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.

2. Chapter 2

I, the Accused

Chapter 2

1

Billy Rogan entered the prison after being check for weapons. After all the years he had been visiting clients at the prison, he couldn't help but wonder why he was checked for weapons every time he came in. Billy had an honest reputation. They should know by now he would do everything to protect his clients as long as it was legal.

Rogan had been Ross Howard's attorney ever since he became a television personality. He didn't approve of the way Ross dug up dirt on those he invited on the show. After doing so, he would tear them apart on national TV. The people who went on the show should have known they were being brought on because they had something to hide. Never did Howard bring anyone on for a positive interview. He was all about sensationalism. It was what brought in ratings. Howard knew that. He pretended to be the man who protected the people, but nothing could be further from the truth. He certainly didn't protect the people he brought on his show.

Ross Howard announced he was running for the senate. Billy didn't kid himself about the type of client he was defending. Ross Howard was self-absorbed. He was all about power. It had nothing to do with championing the people. He got away with it until he decided to murder his wife and make it look like one of his distractors committed the deed. He made a big mistake doing it while Robert Ironside was assigned to investigate the threats against him. Of course, the threats against him were ones he set up himself. Again, it was done for attention. Attention he needed to help get the public on his side.

He might have gotten away with murder if he waited and did it after Ironside was no longer involved with investigating the threats against him. Howard should have realized Ironside was too smart a cop to not discover the truth. Power and greed, not to mention murder, brought Howard down. His dream of becoming a California senator went to prison with him.

Despite all Ross Howard had done, he didn't deserve to be bullied and beaten. Billy already tried to get him moved to a prison of inmates who committed lesser crimes, where he would less likely not have to endure what he had in the prison he was now incarcerated in. He promised Martha Webb he would once again try to get Ross moved, but he was in prison for murder. The more violent crimes, such as murder, ended up in prisons like the one Ross Howard now found himself in. Billy Rogan doubted his latest effort would do any good, but he would try anyway. He made a promise and he would keep it.

Rogan walked into the prison visiting area. He was instructed to have a seat at the far right. He sat down on the visitor's side of the glass partition. Waiting for Howard to be brought in, Billy pulled the paperwork out of his briefcase. He had requested a private session in one of the rooms for inmates and their attorneys, but had been turned down because he hadn't made the appointment well in advance. Ross Howard was not a favorite of the prison guards. They were the subject of one of his shows where he invited the warden on and proceeded to attack him and the guards with half-truths, twisting everything to make them look bad. Billy was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it.

He watched as one of the prison guards brought Ross in. Instead of just letting him walk over to the chair in front of the glass, where his lawyer was on the other side, the guard walked over with him, shoving him roughly into the chair. "You have fifteen minutes." He turned and walked over to the other side of the room.

Howard glanced back at the guard before turning his attention to his attorney. "What are you doing here, Billy? I didn't ask for you."

Billy smiled. "No, you wouldn't, even if you needed me. Martha did."

"Martha . . . I told her to forget about me and move on with her life. Obviously, she didn't listen to me."

Billy looked into Ross's face. He was supporting a black eye and and a cut under it. Pointing at his face, Billy asked, "How did that happen?"

"I cut myself shaving," Ross said.

"Come on, Ross, how can I help you if you don't cooperate with me?"

"I don't recall asking for your help. Why didn't you just ignore Martha?"

"You have lost a considerable amount of weight. The guard was unnecessarily rough with you. You have a cut under a black eye. Now, stop feeling sorry for yourself and talk to me."

Howard looked away from his lawyer. "I don't feel sorry for myself. I have accepted all this." He waved his hand around to emphasize his point. "I am never getting out of here. I will die in this prison. Martha needs to get on with her life, and you need to help clients who can be helped."

"There is a chance after you serve a few years that I will be able to get you out of here," Billy said.

"Billy, weren't you listening when the judge read the sentence? Life in prison without chance of parole. There is no chance of me ever leaving this place."

"Maybe not, but we can try to get you transferred to a different prison for inmates of lesser crimes."

"The system doesn't give a damn about me. I am a forgotten man. I tried to protect the people from the government and the slime out there, and this is my reward."

