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(Earlier in the day)
Ventura County Courthouse
Thursday afternoon
April 20, 2012
4:15 p.m.
.
With Slash driven away from the courthouse with his lawyer, Detective’s Potenza, Vincent and Captain Stone stood at the top of the courthouse steps. A few reporters gathered outside seeking some answers to what happened. They had already gotten a statement from attorney Badham and not a word from Slash, so they were anxious to pin something on the cops who didn’t really feel like talking.
The three were not happy as the gaggle of reporters moved up the steps to them but they realized they better say something.
“Can you give us your reaction to what just happened Captain?” The first reporter asked sticking his hand-held microphone in front of the police captain.
“You saw what happened, The attorney for the defendant felt the charge wouldn’t stick enough to warrant the charges and the judge agreed, so he dismissed the case with some reservations,” Stone replied.
“Reservations, what were the reservations?” Came the question from the rear, a reporter with a note pad and pen, and obviously from the local newspaper.
“Well, the judge left it open. In other words he didn’t throw out the entire case, which is good for us because we worked hard on the evidence and we believe we have the right guy, but you still have to prove it. The judge didn’t feel we had enough to take to a jury, but he obviously wasn’t going to toss the case out all together because the evidence is good, but just not good enough in his opinion to take it to a preliminary hearing right now. I guess you can say he more or less delayed it rather than dismissing it.”
The reporters looked around for a moment then seized another opportunity. Obviously two questions weren’t going to get it from their point of view.
“How is this tied to the murder of the Federal Agent, Captain Stone?” The female reporter from the newspaper asked again.
“We didn’t say it was tied to the murder of Agent Summers,” Stone fended off the question.
Stone was good thought Potenza. He was facing a really tough question here because while they suspected Slash and Grister did the second killing and were certain of it, there was no evidence to tie anyone to it yet, and Stone didn’t want to address the issue. However, if he vehemently denied it, a good reporter would pick that up and realize ‘the captain doth protest too much’ and dig deeper.
“Today we are talking about how we are strictly investigating the connection between the murder of Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Foster, nothing else,” Stone answered with a little white lie. “The two investigations are separate.”
The reporter eyed Potenza standing next to Stone and thought she’d take another try.
“What about you detective Potenza, aren’t you investigating both cases?”
He thought for a moment realizing he couldn’t answer yes or no. No would be a lie and yes would indicate the two cases were tied together.
“We’re a small police force, we all have more than one case,” was his answer.
Stone was grinning on the inside. Johnny Potenza had learned well.
“Now if you folks don’t have any more questions, we have work to do and you I’m sure have deadlines,” Stone said dispersing the crowd.
As the crowd walked away Stone gave Potenza a satisfied grin and the two men acknowledged with their eye contact, they had been in concert and done the right thing.
“Whoops you haven’t won the war Johnny just a small battle,” Vincent whispered in Potenza’s ear as he pointed out the young woman reporter was moving directly toward the detective. “Good luck, you’re on, the Johnny Potenza Show just got underway.”
The reporter continued to move toward the detective, and he realized he had nowhere to run. He smiled politely at the approaching woman. She was in her early 30’s, nice looking with long brown hair. Slender, yet kind of plain looking. Attractive, but plain, although as she approached, he noticed she was sort of buff. She obviously worked out, but he also got the opinion she was all work and no play, he thought at first.
“That was a good answer detective, you learn your lessons well,” she said as she stood in front of the officer holding out her hand. “I’m Maggie Fender, Ventura County Star.”
The officer accepted the handshake offer and nodded his head a bit.
“You are new here right?” He questioned the reporter.
“Yes, just about a month, came down from Fresno to be near the beach,” she said with a smile. “I like the beach and the fog here is quite different than in the Central Valley. Up there it never lifts and makes you feel sort of dreary all the time. Here there is sunshine.”
Potenza immediately perked up. She was smart this reporter, maybe too smart. She read him very well.
“How about you detective, you like the beach?” She said before he could think even more.
“Oh, yes maam, I surely do,” a smile again crossing his face.
“I thought so, your tan said as much,” glaring at his arms as she caught him off guard. “Say you really are investigating both these cases as one aren’t you; I mean it’s pretty obvious to me.”
The detective realized he was being set up and quickly regained his composure. His first answer had not satisfied the inquisitive journalist and a second answer in the same manner wouldn’t do much either. He decided to try a different approach.
“Well let’s put it this way Miss Fender...”
“Call me Maggie,” she interrupted as she handed him her business card.
He looked at the card which stated her name, the newspaper, her position as “metro reporter” and a cell phone number as well as her office. She was good he thought.
“Okay, Maggie, like I said let’s put it this way, I’m sure if they are tied together, you’ll be about the seventh or eighth person to know,” Potenza said sort of with a smug attitude.
The reporter was taken aback by the answer but quickly regained a portion of her composure.
“Seventh or eighth? Detective you give me too little credit,” she said. “I’m a pretty damn good reporter.”
“I’m sure you are Maggie, but before you know I’ll know, Detective Vincent will know, Captain Stone will know, at least one person already knows, the killer, and the dearly departed knows. Add in the chief of police because he’s going to know right after me and the captain so consider yourself informed at number seven or eight.”
The detective just beamed from ear to ear after his statement. He was pretty proud of himself for coming up with that one. That was pretty cool on such short notice he thought. Put one down for the cops.
“That’s seven detective, counting me, you said maybe eight,” Fender pointed out. “Are you thinking there were two killers in this one?”
Fender was no dummy Potenza thought and she was quick. This reporter was good at her game and came with more experience than he gave her credit for.
“Maybe, Ms. Fender, maybe,” he said feeling like he needed to give her a reward for her quickness and for sticking to her guns. “And you may have just gotten your first scoop.”
His polite smile was taken as a gift by the woman as he turned to walk away. She thought for a moment as he was getting away and held out for more.
“Thank you, detective Potenza,” Fender said with honesty in her voice.
“No worries, and it’s John by the way, just John,” he said with a turned head and a smile.
He thought about adding a wink but realized he better not. It might be misconstrued.
“Well, John,” Maggie Fender said reaching out to the cop. “Why don’t we talk more about this case, say, over drinks tonight?”
Was this a come on he thought stopping dead in his tracks? Or was this legitimate? The tone in her voice said it was legitimate. The officer turned around again to get a better read before answering. The look in her eye and on her face said this was a come on. He knew a come on from a reporter was dangerous, too dangerous for the moment.
“Thanks, but I have a prior engagement tonight, Ms. Fender, but maybe next time,” he said calmly.
“Sure next time,” she answered with a little quiver in her voice realizing she over stepped her bounds. “I’ll take a rain check then John, and again it’s Maggie.”
Potenza walked up the steps the reporter standing at the bottom looking up. He was not about to turn around again. Win number two for the cops today. He was up 2-1. He’d rather have Slash in jail.