Cold Case 8-1: The Wall (Not My Creation)

[valrush]

“Yeah, okay.” Lilly said, before hanging up the phone and turning to Scotty, who was walking over.

“Roberto’s alibi checks out.” Scotty said. “He was arrested at a protest in Seattle the day of Jeff’s murder”

“I just talked to Vera,” she said. “Still haven’t been able to get a hold of Jeff’s boss there.”

“CIA’s giving them the runaround?” Scotty asked.

“Starting to look that way, and if Jeff was on some sort of secret assignment, that might be why.”

“Well, maybe we’ll have better luck with Jeff’s old partner.” Scotty handed her a file. “Ethan Moore retired in ‘04, moved back to Philly, worked on and off ever since, divorced last year, last known address was a room at the Starlight Motel.”

Lilly smiled. “So you wanna take a ride?”

“So, uhh, how long you planning on stickin’ around?” Scotty asked.

“Let’s just go talk to the guy.” Lilly answered, giving him a cool smile.

Scotty just shrugged and followed her out.

[valrush]

Scotty wrinkled his nose at the beer bottles strewn around the motel room.

“Not exactly livin’ like James Bond, are you, Ethan?”

Looking up from his chair, Ethan frowned. “I just had a little falling out with the old lady. It’s a temporary thing.”

“You were Jeff’s partner before he retired.” Lilly said.

“Five years,” Ethan said with a nod. “But we went back way further than that. Got recruited into the Company at the same time.”

“Probably have some interesting stories workin’ with Jeff before he retired.” Scotty said.

“Maybe.” Ethan said uneasily.

“How about after he retired?” Lilly asked, eyeing him. “Is there a reason Jeff moved into that neighborhood?”

“Is there a reason you came all the way to Philly to drive by his house and talk in the middle of the night?” Scotty added.

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly at this, before he lowered them again. “I wasn’t supposed to be there. I was checking up because he was my partner. The less you know about what your partner’s thinking and doing, the more nervous you get.”

Lilly and Scotty looked at each other as he continued.

“Our boss had one last assignment for Jeff, something off the record. They went so far to put on a big retirement party for him, so everyone we worked with would think he was done.”

“Pretty long ways to go to cover up an assignment.” Scotty said.

“Yeah, it was.” Ethan said. “Even I wasn’t supposed to know about it, but he filled me in a bit. There was some guy in the neighborhood he was supposed to watch, something about him being a possible threat. It all turned out to be for nothing. The guy died in an accident a few months later. I never got any details beyond that.”

“So who was the guy Jeff was supposed to watch?” Lilly asked.

Ethan shook his head. “Never got a name, and don’t think I didn’t try and find out. I told Jeff keeping me out of the loop like that was a bad idea. I think he took his eye off the ball.”

“What, was he settlin’ into suburban life too much?” Scotty asked.

“No, but he did make one colossally dumb move…”

[valrush]

REM
"Monty Got a Raw Deal"


Sitting on the park bench, Ethan smirked at the various people relaxing or walking through the park, as if he was in on some joke than none of them were.

He looked up as he saw Jeff approaching, and his smirk widened slightly.

“I thought you said you were hanging out with the kid today.” Ethan said.

“I had to put that on hold” Jeff said, sitting down, without a smile.

“Oh, I bet he’s thrilled about that, huh?” Ethan chuckled. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, right”

“You got a guy for me or not?”

Ethan pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket with a phone number on it and handed it to Jeff. “I told him to expect a call from you. What exactly do you want him for anyway? You can’t find any good dentists here in Philly yourself?”

“You let me worry about that.” Jeff said, getting up from the bench. “I’ll call you if I need anything else.”

Ethan sat there for a few minutes, than got up and headed after Jeff.

“Hey, hey.” Ethan said, catching up with Jeff at the parking lot. “Look, man, I know I’ve been riding you a bit lately. I just…” He trailed off as he noticed the large, weathered-looking man leaning on Jeff’s car. Ethan’s face immediately went slack. “What the hell is he doing here?”

The large man gave Ethan a smug look. “Good to see you too, Ethan.”

Ethan looked at Jeff incredulously. “You actually brought this son of a b*tch in?”

Jeff’s face remained impassive. “Look, I needed someone who wasn’t with the Company anymore, somebody who can do things quietly.”

Ethan glared. “Oh, is that what Prague was, ‘quiet’? You know, I’m the one who had to tell Martin’s wife.”

