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Chapter 8 - Honor
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you god?"
"I do."
Reporters, like vultures circling their prey, were waiting for Andy Flynn outside of the LAPD Headquarters. Light bulbs flashing, when he stepped out of the building, reporters yelling at the top of their lungs, a battle amongst them, for his comment on the proceedings. They wanted his comment on the relationship with Sharon Raydor. It was brought out first thing in the morning when Gavin asked him about it. He couldn't lie. He refused to lie. So he told the truth.
"Yes."
"How long as this relationship been going on?"
"A few months."
"Before or after she was assigned to your case?"
A car had been called, courtesy of Baker, and was waiting for him to take him away from the building. He wanted to go home. He wanted to shower, get out of the suffocating suit. He wanted to get out of the limelight for a few days, let it die down and just get back to normal life. If the media and real life would ever let him have a normal life again.
The days leading up to the meeting had been stormy. Meetings after meetings. Reports after reports. Phone calls and interviews - one thing after another seemed to twist into a tornado. He didn't crawl into bed some nights until two or three in the morning. It didn't help that when he did crawl into bed, it was an empty one.
"What can you tell us about the event in question?"
"I received a call. I went to the sight. The suspect had a gun. We both fired."
"So you admit to brandishing your weapon?"
"I do."
The deal Andy made at the beginning of the week was that he was going to requalify in what he needed to. He had to prove to the board that he was qualified to come back to work. Monday night was spent at the shooting range, requalifying with a service weapon. The groupings were perfect. A triangle in the chest.
The reporters continued to yell. Asking about the shooting. Asking about the victim's family. Would he do it again? Would he do anything different?
"Your file is filled with reports from Internal Affairs. Could it be said that you have a relationship with them, other than your personal one with your previous representation?"
"I guess you can say that, yeah."
"And could it also be said that Internal Affairs would be doing their job if they had you investigated to the fullest."
"Yes it could."
"So what makes you different?"
"Sir, wait here." A uniformed officer told Andy, placing a hand to his chest.
Gavin nearly knocked into him. A question faded on his lips when the flashes of red and white came flickering up to the building.
Sirens sounded. An ambulance pulled up. The reporters stopped shouting at Andy, the light bulbs stopped flashing as they all turned to see the EMT's jump out of the vehicle and make a beeline for the doors leading into the PAB.
Andy turned to Gavin, whose phone began to ring. Without a second though the attorney answered.
"Baker," he snapped into his phone. "Got it."
Ending the call, Gavin held the phone in his hand and took Andy by the elbow. He pulled him back into the crowd of reporters. It was quiet amongst the sharks with cameras. They were all trying to figure out what had happened.
"We've got to go back."
"You know Tommy Delk, correct?"
"Yes, I do."
"What is the nature of your relationship with Chief Deck?"
"He's my superior officer."
"Were you ever in his direct command?"
"Yes."
"How did that go?"
"It went fine."
Andy was surprised to see Sharon at the end of the main hallway. Her phone pressed to her ear, hanging up when her eyes settled on them. She was waving one of the last EMT's through the doorway that led to the stairs. The elevators were most likely filled with the spectators and press who hadn't made it down to the street yet.
He took hold of Sharon's elbow as he and Baker came to a stand still in front of her. She had tears in her eyes and for once in his life, Andy couldn't figure out why. Whatever it was worried her, which in turn made his stomach knot. Maybe it was the kids again. Or Jack. God forbid Jack got out of prison.
"What happened?" Andy asked.
"It's Delk."
"Are you aware of the dealings that go behind closed doors at the LAPD, Mr. Flynn?"
"What do you mean by dealings?"
"Let me try again. Have you ever bribed a fellow officer to do something for you to get you out of a sticky situation?"
"No."
"Not once? Not when you decided to go to the bar instead of home one night. Or maybe you bribed someone in ballistics to have you at the top of the list instead of at the bottom?"
"No. That's not – I have no reason to do that. Sure, our policies get annoying from time to times and sure shortcutting them seems like a good idea, but in the long run I'd rather keep my job if it's all the same to you."
