Cold Case 8-13: End Ron

[valrush]

COLD CASE: END RON

The cold case team reopens the shooting of a local philanthropist and discovers that not everyone believed him to be charitable.

PREVIOUSLY ON COLD CASE

The sidewalk was surprisingly clear in front of Citizens Bank as Scotty Valens paced back and forth in front of the building. It was just as well as far as he was concerned. Anybody who did pass by made him nervous. He would inevitably begin wondering if this could be the person trying to destroy him; he just wanted this meeting to be over with.

A white male with dark hair in black trousers and a white shirt approached him. “You’re Valens?”

“Yeah, who the hell are you?” asked Scotty.

“So, now you want to get down to business? Where were you for the last ten messages I sent you months ago?” the man asked. “But since time is of the essence I will make this short. My name is Jared Reese; I’m a guard at the prison in Graterford. I talked to your friend Hector after Mr. Mota was found dead in the prison shower. He told me an interesting story about how this cop came to see him and told him how Mr. Mota was ratting out inmates to the guards; a cop by the name of Scotty Valens.”

“What do you want, jackass?” asked Scotty.

“That’s a good question. I’ve long agonized over what to do with this information. I could go to Internal Affairs and have them take your badge, I could try going to the press and embarrass you publicly, or I could use it to squeeze one small favor out of you,” insisted Mr. Reese.

“So, I’m going back to my original question. What do you want jackass?” replied Scotty.

“I have a brother, Frank; he used to own this bar/comedy club in Center City called ‘The Splitting Sides’. It burned down about two years ago, and the first responders on the scene said the place reeked of kerosene. Long story short, my brother is doing 15 years in the state prison in Chester for arson,” Jared explained.

Scotty took a step back. “The maximum for arson is ten years; there’s something you’re not telling me.”

“There was a guy in the building by the name of Albert Dent. He was one of the participants in an open mic night contest. He died in the fire, so the DA slapped a manslaughter charge on top of it. There was a trial, but you know juries. Everybody blames the business owner when it’s arson,” Jared explained.

“So that’s it, you want me to reopen your brother’s case. What makes you so sure that your brother is innocent?” Scotty asked.

“He was never in trouble before, and he always bragged about how successful the bar was. Why would he need to burn down his own place if it was doing well?” asked Jared.

“I don’t know, maybe your brother hasn’t always been honest with you,” Scotty answered.

“Detective, I’ll make this simple. My brother says he is innocent, and I believe him. You see he has a daughter who is getting married in two weeks, and he wants to walk her down that aisle. So, in two weeks time, either Frank is out of prison, or you’re out of a job,” insisted Jared. “Next time, answer the phone the first time someone calls you.” Jared calmly walked away leaving Scotty to ponder those words.

“Do you want your file back? Talk to me!” Lilly insisted.

Scotty shook his head. “Lady, you’ve been an interrogator for far too long. Do you remember when my mother was mugged last year?”

Lilly sat at Scotty’s desk while Scotty paced across the floor. “So that’s it. This guard found out what I did, and he wants his brother back. I have ten days to figure out how to get this guy out of prison, or I might lose my badge.”

Lilly just kept reading the file. “You were on with the fire marshal earlier, weren’t you? The fireman’s report says that the side exit was obstructed. It could mean that someone meant to trap him inside; that would mean the motive was more personal than just insurance fraud.”

“Lilly, what are you doing?” Scotty asked.

“What about this Ken Prewitt? Mr. Reese said that he actually threatened to burn the place down, but they couldn’t make anything stick for him,” insisted Lilly.

“This is exactly why I didn’t tell anyone about this. I was trying to contain the damage!” insisted Scotty.

“You’re too invested in this to think clearly on your own! Let me handle this! Consider it payback for when you covered for me in the Morris Kitchner situation last year!” insisted Lilly.

“This is hardly the same thing! You didn’t kill Morris Kitchner; you were innocent! I’m not!” Scotty replied.

“We’re partners! Let me help you here!” Lilly yelled.

“Why do you want to help me? I just told you that I set a guy up to take a beating, he got killed, someone found out about it, and now that you know, your ass is on the line too! Why do you insist on burying yourself next to me?” Scotty demanded.

Lilly couldn’t speak. She felt like her legs were about to give out, but somehow she was moving. All reason had escaped her. She was running on pure instinct when she wrapped herself around Scotty and kissed him.

Scotty could barely hold his balance. He stumbled backwards nearly hitting the wall. “Wait … Lilly, … what are … are we really doing this?”

“Don’t speak, Scotty,” said Lilly as she went in again.

“Five minutes ago you were threatening me,” insisted Scotty.

“You’ve never heard of foreplay before?” Lilly asked as she kicked open the door to Scotty’s bedroom.
 
Jared Reese heard the loud alarm as the prison gates opened in Chester. He watched as two guards escorted his brother toward the exit. The brothers hugged briefly before getting into Jared’s car and driving away.

[valrush]

1

The following story is fictional and

does not depict any actual person or event

Jimi Jamison: “I’m Always Here”

 
April 11, 1998
 
A stocky, bald man with thick glasses, Ron Geseppi stood in the center of a gray, linoleum floor. He was surrounded on all sides by long, metal tables covered by yellow and light blue table cloths. A buffet table was set up along the wall to his left with ham, chicken, rolls, salad, and various types of cakes for dessert, and he stood under a banner that said ‘ABLEWORKS INC. ANNUAL EASTER BANQUET’ in blue letters on a white background. The ‘O’ in ‘WORKS’ was represented by a blue wheelchair stick figure.

Ron began to speak. “If I could have everyone’s attention! … I just have a few announcements! Then we can get to this dinner that was generously donated to us today, and then we can all go home to catch that rerun of ‘Baywatch’ that I know we’re all dying to see again!’ Mild laughter sprang up from the crowd. “I’d like to start by thanking our various employees who took the time to show up at this thing today. I’d also like to thank our administrative personnel; namely our Marketing Director Levi Clarkson, our Accountant Carol Shannon, and our Factory Supervisor Annie Roth. Without all of you making me look good I’d be in serious trouble. … In a way, I like to think of Ableworks as being like a ‘Baywatch’ life guard. I like to think of it as offering a beacon of safety and hope for the disabled community of Philadelphia—“

A dark-haired man in a wheelchair at a table near the rear of the building in jeans and a Flyers jersey was not so impressed. “He can thank us by not thanking us for once. Does this guy ever shut up?”

