I, the Accused

by kaleen1212

When Ross Howard, the former television personality convicted of murdering his wife, is accused in the violent death of a fellow inmate, Ironside is asked to confirm his innocence or prove his guilt. It turns out to more than just an investigation.

7. Chapter 7

I, the Accused

Chapter 7

1

The prison was noisy. All of the prisoners knew something was going on. Very few had yet to hear about the murder of Jeremy Smith. Those in the prison who just wanted to do their time quietly liked Smith. He stood up for the men who were being bullied by Burl Bricker. As far as they were concerned, it took a lot of courage to stand up to a man as big, nasty, and mean as Bricker. It was just beginning to spread throughout the prison what happened to the young guard. Those that did know had no doubt Phillip Brody was behind it. The warden had no idea what Brody was really like. He probably presented himself to the warden as the model guard, whose only desire was to run the prison by the rules.

The last thing Brody paid attention to was rules. If he took a dislike to a prisoner, he tormented him. He did so to the point of breaking that prisoner to his will. Those who were not in a position to protect themselves from Burl Bricker would eventually do whatever Brody ordered them to, right up to and including murder. That was why those who knew about Jeremy Smith were certain Brody ordered him murdered, and that Burl Bricker was the one who committed the deed. Brody was too much of a coward to do his own dirty work. Regardless of what it was, he always ordered some prisoner to do it for him. Bricker just happened to be his favorite go-to guy. Since he was a bully and enjoyed forcing the other prisoners to bend to his will, Bricker was the perfect man for the job.

Ross Howard couldn't help but hear the chatter from his prison cell. The word about Smith was starting to spread fast, and he knew he was the subject of the chatter. Most of the prisoners wouldn't believe he was the one who killed Jeremy Smith. That wouldn't change the fact they would treat him as if they were convinced he was guilty. To even question it, would bring on the wrath of Phillip Brody, and in turn, Burl Bricker.

Ross was now in a cell by himself. Ironside believed him. He was certain of that. Would that be enough? He doubted it. Then again, he knew first hand just how good the detective was. Howard was also aware Phillip Brody knew just how good Ironside was as well. He wouldn't want him looking too closely at what actually happened in that locker room. If he did, Brody knew Ironside would find the truth. Brody couldn't allow that or he would end up on the inside with the rest of the inmates. If that happened, he wouldn't last. Someone would find a way to slip a knife into his back. He was hated by almost all of the men in the prison. The only ones that liked him were the privileged few who didn't have to follow the rules the rest of them had to. That number included Burl Bricker. No one reined him in. Bricker never had to work. He was allowed to watch television. He spent very little time in his cell. Brody pretty much allowed him free to roam the prison as he pleased. In return for that, Bricker enforced all of Brody's rules, whether they be legal or not.

Howard sat on his bunk. He didn't dare sleep. Ironside couldn't protect him when he was in the prison population. Brody appeared in front of his cell. He was supporting a wide grin. "Do you really think Ironside can protect you in here, Howard? You are not leaving this prison alive, and in fact, neither is Ironside. I have been waiting for years to get my hands on that cripple. I planned this. Everything is going as planned. Soon Ironside will be dead and so will you. You should have just taken what I dished out. Now, look at yourself. Every man in this prison will do exactly what I tell them to do. Enjoy the time you have left, Howard. It won't be long now." Brody turned and walked away.

He could tell the warden what Brody said, but he didn't figure it would do any good. Warden Leyton wouldn't believe him anyway. He never ventured into the prison population. He had no idea what actually went on on the inside. He supposed he could tell Ironside, but what would be the point? Ironside was no dummy. He already suspected Brody. Ross was sure of it. He would also know Brody couldn't allow him out of the prison alive if he actually figured out what happened to Jeremy Smith. Phillip Brody wouldn't allow that to happen without seeing to it Ironside's investigation stayed within the walls of the prison. That meant Ironside would never leave except in a pine box.

