The Consultant: A Suspense Thriller the Iron Eagle Series Book: 33

By Roy A. Teel, Jr.

“The Devil is in the Details.”

Back Matter:
Every political campaign has its drama, and the California Gubernatorial race is no different. As Tracy Olson gains ground on incumbent William Martin, though, the sudden suicide of her high-profile campaign manager rocks her team to the core. The death, however, is quickly ruled a homicide, and the ensuing investigation leads to a host of criminals with connections to Silicon Valley and a series of unsolved cases dating back years. What Assistant FBI Director John Swenson and Sheriff Jim O’Brian uncover requires a full team effort to solve yet leaves the Iron Eagle questioning if any amount of justice befitting the crimes can truly be exacted.
Inside Flap:
Tracy Olson is an up-and-coming political personality in California. While her politics are attractive to voters, she’s seen as a threat to the inner workings of state government. Just as her campaign starts to heat up, her very powerful and popular campaign manager, Terry Malcom, suddenly commits suicide. When her body is discovered by staffers, police call in Jade Morgan and Jessica Holmes from the coroner’s office. What looks on the surface like a suicide turns out to be anything but.
When the actual cause of death turns out to be murder, it raises suspicion about the mysterious deaths of several other political figures in California. A diabolical group of power players is working with a hitman and ridding themselves of their adversaries, sending the Eagle down the rabbit hole of both political and psychological warfare that threatens the very fabric of our republic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Narroway Press
• Release date: Nov 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781943107650

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Jade and Jessica think the death is suspicious.

Jade Morgan and Jessica Holmes had just ordered the body of Campaign Chairperson Terry Malcom to be placed in a body bag and removed from her condominium in Long Beach. They concluded that Malcom’s death was, at least, suspicious and most likely a homicide staged to look like a suicide. Long Beach police were wrapping up, and California gubernatorial candidate Tracy Olson was reeling from Terry’s death, as was her Executive Assistant Sean Zink. The two had returned to the campaign bus where Mary Todd, Sean’s assistant, was sitting in stunned silence with the rest of the members of Tracy’s team. Reporters clamored for answers to share with their outlets. Olson was the front runner in the election over rival incumbent Governor William Martin, who was seeking a second and final term. The race had been contentious. Olson worked for Martin for two years at the beginning of his administration but resigned her position and even changed political parties. She made no secret of disliking him; the two were staunch political adversaries.

While the bus headed for a town hall meeting in downtown LA, the small group of volunteers tried to calm each other and help Tracy get her head on straight.

Tracy, as hard as it is right now, you have to put this out of your mind and stay on message, Sean said with great difficulty. Mary nodded in agreement while Tracy read over the speech written by Terry.

I just feel like I’m disrespecting her memory by not stopping and mourning her. What will the public think of me stumping for votes as my campaign manager lays dead by her own hand?

Mary patted Tracy’s shoulder. Terry would want you to keep moving. Make a statement with regard to her death, allow those in attendance to take in the news, and then dedicate your speech to her and move on.

With less than two weeks left before the election, I know that we must keep going in order to keep Martin off my back.

Sean was looking out the window. Even Governor Martin is going to have to acknowledge Terry’s death; he has no choice and will be calling you with his condolences.

Like he’ll mean it. To him, it will be just another opportunity to exploit one of my closest friends for political gain.

The bus was coming to a stop outside the Staples Center where hundreds of screaming people had assembled. As sad as you feel right now, Terry’s death just might get you even more positive attention. Terry was well-known, and her death might trigger the sympathy vote.

We are not going to exploit my best friend’s suicide for votes, Tracy said angrily.

We won’t have to. You just have to keep on message and push through this.

The bus doors opened, and several LAPD units stood nearby as reporters and support staff exited the bus followed by Sean and Mary. Tracy popped her head out and waved to the chanting and screaming crowd.

Sara was in her office with Cindy O’Brian and Beth Schultz, the new hospital psychiatrist. The three women were meeting for the second time since Beth came onboard to take over the practice of the late Karen Mantel. Cindy and Beth appeared to get along fine, and the conversation revolved around patient load and both women’s ability to handle the increasing need for their services.