“Well James, what do you expect from ‘lips’ Geseppi? We all know he likes to hear himself talk,” insisted a skinny, short-haired, blonde woman seated across from him in a navy blue suit.

“Carol, I’m with James on this. All he had to say was ‘Welcome to the Easter banquet.’, and he turns it into another grandstanding event,” said the tall, dark-haired man seated next to James in a black suit.

“For me, Levi, it’s not so much the length of his speeches as it is the fact that a man in his fifties can somehow work the barely-legal girls of ‘Baywatch’ into every speech,” added the heavier, long-haired, blonde woman seated across from Levi.

“Annie is right; he’s obsessed with that show,” Carol responded.

“I don’t get that either. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an episode all the way through. I usually get through the opening credits, and then … well, let’s just say I no longer ‘feel the need’ to watch beyond that,” Levi informed.

Ron continued speak over all of this. “That brings me to my last announcement. Mother’s Day is now less than a month away, and so we will now be starting our yearly ‘Mums for mom’ fund raising drive! So everyone, please, get out there and sell those flowers so that Ableworks can continue serving the disabled community well into the 21st century!” The speech ended and the crowd applauded.
 
Cold Case Soundtrack: “Churchgoing People”

The paramedics would arrive to find Ron Geseppi’s body face down on the bloody sidewalk outside of the Ableworks building. He would be pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the back.

[valrush]

At the station, Kat Miller and John Stillman dumped a pile of papers on the desk were Scotty and Lilly were seated. “This is everything we could find relating to the address for Mr. Edward McCrae. He lives at 1232 Pawlings Rd. in Phoenixville outside,” John explained.

Scotty shook his head. “Al must have really screwed this guy. Phoenixville is nearly an hour out of the city with traffic.”

“So you brought in Rush on this?” asked Stillman.

“I took your advice and brought some fresh eyes in on this,” Scotty responded.

“You said this case was a favor for the District Attorney’s office to try and prevent an appeal. Now you’re thinking this guy’s appeal might actually have merit?” asked Miller.

“We’re thinking there are a few things they didn’t look at two years ago,” insisted Rush.

“Well, tread carefully. The DA doesn’t usually like it when we reopen closed cases,” Stillman added.

“We’d like to lend a hand, but the rest of us might be working another case soon. The boss and I have a witness on ice in the conference room who says he has information on a shooting in Germantown from 1998,” Miller explained as they left Scotty and Lilly to the papers. “Does something seem off about those two lately?”

“The whole thing seems off to me, but I’m not going to pressure them without proof of misconduct. I just hope they’re careful; Commissioner Lombardi is already on our asses after the Finton case,” insisted Stillman as the pair walked through the glass doors of the conference room. A white male dressed in patrolmen blue was standing next to a handcuffed, dark-haired, white male in rather dingy clothing.

“This is Detectives Stillman and Miller. My name is Officer Pete Decker, and this fine citizen is Mr. Martin Tibbs,” the officer explained.

“What can Mr. Tibbs do for us? I heard something about a shooting from 1998,” Stillman replied.

“I responded to a call about a burglary in progress on W Duval St. two nights ago where I caught Mr. Tibbs in the act of relieving a family of their flat-screen television. I took him to the station, printed him, booked him, and ran his name. It turns out he has priors for simple assault in 2000 and felony possession of cocaine in 2005,” explained Officer Decker.

“This would be his third strike,” insisted Miller.

“Yeah, all I had to do was say the phrase ‘life without parole’ and he starts begging to make a deal. He starts talking about witnessing a shooting from 1998, and he’ll talk if we don’t apply the third strike to his latest offense,” Officer Decker explained. “So start talking, and remember that this is dependent on them closing a case. If this information goes nowhere, so does the deal.”

“I get it, and trust me it’s something!” shouted Mr. Tibbs.

“We’ll be the judge of that! Now what did you see?” asked Stillman.

“It’s not what I saw. It’s what I heard, and what I didn’t hear,” Mr. Tibbs explained.

“I don’t particularly care for riddles. If that’s all you have, we’re leaving,” said Miller as she stood up from the table.

“It was mid July!” Mr. Tibbs called out. “I was on the corner of Knox St. and W Chelten Ave. trying to make a sale when I heard some lady on a pay phone across the street from me say something about needing an ambulance at some place called Ableworks and shots fired.”

“Can you describe her?” asked Miller.

“She was a blonde I think, but it was dark and I didn’t really see her face. But something seemed off about that scene. In the first place, where was she coming from? Because I didn’t hear any shooting. Secondly, for someone who was just in the area of a shooting, she sounded awfully calm on the phone. She didn’t appear to be panicked or scared at all,” Tibbs added.

“Some people are cool under pressure,” Stillman responded.

“But here’s the weirdest part. I figured if something had gone down, I should probably bail. So ten minutes later I’m walking down Knox St. when I hear an ambulance about a block away coming up behind me, and then all of a sudden BANG! I heard a shot fired!”

Martin continued. “I never believed in psychics too much, but how else did that lady know that someone would get shot in that area that night?”

There was a knock at the conference room door. The detectives turned at the site of fellow detective Nick Vera. “Boss, I have something for you.”

Stillman and Miller left the room and followed Vera back to his desk. Vera flipped through a hefty, stapled document upon arrival. “I ran a database search for unsolved shootings in Germantown in 1998. Quite a few results came back, but then I heard part of that guy’s story. I don’t know that I believe it all, but there is an unsolved shooting that fits this description. A man named Ron Geseppi was shot in the back in front of some place called Ableworks on the night of July 8, 1998. The paramedics arrived at 9:38 PM and he was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Stillman looked over the records. “It also says that the original 911 call came in at 9:24 PM. Then it went dead for awhile until eight minutes later when multiple calls came in reporting shots fired from around the same location.”

“So why was that original call so much earlier than the others?” asked Miller. “I don’t believe in psychics either, but it’s starting to sound like maybe somebody connected to Mr. Geseppi knew what was coming.”