2

Sergeant Ed Brown sat on the examination table in the infirmary. The doctor just completed his examination of him. Brown was anxious to get back to work. He didn't like leaving the chief unprotected in a prison where a large portion of the population was put there by his famous boss. The law-abiding citizens of San Francisco revered the detective for the number of criminals he took off the streets. The anything but law-abiding members of the prison didn't share the same affection for the former Chief of Detectives. For, he was responsible for putting a lot of them in the institution.

Robert Ironside wheeled his chair into the infirmary. As soon as he spotted his sergeant, he wheeled over to him. "How are you feeling, Ed?"

"I'm fine, Chief. When can I get out of here?" Ed asked.

"As soon as the doctor clears you ... if he clears you, and not until then," Ironside answered gruffly. He needed Ed on the job only if he was a hundred percent. Officers who weren't a hundred percent made unnecessary mistakes. This was not exactly the time when mistakes would be harmless.

The doctor walked into the room. "Hello, Chief. Nice to see you again."

Not in the mood for small talk, Ironside got right to the point. "How's my sergeant?"

"Other than a large bump on the back of his head, he's fine. However, I would recommend he be kept under observation for twenty-four hours. I don't see any evidence of a concussion, but I would rather not take a chance."

"I'm fine, Chief," Ed insisted. "I can work. If I have a problem, dizziness or blurred vision, you will be the first to know."

Ironside hesitated, but only for a moment. He needed Ed. Carl was an outstanding investigator, but Ed knew him better than Carl did. He read his silent signals better. He was aware Ed would say he was fine even if he wasn't. He was more likely to listen to the doctor than Ed. The doctor didn't find any signs of a concussion, which would be the biggest concern under the circumstances. Ironside really didn't see any reason to send Ed home. He would take his word that he was all right to work. If he saw any indication his sergeant was otherwise, he would send him home. Right now, that wasn't the case. "All right, Ed. I am taking you at your word. Since there isn't any sign of a concussion, you are back on the job."

"Suit yourself, Chief. However, I will be writing into the record I recommend he be observed for 24 hours."

"And he will be," Ironside said. "He will be with me and under my observation."

The doctor smiled. "All right then. I will leave him in your care, Doctor Ironside." He left them alone and returned to his office.

"If you are not ..."

"I'm fine, Chief. What has Carl found out about Baldwin's killer."

"Plenty," Lieutenant Reese said as he entered the infirmary. "The warden said I could find you here. How are you, Ed?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache," Brown answered.

"Headache? You told me you were okay," Ironside said, intending to give him a hard time, knowing fully well he was going to let him go back to work.

"It's nothing some aspirin won't get rid of."

Ironside turned his attention back to Reese. "What is this plenty you have found out?"

"How's the murder weapon for size?" Carl grinned.

Ironside grinned back at him. "That's what I like to hear" The grin disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "You do realize there will be no fingerprints on the knife?"

"Maybe not, but there is blood on the knife," Carl said.

Ironside shook his head. "That is not unusual since it was used to kill Baldwin. His blood would be on the knife." Ironside waited for the lieutenant to continue. When he simply stood there with the grin on his face, he couldn't wait any longer. "Well," he demanded.

"As I said, there was blood on the knife. There is also a bloody fingerprint on the trash can where the knife was discarded."

"Plain as day?" Ed asked.

"Plain as day. It's a perfect fingerprint. Since everyone in this prison has their prints on file, we will soon know who it belongs to," Carl reported.

"That's easy," Ironside said. "The print will belong to Burl Bricker."

"That's what I figure too." Carl said.

"There will be a problem with that," Ed said. "Bricker is a lifer. He is not going to care if he gets caught. He will already spend the rest of his life in this prison. We will not have the upper hand. He will likely not tell us that Brody was the one who ordered him to do it."

"Then we will just have to find a way to tie it to Philip Brody," Ironside said.

"That would have been possible if Baldwin had not been murdered," Ed pointed out. "Unfortunately, I don't see a way we can do that, Chief, unless we can find somebody who is willing to talk to us, and has knowledge that Brody was involved."

"And, that someone exists," Ironside said. "If we have to go through every inmate in this prison to find the individual, that is what we are going to do. I want this guy nailed. He's dirty and I have no doubt that he is responsible for both Smith and Baldwin's murders. First, we interrogate Burl Bricker. We probably won't get anywhere with him, but we're going to try. Carl, tell the warden we want to talk to Bricker immediately."

