JUSTICE REBORN (A Charlie Taylor Novel Book 1)

by Ivan Bering

  Manuel thought about the Dr. Max report he had left on Charlie’s desk and guessed where he was rushing to …………..another crisis with some high profile men and women.

  CHAPTER 40: the Judge’s Chambers

  Kate and Stephen sat facing each other.

  One sat on the new couch, the other on a large chair. Normally she was pleased to be meeting with Stephen, but yesterday the call from his assistant sounded more like a summons: 9:00 am Judge’s chambers. It did not take long for Stephen to get past the preliminaries.

  “Charlie Taylor, on a special assignment for me, has been trying to uncover how Dr. Max manipulated the system to his advantage. Many hours analyzing the interrogation videos proved a useless exercise, didn’t even provide a hint, not one clue. So as he told me, he went back to what he knows best, the basics. This detective can be difficult to contain; however, this is what made him perfect for this case. I needed his irreverence.”

  Tension started to creep through her body, but she tried to remain calm with the hope she would be able to walk away from this discussion.

  “His old fashion police work uncovered a series of miscellaneous facts which lead to a few questions. I thought, given our history, I would ask you in private and give you an opportunity to explain. You should know, at this time, Charlie is questioning your technician, Janice. There are a few questions which she will have to answer. For you Kate, the first anomaly we have to clear up is your daughter’s acceptance into the University’s medical program.”

  “Stephen, no mystery exists; the basics are obvious: a set of good marks and active participation on athletic teams. And I understand, she impressed the Admission Committee with her written submission and her interview.”

  “Obvious? No, I disagree. I don’t think it’s that simple. Your daughter had good marks but not in the top 10 % of the applicants and her athlete participation proved to be a hit and miss activity, not a stellar performance. As well, the Admission Committee awarded her the Mackenzie scholarship which means free tuition plus a generous living allowance throughout her years in medical school. This was the first anomaly which bothered Charlie.

  When he dug deeper, he discovered three members of the Admission Committee had close links with Dr. Grovernor. One is the CFO for Allied Scientific and works on a daily basis with Grovernor; the second sits on the Board of Directors for the company and the third is the CEO for a major supplier of a variety of chemicals used by Allied. This means the three might work extra hard to ensure Grovernor stayed a happy man. A ruthless man, like Grovernor, could control the admission process.”

  The room turned silent. Both wrestled with their emotions; years of suppressed feelings seemed ready to flare. Stephen’s scrutiny of Kate was intense, unyielding; she turned rigid and shook her head in denial, but the Judge wouldn’t stop.

  “Kate, I’m going to play hardball. To repeat, Charlie is already putting Janice through the same type of interrogation. Janice’s finances improved significantly in the last months and we need an explanation because, surprisingly, she attempted to keep her good luck a secret. Charlie kept coming back to this fact: two people involved in the Sally Grovernor – Dr. Max Armstrong interrogation reaped great benefits. Too much of a coincidence and for Justice Reborn too critical to leave unresolved.”

  Kate did not know Charlie, as the sole occupant of the adjacent room, was watching the entire discussion. A distraught Janice lingered in an isolation cell; Charlie had deferred her interrogation. He’d been able to identify substantial purchases made by Janice and felt sure there had been a huge influx of cash but tracing the source proved difficult. Numerous complex financial transactions were too much for Manuel in the few hours Charlie had given him. And, since time was running out for Dr. Max, Charlie guessed Kate would be the key, and Stephen should be the one to confront her.

  Kate prevailed, determined to stonewall the interview. “You and I both know trying to understand the why and what of an admission committee is impossible. The fact that I’m doctor and an alumnus surely a factor, and my position on your Justice Board, again, would certainly be taken into account. I can’t explain their reasons and don’t know why you expect me to be able to justify their actions.”

  Stephen sat motionless for a number of minutes, but then he voice was hard.

