"I'm not sure that'll help, sir," Officer Samuels said slowly with a yawn.
While a good portion of the Seattle PD was glad to have the Rat Pack off the streets and were perfectly ready to accept Agent Theodore Green's theory that the tail was a costume piece, that didn't necessarily mean that they were going to just let the murder of a suspect go unpunished. Even criminals deserved justice and every cop knew that, and theory every cop in America lived by that standard. This had nearly every officer in the Seattle PD looking into what had happened in the hospital after Ulysses was murdered, and as such had the Seattle Police Chief pulling some late hours on a Monday.
"It won't help?" Seattle's police chief asked, "we finally get a name on the guy that just murdered a prime suspect in a case that brought the feds in... and you say it won't help?!"
Officer Samuels gave a sigh and looked down for a moment, "Not in the way you think sir. Finding out the guy's first name was really more of a chance occurrence than anything else, especially since we've had nothing to go on in this case. The guy managed to somehow keep his face obstructed from the security cameras and the only guy that even remembers seeing him was the officer guarding Ulysses."
The police chief slowly nodded. He'd reviewed the evidence over the case, and while the officer had clearly been lax in his duties, the overall situation was such that his actions weren't criminal and there was nothing to suggest that he was in league with Ulysses' killer. The man would have a period of suspension for not being as vigilant as he should have been, but would be allowed to return to active duty after it. The present investigation depends on what the man saw. They'd had their local sketch artist in the hope that things would allow for some understanding on what the attacker looked like. The suspended officer did his best and while it didn't cover everything, by some point of luck, it would ultimately prove to have some real luck for the Seattle PD.
"But you managed get a name and obviously some recognition of the guy that shot Ulysses," the Seattle police chief gave a frustrated sigh.
"That's more by chance than anything else," Officer Samuels said slowly, "as I wasn't there for the interview that we got the composite sketch..."
"So... how did you get the name, then?" the Seattle police chief asked, a nerve at his temple twitching.
"When I was shown the composite sketch... while it was pretty basic, a part of it looked sort of like a guy I'd met at the supermarket once," Officer Samuels answered, "it's vague, but it is the best we have..."
"But the man does resemble the sketch?" the Seattle Police Chief asked.
"Yes," Officer Samuels admitted, "thanks a chance meeting... I'm sure of that, but that meeting isn't going to be enough to send anyone to Moon Lake and interfere with THEIR jurisdiction."
"Explain, officer," the Seattle Police Chief grumbled, "I've gotten a fair number of pressure from the feds on all this..."
"I met him about four months ago," Officer Samuels said slowly, "I was off duty and picking up some frozen pizzas to feed to my kids... and I met him in the line at the checkout counter. I can remember his face and it matched the sketch... and based on his comments, I wouldn't fully put him past pulling something off like this..."
Officer Samuels paused and scratched the back of his head before he continued, "He told me his name... or at least gave me his first name, but talked a lot about law and order and that people needed to be vigilant and do more to deal with criminals... that our streets would not be safe until we'd cleaned out the gangs and everyone else."
"Sounds provocative," the Seattle Police Chief answered, "but did he say anything specific on these issues?"
"He said enough that that was what we ought to do, not to mention that he's already in the system for similar activity," Officer Samuels spoke, "about a year ago, he supposedly beat a common street thug senseless for attacking his wife. Just as when he and I talked in the supermarket, he only gave his first name when the street crook claimed unprovoked assault."
"How did that end?" the Seattle Police Chief asked.
"He couldn't prove that the crook had tried to mug his wife first, and since she had all her belongings with her when the police arrived, he was arrested for felony assault," Officer Samuels reported, "the fact that he couldn't prove the attempted mugging allowed the street thug to escape any charges, officially, and Dymixious had to pay for the guy's medical treatment."
The Seattle police chief nodded. That not only demonstrated a violent personality but a violent history. For the moment he didn't say anything and that allowed Officer Samuels to continue.
"So combine that with the fact that he matches the sketch so far as I could tell... it's the best we have," Officer Samuels spoke, "for the moment. It'd certainly be enough to bring him in for questioning."
The Seattle police chief then nodded and gave a sigh. His officer's answers made sense, but that made little real sense with regard to why they couldn't send anyone to Moon Lake to talk directly with their police force. There was some surprise in that man they'd identified as a potential suspect wasn't likely to be another gang member, but the idea someone being a vigilante could also make sense when looking at the speed with which the murder of Lionel Ulysses had occurred.
"But how would that mean that we can't go to Moon Lake?" the Seattle Police chief asked.
"Because he doesn't live in Moon Lake," Officer Samuels answered, "I've driven through it on the way to visit family in Montana. It's a nice little town... but Dymixious's known address isn't in the town... not within its city limits. He's got some private land set up between Seattle and Moon Lake. We'd need FEDERAL cooperation just to bring him in for questioning, unless we catch him in Seattle on something else."
"Could Moon Lake help us?" the Seattle police chief asked, "keep an eye out for him or detain him if he comes into their town?"
"That's possible, but we'd be better served to talk with either the Federal Marshals or with the FBI with regard to catching him and questioning him," Officer Samuels spoke, "especially since what we have is vague enough that we really can't be sure. For all we know, the syringe was something Ulysses was carrying his own dope in, and he bought it well before this past weekend from Dymixious. I'd put him as the likely killer... but what we have isn't going to be concrete enough to say specifically."
"So you only assume it to be poison?" the Seattle Police Chief asked, pointing to the syringe with a free hand.
"Yes, though we'll know more when we get the lab results back for its chemical analysis," Officer Samuels nodded, "thus why we'd want to question him... and will need Federal help to get him to do so."
The Seattle police chief gave a very heavy sigh. Dealing with Ulysses and his gang had been bad enough, now it appeared that getting justice for a crook and a murderer wasn't going to be any easier.
"Couldn't we at least CALL Moon Lake, and let them know?" the Seattle Police Chief asked.
"Yeah," Officer Samuels answered, "but that's about all... otherwise we'd be stepping all over their jurisdiction."