Carl's cell phone rang. Removing it from his suit coat pocket, he answered it. "Reese." After listening for a moment, he thanked the caller and hung up.

Ironside barely gave him enough time to put the cell phone back in his pocket. "Well, were the fingerprints Bricker's?"

Sometimes, Carl could swear Ironside could either read minds, or had super hearing. He already figured out it was the lab on the phone. "Yes, the prints belong to Burl Bricker."

"Get moving, Carl!"

Without hesitation, Reese left to follow Ironside's orders.

3

Philip Brody was worried. He had watched as Lieutenant Carl Reese pull the bloody knife out of the trash can. How could Bricker be so stupid? He should have known Ironside's people would check all trash cans in the area. He didn't have much confidence that Bricker had enough sense to wipe any fingerprints from the knife before he discarded it. Why should he? He was never leaving this prison. Since he arrived, he had murdered at least three people. He would spend the rest of his life as an inmate. Why would he care whether Ironside was able to prove that he killed Chuck Baldwin?

Brody was worried that Bricker would turn on him confess to the murders of Baldwin and Smith. He should have known better to involve Bricker. There were other inmates that could have easily done the job. It had been a mistake, and Brody knew it. Now, he had to do something about it. Bricker needed to be eliminated. The problem was, the inmates in the prison were scared of him. It would probably take more than one inmate to take him down. He had several in mind. It was time he talked to them before Ironside had a chance to speak with Burl Bricker.

Brody headed for the cell where Max Carter and Julian West resided. Other than Bricker, they were the two biggest guys in the prison. Both shaved their heads bald. Brody never understood that. Did they really think having a bald head made them look tougher?

He approached their cell, and unlocked the door. Both prisoners got off their bunks and stood up as he entered.

Max Carter was the mouthier of the two men. He always acted tough except when around Bricker. Carter pushed people around just the same as Bricker. Julian West wasn't much different. He, too, was capable of pushing people around. The difference between them was that West was really a coward. He only did it when Carter was there to back him up. The two of them together had probably beaten up and brutalized almost as many prisoners as Burl Bricker. Of the two, West was more muscular since he was a workout fanatic. He never missed a chance at the gym.

"So what do we owe for the pleasure of this personal visit?" Max Carter asked, sarcasm in his voice evident.

"I was just wondering, aren't you boys getting sick of taking orders from Bricker?"

Carter raised an eyebrow. "I thought Bricker was your boy."

With a sly smile, Brody was already aware he had Carter's attention. He figured this would be easy since Carter had visions of being the boss in the prison, at least of the other inmates. "He's been in charge for a long time. He's forgotten who runs this prison. He seems to think he does. Well, he's wrong. I run it. So, when the top inmate starts thinking he can do anything he pleases without my permission, it's time to put someone else in charge."

"And you think that someone is me, or rather the two of us," Carter said skeptically.

"I'm simply saying it's time for a change."

"So tell me, how come you're not telling Bricker instead of us?" Julian asked.

"Because both of you know exactly how he would take that. He would never accept being sacked. You know that."

Carter snorted. "In other words, you don't have the guts to tell him. You know fully well he would pay no attention to it. So, stop pussy footing around and tell us what you're here for."

Brody didn't care for the way he spoke to him, but he had to admit, if only to himself, that he admired that Carter didn't take anything from anyone. At least, anyone but Bricker. "I'm well aware that he would pay no attention to it. That is exactly why I am here. He has to be removed."

Carter and West looked at each other, both wondering if Brody meant what they thought he did. Carter was the first to speak up. "Are you saying you want him wasted?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying. But if you're not up to it, I'll find somebody else to take his place." Brody turned and pretended to exit the cell.

"Just a minute, Brody. We didn't say we weren't interested." He looked over at Julian. Max knew that Julian wasn't cut out to be the prison boss. The only time he acted tough was when Max was with him. Other inmates only respected him because of Max. It would be stupid to put him in control.

"You know fully well two people cannot be the boss," Max said.