One of the issues I have, Sara, is that the hospital psychology department is understaffed. We could use a few good clinicians to reduce our caseloads and allow us to free up more clinic hours. The terrorist plot that took down the condominium complex in Hollywood has people seeking help.

I understand, Beth, but we would need to make room for more inpatient beds and invest in a significant building renovation.

I have to agree with Beth, Sara. We are both overloaded; I’m even turning people away. We’re both on the threshold of closing our own practices to new patients, and that would be terrible for us and the hospital. We really need to do some hiring, and instead of recreating the wheel, why don’t we take over the west wing of the hospital where the old children’s hospital was located? With the Chris and Karen Mantel Pediatric Hospital complete, the old hospital would be perfect for us, and the renovation expenses would be minimal.

Sara was taking notes on her tablet and said, That’s a really good idea! The space is vacant, so I can get our contractors to work on it immediately. I’m sure you could start working over there in just a matter of weeks.

All three women smiled and shook hands then Beth looked down at her watch and said, I must excuse myself. I have a patient waiting.

After she left, Sara asked, How are things really going with you and Beth?

Really well. She’s a bit eccentric, but who in her field isn’t? She definitely has OCD. Not too bad, but she obsesses over files and patients sometimes. She has a set order to her office and schedule and gets very upset when things are not to her liking.

As long as she is a good doctor and the two of you get along.

We do. I’m glad to have someone back on staff. Using outside help was really slowing down the process.

Okay, great. I’ll get started on the space and let you both know when we’ll have an estimated completion date. Cindy smiled and walked out of the office. Sara put her tablet on her desk and poured herself a cup of coffee then her cellphone rang. It was John.

Have you seen the news this morning?

No. Why? What’s wrong?

Terry Malcom committed suicide.

Oh my God. That isn’t possible. She was so full of life.

Jade and Jessica were on scene, and the press couldn’t wait to get it out to the general public. I thought you should hear it from me. I know you two were close.

Very close. I can’t imagine what would have driven her to do something like this. She was so invested in Tracy Olson’s gubernatorial run and was doing really, really well. They have been rocketing up in the polls and are giving Martin a hell of a run for his money.

Well, Jade and Jessica think her death is suspicious. They detected chloroform near her mouth and nose and are performing the autopsy as we speak.

If they are using the state crime lab, that could take weeks. If they want faster results, send them over to Mark Bench.

I will let them know. Are you going to be okay?

Yes. Suicide is always shocking, but if there was foul play, I want to know about that, too.

As do I, Sara. As do I.

Jade and Jessica had completed Terry’s autopsy and sent vials of blood to the state crime lab on rush. The two women were cleaning up when they received a page over the intercom that John Swenson was holding for them. They sat down and put John on speaker phone. Morning, John. To what do we owe the honor of your call?

You said Malcom’s death looked suspicious. Sara’s pretty broken up and offered to loan you her lab to get results faster.

That would be great, John! I will have one of my people run some blood over to Northridge and give it to Mark.

Are you finished with the autopsy?

Yes. Death due to hanging but that doesn’t explain the smell of chloroform on the victim’s face. Jess and I still believe that this is a wrongful death, possibly a homicide.

Given the political climate in this state, it’s important to get the facts fast, so we all know what happened.

I’m going to take the samples to Mark myself, Jessica said. Let him know I’m on my way.

Jade nodded and then asked John to tell her about his conversation with Jessica about Cook and Cartwright.

It’s simple. Jessica was certain she could do what the Eagle does, and I convinced her that she couldn’t.

Well, a sense of calm has come over her that I have never seen.

She understands her limitations now. Jessica is an aggressive young woman, and she has her own demons, but she isn’t a killer. She can dish it out if she gets the perp with all of the ‘I’s’ dotted and ‘T’s’ crossed. If she understands the crime, she can deal with it as effectively as I can as the Eagle. But it’s the work she has to do before getting to that point that she knows she can’t do and that’s important.

Are you going to allow her more access to Eagle punishment?

