Chain Reaction (26 page)

S
andra greeted Jake warmly when he arrived at her office the next morning. Her nice attitude raised his level of suspicion by several notches. She led him to the conference room where the acting head of the ATF, Darren Clothier, and Deputy Federal Security Director Franklin Wesley were already seated at the table. Wesley raised his eyebrows and grimaced when he saw Jake.

Jake nodded in response and then stretched out his arm to shake hands with both men. Sandra made the introductions, alarming Jake by calling him one of the department’s most competent special agents in charge.

As a young woman entered the room bearing a tray with coffee supplies, Sandra said, ‘Ah, thank you, Elizabeth. Just set it in the middle of the table. Coffee, gentlemen? Jake, if I recall correctly, you like a little half-and-half. I made sure we had some on hand for you. It’s in that little pitcher.’

‘Thank you,’ Jake said, feeling even more certain that doom was about to descend on his head.

‘Thank you for your hospitality, Sandra,’ Clothier said. ‘But I am not pleased with your decisions regarding this investigation. We are the federal explosive experts and our expertise is demanded in this situation. I am deeply troubled that you have shut us out of the investigation.’

‘Oh, please, Darren, we did not shut you out. Your resident agent in charge was in the midst of a personal crisis. We just stepped in and relieved you of responsibility until you had time to put adequate personnel in place.’

‘I find that difficult to believe, Sandra, since you have turned the investigation back to the local police department. I can’t tell you how inappropriate and unprofessional that action seems to me.’

‘It was all politics, Darren. After the unfortunate developments with your man on the scene, we had to appease the locals. They had to think they were in charge again. In reality, Special Agent in Charge Lovett is running the investigation. Their local detective, Lieutenant Pierce, takes orders from Special Agent Lovett. He has her firmly in control. Don’t you, Jake?’ she said, piercing him with a hard look that told him he’d better back her up or else.

Jake swallowed hard, grateful that Lucinda was not present for the conversation. If she even guessed what he was about to say, he was a dead man. ‘Oh, of course. I let her think she’s calling the shots. But, honestly, she’s so easy to manipulate. She’ll do anything I say.’

Clothier squinted his eyes as he stared at Jake, making him feel as if the man was strolling through his skull, examining every stray thought. ‘Your assurances that the FBI is really in control of this operation are heartening, Sandra. I’ve told Deputy Director Wesley that I want him personally in charge of our operations down there, effective immediately. I expect he will be part of the investigative team.’

‘Naturally, Darren. Special Agent in Charge Lovett will brief him on developments and consult with him daily on the division of tasks and next steps.’

Clothier drained his coffee cup and stood. ‘Thank you, Sandra. I’m glad I requested this meeting. I feel certain we can work together and wrap this investigation up in no time. Wesley has to tie up a few things here and then he’ll meet you first thing tomorrow morning at your office, Agent Lovett.’

‘I am sure Special Agent in Charge Lovett will appreciate his assistance,’ Sandra said, smiling and escorting them to the front door.

Jake trailed after them but Sandra stopped him before he could leave. ‘We need to talk.’

Jake followed her to her office, shutting the door as she instructed. ‘Yes, ma’am?’

‘I will not have the effin’ ATF effin’ up this effin’ investigation again. They put effin’ lunatics in the field and we have to clean up their effin’ messes. I am sick of it.’

‘Umm, I’m confused,’ Jake said.

‘Of course you are. Those effin’ idiots create confusion everywhere they go.’

‘I’m not sure what you want me to do.’

‘I thought I’d made myself very clear. Treat that effin’ ATF goon like a mushroom – keep him in the dark and feed him shit.’

‘What?’

‘Busy work, Lovett. Busy work. Give him those boring assignments that no one wants to do because they’re not going to lead anywhere. And don’t tell him about anything that matters.’

‘I don’t think Franklin Wesley will be a problem—’

‘I didn’t tell you to think. Effin’ Wesley could be just as nuts as that other guy. As I said, I don’t want to give them a chance to eff this up again.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Make him think that you’re feeding the busy work to the local cop. Play him, Lovett. I know you can. You’ve been playing the FBI for years.’

