed him. Jason shook his head at a chance to talk, the tough guy, probably not wanting to break up in front of so many cops.

  Finally, I got up and walked behind the podium. I adjusted the microphone down from my brother’s nearly six-foot-seven height to my five-ten stature.

  “I want to thank everyone for coming today,” I said. “It is truly uplifting to see support like this from one’s friends and peers. I know Darrin would have been embarrassed at all this attention, but he also would understand this is more than just a tribute to one fallen comrade. This tribute is for all of our fallen comrades. It reminds us not to become complacent, to respect life, and to love our families.

  “Darrin would have been proud of all of you for being here and remembering our brothers and sisters who passed in the line of duty. I speak as one of you because I once was one of you and in my heart, I always will be. I come from a family of cops and when I was shot recently I found I bled blue.

  “Now, because of Darrin’s death, I am still bleeding blue. The wounds are inside and can’t be seen, but they are there. I am no longer a police officer, just a citizen trying to make a living as a private investigator. But when my brother was shot, I swore an oath to myself that his killer would be caught. At this point nearly a week later, his murderer is still at large.

  “It feels like the investigators have spent more energy keeping me bottled up as a material witness than pursuing Darrin’s killer. I am a prisoner in my own home. My police officer brothers have been appointed as my wardens and told not to let me get involved in my brother’s investigation. Surveillance teams are posted outside my home to keep an eye on me.”

  The great hall began to vibrate with low muttering between cops and citizens alike.

  “And only yesterday, because my brothers lost track of me when I managed to duck out . . .” I waited as the audience laughed. “When I managed to escape and returned to my home later. . . I was told my brothers likely will be suspended pending termination, and I was being assigned two full-time police officers to keep me under house arrest.”

  “No, Nooo,” came calls from the crowd.

  “I don’t want to ruin my brother’s funeral by complaining about this now. I certainly don’t want to turn this gathering’s attention from paying tribute to Darrin and all of his other fallen comrades. But this is the only way I can see to bring this matter to someone’s attention. I do want to go on the record as saying I will find my brother’s killer if the department can’t.”

  I smiled my most demur smile.

  “Darrin is to be respected today. He is the one who made the ultimate sacrifice. Unlike me, he always had respect for everyone he met, and he always tried to help others if he could. I’ve always been a bit of a rebel, so I could usually count on him to keep me in line. I will remember all the lessons he taught me, and, if I can, I will try to be more like my brother. Thank you.”

  Tears streamed down my face, so I ended abruptly and stepped carefully down from the stage. The audience took my message faithfully and the grumbling stopped. I explored the sympathetic faces and hoped I hadn’t tarnished Darrin’s memory. It probably wasn’t the best way to handle things, but it would be faster than going to the press—if they even wanted to print things of this political nature.

  Dan and Dag grinned ear-to-ear when I got back to my seat. “Only you would pull a stunt like this,” Dan said.

  “Did I screw up?”

  “Nah. The worst they can do is fire us. People should know what’s going on. I don’t think they’re trying hard enough to find Darrin’s killer and it stinks.”

  “You did good,” Jason said. “Those sons of bitches think they’ve shut us up, but now that we’re probably off the force anyway, we’ll help you find Darrin’s murderer.”

  I glared across the aisle at Mayor Clemons. He stared straight ahead as the minister called for others who might want to speak about Darrin. His face was hard and red. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead. Next to him sat Gloria Blaney and next to her was her husband, Bob. The Portland city commissioners and their spouses sat further down the row. Gloria seemed confident and relaxed. Her husband seemed agitated. The killer or the person who hired the killer could be sitting in that row, I thought.

  I didn’t see Eileen at the church and by the time we arrived at the cemetery and finished all of the ceremonial rituals, including me being awarded the flag which covered his coffin, it was past two o’clock and I was emotionally spent.

  I wanted only to get out of my sweaty stiff black funeral dress and to have a drink. I changed in an office at the cemetery into a less conservative fall inspired dress I’d found in my closet from the previous year, store tags still on it, and managed to avoid the press on the way out.

  Eileen, Angel, and Earl sat at a table away from the bar at Jakes. There were two hundred people crammed into a fifteen-by-twenty-foot room, with overflow onto the sidewalk outside. It took me twenty minutes to reach them. I kept getting stopped by well-wishers, most of whom were police officers, telling me to ‘give ‘em hell.’ Eileen seemed to be getting along quite well with Angel and Earl. I wondered how they could act so mature when Earl had been dating both of them.

  “You did a great job,” Eileen shouted over the noisy din. “I couldn’t believe you called the Mayor out.”

  “You think I was referring to the Mayor?”

  “Who else would have the clout to keep you in line?” Angel said.

