Jungle Warriors, Crime Fighters

by Doug Houser

  KC wondered if there might be some way that he and the companies could augment the crime solving services that police departments provide. He thought about all the movies and TV shows over the years that had featured private investigators as the main characters. Did those guys actually solve cases that the police weren’t having success in tying up? But what about licenses? That would involve becoming licensed in multiple states and would also open up the inevitability of police and licensing agencies knowing of their existence and, consequently, being opened up to their scrutiny. KC imagined that being licensed would also carry with it many of the operational and legal restrictions that the police faced. He wondered where his conscience put him on a continuum of “totally legal activities” at one end to those that would be considered as “highly questionable” or flat out “illegal” at the other. He imagined that each situation would involve mitigating circumstances that would allow him to comfortably move left or right along the continuum without being bothered by feelings of guilt.

  He thought that there should be some kind of easy answer to his pondering but no matter how much he thought about it, nothing came settled in his mind. KC decided to use the old trick of assigning the problem to his subconscious, knowing an answer would be worked out and then transferred back to his conscious mind. At this point, that seemed to be his best option, so that’s what he did.

  Chapter 9

  KC was asked to give a speech for “Career Days” at an assembly for the freshmen at the local high school not far from his office.

  “I’d be happy to, Principal Hopper. What specific topics would be appropriate?”

  “I’m sure the students would like to hear a little bit about what it means to be a United States Marine and then I think it would be helpful to give them some information about your company, its values and standards. Close with some motivational remarks regarding the personal attributes that you look for when hiring new employees, ones that you hope the students will exemplify as they proceed with their education and careers.”

  “Excellent. Maybe I can bring along the local Marine Corp recruiter with me?” KC said with a laugh.

  Mr. Hopper also laughed and replied, “Now that wouldn’t be fair to the other branches of the military. I think your talk and your example will be enough to get them thinking about their own futures.”

  Two weeks later, KC was in the high school auditorium addressing the freshman class who KC found surprisingly attentive for their age and the fact that it was 8am. Except for one girl. KC couldn’t help noticing a girl sitting in the front row. Her brown hair hung across her face and her posture was slouched over. She held her backpack on her lap and hugged it to her chest. She gave the impression that she just wanted to curl up into a little ball. KC knew she wasn’t just bored; she appeared to be very sad.

  When KC said something funny and the rest of the students laughed and clapped, this young girl merely looked down. When she did raise her head, there wasn’t a hint of a smile on her face. When he said something that he thought was inspirational and there were lots of nodding heads in the audience, she merely stared straight ahead.

  As he spoke, he was able to make eye contact with most of the kids, even if very briefly, but her eyes never met his. The longer KC spoke and the closer he looked at her, the more sadness he felt emanating from her. This young girl reminded him of what he imagined an innocent puppy would look like if it were repeatedly beaten for no reason and was unable to understand why and had no way to make the beatings stop. He was certain that this girl needed help and he became determined to find out what he could do.

  KC finished his talk and opened the floor for questions. A blond boy near the center of the auditorium asked, “How tall do you have to be to be a Marine?”

  “How tall are you?”

  “Five foot ten.”

  “You’re tall enough. How about I sign you up right now?” KC shot back with a grin. The kids got a kick out of that response.

  A girl near the left front asked, “Are there any women in the Marine Corps?”

  KC answered, “You know the slogan, ‘The Few, The Proud, The Marines’?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, the lady Marines refer to themselves as The Fewer, The Prouder.”

  Hearing that she got a big smile on her face. KC said, “If you’d like, I can sign you up, too.” The students loved that. And so it went for another fifteen minutes. Then Mr. Hopper came forward, thanked KC for coming, and after a nice round of applause, Mr. Hopper instructed the freshman to return to their homerooms.

  KC quickly climbed down the stairs from the stage and approached the sad girl, who sat alone. He said, in a soft voice, “You know my name, but I don’t know yours. How about an introduction?”

  “I’m Maggie. Maggie Warner.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you, Maggie. Would you be willing to talk to me for a minute?”

  “I have to get back to class.”

  “It will only take a moment. I’d like your opinion on something.”

  With a look of surprise, Maggie said, “My opinion? About what?”

  “The talk I just gave. I must have said something that offended you, because the more I talked, the sadder and more disinterested you appeared to be.”

  “Oh, no. Your talk was great!”

  “But it seemed to cause you to be sad.”

  “It’s not anything you said. Honest.”

  “Well, I’m glad to hear that. I came here to share some positive messages and maybe even bring a little laughter and I was afraid I’d sent the wrong message.”

  “No, no, nothing like that.”

  “Well, what could be so bad that even the funny KC isn’t able to get a smile from you?”

  Maggie almost began a smile, but instead she started to cry. Tears streamed down her cheeks and within a few seconds, she was sobbing almost uncontrollably. KC was uncertain as to what he should do, but he gently pulled her to him where she rested her cheek against his chest. He put his hand on her head and just held her until the sobbing ebbed and she stopped shaking.

  He said, “Maggie, what is going on? Let me help you.”