West knew Brody did not come here to put him in charge. Furthermore, he really didn't want to be in charge. He liked being Carter's number one man. By hiding behind him, nobody gave him any trouble. He never had to worry about being beaten up or abused by any other prisoners, although with his size, it would take more than one to do it.

"I was figuring you would be the boss and West would be your second in command, if that is satisfactory with you both." Brody wondered who these morons thought they were. They would only have as much power as he allowed them to have, and not any more.

"That sounds good to me, Max. You're the one who should be in charge anyway. Bricker never should have been in that position." Julian nodded at his cellmate.

Max was not surprised by Julian's concession. It was the reason he brought it up in the first place, to make sure Julian understood his place. "All right, we all seem to agree. How do we get rid of Bricker?"

"That's going to be up to you two boys. Unfortunately, it has to be done right away. We cannot allow Bricker to talk to Ironside."

Max grinned. That could only mean one thing. Without actually saying it, Brody was admitting to knowing that Bricker was the one that killed Jeremy Smith. Max wouldn't have done that. Smith was a nice kid. Eventually, he could have been brought over to their way of thinking. It would have given them another ally. But then, Brody wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. He never thought things out. Why in God's name would he allow Bricker to kill Jeremy Smith? Smith had been trying to protect Ross Howard. Howard had been seen talking to Ironside the last time he was in the prison. Anybody with half a brain would surmise Ironside had taken an interest in Ross Howard. Why ... was an enigma. Everybody in the prison knew that Ironside couldn't stand the man.

"So, you had Burl knock off Jeremy Smith? Carter said, the grin still on his face.

Brody didn't see any sense in denying it. If it had been the other way around, he would have surmised the same thing. "He was becoming a problem. He had to go. Since I didn't really have reason to fire him, there was only one other way to get him out of here. Besides, I had an ulterior motive."

Carter didn't like the sound of that. It sounded to him like revenge. If there was one thing he learned in prison, revenge was never satisfying, and it only led to escalation between the warring parties. "I think you better explain that."

"Max, exactly how did you end up here?" Brody asked.

"Killed a cop. It was his own fault. He tried to stop me from leaving a convenience store. I had no choice but to shoot him. Stupid jerk. If he hadn't been in the store, I wouldn't have had to shoot him."

"What were you doing in the store?" Brody knew. He just wanted to hear Carter say it.

"What the hell do you think I was doing there? I was robbing the place. I was out of money. I didn't have a choice. A man has to live."

"So, you didn't attempt to keep your face hidden?"

"What? Do you think I'm an idiot? Of course I did. I wore a ski mask."

"Then how did you get caught?"

"Ironside. He was across the street at the movie theater with his staff. They came out of the theater just as I fired the shot. Ironside sent Brown and Whitfield after me. They cornered me in an alley."

It seems like half the guys that are in here were put here by Ironside."

"Yeah, most of them hate the son-of-a-bitch. What the hell does he have to do with anything?"

"You asked about my ulterior motive."

"Yeah, so he is your ulterior motive. How?"

"He's here in the prison right now investigating Jeremy Smith's murder."

"Ah, I see. You are worried about being caught. Ironside is no dummy. If you even made a teeny, tiny mistake, he is going to find it, and when he does, you are going to end up in a cell with the rest of us." Carter started laughing.

Brody wanted to knock the smirk off his face when he finally stopped laughing. When he was done with him and his sidekick, he would see to it they ended up just like Smith and Baldwin. Since he was certain that he could reel in Carter and West, he would ignore his remarks and hysteria. "You're missing the point. Wouldn't you like to get back at Ironside? You are in here for life because of him. It is a perfect opportunity to avenge what he has done to the rest of us."

"Us? What did Ironside ever do to you? The rest of the guys in here have a reason to hate him, but what did he ever do to you?"

Brody wasn't about to get into details. It wasn't necessary for Carter to know. "Let's just say I have just as much reason to hate him as you do. Are you in or out?"

"Okay, we'll get rid of Bricker for you. But before we get involved with anything to do with Ironside, we're going to have to know a lot more. What have you planned for him, and what is our role in it?"