If she wants it. She could be a huge asset to me and Sara.

That worries me, John. You don’t know her like I do. She’s passionate in everything she does, and I still feel that this could lead her down a road that could get her killed.

In the confines of my lair, I have no concerns about something like that.

It’s not when she’s under your watchful eye or the Eagle’s. What if she learns of something and decides to take someone out on her own?

You can’t stop her, Jade. Jessica is a grown woman. I can teach her a great deal about discipline and respect for the process.

John, you trained over the course of decades. You were killing before Jessica was born. She has no military background, no deep black operative training, no real-world battle experience. She has no training in profiling a killer. She is young and idealistic; she looks at what the Eagle does as a public service without understanding the dedication and discipline that you have learned over decades. I would feel much better if you would just let her work here. If she gets hunches, she can run them by you and let you take it from there.

She is more concerned with what will happen if I am no longer here.

I’m concerned about that, too.

Let’s take it one day at a time. I will keep everything you’ve said in mind. Now, let’s find out if Terry Malcom’s death was truly a suicide.

Mark Bench was standing in front of a centrifuge when Jessica walked in. I have been expecting you.

Jessica handed him several bags of blood, and he put them into different units as Jessica took a seat. Mark set up two centrifuges then asked, What are we looking for?

Chloroform.

How recent was the death?

Less than six hours ago.

Mark nodded. If it’s just chloroform, it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. If you want more comprehensive tests for blood gases and drugs, it will take a few hours.

If there is chloroform, and the levels are high enough to knock someone out, we will have our answer.

Mark sat down at his desk as Jessica picked up a small medical journal and started thumbing through it. She asked how he was doing, and he said, Can’t complain. Work keeps me busy. Judy’s married and on her own, and Tabitha just started college, so the house is quiet. I don’t spend much time there anymore.

Are you ever going to remarry?

I’m not even thinking about it, Jessica. I like my life now, and after all the shit that went down years ago, I just want to keep things the way they are. Jessica was about to say something but stopped herself. Mark looked at her and worked up a halfhearted smile. And I’ve let go of the past.

The centrifuge signaled, and Mark read over the results on his screen then said, Based on the levels of chloroform in Terry Malcom’s blood, there is no way she could have hung herself. It’s a homicide, Jessica. Good call.

CHAPTER TWO

The devil is always in the details.

Governor William Martin was on the line with Tracy Olson. I send you my deepest condolences. I have known her for years and would never have expected anything like this.

Tracy was sitting alone in a campaign office and preparing to head down the coast. Cut the bullshit, Bill. You couldn’t be more relieved. Terry and I are handing you your ass on a platter. You and I still have one more debate before the election. Don’t you forget that.

William was quiet but only for a second. I’m not in any way, shape, or form relieved by Terry’s suicide, Tracy, and I take great offense to your statement. I cared deeply for her. She worked on many of my campaigns through the years. I knew her longer than you did, and I know about her battle with depression and alcohol.

She had some issues through the years, but she has been clean and sober for over a decade. She was going to be my chief of staff.

Well, while this is a devastating situation, I want you to know how I feel, and I look forward to the home stretch of the election.

I feel your hand in this, Bill. If one of your cronies was involved in her death, I’m going to make sure you go down hard.

You have the audacity to accuse me of being involved in the suicide of your campaign manager? This isn’t some crime novel. People do the unexpected every day. You’re walking a tight rope, Tracy. Don’t let your emotions or imagination get the better of you.

I didn’t imagine all the shit you did while I was working for you. I know what you’re capable of, and I know the lengths you will go to remain in power.

I send my condolences, Tracy. Good luck until we meet on the debate stage again. William hung up the phone in his office and sat back in his chair. Lieutenant Governor Keith Wheelers was sitting across the desk from him.

Sounds like that call could have gone better.

She accused me of playing some role in Terry’s death.

Tracy has always been very emotional, Bill. I’m sure she didn’t mean it.

Be that as it may, the last thing we need is some specter over our campaign. The mere mention of my name in connection with Malcom’s death could undermine our campaign.

