Shoot Not to Kill

by Daniel L Stephenson

  “That is generic and directed at your uniform. It is not you that is hated. They hate everyone and anyone. Those demonstrators live in a world that has only good and bad, you fill the bad box in your uniform. When you’re out of uniform, you do not fill that box, you’re just another Joe. They were well disciplined and trained to create what they wanted, a media show. They got it, and the rest of the day went fine. They picked the time and place for the little show.”

  “I know, but I don’t have to be a part of if,” the other cadet said. “I want to go back to the job I had. Contract said it was my choice.”

  “Tell you what, I’ll pull your training records, and we’ll talk about it in one week. You’ve already been here five weeks, and I know you both are doing well enough with the classes. You would not have held in this long had you not been pretty interested in doing the work. Give it another week, then we’ll decide.”

  The two looked at each other, shrugged and agreed to stay another week.

  Michelle closed the door after they left, “Mr. Davis, were those two the gay guys you mentioned a while back?”

  “No, that never seemed to develop. I know one of those guys through Mixie. He was in her department. OK guy. How did you feel about being the target of the urine throwers, anyway, and why did it not bother you?”

  Michelle thought for a few seconds, and then said, “Well, first I thought it was so staged that I did not take it too seriously. Secondly, I know from analytics that urine is usually sterile. Third, I guess being there was more interesting that sitting in the classroom trying to learn how to fill out forms that survive plaintiff’s counsel. Generally, I was enjoying myself.”

  “Well, had the scene commander not opened up the water canons when he did, you might not have found the second round nearly as entertaining. The on-scene commander knew the drill and was prepared. OK, we’re going into the last two weeks, starting next Monday. Please have your company turn in their names and numbers for the call roster. Tell them there will be at least two recalls during the last two weeks, and also tell them that we’re going to have graduation at the main tactical center’s auditorium. The place can hold several hundred, so they are limited to four guests each. Michelle, what are your plans for training beyond here? I’ve read some of your file. The reason I ask is that you’ve been a steady cadre commander, and you’ve done well with all assignments. Mixie likes you, too. The troops are very happy with you, and you’re a level head. I need a female on my training cadre and could offer you a job.”

  Michelle thought for a few seconds. “I’ll need to get back with you on that. I talked Colin and Geech into this thing for a new slot as field agent. It would seem unfair to pull out on those two after I talked them into it. I might take a rain check, though.”

  “Fair enough. Ripley needs the call roster information by close of business tomorrow, so you will have the chance to go home this weekend. Let the folks know that they are considered reserve officers as of this level of training, which means they can be put in the field in an emergency. Also means you’re all stepped up a peg on the pay scale, not much, but enough to brag about. Finally, Michelle, I have to tell you that your former section called and wants something from you. I need your clarification. Evidently they did a key audit, and Geech came up with some unusual patterns of key retention. What is this all about?”

  Michelle smiled and said, “Let me begin answering that with a question. Have any of your cadre had occasion to loan Geech their keys?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, but they have a set when they pull change of quarters.”

  “Then Geech has a set of keys to the compound. I don’t know how he does it, but he will have them after looking at the keys. Used to be that he had to take a set home to duplicate them, but now he can do it by feeling the key, no kidding. And he was reputed to have every key in the analytic building as well as the medical annex. Evidently they’ve tracked some back to Geech. Nothing has ever been amiss in the five years I’ve known Geech, and I’ve worked with him for most of those years. He goes back even further, and no one in analytics ever distrusted him. Back at analytics, it was a common joke that if you needed in somewhere you looked for Geech first. I’ll have him call.”

  “Sounds a little alarming. Let me know what he says. I’ll have the locks changed.”

  “Officer Davis, I have to say I’m certain there is no risk to the compound, and as he will not be working here, I would be surprised if he has any keys. Do you want me to ask him?”

  “If it comes up while you’re telling him to call some guy, Dan Borden,” Davis said.

  “That’s Danielle, she was the section boss back in Analytics. That’s pretty high up the food chain over there. I’ll tell him right away.”

  “OK, see you at evening formation,” Officer Davis said as he started for the door. “You can call me Wendall, you’ve earned it. And at reserve status, I am just senior to you at this point. It will be nice to have Mixie back home next week.”

  “I would think so. She has been a good roommate.”

  Michelle found Geech in the library. “Geech. You gotta call Borden. Seems they are missing some keys and want to yours back,” Michelle said as she pulled a chair out.

  “Drats, I was hoping they’d forget about me. I’ll call her now,” he said as he started piling books up.

  “Another thing. Davis brought me the message and asked why they’d call you for keys. I mentioned you were a key collector, and he wants his keys back,”

  “Don’t have any, why would I want access to this place,” Geech said as he started to stand. “Besides, they are Sledge slug 8B, main key is a 43452.”

  “What’s that mean?” Michelle asked.

  Means I get a Sledge slug 8B and cut the teeth to the pattern I just described, that appears to be the master. Take me twenty minutes, tops.”

  “Why do you know that, Geech?” Michelle asked.

  “Why do some guys know the score on the all the 1957 World Series games? It is a curse. I’m stuck with it. One look and I can recall most any key in the world.”

