When Truth Prevails (eBook)

Chapter 6 Target: Bailey

The next morning Alicia was still steaming over Professor Bailey's refusal to help on the task force, or was she still smarting from the Navy case? Alicia couldn't be sure.

She burned herself on the coffeepot and spilled coffee on her best silk blouse. She was already going to be late for a staff meeting on the case. As she hurried to change her blouse, she snagged her panty hose on the closet door. That's it! How can I let this guy get to me?

Alicia sat down on the bed and gazed into the mirror above the dresser. Looking herself in the eye for a few moments, she regained her composure. Then, with a new determination, set out for the office.

Dr. Morney's tone was less than cheery, and it was clear he was concerned about the technical portion of the case. Alicia reassured him that she would contact Professor Bailey and persuade him to cooperate. The remainder of the meeting was concerned with rather mundane items. Alicia covered the items of direct interest and turned the meeting back to Dr. Morney. She excused herself and headed for Bailey's office at SCU. It was time for things to start moving her way.

"Professor Bailey is in one of the labs reviewing some research this morning. May I give him a message upon his return?" The secretary had a friendly although very business-like and protective air about her. Alicia decided to try to get to Bailey on a personal basis. "Tell Mr. Bailey that an old Navy buddy wants to talk to him. Ask him to call me at this number when convenient." She jotted her office number on a scrap of paper and handed it to the secretary, wondering if he would bite. Did he have any Navy buddies -- especially female buddies? If he did, would he care to hear from any of them?

Alicia decided she would give him three hours to call her, and if he did not, there would be hell to pay! Then she caught herself. What is this all about? Why am I so pissed at this guy? The trial affair was obviously not forgiven. Not by a long shot! Her gut was in knots. Control, girl, control.

She screeched out of the parking lot, turning heads in wonder at who was driving like an idiot across the campus. Alicia flew along Bellomy, hung a vicious left into Alameda, and had to break fast as the first light turned red. After impatiently waiting out a few more red lights, she realized she had missed the turn onto Hedding. Regaining some amount of control, she decided to use Taylor back to the office. Luck was with her, and no one recognized her in her Santa Clara County pool car.

Alicia had recovered some composure and retreated from the traffic-menace state of mind that had entrapped her as she left Professor Bailey's office. She remembered the calm, considered, thorough and measured manner of the man responsible for burning her soul with humiliation so long ago. I WILL overcome this sophomore attitude! I AM just as smart as he is! Besides, this isn't about either of us, this is about a humanitarian need, and we must all respond with all our talent and effort!

The thoughts of the humanitarian need seemed to help her train her mind on the task ahead. The way to handle him, she thought, was to very calmly and deliberately lay out the reasons why Bailey HAD to sign up for the project! She pulled into the county garage and found a parking spot. Inside the office, she closed the door, kicked off her shoes, and dived onto her office sofa armed with the project tech file.

The knock on her door startled Alicia from her concentration. She sat upright, her heart pounding as she reoriented herself. "Just a moment," she said as she scrambled for her shoes and adjusted her skirt. "Come in," she said.

District Attorney Len Sheppard slowly opened the door and walked toward her: "Wondered why no one has heard a peep from you all afternoon," he said. "Are you OK?"

"Yes, thanks, I was just studying the technical file on the case and became engrossed in planning the next phase," she said.

Alicia glanced at the clock. Five-ten. A twinge of anger came over her as she realized there had been no call.

"I'm going for a cup of coffee," said Len. " Join me, Alicia? You look like you might use a cup as well. Got two councilmen coming over to grill me about the status of our case at six."

"Yes, that sounds like a welcome break! Can you give me a minute?" asked Alicia. "Sure." Said Len as he moved to sit in a comfortable chair near the window.

Alicia carefully put the files back in order, got up and smiled at Len: "Ok. Thanks for waiting. Let's hit The Coffee Shop before they close."

