as Anderson quickly discovered, it was problematic asserting them.
Anderson cooperated fully with Detective Crotty when asked at the end of the first week about the purchase of his .38. Crotty also asked where the gun was normally located in the house, and also inquired about Anderson’s wife and daughter’s demeanor when he left them that last day after lunch, and any details Anderson could recall about his initial contact with the “ three accused individuals. ”
It was the end of the third week, and after Anderson’s fourth call in as many days, that Crotty finally returned Anderson’s call requesting information about the case. Crotty was respectful, but he was not forthcoming, saying that as the lead investigator, while he has some authority to give out information, he always found it “ best for all concerned ” to let the evidence come out in court or after a final disposition had occurred.
It was also about this time that Anderson called the prosecutor’s office asking them if they had any particulars following the formal indictments. After a lengthy run around, and a long period on hold, Anderson was eventually put in touch with an associate who plied him with arcane technical terms and procedural specialized language regarding various pre-trial issues.
Anderson, in this initial contact, tried to slow the associate down and assert his “right to a non-technical explanation of matters.” This request was met with a deep sigh of irritation by the associate who then continued the explanation in the same manner as before which was a patent ploy to discourage any of Anderson’s further quests for information. Anderson said as much and the associate officiously and caustically cited the need to be “ fair to everyone, ” that it would be ideal “ if everyone had a personal representative ” but they, the prosecutor’s office, “ have to serve all the people, ” and while it would “ be nice to spend hours going over each individual case ” it should be clear that “ everyone deserves the same courtesy of a timely response. ” Which was no response at all. This was five minutes into the call.
Anderson understood inadvertent stone-wallings. He knew how government and judicial bureaucracy worked from personal experiences. He felt maybe Crotty and the associate from the prosecutor’s office simply skipped the online training module for bedside manner or merely had compassion fatigue, but whatever the issue, he was going to get answers. That’s when Anderson called Al Ward and hired him to act as his interpreter and howsoever temporary representative.
Anderson stared hard into Ward’s equally steely gaze across the breakfast table. Anderson knew he had made a mistake by flying off the handle and also was aware that taking out his umbrage on Ward was not going to advance his cause.
The waitress moved up with their breakfast orders of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and skillet potatoes. Good timing. Her presence broke the tension.
“Anything else I can get you?” The waitress chirped gaily after distributing their plates.
“We’re good. Thank you.” Ward answered, sitting back casually.
The waitress moved away.
Anderson let the waitress drift from earshot and said, after the slightest pause, “What do you think?”
Ward, having had his share of dealing with the raw emotions of bereaved individuals over his years of private investigative work, instantly took Anderson’s retreat as an apology for his outburst and continued. “They said they ran away because they were scared, because it had gotten out of hand. They claim they didn’t try to hide anything after the cops pulled them over. And that’s true.” Ward decided to eat as he talked. “Another thing on their side, you’ve got a close contact gunshot wound to the head at an angle that would support suicide, not an execution-”
“What about the bruises on her wrists?” Anderson challenged.
“Could be a classic sign of
Anderson cooperated fully with Detective Crotty when asked at the end of the first week about the purchase of his .38. Crotty also asked where the gun was normally located in the house, and also inquired about Anderson’s wife and daughter’s demeanor when he left them that last day after lunch, and any details Anderson could recall about his initial contact with the “ three accused individuals. ”
It was the end of the third week, and after Anderson’s fourth call in as many days, that Crotty finally returned Anderson’s call requesting information about the case. Crotty was respectful, but he was not forthcoming, saying that as the lead investigator, while he has some authority to give out information, he always found it “ best for all concerned ” to let the evidence come out in court or after a final disposition had occurred.
It was also about this time that Anderson called the prosecutor’s office asking them if they had any particulars following the formal indictments. After a lengthy run around, and a long period on hold, Anderson was eventually put in touch with an associate who plied him with arcane technical terms and procedural specialized language regarding various pre-trial issues.
Anderson, in this initial contact, tried to slow the associate down and assert his “right to a non-technical explanation of matters.” This request was met with a deep sigh of irritation by the associate who then continued the explanation in the same manner as before which was a patent ploy to discourage any of Anderson’s further quests for information. Anderson said as much and the associate officiously and caustically cited the need to be “ fair to everyone, ” that it would be ideal “ if everyone had a personal representative ” but they, the prosecutor’s office, “ have to serve all the people, ” and while it would “ be nice to spend hours going over each individual case ” it should be clear that “ everyone deserves the same courtesy of a timely response. ” Which was no response at all. This was five minutes into the call.
Anderson understood inadvertent stone-wallings. He knew how government and judicial bureaucracy worked from personal experiences. He felt maybe Crotty and the associate from the prosecutor’s office simply skipped the online training module for bedside manner or merely had compassion fatigue, but whatever the issue, he was going to get answers. That’s when Anderson called Al Ward and hired him to act as his interpreter and howsoever temporary representative.
Anderson stared hard into Ward’s equally steely gaze across the breakfast table. Anderson knew he had made a mistake by flying off the handle and also was aware that taking out his umbrage on Ward was not going to advance his cause.
The waitress moved up with their breakfast orders of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast and skillet potatoes. Good timing. Her presence broke the tension.
“Anything else I can get you?” The waitress chirped gaily after distributing their plates.
“We’re good. Thank you.” Ward answered, sitting back casually.
The waitress moved away.
Anderson let the waitress drift from earshot and said, after the slightest pause, “What do you think?”
Ward, having had his share of dealing with the raw emotions of bereaved individuals over his years of private investigative work, instantly took Anderson’s retreat as an apology for his outburst and continued. “They said they ran away because they were scared, because it had gotten out of hand. They claim they didn’t try to hide anything after the cops pulled them over. And that’s true.” Ward decided to eat as he talked. “Another thing on their side, you’ve got a close contact gunshot wound to the head at an angle that would support suicide, not an execution-”
“What about the bruises on her wrists?” Anderson challenged.
“Could be a classic sign of
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