"I'll tell you up front right now. How would you like to get out of here? We are going to start a prison riot. Ironside is going to be killed in that riot. You'll probably have to kill a few guards to get out of here as well. It will be up to you to make sure they understand that I am not to be harmed. Let them know that I am the one who is getting them out of this place."

"When do you want us to waste Bricker?"

"Immediately. I don't want him talking to Ironside." Brody reached into his pocket. He handed a piece of paper and a key card to Carter. "This is a master key card. It will allow you to slip into rooms to avoid being seen. Don't get any ideas about getting into those that are highly restricted areas. The card won't work on those. In the utility room, you will find two knives, one for each one of you. One of you can approach him from behind and stab him. The other can finish off the job. You do know where to stab an individual to kill them instantly, right?"

"Of course we do," Carter said. "When does this prison riot start?"

"I'm working on that. I just have to make sure the guards are out of the way. I don't want them stopping it before it is a full-blown riot."

Carter looked back at Julian West. "Well, there's no time like the present. How do we get out of the cell without being seen by the other prisoners?"

"Unfortunately, you can't. But, it won't matter. Once the riot starts, we'll get everybody out of the prison, and then everybody will be on their own. It won't matter that you've been seen. Just to cover myself, I'm going to take you out of here the same way I would any other time."

Carter shook his head. "You are such a damn coward. CYA for you, but not for us. You damn well better come up with that riot. I know enough to bury you."

"Don't threaten me, Max. I have been here for a long time. The warden will believe anything I tell him."

"Yeah, but will Ironside?"

"It doesn't matter what the cripple believes. Once the riot starts, he'll be dead."

"You must really hate the man. I mean, to go to all this trouble. Murdering Smith and Baldwin, ordering Bricker killed, starting a prison riot, and all just to kill Ironside."

"He killed my brother and my father. He's going to pay for that."

"Have you ever considered what will happen to you if you're caught? You can end up in this prison as an inmate. You bullied and pushed around a lot of the men in this prison. If you ended up back here as one of us, I don't think you would last a week. Someone would waste you without hesitation. In fact, I think half the prison inmates would."

Brody contemplated what Max just said. He was right, if he ended up in prison, he doubted if he'd last more than a day, let alone a week. It didn't matter to him. Ironside was responsible for killing the only family he had. The cripple was going to pay for that. "Do you honestly think I haven't thought about that? I despise the man and what he did to my family."

"You know, Brody, I have been in this prison for several years. I murdered a man in cold blood. I don't regret it for a minute. He deserved it. Ironside was assigned to the case." He shook his head and chuckled. "Anyone who doesn't take that cop seriously ends up in this prison. He's good, Brody, damn good, and so are the people who work for him. I thought I committed the perfect murder. Yet, there he was, right outside the door of the store, had the evidence to put me here, and I was convicted. But, you know what? I am probably one of the few that don't blame him for me being here. I did the crime and I knew if I got caught, I'd do the time. Ironside was just doing his job. I don't blame him for that. I don't hate him. I have no one to blame but myself. Still, I don't regret what I did. I paid the price for it. You better think twice before you go ahead with this. You've already killed two people, and chances are Ironside will be able to find the evidence to put you behind bars. Now, you might think that is a reason to kill him. If I were you, I'd walk out of here without a word and head for Mexico. I'd never return to the states again. If you do that, you might live out the rest of your life in freedom. If you don't, you'll either end up behind bars or dead."

Brody was becoming irritated. "What do you give a damn?"

With a sly smile, Carter responded, "I don't. It's your skin, not mine. Where do we find Bricker? And, how do we not get caught roaming the halls?"

"You're not going to be roaming in the halls. I will arrange to have him somewhere you can take care of him. I'll let you know as soon as I do. Be ready, because it has to be done right away." Brody turned, left the cell and locked it.

"So what do you make of that?" Julian asked as he watched Brody walk away.

"I think he's in deep shit. He's not going to get away with it. Ironside is not stupid. Brody's not smart enough. He will have made mistakes, and that cop will find them."

"Can both of us take Bricker?"

