Chapter 4: A mugging and some shady going-ons

The lieutenant slammed the drawer shut and glanced at the clock on his office wall. It was well past four in the afternoon, and he knew that Claphammer and Neville both have engagements that would likely keep them out of the office until well after the meeting he was scheduled to attend was over.

In particular, Neville had a late appointment at the District Attorney's office about one of his prior cases, one that was heading to trial with jury selection commencing the following Monday.

Furthermore, seeing the rushed manner Claphammer exited the squad room, Sam knew that he was running late for the appointment he had scheduled with the bureau profiler they have retained for the werewolf case.

Normally, given how much time the investigations into the werewolf disappearances were taking up for his task force, it would be appropriate for Neville to be relieved by another detective, namely Chan, for the task force investigation.

But given the staffing levels at the Central Division, Chan is practically the only relief Neville has.

Observing the way Chan interacted with Claphammer and Neville in the remainder of the morning and the afternoon, it would seem he was getting up to speed very quickly on the progress of the task force's investigation.

"Given that one of the snatchings took place in a federal park, it's puzzling the feds have decided to take a pass on this one." Sam overheard Chan remarking.

"It's the chief you've got to thank for that, Charlie." Claphammer spoke. "Don't get me wrong, speaking from past experience, there's a good reason why you would want to keep a case that has occurred in our own d*mn backyard."

"But the chief...he sure as h*ll is eager to keep himself on the news and kiss the a**es of the mayor and those at City Hall." Neville added with a sneer. "But anyways, I gotta head over to my appointment with ADA Jones, Walt, so are you okay with showing Charlie around and bring him to your meeting with the profiler?"

"I can do that, sure." Claphammer nodded as he turned towards Chan and continued, "The profiler's really good in painting a profile of the culprit and should be of great assistance getting you up to speed on who we are dealing with, Charlie."

"Sounds like a plan, Walt." Chan nodded.

With the trio taking leave, Sam only pressed his lips before he grabbed his suit jacket and locked up his office before heading for his car.

Following their appointment at the bureau in San Francisco, Claphammer and Chan have drove back to Coolsville.

"I sure as h*ll don't like how we need be on the road for at least an hour going back and forth between Coolsville and San Francisco." Chan was saying as they drove down the highway. "You would think they would push forward in constructing that second Interstate connecting us to the Bay Area and the state capital by now."

"You've got that housewife from New York to thank for that." Claphammer scoffed. "Always obstructing progress in the name of preserving some old neighbourhood that looks nothing more than a f**king slum, now we still have to keep putting up with the horrendous traffic."

"Yeah, you could definitely say that again." Chan said.

Some silence went by before Claphammer prompted, "So you were young when you and your family fled Hong Kong in '41, eh?"

"Yes, I was a teenager at that time." Chan nodded. "We got relatives living in Honolulu, and so we settled there, where I've finished high school before enlisting in '43."

"What branch?" Claphammer asked.

"Navy." Chan replied. "Wasn't as progressive as I would like to think, but I made it through and eventually discharged as a lieutenant (JG) at demobilization in '48."

"Which is when you've joined the Honolulu Police Department." Claphammer said.

"Exactly." Chan nodded.

Not long afterwards, they were back in Coolsville and were just a couple blocks away from the police headquarters when they came upon a red light.

As they waited for the light to turn green, Chan looked around and noticed something from the driver's side of the window.

"Oh, look." He said, pointing at what appeared to be a mugging in progress. "First night in Coolsville and we're about to get our first bit of action."

What Chan saw was a muscular-looking man with tattoos, and he was holding a knife with the blade at a woman's neck and demanding something.

"Either you pay, or you get hurt!" The mugger snarled at the woman.

"I wouldn't advise it, Charlie." Claphammer said, completely obvious to the situation Chan was referring to in that dark alleyway.

"Advise what?" Chan prompted.

"That you escalate the situation over there." Claphammer replied simply without taking his eyes off the lights.

"Walt, there's a woman getting mugged over there." Chan said in disbelief. "And you're somehow suggesting that stopping that mugger is escalating the situation? Are you s**ting me?"

