Murder in New Eden

by Charles C. Cole

Table of Contents

Chapter 13: Sgt. Cody Will Be Unhappy

The motion-sensitive lights of the once-secret cryogenics bunker flicker to life. The throbbing by the various electronic processes seems louder than before. The chief is staring expectantly at Lois, longing for a vivid, classic Lois-style response, but she is quiet and introspective.

“Lois, this is my secret. And my father’s secret and my grandfather’s secret and my great-grandfather’s secret. What do you think?”

“It’s dusty.”

Schiavelli is embarrassed. “Yep.”

“I’ve never seen so much dust!”

“Probably not.”

“Not a lot of windows.”

“Nope.”

“Or creature comforts.”

“True. It’s technically more for storage than anything else.”

“Why are they here instead of in a mausoleum somewhere or discharged out an airlock?”

“Because they’re alive!”

“Is it a prison?”

“No, why would you ask that?”

She points to the nearest cryogenics tube. “You can’t tell me those men volunteered for this. They don’t look happy.”

“They’re sleeping! How can they look happy?”

“Who are they?”

“Very, very old men.”

“They don’t look old.”

“These are soldiers from another time, from when we needed soldiers to keep the peace.”

“Why are they here?”

“Great-grandfather wasn’t very explicit about that.”

“Is this where Sergeant Cody came from?”

“Exactly!”

“But there are two empty beds. Who was in the other one?”

“No, just one.”

“No, two.”

“Two?”

“See for yourself?”

There are in fact two empty beds.

“That’s impossible! They can’t exactly wake up on their own, and nobody else knows about this place, except for Wayne and Cody and the mayor... And anybody the mayor told.”

“So this is a surprise?”

“Yes. A bad surprise. An I’m-going-to-need-something-a-lot-stronger-than-your-coffee surprise.”

“Should we call someone?”

“Not quite yet. I’ve got to think this through. Everybody else is asleep, right?”

“They all look the same. I don’t know if it’s asleep or dead.”

“Asleep. Not dead. Sergeant Cody’s not going to be happy with me.”

“Maybe he did it.”

“No, it wasn’t him.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I’m still alive.”

Lois is a trifle confused. “Let’s go back topside. We’ve got to consider our options.”

“What are our options?”

“I don’t know, Lois. That’s why we’re going to go topside to consider them. After you.”

“Are you glad you shared your little secret?”

“With you, yes. I’m not sure about everybody else.”

* * *

Wayne, Nakamura, and Cody enter Ops. The overhead lights are on.

“I didn’t mean to pull you away from the lab,” says Nakamura. “If you’d rather be playing with Edgar Dumont’s hair, you should have said something.”

“It’s fine,” says Wayne. “I already know the ins and outs of forensic toxicology anyway. I mean, neighbors get poisoned and kill people all the time, right? What’s the big deal? I can do that later. His hair isn’t going anywhere, right?”

Lucy has a sudden realization. “My lights are on.”

“Can’t pull a fast one on you, Lucy Nakamura; you notice everything.”

“I never turn them on. I work in subdued lighting, like you.”

Nakamura calls out into the hallway behind them: “Director Pelkey?”

“Is there a problem?” asks Cody.

Nakamura scoffs. “Not for a big strong man like you, there isn’t. For someone of the finer sex who works at the pleasure of the mayor and his cronies, I feel a little violated.”

“Does he do this a lot?” asks Wayne.

“No. Never. But we had a bit of a confrontation recently after the mayor told him I had footage of him taking sexual advantage of an unconscious married woman.”

“Why did the mayor tell him that?”

“Because I have footage of him taking sexual advantage of an unconscious married woman.”

“Then the sooner we make you an expert in self-defense, the better.”

“Yes,” says Cody, “it sounds like this is a good time for a little of that ‘gender equality’ you mentioned. And then I also want to learn something new.”

“Anything,” says Wayne. “What have you got in mind?”