[valrush]

2

John Stillman, Kat Miller, and recent addition Andrew Darius were in file storage hovering over a white file box. “Ron Geseppi, 52 years old, white male, and former CEO of Ableworks Inc. The body was found in front of the Ableworks building 457 Knox St. in the Germantown district on July 8, 1998,” Stillman explained. “The cause of death was a single gunshot in the back which lodged in the victim’s right kidney releasing copious amounts of ammonia and other toxins into the blood stream and surrounding organs.”

“Near instant death. What did they have in the way of physical evidence?” asked Andrew.

“A lot of dead ends. They recovered a single casing and a SIG Sauer P238 handgun from the scene. It had a serial number on it, but when they ran it through the system it came back to the name Ron Geseppi,” Stillman explained.

“The guy was shot in the back with his own gun?” asked Andrew.

“It also says that, when they recovered the bullet, it was traveling at an upward angle,” Miller added. “If I’m holding my gun at eye level and I fire into the victim’s kidney, wouldn’t that be a downward angle?”

“Maybe he didn’t hold the gun at eye level. It would hardly be the first shooter who didn’t know how to shoot,” insisted Andrew.

“Did they get anything off of the gun?” asked Miller.

“They found two unique sets of prints on the gun that didn’t match. One set was on the grip of the gun and the trigger and the other was on the barrel, but they had nothing to match them to. The few witnesses they could find only reported hearing the gunshot and didn’t actually see anyone pull the trigger. Police back then wrote it up as a mugging gone south,” Stillman explained.

“Someone handed the gun to the shooter,” added Miller.

“Or it was a lone mugger and they fought over the gun,” added Darius.

“But a mugging is a crime of impulse. That doesn’t exactly link up with the premature 911 call,” Miller added.

Nick Vera approached the scene with papers in his hand. “I did a little digging on Ableworks. According to Pennsylvania tax records it was a nonprofit company that helped people with disabilities find jobs. That is until the company folded in June, 2001.”

“Almost three years after Geseppi was killed. Who ended up replacing him as CEO?” asked Miller.

“In the grand tradition of life going on; they had to replace him pretty quickly. The title went to a woman by the name of Annie Roth. Her employment history states that she worked there as some kind of factory supervisor,” Vera explained. “The DMV sent over her license picture.”

Vera handed Stillman a paper with a copied photograph on it. “Well, she’s a blonde, and she’s the only name we have so far. Vera and Miller, see if you can find her. Darius, you’re with me on our way to evidence lockup. They should still have the gun and the print results. Maybe we’ll get lucky running the prints through the database.”

“They didn’t do that in 1998?” asked Darius.

“They couldn’t do that in 1998; IAFIS wouldn’t even be a possibility for another year,” Stillman replied as the group separated.

[valrush]

Nick and Kat tracked down Annie Roth at a warehouse on Tower St. Her hair was shorter now, but she still looked like her picture. “Yeah, I ran that place. I ran it straight into the ground.”

“How does a shop supervisor end up becoming a CEO anyway?” asked Miller.

“Ableworks wasn’t exactly a huge place. The contributing investors only consisted of three major partners; Ron being the major donor. I guess they liked that I had management experience,” Annie informed.

“I would think that would be helpful,” insisted Vera.

“It wasn’t enough. I may have known how to supervise people, but at the end of the day I was blue collar. I didn’t know the first thing about running a business; I can barely balance my own damn checkbook half of the time,” Annie responded. “But I can’t take all of the blame. Part of the problem was I inherited Ron’s mess.”

“What kind of mess are we talking about?” asked Vera.

“Ron wanted to expand our factory operation. So he got the brilliant idea to buy an old building across town,” Annie explained.

“There’s nothing wrong with trying to revitalize an old building,” Miller added.

“He didn’t do his homework on the place. It was built in 1950; that’s over 40 years before the American’s with Disabilities Act came into effect. The place didn’t even have ramps at the entrances; it cost a fortune to try to get the place up to code,” Annie informed. “Then people started leaving on top of it.”

“Like who?” asked Vera.

“He fired the accountant, Carol Shannon, but nobody ever knew why,” Annie told them.

“Definite motive there,” insisted Miller.

“If the place was losing money, he probably just couldn’t afford her anymore,” Vera added.

“She was a major player around there for a long time. Letting her go angry a lot of people, and that’s not the person I thought he would want gone,” Annie explained.

“You had someone else in mind,” Miller insisted.

Annie nodded. “One of my factory workers, a paraplegic by the name of James Mackleroy. He hated that place.”

“Why? What kind of factory was this?” asked Vera.

“We did small package assembly mostly. Do you know those small, plastic bags of screws that get packaged with the furniture kits at IKEA?” Annie asked.

“Yeah, I hate those things,” Vera replied.

“Well, we assembled them there,” Annie explained.

“That doesn’t exactly sound like complicated work to me,” said Miller.

“Probably not to most of us, but you have to understand most of the people who worked in that factory had many serious conditions. They usually had some degree of mental impairment,” Annie explained. “But James was different. He had a college degree from Villanova as I recall. I don’t exactly know how he ended up in the factory, but he stayed there for about five years until the company folded. He was never happy there though; every day I could see his fuse getting shorter…”

[valrush]

Fatboy Slim: “Praise You”


“There was one incident in early May of that year. From time to time we did these working tours of the factory with local businesses in an attempt to drum up more work. Ron got the brilliant idea to have James help him with a sales pitch. ‘I’m already doing my wonderful job. Isn’t that enough?’ asked James as he placed two metal screws into a small plastic bag.

“’Come on, James. We have a potential employer coming today. I need your help in selling them on this place,’ insisted Ron.

“’You don’t need my help with that. If anyone can talk enough for an army, it’s you,’ James replied.

“’I’m the CEO; they expect a sales pitch from me,’ Ron told him.

“’Annie runs this place. Get her to do it,’ James responded.

“’Again, she’s in charge. She would come off biased. The best possible testament would come from a worker,’ Ron said.

“James put down the plastic bag in his hand. ‘Well, I’m hardly unbiased! Do you really want me talking about this place to strangers?’

“Ron shook his head. ‘James, you are the most intelligent and articulate person out of everyone here! You talk about wanting a better job! Well, that requires being a team player!’

“’If I’m so intelligent and articulate, why the hell don’t you use my skills more often? Why can’t you get jobs for people like us? Why didn’t you consider any of us for that front office position a few months back?’ asked James.