"No, this is what you got for killing your wife. It had nothing to do with the government or anyone else for that matter. When are you going to admit and take responsibility for what you did?"

"I call this taking responsibility. I'm locked up! Besides, my wife was going to destroy me. I couldn't let her do it. She gave me no choice. All she had to do was wait to file for divorce until after I was elected senator. But no, she couldn't even do that much. Do you have any idea what it is like to be married to a woman you love more than anything in the world, who won't even let you touch her. She married me for money. Norma was a gold-digger. She deserved what she got. I don't think Norma ever loved me."

"That is no excuse for killing someone and you know it. No one deserves to be murdered. We don't have much time. I am going to try again to get you transferred out of here. I have some paperwork for you to sign."

"Forget it, Billy. It is never going to happen and you know it. The warden is never going to allow it. Why do you keep trying anyway?"

"Because I am your lawyer, and it is my job to protect your best interest."

"I don't have any best interest, and you are no longer my lawyer. You're fired. Now, get out of here and leave me alone to die in peace." Howard got up and walked toward the door. "Return me to my cell."

Billy watched as the guard grabbed Howard's arm and shoved him into the closed door, face first. He laughed and opened the door into him. He wouldn't have believed a guard would do that in front of an inmate's lawyer, except that Ross's spirit had been broken. Even if Billy wanted to do something about it, Ross wasn't going to cooperate.

He didn't care that he was just fired. Leaving Ross Howard to the fate of guards and prisoners' abuse would be against everything he was fighting to prevent in the system. Billy had to try to help him, and he could think of only one man that might be able to do something about Howard's predicament.

Standing up, he hung up the phone and headed out of the prison.

2

Ironside sat at the table going over the Ross Howard murder trial. He admitted to himself he felt a certain amount of satisfaction putting Howard behind bars. He brutally murdered his wife, and for what reason? She wanted a divorce and didn't want to wait until he ran for senator. When all the evidence was presented, Howard admitted his wife, Norma, blackmailed him with the fact her husband was a war hero. He took credit for something another service man had done. If that had come to light, it would have had an effect on his senatorial run, and not a good one. Howard had been concerned it would actually end his bid to become senator. He just couldn't allow that.

That was when he devised her murder. He felt he had no choice. His ambition for high political office would come to an end. When Howard started the TV show, it was only a stepping stone for a political career. His show was so successful, he decided it was time. Unfortunately, it was also the time his wife decided she wanted a divorce.

Ironside couldn't believe Howard actually expected a jury to understand why he did it. His lawyer had the nerve to ask for a ten-year sentence. Instead, he was given life without parole. Knowing Ross Howard got what he deserved for the murder of his wife, it was a fitting end for a despicable TV show host who committed a despicable crime.

Then why did the scene at the prison bother him? Ironside knew what a prison was like. There were bullies and men who took advantage of the weaker prisoners. Ross Howard would certainly be a target, and he was the cellmate of the man who ran the prison population. Since Howard didn't actually believe he belonged in prison, he developed an attitude from the start. It probably contributed to being bullied, especially since he was put into a cell with Burl Bricker.

From the condition of his face, someone beat him, more than likely it was Bricker. Howard was where he belonged; he didn't deserve to be beaten and terrorized. Ironside was a cop, and as disgusting and despicable as he found him to be, it was still his job to protect the innocent. Howard was guilty of murder, not guilty of anything in prison that he knew of. That meant he needed to check into it, which wasn't going to be easy.

"Chief, did you hear me?" Eve asked.

"What? What did you say, Eve?" Ironside turned his head to give his attention to his officer.

"You seem to have something on your mind. Your attention has been somewhere else since you got back from the prison. We need your help with this list. Neither Ed nor I was a detective when some of these men were convicted. You were. You need to go over the older cases and decide which of these men should be included in the mass release."

"That's easy," Ironside replied gruffly. "None of them should be released. The governor is making a mistake letting these criminals loose on the public. We work hard removing criminals from the streets, and some damn politician decides they should be released because he is trolling for votes for the next election."