"No, I'm not s**ting you, or anyone for the matter, Charlie." Claphammer shook his head. "I'm just telling you straight out. Don't charge into a situation with your arms swinging unless you have a good idea what the h*ll is going on."

"Well, perhaps you're f**king blind to the fact that that woman is getting mugged, and that man is d*mn sure gonna hurt her bad if we don't step in and defuse the situation." Chan shot back.

"You have no f**king idea what I am talking about, Charlie." Claphammer said. "That isn't your typical street mugging that you've likely already seen one too many times at the beaches of Honolulu."

"Is that right?" Chan demanded. "If that's not a street mugging, then what the f**king h*ll is that, then?!"

"You tell me, Charlie." Claphammer said.

Seeing that Claphammer wasn't going to motion to even apply the brakes, or at the very least hit the lights, Chan saw that the traffic lights has turned green, and briefly turning back towards the alleyway, he made a split decision.

"Stop!" Chan shouted as Claphammer stepped on the gas. "Stop the f**king car!"

Before Claphammer could comply, Chan unlocked and opened the door and stepped out, not bothering with the fact that the car was still in motion, which forced Claphammer to slam on the brakes.

"Chan!" Claphammer shouted as Chan marched over to the dark alleyway.

"This is your last warning." The mugger growled. "Since you can't pay up, you should give me your purse. Either that, or I hurt you bad."

"S-s-stop..." The woman protested weakly.

Just then, the two heard someone shouting, "Hey!"

The man turned and saw Chan walking towards them, one hand holding his badge while the other reaches into his trench coat for his service weapon.

"Coolsville Police." Chan commanded at the man. "Put your hands in the air!"

The man turned towards Chan and his left hand formed into a fist while his right hand gripped the knife.

"Stupid move." The man said as he tried to punch Chan, who ducked.

"Look who's talking." Chan retorted as he countered with a punch in the man's stomach, causing him to drop the knife in pain.

Pressing the man against the nearby wall and preparing to handcuff him, Chan then added, "That wasn't a wise move, pal."

As that was happening, the woman took the opportunity to run off.

Catching a glimpse of the woman running off, Chan shouted, "Where are you going?! I need a statement from you!"

The woman ignored him as she continued to run off down the street, causing Chan to exclaim, "I just saved your as-"

"Chan!" Claphammer shouted as he approached the struggling man and Chan.

"Help me cuff this a**hole." Chan said to him.

"Let him go." Claphammer said sternly.

"What?!" Chan turned to his partner in disbelief.

"I said, let him go!" Claphammer shouted as he tugged Chan's trenchcoat.

"Are you f**king kidding me?" Chan exclaimed as he released the man before gesturing towards him and added. "Is this jacka** undercover? An informant?"

The man laughed as he adjusted his coat, and Claphammer immediately turned towards him.

"I'm deeply sorry, Pistol." Claphammer said to him before gesturing at Chan and continued, "My new partner here is new to Coolsville."

"I can totally see that, Claphammer." Pistol snorted. "Will be a shame for your lieutenant, really, if your partner here doesn't hit the ground running fast enough and learn the rules and resulting in another accident."

"Indeed it will be, Pistol." Claphammer only nodded.

"Tell Rogers what that b**ch owed me is coming from him." Pistol snarled as he turned towards Chan and continued, "And you better start f**king learn the rules of Coolsville, kid, or we'll see who's really stupid."

As they watched Pistol walk away, Chan turned towards the Claphammer and asked, "What the h*ll was that all about, Walter?"

"What did I say about escalating the situation?" Claphammer replied evenly.

"Escalate the situation?!" Chan demanded. "I had it under control before you told me to let go of that a**hole-"

"You call that under control, Charlie?" Claphammer asked as he gestured towards the direction the lady had run off towards. "Why do you think she ran off?"

"Why do I think she ran off?" Chan folded his arms. "I'll tell you why I think she ran off, Walt, it's because you just let that a**hole who mugged her go scot free, and chances are, this is not the first time you've encountered her or someone similar being mugged by that motherf**ker, and the reason why she ran off is because she doesn't trust-"

"You don't know what you're talking about, Chan." Claphammer cut in. "Get in the d*mn car."