“’Do you really want to be a secretary? I don’t think that would make you happy, James! Look, I get why you are angry, but at some point you just need to face reality. You’re never going to use that degree. You can’t do that kind of work with your condition,’ Ron explained.

“’Now you’re telling me what I want and what I can’t do? That’s a great way to get me to help you!’ James shot back. ‘Maybe you do need help with sales, because you obviously don’t know your audience!’

“’I know that I’m your boss, and I can fire you for disobedience! I don’t want to do that, but I will!’ insisted Ron.

“’Perfect, you’d be doing me a favor! I hate this damn place!’ James yelled before rolling himself through the side exit.”

[valrush]

“James helped in the end though. Ron switched tactics; he paid James an extra $50 to do the tour. But James barely spoke a word to anyone there after that incident,” Annie explained.

“So, they weren’t friendly. Did James know that Ron carried a handgun?” asked Vera.

“Everybody knew Ron had a gun. He stayed late at the office sometimes. I guess going home alone made him nervous so he got the gun for protection,” Annie explained.

“If I had a nickel for every time I heard that,” Miller added.

“Wait, you don’t seriously think that James shot him. There’s no way,” insisted Annie.

“One thing I’ve learned on this job is that it takes all kinds. You said this guy was a paraplegic; that means his hands still worked,” Vera replied.

“Not completely. He had this condition where his hands would just start shaking spontaneously. I’m telling you there’s no way,” Annie informed.

“We’d still like to see him. I don’t suppose you know where he is,” asked Miller.

“He lived with family in Germantown when he worked at the factory, but that was ten years ago,” Annie informed.

“Thank you for your time,” said Miller as they turned and left.

[valrush]

The green, two-story, W Wyneva St. home in Germantown was surrounded by a white fence. It belonged to Patrick and Gloria Mackleroy. Nick and Kat walked up a small, gray, metal ramp that lead to the front entrance and rang the bell. A white-haired man in brown trousers and a plaid shirt answered. “Patrick Mackleroy?” asked Vera.

“Who’s asking?” the man replied.

The pair showed their badges. “Detectives Vera and Miller, Philadelphia police. We’re looking for James Mackleroy.”

Patrick stood frozen to the floor. “That’s … my son. What kind of trouble could he possibly be in?”

The pair stepped through the door into a brown-carpeted living room and took seats on a red sofa. “We heard he had a colorful relationship with his old boss. A man by the name of Ron Geseppi who was shot back in 1998,” Miller explained.

“I remember him from Ableworks. James never liked it there, but there’s no way he pulled any triggers. You’re wasting your time,” insisted Patrick.

“Well, we would still like to speak with him. Where is he?” asked Vera.

“I’m in here,” said James as he rolled in from an adjacent dining room. “I’m almost 40 and my parents still think I can’t hear them when I’m in another room.”

“Well, it’s like you’re in another world when you get lost in those books,” Patrick replied.

“My father is right though. Solving Ron Geseppi’s murder is a waste of time unless you want to give the killer a reward,” James insisted.

“Oh James,” Patrick added.

“I’m sorry, but you know I didn’t fit in there! The novelty of that factory wore off pretty damn quickly! It was like seventh grade all over again!” James responded.

Miller shook her head. “Kids made fun of you because of the chair.”

“Hell no! I didn’t even have this chair when I was a kid! They made fun of me for being an A student and a science nerd! That’s what my degree was in, Chemistry!” James replied.

“Well, at the risk of fanning the flames, how did you get the wheels?” asked Vera.

“A car accident in 1994. I went through an intersection and some drunk ran a red light hitting me in the side and crushing the base of my spine. I had just graduated. But it’s not the chair that screwed me up. It was my hands,” James explained as his hands began to shake. “They call it spasticity; it’s a condition related to my spinal injury that causes my hands to suddenly start shaking for no reason. I take medication for it, but it doesn’t go away completely. Nobody wants to trust a glass container filled with sulfuric acid to a guy with shaky hands.”

“So that’s what Ron meant when he said you couldn’t use your degree anymore. We heard about how you fought with Ron about helping with a factory tour. We also heard about how you were passed over for some administrative assistant position, and how he basically called you a bum,” Vera informed.

“Yeah, I had a college degree, and the best I could get was that piecework crap. They couldn’t find something for me that required basic reading skills? They couldn’t get me something that paid minimum wage? I had to move back in with my parents, and I had $30,000 in student loans to pay off. Disability payments only covered so much; it was frustrating,” James explained. “But the thing about the receptionist job, that wasn’t for me. It was for Ellen,”

“Ellen?” asked Vera.

“Ellen Barbers, or as I called her, ‘Napoleon’,” James added.

“Napoleon?” Miller asked.

“Dwarfism, that was her condition. She couldn’t have been more than 3 ft. She was one of the few people I was comfortable with in that place; we were in the same boat,” James informed.

“How is that?” asked Miller.

“She had received a degree from a technical school in the field of Paralegal Studies. She thought Ableworks would be able to help her, but she ended up stuck in that factory with me. She was mad as hell about it too; thus the name ‘Napoleon’,” James added.

“You’re saying she might have done something to Ron?” asked Vera.

“Her basic biology would suggest otherwise, but who’s to say how steamed she was after they canned that accountant?” James asked.

“Carol Shannon, we’re looking into her too. Why exactly was she let go?” asked Miller.

“I can’t say; nobody could. That was Ron’s crowning achievement in my book when he just decreed that she was leaving. He never even gave a reason why he wanted her out; that’s what outraged most people…”

[valrush]

Matchbox Twenty: “The Real World”

 
“It was the Ableworks annual 4th of July picnic in Fernhill Park; I remember because the 4th of July was actually on a Saturday that year. I rolled up to Carol with a white paper plate in my hand as Carol flipped a freshly-grilled burger onto a bun. ‘James, you made it.’

“’You know me, Carol. I like burgers. It’s the only reason I come to this thing. I’m certainly not here to listen to another Ron Geseppi election speech,’ I told her. Trust me, nobody liked the sound of Ron’s voice more than Ron.

“’Well, we both know we can’t stop that,’ Carol replied handing me my plate. I took the plate and went back to a table that was out of the way of most of the party goers.