Ed, with files of cases in hand, walked over to the table and sat down. "Chief, you do know that anyone convicted of a federal crime and later released, cannot vote."

"Of course I know that. You have not been keeping up with the news, Sergeant Brown. The governor has gotten politicians of his own party to present a bill that would allow felons to vote. So, he IS trolling for votes."

"Oh," Ed said, looking away from his boss.

Mark walked over with another pot of coffee. After pouring it into all of their cups, he joined them at the table. "This is all very interesting. It doesn't change the fact that the government is going to release a bunch of these cats."

Ironside turned toward Mark and gave him a look. "I also know that, Mr Sanger."

"Okay, so if you know that, then what is this all about? Why aren't you going through these files?" Ed said.

"Ross Howard, that's why," Ironside said.

"Ross Howard is not one of the names on the list," Eve reminded him.

"I know that as well. You were at the prison, Ed. You saw the condition he was in. He's lost weight, and it was obvious he'd been beaten."

"That's prison life. You are aware of what goes on in a prison. He's in the cell block for inmates who have committed the most violent of crimes. It was bound to happen. Besides, he murdered his wife. He is getting what he deserves," Mark said.

Ironside looked over at his friend and aide. "Mark, he is in there because he did murder his wife. So are the other prisoners. You can't hold him responsible for a crime if you excuse the crimes of others. He deserves to be in prison. He doesn't deserve to be beaten. Howard is a middle-age man who has never done physical labor in his life. He can't possibly defend himself from the type of men that are much younger, stronger, and bigger."

"I don't see what we can do about it. It is up to the prison guards to handle it," Eve said.

"Except that he had a segment on his TV show tearing the prison apart," Ed pointed out. "You really don't think the guards or the warden are going to do much to protect him?"

"That is my point exactly," Ironside said. "He needs to be transferred to a different prison."

"You mean one that isn't for the more violent crimes?" Mark asked. "He murdered his wife. How much more violent does a man get?"

"Yes, he murdered his wife. I realize that, but I don't think he would present a problem or a threat to to prison who had inmates convicted of lesser crimes. If we don't do something, some one is going to kill him in that prison." Ironside wheeled over to his desk.

"Sorry, Chief, I simply can't muster any sympathy for Ross Howard," Eve said.

"I am not asking for sympathy, Officer Whitfield, just justice. Is it justice to allow him to be murdered in prison?"

"Why don't we ask his wife," Mark said, sarcastically.

Ironside gave him a look that would send most people running. Mark stood his ground. "Chief I don't understand why this concerns you. He is not going to be released by the governor's order. He is not on the list. His safety is up to the prison, not us."

Ed, who remain quiet for a few minutes, spoke up, "As much as I hate to say it, I agree with the Chief. If something isn't done, he will be murdered in that prison. And, it is our job to serve and protect."

"Thank you, Sergeant Brown. At least someone in this office gets it."

"What about these files?" Eve asked. "We have to present a list to the governor recommending the prisoners to be released."

"You and Mark go through them. If there are some you have doubts about, leave them, and I will go over them later. Ed, you are coming with me. We are going back to the prison."

Eve said, "Wouldn't it make more sense to have Ed go through the files. I could go with you."

"A prison full of men who are murderers and rapists is no place for a woman. No, you stay here. Ed, let's go." Ironside wheeled his chair around and headed for the ramp. Ed followed him, pushing the chief's wheelchair.

3

Ross Howard laid on his bunk reading a book. At least the prison had a library. There wasn't much else to do. Ross read one book after another, as well as newspapers, in order to keep up with what was going on in the world. He chose a James Patterson murder mystery. Howard was obsessed with trying to figure out where he went wrong. He thought he planned Norma's murder perfectly. How did Ironside figure out that he did it?

Actually, if he were to admit it to himself, he knew how he did it. He should have spent more time researching the trajectory of a bullet. Ironside was able to prove the gun had not been fired at him from where he stated because of the trajectory of the bullet. Then Ross had never fire guns before. It never crossed his mind when he told Ironside he had been shot at. He should have known better to make sure where he fired it would agree with where he said a shooter shot at him. Then there was the damn pills he took for his ailing stomach. He had no idea by licking the envelope, that it would show up on it.