Chan hesitated briefly before heading back to the car. Along the way, he stopped in front of Claphammer and said, "I'm gonna tell the lieutenant first thing tomorrow morning about this, Walt. He should definitely hear about this."

"You do that, Chan." Claphammer only responded evenly. "But good luck getting him to do something about it."

Claphammer's remark led to Chan stare at him in confusion, then he shook his head dismissively.

"Then I'll have to tell the captain about it." Chan proclaimed.

"Don't kid yourself, Chan." Claphammer scoffed. "By the time the captain even gets around to doing something about it, you would hit the same brick wall everyone else has hit in the Crowne case and be on the first flight back to Honolulu."

Claphammer then discarded his lit cigarette and added, "Trust me, Charlie, you won't be doing yourself any favours in this department by peppering Lieutenant Rogers and the command staff with complaints, not when it won't make you friends in the department, and for you to succeed in Coolsville, you are going to need a lot of friends."

After what felt like hours, Claphammer made his way back to the car, prompting Chan to hesitate briefly before he followed his lead and got onto the car.

He didn't say another word to Claphammer for the remainder of the drive.

Meanwhile, a few blocks away at the Coolsville City Hall, State Senator Barty Daggett was wrapping up his speech at a campaign-style rally in front of reporters and dozens of supporters waving small American flags.

The state senator was in the company of Mayor Francis Jones, Councilman Henry Iverson and Chief of Police Louis "Lou" Strickland, and there were a few police officers nearby standing guard.

Not seen by the crowd were a squad of heavily-armed police officers, all in riot gear and on stand-by.

"So remember to vote for real change at Capitol Hill and with your efforts, together we can bring our fine nation to the highest of places it can reach!" Daggett concluded, and everyone began to cheer loudly. "May G** bless America."

As the crowd at the rally began to cheer, Daggett paused to take a sip of water, then he glanced towards down the street where a large anti-Vietnam War protest group was marching down the street towards City Hall.

"H*ll no, we won't go!" The protest group chanted loudly, and several of the protesters can be seen carrying signs saying "Get the H*ll out of Vietnam!".

As the protest group closely approaches City Hall, their chants became louder, together with the tension and anger.

"Stop the war!" The protest group continued as Daggett's supporters at the rally began to mobilize. "Feed the poor!"

As if knowing that the clash between the two rival groups was about to occur, Francis Jones turned towards Strickland and nodded at him with a smirk forming on his face.

Nodding back firmly, the police chief got off the stage and made his way to where the riot control officers were stationed.

"It's your time to shine, boys." Strickland declared.

"Yessir!" The riot control squad barked back.

As that happened, the protest group chanted, "Not my son, not your son, not their sons!"

"Say no to killing war machines!" One of the protesters yelled.

"Say no to yourself, you Communist traitors!" One of Daggett's supporters yelled back as they marched towards the protesters.

"Says the baby killers!" Another one of the protesters yelled back as police swiftly moved in to create a buffer between the two rival groups.

As tensions between the two groups began to rise, the riot control squad were swiftly deployed, fully-armed to the teeth.

"Well, that was one h*ll of a rally, Barty." Mayor Jones remarked as they met in his office a short while later. "You sure got them energized and all fired up."

"Of course I had, Frank." Daggett nodded as he poured himself and Jones some bourbon whiskey in a couple of glasses. "With any luck, we might just clear some moss off Capitol Hill this November."

"Yes indeed." Jones said as Daggett handed him one of the glasses of bourbon. "Now to see if the voters get the message."

"Don't you worry about that, Frank." Daggett said. "The crowd attending the rally may be outnumbered by those party-crashers, but lets not forget about the silent majority out there. Those that have been enlightened about the truth, as preached by Barry Goldwater four years ago."

"Of course." Jones nodded before he held his glass up for Daggett to clink. "In any way, to your electoral success in getting to Capitol Hill."

Daggett nodded as he proceeded to clink glasses with Jones, then the two men proceeded to take a sip of bourbon.