  “Kate, let me repeat. I said hardball is the game and I mean it. This evidence allows me to have both you and Janice put through an S1, and if necessary an S2 Interrogation. This is not a bluff. You know the ramifications of forcing us to use an Interrogation when you could have told us the full story. Therefore, it is time for you to tell me what happened and why.”

  No response. Stephen stared at Kate and waited. Finally, he spoke again. “When Charlie came to me with his conclusions, I almost threw him out of the office; it was only because we’re so desperate that I even agreed to listen to him. All my feelings for you continue to fight his logic and his evidence.”

  His voice broke, wrestling with his emotions, he restarted. “I…I….could not believe you would be part of a conspiracy which would introduce doubt and undermine the system you worked so hard to make a success. I understand your love for Sonja, but what you were willing to destroy for her that I’ll never understand.”

  “Steve, listen I ..”

  “No…no…… I’ll only listen to a complete confession. This was unconscionable and a perfidious act. You can’t believe what you have done to my feelings for you and the memories of our time together will become a nightmare.”

  Dr. Kate looked at her lap, tried to control her breathing but couldn’t control the tears; she knew she couldn’t beat an S1. She stared at her lap, and soon her sobbing spread into the room. She tried to speak, but it was physically impossible, emotions overriding each word. Stephen never moved, a patient statue.

  Charlie continued to monitor in the next room. As the dialogue evolved and the Judge revealed more and more, Charlie began to understand the undercurrents. At last Kate gained enough control to speak.

  “Stephen, I’m so sorry. After my divorce, I end up saddled with a huge alimony and money did become an issue. On top of that, Sonja’s unwavering goal, almost an obsession, was medical school; her marks were good but not excellent, and I knew it would be a long shot if she got accepted. I understood how much my daughter wanted to become a doctor but couldn’t think of a way to help, just worry.

  When Sonja’s name appeared on the Admission Committee’s interview list, Grovernor’s flunkeys let him know about her and how difficult the selection process was going to be. This gave him the idea; some old boy’s gossip trigged this outlandish event; he approached me with a proposition.

  If I could get his daughter through an S1 and possibly an S2 Interrogation, he would drop the charge against Dr. Max, after the S2…. use the excuse that further interrogation was too dangerous for his young daughter. No one ever thought that Max would push it and demand S3 for himself.

  I wasn’t aware of Dr. Max’s record and the potential death sentence…..none of that ever became public…..Grovernor just…….. Grovernor wanted to embarrass Max, demonstrate his brilliant reputation was based on faulty science, demand the Nobel Peace Prize be revoked.

  He hated him because Max never came back to assist the company when they needed his technical brilliance and prestige. Governor's company is on the brink, well beyond a minor cash flow problem.”

  She started sobbing and tried to regain her composure. It became difficult to understand her, but Charlie needed more before he tackled Janice, who would be a lot harder case. After a few minutes, Kate started again.

  “As you know I’m in charge of assigning technical interrogators. I knew in a case like this, I would have to assign one of the best. Otherwise, there would be questions. As it happened Janice is one of the best, and I knew about her financial troubles; she’s a poor money manager, and prior to the recent downturn, compounded her problems with some real estate investments.

  I didn’t approach
her but told Grovernor about her problems. I don’t know how much he gave her or how the funds transferred. I just got a call that Janice I should have lunch. The plan: Grovernor’s daughter was never to be given the real medication for S1 or S2.

  Janice explained how to behave when under the influence and gave her some recordings of different people undergoing an interrogation. What we didn’t know was the girl was a serious drama student, already accepted at the Academy of Arts. She gave an absolutely brilliant performance.”

  After a long pause, Kate gathered her thoughts and finished her confession.

  “When Grovernor first approached me, I knew this was Sonja’s only hope, and I foolishly agreed. Within the week, I knew it was unethical…. wrong… too much for me; I told Grovernor we had to stop.

  He laughed and said Sonja would receive her acceptance that morning. Did I want to tell her: no med school? He is a fanatic and warned me; he would ruin Sonja’s career as well as mine; his hate for Dr. Armstrong blinds him to all consequences, and Max is right: the daughter has a similar personality.