  Her sobbing began again. “There’s nothing you can do. I can’t talk about it. I better get to class.”

  “I promise you that telling me about it won’t get you into any trouble.”

  By this time, the auditorium was empty. Maggie stared down at her shoes and took a breath. Barely audible, she said, “He said if I told my mom he’d kill me.”

  “You mean kill, as in actually kill? Or punish?”

  “Kill. I’m sure he’d do it too.”

  “No, he won’t. No one will hurt you. I’ll make sure of that.” KC lifted Maggie’s face with his hand to look into her eyes. “Maggie, I can absolutely guarantee that if you talk to me, you will be safe. He won’t kill you.”

  “He said he’d kill my sister too.”

  “No, he won’t. I promise you. Now what’s going on?”

  “My mom works nights. When she’s gone, my stepfather gets into my bed. And…” Maggie paused and took a deep breath. Tears welled up in her eyes. “And now he’s hurting my little sister, too.” Maggie choked back a sob. “She’s only ten.”

  “Maggie, how old are you?” KC asked.

  “Fourteen.”

  “When did he start bothering you?”

  “When I was ten.”

  “When was the last time?”

  “This morning, just before I left for school.”

  KC figured he’d call the school later and explain Maggie’s absence. He didn’t want to take the chance that she’d change her mind while he argued with Mr. Hopper about who had the authority to take Maggie out of school. Dealing with those issues would just have to wait.

  As they got into KC’s car and pulled out of the lot, KC dialed the direct number of his frie
nd, Lieutenant Frank Stone of the Kansas City Police Department. Even though Frank was a homicide detective, KC knew he would help him. After a few rings, KC heard a click and then a rather terse, “Stone.”

  “Frank, it’s KC. Please don’t say anything, just listen to me. I have a fourteen-year-old rape victim named Maggie Warner sitting in my car. I’m taking her to the emergency room at the Medical Center. Have a rape counselor meet us there. Send detectives, too. I’m sure you’ll want to make an arrest after she’s examined.”

  KC was relieved that Maggie didn’t say anything on the way to the hospital. The drive only took twenty minutes, but it seemed more like an hour and twenty minutes to KC. He pulled in to the emergency entrance, got out of the car and opened the door for Maggie. She didn’t look up or say anything, merely letting him lead her inside. A petite professional-looking woman wearing a tastefully tailored navy-blue business suit came to meet them. “KC and Maggie?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Hi, Maggie, I’m Jodie Fletcher. I came here to help when KC called this in. Why don’t you come with me? KC, those two gentlemen over by the window would like to speak with you.”

  Maggie didn’t say a word as Jodie led her through two large swinging doors into the heart of the emergency treatment section. The two men looked up as KC approached. One was a tall, thin black man, about forty, KC guessed, six-two, and one-ninety. He had a thin mustache and closely cropped hair. The second one was white, slightly shorter, thicker, probably early thirties. The black man said, “I’m Lieutenant Lawrence Wilson and this is Detective William Burgess. We understand you’re a friend of Lieutenant Stone.”

  “Yes, sir, I am. He was the first one I thought to call when I found out what had happened to Maggie. It looks like he called the heavy hitters. I appreciate your coming so quickly.”

  “Well, thank you for that. What we need is for you to start at the very beginning and tell us everything you know about Maggie.”

  KC told the two detectives the whole story, trying as best he could to recall word for word the conversation he’d just had with Maggie Warner. They didn’t interrupt while KC talked. When he was done, Detective Burgess asked the name of Maggie’s stepfather. KC told them he hadn’t asked her that. He volunteered that he also hadn’t asked what Maggie’s sister’s name was. Lieutenant Wilson asked for Maggie’s address. KC told them he hadn’t asked for that, either. “At the time, she seemed so fragile, I was afraid to ask her anything more. Like I told Frank, I don’t have any experience with this sort of thing and I was just glad that she had finally agreed to let me help her. I figured that you professionals would be able to handle these details far better than I could.”

  “Oh, believe me, we aren’t about to criticize anything you did.” Then smiling, Detective Burgess said, “We’ll contact the school and assure them that Ms. Warner wasn’t abducted. Technically, you shouldn’t have taken her off school grounds. But, as a practical matter, I think you did the right thing. We’ll make sure there isn’t a dust-up over that.”

  Lieutenant Wilson added, “We’ll talk with Maggie after the doctor is through and get the other details we need. We’ll contact her mother and let her know that Maggie is all right, but you can rest assured that Maggie will stay with Miss Fletcher until we’ve arrested her stepfather. We’ll also make sure her sister is safe. Within a day or two, we’ll need you to sign a statement. We’ll call you when we’re ready. What’s the best number to reach you?”

  KC gave Lieutenant Wilson a business card and said, “May I ask you a couple of questions?”

  “Yes, sir. What would you like to know?”

  “When you arrest this guy, what will happen?”

  “He’ll be arraigned and have a bail hearing within forty-eight hours, most likely. We’ll talk to the DA’s office and have them get a restraining order that’ll forbid his contacting either of the girls or approaching within one thousand feet of them at any time. If he violates the restraining order, he’ll spend the time before his trial in jail.”

