Chapter 84
Alan Groosjean moved back into his house. The testimony as a government witness had raised his status with his family. Now they saw him as a man of courage testifying against nefarious criminals.
This did not mean he was back with his wife. She still had her boyfriend, and he had to live in the garage. But it was better than a grubby room at the Lucky Dog. Which was shut down, in any case.
As a cooperating witness, he kept his city job, although he was on administrative leave again. He was grateful to be near his children. Participating in their school events made him feel normal again.
Leon Pace did not feel normal. He was out on bail on the corruption case. He did not think his role as bagman and go-between was a serious crime and figured the government would take their main shots at Simon and his colleagues. His lawyer indicated that if convicted, he would not do much time.
The problem was his new club was shut down. And no one else was about to offer him a job. Pretty soon, he would run out of cash, and then what would he do? He was running out of options, and the depression closed in again.
***
“Lieutenant Healy, what is your role in the department?”
“I assign cases to the detectives.”
“What kind of cases?”
“Robbery and Burglary.”
“How many cases do you have on average?”
“Over 200 active cases.”
“Who did you assign the Damon Fields robbery case to?”
“Detective Murphy.”
“Is the case still open?”
“Yes.”
“How much progress have you seen on the case?”
“Not much. There were very few clues to go on.”
“Who did you assign to the William Greenfinder robbery case?”
“Detective Johnson.”
“Is the case still open?”
“Yes.”
“Any progress on the case?”
“The thief was a professional and did not leave much evidence to go on.”
The questions for Lieutenant Healy went on and on. As he gave similar answers, a pattern became apparent. Minority victims of robbery had more cases open than white cases. The reasons varied, but progress on minority robbery cases seemed much slower than the average. Ken Brownling and William Greenfinder both testified about their frustration with the police. But this was not enough to prove anything. A pattern could be explained away for any number of reasons. Until the next set of questions was asked.
“Lieutenant Healy, what is your relationship with Simon Rempert?”
“I don’t have a relationship with him.”
“What is your relationship with Leon Pace?”
“I have known Leon since high school. He was a grade behind me.”
“Have you received cash or other payments from Mr. Pace?”
“No.”
“Are you aware that Mr. Pace is facing bribery charges?”
“Yes.”
The prosecution did not go any farther. They didn’t have to. The exposure of a relationship between a police lieutenant and a known felon suspected of bribery was enough. Black Lives Matter and the media had a field day with it. Tasha Fields most of all.
“Think of it! We suspected minority victim robbery cases went to the bottom of the pile and got little attention. Now, we know the man in charge of assigning cases is connected with an organization giving out bribes to public officials! How much more evidence do we need to hear!”
It became clear the task forces and court cases were not enough. The police department was forced to open their own internal investigation.
Then, another witness took the stand.
“State your name.”
“Sam Trenchard.”
“What do you do?”
“I break into homes and buildings to steal items.”
“Did you break into Ken Brownling’s home?”
“Yes.”
“How did you target Mr. Brownling?”
“He was assigned to me by Arthur Vandenburg.”
“What did Vandenburg want?”
“Cash, jewelry, valuables, and any electronic media I could find.”
“Electronic media? For what purpose?”
“For leverage on the victims. Vandenburg could use pictures and other media to embarrass or blackmail them.”
“Did you break into the Star Candy club?”
“Yes.”
“The target was assigned to you by Vandenburg?”
“Yes. I was to steal the valuables from the safe before other team operatives set fire to the place.”
“Other Vandenburg operatives committed the arson?”
“Yes.”
“Did you break into the Sparkles club?”
“Yes.”
“Another assignment from Vandenburg?”
“Yes. The target was Leon Pace.”
“Did you break into the home of William Greenfinder?”
“Yes.”
“Another target received from Vandenburg?”
“No. Greenfinder was assigned by Simon Rempert.”
“Rempert took over organizational assignments after Vandenburg’s demise?”
“Yes.”
The defense did their best to discredit Trenchard.
“It seems that it is your word against Mr. Rempert, as Arthur Vandenburg is not available to testify.”
“I have turned over evidence to law enforcement copies of the electronic records I gave to Vandenburg and Rempert. Plus my notes on each target assignment.”
The colleagues had heard enough. Before any more testimony or arguments could take place, Simon Rempert disappeared.
It was like a dam breaking. Every person facing charges, it seemed, wanted to cut a deal. Even Leon Pace. But time after time, the only contacts that could be tied to the organization were Arthur Vandenburg and Simon Rempert. Damage control was complete. The colleagues could not be traced.