  He recognized I was still not on side, and he promised to stop after the S1 Interrogation and give his daughter’s health as an excuse. I knew it wasn’t good enough, but somehow I convinced myself that we would muddle through, if we stopped after S1.

  I knew there would be confusion and concern, but I conceived an argument……..the dosage associated with S1 was not sufficient for certain personality types. Further, we should develop a checklist to identify those individuals who should be automatically be moved forward to an S2. That is, skip S1 for these exceptions.

  As long as this subterfuge stopped at S1…… S2 not challenged…..I would be able to argue Dr. Armstrong and similar personalities are such a small minority in our total population base…….we only need minor change in our procedures to reestablish confidence levels.

  The double cross occurred when his obstinate daughter insisted on an S2 Interrogation, and all my planning flew apart. She found the entire experience exciting….. a great acting debut with many important people observing……. as she fooled the world.

  I’m so sorry. I caught up trying to help Sonja. She’d worked so hard and wanted the admission more than anything. I knew she wouldn’t get in without outside help and allowed myself to get desperate. Steve, she really is very much like you and as she matures even more so….. sometimes the appearance startles me and I worry someone else will see the resemblance and guess.

  She doesn’t know …….no one knows……I was afraid to tell you…..if you can do anything to help her through this mess…..please …..please. This will be so hard on her. She’s so straight…… if this becomes public she will give up her medical dream……walk away from university………..and I don’t think she’ll ever speak to me again.”

  The tears and sobbing started again, the depth of her sorrow overwhelming. Stephen left his chair and went to the couch. He held her and soon tears were rolling down his cheeks. He knew had she told he about the pregnancy both of their futures would have been different. He continued to hold her and to stroke her hair; he kissed her forehead and whispered something in her ear. She lifted her face and then their kiss was completed without reservation.

  Charlie, still unaware of Jake’s ultimatum, was in the next room, shocked and subdued; he knew he had seen and heard too much.

  “Jesus H Christ, I can’t believe this!”

  CHAPTER 41: the Last Meeting

  The meeting room was silent, the atmosphere tense.

  Emma Collins sat, slumped, alone at the Forensic table; her head hung down, eyes focused on some notes. By the time the meeting concluded, the Chief’s mood would be radically altered.

  The Judge started by establishing a Condition Confidential and went straight to the point.

  “I’ve some good news. We have solved the puzzle of Dr. Armstrong; our systems and Interrogation protocols are valid. Dr. Max told the truth; the lies came from young Sally and her father.”

  His delivery was rapid, as if he wanted to get past this as quickly as possible. The Judge went on to explain how Dr. Grovernor bribed both Kate and Janice; and, how Sally was coached to perform, as if she was under the influence of S1 and S2 medication.

  “Grovernor wanted to embarrass Max and destroy his reputation. His anger stems from the fact Max would not take a sabbatical and solve Allied’s production problem. Grovernor talked about this problem as being minor, but the truth is: the production problem is fundamental, and his company is unlikely to survive.

  The girl, Sally, is emotional immature with a fierce temper. She has rarely been refused anything, and Dr. Max rejected her advances, after, what even he acknowledges was a torrid kiss and embrace. After Sally pressed him, he left in a hurry. When Max left the house, she went into a rage, breaking furniture and tearing the place apart. Dr. Grovernor, back from Europe due to an emergency on his production floor, arrived in time to witness her tantrum. He got her to tell him the story. This is when he saw an opportunity for revenge.

  The original plan included a complete S1, followed by a retreat due to Sally’s mental stress; all charges were to be dropped. Grovernor thought this would be enough to hurt, if not destroy, Max’s reputation, possibly get the Nobel Peace Prize revoked.

  The Dr. didn’t count on his daughter’s demands. Sally is a natural actor and enjoyed the part. She insisted on a second performance using the S2 Interrogation. Again, to fool experts who were reviewing the interrogation, a hubristic ego jaunt for Sally. Her Interrogation cocktail mix consisted of water and a food dye.