“I’m not interested in drudging up history.” Jeff said. “Look, we all started at the same time.”

“Yeah, well we sure didn’t finish at the same time.” Ethan said. “I’m not working with him.”

The large man folded his arms. “Gee, that’s a damn shame.” He said, condescendingly.

Ethan looked at the man, then back at Jeff. “And neither are you.”

“Don’t you tell me what to do.” Jeff said, his eyes narrowed.

“I’m not gonna be the one to give your wife the news. You either cut him loose, or I tell Garrison. It’s your call.” Ethan gave Jeff one last look, before turning around and walking away…

[valrush]

“Jeff told me later on he got rid of him, but I don’t know whether he was telling the truth.” Ethan shook his head. “To this day, I don’t know what the hell he was thinking.”

“So who was the guy?” Lilly asked.

“Steve Mitchum, got recruited into the agency the same time as me and Jeff. He was Jeff’s first partner. In ‘87, he was meeting some informants in Prague with another agent. Steve botched the whole damn thing, somebody got spooked, and three people ended up dying, including that other agent. They sacked him after that. If you ask me, he’s lucky that’s all they did.”

Scotty frowned. “And you didn’t think this was worth mentioning when Jeff got killed?”

Ethan looked up at Scotty. “This whole operation was supposed to be a secret from everyone. That includes cops.”

“So you think he might’ve botched this job too?” Lilly asked.

Ethan sighed. “All I know is agents who trust Steve Mitchum with their lives tend to wind up dead.”

[valrush]

4

Making their way through the woods, Lilly and Jeffries followed the cutting sound around the back of the cabin, where they saw the large, weathered-looking man, now at least in his late fifties, swinging an axe down on the piece of wood, splitting it neatly in two.

“Steve Mitchum?”

He turned as the noticed them and gave a smirk.

“Didn’t know I was in Philly PD’s jurisdiction.” Steve said in a low graveling voice, resting the axe on his shoulder.

“How ‘bout you put the axe down, Steve?” Lilly asked.

Steve shrugged and tossed the axe aside. “Better?”

“Detectives Rush and Jeffries, Homicide.” Jeffries said with a frown, showing his shield.

Steve’s smirk faded slightly.

“You remember your old partner, Jeff Royce?” Lilly asked.

“What kinda question is that?” Steve asked.

“Must’ve been rough, getting kicked out of the CIA after that screw-up in Prague.” Lilly continued. “Suddenly Jeff shows up, bringing all that up again…”

“You don’t know a damn thing about what happened.” Steve said, with a hint of quiet menace. “I followed protocol on my end. Unfortunately, dead agents make better heroes, and live ones make better scapegoats. That was the day I learned exactly what I was worth to the Company. I told Bob Garrison he could kiss my ass, and you can tell him the offer still stands.”

“Lot of resentment there.” Jeffries said. “Maybe Jeff got caught in the middle.”

“I never had a beef with Jeff.” Steve said, softening his tone. “He was the only guy there to treat me like a human being after that. Saved my ass a dozen times. I owed him. He came to me, said he had one last job, off the books, and said he needed someone without formal ties to the agency anymore.”

“He was supposed to be watching someone in his neighborhood.” Lilly said.

Steve nodded. “Yeah, some Middle-Eastern guy, immigrated here in the early nineties, Omar… something. Apparently, there was some intel linking this guy to some possible terrorist activity. Somebody probably figured he was some sort of sleeper agent.”

“What did you think?” Jeffries asked.

Steve shook his head. “I don’t know. The guy wound up face down in the river before I could find out for sure. Some sort of boating accident, least that’s what they said.”

“You don’t believe it?” Lilly asked.

“We’d just spent the last forty years fighting one kind of badguys. Now, we were just starting to deal with a whole new kind we didn’t understand that well yet. I think Jeff didn’t know what to make of the guy after a while. I think it started wearing on him. That wasn’t his only problem either…”

[valrush]

News Clip: WPIX News 4 New York, NBC, March, 1993:

Jeff gently tapped on the wall of the garage as he and Steve entered, and walked around the boat, to see Omar staring intently at a small TV on the counter.

Jeff held up the small gas can he was holding, when Omar turned to him. “Just returning this.” He said, placing the can on the floor of the garage. “Looks like me and the family aren’t gonna be able to go camping like we thought. Thanks anyway.” Jeff gestured to Steve. “You remember my friend Steve from the Fourth of July party.”

