Chapter 18: Glass Half Full
Summer 2021 demonstrates that Mother Nature is done waiting for humanity to clean up its act. There are floods everywhere, fires everywhere else, and strangely enough, there is also a drought! It is not nice to mess with Mother Nature. Clarence Glass is still sitting in a jail cell with no hope of getting out any time soon. Julie Hopewell has taken over his case, and the prosecutor is all over the place on these issues. The State Attorney General believes her office has jurisdiction, and the county District Attorney believes it is his case to handle. This battle may go all the way to the US Supreme Court. It is presently being reviewed by the State’s appellate court and will either be sent to the State Supreme court or back to the lower state court. While all this brilliant lawyering is going on, Clarence twists in the wind.
Clarence Glass’s father-in-law lives in a cabin off the grid. Clarence’s wife of five years, Martha, and his two kids hide there from the press and maybe some bad guys. They are upstate, living with her crazy as a loon father. Granddaddy is concerned about the apocalypse or maybe zombies; the old man’s story is a bit concerning. However, nobody knows where the cabin is. Clarence has not talked to Martha in person or by phone in three months. Clarence's only prayer is that she and their kids are safe and that his father-in-law does not give his insanity virus to his family.
Julie is stumped at this point. There is no way to keep Clarence out of jail because Clarence does not want to make a deal. He knows all the scary stories about the Russians, but they are just stories to him. Like many adults in their thirties, he has to see it before he believes it. Julie asked him, ‘Are you a doubting Thomas?’
Clarence did not understand the reference. She explained. ‘Thomas was the Apostle who said he would not believe Jesus had defeated death until he saw the nail marks in his hands and ran his finger through the stab wound in his side.’
Clarence smiled for the first time in weeks. ‘Naw, I’ve seen what Al Graf has done! He is the devil! Him! I’m scared of him! What I have not seen does not scare me!’ Clarence knows to keep his mouth shut because there will be no protection for him or his family if the local DA gets the case! Like all politicians, they need money to run for office, and the most significant contributor in Nowhere is Al Graf and his Russian partners. The State and Local DA are just some republican Lightweight flunkies, and Russian Premier Takeout is Useless Lightweight’s mentor. As for the republicans, their former Senate Majority Leader Ken Pharisees was bought cheap. Takeout built an aluminum factory in his backward State, far, far away from any customers.
Clarence is not the sharpest tool in the toolbox, which is why he is a cop in Nowhere. Clarence did not learn much in school because all that reading interfered with his life. However, he does learn from experiences, both successes and failures. He heard stories about Graf’s drug business but decided it was none of his business. Al did take credit for the missing citizens, whom Clarence knew were numbnuts. So, when Clarence responded to Nicky’s whooping, he quickly knew who did it.
Al Graf told Clarence if he found those guys, ‘call me with this phone. Press the directory and then one!’ Clarence knew it was a burner phone that could not be traced to anybody. His best option was to go home or get drunk and hang out in his patrol car. Before figuring out what to do, he sees the two numbnuts, Daffy and Daffier, breaking into a storefront. Clarence did not realize it was the numbnuts he was looking for until he placed the cuffs on them. His options were gone, and down the rabbit hole he went!
Al met him in the local woods, and he viciously murdered them. Clarence watched Al beat the life out of ‘em. Al rolled the bodies up in a painter's drop cloth and then tossed them into the trunk of Clarence’s patrol car. Al told him to dump the bodies by the incinerator at the dump. What could he do? Al had everyone working for him in high places. Clarence wondered if Fred Sanford was part of the operation, just like the task force had. Clarence had no recourse.
This is what Julie is working with—a witness who should have or could have maybe done something different. Now, the witness is on the hook of two politically ambitious politicians. Both politicians have tremendous power and discretion, and they are District Attorneys. One of them will have jurisdiction over Clarence’s fate. The nagging question for Julie is, which one has the cleaner hands?
Legal ethics bind Julie, so discussing this case is dangerous for her, professionally and personally. So, she talks with her sister-in-law, Zelda, and Rod.
‘Rod, this is why I hate you! I am too close to this case. I know too much through back channels. I’m screwed; Clarence is as good as dead. And worse, the bad guys will get away with it!’ Julie points to her empty glass.
‘Yeah, living with your brother is no bed of roses! How about if the Feds take the case over?’ Zelda guesses this is an option.
‘Well, I don’t think so! The way the State and the local guys are duking it out, there is no way the Feds can march in and take the case out from under ‘em. The Feds would have to prove an underlying political corruption case. I know there is one, but it would be nearly impossible to prove it before the republican-conservative Supreme Court. I don’t see it!’ Julie is beaten.
Rod looks at the two ladies and says, 'Well, Clarence is in a safe spot. He is protected by the task force and Fred’s officers. But I don’t know! This is not good.’
‘Should Morris check with the good Sister of all-knowing?’ Zelda is just shooting spitballs.
‘Ahem, don’t know! Too many cooks spoil the broth! Or is it soup?’ Julie pours herself another. She is staying at Rod’s place.
Rod contributes, ‘Well, the DEA is on the task force. Maybe Fred Stanford could help us out! He is dying to get out of Nowhere, and this could be his ticket! I heard he’s a smart cop, a great detective, and a shitty administrator. A big bust like this could be his ticket.’
Julie likes the idea, but how does she pass the information about Daffy and Daffier’s death? Her question is: who is the conduit for the information to get Clarence out of jail and not blow up the whole task force’s drug case? ‘Hmmm! You know I need to take a trip to the shore for a few days.’ Julie announces something totally unrelated to the dilemma. Rod and Zelda shrug their shoulders and say good night. Sometimes, it is better not to know!