The Law of Averages

Book 2: Chapter 12: Conspiracies

Dan's front yard was a crime scene. The majority of the SPEAR Team had left, leaving behind only their captain. Forensic investigators now swarmed the outside of the house, prying bits of flattened lead from Dan's door and windows. Tire tracks ran up and down his once tidy lawn. What few neighbors he possessed were openly staring and filming. Dan expected that pictures of his home were already on the internet.

"There'll be no hiding this," Cornelius Graham muttered in irritation. He paced Dan's living room in heavy combat boots, nearly wearing grooves into the carpet. Connor and Freya occupied a couch, sipping at steaming cups of coffee. Dan and Abby had taken the loveseat, with the latter furiously texting reassurances to her grandmother. Officers still milled about in the foyer and entrance, but the four victims had been largely sequestered and granted a measure of privacy.

"What happens now?" Dan asked.

Cornelius sighed. "We'll have to impose on your hospitality for a little longer, until we've finished picking over the scene. I expect you'll be asked to meet with Captain Gable at some point as well, though I'd like to be able to fill him in on what happened, first. Your house probably saved the lives of two officers. The department is once again in your debt, Mr. Newman. He'll want to personally thank you."

"It wasn't really anything I did," Dan protested. "The previous guy installed all that stuff, and I expect you folks wouldn't have gotten along well with him. Kind of ironic, really."

Cornelius smiled, grimly. "Quite right. Nevertheless, these are the circumstances given to us. There's no way to avoid the attention you've drawn here. Expect nosey reporters for the foreseeable future."

Dan had never been happier that Anastasia was backing his identity. Now, Abby just had to succeed in talking the old bat down from doing something dramatic before the APD had a chance to investigate things.

"I never thought I'd need bulletproof glass, but now that it's saved my life I'm worried about replacing it," Dan said helplessly. He shook his head. "Where does one even buy that sort of thing?"

Cornelius laughed. "I'll put you in touch with one of our suppliers. They'll get you set up, though hopefully you'll never need it again." That put a damper on the general tone. Cornelius grunted in displeasure.

"Alright, let's run it again," the elder Graham stated, pulling out a notepad and pen. The order was directed towards his nephew. "Tell me everything you noticed about the assailants."

Connor rubbed his temples, eyes closed. "They were driving a newer model Chevy Suburban. I couldn't make out the driver, but the back passenger was a Caucasian male, about 6'2'' assuming he wasn't propping himself up or slouching." Connor tapped his wrist. "I caught the edge of a tattoo..."

"It was a black, jagged vine, running all the way across his forearm," Freya said. "Not any symbol that I recognized. Most likely just a personal choice."

Cornelius noted that down. "What else?"

"Daniel gave you the plates already?"

Cornelius nodded.

"They were using submachine guns but later switched to semi-automatics," Connor said. "I'm sure you have the caliber by now."

"9mm. Blacktip" Cornelius acknowledged. Seeing Dan's puzzled look, he added, "Armor-piercing. Cop-killers."

"So they were the target?" Dan asked, motioning to Connor and Freya.

"We don't know yet."

"I'm not sure what the motive could possibly be," Connor protested. "We've been on the job for a couple months, but neither of us have done anything noteworthy yet. Certainly nothing that justifies this level of retaliation!"

"Mistaken identity?" Dan posited. "Maybe they thought you were someone else?"

"They were targeting an officer, regardless," Cornelius reminded him. He scratched at his chin. "What else did you do today, Connor? Walk me through it."

"Nothing exceptional," Connor said, glancing to Freya. "We patrolled in Vinewood. No incidents of note. Nothing until the attack this afternoon, and we showed up late for that."

"You were called in for that mess?" Cornelius asked in mild surprise. "Why?"

"I was on the investigative track, and Freya has a crisis response certificate," Connor replied. "Not that we did much of anything. But just about everyone was called in. I'm surprised I didn't see you there."