Did you have anything to do with Terry’s death?

For fuck’s sake, Keith! Of course not.

Then don’t worry about it. We have bigger fish to fry. You have a fundraiser lunch in an hour and then a town hall in San Francisco. Tracy will move on with her life just as we all will. Let’s just focus on the prize.

Jade was in her office when Jessica walked in with her tablet and a single sheet of paper. She handed it to Jade, who looked at it then looked down at her cellphone. Shit. We have a homicide. This is in Jim’s jurisdiction. It will be up to him if he wants to get John involved.

Well, I have a nose for these things. Let’s look for bruising or other marks on the victim’s sides. The killer would’ve lifted her up. I didn’t notice any bruising on her sides during the autopsy because of the blood drop to her feet. It could have been covered after death.

The only way we could see if there was any bruising or handprints on the body would be to bring it up to temperature and then use fluids to fill the arteries, but we have already removed most of the main circulatory arteries.

Then we will have to inject fluids to specific locations to see what we get. She hasn’t been dead for 24 hours, and we have kept her on ice. We should be able to do this.

Let’s do another visual examination of the body before we start pumping in fluids. They can cause the body to look bruised even when it wasn’t at the time of death. You know that postmortem bruising is very, very common.

The two women pulled Terry’s body out of the cooler and removed the sheet covering her. They moved her to a gurney and wheeled her into the autopsy room then began looking over her sides and back. Jade and Jessica were handling Terry’s body very gently, and Jessica was looking with a magnifying glass in her hand while Jade used the larger piece of equipment. Jade called for Jessica to hold the body in one position, and she was looking very closely and taking images of the skin surface.

There are hand and finger marks on both sides of her body, Jessica. They are very faint due to lack of blood. They wouldn’t show up as bruises if we embalmed her. I don’t see any fingerprints, though, so the killer was wearing gloves.

Jessica was marking the locations on the body with a blue marker as Jade called out their location while photographing them. When they had finished, the body was placed back in the cooler, and they went back to Jade’s office.

Okay … so we know we have a homicide. She was drugged then stripped and hung. This is no suicide.

Jade called Jim and told him what they had found. He asked that the information be sent over to him and said he would deal with it.

Jim received the reports and promptly called John and said, Jade and Jessica confirmed that Terry Malcom’s death was a homicide.

How did they come to their conclusion?

The fuckin’ woman had high levels of chloroform in her bloodstream. There’s no way she could have stripped down, neatly folded her clothes then stepped onto a stool and hung herself. They also found markings near her waist and upper body. Now we know we have a murder. The thing we need to find out is what motivated it.

It’s not my case, Jim. It’s yours.

The assistant to a woman running for governor is murdered, and you don’t want to get in the middle of it?

If you want assistance, I’m happy to help, but there’s little to go on.

There is nothing to go on … at least at the moment. I want to interview Tracy Olson and her staff to see if they knew of anyone who might want to kill Terry.

Who inventoried Ms. Malcom’s personal effects at the crime scene?

My CSI team gathered her clothing as well as some personal items, a laptop, a tablet, and her cellphone.

Get me the crime scene photos.

Why?

I wasn’t on scene. I want to see what everything looked like when the EMTs and your men got there. Has anyone tried to access any of the victim’s devices?

No. The body was barely cold, John. I just learned it is a homicide. We will do things in order.

Get everything out of evidence. If I’m going to get involved, I’m going to want to go over everything that woman had. The devil is always in the details, and there might just be information on one or all of her devices that could help us find her killer.

Okay. I’ll have the evidence pulled and sent over to your office. Do you want Sandy and Sophia to handle it?

Yes. They can work on the evidence while we talk to Ms. Olson’s staff members.

Consider it done.

In the meantime, I’ll run Terry through our databases to see if there have been any altercations that might develop leads on who might have wanted her dead.

That works for me. Jim hung up the line and called Tracy Olson. When she answered, he said, This is Sheriff Jim O’Brian. We need to speak.

Tracy was still sitting in her office as her staff was preparing the bus to head out of town. I am getting ready for several campaign rallies, Sheriff O’Brian.

