Hattie and the Main Street Bomber - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C – O 9/9
This version is rated PG-13
This story is a sequel to Hattie Kaplin - Reporter – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C - N
By KenJ <ken.janney@kjanney.com>
* * denotes emphasis
< > denotes thoughts
/ denotes telepathic communications./
Previously
When the case went to court, Hattie and JJ were going to be witnesses so, contrary to protocol, one of the current editors decided to return to the reporter ranks and cover the case, thus, Lois Lane was in the gallery for the duration of the trial.
Lois Lane, at age 60, was still an extremely attractive woman and constantly turned heads. On the first day of the trial she wore a smartly tailored gray pantsuit which rather than conceal her womanly figure, complimented it. She wore a cream colored shell with a modest neckline under the jacket with a single strand of pearls. The gray of the suit matched the sprinkling of gray at her temples which didn’t detract from her beauty in the slightest; in fact it lent an air of distinction to her presence. The men in the courtroom all had their eyes on her as she moved, with stunning grace to a seat just behind the prosecution and took out her notepad and pencil.
Looking around at the assembly, Lois noted Peter Parker, the sketch artist near the back. She hoped that he lived up to his reputation and turned in some good drawings.
She nodded to Lorelei Kilbourne of the Metropolis Star. Lorelei smiled and nodded in return. When Steve Wilson, former Managing Editor of the Illustrated Press in Milwaukie left to take the reins of the Star, it wasn’t long until Lorelei followed him. Lorelei was a new addition to the Star, but she was a serious journalist that had worked for Steve at Illustrated. It was only because of that change in management at the Star that she was willing to work there. The Star had changed a lot since Steve Wilson had taken over and was less of a scandal sheet than it had been in the days when Lois had been an investigative reporter for the Planet. Lorelei was going to give Hattie some serious competition just as the Star was starting to give the Planet.
The first day of the trial consisted of testimony from the police forensics teams.
The DA, Mr. Reed, had been in his position for a fairly short time and was confident that with all of the evidence and witnesses that he had lined up that this case would go well. Convicting a political figure like this would be a feather in his cap. He was unusual for his breed in that he didn’t have political aspirations. He was satisfied with his job and managing to in some small way contribute to cleaning up the city was all he wanted to do.
After the head of the forensics team was sworn in, Mr. Reed started his examination: “Lt. Pearl, could you tell us what you found at the residence of Jack Crane and tell us exactly why you were looking for it there.”
Lt. Pearl: “When we entered the residence in execution of a warrant issued on Friday night we were looking for evidence of the manufacture of nitroglycerine. Based upon an analysis of materials provided by the suspect to one …” He referred to his notes, “Henrietta Kaplin the presence of nitroglycerine was verified by Dr. Klein of STAR Labs. What we found was a fairly complete lab setup and all of the raw components necessary to manufacture the explosive. They consisted of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids and glycerin”
“We also found several two ounce containers filled with the finished product. As most people know, Dynamite is composed of nitroglycerine mixed with diatomaceous earth. A single stick of Dynamite will have far less than an ounce of nitro in the mix. That means that a two ounce container is the equivalent of many sticks of Dynamite, perhaps as many as ten sticks, even though it is a much smaller package.”
“We found a number of mechanical timers such as have been identified as being used in the bombs used by the Main Street Bomber along with detonation devices.”
“All items were properly photographed, bagged, tagged, cataloged and registered in the evidence room. Chain of custody has remained unbroken. There was one exception; the completed nitro was disposed of by the bomb squad. Regulations prohibit storage of explosives within the building.”
“Fingerprints obtained from the equipment were consistent with those obtained from the suspect using the name of Jack Crane. Subsequent inquiries regarding those fingerprints disclosed the name of James Draper.”
“Research into James Draper found that he was a chemist for a munitions firm in St. Louis, Missouri. He had been dismissed when it was discovered that project funds had been diverted for his personal use, gambling.
Checking his financials we found that he was heavily in debt to the James Gang through gambling losses.”
Mr. Reed: “Was this individual arrested as the suspect in the Main Street Bomber case?”
