The desk duty that Officer Barnes and I had was fairly routine that just about every officer did from time to time. We completed the paperwork that was connected to the reports that needed to be filled out for the cases we had already worked on. We also manned the desk, dealing with any and all phone calls that came directly into the station. For the most part though, the morning went by quietly.
The only difficult part was that the reporter that had been there when I arrived remained there and seemed fairly insistent on trying to interview us while we worked the "desk".
"Come on, won't you answer anything?" the reporter asked, "give me something to report? As it is right now it's either DA challenges corrupt Police Department or Police Department stands up to crooked DA."
"You have our opinion and you have the DA's opinion," Officer Barnes dismissed him, "isn't that enough for newspapermen?"
"Not enough if you're intending to do a full article," the reporter answered, "and wouldn't you guys want the truth to be out if you are innocent. If it's really the DA who's got it wrong."
"We believe he's got it wrong," I told him, "but revealing the evidence we have would jeopardize our case at this time."
"And Officer Howard has already said that he'll respond to your questions at the press conference," Officer Barnes added, "why don't you wait with everyone else until then. It'd save you the frustration and it'd allow us to do our job."
"Are the two of you being punished for inciting the present feud between the Columbia Falls PD and the County DA?" the reporter inquired.
"WOULD YOU GET OUT OF HERE UNTIL THE PRESS CONFERENCE!?" Officer Howard roared from his office door which finally sent the reporter running out. Once he was gone, Officer Howard turned back and grumbled, "it's getting so that I can't hear myself think anymore."
Officer Barnes and I returned to our work without saying anything. Things quieted down again until about nine AM when a young man entered through the main doors. At first I though he was another reporter looking for a story to print, but Officer Barnes put a stop to that when he saw him.
"Joey!" Officer Barnes stood up from his seat to look at the younger man.
The two men looked very much alike, and it was easy to see that they were brothers. Joey came forward and shook Officer Barnes' hand.
"Hey, Fred," the younger man said in a friendly voice, "it's good to see you. I wish I could visit you under better circumstances."
"Maybe, but it's good to see you," Officer Barnes replied, "I trust Officer Howard's filled you in on everything?"
"Yes," Joey Barnes nodded, "I'm here right now to wait for everything to be set up."
Officer Barnes nodded and motioned for me to come over to where the two of them were standing.
"George, this is my younger brother Joseph Barnes, though I've always called him Joey," Officer Barnes introduced us, "Joey, this is my partner Officer George Wayne."
We shook hands and Joey Barnes looked up at me with a fairly wide eyes.
"Wow," he said weakly, "I mean... wow... I saw on the news about that freak show... but wow..."
"I wasn't actually transformed by the freak show," I told him, "that was Molly. My transformation was because of my mating with Molly on our wedding bed."
"Still... wow," Joey Barnes answered, "you look like you could dominate any NFL line... dunk any basketball..."
"Decorate some rich rancher's floor," I grumbled.
"I wasn't going to say that," Joey Barnes answered.
"Forgive him," Officer Barnes told his brother, "Beauregard has been pulling some serious bull that has him and his wife rather nervous."
"I'll try to help in anyway I can, sir," Joey Barnes told me, "you have a rather smart look about you."
"Thanks," I commented, "although I doubt there is much that can be done. Killing Beauregard would be murder and would only prove him right. Proving him wrong will take time... and will take Molly and I showing that we are not mindless animals."
"Winning this case should help in that regard," Officer Barnes commented, "we have concrete evidence..."
"But you need someone with courtroom experience to get a judge to believe it?" Joey Barnes finished, "believe me, I'll do what I can to help... from what your chief told me, the case you have is fairly airtight. And from what I've heard in legal rumors is that the Judge hearing the case is originally from the southern end of the county. I doubt Beauregard can buy him off the way he's bought off many other judges."
"That's bribery," I grumbled.
"Not from the way he's sold it," Joey Barnes replied, "he's sold it as a campaign donation for the next election cycle so the judge can keep his judgeship. I had a property case about two years ago in which Beauregard was trying to buy up a bunch of land not far from where that guy's vineyard is..."
"Dave Choir," I cut in.
"From Dave Choir's vineyard," Joey Barnes finished, "the guy facing the attack was a small rancher who had only just moved out here with a small herd. The land he had had no access to water, but supposedly he and Beauregard had an agreement to allow his cattle to move onto an area with small stock ponds and the stream on Beauregard's land that was immediately adjacent to my client's land... Beauregard charged him with criminal trespass and had the man's cattle seized and the man thrown off his land."