"We could, but we're not going to. Brody is a fool if he think he can involve us in murder while Ironside is in this prison. Quite frankly, I hope when Ironside sends him up, he ends up in this prison. I don't hate Ironside. He's a cop. Just exactly what did Brody expect him to do. His father and his brother were trying to rob a bank. I got caught and I'm in here. I don't blame the cops for that. They did what they're paid to do. Brody is a damn idiot. He blames Ironside for doing his job. Yet, Brody doesn't do his job. It's not his job to bully everybody he doesn't like and push people around. I say let him hang. We'll make sure that Ironside questions Bricker. He has nothing to lose. He'll never get out of here any more than I will. I have a feeling he will be more than willing to turn over on Brody."

4

Warden Leyton didn't know what he was going to tell Ironside. Well, he did actually, he just didn't know how he was going to tell him. He and Bob Ironside had been friends for more years than he could count. Bob was the best of the best when it came to law enforcement. His instincts were not rivaled by anyone the warden knew. He suspected Philip Brody, yet the warden never saw anything in Phil that indicated he was capable of murder. So, what was it Bob Ironside saw that made him suspicious of him?

Leyton walked over to the filing cabinets which contained the files on every prisoner and prison guard. Maybe there was something in Phil's file that would give him a clue as to why Robert Ironside didn't trust the man. He had been the lead prison guard for several years. The warden never saw or heard of anything that would contradict anything but a good, loyal employee who executed his job with perfection. Could he be wrong? Could Bob be right? It was something that continued to eat away at him since the detective insisted Phil was part of what was going on.

Leyton knew Phil was hard on Ross Howard. So were the other guards. All of them resented the attack he made on them on his infernal television show. He had no idea how a prison was run. The guards were dealing with murderers. They had to be hard on them. If they didn't make sure the inmates knew they were in charge and would do whatever was necessary to keep them in line, well, all hell would break loose. Bob understood that. So, why was he so sure Philip Brody was dirty. Leyton received no complaints from Howard regarding his treatment. If Phil was unduly hard on him, wouldn't he have insisted on an audience with the warden? Then again, the warden knew he probably wouldn't. In the long run, it would make things worse for him. If Phil was abusing Howard, wouldn't the other guards come to him and complain? Actually, that was exactly why Ironside believed Jeremy Smith was murdered. Had he made it clear to Phil he was going to complain to the warden?

Reaching into the cabinets that contain all of the guards files, Leyton pulled out Philip Brody's file. He carried it over to his desk and sat down. After laying the file in front of him, he opened it and began reading. Phil had a brother according to the file. Leyton vaguely remembered that. After all, he hadn't had any reason to look at his employment file in years. His mother died at a young age. Phil, along with his brother, were raised by their father.

He sat forward in his seat. What was this? He didn't remember reading this before. His father was fired from his job. He was unable to pay the mortgage on the house. It was foreclosed on. The car was repossessed. They were evicted out on the street with no place to go. Phil's father and brother were desperate. They attempted to rob a bank, but had the misfortune of having Robert Ironside and Ed Brown come into the bank at the time. They attempted to shoot their way out, but lost the battle to two police detectives who were both expert marksmen. Both men were killed. That left Phil completely alone in the world.

Brody was young at the time and struggled, but stayed out of trouble. Eventually, he landed the job in the prison. Leyton remembered being impressed with him. Yet, losing the only family he had must have had an adverse effect on him. How could it not? Did he hold Robert Ironside and Ed Brown responsible for his father's and brother's death? And if so, could he really have orchestrated the murder of Jeremy Smith? Was Howard right when he said Smith was trying to protect him? If Phil was abusing Howard, Jeremy believed in protecting all inmates from abuse, whether it be from other inmates or prison guards. If he felt it was going on, he certainly would address it. The problem Warden Leyton was having was could he believe Phil was capable of murder?

What bothered him even more was the real reason he may have killed Jeremy. Did he want revenge on Robert Ironside? Was the murder committed to draw the detective into the prison? Was Robert Ironside's life in danger? Warden Leyton slammed the file shut. He had to talk to Bob. He had to tell him about what was in Brody's file. If Ironside was right, he may be the real target of Phil Brody.