James Locker- The Duality of Fate Page 3

  Barry Itch:

  - Great, please sign this contract then. Your first assignment as a detective will be to hold a speech on the team meeting I am setting up this afternoon. Godspeed Detective.

  James Locker:

  - Thank you, sir, see you this afternoon.

  1.7 James, Adam & Thomas having lunch at the expensive pizza place

  LATER THAT DAY JAMES had lunch with Adam Smith & Thomas Anderson at the costly pizza place close to the police station.

  Adam Smith:

  - So, James, we get an E-mail from the BITCH about a team meeting this afternoon, and you seem so happy, so you offer both of us pizza at this expensive pizza place, where the pizzas are $25 each. Can these two be related? Are you guys getting married?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, Adam you, if someone would know that gay marriage, is not allowed in Australia yet.

  Adam Smith:

  - Don’t worry Thomas; I am not going to marry you anyways. And I am sure there is some country where gay marriage is legal if you ever find the man in your life.

  James Locker:

  - Guys, I hope you realise that it’s this kind of talk that gets your “values” rating at rock bottom every performance review? You would make a lot of money from just cutting it out.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - I am sure we'll be alright as long as Adam stops tampering with intercom... But tell me James, what's the occasion?

  James Locker:

  - Oh, it's great news, you'll find out at the team meeting in a couple of hours.

  Adam Smith

  - Okay, sounds good

  James Locker:

  - Hey, guys, you are my best friends, are you not a bit curious?

  Adam Smith:

  - "Hey James this talk makes me so curious, I am dying to know before everyone else."

  James Locker:

  - Less sarcasm, please! Oh anyway, the great news is that Michaels' liver finally shut down after all the whiskey in his bathtub, so he had to resign immediately due to liver problems. I will be the one sitting in his office and cashing in his fat paycheck for the next three months. Agent Smith, you might start calling me detective Locker!

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Cheers to that detective!

  James Locker:

  - Wait a sec, Mr Anderson, you are not drinking coke? Why are you saying cheers with non-alcoholic beverages? That's bad luck I reckon!

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well I guess about 80 per cent of my drink is coke so let's say I am. I don't know about you, but my alcohol withdrawal has been horrible, so I have decided to cut it down step by step instead of going for a full stop straight away. And I am still 30 years younger than Michael, so my liver should make it for a while longer.

  James Locker:

  - Yeah, mine withdrawal has been rough as well, but I prefer riding it out. Oh well, let's head back to the station.

  1.8 James Lockers inauguration speech

  AT 4 PM THE TEAM WAS gathering in the meeting room of CSMI. The room was dull and boring. If one were focusing on an unusual angle, that person could see a glimpse of the sun and the harbour. From every other corner, however, the only thing visible was the grey concrete fundament of the highway. The entire team had gathered including Barry Itch who was the director of CSMI. The group in full consisted of James Locker provisional Head Detective for CSMI team 1, John Dean police inspector, Adam Smith, Police assistant, Thomas Anderson, Police Assistant, and Samantha Robinson Police Assistant. It also consisted of the following four other police representatives named Johnson, Baker, Chung, and Lee. All in all, there were nine team members in the room which was logical since a team supposedly consisted of ten members and Michael Fuller had resigned.

  Barry Itch opened the meeting.

  - Dear Fellow officers. The reason you are here today is the sudden and sad resignation of Michael Fuller who had to resign effective immediately yesterday due to health issues. Michael was one of the greatest detectives of all times in The CSMI, and he will be impossible to replace entirely. It's my long-term ambition to hire a prominent detective from another Metropolitan area as I believe that this team needs fresh blood from the outside after being led by Michael for the last fifteen years. For the next three months, however, you will be led by James Locker who is appointed provisional detective effective immediately. James, it is your turn to speak.

  James Locker went to the podium and looked out over the team he was supposed to lead. From what he could see most of them were favourable towards him although many of them seemed shocked by the fact that they had lost the man who had been their patriarch for all these years. From John Dean, however, he received another signal, the signal of a cold, hateful gaze. James Locker cleared his throat and started his short speech.

  James Locker:

  - Dear Team members. Due to health issues, Michael Fuller has resigned from his position. Losing Michael leaves us in a troubled position as we sadly had no time to make a handover of his duties. Furthermore, we have lost access to one of the sharpest minds in crime investigation that this department has ever seen. However, I implore you to see this as a time of opportunities instead of seeing a time of troubles ahead. You know, I have identified a severe flaw in Michael's leadership that it is my ambition to remedy.

  - Michael had a lot of faith in his ability which is usually a good thing. From my point of view, however, he sometimes took it too far and refused to seek the counsel of his colleagues. By doing this, Michael has inhibited some of you from reaching your full potential. I intend to be a lot more open while seeking counsel from you all and hopefully this will empower you and stimulate you to grow as humans and as police officers.

  - So to summarise this change has taken our strongest link away from the team, but hopefully, a new more open approach to teamwork will make us stronger and even better than before.