  The surprise to all these players was Max’s record with minors and the possible death sentence. Grovernor knew about Max’s tendency and probably his earlier sealed record. But he didn’t understand these cases, all having occurred prior to Justice Reborn, would still count as part of a series for repeat offenders.”

  Stephen stopped and surveyed the room; no one spoke. Emma’s focus remained on the papers in front of her. Ann gave Charlie the nod, and he knew she’d picked up an interference signal, the secret recorder active. The Judge’s technician, not authorized to attend the meetings, had provided Ann with a device sensitive to the frequencies emanating from the secret recording equipment.

  “After S2, Dr. Grovernor presented a strong and legitimate case to drop the charge, the risk for Sally too great. They didn’t count on Max volunteering, but Grovernor didn’t care because he was confident we’d think Max beat the brain scan, manipulated the system again. Questions?”

  The silence didn’t last long. Legal first off the mark. “Judge, how the devil did they get caught, and second what is going to happen to Dr. Kate and Janice?”

  “They were caught because Detective Charlie Taylor did some old fashion police work; I’ll ask him to explain.”

  Chief was glaring before Charlie uttered his first sentence.

  “The Judge asked me to look at this case from a completely different angle. He already had a scientific team in motion with a large resource pool. I was at the classic dead end when I decide to branch in a different direction and make an assumption: suppose Dr. Max is innocent. If true, it meant Sally was beating the system; the next question became: how can a young teenager beat the system?

  Only one way: she had help. From there I dug through all Janice’s and Kate’s records: histories, bank accounts, spending patterns, etc. The big break came when I reviewed the grades Kate’s daughter submitted as part of her application for entry into the faculty of medicine. They were not good enough to warrant what happened; her admission to med school was suspicious, and when she was awarded a full scholarship, all the alarm bells went off. This did not appear to be a legitimate award.”

  “I’m going to stop Charlie, if you want the details you can buy him lunch. I just wanted you to understand the basics. As far as all the players in this incident: Grovernor, his daughter, Kate, Janice, and the three members of the Medical school Admission Board, I can’t tell you how this will play out.
As of this moment, I’m assigning the entire case over to Doug. My preliminary assessment is that they should all be turned over to Sector 13 and out of our Sector. Any comments?”

  Doug spoke. “We pay very high salaries and monitor all staff to try and prevent bribes; once this breaks in the press we must be ready to manage the fallout; do you have anything in mind?”

  “You are correct. In Kate’s case even a higher salary wouldn’t have prevented the incident with medical school as a goal her daughter. Janice’s very ambitious and, yes, money was a factor, Grovernor knew that enough money would turn her. I’m at a loss to think of any practical way we can prevent this in the future.

  Maybe random periodic S1 Interrogations for our staff, like the old drug testing program they used to have for athletes. We’ll come back to this at the next meeting. Thanks… I’m going to adjourn the meeting. Thank you.” Most noticed he appeared subdued and at times rather abrupt; a strange demeanor for a man who had just resolved an explosive issue.

  As people stood and gathered their papers, Ann spoke. “We’re having some maintenance problems with the main door, so I would ask you all to exit via the small side door at the back of the room. The one Charlie is using right now. Thanks.”

  People exited as requested and on leaving found they were going through an archway type of device, similar to the ones employed in the airports years ago. As well, there was armed security staff gathered around the device and in the hallway.

  Jacob Konahouse, head man for the Prisons Section, hesitated for a moment before he walked under the arch device. Before he cleared the detection device, the alarm buzzers sounded, and two security guards took Jake by the elbow and led him into a room off the hallway. The remainder of the people exited the meeting room and continued down the hallway. Only a few people noticed the incident with Jake; one being the Chief and he went right for Charlie.

  “Smart ass. Where do we begin? First, where do you get off carrying out an independent investigation without informing me? Second, who the hell are these security people? And what the hell is that the piece of junk with the fucking buzzer? And, last where the hell have you taken Jake? Are those enough questions or would like more? What the hell is the matter? You can’t talk, for once? Bullshit!!”