In The Wrong Place
Chapter 12
As the three men knocked and entered Rudy Olsen's office, Rudy stood up from his desk as if to come forward to assist Steve...Mike gestured for him to sit down and instead guided Steve to a chair himself and when Steve was seated, he sat down in the chair beside him with Lenny sitting just behind them... Looking around the room at the other people already assembled...Mike apologised for the fact that they were slightly late..
Rudy had been studying Steve since he had entered and sat down and was clearly concerned about the appearance of the young Inspector... Seeing this Mike cleared his throat, an action that brought Olsen back to reality and clearing his throat also he addressed those present in his office...
"Well, as we are all aware we have gathered for this meeting to set up an inquiry into the incident yesterday involving Officer Joe Landers in which Inspector Steve Keller was seriously injured... I'd like to thank Inspector Keller for attending this meeting today despite only being released from the hospital a couple of hours ago... Now to introductions...We have Neil Reynolds here as arbitrator ...as most of you know Neil is high up in Internal Affairs and is conducting this inquiry...In attendance, we have Officer Joe Landers and his Police Officer Association representative and advisor Geoffrey Kincaid, Lieutenant Michael Stone, Inspector Steven Keller and at my request Lenny Murchison, the department psychologist is also here. My secretary Alice Connors will be taking the minutes of this meeting. Now Neil I'll hand the proceedings over to you, however as a special request I would urge you to keep Inspector Keller's testimony as short as possible due to his recent trauma and hospital release.."
"Thank you Captain Olsen and thank you to all present for attending this morning. I also would like to thank Inspector Keller for his attendance...I realize it was a lot to expect of you and in order not to keep you long we'll start with your testimony if you're feeling up to it?"
Steve nodded his head "Sure that's fine..."
"Ok, Inspector Keller, could you please tell us in your own words your version of what occurred yesterday at the building at Valencia and Clarion and please take your time..."
Steve took a deep breath and started relaying his story...
"Well, my partner and I received a call while out in the car from headquarters to say that our suspect in the shooting of Officer Shaffer, Frank Graves had been seen entering a building in the Mission District at Valencia and Clarion... We were nearby so we rolled on it...When we arrived there was one unit in attendance..Officer Logan was guarding the front and his partner Officer Rollins was guarding the back...Logan told us that as far as they could tell the suspect was still inside...We entered the building and on entering we split up so as to cover a larger area between us..."
All the while that he was speaking, Landers had stared at Steve with utter contempt and it was becoming slightly unnerving however trying not to let it distract him he continued...
"We followed search protocol and we did a sweep of the areas we were in...I headed down a corridor towards the back of the building and I checked the rooms that were off it too. There was no sign of the suspect. As I reached the room at the end of the corridor I heard a gun fire and as the bullet came at me I ducked and dived behind the door..."
At this stage, Reynolds spoke again...
"Forgive me Inspector Keller for interrupting but did you see at this stage who had fired at you and did you realize that you had been shot?"
"No...The building was very dark. I just assumed it was Graves even though I couldn't understand how he'd managed to get behind me...It took a few moments before my side started to burn and it was only then I realized that I'd been hit. Just after that I heard Mike calling me. I asked him where Graves was and he told me he was gone...Then I told him I was hit and where I was and he came and found me..."
"At what point did you realize that Officer Landers was present at the scene and when did you find out that it was Officer Landers who had shot you?"
"Mike helped me up on my feet and was attempting to help me walk out of the building when he called Joe to help him..That was the first I knew that he was there...When he appeared in the doorway he looked nervous...I asked Mike what I was missing and that's when he told me that it wasn't Graves who had shot me but Landers..."
"Inspector...The next thing I'm going to ask you is crucial to this inquiry...Before Officer Landers fired his weapon did he announce his presence to you and issue a warning?"
Steve looked at Landers who looked like he was about to explode with anger and then looking back at Reynolds ,Steve answered ...
"No sir, he did not!"
"Are you absolutely positive he didn't ?"
"Yes, I'm positive ...There was no warning given.."
Without warning, Landers started yelling...
"This is not an inquiry...This is a WITCH-HUNT !...I'd just lost my partner...I was upset...Don't any of you understand that? What's wrong with you people? So I forgot to shout a warning! GOD DAMN IT!... It was an accident! I didn't know Steve was in there..."
" Officer Landers! You'll get a chance to give your side of the story...now please could you refrain from interrupting...!" Reynolds said firmly...but without warning Landers got up and then stormed across the room. Pointing his finger at Mike he started yelling at Steve...
"He put you up to this didn't he? He's trying to destroy me...He blames me on Mel's death...He can 't find the suspect so he's trying to pin it on me...DAMN YOU STONE !"
Seeing Landers advancing towards Steve and knowing full well that Steve wasn't up to any altercation, Mike stood up and blocked Joe's path to Steve...
"SIT BACK DOWN JOE! You're not doing yourself any favours!"...
Joe squared up to Mike and looked fit to murder him but Mike stood his ground and gave Joe back his infamous steely glare...Steve went to stand up to assist Mike but felt Lenny's hands on his shoulders preventing him from standing...
"Let Mike handle it Steve... You're not up to getting involved..." he heard Lenny say...