It was one floor up that Andy, Sharon and Baker had met the press and other officers who had gotten the memo about Delk. The common question that was flying was, 'What happened?'. No one knew. No one had answers. Everyone in that stairwell were trying to get to the floor.
Once they fell in line with the swarm of people Andy took ahold of Sharon's hand and didn't let go. Not even as she fell behind him a step. He held onto her. There was nothing to hide and Sharon didn't pull her hand back. In fact she tightened her grip.
"Mr. Flynn, on paper you are a liability to the LAPD. Are you aware of that?"
"It would not be surprising."
"Are you aware that of the allegations that have brought you here?"
"I am."
"Are you aware that it is Chief Delk who is alleging them?"
"I am."
"Can you say, right now, that what you are being alleged, is true?"
"I can not, no."
"Why is that?"
"Because what has been submitted as evidence has been tampered with."
The hallways were full of people. It was hard to see over the taller bodies of the other officers. The reporters with camera's had them above their heads, making it harder to see over their heads. Andy looked to Sharon and nodded to the small office behind the EMT's work circle.
She stopped and shook her head. They weren't the one's to pry. They weren't the ones to get more information. Whatever it was, they'd get.
"What do you think happened?" Sharon asked.
"Karma, I hope." Andy remarked coolly.
"Mr. Flynn, do you know who I am?"
"Yes."
"And do you know who she is?"
"Yes."
"Who are we?"
"You are Gavin Baker, my attorney. And she is Michelle Burke opposing counsel."
"Mr. Flynn, you've said that you fired your weapon at the scene. Have you ever fired your weapon before?"
"Only when I needed to."
"Was there a need to fire your weapon at the event in question?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He pulled a gun on me, I fired before he had a chance to shoot me or someone else."
"Was there someone else?"
Andy watched from the sidelines as the reporters began to follow the stretcher. Like the other people who were standing on their toes to get a look, he couldn't make anything out. He couldn't see who they were taking out. Sharon was looking at her phone, her fingers typing away with her thumbs, hitting send just as the EMT's cleared the hallway.
The reporters got on their phones, started calling their outlets and Andy heard bits and pieces. None of it sat well with him.
"What are we supposed to do now?"
"Wait."
"I'm tired of waiting."
"Chief Delk. Welcome."
"Thank you."
"How long have you known Andy Flynn?"
"About six or seven years now."
"And has he once given you the feeling that he did not want to be part of the LAPD?"
"No, I can't say he has."
"The board might call a mandatory meeting." Sharon told Andy. "They might overturn their initial findings."
"What does that do if their –" Andy stopped. "That won't make them look good."
"Neither does their Chief of Police openly admitting to tampering evidence."
"I just want to go home."
"I know," Sharon said, smoothing her hand down his front. "I know."
"So, why do you think he chose to act out this way, now?"
"I can't say, to be honest."
"What can you say? Honestly?"
"Honestly? Andy Flynn has a history of anger management classes. He has a history of being drunk on the job. He has a history of being late the morning after his late night benders. What he did the night in question does not surprise me at all."
"Why is that?"
"Because he's a liability."
The reporters had long since filled out of the room. It was just Andy and Sharon. Gavin had gone down the hall in search of the Ethics Board and Michelle Burke. The pair of them had slid to the floor, their backs against the wall.
They were a sight. Legs stretched out in front, hands clasped in their laps, heads tilted back; nerves and worry both knotted in their stomachs. Andy did what he could to maintain self control. He wanted to reach over and take her hand again.
"I could really go for a drink right now." Andy commented.
Sharon laughed and patted his leg. In all honesty, she wanted one too. The sad part was, it was in the middle of lunch time.
"Chief Delk, who is Samantha Marks?"
"I believe she is the victim in this case."
"And who is Elijah Canon?"
"I believe the suspect."
"You believe or you know, Chief?"
"I get lots of names brought to my desk for different things, counselor. I'm not one hundred percent on every name for every case."
"The name Elijah Canon doesn't seem familiar to you?"
"I don't know. Should it?"
"We should get out of town for a few days," Sharon suggested. "Go up North. Go to the beach."
"Now she wants to go somewhere," Andy chided.
Sharon nudged him with her elbow and he laughed. It was all in good fun.
"I wanted to before but – "
"It wasn't out in the open. I get it."