“But I could still see Ron standing on the grass in the center of a circle made by ten long, red picnic tables. Carol walked up to him. ‘Can’t we do something for James? He’s stewing in that factory.’

“Ron sighed. ‘This again? Look, I sympathize with him, but there is just nothing we can do. That place isn’t exactly set up for splitting atoms.’

“’Well, he clearly knows math. Can’t we take him on as an assistant bookkeeper or something?’ she asked.

“’We don’t have the money in the budget for that,’ Ron insisted.

“’But we do have money for old buildings that we can’t even use. I’ve seen the books too, Ron,’ Carol replied. ‘I’m not saying we make it a full-time thing; I’m just saying we let him help in the office a few days out of the week. He is capable of a lot more than what we have him doing.’

“’I’ll take your idea under advisement, but right now I have to address the group,’ said Ron. Carol backed up a few steps and leaned against the table behind her as Ron started yet another famous speech of his. ‘Ladies and gentleman, I just have a few announcements and then I’ll let you get back to enjoying the barbecue! I think it’s rather poetic that I am making these announcements on Independence Day! For just as the 4th of July ushered in a new era of freedom for America over 200 years ago—‘

“’Gag me, now,’ I remember mumbling.

“’I would like to think that the 4th of July, 1998 will be the start of a new era for Ableworks! I am proud to announce that we recently acquired a new building across town, and I hope to use that building to expand our factory operation so that we can provide more employment opportunities for the disabled community of this fine city! … … Now understand that this won’t be happening overnight; there are a few details that need to be worked out! It is also with a heavy heart that I must inform you that this expansion will require some restructuring of our personnel! As of this coming Monday, our long time accountant Carol Shannon will no longer be with us!’

“I don’t know if it was my condition or the shock that made my hands start shaking; I just remember dropping a half-eaten burger on the grass at that moment.

“All I know is that I wasn’t alone. Cries of outrage and confusion sprang up from all over the picnic area. Then a very short woman with a very tall voice stepped forward. ‘You have some nerve you two-faced, bald bastard!’ All eyes turned to Ellen, the short, curly-haired blonde dressed in blue. ‘Do you people want to know why? I’ll tell you why; I saw the whole damn thing! Is that how it works, boss man? Somebody stands up to you and gives you an idea that you don’t like so you can them! Well, I’m still standing up to you, and I’m letting you know that I’m not giving you the satisfaction of firing me! I quit! Carol, let me know where you end up so I can send you my résumé! Being stuck in that dead-end factory was one thing, but I do not want to work for someone who does what he just did! You just killed a company today!’

“’Don’t ask me to do another sales pitch with you again!’ I added to the fray.”

[valrush]

“But I don’t know how much of that he actually heard. When he saw the crowd starting to turn against him; he bailed out of there like his feet were on fire,” James informed.

“There’s one part of your story I don’t get. If it was so bad there, why did you stay?” asked Miller.

“I never liked being told what I couldn’t do; that’s what frustrated me the most. But eventually I had to face the fact that he wasn’t wrong. I stayed because I figured it was the only place that wanted me, but I didn’t shed any tears when they went out of business,” James explained. “After that I ended up at a Goodwill store for a few years. The pay was a little better, but that wasn’t exactly great either. Then a few years ago I got the idea to go back to school part time for Mathematics.”

“Well, that explains the light reading,” insisted Vera. He pointed to two heavy books on the table in front of James labeled ‘Linear Algebra’ and ‘Introduction to Calculus’.

“I figured that was more brain-centered then Chemistry; nobody ever started a nuclear meltdown by dropping an equation on the floor. If nothing else, it keeps me from going crazy,” James added.

“So the long and short of that story is that Carol was let go, but it was Ellen leading the charge. Did she ever see Ron again after that?” asked Miller.

“I didn’t hear anything, but she did still have one last check to pick up. She came in a few days after the picnic,” insisted James.

“Giving her access to Ron’s office where his gun would be,” added Miller.

“You didn’t cross Napoleon, detectives,” James replied.

“Thank you for your time, James. We’ll be in touch,” said Miller as they left the house. “It sounds like Ellen Barbers liked to hold a grudge.”

“It also sounds like size wasn’t her strong point,” insisted Vera. “If the shooter was significantly shorter than him, that would explain the upward trajectory of the bullet.”

[valrush]

3

Nick and Kat tracked Ellen to an office building in Two Logan Square where she sat facing a computer screen behind a heavy, tan, circular booth with the words ‘Ablesmarts Inc.’ written across it in large silver letters. “Is this Carol Shannon’s office?” asked Miller. They noticed that the curl had left Ellen’s hair, but it was still her.

“Yes, it is. Do you have an appointment?” asked Ellen.

“Well, the way we see it you’re about thirteen years late for an appointment with us,” said Vera as they flashed their badges. “Detectives Vera and Miller, Philadelphia police. You are Ellen Palmer, formerly Ellen Barbers, correct?”

Ellen lowered the height of her swivel chair before stepping down. She seemed to disappear behind the walls of the booth before emerging from behind the left side. “Police? What the hell is going on here?”

“What’s going on is your hot head finally caught up with you. We’re here regarding a confrontation you had with a former boss,” insisted Vera.

“Thirteen years ago … that would be … Ron Geseppi,” Ellen sighed.

“Is it starting to come back to you now?” asked Miller.

Vera walked around the booth and entered examining Ellen’s desk. “We talked to your friend James. He told us about how you took it hard when Carol Shannon got canned—“

A tall blonde in a pink suit came out of the adjacent red-painted door. “That’s the second time I’ve heard my name, Ellen. What is going on out here?”

“These guys are cops, Carol, and they’re asking about our old friend,” insisted Ellen.

“Your former boss, Ron Geseppi, was shot in the back in front of the Ableworks building back in 1998. We’ve heard talk of Ellen having a pretty heavy disagreement with him at the 4th of July picnic,” Vera explained. He then held up a full-length picture of a short girl in a green dress. “It must have made you crazy having to go back into his office to claim your last check later that week. You seem like a pretty proud person; why else would someone keep a full-length picture of themselves at their desk?”

“That is my daughter from when she was four!” Ellen shouted. Vera returned the picture to the desk and backed out of the booth. “I didn’t shoot Ron! Do I look like I could properly handle a gun?”