  ‘OK, just two more questions, if that’s all right.”

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  “Do you think this will go to trial?”

  “Probably not. The DA won’t want to expose the girls to a trial. I’m pretty sure the DNA will prove he’s guilty of statutory rape and a couple of other felonies. The DA will plead this one out. I know what you’re going to ask next. How long, right?”

  KC nodded in the affirmative.

  “He will probably get three to five years when all is said and done.”

  “My last question. How will you enforce the restraining order?”

  The Lieutenant and Detective exchanged a brief glance and then Lieutenant Wilson said, “I know this isn’t the answer you want to hear, but here’s the way it is. Restraining orders are enforced by complaint.”

  “That’s what I thought,” KC said. “Well, if you don’t need me anymore, I’ve got plenty to do back at the office. I want to thank you guys for coming so quickly and congratulate you on an arrest I’m sure you’ll make today. Let me know when the statement’s ready for me to sign.”

  The day was bright and clear as KC drove back to his office. As he squinted against the bright sun, something told him that what the detectives surmised would happen would, indeed, be what would occur. Maggie’s stepfather would be arrested, arraigned and in a couple of days be out on the streets under a restraining order. What concerned KC was his belief that the restraining order was not preventive in nature, it would merely be punitive. If it was violated, by the time the police could intervene, serious harm could be done to Maggie or her sister or both of them.

  KC made up his made that he was not going to let that happen.

  Chapter 10

  When KC got back to his office and was settled behind his desk, he punched Peep’s number on the intercom. Almost immediately KC heard Peep’s deep voice, “Yo, Boss, what’s up?”

  “Peeps, come on over, I’ve got something I want to bounce off you.”

  “Be right there.”

  Peeps entered KC’s office and KC motioned for him to sit down. KC then explained what had happened that morning exactly the way he had explained it to the two detectives at the emergency room. Peeps listened intently until KC was done. Then KC looked at him and raised his eyebrows in a questioning manner. Peeps said, “Ain’t no way in hell a restraining order’s going to keep that scumbag away from those girls!”

  “That’s what I thought too. So, here’s the thing. We can keep him away, but at this point we don’t know his name or what he looks like. And I’m sure the KCPD doesn’t want us meddling in their business. The way I see it, we’ve got to keep an eye on the girls without the police knowing what we’re doing. Agree?”

  “Yeah, they like our company well enough, but they wouldn’t welcome our “help,” no way.”

  “But you agree that we need to help?”

  With a half-smile, Peeps said, “You uncovered this mess so now we’re obligated, period. Without a doubt it’s necessary that those kids be protected. I don’t see how anyone else but us is going to do that. So, yeah, I agree.”

  “Ok, without the KCPD knowing about it, we’ve got to find out this guy’s name and get a picture of him. Who do we have that has an in at police headquarters?”

  “Ol’ Top’s girlfriend has worked in the administration section there for over twenty years.”

  “Is he here now?”

  “Yeah, I’ll get him.”

  When Peeps returned with Top, KC went through the whole scenario once again, this time adding the gist of the conversation he and Peeps had just had. Again, when he was done, KC raised his eyebrows in question.

  Ol’ Top said, “You guys are absolutely correct. That son of a bitch could not care less about a restraining order. The KCPD doesn’t have the manpower to assign surveillance teams to those girls. No do
ubt in my mind, it’s up to us.”

  KC asked, “Can you get the info we need? And, by the way, we’ll need it before they let this guy out on bail.”

  “I’m sure I can. I’ll have his name and picture as soon as they take his mug shot.”

  “All right then. If you guys have the time, I’d like to lay out a plan right now.”

  Both men nodded in the affirmative.

  “Ok, let me throw out my ideas and you can improve upon them after I’m done. That is, unless you guys have lost your touch.”

  Ol’ Top said, smiling, “Why, you young whippersnapper, I was planning operations while you were still shitting in your diapers.”

  “Ok, I’ll lay it out and then you can be the judge of whether you trained me well, or not. How’s that?” KC said.

  “Go ahead.”

  KC took out a legal pad and began making notes as he spoke. “Beginning tomorrow, let’s put one two-man team on each girl as they leave the house in the morning. That way the teams can begin to learn the girls’ routines before this guy is released on bail. When either one of the girls is home, one team will watch the front of the house and one team the back. If we locate the bad guy from the info Top gets, we’ll put a team on him. That way, if he starts to approach the girls, whoever is watching them will receive a heads-up plus the teams watching the girls will also have backup from the team watching the stepfather. There’s no way to know if this guy will be armed, so we’ll make sure that everyone involved assumes he is. When he violates the restraining order, not if, we’re all pretty sure it will be when, we execute a citizen’s arrest and call the police. Top, it would be helpful if you could get a copy of the restraining order. We’ll make copies for each surveillance team so that whoever apprehends this guy can give the restraining order to the cops who show up. That will make the cops feel a lot more comfortable about taking him off our hands.”