Omar nodded, then turned back to the TV.

Jeff and Steve both looked over to see what Omar was watching. Steve recognized the news anchor on the air as Mort Ackerman, that one he’d never liked. The show then cut to shots of the burned out building interiors they’d both seen on the news months ago.

“World Trade Center.” Steve said, shaking his head. “They probably have some new lead.”

Jeff sighed. “I can’t imagine what kind of person does that.”

“I can.” Omar said, dispassionately.

Jeff and Steve both looked at him.

“I lived among men who did things like this. It’s not just one region or religion that produces men like them. Men capable of anything can come from anywhere.” Omar said calmly. “Even America.”

Jeff and Steve both looked at each other uneasily.

Omar looked back at Jeff. “I called your work to reschedule our lunch but they said you were out.”

“Sorry, I had to meet a potential client.” Jeff said simply.

“Actually, you seem to be out whenever anyone calls, any time of day.” Omar continued.

“I meet with a lot of clients.” Jeff said coolly. “Anyways, we don’t want to take up any more of your time. I’ll call you and work out a time tomorrow.”

Omar nodded and turned back to the TV.

REM
“Texarkana”

“All right, you got to meet him again.” Jeff said, as he and Steve walked from the garage to the street. “What do you make of him?”

“I’m still not getting a read on that guy.” Steve said with a sigh. “I mean, he’s hiding something. That’s obvious. Question is what? Gimme a little more time with the guy, maybe I can tell you.”

“We may not have it.” Jeff said.

“What do you mean?”

“This guy’s starting to get suspicious of me, plus Garrison’s running out of patience. He wants me to find out this guy’s deal soon. If he’s legit, fine. If I get even a hint that he’s not, well…”

Steve looked at Jeff. “What are you saying?”

Jeff gave a grim look. “I think you know what I’m saying.”

Steve leaned in closer. “Now, wait a minute. Some lowlife in East Germany that nobody’s gonna miss is one thing, but this is an American citizen on American soil. People are gonna miss this guy.”

“I know.” Jeff said, closing his eyes briefly.

“You sure about this?” Steve asked.

Jeff shook his head. “I’m not sure of anything these days.” Jeff turned to see some rustling in the bushes nearby. “What the hell?” He muttered quietly, walking over. His eyes widened suddenly as he pulled the thirteen year-old boy out from his hiding spot.

“Jimmy, what the hell are you doing?” Jeff yelled at his struggling son, gripping him by the arm. “Have you been following me?”

“You’re never around!” Jimmy said with a pouting look. “You’re always hanging out with someone else!” He gestured to an awkward-looking Steve. “I just wanted to find out why you’d rather be with them.”

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow.” Jeff said, releasing his grip on Jimmy. “I want you to go home for now.”

Jimmy’s eyes narrowed at his father. “You probably won’t even be here tomorrow.” He muttered.

“Jimmy!” Jeff barked. “Go home!”

Jimmy gave one last sullen look, then ran off in the direction of their house.

Steve looked at Jeff, who just shook his head and sighed…

[valrush]

“Gotta love the family drama that comes with teenagers.” Steve chuckled.

“So Jimmy was spying on his father?” Jeffries asked.

Steve shrugged. “Guess it ran in the family.”

Lilly nodded. “So maybe Jimmy saw some of what his father was up to.”

[valrush]

“Thanks for comin’ in, Jimmy.” Stillman said in his office with a nod.

Jimmy nodded as he sat down. “Yeah, sure. Anything I can do to help.”

Scotty shrugged. “You know we’re just tryin’ to solve your dad’s murder. We know you were just a kid back then. Maybe you don’t remember everything that happened back then.”

“I… I don’t understand.” Jimmy said, looking confused.

“We know you were following your dad around.” Stillman said. “Now maybe you saw something you didn’t understand at the time.”

Jimmy’s face sank slightly. “You heard about that, huh? Boy, was he mad after he caught me doing that. I was just as mad at him though.”

“For not bein’ around?” Scotty asked.

Jimmy smiled wistfully. “When I was growing up, the best moments of my life I remember were looking out the window and seeing my dad walking up the driveway whenever he got home. I mean I understand why he had to be away so much, but it was still hard not having him around.”

Scotty looked at Stillman, who had a solemn, knowing look on his face for just a moment.