It’s important, Ms. Olson. Your assistant didn’t commit suicide. She was murdered.

Oh my God!

I need to talk with you as well as the staff that worked with her. I know you’re in the middle of a campaign. I am as well, but this has to take priority over that at this moment.

I understand. What do you want me to do?

I will come to you as will Assistant Director Swenson.

The FBI is involved?

I have asked them to assist. There are a lot of unanswered questions, and we need to interview everyone who worked with the victim.

You don’t think that someone working my campaign had anything to do with this, do you?

There’s an old saying in law enforcement – everyone is a suspect until they aren’t.

I will make my staff available. Can you come quickly? I really need to get back out on the campaign trail. This is a highly competitive race, and I can’t afford to lose any time.

We’ll do our best, but there’s a murderer out there, and you need to make sure you have plenty of protection.

I do, and you need to update my security, so they know what to look for since I’m not a protection expert.

Jim and John arrived at Tracy’s headquarters at 1:00 p.m. Tracy had everyone that worked closely with Terry in the building, and Jim and John began speaking with the senior staffers first.

Mr. Zink, do you know why we’re here?

Yes, Director Swenson. Terry’s murder.

You found her body, correct?

Yes. I entered her condo because she was unusually late, and I found her hanging in the doorway.

Why did you have access to her condo?

Terry gave a key to Tracy, and I have one of my own.

You have a key?

Yes. Terry and I had been seeing each other on the down low, so we gave each other keys to our homes. She wasn’t depressed, Director. She was focused.

So, you know her history?

I do, but she was clean and sober and hadn’t had any issues that I am aware of.

So, you have no idea who would wish her any harm?

She had political enemies, but no one that would want her dead. Terry could be tough, but she had a sensitive side and was dedicated to getting Tracy elected. She wanted to see her become the first conservative female governor elected in California.

John had his hands folded in front of him as his tablet recorded the conversation. How long had you and Ms. Malcom been seeing each other romantically?

About five months. We wanted to keep it under wraps because Tracy would freak out if she knew we were carrying on.

Why?

I dated Tracy for a few months before she started her run for office. Our breakup didn’t go well, so Terry didn’t want Tracy to know.

What happened?

The usual. Tracy wanted more, and I’m not ready to settle down, so I broke it off.

So … is it fair to say that you’re a player, Mr. Zink?

Sean frowned. I casually date, Director. I don’t want to get tied down, and every person that I have a relationship with knows that up front.

But Ms. Olson didn’t like the way things were going?

No sir, she wanted more, so I ended it.

That had to put a strain on your relationship in the campaign.

Not really. Tracy is ambitious and driven. Once she threw herself into the race, I was the first person she wanted Terry to call. I’m her communications director. I keep everything humming along with the help of Mary Todd and others. We all work together like a well-oiled machine.

Jim and John excused him and asked that he send in Mary Todd. Mary was a young, attractive woman. She had naturally curly red hair and piercing green eyes. She was fair-skinned and dressed in a skirt that was above the knee. She had nice legs and wasn’t shy about showing off her form. Her breasts were on full display in a push-up bra. She walked in, sat down, and crossed her legs as Jim looked on. John shot him a look and shook his head then introduced himself.

Why are you shaking your head, Director Swenson? Todd asked.

It has nothing to do with you. How long have you known Ms. Malcom?

Several years. I was an intern under her when she worked for Governor Martin. When she left his office, I followed her into the private sector to learn more about political consulting.

Were you two close?

We weren’t buddies or anything like that. I’m young and like to party, and Terry was a recovering alcoholic, so I wasn’t the best influence on her.

Then why the hell would she hire you? Jim asked curtly.

"Because I’m good at my job. Most of the people in this business smoke, drink, and do drugs; it’s just part of the lifestyle. When you’re on the road for months on end with the same people, you all hang out together and get to know each other really well. Terry and I got along great as a working pair. Sean’s the glue keeping things together through the rough patches. Now, here we are running to the finish line, and all of that pressure is going to fall onto