‘Excuse me, ma’am?’

‘Oh, look at you. Look at your effin’ shoes. Different color for every day like a little pre-teen girl with her day-of-the-week underwear. You get away with that because you’ve been playing your supervisors forever. And your hair’s been getting too long lately. You let the ATF eff this up and I’ll have you in oxford shoes and a buzz cut before you know what hit you. Is that clear?’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ Jake said.

‘Fine. Now, get back down there and get busy. And do not eff this up.’

Jake couldn’t leave her presence fast enough. And he couldn’t wait to get back to his office where he could pretend she didn’t exist – at least until she called again.

L
ucinda slid into a seat in the family courtroom of Judge Barbara Brickhouse. She rose when the Judge entered and sat impatiently with one leg crossed over the other, the suspended foot bobbing.

She listened as the attorney for Teresa Culvert expounded on his client’s parental rights with regard to Amber and Andy Culvert. He then argued that sometimes children make up stories to get attention and cited a number of psychologists who concurred that this was particularly common in adolescent girls. The lawyer was only doing his job but Lucinda’s anger toward him increased with every statement he made.

It was nothing, however, compared with the rage she felt when Teresa took the stand. She wanted to stand up and scream ‘Liar!’ or worse, as the woman talked about her love for her children and her overwhelming desire to protect them from harm. Then Lucinda’s anger turned on Judge Brickhouse at the realization that the judge was nodding as if in agreement with that miserable excuse for a mother when Teresa said, ‘If I believed there was any truth in the allegations made by my daughter, I would have taken action immediately, but unfortunately, Your Honor, the child has made a habit out of reading stories in books and newspapers and then claiming them as her own.’

Lucinda wasn’t sure how much more of that crap she could take. She breathed a sigh of relief when the other side stood up to present their case. The state’s attorney explained the reality of Amber’s abuse at the hands of Teresa’s boyfriend, Eddie Springer. He described Amber turning to her mother for help and being chastised for her honesty.

First witness on the stand was Dr Carson Winters. In sickening detail, she explained her findings from her examination of Amber.

When the questioning ended, the judge asked, ‘Do you have any physical proof that Eddie Springer or any other individual is responsible for the damage to this child?’

‘Not at this time, Your Honor. We did take samples but do not yet have DNA test results.’

‘You may step down.’

Next up was a psychologist who had not yet had time to interview Amber but who did talk about the impact of sexual abuse and of a mother’s betrayal in general terms. The judge asked her if she knew for a fact that Teresa Culvert rebuffed a cry for help from her daughter. She had to admit that she did not, making Lucinda cringe.

The state’s attorney then called Dr Evan Spencer to the stand. He told the judge about Teresa’s call the day before and then explained, ‘Both of the children were very distressed after talking to her. Both of them expressed fear about the possibility of being returned to their mother’s care.’

‘Are you wanting to make the custody of these children a permanent situation?’ Judge Brickhouse asked.

‘No, Your Honor. I am merely caring for them until a family is approved to assume permanent custody and can arrive here to take the children back to their new home.’

‘This court has not decided who should have permanent custody. You are being far too presumptuous, Doctor.’

‘I’m sorry, Your Honor. I was merely thinking of the best interests of the children.’

‘Are you implying that this court is not?’

‘No, Your Honor.’

‘Are you a pediatrician? A psychiatrist? Any kind of pediatric medical specialist?’

‘No, Your Honor, I am an orthopedic surgeon.’

‘Then you really have no standing here as an expert. You may step down.’

A fresh burst of anger brought a flush to Lucinda’s face. She held her head down and struggled to compose her emotions as she walked up to the witness box. She told the judge about Amber’s statements to her about Eddie Springer, her abuse and the reaction of Teresa Culvert. She then explained the sequence of events that lead to the arrest of Springer and Culvert.

The state’s attorney asked, ‘Do you believe it would be detrimental to the welfare of the children if custody were awarded to their mother, Teresa Culvert?’

‘Objection,’ Teresa’s lawyer yelled out.

Lucinda barreled forward with her answer, ‘Absolutely. She has betrayed their best interests for the sake of her boyfriend. She drinks excessively and neglects her children.’