“Anyway, after he retired, I was so excited cause I thought I was gonna get to see that sight everyday.” Jimmy’s smile faded into a slight frown. “Didn’t really work out that way though. That’s why I started sneaking around, spying on him. I figured I’d at least get to see him, even if he didn’t know about it. ” Jimmy chuckled at the memory. “I was actually kinda glad when he caught me doing that.. At least he was paying attention to me. He made me promise never to do it again.”

“You keep that promise?” Scotty asked, smiling slightly.

Jimmy chucked again. “No way! I just made sure I wouldn’t get caught again…”

[valrush]

REM
“Fall On Me”


Jimmy smiled as he pulled the small receiver from the storage box in the basement. Sure enough, it was the very same one his father had shown him before.

Jimmy picked up the end and carefully plugged it into the nearby phone router He remember exactly what his dad had shown him, one of the few times he did show Jimmy something from his job, then held the receiver up to his ear.

“You know for someone trying to keep things quiet, I’m not sure calling me at my house is really the best way to go about it.” Jeff said, sitting in his study.

“This couldn’t wait.” Garrison said on the other end. “You found out anything more about him?”

Jeff sighed. “Not since the last time you asked about it. Is that really all you called about?”

“Actually, no, it’s not. I know you brought Mitchum in on this without telling anyone.” Jeff didn’t respond. “You really think I wouldn’t find out?”

“I know what I’m doing, all right?”

“I’m not so sure about that anymore.” Garrison said. “You got a hell of a lot of balls in the air. The Company, family, friends, neighbors. You were never that great a multi-tasker. Sooner or later, some things are gonna get dropped. You’d just better make damn sure I’m not one of them. Don’t forget your priorities, Jeff.”

“Right.” Jeff said, dryly.

“We’ll talk about this more after I get there on Tuesday.”

“Get there?” Jeff looked at the phone in confusion for a moment. “You’re coming here?”

“Just making sure you’re staying on course.”

“I don’t need anyone to babysit me!”

“I don’t think you’re in a position right now to be telling me what you need. This is too important for your stubborn pride to get in the way.”

“Maybe I got a problem with that.” Jeff said, coldly.

“Maybe I don’t care.” Garrison answered menacingly.

Jimmy swallowed hard and pulled the cord from the phone router.

[valrush]

“Never heard anyone talk to my dad like that.” Jimmy said, shaking his head.

“You remember when this phone call was?” Scotty asked.

“About a week before he died.” Jimmy said.

Stillman looked away in thought for a moment, then quickly looked back at Jimmy, and extended his hand. “Thanks, Jimmy. Call us if you think of anything else.”

Jimmy smiled, shook Stillman’s hand and walked out.

“So Jeff’s boss showed up in Philly a few days before Jeff gets killed.” Stillman said.

“Hell of a coincidence.” Scotty said.

“If Garrison decided Jeff had become a liability, it’s also a hell of an opportunity.”

 

[valrush]

5

Standing in Bob Garrison’s office, Kat folded her arms as she and Vera looked at Garrison, sitting at his desk.

“You’re not an easy man to get a hold of, Director Garrison.” She said. “I was starting to wonder if we were getting the brush-off.”

Garrison shrugged and held up his hands. “I’m a busy man. I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I didn’t care. I do.”

“But you never bothered to tell the cops when Jeff got killed that his little retirement into suburbia was all an act.”

Garrison nodded solemnly. “Because his operation wasn’t entirely authorized.”

Vera’s eyes narrowed. “Not authorized?”

Garrison sighed. “At the start of the year, we received some intel on a man who’d immigrated here from Afghanistan a couple of years before, named Omar Khalid, linking him to some possible terrorist groups. The man was an engineer with experience in demolition. I thought at the very least we should check him out. My superiors didn’t agree, neither did the FBI. This was before the first World Trade Center attack or the shooting here, and we weren’t as diligent as we could’ve been.” Garrison frowned. “The reason I’ve gotten as far as I have up the ladder is I trust my gut, and my gut said there was more to this guy than we thought.”

“So you sent Jeff out to Philly to spy on the guy.” Vera said.

“Yeah.” Garrison said.

“And Khalid’s little accident, was that part of the ‘operation’ too?” Kat asked.

“Absolutely not.” Garrison said. “If there was any holes in his story, I wanted him brought in alive.”

“Was Jeff clear on that?” Vera asked.