Lt. Pearl: “That is outside of my purview. I simply head up the Forensics Team.”
Mr. Reed: “Your witness”
The Defense attorney, Mr. Jacobs, was a hot shot youngster eager to make a name for himself as a defender and was willing to do whatever he could to win. During discovery he had been given access to the State’s evidence and knew that this was really a lost cause as far as his client was concerned. His only option was to try to introduce some doubt in the minds of the jurors.
Mr. Jacobs: “Lt. Pearl, was James Draper not arrested as the culprit?”
Lt. Pearl: “I cannot answer that question as it goes beyond the purview of my responsibilities as head of the Forensics Team.”
Mr. Jacobs: “But, as you said, his fingerprints were all over the equipment.”
Lt. Pearl: “That only proves that he used the equipment to manufacture the explosive. It does not mean that he delivered it.”
Mr. Jacobs: “No further questions.”
Judge: “Lt. Pearl, you may step down. Next witness.”
And now
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Chapter 09 –The Trial Wraps Up
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Universal Locator designation
Alpha 023 x Gamma 004 x Tau -120 Canon universe also called – Prime
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Finally it was Hattie’s turn to take the stand.
Mr. Reed: “The State calls Henrietta Kaplin.”
Hattie got up and moved through the gate to a position before the witness stand where she took the oath. After she was seated, Mr. Reed began.
Mr. Reed: “Ms. Kaplin, in your own words, please, tell the court how you investigated this case.”
Hattie: “My first break was when one of my snitches warned me that Councilman Robbins was taking kick-backs from large corporations in return for legislation restricting independent businesses from the downtown area. We started checking and found large contributions into what had been his empty campaign fund.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Objection Your Honor. That is not germane to this case.”
Mr. Reed: “Your Honor we wish to establish motive for the crimes that we are trying.”
Judge: “Overruled. Proceed.”
Mr. Reed: “Please proceed, Ms. Kaplin.”
Hattie: “As you said, it speaks to motive. His advocacy on the behalf of big business and his plan to turn the downtown area into a walking mall, because of the bombings, were too convenient.”
“I first became aware of the presence of nitroglycerine when I and a number of my colleagues in the fourth estate were all affected adversely by something we were exposed to during a press conference that was held by Councilman Robbins. Subsequently we determined that what we had been exposed to was, in fact, nitroglycerine.”
“At the press conference I was given a business card by Jack Crane which was later found to be contaminated with the substance. In my research I found that frequently individuals that work with this material become immune to its effects, however if it is on their hands it can be passed to others by skin to skin contact. Those of us that shook hands with Jack Crane at the press conference were all contaminated and were made sick. Once I discovered this I was pretty sure of the source of the nitroglycerine.”
“We needed to determine how the bombs were being delivered to the targets. First we examined the road surfaces where the bombs had gone off. What we discovered was evidence of spalling leading to the theory that the bombs had been placed under the car. Since the pavement surface was harder than the underside of the vehicle it was attached to and was unconfined the road surface acted to deflect the force of the explosion up and out like a Misnay-Schardin shaped charge destroying the vehicle and killing people nearby.”
“Determining where the bombs had been attached to the cars required us to check a number of maps. We found an old map which indicated the presence of a side tunnel extending into an alley from the sewer tunnel system just south of the Main Street/Eighth Avenue intersection.
While investigating this, my partner and I found that without help or the use of a rope or ladder a short person could not have been the bomber.”
“With my partner’s assistance I had entered the tunnel and was pursuing the investigation when my partner was attacked and knocked unconscious.”
“The person who attacked him then entered the tunnel and came after me. He tried to knock me out the same way he had my partner, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. I pretended to be unconscious and he taped one of his bombs to me, planning to kill me and throw the blame for the bombings on me. I know this because he believed that I was unconscious and was speaking aloud to himself as he worked.”
“As soon as I had seen the tunnel access I knew that I had been wrong thinking that Jack Crane was the culprit. He was rather too short being only about five foot eleven. It would have taken someone six-one or six-two at least to enter and leave the tunnel unaided.”