"Hey, Howard, where's my cigarettes?" Burl Bricker snarled.

Ross tried his best to stay away and ignore Bricker, although he had to admit it was pretty difficult to do since they were in the same cell. "Look, Bricker. I don't know the guys in here. None of them are going to give me any cigarettes. I asked a few and they just blew me off. They can't ignore you. Why don't you just ask them to give you some cigarettes. They are all scared of you. They'll come through. They are not scared of me, and they aren't going to pay any attention to me."

Bricker grabbed Howard by the front of his shirt and pulled him off the bunk. "Because, I told you to do it, that's why. You'll get along a lot better in here if you do what you are told, Howard. Big shot television star" Bricker started laughing. "Look where it got you! No one in hear will listen to you because you are such a hypocrite. You and that show of yours. On your high horse putting down this joint and the way it is run. Making us all look bad. All the time you were doing that, you killed your wife. You are no better than anyone in this place. Now, I am going to give you another chance to come up with some cigarettes, then I am going to kick your ass. Do you understand me?"

"I got it, so let go of me," Ross said.

Bricker slammed him up against the wall. "I'll decide when I let go! Now, when you go on work detail, you will get me some cigarettes. Is that clear?"

"Go to hell! I am not your servant," Howard snarled, knowing what came next.

Bricker kneed him in the groin. When Howard bent over in pain, he doubled his fist and slugged him in the face. Ross Howard went down to the floor.

"Hey, what's going on in here?"

Burl Bricker turned around to see one of the guards standing at the cell door. Great! Of all the guards on duty, this guy was a goody-two-shoes. He didn't seem to understand how things worked in the joint. The weaker prisoners did as they were told or they got the crap beat out of them. Howard was weak, really weak. Burl really didn't need the cigarettes. He already had plenty. What he did need to do was to strike fear in any new prisoners. They were always under the impression the warden and the guards ran the prison. That was just a front for the powers to be on the outside. Inside, Burl Bricker ran the prison. That is the way it was, and the way it would be as long as he was locked up inside.

"Nothing is going on," Bricker said. "Howard fell down. I was just reaching to help him up."

The guard looked down at Ross Howard. He never approved of his show, or the segments he did on the prison. That didn't mean they could just allow him to be beaten by any prisoner with the desire to do so. Jeremy Smith still believed in the rule of law, even in a prison. To him, there wasn't any difference. Jeremy hadn't been on the job very long, and he didn't like what he saw in the prison. Many prisoners were bullied and beaten by the stronger and meaner inmates. The other guards never broke up the fights. They stood by, quite often laughing at the scene in front of them.

Jeremy went to the warden about it, but he just said that was the way things were in every prison. They weren't dealing with model citizens. They were dealing with murderers, rapists, and other felons. In other words, he wasn't going to do anything about it. Smith was appalled, but he didn't see how he could do anything. He stood alone in a prison where the warden and the guards didn't do their jobs, at least not as he felt the job should be done.

"Howard, did this man attack you?" Smith asked.

Bricker gave Ross a look that left no doubt what his answer better be. It wasn't necessary anyway, as he had no intention of telling the guard what actually happened. It would only make matters worse. "No, I fell down." Ross got off the floor. His cheek where Bricker slugged him was beginning to swell.

Smith didn't believe him. He had seen this many times before. Prisoners were afraid to rat out Bricker. "Are you sure you weren't attacked?" He had to try once more, more for himself than for Howard.

"I told you, I fell down."

Jeremy Smith unlocked the cell. "It's time the two of you report for work. Now move."

As Ross attempted to leave the cell, Bricker pushed him back. "I'm first. You better remember that."

"Knock it off, Bricker," Smith said with all the authority he could muster. With his hand at his waist where his club was, the young guard did not back down from the bigger man.

Bricker stared at him, attempting to intimidate him. "You better learn your place in here, Smith, before you get hurt."

"Is that a threat, Bricker?"

"No, not a threat, just a friendly piece of advice." Bricker walked out of the cell. Howard followed.