  “OK, call her.”

  Later Michelle learned that the department only wanted his services in getting keys sorted out, knowing that by the gradual accumulation of keys Geech had become the source of the Nile.

  Michelle had a note in her box when she returned from her weekend pass. It asked her to have two other students and herself present to Officer Davis’s office that morning. The subject was graduation plans.

  The other two candidates were good workers, so Michelle did not think there was a problem. Officer Davis was there, as well as another individual. The atmosphere was very comfortable, and the man stood and introduced himself.

  “Good morning, Ms. Lumen, Ms. Davis, and Mr. Gregory. I am Adam Sinclair, from personnel branch. You three are the high scorers in your class, and the LAPD has a long-standing tradition that the first three in a class are offered some options for their first assignment. Ms. Lumen, you are going into a new program already, so the opportunity to accept a special assignment may have to be modified for you, but you other two can afford yourself the opportunity to go into some fields that are usually reserved for in-service transfers. Mr. Gregory, I understand you are a helicopter pilot and are projected to go into the flying crew lineup. I suspect this would preclude your interest as well. Be that as it may, I can offer you folks a chance to look at other areas open. The booklets here will show highlighted categories in yellow and red. Those in red are restricted. Those in yellow are open. The descriptions of the jobs are on the in-house Web site. Your selections of positions must be made in three days.”

  Michelle looked at Mixie and smiled, “Don’t suppose you want to be cadre here, do you?”

  Mixie roller her eyeballs, “Not with the current group of instructors.” She casually looked at her husband, who looked at the ceiling in odd curiosity.

  Stan Gregory surprised them and said, “I would like to look this over. Can I go into the aviat
ion assignment later?”

  Mr. Sinclair nodded, “Certainly, though your present assignment will be filled and you would have to wait for an opening.”

  “I’ll get back with you.”

  Officer Davis stood up and said, “OK, thanks Michelle. Get your troops off to the range. Graduation is in two weeks, so we need to start getting the information packets out. Everyone has four seats in the auditorium, and from there we’ll have to see what we need.”

  “I’ll get the crew to start thinking about it,” Michelle said as she picked up the information booklet and started to leave. Michelle asked, “Mr. Sinclair, I wonder if I could ask for an assignment after training is complete just for a few months, then go back to the original plan?”

  “That’s unusual. What did you have in mind?” Mr. Sinclair asked.

  Michelle paused, and then said, “I’d like to do some leg work for homicide division. It involves a case that I think might be related to several more. I was working this case part time before I came into the academy, and it was hanging on the next step of the investigation when I left. I could use maybe four to six months to get enough information to see if I could get a proper case going.”

  “Well, that is pretty unusual. Guess what I would do there is get you in touch with someone from homicide, you pitch your idea there, and if they want to take you in for the project, it would be OK with my branch.”

  “That’s fine,” Michelle said. “Can you give me a contact?” she asked finally.

  “I’ll have to get back with you on that. I have to run. Good luck and congratulations. Sorry we can not kick your pay up with the good work you did, but we can at least try to get you assigned where your talents are best applied.”

  Michelle and Mixie walked back to the barracks. Stan held back to talk more with Mr. Sinclair.

  “Mixie, what are your plans now that you are getting through the training?”

  “I’m interested in being a plain old cop. Just want to work a beat and go home. I’m on hold because of my reproductive status. My squeeze wants me to come here, so I can partner with him, but I need a break for my own life sometimes.” Mixie said as she picked up an empty cup that had blown across the sidewalk. “How about you?” she asked.

  “Well, I’d like to do some work on the case I had before I started here. I’d need some time, and someone to tell me how to approach investigation, but I’d enjoy that. There’s something in this case that just seems to hold me, and I did a lot of work on it before I came here. I’m going to push for that.”

  “Good luck,” Mixie said as they entered the barracks.

  It was a week before Mr. Sinclair called back. “I’ve got the name you need. He’s a detective that I called, just pulled one from the hat. His name is Mark Ashley. He said he’d listen to what you have.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call. Will he call you, or will I get back to you if it is a go?”

  “You call me. I’ll check with your intended boss and see if we can get a few months off for good grades. Bye,” he replied.

  Michelle called and discussed the case. To her surprise, Ashley was enthused and gave it an immediate endorsement. The assignment officer cleared it with the gaining agency Michelle was supposed to have gone into after her graduation. The department chairman there indicated the program was still undefined, and that the first group through was really a test group anyway. One person less would still be a busy crew to educate.

  Colin did not share her enthusiasm. “I was looking forward to going into that job with you around, but we can sure work around that anyway. I suppose we’ll be able to keep Chop Stix open, too.”

  Michelle sensed Colin’s disappointment. “Colin, we’ll still be seeing a good bit of each other. I don’t see this as a change in that status. I might even need you to help me if this investigation starts getting somewhere.”

  “Sure. I wish I had studied harder. I was still doing homework from that stupid MBA, but I got that done, anyway,” Colin said. As they walked, Colin casually said, “We’re getting the family down here for graduation. I’m looking forward to you meeting my folks.”