Emily and Ricky were better behaving themselves. Emily had more movement now with her crutches. She had gotten used to them. The doctor could give her a soft cast so she could put small amounts of pressure on her foot.
A small cabin, maybe a bed and breakfast.
It would be nice.
"Elijah Canon was being investigated for armed robbery and possible assault about three years ago. The investigating officer was you, Chief."
"Like I said, I don't remember every name of every case."
"I would remember the name of the family who paid me off to get their son out of the system."
"Are you insinuating I was bought off?"
"I'm not insinuating anything, Chief. I've got it plain as day on paper."
Gavin appeared at the end of the hall. Andy quickly stood and helped Sharon get to her feet. Around the corner came Michelle and Pope.
Pope shook both of the attorney's hands and noticed the pair at the other end of the hallway. His eyes danced from Sharon and then go Flynn. Pope gave the other man a singular nod before turning around and disappearing back around the corner.
Andy looked to Sharon who had hope in her eyes. That's what he needed. Hope.
"Chief, do you have a relationship with the Canon family?"
"I've already told you I don't-"
"Forgive me, Chief. Did the Canon family ever pay you to keep their son out of the system?"
"No."
"Remember Chief, you are under oath."
"What do you think is going on?"
"I don't know."
The duo watched as Gavin shook Michelle's hand once more. Michelle had gone right to the elevators unlike Gavin, who had made his way towards Sharon and Andy.
"Chief, did you know that Mr. Canon's DNA had come back positive for the rape case that you were in charge of?"
"I know it now."
"But you didn't know it then?"
"The case you are talking about - a woman was raped, yes. Was I paid off to keep the man off the streets? No."
"But did you know his DNA came back positive."
"You can go home now."
"Why did we need to come up here?"
"Walk with me."
"Chief I'm just trying to understand why I have documentation here that says you were in charge of the investigation, DNA match was positive and yet the man who should have been behind bars ended up on a slab at the county morgue two years later."
"Things get lost. People misfile things. It's not my fault the DNA test didn't show up until after the man was allowed to walk scott free."
"So you knew he was released prematurely."
"Aren't they all?"
Andy had to wrap the information around in his head and quickly as he stepped off the elevator on the first floor. Sharon was already talking to Baker about what it meant for Andy and his case. If there even was a case still. Or at all.
He was in the lobby by the time someone, probably Sharon got his attention. She had her hand extended to him. He knew he had to man up and get it together before he stepped out into the still waiting sea of press.
"Chief, all I'm asking is it true or false that you have a dislike for my client?"
"That is – on paper he is a liability to the force."
"That wasn't an answer to my question, Chief. Do you or do you not like my client?"
"He has made inappropriate choices as an officer."
"That's not the answer to my question. Please, Chief, so we all can get to lunch. Do you or do you not like my client?"
"What do you want me to say counselor? That your client is a stand up cop and that his drunken history hasn't demolished the precedence that we try to uphold here? Serve and protect. He can't serve or protect a damn soul when he's stumblin' in here drunk off his ass. And he sure as hell can't protect himself even if he's sober. He made sure of that."
"Chief Delk, did you set my client up."
"Did I set – HA – your client set himself up, counselor. He set himself up. He walked into a hot crime scene and had no clue."
"Why is that?"
"Because I sent him into it."
"Full well knowing what he was about to walk into and the likelihood of life loss."
"Not like anyone would have missed him."
He wove his fingers in between Sharon's. She pressed herself against him.
"Mr. Flynn. It is with deepest regret that we had to insult your record as a police officer."
"Have a good day Flynn."
"Thanks, McHale."
"We, the Board, have reached a decision."
Sharon's phone rang from deep in her purse. She stopped right outside the double doors that led to the building. Reporters began to yell. Some were looking at their phones too.
"In the case of the LAPD vs. Andy Flynn, we are ruling that Mr Flynn be granted to return to active duty."
"Delk's dead." Sharon said quietly.
"What?"
"Heart attack. He's gone."
The reporters began to yell. Shouting Andy's name. Sharon's name. He took her hand and made his way through the crowd towards the parking structure.
He could go back to work.
"Effectively immediately."
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