  “Where’s your shadow?” Earl asked.

  “McGraw? I think he got called away when I left the cemetery. Another officer drove us here.”

  “Sounds like the Mayor is regrouping,” Angel said. “Maybe he’s called an emergency meeting to figure out how to deal with you. Steve got called away just as he got here.”

  “Maybe I really started something,” I said. “Dan and Dag are over there talking to the president of the Portland Police Association.”

  “So, what’s the plan?” Angel always knows how my mind works.

  “While they’re all busy protecting their butts, we start kicking this investigation into high gear,” I said.

  “Can I help?” Eileen asked.

  “Yes,” I said. “You can keep your eyes and ears open for anything that might be going on in the city offices. Don’t put yourself in any kind of jeopardy. These people may not be beyond making a too intelligent secretary disappear.”

  “Office assistant,” Eileen said.

  “Okay. Just do some low-level snooping and report to Angel anything you might find out.”

  “Can’t I call you direct?”

  “I might not be available. You can always reach Ange
l. She knows how to find me.”

  “If you say so.” Eileen frowned.

  “I’m going to make the rounds at City Hall and see if anyone is sympathetic enough to leak some information about the investigation,” I said. “Somebody has to know something.”

  “You could dab your eyes with a hanky,” Angel said. “That works for me sometimes.”

  “I got some contacts at the city,” Earl said. “I’ll see what I can turn up.”

  “Uh, thanks, Earl.”

  He stood and grinned. “Anyone else want another drink?” We nodded and Angel got up and followed Earl to the bar.

  I snickered at Angel’s new boyfriend as he left the table.

  “What?” Eileen said.

  “It’s Earl. I mean, it’s nice of him to offer to help, but what contacts could he have with the city?”

  “Oh, it’s best not to underestimate him. You might be surprised. He knows a lot of people. I’ve known him for about seven years myself.”

  “I have to admit he’s surprised me a lot already. I’m puzzled how you could have dated him and don’t seem to mind now that he’s seeing Angel. What is it about Earl that makes women so forgiving?”

  “He’s a nice enough guy, but I finally realized he’s not my type. I like them a bit more . . .”

  “A bit more, what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Just different than Earl.”

  “So, you think he might turn something up?”

  “If anyone can, it’s Earl,” Eileen said.

  “Why do you seem so sure about him?”

  “Well, he’s asked me not to say anything to anyone, but maybe you should know.”

  “I’d love to know more about the secretive Earl. Go on . . .”

  “He’s a tow truck driver when business is slack for him. It’s kind of a fallback job. He fills in for other drivers at different companies.”

  “What’s his regular job?” I asked.

  “Promise not to tell him I told you.”

  “I promise.”

  “He’s the same as you, a P.I.”

  “What?” My jaw dropped.

  “That’s right. And he’s had a couple of cases with the city. I think he’s working on one now. I think that’s why he agreed to go out with me. He spent the whole time trying to pump me for information.”

  I was dumfounded and my cynical brain searched for a rational way to fit Earl into the puzzle. He ingratiated himself with Eileen and now with Angel. And here he was right in the middle of my investigation, even offering to help.

  “Who has he worked for at the city, Eileen?”

  “I know he worked for Commissioner Tuttle once a few years back. Tuttle thought his opponent in an election mismanaged public-financed campaign donations. Earl investigated and a few weeks later the newspapers reported Tuttle’s opponent spent $50,000 on personal non-campaign related expenses.”

  “I remember reading about it. Earl was involved in that?”

  “Yeah. You should have heard Tuttle bragging about Earl’s part in it. Earl told me all he did was point him in the right direction.”

  “So, what do you think he’s working on now?”

  “I’m not sure. He was asking me questions about Bob Blaney.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “Did I think he was honest? Did I know if he was cheating on his wife? I think he was just digging for some dirt on the guy.”

  “Did you give him any?”

  “There’s nothing to tell. Blaney seems like a decent sort to me. He gets around the office and jokes with all the staff. He works late into the night. Always has his reports ready for city staff and always seems to know what’s going on.”

  “Except with his wife, I guess.” Eileen made a wry face. “He doesn’t seem to have a clue about her. You never told me who she’s fooling around with. Can you now?”

  “Not yet. I don’t want to make any false accusations. You never knew she was fooling around before I told you that day at your office?”

  “I knew it was a strong possibility. She spends a lot of money on wardrobe and makeup and doesn’t seem to be doing it for Bob. All he seems interested in is numbers.”

  “No time for the wife?”

  “Oh, she comes and visits him at work, but I get the feeling it’s always about money. Half the time you can hear them arguing.”

  “Here are your drinks,” Earl said, Angel in tow. “The line at the bar stretched outside. You two come up with any ideas while we were gone?”