4

Ed Brown pulled the van to a halt in front of the prison gates. The guard at the gate smiled when he recognized the sergeant. "Hi Ed, two times in one day. Hey, Chief, don't they give you enough to do?"

"I have plenty to do, and I could be doing it if the members of this establishment did their jobs," Ironside growled.

"Uh oh, what did they do now?"

"I don't have the time or the inclination to explain it. Now, are you going to allow us entrance or not?"

The guard said no more. The chief was in one of his moods, and when he was, you simply didn't mess with him. He buzzed him through, checked him and Ed and allowed them to pass.

Brown wheeled his boss directly to Warden Leydon's office. The sergeant opened the door, held it, and Ironside wheeled in. The secretary looked up, surprised to see the detective.

"Chief, did you forget something? You were just here this morning."

"I want to see the warden."

"Well, as you know, he normally doesn't see anyone without an appointment."

"Is there someone in his office now?" Ironside growled.

Immediately intimidated by the detective, she answered him meekly. "Well, no."

Ironside didn't wait for her to say anything more. He wheeled towards Leydon's office. Ed opened the door, and the detective wheeled inside.

Leydon looked up, surprised as he wasn't expecting anyone. "Robert! I wasn't expecting to see you again today. Did we miss something?"

"I want to see Ross Howard."

"Howard? I don't understand. He wasn't on the list of prisoners to be released. Why do you want to see him?"

"I told you about the shape he was in when I passed him in the hall."

"Yes, I remember. What about it?"

"The man needs to be sent to a lower security prison. He cannot defend himself against hardened criminals," Ironside said.

"May I remind you that Howard was convicted of murder. That is not exactly what can be considered a lesser crime. I am sorry, Robert, but I believe he is right where he belongs."

"Why was he placed in a cell with Burl Bricker? He literally runs this prison. It is obvious to me, that he is the one who has been beating up Howard."

The warden didn't attempt to hide his indignation. "I run this prison, Robert."

"Then explain to me why Ross Howard is in a cell with Burl Bricker. You know what the man's like. Howard doesn't stand a chance in that cell."

"Of all people, you know exactly what goes on in prisons."

Ironside shook his head. "Why is it every time something happens in this prison, you people fall back on that line? It's no excuse, and you know it. I want Ross Howard moved into a cell with an inmate that won't beat him to a pulp."

"We have known each other for a long time. I don't tell you how to do your job, and I expect the same courtesy from you. Howard stays where he is."

"Then I will go to Judge Thatcher and tell him what is going on in here. You know fully well he'll listen to me. Is that what you want, a confrontation between us? Move Howard out of that cell."

Warden Leyton stared into the blue eyes of Robert Ironside. He knew the man would do exactly as he said. Furthermore, Herman Thatcher normally sided with him. The warden was fighting a losing battle and he knew it. "All right, you win. I'll have Ross Howard moved. It will only do so much. You know fully well that Bricker is going to resent being overridden. He'll probably hassle Howard even more out in the exercise yard."

"You tell your guards to put a stop to it. Because if they won't, I will." The chief turned his wheelchair around and wheeled out of the warden's office.

"Well, did you get what you wanted?" Ed Brown asked.

"Don't I always?" was Ironside's reply.

5

Warden Leyton had the utmost respect for Robert Ironside. Half of the criminals in the prison were put there through his investigations. It didn't mean that he appreciated his meddling in prison affairs. The prison was his responsibility, not the chief's. He hated having to back down, but he knew the end result would be Chief Ironside would get exactly what he wanted. He always did, or almost always, at least more often than not.

There was a knock on his door. "Come in."

A guard walked into the office. Philip Brody said, "You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes. Ross Howard is to be removed from the cell he is in, and placed in one with an inmate who is less aggressive."

Brody didn't like it. He saw Robert Ironside leaving the prison. That could only mean one thing. He was the one demanding that Ross Howard be switched to a different cell.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying, you shouldn't let Ironside push you around. He doesn't run this prison, you do."