After savouring the taste, Jones remarked, "Well, I must say you've got a good choice for bourbon, Barty. Where did you get this bottle?"

"Got it from a business associate in New Orleans in '47 after I closed the deal in Blake Enterprises' expansion into the pharmaceutical industry." Daggett replied. "It remains my proudest moment from my tenure at the helm of Blake Enterprises on the board and as company CFO."

"That's good, being at the forefront of researching life-saving medicine." Jones agreed.

It was then that Jones' chief of staff walked into the office, prompting the mayor to turn towards her.

"Ah Judy, you're just in time to join us." Jones smiled, though the smile soon disappeared when he saw the look on her face.

Daggett has also caught onto the shift of the mood in the office, for he slowly put down his glass of bourbon whiskey as Judy closed the door behind her.

"Is something the matter, Judy?" Daggett asked.

"I apologize for ruining the party mood." Judy responded. "But I'm afraid we've got a problem."

At Judy's remark, Jones turned around and proceeded to pull down the curtains at the windows. Then, he asked, "What's the problem?"

"You will want to get Alice in, Barty." Judy said, referring to his campaign manager Alice Dovely. "She will definitely want to hear about this."

Daggett nodded as Jones opened his office door, then he summoned his security men in.

"Please fetch Alice Dovely from State Senator Daggett's campaign bus, tell her it's urgent." Jones ordered.

The security man nodded and stepped out before speaking into the radio. A few minutes went by before Alice showed up.

As soon as Alice closed the door behind her, she prompted, "What's going on?"

The words that came out of Judy's mouth instantly chilled the office by degrees as she said, "We've sprung a leak."

Whatever joyful optimism Daggett had on his electoral chances and the rally earlier have all but evaporated, and even though his facial expression remained neutral, deep down he was having a queasy feeling at the pit of his stomach.

That was in spite of the fact that he was well aware that this nightmare scenario, one for which he has been preparing for, could eventually happen.

And for someone who has acquired a reputation for ruthless business acquisitions in sectors where competition was more often than not cutthroat, notwithstanding how he has never hesitated to get his hands dirty when cutting agreements, it didn't really matter how little shame he has left.

Because at the end of the day, consequences are still consequences, and for anyone who has worked in his line of business, there was no loyalty nor honour among thieves the minute the feds comes sniffing for any traces of fraud, ill-gotten gains, or in this case, illicit transactions with a foreign government who the country is fighting against.

And it was in his campaign promise to support the troops currently fighting against said foreign government.

"The feds have gotten wind of an Agent Orange 'deal' that was made between Dixon's Chemicals and the Viet Cong following a recent raid at the Los Angeles Harbor that saw a complete shipment of Agent Orange seized from fishing boats bound for Vietnam." Judy continued. "And then, just this morning, our security point man disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Alice asked.

"That's right." Judy nodded. "I've been trying to get ahold of him at work and by phone, he isn't answering and no one has seen him at work, nor has our source in the police department have made any progress in tracking him down."

"It's Spacely." Alice said, and immediately, the temperature in the office cooled further by ten degrees. "He was supposed to make sure that the shipment made it out of the harbour and American waters undetected, and yet the raid happened."

There was some stunned silence in the office, and the four glanced at each other.

"Do we have any reason to believe that Spacely's been compromised?" Jones asked, the calmness in his voice betraying the sense of urgency building inside him.

"We sure as h*ll hope not." Daggett quickly said. "G*d forbid someone turned him."

A leak was the nightmarish scenario they were all dreading. If the true colours of Dixon's Chemicals were ever to come to light, particularly its role as a front company for some questionable characters, the results could be catastrophic for the careers of Mayor Francis Jones and State Senator Barty Daggett.

They could both be facing lengthy prison sentences for conspiracy to commit fraud, corruption, money laundering, and treason for illicit transactions with foreign advesaries of the United States government.

And yet those lengthy prison sentences could be a walk in a park in comparison, considering who they've been receiving money from.

Potentially, they could face a fate that is worse than facing multiple consecutive life sentences or even the electric chair.

"Spacely must be found and prevented from talking." Jones said in alarm.

Then, the mayor turned to Alice and asked, "Do you think that the Werewolf could handle it?"