* * *

Looking a bit like alert bodyguards, Wayne and Nakamura walk closely on either side of Cody, who is riding a “penny-farthing” down the street, for his first time. He is focused and determined but occasionally wobbly.

“I’ve got to hand it to you, soldier boy,” says Nakamura, “you are a natural. You wouldn’t catch me up on one of those things.”

“I wanted to blend in better, to look like I belong here.”

“I’m sold,” says Wayne, tongue planted firmly in cheek. “How about you, Lucy? You sold?”

“He’s very convincing. We just need to get him out of that Good Humor man uniform. Everywhere we go, the kids stare, hungrily.”

“Do they? If you take me back to the room where they found me, I’m sure there is a more appropriate work uniform stored somewhere.”

“I don’t think the chief’s nerves can take another secret trip to the secret room.”

“To be perfectly honest, dress whites are not something I would wear on a mission. This is used mostly for show.”

“I believe it,” says Nakamura.

“Looks like it glows in the dark,” says Wayne, “which is probably less than helpful when you’re trying to be a stealthy assassin.”

“And then getting all that blood on such a pretty white shirt, that would be hard to clean. But there are women who would try.”

“I think you’ve made your point,” says Cody. He appears to be tiring.

“Are you ready to call it quits?” asks Nakamura. “You don’t have to prove anything to us.

“But we’re not riding it,” says Wayne, “and it has to get back to the station somehow.”

“Perhaps one of the officers at the training will help me.”

“Great idea!” says Lucy. “Of course, they will: you’re in the fraternity. One for all and all for one.”

“You mean because we all wear uniforms and support public safety?”

“Is that what I mean?” she asks wryly.

“Oh, you mean because we all belong to the festering boys club.”

“What have you two been talking about?” asks Wayne.

“Oh nothing. Just planting the seeds of a revolution.”

* * *

On the curb outside the high school gymnasium, Chief Schiavelli leans against his Hudson and smokes a cigar, appreciating the approach of another artificial dusk. Wayne, Nakamura and Cody are arriving, Cody still atop the department high-wheeler.

“Well, will you look at that!” Schiavelli gushes. “I haven’t been up on one of those since I was a patrolman.”

“I’ve never been up on one,” says Nakamura meaningfully.

“You’re not missing anything.”

The women help Cody down.

“The troops are waiting for you inside, Sergeant. Officer Petrillo specifically told me to tell you ‘not go so gentle’ on him this time.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Wait a minute.” He reaches into the open window of his Hudson and retrieves some fresh-scented laundry. “Clean sweats and a towel. Didn’t figure you’d think of it.”

“A different uniform for every occasion,” cracks Nakamura, with a wink. “While you’re wrestling with the blue boys, we’ll talk to the chief about sending someone back down to the mystery vault after your work clothes.”

He nods to excuse himself and starts to walk away.

“And, Sergeant Cody,” Nakamura calls out, in an imitation of Lois, “if you have any problems tying your laces, I’ll be right outside.” He waves and continues.

“Did I miss something?” asks Schiavelli. “You three seem awfully chummy with each other.”

“I tease him, but he’s a good guy,” says Nakamura. “We’re lucky to have him. He can make a difference here. They broke the mold after that one.”

“I think they made a few more.”

“Sure, but we only have the one, for now.”

“Actually, we might have two.”

“Two?!”

“That’s what I said.” Schiavelli hems and haws. He takes a moment with his cigar. “Earlier today, I gave Lois the extended VIP tour. Once I started telling people about my secret, which I’ve successfully kept bottled up my whole life, even from the mayor, I couldn’t keep it from her. We made eye contact over coffee, and I caved.”

“And?” asks Wayne.

“Of course, as expected, she immediately noticed how dusty it is down there. She’s right. It’s dusty. I guess we’ll have to do something about it.”

“And?” asks Nakamura.

“So I showed her the six other guys. And you know how she’s always correcting my spelling, my grammar, my math...”

“Chief?”

“She says, and I’m paraphrasing, that there only five other guys. I say six. She says five. Turns out, she’s right.”

“Somebody’s missing?!”