“I assumed he was, at first.” Garrison said. “I think it started to wear on him after a while, lying to his family like that. I wasn’t sure he was up to it anymore.”

“So that’s why you went to Philly?” Kat asked.

Garrison nodded.

“Two days before Jeff was killed?” She continued.

“I was in my hotel room the night Jeff was killed.” Garrison said calmly. “Check the phone records. Only reason I went there was I was concerned.”

“For Jeff or the operation?” Vera asked, skeptically.

“Both.” Garrison said, before shaking his head. “It didn’t matter though. By the time I got there, it was already over…”

[valrush]

REM
“Try Not to Breathe”


Garrison looked around the meeting point in the park until he spotted Jeff on a nearby bench.

“Khalid’s dead.” Jeff said calmly.

“Yeah, I heard.” Garrison said, confused. “Some kind of boating accident?”

“That’s what the reports say.” Jeff answered curtly.

Garrison frowned and sat down.

“So you still gonna get on me about using Steve?” Jeff asked.

“I don’t think I was wrong to do that.” Garrison answered. “That money ended up in somebody’s hands. I just don’t trust him.”

“Funny, I don’t remember you ever refusing help from someone you didn’t trust.”

“Informants are one thing. You gotta take your info were you can get it, but if someone’s supposed to be watching my back, I want to make damn sure I know who I’m dealing with.”

Jeff looked straight ahead. “You know something, Bob, I’m sick of wondering whether I can trust people or not.” He stood up. “I’m gonna go home, see if I still have a family to go home to.”

“We still gotta look through Khalid’s things, see if there’s anything there.”

“You can find someone else to do that.” Jeff started walking. “I’m done.”

“Jeff!” Garrison stood up and called out to him.

Jeff turned with a bitter look. “Hey, didn’t you hear? I’m retired.”

Garrison watched as Jeff walked off…

[valrush]

Garrison shrugged. “I wasn’t exactly in a position to make him come back.”

“You think he killed Khalid?” Vera asked.

“I don’t know. I think he just wanted the whole thing over with.” He looked at the detectives uneasily. “One way or another.”

“You said something about money ending up in somebody’s hands.” Kat asked. “What was that about?”

“Back in the eighties, one of our field teams raided a terrorist base in Egypt on the border of Libya. Weapons, drugs, money.” Garrison swallowed. “There were some… discrepancies when the money was counted. We couldn’t prove anything…”

“But you think someone took a little off the top.” Vera said.

“Steve Mitchum was the one in charge of that raid.” Garrison said. “That’s why I didn’t trust him. That’s why I still don’t trust him.”

Kat and Vera looked at each other.

“There’s something else. Ray Martin, the agent who got killed in Prague, I found out after he died that he’d been trying to looking into what happened to that missing money.”

“And you think Steve killed this guy to cover it up?” Vera asked.

Garrison shrugged. “It was all just speculation, though. I couldn’t prove any of it. Couldn’t do anything beyond getting him fired.”

“But if Jeff suspected something…” Kat said.

“Maybe Steve decided to cover his tracks.” Vera said.

[valrush]

Steve gave Lilly and Scotty a bored look as he sat at the interview table.

“Been lookin’ through your history, Steve.” Scotty said, holding a file. “Parts of it that aren’t blacked out anyway.”

“You traveled the world, places most people wouldn’t dare try to go.” Lilly said. “Probably not as glamorous as the movies make it.”

“It ain’t martinis and tuxedos.” Steve said. “What’s your point?”

“Everything you seen and done, puttin’ yourself on the line.” Scotty shrugged. “All for a crappy government salary?”

“I can see how someone might think they deserve a little something extra, everything they did for their country.” Lilly continued. “Maybe an opportunity presents itself.”

“Like that one in Egypt back in the eighties?”

Steve’s eyes narrowed with a hint of recognition.

“You’re taking money away from the badguys.” Scotty said. “What does it matter whose pocket it winds up in?”

“Just too bad some boy scout like Ray Martin doesn’t see it that way.” Lilly said.

“So you take him along on a field mission to Prague. Somethin’ goes wrong, and he ends up comin’ home in a bag.” Scotty said.

“A few years later the same thing happens to your old partner. Funny how that seems to happen to guys you work with.”

Steve leaned forward and glared at the detectives. “You two are so off-base, it’s pathetic.”

“Is that right?” Scotty asked.