“A lot of people shoot guns that don’t know how to shoot, and you had motive. But there is one way to clear your name. The shooter left prints,” Miller explained.

“Take all the prints you want; I guarantee they rule me out. These hands aren’t exactly boulders,” insisted Ellen waving her hands in front of her. “Trust me, there was no shortage of people who wanted him gone.”

“That brings up an interesting question. Carol was the one who got fired, and yet you’re the one who lost it. From what we hear, you threatened to quit over it. Why didn’t you get that angry, Carol?” asked Miller.

Carol shook her head. “I had information that Ellen didn’t. As the accountant I had access to the partnership agreement. There was a clause in there that, at the very least, gave me a brief stay of execution.”

“She wasn’t technically fired yet. I didn’t know that during the picnic, but I found out everything the following Monday…”

[valrush]

Jewel: “Who Will Save Your Soul”

 
“I entered the factory and was about head for Ron’s office intending to quit like I said. But then I found out that I wasn’t the only one with ruffled feathers over Ron’s little announcement. He upset a lot of people; chiefly the other partners.

“I stopped suddenly when I heard voices shouting. Then a body came into view. It was Levi Clarkson the Marketing Director who appeared to be giving Ron hell. ‘Just tell me why, Ron! That’s all I want to know; that’s all anyone here wants to know!’

“’I have my reasons for doing what I did, Levi! You’re just going to have to trust me!’ Ron replied.

“’Trusting you is the last thing that I feel like I can do right now! I don’t like this, Ron; you are being very evasive! If there is nothing to hide, why did you bail on the picnic after you made the announcement’ Levi yelled.

“’All you need to know is that I’m trying to protect this company!’ insisted Ron.

“’Protect us from what, Ron, and I want details?’ asked Levi.

“’You don’t want to know, and I don’t have to justify my decisions to you! We have a partnership agreement that put me in charge of this place!’ Ron responded.

“’No Ron, we have a partnership agreement that says you need permission from at least one of us before you can institute any major changes to the company, and buying a new factory and firing someone who has been loyal to the company for twelve years constitute major changes to me!’ Levi said.

“So, what are you saying, Levi?” asked Ron.

“’I’m saying that this position has gone to your head, and you don’t speak for all three of us! I’m calling Walter later today and seeing what he thinks of all this,’ Levi added as he left the office.”

[valrush]

“So I stayed for a little while longer at least. The place shut down for a few weeks after Ron was killed, and then Annie took over. I’ll give her credit for trying, but she just couldn’t find a way out from under the mess,” Ellen added. “I left shortly after that. I could read the writing on the wall; that place was going down.”

“How exactly does a not-for-profit company ‘go down’?” asked Vera.

“The term ’not-for-profit’ just means that the owners don’t receive dividends from their investments; the ‘profits’ are either donated to a corresponding cause or reinvested into the organization. There are also certain tax exemptions that go along with not-for-profit status as well,” Carol explained. “But it still operates like any other business. You have to generate revenue and pay expenses, and if you can’t do that eventually you file bankruptcy.”

“We’ve heard a few references to money problems. Is that why you were let go?” asked Miller.

“Most years were a struggle, but we could still afford to pay salaries at that point. I honestly don’t know why he wanted me gone,” insisted Carol.

“It’s because you stood up to him and actually tried to make things better for some of us. That place was nothing but hypocrisy,” Ellen replied.

“What does that mean?” asked Miller.

“Ableworks had a slogan: ‘Independence through employment.’, but do you have any idea how much the workers who put those bags together were actually paid? $0.08 a bag, it was piecework. The truth is that the lucky ones were the ones like James or me because we had family we could stay with; the rest of them either lived in halfway houses or they were on every form of public assistance you can name. How the hell is that independence?” asked Ellen.

“Even so, I did get one good idea from that place. People like James and Ellen needed a group that was suited to their situation. So I started this place, ‘Ablesmarts’. We’re dedicated to finding employment for people with disabilities who also have college degrees, and we also provide information on everything from GED programs to financial aid for higher education,” Carol explained.

“Who was this Walter you mentioned in your story? Did he support Ron’s decision?” asked Miller.

“Walter Sherman, he was the third investor, and I don’t think so; he put her in his will after all,” Ellen responded.

“His will?” asked Vera.

“You won’t be getting anything out of him. His heart finally gave out in September 2005; he was 71. He also apparently had no surviving relatives because he left the bulk of his money to me, and I used that to start this place,” Carol explained.

“Thank you for your time. We’ll be in touch,” added Vera as they left.

[valrush]

Miller couldn’t stop laughing when they got back to the crime lab. “Will you shut up? How the hell was I supposed to know that was her daughter? It looked just like her!” Vera shouted.

“That is usually how it works,” Miller chuckled.

The pair walked up to John Stillman who was seated at a computer that was processing a series of fingerprints. “Well boss, we just got back from testing Ellen Barbers, and she cleared with flying colors. It was just as she said it would be; her midget prints were way too small,” Vera explained.

“Technically, I think the term is ‘little person’, Vera,” informed John.

“Seriously? That’s ten times worse,” insisted Vera.

“So we’ve ruled her out as the shooter. What about the caller?” asked John.

“I doubt it. Mr. Tibbs told us a blonde woman made the 911 call. Somehow I don’t think hair color would be the predominant characteristic he would remember about her, and he is trying to save his own ass after all,” insisted Vera.

“We found the audio recording of the 911 call made that night. Ellen’s voice frequency doesn’t match up with the voice on the phone. She’s clean. Where is the rookie? I thought he was backing you up here,” Miller asked.

“He got pulled away by Lilly and Scotty. Apparently they needed him to check on something,” John explained.

“Scotty sucked him into this thing now,” Vera said bitterly. “Why do I get the feeling that there is more to this ‘favor’ than they are telling us?”

“It sounds fishy to me too, but Lilly and Scotty are good cops. Without any proof of misconduct I’m not going to question it,” Stillman responded.

“I guess that’s your call, but for the record, I’m really tired of the secrets around here,” insisted Vera.

“I hear that,” Miller added. “So, in the interest of full disclosure, I think I should tell you that Vera was in the middle of interviewing Ellen Barbers earlier, and he—“

“Do we have any print matches at all yet?” asked Vera.