  The team members were applauding, and they addressed a series of minor issues before Barry Itch declared the meeting finished and everyone could go home.

  1.9 Thomas Anderson and Adam Smith discusses the events at the gym

  SINCE NEITHER THOMAS Anderson nor Adam Smith liked the prospects of becoming alcoholics, they turned down their usual Tuesday night pastime which was an offer at the local Bowling place where they received one free game of bowling for every drink they bought. Since they were both competitive and they both liked alcohol and bowling this usually turned out to be heavy drinking. This night however since they were already sweating from their alcohol withdrawal they reckoned it would be an excellent idea to double the sweating through a hellish hour of boxing at the gym. Afterwards, they chilled out in the Sauna drinking various recovery drinks, and they started discussing the prior two days events.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Such a strange day, I wonder what happened with Michael, no-one finishes like that bang boom because of health reasons.

  Adam Smith

  - I hear you mate. I reckon that the BITCH is covering something up. Question is what and should we be bothered? I say we should not.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Don’t you get curious then?

  Adam Smith:

  - Well, of course, I get curious, but then again we have done enough of corrupt things during our years in the team. We should not put our noses in other people's business. And anyway, are you going to miss Michael, as for myself I am not going to miss him!

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well he was condescending at times, and I was not close to a raise or promotion for the entire time I was working under him, so I guess you are right.

  Adam Smith:

  - Of course, I am right, and now we have James in control of the team, this could be perfect for us. A lot better than if John Dean had got the promotion for sure.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - True that there is, however, a few things that freak me out when it comes to James.

  Adam Smith:

  - Oh really? I
think he is awesome most of the time. Except when he is whining about some shit. He is paying a psychologist to listen to that whining, isn't he? Why does he have to "share" it with me?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, I sincerely did not mean that at all, but one thing freaked me out yesterday...

  Adam Smith:

  - What is that?

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well you know when he denied your story about all the chicks he banged during our time in Thailand and instead told Michael the story about how he dated the same girl for most of the time

  Adam Smith:

  - Yeah, that was lame, but who cares if he can't stand up for being a man-whore, sleeping around, after all, he is he a career oriented and telling your superior inappropriate details regarding one's sex life has not paid off for any of us.

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well, it might be unverified cold reading techniques, which I learned as part of my game to get laid with chicks, but what I read from James at that moment was that he was retelling from memory and not lying.

  Adam Smith:

  - I am not following you...

  Thomas Anderson:

  - Well if my read is right, James believes that he dated the same girl for a month in Thailand.

  1.10 Michael Fuller seeks an ally on the Inside

  MICHAEL FULLER WAS sitting on his couch listening to classical music on high volume. The music was composed by a famous French composer and to honour this fact Michael Fuller was drinking brandy instead of Scotch. And besides a Scotch on the rocks was his particular way of focusing his mind while lying in the bathtub and trying to puzzle together the pieces of a criminal case. Tonight, however, the circumstances were different as the case was regarding him. He emptied the glass, sighed and summarised the facts to himself.

  The facts on hand made no sense to him at this stage. Someone tipped Barry Itch off regarding drugs placed in his house at some stage. The same person had probably planted the drugs there as well. But how had they gotten Michael Fuller's fingerprints on the bag? And if the Cocaine indeed was from the Lopez case, why had the one setting him up waited until now? And what would be the motive? Michael Fuller wrote down a list of people who would potentially want to set him up. Since Michael Fuller had put a lot of lowlifes behind bars the last decades the list, of course, became pretty extensive, for this story, however, the following names stood out on the list

  Barry Itch:

  Speaking for it was that Barry Itch had the means to do it. His suspicious looking thugs from that security firm could easily have placed the cocaine in his house and then claim to have found it there to get leverage against him

  Speaking against it was that Barry Itch had absolutely nothing to gain from setting him up. Also, the fact that he had him threw out the cocaine in the toilet. Why would anyone corrupt with ties to the organised crime syndicates throw away 3.5 kilos of cocaine just to have someone resign? There were cheaper and easier ways to achieve this.

  John Dean

  Speaking for it; had the means and the motive to do it. He had been at the Lopez crime scene before Michael Fuller, and he also had been to Michael Fuller's house a lot of times. The last time he came by was only a few weeks ago. He also had a motive as he was the likely successor to crime detective position of the team

  Speaking against it; John Dean had been his friend for ages, and he had never shown any sign of corruption. Besides only a total psychopath would frame his friend for a crime that could give several years in prison just to get a promotion.

  James Locker:

  Speaking for it; he and Michael had had their disagreements in the past. James Locker was very ambitious, and Michael Fuller felt that he could be ruthless at times.