“Bingo! That’s what I’m trying to tell you. How does that happen? It doesn’t, right? I mean, I’m no scientist, but they didn’t walk out on their own two feet, not in their condition.”

“Somebody took one of them!”

“Exactly! But who? And why?”

“To make more violence, of course” says Nakamura.

“Sure. Why waste your time giving a lifelong pacifist an aggression headache,” says Wayne, “when you can just wind up an old toy soldier and let him do what he does best?”

“But they’d have to be pretty smart, right?” asks Schiavelli. “To thaw him out. And I don’t know a lot of people that smart.”

“Dr. Valdez is that smart,” says Wayne.

“But besides him. I mean, he’s on our side, isn’t he?”

“Where’s he been this whole time? What’s he been doing? He hasn’t been to the morgue. He hasn’t checked in with you.”

“I just assumed he was looking after his wounded.”

“His wounded?” says Nakamura.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. Eartha, you were with Petrillo today. Did you find anything, anything at all?”

“I brought some of Edgar Dumont’s hair back to the lab, but I haven’t run my toxicology tests yet.”

“It’s my fault, Chief,” Nakamura explains. “I pulled her away. We had another priority.”

“Would that other priority have anything to do with this investigation?”

“In a way.”

“Would that priority have been in City Operations and required moving furniture and stacking monitors?”

Nakamura is dispirited. “Yes. Was that you? Did you come by?”

“No, the mayor did.”

“Why? He never checks in.”

“I don’t know. Antsy for information, maybe.”

“We could tell someone was there,” adds Wayne. “We thought it was Toby. Chief, I think Toby needs help. Lucy says he’s acting odd, more odd than usual.”

“Director Pelkey’s the least of our concern right now. Apparently, he’s under the weather, at home in bed under doctor’s orders. Which would explain why Brandt came out of his ivory tower and decided to look at the dirty movies himself. But which does not explain the mess you two made. I want that space cleaned up, put back in order, and restored to its prior glory.”

“Chief, we can explain,” says Wayne.

“No need. Lois has taught me that some secrets are best unshared.”

“Cody’s been training us in self-defense.”

“What?! What for? Under whose authority?”

Nakamura can no longer contain herself. “It was my idea. When this thing blows up again, and it will, we’re going to need all hands on deck, even girls’ hands.”

“You’re just going to run into the line of fire?”

“You would!”

“I’m a police officer! I take risks to protect other people.”

“I’d be a police officer, too, if you took women.”

“Now wait a minute, this is neither the time nor the place for this. Maybe after things calm down, we can have this conversation, but this a dangerous world. People are dying.”

“Men people and women people.”

“Wayne, you’re smart. Hell, you’re brilliant! If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have a chance in this fight. You gave us our best option, and he’s working hard to train, to train the other guys.”

“The other guys.”

“You too? What are you saying? I never knew until this moment that you two wanted to be police officers. I’m being completely blindsided here. You don’t think I respect you? Please! Who recommended you for your positions? I came by the high school on career day, looking for some fresh blood. The boys, typically, were having sword fights with their batons, being boys. They seemed more interested in the idea that they’d be wearing cool uniforms than that they’d be keeping their neighbors and loved ones safe from harm. You two were in the back of the room hovering around a computer, whispering to each other and giggling. Playing doctor and scientist.”

“We were hiding right in front of you,” says Wayne. “We came to listen, but we didn’t think we’d be welcome, so we hung out, waiting for the boys to get bored and leave, when we could talk to you alone.”

“And it worked,” adds Nakamura.

“I guess it did at that. That was a good plan.”

“And now, about keeping those neighbors and loved ones safe,” says Nakamura, “we want to help, recognizing that we are in fact not official police officers.”

“We need to figure out if Valdez is a part of this. Is there a way you can persuade him to come in? I don’t want to order him around. He’s too smart for that, anyhow.”

