Read Under Suspicion - The Legend of D.B. Cooper Page 33
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door and Rodriguez stuck her head in. “Um, sir, Governor Wilson is on the phone, do you want me to transfer it in?”
There was a long pause, then Cranston said in a calm voice, “Yes, I’ll take it.” When the phone rang he picked it up immediately. “Governor Wilson, what a pleasant surprise, what can I do for you?” he said cheerfully.
“Director Cranston, I think you should reconsider the action you’re taking with regards to Agent Bradley,” Wilson said calmly.
“Agent Bradley has broken departmental procedures and interfered with an investigation being conducted by other agents. He endangered himself and other agents by pulling off a dare devil stunt.”
“Don’t tell me about procedure, Cranston. From what I’ve been told, your entire department was involved in that bust last night. All except Bradley, that is,” Wilson said with increased emotion. “Besides, that boy gets results!”
“I can’t allow him to endanger the lives of other agents with his hotshot attitude,” Cranston insisted.
“Did you see the news this morning, Director? Bradley looks like some sort of super cop. Heck! Mayor Demsey and I are on the front page of the paper with him today! Do you know what voters will do to me if they find out he was suspended because of procedure? It will look like Pontius Pilot crucifying the Savior.”
“I’m not concerned with your problems, Mr. Governor, I’ve got plenty of my own.” Cranston was starting to get hot under the collar.
There was a long pause before Wilson continued. “I’m playing golf with some of my friends in Internal Affairs this morning,” he said calmly. “Don’t force me to suggest changes that you can’t live with.” Cranston’s heart fell to the floor when he heard this. “I hope we understand each other,” Wilson said before he hung up the phone.
Cranston slumped in his seat, deflated by his situation. He sat silently listening to the dial tone for a moment before slowly hanging up the receiver. He then took a long drink from his Pepto bottle and walked slowly out of the office. Bradley’s luck would eventually run out, he thought, and he hoped he would be around when it did. He walked up to Rodriguez and said in a quiet voice, “Call Bradley. Tell him that he is to report back to his marijuana case immediately.”
“Yes sir,” she said as she looked over at O’Leary. Cranston walked slowly past O’Leary without saying a word.
He looked old and defeated, O’Leary thought. He stared at the man’s sunken eyes and lifeless face as Cranston continued down the hall.
Just then Anderson walked up hurriedly with an armful of papers. “I think I’ve got everything we need,” he said almost out of breath.
“Good, now put it all back where you found it,” O’Leary ordered. “It looks like we lost another one.”
With a surprised look on his face, Anderson did a double take between O’Leary and Rodriguez, then back to O’Leary. As the realization of it set in, Anderson set the papers on his desk and slowly sat down.