Chapter 91: Anonymous
*Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. – Anonymous*
“Hey, boss.” Johnson said getting Douggie’s attention.
Douggie looked up from the list of interviews that were scheduled for the day. The investigator in charge cleared Parker yesterday. He should be returning to work next week after the background check is complete. The cursory report came back just as Parker had told him the other night.
His father, Charles Parker, was convicted of attempted murder after beating his wife. Parker had been thirteen and fought back for his mother. Once Charles was in jail, Anna and her two sons moved back to her hometown. When Charles was released, Anna returned to her husband but both sons remained in Morgan City.
Only days after she returned, Charles shot her before turning the gun on himself. Both sons grew up in their grandparents’ house. Both were in law enforcement, Donald Parker served on the MCPD and Stephen Parker served as an arson investigator for the MCFD.
“We just received this envelope through private courier.” Johnson handed the sealed envelope to Douggie. “Has your name on it.”
Douggie sat his papers down and accepted the envelope. The simple white envelope had his name and MCPD typed out on a label. He pulled the perforated tab and found a single picture, with a yellow sticky note on it.
*Morgan City Inn, Room 507*
Pulling the sticky note off, he found himself looking at Hank Fargo in a hotel room window. His father stood next to him. His mother could barely be seen in the background.
“Mother fucker.” Douggie growled.
“Everything okay? Johnson asked as Douggie grabbed his phone and dialed a number.
“Go get your squad together. We’re about to go arrest the Fargo’s.” Someone came on the other end of the line, and he moved his phone and focused his attention. “Sheriff, Hank Fargo is at the Morgan City Inn.”
He was only vaguely aware of the other man leaving the conference room. As Gina did whatever she was doing on her end, Douggie pulled on his uniform jacket and grabbed his keys.
“Great, we’ll meet you there. I’m sending Johnson over to arrest his parents.” He listened for a moment. “What picture did you get?”
Once his shock wore off, he burst out laughing. Whoever their anonymous tipster was, had a wicked sense of humor. Around the same time that he had received his envelope, the sheriff also received one. Where his picture showed Fargo and his parents, hers showed Fargo in an act of adultery.
Gina confirmed that they were going to collect Fargo himself. Johnson came back and Douggie ended his call with the sheriff. He was tucking the phone away in his pocket as the two men walked down the hall.
He gave the team that was going the address for the Fargo family. “They are both going to be arrested for harboring a fugitive. I’m going to go see the judge about a search warrant. If there are any issues, call me.”
The team left for the house and Douggie went to the courthouse.
“How do you know that this is after her arrest” the judge demanded.
Douggie handed over the mugshot of Allison Fargo and a security camera still framed shot from Hank’s arraignment. “Unless her hair grew six inches from the time that her son was arrested and she was, it’s going to have to be after.”
“I want him and his parents before me first thing tomorrow morning.” Judge Binch said as he signed off on the warrants. Looking at his assistant, he ordered that the schedule be changed to accommodate this with his stolen catch phrase. “Make it so.”
The man nodded at his boss and began to change the docket for the next day and notify the attorneys.
“Thank you, your honor.” Douggie said accepting the warrant.
He arrived at the 1970’s ranch style house shortly after the occupants were removed. They were still sitting in state patrol vehicles and their lawyer was arguing with Johnson. As Douggie approached, Johnson simply directed the attorney to his boss and accepted their copy of the warrant. Douggie handed over Fargo’s copy to their attorney.
“You’re more than welcome to watch my men perform the search. But I need to get this to the sheriff.” He held up the other warrant. “If it’s determined that you knew where their son was, you will be reported to the bar.”
“Like you’ve never made a mistake in your life.” The attorney sneered.
“There’s a difference between a mistake and a decision.” Douggie pointed out as he walked away.
He wasn’t perfect, and Douggie knew it. But he was thorough and very detail oriented. As a child and teen, his attention to detail often left him on the outskirts of the group. The diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome in high school gave him the tools to work through his issues.
Sometimes he still had a hard time reading people and the atmosphere. Frequently he angered people with his bluntness. Those who knew him took his occasional sullen attitude in stride.
His wife would let him know when he was going into what she dubbed ‘Robot Mode.’ It was this ability to remove his emotions that made him so good at his job. When others would rail and scream at a situation, Douggie would give a few muttered curses and move on with no further emotion. If something didn’t go his way, he immediately reviewed his facts to see where his error was.
He met Gina in the parking lot and handed over the search warrant for the hotel and the room that Hank had been in. The manager called the owner and Douggie discovered why Gina wanted him there while the warrants were served.
“Douggie, this is my stepsister, Nicole Morgan.” Gina introduced them.
“Nice to meet you.” Nicole held out her hand. “Yes, same family that the city is named after. I married into the family. And then divorced out of it.”
“Stephen Douglas.” He shook her hand and then handed over the warrants. “We need to know who rented room 507.”
Nicole nodded and glanced at the papers. “You know that I’m not going to understand any of this and I’m going to trust you to abide by whatever is in this, right?”
Gina laughed. “You’re hosting my daughter’s bridal shower next month; I’m not doing a damned thing to piss that girl or you off.”
“Is there anyone in this town that you’re not related to?” Douggie asked.
“You?” Gina suggested.
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