"The whole incident was over in less than a minute," Cornelius dismissed. "The first officer on scene cleared it of assailants. There was no need for SPEAR." His eyes flicked briefly to Dan. "Besides, Captain Gable had me working on something important."

"Something important?"

"Classified, boy," Cornelius chided. "Learn to take a hint. Now, how long did you stay on scene, and where'd you go between then and now?"

"We—uh." Connor swallowed. His discomfort practically oozed out the pores of his face. "We'd met one of the victims of the strip mall attack, just the day before. I had... I'd recommended he visit the flower shop where he died. I took it on myself to inform his widow, and Freya came with me. I spent approximately an hour and a half comforting the woman. She was understandably distraught."

"Oh." Cornelius scratched the back of his head. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. We'll probably want to interview the widow, though."

Connor shrugged morosely. "That's fine. Her name is Lois Webb. I've got the address written down in my cruiser."

Cornelius twitched for the briefest moment. Connor missed it, his eyes still lowered, but Daniel didn't, and neither did Freya.

"Webb?" Cornelius echoed, scribbling on his notepad. "And the husband's name?"

Freya placed her hand on Connor's thigh. "James." She stared down the elder Graham. "James Webb. Do you know him?"

Cornelius didn't so much as blink at the naked suspicion in her tone. "The name sounds familiar. He's a fed, if I recall. I met him while coordinating with the FBI for a sting a few months back. I'm more curious as to how you two met him."

Connor looked up in confusion. "We responded to a noise complaint at his house."

"You what?" Cornelius' voice was flat.

Freya spoke up in the brief silence that statement had caused. "We responded to a noise complaint. He was arguing with his wife. She thought he was being unfaithful, and was rather loud in her accusations." Her eyes narrowed on Cornelius. "Apparently, he'd been spending money she was under the impression that they didn't have. On himself, mostly. Nicer clothes, expensive watches, a new car. She took it to mean he was trying to impress someone else."

"That's the picture I saw on the Po-Po-Pinup!" Dan exclaimed, the event popping suddenly into his mind.

Connor put his face in his hands. "I can't believe you subscribe to that trash, Newman."

"The online tabloid?" Cornelius asked. "They had a picture of you at Webb's house?"

Connor shrugged, but Dan confirmed it. "You guys don't keep an eye on stuff like that?"

"Keeping up with the nonsense people write about us is a full time job that nobody has the time nor patience for," Cornelius replied. "What did the article say? Actually, don't bother telling me. Bring it up, please."

Dan had screenshot the article on his phone, for the explicit purposes of annoying Connor with it. He'd aborted that plan due to recent events, but the picture was still there. Cornelius read it over, the lines on his face deepening with concern. At last, he handed back the phone, flopped onto Dan's recliner, and sighed.

"What a clusterfuck," the SPEAR team lead announced, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Was there some sort of problem with Webb?" Freya asked, her eyes boring into the senior officer. "He wasn't flagged. We checked. And he had no criminal record. The fact that he was a federal agent wasn't in his file, but that's not a surprise. What's the problem, then?"

Cornelius glared back at her. "Put those eyes away, little miss. This is quickly getting above your paygrade." He turned towards the door, where there was a sudden commotion. "Ah. Perfect.

"As it stands, until the investigation is completed, all four of you are potential targets of an unknown hostile force. We protect and serve, and so you'll each be getting a police escort." He pointed to Connor and Freya. "I'm on babysitting duty for the two of you. Daniel, Miss Summers, another officer volunteered to act as a bodyguard, until this can be resolved."

Dan's eyes widened, as he comprehended the terrible fate that had just been bestowed upon him.

"MY FRIENDS!" Gregoir Pierre-Louise burst into the room! His eyes wildly roamed the gathered people, before falling on the foursome by the couch.

The world still still for a moment, balanced on the precipice of disaster.

Gregoir lunged, arms spread open for an embrace, and Dan screamed.