  “One or two,” I said.

  Eileen shook her head. Earl studied her and then gave me an equally scrutinizing gaze. “Anything you care to share?”

  I lifted a glass of white wine to my lips and looked over the rim. “Just a drink at the moment.”

  Chapter 19

  I slept in until nearly ten the next morning. When I made it downstairs, Angel was on the phone at her desk in the reception area. She wore her orange-streaked brunette hair atop her head in chunks, probably to look taller, and clicked her red-spiked heels together while tugging downward on her purple mini-skirt as she talked.

  I went into the kitchen and poured the last bit of coffee to help dull the colors. I toasted a bagel and returned to her desk just as she hung up the phone.

  “I’m surprised you’re here,” I said.

  “I work here.”

  “I know, but things have been so crazy. I guess I’m out of the day-to-day work routine. Where are Dan, Jason and Dag?”

  “They were called back to duty.”

  I lifted an eyebrow “What about their suspensions?”

  “Steve called this morning and said he had been venting and not to take what he said seriously. He said the guards and surveillance have been taken off, and he’d like to stop by later today and apologize.”

  “Wow. That’s kind of amazing.” I said.

  “Yeah, your little speech at Darrin’s funeral yesterday caused quite a furor.”

  “No. I mean, it’s kind of amazing Steve is going to apologize. He hates ever admitting he’s wrong about anything.”

  “Maybe the Police Chief or Mayor is making him do it.”

  “Probably. Any other calls?” I took a sip of the stale coffee.

  “Are you kidding? The phone has been ringing off the hook. I have three piles of messages. This one is the ‘give ‘em hell’ pile. The second one is request for interviews from two newspapers and all the television stations. The third pile I’d classify as leads on your brother’s murder.”

  I sifted through the murder leads.

  “Gloria Blaney? What did she want?”

  “She wouldn’t say other than she has some information and she wants to talk to you as soon as possible. I told her you were still recuperating so she suggested lunch at Meriweathers at 12:30. I told her I’d call her back and confirm if you wanted to go.”

  “Yeah. I love their Crab Louie with the chili dressing. And Mrs. Blaney is at the top of my list to interview.”

  “You think she’s involved?” Angel asked.

  “I think the Mayor might be. And since Gloria is kicking heels with him, she’s in a position to know what’s going on inside City Hall. Maybe I can persuade her to open up to me. Who else is in this stack? Who is P. Richards?”

  “Oh, he’s one of the investigating officers on your brother’s homicide. Said he’d like to meet with you and update you on what’s going on.”

  “Another move by the Mayor in the spirit of cooperation?” I said.

  “I don’t think so. He made me promise not to tell anyone he called. He didn’t even want to give his name at first. I promised him you’d call him discreetly. Here’s his number.”

  “I’ll call him after lunch. I grabbed at another page of Angel’s stack of leads. “Stella Fleming is still in town?”

  “Yes, but she sounded kind of agitated. She told me to have you call her as soon as you were up. Said she had something to tell you she should have said before. Something her husband
was doing you should be aware of.”

  I picked up the phone and dialed her hotel room number. The line went straight to message without ringing. “Her phone is turned off. She called at eight o’clock this morning?”

  “That’s about right,” Angel said. “She was persistent. She wanted to talk to you, but I knew you’d had a rough day, and she agreed she could wait.”

  “Keep trying. Call me when you get hold of her and give her my cell number.”

  “Okay. How are you feeling?”

  “I’ve got a double hangover. It’s a combination of the funeral and going out and tying one on with Eileen. That girl can really put away the booze.”

  “Oh? Where did you two go?”

  “A bunch of places I’ve never been before. A couple of nightclubs. A couple of pubs. I think we even went out to dinner. Eileen is really a sweet person and a very good listener. I have to admit I was a little suspicious after talking on the phone with her the other night. I couldn’t believe she wasn’t after something and she just wanted to be my friend. But we had a great evening and she didn’t seem to want anything except my time.”

  “I hope that’s all it is,” Angel said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Earl told me last night he had gone out with Eileen right after we met.”

  “Oh, he fessed up, huh?”

  She smiled her irritating you aren’t going to get my goat grin and went on. “We don’t have any secrets. He told me about the date when he brought me home from the hospital. He said it was business and I believe him.”

  “Did he say what kind of business?”

  “He did say it was another one of his jobs and that he couldn’t discuss it because it was of a confidential nature. I told him it was all right with me, and he promised to tell me about it when he could.”

  I decided this Earl was a slippery character and not to be trusted. He gave out enough information to appear legitimate, but I had a feeling Earl was out for himself.

  “He did tell me one thing,” Angel said.

  “Oh?” I said, with emphasis on sarcasm.