The Road Study

By D. E. Harrison

What could possibly be so important that a TV network would consider helping their closest competitor get a bigger market share, if even for only two days? Would they ever get their viewers back?

Can anyone believe the scrolling message at the bottom of their TVs, from the #2 late-night talk show coming from the east coast?
It reads, “This network encourages its loyal viewers to turn into the late-night show at 11:30 pm from the west coast on the other network on Thursday and Friday of this week. They are airing live, a public service segment for the first 10 minutes of their show. There will not be a mono-log on either late-night show on either day.
“Our viewers are encouraged to return to our late-night show, after viewing the segment. It will not be shown on our stations until Monday. This message will appear several times during tonight’s late-night talk show.”

Then on Monday, the #1 late-night west coast talk show host is telling its viewers they should tune into the east coast late night talk show at 11:30 pm.

What do the following people have in common?
Four senior TV executives from two competing TV networks are meeting in secret about the airing of a public service announcements on both networks.
An old man dressed like a homeless person counting cars in downtown Seattle.
A dark-haired man with a beard leaving a LA TV studio and flying to NY City.
A not so younger man dressed fit to kill in the NY TV studio audience.
An older red-haired matron getting into a taxi in front of a TV studio in NY City.

Why are large security guards guarding a glass jar, in a room for a day in a NY City hotel? Why watch a jar that was secured in a NY bank vault for the weekend.
Does the Jar contain the answers to these strange actions and questions?

• Language: English
• Publisher: D. E. Harrison
• Release date: Jun 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463118245

D. E. Harrison

I am trained as a theoretical mathematician. I am an emeritus member of the American Mathematical Society for fifty odd years. I have lived in Seattle since 1967. I starting writing fiction after writing a family history.

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The Road Study

By D. E. Harrison

Copyright 2006 by D. E. Harrison

Smashwords Edition

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1 Bicycle Duty

Chapter 2 Gathering More Car Data

Chapter 3 The Meeting in New York City

Chapter 4 The Second Meeting in New York

Chapter 5 The Meeting in Los Angles

Chapter 6 Back in NY City

Chapter 7 New Air Times for both Late Night Talk Shows

Chapter 8 The First Showing of the Public Announcement

Chapter 9 The Trip to New York

Chapter 10 Monday’s Happenings

Epilogue

About D. E. Harrison

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Prologue

In the Seattle police roll call for uniformed foot and bicycle patrols, the usual cautions have been given. The Sergeant barks. Anything else for the good of the cause?

From the back of the room comes. Sergeant, I talked with an old guy at 3td and Pike. Saw him yesterday at 3td and Pine. He is not that well-dressed. Said he was counting cars. He had a clip board. Never seemed to bother anyone. He was out of the way of the foot traffic.

The Sergeant shakes his head. As long as he is only counting and does not take any – we do not care.

It is mid-summer in Seattle, which means the rain is warm and it rains no more than four out of seven days. Unless you have relatives from out of town. Then it rains eight out of seven days.

The bike patrols notice the car counter is now on 2nd avenue and Union. In two days he is moving south on 2nd. In several days he is found in the University of Washington district. Up here he blends in fairly well and is not noticed that much.

Whenever possible the roll call Sergeant likes to lighten the dreary items any time he can.

He says. It seems our car counter has counted every car in downtown Seattle. Campus police reports he is up there counting. Take your rain gear, they are forecasting sunshine for the tourists. It will rain for sure.

And it does rain. You can tell the tourists just by looking, they have umbrellas, or run between dry spots. The natives bask in the warm rain.

The next day at roll call, at the end. Sergeant, I saw the old car counter again, down by James. He said he wanted to do some counting in the rain.

The old car counter is seen for the next few days in the rain. The report of the old car counter has been slowly but steadily moving up the chain of command in the Seattle police department.

Chapter 1 Bicycle Duty

Officer RJ is staring at the poster on the precinct wall that talks about drunk driving. He routinely stares at the posters while the Captain is giving his twice monthly pep talk to the two officer car patrol units. It changes some, but not much. The most important is the very last. Everyone hears this one – watch your partners back."

The Captain is your typical six foot three, 235 lbs. officer. He points at officer RJ as the roll call breaks up,

Officer RJ if I could see you in my office. Your partner called in sick, so you are free for today.

In the Captain’s office officer RJ is not offered a seat, the Captain sits, The Chief wants to see you after roll call.

Captain, any idea why the Chief wants to see me?

Officer RJ, the Chief and I did not have any pillow talk this the morning. Dismissed.

The Chief’s office is way up in the administration building. Officer RJ has never been in there before. In the elevator everyone looks at the uniformed officer riding up. As he gets off, the signs point down the hall to the mayor’s, council member’s and the Chief of police offices. The Chief’s door is half glass, his name is painted on the door. Below it are the words, ‘welcome – come in.’

Officer RJ removes his hat and tucks it under his left arm as he goes in. The waiting room is as large as his front room at home, maybe a little bigger. At one side is his secretary’s desk, with a couch and several side chairs against the window.

Before he can speak, she does, Officer RJ, the Chief is expecting you. Please follow me.

They go down a hall that has one door on the left and they go to the second door on her right. She does not knock but goes right in.

The Chief is out