“As the bomber was leaving I looked and saw that he was wearing a ski mask, but when he spoke, I recognized the voice as that of Councilman Robbins himself. He fits the profile in that he is six-three and was therefore able to negotiate the tunnel access unassisted.”
Mr. Reed: “What happened then?”
Hattie: “Ultra Woman arrived and removed the bomb sending it into the sky, where it wouldn’t harm anyone and then helped me leave the tunnel.”
Mr. Reed: “No further questions.”
Judge: “Does the defense have any questions?”
Mr. Jacobs: “Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Kaplin, you stated that you had been knocked unconscious while in this so called tunnel.”
Hattie: “Yes, sir. Briefly.”
Mr. Jacobs: “If you had been knocked out how were you able to so surely identify Councilman Robbins as the individual there with you? Surely you would have been disoriented from this supposed blow to the head. You were the one with the bomb after all when Ultra Woman found you. How can we be sure that you, yourself are not in fact the bomber?”
Seeing just where this was going Lois sent out a mental summons, /”Clark, I need to get out of here. Give me a call and then come take my place.”/
Within seconds, Lois’ cell phone started to vibrate and the sound was audible to those sitting next to her. She pulled the phone out and excused herself as she got up to head out of the room, ostensibly to take an important call. Just as she was leaving Clark Kent entered.
Clark was wearing a dark blue pinstripe suit with a crisp white shirt and a tie that was … a tie that … well, it was purple and blue and red on a dark brown background and looked like an artist’s palate while he was working on mixing colors. His black hair was also showing some gray at the temples which made him look very debonair. As he and Lois passed in the aisle they exchanged a brief touch as Lois handed him her notepad and then he took her just vacated seat.
While this was going on Mr. Reed had jumped to his feet and proffered an objection, “Your Honor, this witness is not on trial here! This is a blatant attempt by the defense to cloud the picture.”
Judge: “We have to consider all possibilities. Is there another witness that can corroborate this witnesses’ statements?”
Just then the doors at the back of the room opened and the ever youthful Ultra Woman stepped in. Her cape swished side to side behind her as she moved. To every outward appearance Ultra Woman was a woman of about thirty, just as she had been since the day she had made her debut and then returned after an absence of about thirteen years. She did not appear to have aged a day in the thirty years since her debut.
Her entry caused a stir and all eyes turned in her direction, including those of the judge and the prosecutor.
The super heroine walked to the front, stopping just behind the swinging gate and spoke in whispers to Mr. Reed.
When she finished, Mr. Reed turned to the judge and said, “Your Honor, I would like to excuse Ms. Kaplin, subject to recall and call Ultra Woman as a state’s witness.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Objection, Your Honor! How can we credit the testimony of an individual who will not even reveal their true identity and hides behind a mask?”
Judge: “Objection, overruled. There is precedent which will allow said testimony. Ms. Kaplin, you may step down. Mr. Reed, you may proceed.”
Mr. Reed made the formal announcement, “The State calls Ultra Woman.”
After being sworn in, Ultra Woman took her place on the witness stand.
Mr. Reed: “Ultra Woman, I understand that your time is very valuable, so please just tell us what you told me a minute ago.”
UW: “At approximately 7:00 the Friday evening in question, I heard a cry for help. When I arrived on the scene in response to the cries for help, I heard footsteps retiring down the alley and away from the scene. I found James Olsen Junior unconscious from a blow on the head. I was able to rouse him to consciousness and he told me about the manhole and where Ms. Kaplin was. When I arrived on the scene I found Ms. Kaplin bound with duct tape and a bomb duct taped in her hands. If the bomb had been allowed to detonate, the duct tape would have been destroyed leaving her apparently unbound and the perpetrator of the crime. As it was, it would have been impossible for her to have done that to herself. It required a second party to do that to her. The duct tape has been turned over to the MPD to follow up on; however, they will need more time to complete that investigation.”
Mr. Reed: “Your witness.”
Mr. Jacobs: “No questions.”