"Of course, sir." Alice nodded. "Though he's gonna need payment."

Jones turned towards Judy as his eyes narrowed. "Then, we can take care of two birds with one stone."

Knowing what Jones was thinking, Daggett said, "Then, I will leave you guys to it, Frank."

"You will be the first to know when this is done, Barty." Jones said as Daggett and Dovely took their leaves.

A short while later, the mayor was holding the earpiece as he waited for his telephone call with District Attorney Dayton Knight to connect.

As soon as the district attorney answered, Jones got straight down to business as he placed the earpiece by his ear.

"You didn't take care of Assistant District Attorney Jones as you've promised, District Attorney." The mayor barked.

A few minutes went by before the mayor cut in, "Don't give me more of your f**king excuses, Dayton! You've promised to have this problem taken care of ages ago, and given your past work with Blake Enterprises, you of all people should be nipping the problem right in the bud before it balloons into a bigger problem."

Another pause went by before the mayor snarled, "I don't give a flying f**k, Knight! You of all people should have figured something out to get Skip Jones out of the way by now, not come up with excuses! You used to be an effective taskmaster before you ran for the DA's office, Dayton. What the h*ll has happened to you?"

Several more minutes went by before the mayor calmed down, then he glanced at his office door before saying, "Do as I ask, or you can bury your youngest daughter next, Knight."

Another pause went by, and then the mayor nodded. "I will be sure to say hi to your eldest."

With that, the mayor hung up the phone with a huff, in time for his office door to open.

When the mayor looked up, two of his men were dragging a struggling brown-haired girl into his office.

Mayor Jones' face began to slowly form into a smirk as he looked at District Attorney Knight's eldest daughter, whose eyes were red.

Without another word, the mayor got up from his seat and touched the girl's cheeks gently.

Seeing the dark look in the mayor's eyes, the girl's eyes began to well up as she became aware of the gruesome fate that awaits her.

Without saying another word, the mayor looked up to his two men and nodded.

"Tell him to hurry up with the one he grabbed earlier this afternoon." Jones said.

The two men nodded back before they proceeded to drag the girl out of his office, and as the door closed, Mayor Jones can hear the girls cries and pleas.

Her mind was fuzzy as she opened her eyes in what seemed like a while, and it took some time before her vision finally adjusted to her dark surroundings.

It was when she got a good look of her surroundings that the gravity of the situation sank in, for she was tied to a chair in a dark room.

Panic soon filled her mind as she surveyed her surroundings. It looked like she is in someone's bedroom.

But it wasn't just any ordinary bedroom, for several observations came to mind.

One, even with the darkness, she couldn't see any stars from the window, meaning it is likely boarded up.

Two, the wooden floorboards have clearly aged, as do the walls. Wallpaper has peeled off from some parts of the walls, revealing the plaster underneath.

And given the fact she was tied to a chair, it didn't take much for her to figure that she's being held captive in an abandoned house.

Where am I? She wondered. And why am I here?

It was then that the door creaked open, and she instantly snapped her head towards the door.

"Who's there?" She asked.

A pair of glowing red eyes answered her as the accompanying voice said, "Good to see you again, Jamie."

Even though that voice was soft, she couldn't help but detect the menacing tone in the figure's voice.

"M-m-my name isn't Jamie." She said nervously.

She kept her weary eyes on the figure as it approached her and walked past a shine of light that creaked through the boarded up window.

The figure's legs look nothing like human. It was as if...a wolf was walking on its hind legs.

"Please..." She pleaded as the wolf-like figure approached her. "Let me go...I want to go home."

"Sorry, Jamie." The figure stepped closer as it revealed itself to be a half-man, half-wolf person with a sinister-looking smile on his horrendous-looking face. "It's just going to be you and me."

The wolfman then raised his hand, revealing sharp claws.

With a gulp, she blurted out, "I told...you...my name isn't...Jamie..."

The claws and the wolfman were the last thing she saw, before it swung its claws down.

The pain that followed was nothing like anything she's ever experienced before, and it was most certainly the last thing she felt before everything turned pitch black.

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