“Nothing matches so far for either set of prints,” said Stillman.

“Well, we might have another lead; a fellow investor by the name of Levi Clarkson. According to Carol and Ellen he wasn’t exactly in line with some of Ron’s decisions,” Vera explained.

“Track him down and see what he tells you; that’s all we have to go on until we find something else,” Stillman added.

Vera left but Miller lagged behind. “I’ll email you,” she said nodding in Stillman’s direction.

[valrush]

Vera and Miller tracked Levi Clarkson to a phone bank at the local branch of Amica Insurance. There was slightly more gray in his hair now, but he really had not changed much. “Yes, I’m calling from Amica Insurance to inform you that we have a new offer that could potentially save up to 15% on your monthly premiums by combining your automobile and home owners policies—“

Levi’s phone suddenly went dead. He looked up to find himself staring face to face with Vera’s badge. “Levi Clarkson?”

“Detectives Miller and Vera. We’re here about your old partner, Ron Geseppi,” Miller added.

Levi stood up. “Why are you talking about him again? I thought they decided that was a mugging in Germantown.”

“We have new information that says it may have been planned. Mr. Geseppi was shot in the back with his own gun, and we’ve heard that it was common knowledge for everyone who worked there that he carried a gun,” Miller explained.

“I had heard rumors about him owning a gun, but I never actually saw it. I didn’t actually know it existed until I heard it on the news that he had been shot,” Levi explained.

“Well, it definitely exists and so do the prints on it. If what you are saying is true, let us print you,” insisted Miller.

Levi shook his head. “I didn’t shoot Ron.”

“A bunch of people from Ableworks are talking to us. They still remember how you openly blew up at Ron in the middle of the shop two days before he was killed,” Vera explained.

“You didn’t exactly like Ron’s unilateral approach to business decisions,” added Miller.

“There were three of us, detective. I wasn’t the only one who had issues with Ron,” Levi informed.

“The third partner being Walter Sherman, but since we can’t exactly talk to him anymore we need you to tell us the politics of the situation,” Miller explained.

“So you can talk to us now or at the station. You can afford to miss work, right? It’s not like you sales people get paid on commission,” insisted Vera.

Levi returned to his seat. “The situation was that we started in May, 1985. It was Ron’s idea, and he supplied the bulk of the financial capitol in the form of a $50,000 cashier’s check. Walter put up an additional $40,000, and I was 28 and had just come into a small inheritance of $20,000. Together we drew up the partnership agreement and bought the Ableworks building.”

“The partnership agreement that said Ron had to consult with you on all major decisions. From what we hear he breached that contract pretty badly. I know that would upset me,” Miller replied.

“He bought a building without telling us. He fired Carol without telling us. I don’t know when Ron started to go power crazy, but he did and I discussed that with Walter later…”

[valrush]

Sublime: “What I Got”

 
“I met Walter that afternoon at his home in the neighborhood. He was older than me with visibly graying hair. He wore white socks, brown khaki shorts, and a blue polo shirt. He was watering a rose bush in front of his red-painted home. ‘We need to talk about Ron.”

“Walter turned around. ‘I’m assuming this is about Carol.’

“’It’s about Carol, it’s about this other factory, it’s about Ron going completely off the reservation!’ I told him.

“’I’m not disagreeing with you, but how do we reel him back in?’ Walter asked.

“’Reel him in! I want him out! We have a contract that he is choosing to completely ignore!’ I replied.

“’Which we can prove because it’s not his word against ours at all! Do you want to drag lawyers into this? You know he won’t go down easy; a lawsuit could drag on for years,’ Walter explained.

“I backed off. He had a point there. But I didn’t give up. ‘What about this? He may be the major investor, but he hardly has a controlling interest. If we call a partners’ meeting, we can vote together and have him removed.’

“’He would pull his original investment. How would we replace that?’ Walter asked.

“’Well, I have some money saved—‘

“’$50,000? Face it, we need a third partner to keep this company going,’ Walter replied.

“I stood in silent thought for awhile before a thought came to me. ‘What about approaching Annie Roth?’

“’The shop supervisor!—‘

“’She’s been loyal to the company, and she has management experience. I think it’s worth considering,’ I said.

“Walter paused before speaking. ‘If she can match Ron’s original investment, I will consider your idea. But for the record I think it’s a serious gamble.’

[valrush]

“He wasn’t wrong; she didn’t really have business experience after all. But neither did I at one point and I made it work. So I presented the idea to her two days later. But that was all. We wanted Ron impeached not killed,” Levi added.

“But you told Annie Roth about the potential promotion to CEO two days after your argument with Ron?” asked Vera.

“Yes,” said Levi.

Vera turned to Miller. “That would have been the day Ron was killed. Annie lied to us; she never told us that she knew that promotion was in play before Ron’s death.”

“No, she didn’t,” Miller added. “But she did tell us that she knew about Ron’s gun.”

[valrush]

4

The phone in Stillman’s pocket went off as he and Darius were about to enter the observation room. “Stillman. … Seriously, you got a confession? … Take her to the cells and get the paperwork together. I’ll run it down to storage.” John ended the call. “Well, that was Scotty. It seems he and Lilly made an arrest in the Albert Dent case, and I need to head down to file storage and update some things. Can you handle observation on your own?”

“I think I can handle watching other people talk,” Andrew said bluntly.

John glared back at him. “You have something to say, Darius?”

“We’ve been shorthanded here for the past week, and yet you keep me behind a desk. I’m just curious as to when I will get a chance to do one of these interviews. I’m not completely green, boss; I got confessions in burglary all of the time,” insisted Andrew.

“I saw that in your file, but that was burglary. It’s a different game in homicide. People’s lives are on the line; it’s literally life and death here. If you want to prove your worth, you have to do the jobs you’re asked to do first, and right now I’m asking you to observe this interview,” John replied. Andrew entered the observation room as John sent Nick and Kat into the holding room where Annie was seated.

“Do you remember Levi Clarkson, Annie?” asked Vera.

“He was one of the partners from Ableworks. I remember him,” Annie replied.

“That’s good, because he also remembers you. He told us about how he and the other partner Walter Sherman came to you with a plan to force Ron out and give you his position,” Miller added.