Steve folded his arms. “Ray Martin died in Prague cause he was an friggin’ cowboy who couldn’t follow orders. I didn’t want anything to do with him. It was some higher-up’s bright idea to put him in the field, not mine. And as for the other thing, I didn’t lift a cent in that raid. For the record, I wasn’t the only agent there.”

“Who we talkin’ about, here?” Scotty asked.

“Honestly, I hoped I was wrong about him.” Steve shook his head. “But I know what I heard that day…”

[valrush]

REM
“Low”


Crouching behind the shipping container, Steve looked around until he spotted Ethan walking towards the edge of the docks. Steve sprinted towards a closer container, then pressed his back to the container as he heard a ringing sounded and watched Ethan pull out his cell phone.

“Yeah, it’s me.” Ethan said nervously. “No, I haven’t said anything to anyone, I swear.”

Steve strained to listen as Ethan continued.

“Look, you don’t have to do this. I can talk to Jeff, maybe–” He paused for a moment as the person on the other end spoke. “What are you gonna do to him? He’s got a family, for God’s sake. You can’t just–” Ethan swallowed hard. “All right, all right. He’ll be at the park tomorrow night.” He wiped sweat from his brow as a pained look formed on his face. “I know, I know. He’ll be there, all right?”

Steve watched Ethan close the phone and walk off…

[valrush]

“You think Ethan was being blackmailed?” Lilly asked. “Someone was using him to get to Jeff?”

Steve nodded. “I don’t know who, but that’s what I heard.”

Scotty frowned. “And you think this might be useful to the cops back then? Or maybe warn Jeff his partner was leading him into a trap?”

Steve paused for a moment, then leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “That Omar guy was dead. Jeff was done with me and I was done with him.“

Lilly and Scotty exchanged disgusted looks before turning back to Steve. “You said Jeff gave you respect. Too bad it didn’t go both ways.”

Steve said nothing, but glared as the two detective stood up.

“You’re a real piece of work.” Scotty said, reaching for the door. “Sit tight, we’ll be back in a while.”

[valrush]

Halfway up the stairs at the Starlight Motel, Lilly turned to see Scotty staring intently at his phone.

“You’ve been checking that thing the whole way here.” Lilly said with a smile. “You expecting a call?”

“No.” Scotty quickly said. “Just seein’ if Vera and Miller are back yet.”

Lilly shrugged and headed up the stairs. Scotty chuckled quietly.

Lilly turned again. “What?”

Scotty smiled wistfully. “Just thinkin’ this is probably the last guy we’re gonna bring in together.”

Lilly’s smile faded and she turned forward again.

As they walked towards Ethan’s room, they noticed the door open a crack, with damage to the lock.

“Scotty.” Lilly said, drawing her gun and pointing out the damage to her partner, who also drew his weapon.

“Ethan?” Lilly called out, pushing the door open. “It’s Detectives Rush and Valens.”

“Over here.” Ethan called out with a slightly slurred speech.

The detective walked in to see Ethan sitting at a small table. He was holding expensive looking, but nearly empty bottle of whiskey in one hand and glass in the other. His posture seemed uncomfortably straight as he sat.

Scotty looked back at the door, then at Ethan. “What’s going on here, Ethan?”

Ethan held up the bottle. “He gave some of the good stuff. That was nice of him. Didn’t have to do that.”

“What are you talking about?” Lilly asked.

Ethan shook his head. “We never should’ve gone after Khalid. He wasn’t who we thought he was. Then he wouldn’t have had to go on the run.”

“What do you mean ‘go on run?”” Scotty asked.

Ethan leaned forward and chuckled. “He’s not so dead.” He whispered.

Scotty’s eyes narrowed. “You’re saying Khalid didn’t die in that accident?”

Ethan smiled and shook his head slowly.

Lilly leaned closer. “Ethan we know you were being blackmailed. We need to know by who.”

Ethan looked at the two detectives. “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourselves into.”

“All right, you’re comin’ in with us.” Scotty said, reaching for Ethan’s arm.

Ethan immediately pulled back nervously. “You can’t move me from here.”

“Wanna bet?” Scotty said with a frown and reached for Ethan’s arm again.

Ethan’s face turned deadly serious. “I said you can’t move me.” He pointed downwards and it was only then that Lilly and Scotty first noticed the wires leading up and down the leg of the chair. Scotty looked at Lilly, then crouched down and looked underneath the chair to see a menacing collection of plastic, metal, wires, and a blinking red light.