‘Objection sustained!’ the judge shouted.

Lucinda continued, talking as quickly as she could. ‘If Teresa Culvert gets custody, she will intimidate and manipulate those children into recanting their statements and—’

The gavel banged three times. ‘Say another word, Lieutenant, and I will hold you in contempt of court.’

Lucinda swallowed and pressed her lips together.

‘I am sure, Lieutenant, that this is not your first appearance in a court of law. And I am certain you know better. When anyone voices an objection, you will be quiet until I rule upon it. Is that clear?’ the judge ordered.

‘Yes, Your Honor,’ Lucinda said.

‘Very well. Continue.’

‘I have nothing further, Your Honor,’ the attorney said.

‘You are dismissed, Lieutenant,’ the judge said. ‘I will remember your outburst if you ever appear before me again. I will not give you a second chance.’

‘Yes, Your Honor,’ Lucinda said as she stepped down to return to her seat.

Judge Brickhouse scooped up a handful of file folders and said, ‘I will review these reports from CPS and issue a decision on this matter within the hour. For now, court is in recess.’ She slammed down her gavel and stepped down from the bench.

L
ucinda wanted to stay near the courthouse until the judge announced her decision but just standing around waiting was making her nuts. She called up the District Attorney’s office and asked for an available Assistant DA to help with a search warrant for Brittany’s pick-up truck.

The receptionist transferred her call to ADA Susan Judd. Lucinda had seen her around the building but had never worked with her before. She introduced herself and explained the search warrant she needed for tire track impressions and the connection to the explosion at the high school. Lucinda added, ‘I’m tied up at court right now and can’t draft anything for you but time is not on my side.’

‘That’s fine. I can handle it. What are the legal grounds for your request?’

‘It’s an investigative need and I’m hoping you’ll say it is legally justified. Witnesses at the scene indicated that a red pick-up pulled away out of the grass in front of the school moments before the explosion. They have identified a truck owned by Brittany Schaffer as similar to the one they saw that morning.’

‘Similar. I hope you have more than that.’

‘The FBI tire tread expert has identified the tracks leading from the scene as a specific brand. That same brand is on the vehicle owned by Ms Schaffer.’

‘Anything else?’ Susan asked.

‘The whereabouts of that truck on the night preceding and the morning of the explosion are unknown. Ms Schaffer has said she loaned it to someone that weekend but will not tell us the identity of that person.’

‘Possible. Let me draw this up and take it to a judge. We probably have a better chance of success than usual because any kind of bomb blowing up at any school is enough to make judges anxious about public opinion. I’ll get back to you when I know something,’ Susan said and then hung up the phone.

That accomplished, Lucinda had nothing to do but pace. She was worried about Judge Brickhouse’s decision. The questions the judge had asked indicated she was leaning toward awarding custody back to the mother. She couldn’t think of anything that would be more traumatic for Amber – and probably Andy, too. And if Teresa could get them to recant their statements, Eddie Springer could be released to abuse Amber again.

Lucinda tried to shove those worries out of her mind by thinking about Jake. Rather than easing her anxiety, it elevated it. She wondered what was happening up at FBI headquarters and what it might mean to the investigation of the explosion. She hoped that Jake’s supervisor didn’t hold him responsible for Connelly spinning out of control – she wasn’t sure how or why the Wicked Witch could do that but that woman’s attitude toward and treatment of Jake did not seem justified and simply made no sense to Lucinda.

Realizing that the attorneys were making their way back into the courtroom, Lucinda followed them through the double doors and resumed her seat. Five more tense minutes passed before Judge Brickhouse finally stepped up to the bench.

The judge stared out at the audience, waiting for the settling-in movements to cease and the whispered conversations to end. Then she began. ‘The rights of parents to care for their children without interference from the government are sacred.’

Lucinda felt a hard lump in her throat. ‘Sacred’ seemed such an over-the-top word for this situation. She didn’t like the sound of it at all.

‘We must, whenever possible, uphold and protect these rights. A free citizenry has the expectation that we will do so except in extreme cases where there is substantial proof that it is not in a child’s best interests. Have we reached that high bar? It can readily be argued that we have not.’