  Speaking against it; James Locker was not involved in the Mauricio Lopez case. Furthermore, James Locker was not the natural successor to Michael Fuller in the team so there would be no distinct advantage for James Locker in getting rid of him

  Antonio DiMaestro: Owned the warehouse where Mauricio Lopez was killed. Since it was uncommon that people working for legitimate businesses got shot at work by a hitman in the middle of the night, Michael Fuller suspected that Antonio DiMaestro's business was a front for cocaine smuggling. The nationality of the murder victim and the killer, where both were Colombian, strengthened this theory. It did not get better by the fact that the high command transferred the case to organised crime straight after the hitman Angelo Ramirez, was shot dead after resisting arrest at Kingsford Smith airport in Sydney. Michael Fuller had been deeply unsatisfied with this investigation and had made enquiries about the case even after having it transferred, but as time had passed, he got assigned the Father Walker case and had just not had the time needed to pursue it further. He kept thinking about the Antonio DiMaestro connection. Antonio DiMaestro for sure had both the means and the motive to get rid of him; after all, it was cheaper and easier for a mobster to sacrifice some cocaine to set a crime detective up, than hiring a hitman to kill him and this way create a lot of unwanted attention.

  Michael Fuller decided that to investigate the DiMaestro connection; he needed an ally in the police force. Sadly the only partners that were worthwhile might also be the ones who set him up. Michael Fuller decided to take his chances and called John Dean.

  Michael Fuller:

  - Hi, John. It's Michael we need to talk.

  John Dean

  - Hi, Michael. Are you drunk? You should seriously not be drinking now with your liver condition and all.

  Michael Fuller:

  - Without saying too much I can assure you that my liver health, is the least of my concerns, I am calling to see if you can refresh my memory on Antonio DiMaestro and if possible send me some information about him.

  John Dean

  - Well mate, I am not sure honestly, I am not allowed to hand out information on ongoing cases to former team members. Besides, I don't have much since the case was transferred to Organized Crime.

  Michael Fuller:

  - I know that, but please meet up with tonight so that I can tell you my case. There is something rotten in this mess, and I want to investigate it thoroughly.

  John Dean:

  - Well, I am not sure I am following you, but I can hear you out for sure. Sadly I am busy tonight what about tomorrow night?

  Michael Fuller:

  - Great see you at the sports bar in your neighbourhood tomorrow night. Oh, another thing can you at least give me the address to DiMaestro Mansion? I can't remember it right now.

  John Dean

  - Well, I strongly advise you against confronting him yourself, but I can't prevent you. The address is The DiMaestro Mansion, The Esplanade, Mosman, 2088, NSW.

  Michael Fuller:

  - Thank you, John, see you tomorrow!

  Drunk and against better judgment Michael Fuller opened a can of energy drink to refresh. Then he took his car keys and went to his vehicle. “Now let’s see what this bastard has to say for himself” he muttered before entering his car for the 45 minutes’ drive to Mosman. He checked his watch, it was the Tuesday the 20th of August 2013 and the time was 09.15 PM.

  Chapter 2: The Miranda DiMaestro murder

  2.1 An Unpleasant phone call

  Miranda DiMaestro finished the phone call and tried shaking of the discomfort it had caused her. It was indeed an unpleasant event. At 10 PM a drunk and rude person called on the intercom and claimed to be a police detective requesting to talk with Antonio DiMaestro. She had told him that Antonio DiMaestro had been away for five weeks conducting business with his import-export company. The person had spit out some curses over the intercom, and she had seen no option but to tell him to buzz off or she would call the security company. She decided to call them anyway just as a precaution. They arrived ten minutes later just to make sure that the drunken man who had offended her had not somehow entered the residence or was lingering in the neighbourhood.

  Once they had left, she felt relieved and happy k
nowing that she would finally see Antonio DiMaestro tonight. She had offered to meet him at the airport, but he had declined the offer stating he had to take care of business first and it would be a lot greater pleasure for him to come home to see and enjoy her to the full extent of her beauty.

  She watched herself in the mirror. She smiled as she indeed was beautiful. To her great grief, her beauty had not given her the happiness she wanted from life yet. Working as a barmaid in Bogota she had not lived a very glamorous life, and what's worse she never felt safe in her home city. She had been living a dream when Antonio DiMaestro first started courting her, and she had been over the moon when he married her on her 20th birthday, two years ago. She had also felt thrilled the first time in Sydney living in his mansion, but it was around here somewhere her unhappiness had returned. When they first met, she had believed him when he said he was a legitimate businessman doing exports/imports with Australia. After all, the market for canned kangaroo meat was blooming in Colombia, and he had explained the fact that he was hiring Colombians on working visas within the construction sector in Sydney with the fact that a lot of people preferred doing business with people from their own culture. Since there was a large group of South Americans in Sydney, it did make sense to have a construction company by South Americans for South Americans. But after a while, the facade, of course, fell apart. She was no dimwit, and she realised that a legitimate businessman did not store hundreds of thousands of dollars cash at his home. Furthermore, all the secrecy seemed utterly unnecessary for the kind of business he was supposedly doing.