"I remember that..." Officer Barnes commented.
"Yeah," Joey Barnes nodded, "the evidence of the agreement wasn't all that great, but Beauregard did admit to making a deal like that to share the watering holes with the guy, but claimed that the agreement wasn't to last forever and the judge hearing the case fell for it. In the end, Beauregard got the man's cattle, his land, and compensation for the loss in water funds."
I gave a low growl at the behavior.
"It was about a week after the verdict when I learned the judge was facing was up for election that year and Beauregard gave him a massive campaign donation right before the hearings began and again when the verdict was to be passed," Joey Barnes then finished, "which lead me to believe it was all a backroom deal."
"Well, these two can't escape the decision," Officer Barnes told his brother, "we'll get 'em!"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Waiting for the press conference to start was fairly quiet in and of itself. We had one small room set aside as a room where such an "event" could occur. It was small, but it wasn't like Columbia Falls was filled with enough crime to require a large "press corps". Officer Barnes and I were both employed in setting things up, including setting up a podium and arranging chairs for the reporters that were likely to arrive. Once that was done, we all waited quietly for them to make their way in. Officer Howard stood at the podium while Joey Barnes stood slightly behind him and to the right side of him. Officer Barnes and I stood to the left of Officer Howard.
At ten the doors opened and a few reporters made their way into the room.
"Please take your seats," Officer Howard spoke, "we'll try to conduct this as businesslike as possible."
The reporters all took their seats and waited for the door to be shut by one of the other officers that were at the station, but wouldn't be taking part in the press conference.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the press," Officer Howard spoke, beginning the press conference, "at present the Columbia Falls Police Department has found itself in a position that I doubt any police unit has ever had to face. We have arrested two individuals on relatively moderate charges and have convincing evidence that they committed the crimes they are charged with. However, for reasons that can not be easily explained the DA has taken the defendant's side in this case..."
"What about the charge that it was your tiger officer that actually committed the attack and that you're covering it up?" a reporter asked right away.
"Please save all questions until the end of the conference," Officer Howard answered, "because of the decision from the DA's office, we have been forced to take a different road and have asked various local attorneys if they would be willing to fill in as the prosecutor in this case. In this, I must admit that we have not had much success, but recently, a local property lawyer has agreed to take the case. I will introduce the prosecuting lawyer for case of Columbia Falls vs Ebenezer and William Smith, Joseph Barnes."
Officer Howard stepped aside and let Joey Barnes take the podium.
"Thank you Officer Howard," Joey Barnes told him, "I will admit that this is the first time I've ever been a criminal prosecutor before, but I have seen the evidence that the Columbia Falls Police have collected and I am certain they have a solid case, and I look forward to working to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice."
"What of the charge that it was the tiger officer that committed the attack?" a reporter questioned.
"It's a ridiculous statement given the evidence gathered," Joey Barnes answered.
"What about the prints in the snow? The animal calls?"
"I've seen the photographs of the prints and photographs of Officer Wayne in the snow at the time," Joey Barnes answered, "the prints may have been the right dimensions for a tiger, but they were not deep enough in the snow. As for the animal calls, a boom box powered by batteries was discovered hidden at the scene was more then enough to prove that the animal calls were not made by Officer Wayne or his wife... and the calls themselves are that of a Mountain Lion, not a Tiger. The counter charge does not fit the evidence."
"Do you believe the DA's office has made a mistake in taking the defendant's side? Or that they have been paid to take the defendant's side?" a different reporter answered.
"We can not confirm or deny whether or not they have been paid," Officer Howard spoke in, "but given the response by the people of this county to the decision by the DA's office, I would say that they've made a mistake. That concludes this press conference. Thank you for your time."
Several more questions were hastily asked, but I and Officer Barnes were called forward and we made our way out with Officer Howard and Joey Barnes following behind us. Once out in the hall, Joey spoke to Officer Howard.
"Thank you for picking me, sir," Joey Barnes spoke, "I'll do my best."
"I trust you will," Officer Howard nodded, "as we all have a lot riding on this... and we'll show them that our Police here may not have the glamor of the NYPD, but we are not corrupt. We are just as good as any man that wears the shield."
"Here, here," I spoke.