“You can promote me to Senior Medical Examiner. I do all of the work as it is. Tell him, with everything going on, you’ve decided to free him of his obligations, to go be a life-saving doctor full-time. And he should come empty his desk for the new guy. He’ll be so threatened that he’ll probably come by just to let me know how lost I’ll be without him.”

“That gets his attention, but how do we get him to reveal anything?”

“He’s going to want to know how I revived Sergeant Cody. He’s smart, but lazy and impatient. He doesn’t have the time to figure it out on his own. If he wants major mayhem enough to go to this extreme, he’s going to want all my notes.”

“Nakamura, we need to keep things normal. I know you’re going to want to protect Wayne, but having you hang out in the lab ‘just in case’ might be just abnormal enough to put the good doctor on high alert. Are you okay with going back to Ops?”

“Are you okay with my taking Sergeant Cody with me?”

“For more training, I suppose. Don’t you think he’s going to be worn out from what’s going on in the gym right now?”

“It’s what he does. It’s what he’s second-best at. Also, I want to ask him about the teammate who was taken. Maybe he can give us a psychological advantage. What’s this new guy like? What are his strengths and vulnerabilities and pet peeves? Do you have the name?”

“Lucas Boyer. Would he be willing to disable or kill him if the mayor commanded him to?”

“They’re probably friends. I would think he could just talk him down.”

“You’re assuming we’ll see it when it happens and that Cody can get there in time to de-escalate the situation before there’s significant loss of life.”

“I’ve got the whole town on camera. If it happens, I’m going to see it.”

“You’re one person. What if you’re looking at one screen, and it’s happening on another.”

“You’re welcome to join me, Chief. Or send me a few police officers to boss around. Maybe even Petrillo and Brandt. The more eyes, the merrier.”

“That’s not a bad idea. We could call it a video surveillance task force. Let Officer Petrillo run it.”

“Wait! You would put Petrillo in charge of my room, my equipment?”

“This is no time to let petty emotions get in the way of good police work.”

“Petty emotions?”

Suddenly, the door to the gymnasium flies open. It’s Petrillo. Even while limping, he has a clearly determined gait.

“Pretty early for class to be over,” says Wayne.

“You all right, son?” asks the chief. “Something happen?”

“I’m done! He’s got it out for me, I don’t know why. But he can find someone else to beat up, because I’ve had enough.”

“Rest up, officer. I’ll talk with him.”

“I bet you will.”

Nakamura has an idea. “Officer Petrillo, would you mind taking the high-wheeler back to the station, if you’re going that way?”

“Sure. Why not? What’s the worst that can possibly happen? Maybe I’ll crash and die. I bet that would make some people happy.” He storms off.

“Was there something you wanted to ask him, Chief?” asks Nakamura. “About new opportunities?”

“What? No. We’ll do it your way. I’ll reassign a couple of officers.”

“A couple?”

“Baby steps, Nakamura. Baby steps.”

“Also, Chief, we want to check out the water treatment facility. Sergeant Cody thinks it’s broken.”

Wayne is startled. “He does? We do?”

“You need to get out of the office more, Senior Medical Examiner Wayne,” teases Nakamura. “Just because you’re brilliant doesn’t mean you do your best work in a vacuum.”

“It’s late. I’ve got a lot to sleep on. I will send Cody to you in the morning. Otherwise, he’s going to stay up all night worrying, which means I’m going to stay up all night worrying, which I don’t want to do.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“I will announce the promotion immediately. Even if it doesn’t get the results we’re hoping for, you’re worth it.”

“Thank you, Chief.”

“As for Cody’s teammate, he is hopefully in a stable condition but no threat until Valdez reviews your step-by-step defrosting recipe.”

“That sounds right.”

“And I’ll talk to the mayor tomorrow about accompanying Nakamura to the water plant. It’s been on my mind anyway. The place is huge and confusing, even to the most brilliant among us. Nobody on this intergalactic tennis ball has had more tours of that chemical plant than the Right Honorable Mayor Willie Brandt. Now, go home, both of you. That’s an order.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Proceed to Chapter 14...

Copyright © 2018 by Charles C. Cole