“Lil.” Scotty said to her as he looked up.

“We gotta call Bomb Squad.” Lilly said, before turning back to Ethan. “Ethan, who did this?”

Ethan gave her a sad look and shook his head. “I can’t say. That was the deal. He leaves my family alone. Only time I did right by them.”

Scotty stood up and headed to the door with Lilly.

“All right, don’t move, Ethan.” Lilly said. “We’re gonna get help.”

“I just thought I could take a few bucks, support my family. What’s the harm?” Ethan poured some more whiskey in the glass and threw it back. “Should’ve been more like Jeff.” Ethan sighed and shifted in the chair. “This is my penance. I deserve it.”

Scotty’s eyes widened. “Ethan, do not get up from that chair!”

Ethan threw back the last bit of whiskey in the bottle, then put it and the glass on the table, and put both hands on the chair’s armrests.

“Tell his family I’m sorry, would you?”

He pushed down on the arm rests and started to lift himself up.

Lilly and Scotty immediately bolted from the room and threw themselves to the floor of the walkway. Behind them, a deafening blast hurled the door clear over the railing, followed by a huge cloud of dust. Lilly and Scotty covered their heads as debris rained down all around them.

REM
“Drive”


As Lilly and Scotty came to and the ringing in their ears passed, they could barely recognize one other, with their faces, hair, and clothes nearly gray from dust. They both looked behind them to the pile of rubble where the doorway had been…

In his mother’s living room, Jimmy picked the piece of granite up off the mantle, looked at it for a moment, then put it back, before looking at Sharon who was watching him from the hallway with an uneasy look on her face…

Sitting in the interview room with the door open, Steve watched as Stillman hung up the phone in his office and rush out towards Jeffries, who was looking through a file of papers from Jeff’s case box. Stillman said something to Jeffries and the two hurried out of the room…

In the car, Vera was jolted awake by the ringing phone. He picked it up and listened for a few moments, before some of the color drained from his face. He immediately turned to Kat and repeated what he’d just heard. Her jaw dropped slightly and she quickly turned the steering wheel around…

At her desk, Bonnie placed a hand over her open mouth as the person on the other end of the phone spoke. She turned around to see Garrison standing in the doorway giving her a wary look…

As Lilly and Scotty finally stood up, they could both make out flashing red and blue lights in the distance. Lilly slowly eased her way to the doorway, where she thought she could make out blood on some of the rubble. She knelt down as she spotted a half-buried sheet of paper on the ground. It was partially singed at the edges, but she could make out the writing as a personnel file, with a CIA insignia in the top right corner and Jeff’s picture in the left. She looked into the wrecked motel room and sighed.

To Be Continued…

[valrush]

I recently learned how to create audio files in PowerPoint, so I am now in the process of upgrading my Cold Case episodes.  Unfortunately, these Power Points are too large to attach here.  If anyone is interested in these audio files, please send me a private message with an e-mail address.

[valrush]

So, it seems demand for these audio presentations is not exactly skyrocketing.  Let me state here once and for all that I do not charge for these presentations.  I make no money off of the Cold Case Virtual Season 8; I never intended to make money off of this.  This is just a passion that I have had for several years because I thought the show deserved a better ending.  Even if I wanted to make money off of this, I would most likely face serious copyright claims due to the amount of music and background audio that I use.

The audio presentations consist of my slightly adlibed narrations of the five acts of each episode.  Flashback sequences also play featured music just like in the show or I use selections from the Cold Case Soundtrack.  I also treat listeners to a brief commentary after each episode.  I suppose I could just post those After the Show segments here as messages, but I just thought the audio component would be a nice addition.

I thought about learning how to post these presentations on YouTube, but, once again, copyright laws.

[valrush]

AFTER THE SHOW

In an effort to keep everything as uniform as possible with what I did, and since no one seems interested in my narrated presentations, I have decided to edit these original episodes closer to how I set them up and add my After the Show segments here.

While this episode was not my creation, the Cold Case Soundtrack instrumental additions were my idea as I stated above.  It was also my idea to split up the flashback in part 4 and add an actual news clip from after the 1993 World Trade Center attack.  However, it was not as accurate as I had hoped for.  I was hoping to find footage more middle of the road between when that attack took place and the date when Jeff was killed.  While I found several clips relating to the day of the attack, I had little luck with news footage related to the FBI's follow-up investigation, so I had to take what I could get.