“I already told you that they replaced him with me,” Annie said.

“But you didn’t tell when,” Vera responded.

“You didn’t tell us that you received this information before Ron was killed, but you did tell us that you knew about Ron’s gun. That’s means, motive, and opportunity,” insisted Miller.

Annie shook her head. “I didn’t shoot Ron. Trust me, I wasn’t that motivated.”

“Give me a break. You knew they weren’t happy with him, and then Levi offers you Ron’s job on a silver platter. You’re telling us that you didn’t try to speed things up and make a power move?” asked Vera.

Annie laughed. “You got me, detective. I couldn’t wait to drain my savings so I could become captain of a sinking ship, so I shot Ron.”

“But you did eventually take the position,” Miller replied.

“After Ron was killed I didn’t think I had a choice. There was a factory with forty workers who depended on that place. I made the attempt for them.”

Vera sneered. “How nice of you to try to protect your sweatshop.”

Annie slammed a hand on the table in front of her. “I take offense to that, detective! That wasn’t a sweatshop; we treated those employees fairly!”

“Yes, Ellen Barbers told us how fair you were to them! What was that slogan again; ‘Independence through employment’?” asked Vera.

“Getting paid $0.08 a package, no opportunities for advancement, being kept on food stamps forever. That place had a warped view of independence,” Miller told her.

“We were hardly the only company doing this. There are factories all over the state that employ disabled people with a similar pay structure. Piecework is perfectly legal in that situation; we broke no laws, detective,” Annie explained.

“So your asses were covered. That must have been a real comfort to people like James and Ellen who wanted to do more. Do you have any idea how many lazy dead beats I’ve met on this job? These are people who are perfectly content to live off of Welfare their entire lives! That place had at least two people who would have given anything to get off of government assistance and support themselves!” Vera shouted.

“What do you want from me? Do you want me to say that it’s a screwed up system? I agree; it’s a screwed up system! Tell me how to fix it!” Annie fired back. The room fell silent before Annie spoke up again. “You have to understand James and Ellen were the exceptions to the rule in that place. Most of those workers were far worse off than them: down syndrome, autism, severe schizophrenia. Some of them had been there since the factory opened; they didn’t know anything else! We offered them a real job and a real paycheck so that they could feel like they earned something! Judge me all you want, but I genuinely thought that I was helping people in the beginning.”

“But then something changed?” asked Miller.

“James blew up at Ron, and I slowly started to realize that maybe that place wasn’t a perfect fit for everyone,” Annie explained.

“That’s why you took the job; you thought you could fix things,” Vera responded.

“For James at least. I made it a condition that, if I took the position, James would become my assistant,” Annie explained. “But it all ended up being moot anyway.”

“How’s that?” asked Miller.

“We weren’t exactly master spies as it turned out. Ron walked in right in the middle of our plan, and then he dropped a bomb on us…”

[valrush]

Ace of Base: “Cruel Summer”


“Work was just about to get underway when Levi approached me. ‘I’m sorry, what do you want to do?’ I asked.

“’We want to force Ron out, and we want you to become the new CEO,’ Levi explained.

“’You’re joking, right? I don’t know the first thing about running a business,’ I told him.

“’I don’t think you give yourself enough credit, Annie. You’ve been here since the factory opened. You know this place, you know how to manage people, and frankly, Walter and I want someone around here we can trust,’ Levi explained. ‘There is one catch. If Ron goes, he’ll take his money with him. Can you match his investment?’

“’How much?’ I asked.

“’$50,000,’ Levi replied.

“I took a deep breath. ‘I have some savings, but I don’t think it’s enough.’

“’Well, we can talk to Walter. Maybe we can restructure some things,’ Levi said.

“I paused for a moment. ‘I will do this on one condition. If we’re changing things anyway, I want James Mackleroy working under me as my assistant. Let him gain some office experience and learn how a business like this works. If nothing else, he can make sure my math comes out right.’

“’I’ll call Walter now, and see what we can do,’ Levi insisted.

“He started to walk away, but instead found himself face to face with Ron. ‘So first you steal from me and then you turn on me,’ he said.

“’You’ve been going behind our backs for awhile now; what choice did I have? And as far as stealing, what the hell are you talking about?’ Levi asked.

“’You were seen in my office when you came in, and the small, white-painted box on my desk is gone! Where is it?’ Ron shouted.

“’I was in your office this morning, but I damn sure didn’t see any white box! I did, however, see this!’ Levi said pulling a business card out of his left trouser pocket. ‘’Todd Hyat, CPA’? I’m assuming that’s Carol’s replacement! Now you’re hiring people without telling us! That’s strike three, Ron! You are making this way too easy!’

“’That’s where you’re wrong! I haven’t replaced anyone yet! If you must know, Todd Hyat is a forensic auditor I hired a few months ago!’

“Levi stepped back. ‘Forensic—‘

“’Your precious Carol has been embezzling from us! I let her go to save us all further embarrassment! If you don’t believe me, check out the construction accounts for the new factory; particularly the one for Kramer Roofing Services!’ Ron replied. ‘You should learn not to jump to conclusions, Levi, and with that I hope this little coup d’état you were planning is over! And I want that box back on my desk by the end of the day, or I will have you kicked out of here!’.”

[valrush]

“The next day I heard on the news that Ron was killed in a mugging. Three years later the place folds under me; that’s how good I was at fixing things,” Annie added.

“What’s so damn special about a box? Did Levi take it?” asked Vera.

“I don’t know what he did, but I do know what box they were talking about. It was where Ron kept his gun; I saw him put it in there once,” Annie replied.

“That brings up an interesting point. A witness came forward saying that he saw a female matching your description place a 911 call about a shooting in that area minutes before Ron was shot,” Miller informed.

“There were two unique prints left on that gun, and you just told us you and Levi were working together. Did you take the gun and give it to Levi?” asked Vera.

“It happens all of the time in conspiracies like this. Everything goes according to plan until someone gets cold feet. Is that why you called 911?” asked Miller.

“You’re talking nonsense. I didn’t touch that gun, I didn’t make any phone call, and, as far as what Levi was planning, you need to talk to him,” Annie answered.

“We will, but in the meantime I’d get comfortable in that chair if I were you,” insisted Vera as he left the room.