Chapter 2

Obviously Jerry broke every record. Ironside didn't have to wait for him more than three minutes.

Jerry rang the bell and Betty opened the door. When she saw the warrant she had to sit down on the stairs. "Oh my God, is he dead? I didn't want to kill him... wanted him to have a setback to keep him out of commission... when it didn't work I gave him a soporific... thought they might be satisfied when he just wouldn't wake up... was unsure how much would be needed... the poor man, I'm so sorry..."

"May we come in?"

Resignedly Harry Granger fully opened the door. If the sharp Commissioner ad interim knew that much, he would find out about the rest too.

They sat down in the living-room. The Grangers didn't offer any coffee, and Ironside didn't expect any.

Betty was still sobbing.

"Why did you do it?"

Granger answered in her place: "They have Kitty, her little sister. She's got Down's syndrome."

A heavy silence spread out, far too long. Granger felt that he had to say more.

"The name of the game was 'Fisette against Brown' right from the beginning.

You couldn't have known, but it was a mistake to make Fisette appoint Brown as Chief of detectives in the first place."

"Why so?"

"Oh, come on, be realistic: Brown was a weak man from the beginning. He could never stand up to Fisette, the poor guy, and we all knew it. You don't back a sick horse. Ok, everybody was surprised at how well he recovered when he got married – Mrs. Brown must be a great woman. And then he managed to clear up most of the mess McManus and consorts had left behind. But he also had this kind of straight thinking about him: logic and scientific. He lacked the wickedness necessary in this business. Fisette has it, as well as McManus. And he's on the payroll of half of the mob bosses. Brown could not win, no way, and you see where it got him."

For Ironside the pieces of the puzzle fell into place: Ed feeling that his work had become so tough, and not wanting his son to become a detective... Ed, why in blazes haven't you told me? Maybe I could have prevented a lot of what has happened! - But then Ed probably didn't want to call Daddy for help again.

Granger went on, "For a certain time I started to doubt, though... he had this strange way of winning people over with his disarming sincerity; convicted crooks started to eat out of the palm of his hand, and every cop would go through hell and high water for him. And the people of Denver trusted him."

"Why didn't you switch sides when you noticed that he had a chance?"

"He didn't have a chance. Isn't his death proof enough for that? And then I didn't have the strength to fight against Fisette. Having a handicapped child takes up a lot of energy. You can't understand that. Nobody without such a child can understand it."

"Danny Brown has a handicap too."

"Yes. No idea how the Browns manage that. Managed, I mean. And then, when you debunked Fisette, they took Kitty, and that was the end of it."

"Tell me about Kitty."

"She's sixteen years old, but she looks like ten and in her mind she's more like a four-year-old."

He stood up. He handed Ironside a portrait which had been standing on the shelf. The girl on it had long, blond hair and looked like an angel. She wore bright-red lipstick and a lace dress and had a ribbon in her hair.

"She was in a camp for children with special needs, and the day after Fisette was booked, she just vanished from there. She means so much to us... Then I got instructions about what I should do with Chief Brown, like not giving him enough protection against the cold. Betty knew what to put into his food, but he didn't eat it. Then I had to let Gilette into his cell who would find a way to kill him and make it look like an accident... I was glad that it didn't work out then, but I was so afraid that Fisette's people would hurt my little girl... she's so helpless... Will they let her go now...?"

Ironside decided not to tell him that Ed was still alive. It might be an advantage.

"If you believe that, then you are dumber than legally permitted," he answered coldly. As well as he understood a father's feeling for his child, he could still not accept a coldblooded killing. Maybe Ed could. Darn it!

He considered his possibilities with lightning speed. Would it be possible to let people believe that Ed was dead to protect the girl? Maybe. But Ironside didn't delude himself: He would be the next on Fisette's list, and Hank's life was in danger too. With the Mob still in his control, Fisette was far from being defeated.


Author's note:

It's not Saturday, I know... Over the next few weeks I may not be able to update my stories at regular intervals.