As the two men remained glaring at each other, Reynolds spoke to Kincaid...
"Geoff, I suggest you tell your man to stand down and refrain from these outbursts...It's not helping his case any!..."
Kincaid went over to Landers and taking him by the shoulders, pulled him back towards his seat...
"Come back and sit down Joe...You'll get your turn to talk... COME ON!"
Reluctantly , Joe returned to his seat but Mike waited until he was fully seated before he took his own seat again...He looked at Steve to make sure he was ok and noticed that Steve was scratching furiously at his left arm...He wasn't sure if it was just a nervous reaction to the stress of the last few minutes or if the skin reaction he had mentioned in the hospital had flared up again...He would have to keep a close on him he thought to himself...
Casting a very disapproving eye at Landers, Reynolds proceeded with his questions ...
"I apologize for that uncalled for outburst Inspector. Finally I would just like to hear from you what you can recall of Officer Landers demeanor..Did he give an impression to you that he was intoxicated at the scene?"
"Well, I only saw him after I'd been shot but he appeared to be very unsteady on his feet and..and..."
"And what Inspector?" Reynolds asked...
"And there was a strong smell of alcohol."
"So it was your impression that he had been drinking then?"
"Yes..."
At this statement Landers made another lunge for Steve...
"Why you little ...You're just his puppet aren't you?... Do whatever he tells you huh?...
As he lunged forward Mike again countered the attack and grabbed Landers by the lapels of his jacket...The two tussled, with Landers yelling abuse at Mike...
"Who the hell gives you the right to judge people...God you make me sick with your holier than thou attitude...You've even brainwashed the kid there to do your dirty work..."
Next, Joe swung a punch at Mike...Seeing Joe draw his hand back in a fist from where he was sitting Steve shouted a warning to Mike...
"MIKE! WATCH OUT!"
Thanks to Steve's warning Mike ducked back instinctively and Lander's huge fist missed him by inches... Afraid of Mike getting hurt and not knowing what Landers was capable of Steve jumped up from his seat to pull Mike away but instantly regretted it as a wave of dizziness struck him and the room started spinning at an alarming rate...Steve shut his eyes tight and swayed where he stood...Lenny who had kept a close eye on Steve during the proceedings and had prevented him from standing previously for that exact same reason had been distracted by the attack on Mike and felt guilty for his lack of attention now as he saw Steve swaying precariously where he stood...Rushing forward to help, Lenny noticed that Olsen too had seen Steve's distress and had come over and between the two men they caught Steve before he fell and lowered him back into his seat...
As Mike held off Landers who was continuing to shout abuse at him, Kincaid and Reynolds grabbed Landers from behind and pulled him away back to his side of the room with Kincaid trying to calm Joe down but failing miserably...
"Joe! For God's sake stop this! You're not helping yourself...You need to calm down! SIT DOWN!..."
Meanwhile Steve was breathing heavily and still had his eyes clamped shut afraid that the spinning room would set off his nausea again...He felt very light-headed and for a short time he felt as if he might actually pass out as blackness seemed to be threatening to close in on him...
"Steve!...Talk to us... What's happening? Are you dizzy? STEVE!" Lenny pleaded with the young man but getting no response and having checked his pulse and finding it racing rapidly started loosening the young detective's tie and asked Rudy to open a window near them to let in some air...
As soon as Landers was restrained by the other two men Mike heard Lenny calling out to Steve and turning around was alarmed to see both Lenny and Olsen attending to Steve who was slumped in his chair and appeared to be very pale and unresponsive...
"STEVE !" he yelled as he also rushed over to help...
"He's just feeling faint and dizzy Mike...he'll come around in a minute..." Lenny told Mike as the older man looked questioningly at him deeply concerned for his young partner...
Sure enough Lenny was right as the afternoon breeze streamed in through the window, it seemed to revive Steve as the blackness faded and opening his eyes slowly Steve was extremely grateful that the room appeared to have stopped spinning and was standing still once more...Seeing the three worried faces looking at him however caused him to blush slightly and sitting up very carefully he brushed off their concern as best he could...
"I'm ok now...sorry...just felt a little dizzy...that's all..."
However, none of the men were buying his "I'm fine routine" and stayed hovering around the young man much to his embarrassment ...
Olsen turned and addressed Reynolds first...
"Neil, are you finished questioning Keller? He's not up to much more of this...Is he free to leave?"
"Yes, of course...He's answered all my questions... He's free to go but I still have questions to ask Lieutenant Stone..."
Hearing this Mike turned to Lenny...
"Lenny, take him down to my office, would you please and keep an eye on him? I'll be down as soon as I finish here."
"Sure Mike...No problem" Lenny answered and helping Steve up he guided him towards the door...Steve however stopped and looked back at Mike not really happy leaving him here with Landers with no back up, not that he was of much use to him at the minute anyway...Mike saw Steve look at him and as usual read the young man's mind...
"Go on now! It's alright...I'll be down in a while...Go with Lenny, buddy boy!"
With that Lenny ushered him out the door but as he left he heard the Captain yell at Landers...
"One more outburst or show of temper like that from you and I'll have you removed from this meeting and you'll be giving your side of the story from the interrogation room! Is that understood? Keep him in line Kincaid!"