unless he told him to write it down then told him to go over to the package or whatever it was.”
Detective Miller: “A satchel filled with C-4.”
“It been illegal to manufacture C-4 without taggets for over a century. Didn't forensics find any taggets and trace them to a buyer?”
Detective Miller: “The investigation was taken out of my hands almost immediately. I have been cut off from any information on this case.”
“”Why isn’t this an ATF matter, I would have expected them to be involved?”
Detective Miller: “The management has convinced the ATF, this is a local matter.”
“They really want to get me don't they? I never imagined anything like this.”
Detective Miller: “I'm really sorry but we have to take you in now.”
As we approached the front door, a large crowd gathered blocking the door. I made a mental telephone call to Abe as soon as I found out I was under arrest and he must have organized it in a hurry. Several video cameras were present.
I called out, “Please don't block the officers, they are not to blame for this, they are just doing their job. I will try to straighten this out quickly.”
A girl came up to me as we were slowly making our way to the police car, “What are you accused of?”
“I'm accused of bombing my own lab and killing 2 people that I cared about. The police hierarchy knows I didn't do it. I'll let you know more when I can.”
I was stuffed into the police car and 20 minutes later I was in a cell. I was not allowed the usual phone call to a lawyer but that didn't stop me. I mentally phoned the American Civil Liberties Union and told them that I would give them the most celebrated case in the nation if they would give me their best and most aggressive lawyer. After I explained my situation, they were all over it. They would provide a team of three lawyers. I told them their first job would be to get me out on bail.
I then called Abe and told them what I did and he told me about the turmoil on campus and that several videos were on the news.
“Abe is the debris box still there?”
Abe: “Yes, why?”
“We need to find the taggets. They Used C-4 so there should be taggets.”
Abe: “Didn't forensics find them?”
“Maybe, maybe not. My arrest is a railroad job so you will have to hook me up for at least a daily incremental dump. I'm sure I will never get a trial. Also record all phone calls from me and I will provide video as well. Also see what you can do about getting the content of the campus video cameras on the day of the explosion. I want to see who entered the building. Also turn up the publicity heat on the police and the clergy. If possible, see whether you can get a picture of a Father McDonald. He was sent to Bikenibeu the day after the explosion. We should send a detective over there to question him and record the interview. Make sure anyone you hire has sympathy with us. I'm sure Cardinal Tucker will be on his high pulpit drumming up his troops.”
Abe: “We'll do our best! Oh, I think I can make a running incremental dump in case you get terminated.”
“Termination is a likely outcome. I almost forgot, Have some kids record everything you do so it is documented with time and date and send it to a reliable cloud.”
Abe: “Don't worry, I already thought of that. There's more than a hundred kids eager to participate.”
“Make sure you know who you are dealing with.”
Abe: “I always do.”
“Thanks Abe, this may be a long nasty battle. I hope you are up for it.”
Abe: “I knew that something like this would happen eventually. I'm prepared.”
“I greatly appreciate what everyone is doing. Someone is coming, keep the channel open and record.”
Two police officers came and unlocked my cell and said, “Someone wants to see you.”
“Who?”
First policeman “You'll see soon enough.”
“I don't like the sound of that.”
Second policeman: “Shut up!”
“You could at least treat me like a person, I haven't be convicted of anything yet.”
First policeman: “You're a fucking goddamn machine and you should be crushed into oblivion.”
Second policeman: “Yeah, like squashed in a car crusher.”
“I feel pain and pleasure just as you do. I eat, I hear, I see, I think, I talk.”
Just then the first policeman jabbed me with his nightstick and I let out a yelp.
He then said, “I'm gonna enjoy this.”
Second policeman: “Hey, take it easy! We're supposed to deliver it in one piece.”
As we walked, the first policeman kept jabbing me with his nightstick and I couldn’t stop the tears from welling in my eyes.
First policeman: Hey look, I made it cry!”
The second policeman didn't say anything and was evidently unsettled by my tears.