The warden smiled. "I don't think you realize the power that Chief Ironside has in this town. What he says, pretty much goes. He wants him moved, so we move him. If we don't, he will go to judge Herman Thatcher, and the end result will be the same, he will be moved."

"I thought we put him in with Burl Bricker for a reason. After what he did to this prison on his TV show, why should we be concerned if Bricker roughs him up."

"If you will recall, I didn't dictate where he was to be put. It was you who did that. He has to be protected the same is any other prisoner in this institution. When it comes right down to it, Robert is right. I momentarily forgot that when he demanded that Ross Howard be moved. I don't like being told how to run the prison. Nevertheless, we can't continue to allow Bricker to beat up Ross Howard."

Brody just couldn't understand. Especially, after the way Ross Howard went after the warden himself on his TV show. "You know fully well this is going to anger Bricker. We might be able to stop him when we change Howard to another cell, but he is going to intensify his bullying on the man in the exercise yard, as well as the work room."

"It is your job to see that that doesn't happen."

"Sir, you must be kidding! It is difficult enough for us to control Bricker. We can't do it one on one. It takes at least two to three of us to subdue him."

"Then make sure there are two or three of you near Bricker in that yard when the prisoners are out there."

Brody didn't attempt to hide his contempt for the warden's decision. "In other words, we are just going to ignore what he said about us in that pathetic show of his."

The warden could hear the disgust in Brody's voice. "That TV show has nothing to do with how we run this prison. I will expect you to do your job. That will be all."

Brody turned around and left the office. Ironside! Why did everyone allow that man to push them around? The warden was obviously no exception. Brody couldn't believe that he would go easy on Ross Howard after what he did and said about the prison, the warden, and the guards. He might be willing to let him get away with it, but Brody wasn't.

The warden was not the one who kept the peace in the prison. That was Brody's job, along with his men. He had no intention of interfering with Burl Bricker when he was roughing up Ross Howard. The man deserved every black eye, every bruise, and any cuts that Bricker inflicted upon him. If he could get away with it, he wouldn't even move Howard out of the cell he presently lived in.

Unfortunately, this was one thing he had nothing to say about. As he headed toward the cafeteria, where the prisoners would be having lunch, he would make sure that Bricker knew it was Ironside who forced the change.

Grabbing some guards along the way, they entered the cafeteria. Brody stood there for a moment until he could locate Ross Howard. He was sitting by himself at a table. One table away, Burl Bricker sat with inmates who would do anything he ordered them to do. All of them were staring at Howard. Bricker stood up and walked over to Howard's table.

"You really aren't hungry, are you Howard?" Since Ross had only sat down a moment ago, he hadn't time to eat any of his lunch.

"Actually I am. Why don't you go away and bother somebody else?" Howard said boldly.

Brody was watching. As one of the guards stepped forward, he stopped him. "Let's wait a minute."

"But I thought you said the warden . . ."

"I know what the warden said. He's not out here with these guys. Howard needs to learn his place in here."

"You don't get it, do you, Howard? You do as I tell you to do, or you suffer the consequences." Bricker dumped the soup over top of Ross Howard's head, as everyone in the cafeteria laughed. He then slugged him in the stomach. Howard doubled over in pain.

"Phil, we have to stop this," the one guard said.

"He's only getting what he deserves. Have you forgotten about how he trashed us on that TV show of his?" Brody reminded him.

"It doesn't make this right. Either let us put a stop to it, or I go to the warden."

Brody grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "Believe me, you would regret that." He turned to the other guards that were standing there. "Okay, guys, I think Howard has been punished enough. Go over and stop Bricker."

The guards intervened and got Bricker to back off. Brody watch them from a distance. He walked over to them and looked at Ross Howard with disdain. "All right, you have had your fun, now everybody get back to work."

"I haven't had anything to eat," Howard said.

"Well, I suggest the next time you sit down to eat that you put it in your stomach instead of wearing it," Brody said. The inmates roared with laughter.

"Oh, by the way, Howard, when you are done with your work shift today, go back to your cell and pack up your stuff. You're being moved to another cell."

"What? I didn't ask to be moved to a different cell."