The Coffee Shop was a small deli on the ground floor of the building. As the DA and his assistant sat down with their coffee, the sun dropped behind the buildings to the west, and the manager turned on the lights. The outside view through the floor to ceiling windows dimmed, and the two were the only customers in a glaringly bright room.

"I couldn't wait any longer to find out how your preparations for the case are going. The pressure I'm getting on this is unreal. Do you have anything to tell me yet?" Len had a regretful look about him, but it was clear he was pressing the point.

What a hard time for Len, thought Alicia. He has always championed the causes of the injured! Now he was up against most of the commercial interests that had supported him over the years. His heart and his head must be at great odds.

Len had supported her completely in almost every situation, even when he did not agree with her position or approach. She must provide everything she had to help him with the big dogs. She didn't have much yet. The knot was back in her stomach.

"I am going all out to develop a cause and affect relationship between the contaminants and the disease statistics, but it is not going well. Without that, I don't think I can convince the grand jury to indict. If we don't get an indictment, there may only be a civil case." Suddenly wishing she had been more tactful, or less summarizing, or something, Alicia stopped to survey the effect of her blunt analysis of the case on her boss.

For an instant she saw coldness in his look. In the next instant he softened, and smiled faintly at her as he said. "This is a difficult position to be in. We must not only stop this careless corporate behavior, but punish the culprits as well. I sense you're forming a plan. Is there anything I can contribute?"

"Your support is everything at this point. I can't tell you much else yet, but I am working on a plan. It involves some high tech expertise, and I am working to hire a scientist to undertake the job. He is reluctant, but I should know more in a day or two," Alicia replied with a reassuring smile.

Len frowned over his coffee. "Trouble getting a commitment? People challenges are my stuff, Alicia! Can I help?"

"Maybe," she said. "But I need to play out a hand first. I will let you know tomorrow. Thanks for the offer."

Len finished the last bit of his coffee. "I have to get back up to meet our friends from the council," he said.

"I'm going back up too," Alicia replied as they both got up to leave. "Thanks for the coffee, and especially for the support!" she said. He nodded, and they silently walked together to the elevator.

Alicia changed her mind as Len left the elevator for his office. I'm hungry, tired, and still angry! What's up with that, she thought. She had the file cold. Time to relax a bit and recoup for the next round. She pushed the Parking button on the elevator panel.

Alicia pulled into her garage and got out of the car. Without her characteristic check to insure the automatic garage door had closed correctly, she strode into the apartment. She scrambled some eggs, drank some orange juice, showered, and slept.

Alan Bailey's mind was consumed by the data disaster. He had done all he could at this point, but was still bothered by the possibility of other options and opportunities. Alan found himself wondering what Gloria would have done, how she would have advised him. Things were different then. Gloria had the foresight to believe in complicated projects like Newcell, the project to develop communications systems based upon emulation of the brain's neural concepts.

After Gloria's death, the Lancing Foundation became more conservative and declined further funding for risky projects like Newcell.

A consortium of governmental and industrial backers provided follow-on funding. A committee drawn from the participants administered the project. Management and direction by committee was not very efficient, and milestones began to slip. Alan was not used to that, and it bothered him deeply. With exceptional effort, the team kept the work going.

Alan shook his head as if to clear his thoughts of Gloria, picked up the phone and started returning the calls accumulated during the day while he made his first survey of the data file disaster. He saved the phantom Navy buddy for last. This could be fun. Who was it?

"This is Assistant District Attorney Alicia Gerome. I am not able to answer your call at this time. Please leave a message including your name and phone number. I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you."

Alan Bailey never got angry. He prided himself in being the logical, non-emotive open-minded scientist at all times. Alan was ANGRY! He instantly remembered the name as he listened to the phone message. How could this arrogant, ill-mannered twit consider herself "an old Navy buddy"?

He had survived a day wherein his best graduate assistant had managed to erase computer files containing...