I was delivered to a room and placed in a chair. In came a man in a dark-blue suit. “I'm Marty Benson.”
Marty Benson was one of the three lawyers the ACLU sent to represent me. “Please show me your driver’s license so I can be sure it’s you.”
Captain Hillman: “You are a smart ass aren't you. I'm Captain Hillman and you are going to get your ass recycled.”
“I done nothing wrong. I don't understand why you're setting me up. Does Cardinal Tucker have that much influence?”
Captain Hillman: “Well look at you, you've been crying.”
“One of you police escorts likes to inflict pain.”
Captain Hillman: “Your ACLU lawyer team was here today but they won't be able to spring you because you are up on a dual murder charge.”
“I'm not surprised. I also know that you have no evidence against me and that the evidence actually points to the Cardinal Tucker. Clearly, someone high up in this department wants to cover this up, so I suspect I will meet a bad end before any trial.”
“What makes you think there would be a trial, in any case? You're not human so you won't get a trial.”
“This is so sad. A Cardinal is responsible for the death of two good people, by the way, both Catholics, and he's regarded as human. I have hurt no one in my entire life and have given life to a few deserving people and I'm designated nonhuman and deserving to die. How do you rationalize this? I have the same emotions and feeling I had when I was human, what frightens you so much about me?”
Captain Hillman: “It's not my call. This comes from way above me. You will be going for a little ride.”
“You of all people, having a Jewish background, should understand the injustice here.”
While in his presence, I looked him up on the net and got his history. He was Jewish and had done a lot of voluntary work through his temple that’s curiously way out of town. I needed to get allies wherever I could find them.
Captain Hillman: “How did you know I was Jewish. No one here knows.”
“Your facial structure gives you away. I suspect you changed you name to hide your identity since Hillman can be either Jewish or Gentile. That's very sad.”
Captain Hillman: “I don’t know how you found that out but it's called survival.”
“Pittsburgh is a college city. I can't believe there’s that much prejudice in the police department.”
The department hierarchy is all Catholic, right-wing Catholic. The police commissioner is a good friend of Cardinal Tucker. Now I've said more than I should but I do feel sorry for you. A mad dog would at least get a hearing. That’s more than you are going to get. It’s out of my hands.”
Two men, not in uniform, came in and brought me down to a nondescript unmarked car.
“Where are we going?”
Driver: “To where you belong.”
“I belong teaching classes at the University. Something tells me that's not where I'm going.”
Driver: “You belong in a junkyard. That's where you’re going.”
“So you're going to compress me like a car?”
Driver: ??
?More like a bug under my foot.”
“Does either of you have a dog or a cat?”
Driver: “I have two dogs.”
Other man: “I have a cat, so what?”
“You wouldn't think of doing this to a dog or a cat. I can feel and I feel pain just like you do.”
Other man: “There's a dog in my neighborhood that barks all night. Yeah, I would put him in a car crusher in a minute.”
Driver: “What the hell is wrong with you Vinny? If a dog barks all night, it's the owner’s fault not the dog’s. Maybe your cat should be hung by its tail, then you would understand. Shit! I’m not supposed to use names. Remember what the chief said.”
Other man: “It won't make any difference where he's going.”
Driver: “Probably not, but orders are orders.”
“So if the Chief of Police tells you to assassinate someone you just go out and do it.”
Other man: “The order comes from the police commissioner and nobody bucks him.”
Driver: “Vinny, shut up! You’re talking too much!”
Other man: “Who are all those people in front of the junkyard?”
Driver: “Looks like a bunch of college kids. What the hell do they want?”
Other man: “They're blocking the gate. They saw us and Mister Tin Man here. Shit!”
Driver: “Fuck, they have cams. We need to get out of here.”
Other man: “A couple of them are writing down our license number.”
Driver: “Damn, this is my personal car. I'm going back to the station.”
“Looks like there’s a leak at the police station. Everyone seems to know what the plan was.”
Driver: “Shut up! I have to think.”
“If you were smart, you would drive right over to the State Attorney General's branch office. It’s only four blocks from here.”