"Apparently, you have a friend in Ironside. He just left the prison, but not before insisting that you be moved to a different cell. Apparently, he thinks that Bricker, here, is picking on you."

"I didn't ask to be moved," Howard said. He could see the look that Bricker was giving him. Ross knew this meant more trouble down the road for him. Why couldn't Ironside leave things alone?

Howard followed the guards out of the cafeteria. Suddenly, he felt something hit him in the back. He turned around to see a grinning Burl Bricker. When Ross look down, there was a metal cup lying on the floor. It was what hit him in the back, and he had no doubt as to who threw it.

Howard had grown to hate Burl Bricker. The man was a bully, and he had no intention of giving in to him. Ross simply didn't care what Bricker dished out. He already knew he wasn't going to last long in prison. He would rather be dead then live this way for the rest of his life.

6

When Ironside arrived back at the office, Commissioner Randall was waiting for him. "Bob, just exactly what do you think you were doing?"

The former Chief of Detectives wheeled his chair over to the table where his boss was sitting, drinking coffee. "Hello, Dennis. This is one for the history books. This is your second visit today."

"I got a call from the warden at the prison. He was quite upset with you. He said despite the fact that you are friends, he didn't like you interfering with his running of the prison."

"So he came running to you," the chief said.

"Actually, he made a phone call."

Randall's attempt at humor didn't seem to phase Ironside in the least. "Dennis, you know I have no use for Ross Howard. He murdered his wife in order to run for the Senate. That was nothing but a power grab. My job, which I take seriously, is to serve and protect. That includes those who are in prison. Ross Howard was put in a cell with Burl Bricker. Do you remember him? He slaughtered his entire family, his wife, her two brothers, and his own children. Why? Because they found out he was dealing drugs and murdered his drug dealer who was providing him with the drugs for sale. He decided to take over the territory. When he found out his family was going to turn him into the police, he murdered all of them. Bricker has no respect whatsoever for human life."

"I don't need a history lesson. I am the one who assigned you that case, if you remember? What is your point?"

"My point is, he has been connected with several other murders. They have never been prosecuted because he is in prison for life anyway. Do you really think that Ross Howard should share a cell with him?"

"Do I have to remind you that Ross Howard is a murderer, arrested by you, tried by a jury of his peers, and convicted."

"So, are you saying we should do nothing about Bricker bullying and beating him up constantly? Dennis, when I was there, he had a black eye, and his face had contusions. It was obvious he had been beaten. God knows how many bruises were on his body, since I couldn't see them due to his clothing. Are we not supposed to protect those in prison, or just allow them to be beaten and murdered while they are there? Don't tell me that those things happen in prison, I am already aware of that. That doesn't mean it should be tolerated or allowed. Howard isn't going to murder anyone else. His crime was one of passion and power. He is not a serial murderer. Ross Howard is simply not the same caliber of murderer that Burl Bricker is. You know fully well he is suspected of several murders of inmates since he's been in prison."

"Bob, did it ever occur to you that you may have made matters worse for Howard. You made it look like he has requested favors from you. Though you may be popular in the city of San Francisco with its residents, that certainly can't be said of the prison. You put half those people in there."

"He won't get beaten up on a daily basis because he is sharing a cell with Burl Bricker," Ironside insisted.

"No, he won't. He'll just get beaten up while he's taking a shower, working, or in the exercise yard," Randall said sarcastically.

"All of those areas are patrolled by guards. It is on them to protect Ross Howard."

"And, you really think they are going to do that after that show Howard put on criticizing the prison, the guards, and the warden?"

"They damn well better, or I'll start an investigation of that prison myself."

As usual, Commissioner Randall wasn't going to win this argument with Robert Ironside. Nor was he about to discipline him for interfering with the running of the prison. In a lot of ways, the commissioner knew he was right. He was also aware of what went on in prisons, and the guards quite often allowed it to happen.

Randall stood up and started walking toward the door. "You may have just opened a can of worms this time. I hope you are prepared for the consequences, because there sure as hell will be a reaction from other inmates in the prison." Knowing there wasn't any chance of changing Ironside's mind, Commissioner Randall left his office.