  Michelle smiled and said, “I’m looking forward to meeting them, too.”

  Graduation was a disappointment, but not a terrible one. The speaker was uninspiring and the families looked like a Sunday church crowd. They did receive their badges, which did represent twelve weeks of hard work. They had a week off and then they were to report to, of all places, the analytics branch for an introduction to their class for the next phase in training. Data gathering with a chain of custody was the next step. Michelle had always known of the concept of chain of custody, but she had always been near its end. Now she would be at the beginning.

  Chapter 22

  Diamond Miner Gets a New Chair

  “Hey, Michelle, this is Whistler, yeah, yeah, the miner. Hey what are you doing now? I haven’t seen you for months. Need to talk with you. No shit, I mean, sorry Michelle, no fooling, you a badge-carrying cop now. God save us all. You got time to come over. You’re here now? I guess wonders will never cease for you. Yeah, whenever, bye,” Marvin Whistler said as he hung up the phone.

  It was an hour later that Michelle popped in.

  “Marvin, what are you doing these days?” Michelle asked.

  “That’s a question I should be putting to you. What made you go to the force?” Marvin asked as he started brining up his computer.

  “Needed a break. I can only calibrate the lab so many times before I go nuts, so now I’m working in the field. What do you have for me?” Michelle asked as she noticed her old yellow chair under Whistler’s butt. “Nice chair.”

  Marvin did not look up, “Got it from a geek that left here a few months ago. Big deal sneaking it down the stairs. I didn’t know the damn thing was hot. I’m still doing some searching, and Michelle, I’ve found something in an unusual place. The medical system in America is a statistical nightmare, truly the computer gone wild. You can code everything. When you do there are numbers that go into the insurance companies, and they have to share the data with an agency that monitors the quality of care that is received in hospitals. Well, this agency is connected to the government, which is connected to the FBI, which is connected to the Los Angeles Police Department, which happens to be my boss. So, I started wondering around in this computer, and I’ve learned a thing or three. Did you know that if you have a baby and the little snot throws up in Bismarck, North Dakota, that will code your baby for a payment of twice that of a baby anywhere else in the country? Something strange there, but anyway, I ran some codes that are called “Diagnostic Related Groups.” Each hospital has banks of these scriveners that pour over the charts and decide what to code it. Then it gets put into one of these DRG things. I backtracked the DRG of 332, which included gunshot wounds to the chest. There’s a pattern to those groupings that have changed remarkably over time, and Mr. Acozil is right in the middle of the latest peak.”

  Michelle sat stunned for a moment. Marvin sensed her dismay when she started rubbing her head and studied Marvin’s face. “OK, Michelle, come over here and watch this program do something that is really scary. It has two codes, one for the DRG, and the other for the hospital. The beginning covers every hospital that has had a DRG 332, then the hospitals start dropping out.”

  Michelle stood over Marvin’s shoulder. There were twenty hospitals with flags when he started the program. A wheelbarrow in the corner had the miner shoveling dirt into the bucket, and a number was counting up on the side of the wheelbarrow. By the time it quit counting, there were only three hospitals that remained flagged.

  “OK, that’s pretty, but it still does not do much for me,” Michelle said.

  “Michelle, those three hospitals were the top 75 percent of the DRG for 332. Now watch this. The run you just saw was done on data that fit LA from ten years ago to four years ago. Now these data are from four years ago to now,” Marvin said as he keyed the miner into action again.

  The progr
am seemed to run entirely the same, but there were four hospitals that remained flagged when the miner finally put his shovel on his shoulder.

  “The new hospital is close to where Mr. Acozil went down,” Marvin said with satisfaction.

  “Michelle sat on the desk and rubbed her forehead again.

  “Being a badge cop must give you headaches,” Marvin commented.

  “No, Marvin, you give me headaches. I’ve just about dropped this case in my mind. I have been too busy doing so many other things. How many cases of this DRG 332 do you have total?” Michelle asked as she walked back to the chair.

  “My denominator is 23,000. Kinda scary, huh? That’s over twenty years, though. I can program it to run the cases for your hospital through time. I can have that tomorrow.”

  “Who’s paying for the miner now, Marvin?” Michelle asked as she slumped into a chair and put her feet on a bookcase.

  “Writing it off as research. I’ve got a budget for my own research in any fields I get interested in. This has been a good study for me, and I’ve had to design software that the Diamond Miner folks say they will patent and put into the next generation, so I’m making money while I play at this.”

  Michelle had to laugh. “Marvin, I’ve been out of the loop for three months. How may 332s have gone to this hospital in that time?”

  “Just a second. Humm, looks like six. That’s the low end. The other three had ten times that combined,” Marvin said as he pushed his chair back. “We’re seeing something there that was not present ten years ago. That hospital had two DRGs of 332 since the system was started in the 1980s. Now they’re having twenty-five a year.”

  “OK. I have already talked to the guy that is running the show for us. I sure wish I could work this some. The guy said we might get some time to work the case later this year. You have my e-mail. Send me the data in a report. I’ll ask the director of the class to let me spend some time on this sooner than that. Listen, I’m late already so better go. Thanks for thinking of me,” Michelle said as she started for the door.