The Sheriff was observing Jack Crawford as he was sitting in an interrogation room via closed circuit camera. The state troopers were the ones who pulled over the limo Jack and Kenya where in. When Sheriff Cooper arrived he noticed Jack and Kenya silent as they were led into separate police cruisers. Both looking slightly disheveled and thanks to Sheriff Cooper’s keen were-grizzly sense of smell, reeking of sex.
Hoping to talk to Jack Crawford in regards to what he would know regarding the assault of Nate Anderson; Sheriff Cooper wasn’t surprised when Jack demanded his lawyer. Disappointed for the moment, Sheriff Cooper hoped that the questions Nate was answering, along with those arrested and currently being questioned at the local prescient.
“Hopefully we can pull something off the man’s phone,” a fellow state trooper observing the silent Crawford through the monitor; “attempting to delete its contents prior to being arrested does point to wanting to hide something.”
“Can you charge him for evidence tampering,” Sheriff Cooper speaking; “that phone of Jack Crawford’s contains the number that sent a text message to two perps currently under arrest for assault.”
“We can charge him,” the state trooper answering; “the question is will said charges stick? Jack Crawford’s lawyer is a real shark from what I’ve heard.”
Sheriff Cooper snorted, recalling a shark that tried to attack his police station earlier; Frederick Parker.
“Hopefully Jack’s shark is like Frederick parker,” Douglas shaking his head; “the two can share a cell.”
“Oh I heard that mobster was skulking about in Moon Lake,” the state trooper looking at the sheriff; “what happened?”
“Arrested for trying to break his son out of jail,” Sheriff Cooper answering flatly; “no deputies died in the attack, yet my cruiser was totaled by a poorly aimed RPG. Daniel Parker is currently in the custody of the FBI being given a stark choice,” Douglas staring at the screen still; “co-operate in the R.I.C.O case against Frederick ‘The Shark’ Parker or face attempted aggravated murder and other charges from shoot Peter Talbot last Friday evening.”
********
Jack was sitting in the interrogation room stewing as he waited for his attorney; knowing full well that state troopers were observing him through the camera he noticed in the corner of small faded yellow room. Taken to the State Trooper police station governing patrol District Seven, Jack smiled inwardly that he wasn’t taken back to Moon Lake like he feared.
“As soon as my lawyer gets here,” Jack thinking to himself; “the sooner I and Kenya will get out of here.”
********
“So what of Kenya,” Sheriff Cooper asking; “where is Jack’s wife?”
“Sitting with a detective,” the Trooper answering; “she is not under arrest, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to question her for any possible knowledge of a crime taking place.”
“Tread carefully there,” Douglas sighing; “as a former police officer for the Seattle Police force, I’ve seen lawyers destroy the careers of detectives for getting one part of a couple to violate spousal privilege.”
“I’m sure the detective will be careful,” the trooper smiling wryly; “you want coffee while we watch Mr. Crawford some more?”
“Black as the moonless night,” Douglas Cooper answers; “and as bitter as life itself.”
“Our brewer can do that,” the trooper chuckling; “give me a moment.”
********
Back in Moon Lake….
A scared man was sitting in a room. Across from him was a deputy silently reading from a file folder. A common police trick to get a suspect to start talking; be it regarding why they are there or anything. The man still frightened after having being chased by a very pissed off were-lioness, couldn’t take the silent anymore and started to talk.
“Look it wasn’t my ideal to attack the kid,” the man getting the deputy to look at him; “our boss told us to make sure he missed school and all.”
“So your companion wanted to beat Nate Anderson up,” the deputy calming responding; “or worse?”
“No,” the man answering; “our boss wanted it done. Said it was to get some measure of justice for jilting his wife.”
“How so,” the deputy putting down the file; “who is your boss?”
“I want a deal,” the scared man speaking nervously; “I need protection.”
“Jean Talbot isn’t about to hunt you down here,” the deputy smiling; “we will see to that.”
“Not from her,” the man shuddering; “if my boss knew I was flipping on him, I’d be dead before the week was out.”
The deputy stared at the frightened were-panther for what seemed like an hour before getting up and leaving the interrogation room. Outside of the room he places a call; leaving the nervous man to contemplate his life choices.
********
“One of Nate’s attackers is talking,” the sheriff putting his phone away; “one of my deputies just called me to let me know.
Sheriff Cooper thanks the Trooper for the coffee now accompanied by the station’s Sergeant as they both entered the room.
“Crawford’s lawyer is here,” the Sergeant speaking to Sheriff Cooper; “looks like the guy knows his stuff.”
“Jack is going to walk,” Sheriff Cooper questioning the Sergeant; “but he is a person of interest in an assault that just happened back in Moon Lake.”
“And if you get enough evidence to bring charges against the man,” the Sergeant looking at the CCTV footage of the lawyer talking to Crawford; “then I’ll personally cuff the man and toss him in a cruiser and ship him back to you.”
“If only the lawyer didn’t show up so quickly,” Sheriff Cooper gulping down the hot coffee; “then I’d be carting his ass back myself.”
“You can always ask us for help when you get the evidence,” the sergeant looking apologetic; “until then, Jack and Kenya are free to go.”
Sheriff Cooper absently fished through his coat pocket for a bottle of Aspirin that wasn’t present. Livid that for the moment, Jack and Kenya Crawford were currently free to go. Not looking forward to the call he was about to give to Tachibana, regarding the Crawford’s outright defiance of an elder council summons; the exasperated were-grizzly just stares at the monitor of a smiling Jack Crawford as he get up from the chair he was sitting in and leaves the room.
“At least we have Jack’s phone to go through,” the Sheriff sighing.
“Yeah about that,” the Sergeant looking glum; “the Lawyer found out we took it through speaking to Kenya. He raised holy hell at us for seizing it without a proper warrant.”
“Don’t tell me,” the Sheriff now placing thumb and forefinger to his temple; indicating a splitting headache.
“We have to return it to Jack Crawford,” the Sergeant sounding glum.
“Without that phone we can’t prove Jack Crawford was the one who sent the text messages ordering the two men to attack a seventeen year old boy,” Sheriff Cooper crushing his empty coffee cup.
“Lean on the men who attacked the kid,” the Sergeant doing his best to be sympathetic; “build a case from them.”
“Yet I have a half dozen witness,” Sheriff Cooper looking glum; “that witness those two men attacking Nate Anderson. One of those witnesses is the town’s prosecutor. I have plenty of evidence to send the two up shits creek,” the sheriff watching the trooper shut the monitor off; “Trying to get evidence that implicates Jack Crawford…”
Sheriff Cooper let his sentence trail off. Not daring to risk the real reason as to why he needs Jack Crawford back in his custody. To tell the State Police Sergeant who was a normal; risked exposing the existence of weres.
“I better get home,” Sheriff Cooper composing himself; “I have a fiancé waiting for me and paper work to complete.”
"If there is anything you need," the Sergeant escorting Sheriff Cooper out; "just ask."
"You got any Asparin," Douglas responding