Judge: “Thank you Ultra Woman for coming in and volunteering your time to testify. You are excused.”
UW: “You are welcome, Your Honor. Superman and I always want to see justice done.”
Ultra Woman exited through the gate, strode up the aisle and exited through the doors at the rear.
Mr. Jacobs: “I’d like to recall Ms. Kaplin.”
Judge: “Ms. Kaplin, please retake the stand and keep in mind that you are still under oath.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Ms. Kaplin, you say that you recognized the voice of your assailant. How were you able to identify it when the mask you say he was wearing would have muffled the sounds?”
Hattie: “There was more than just the sound. I did allow for a certain muffling due to the mask. There was a certain cadence and pronunciation of words which I had heard at the press conference just a few days prior.”
Mr. Jacobs: “No further questions.”
Judge: “You may step down.”
Just as Hattie was leaving the witness box Lois Lane re-entered. She moved down front and took a seat next to her husband. Clark handed her the notepad so that she could take the notes.
Mr. Reed: “The State calls James Draper.”
While they were waiting for Draper to be brought in, Clark leaned over to Lois and they had a whispered conversation, which when they finished he stood and left the courtroom.
A few minutes later, Draper was escorted in by a bailiff and sworn in.
Mr. Reed: “Mr. Draper you are aware of the charges pending in your case?”
Draper: “Yes, I am.”
Mr. Reed: “Would you care to explain your involvement in this case?”
Draper: “I was blackmailed into producing the nitro for Robbins.”
Mr. Reed: “Would you care to explain your statement?”
Draper: “Somehow Robbins found out about St. Louis. He threatened to turn me over to the Clanton Gang if I didn’t cooperate and make the nitro. Initially he wanted me to plant the bombs, but I refused. I didn’t mind offing bad guys in St. Lou, but killing innocent people so that he could rob the public, nah, I didn’t want anything to do with that. When he threatened to turn me over to the Clantons, there wasn’t a lot I could do. I had to cooperate.”
Mr. Reed: “You are saying that you were coerced into producing the explosive then.”
Draper: “Yes, that’s what I am saying. If I didn’t produce the bombs for him, I was a dead man.”
Mr. Reed: “Thank you, Mr. Draper. No further questions.” He turned to the defense attorney and said, “Your witness.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Mr. Draper, it seems rather convenient that you would suddenly develop a conscience about killing innocent people when by your own admission in St. Louis you killed numerous individuals in the same way. Mr. Draper, it would seem to me that perhaps you are trying to shift the blame for these atrocities off of yourself and onto a respected public servant who has only worked for the public good for a great number of years.”
Mr. Reed: “Objection, Your Honor! Mr. Draper is not on trial here, Councilman Robbins is.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Your Honor, if there is a possibility that the councilman didn’t do this the jury needs to be appraised of that possibility.”
Judge: “Objection overruled. Proceed with the cross-examination.”
Mr. Jacobs: “Mr. Draper, exactly where were you at seven the night of the incident in question?”
A rather smug look overtook Draper’s features as he responded, “I was at a town hall meeting with several hundred people preparing the crowd for the councilman. The councilman was due there at 7:30. He scheduled it that way so that he would be present when the bomb went off. The venue was just around the corner from Eighth and Main, a location he could reach before the detonation.”
In a deflated tone, Mr. Jacobs said, “No further questions.”
The judge addressed Mr. Reed, “Redirect?”
Mr. Reed replied, “No, Your Honor. No questions.”
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At that point it was all over but the shouting. After a few more technical witnesses the case was given to the jury.
After the jury deliberated for a short time they came back in.
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A special edition of the Daily Planet hit the streets a short time after the jury returned its verdict.
”COUNCILMAN ROBBINS CONVICTED AS SERIAL MURDERER”By: Lois Lane
“In a surprise twist charges were presented against Councilman Robbins regarding the activities of the Main Street Bomber.
As a result of the testimony presented by members of the staff of the Daily Planet and the Metropolis Police Department, Councilman Robbins has been convicted of 98 counts of murder in the first degree, conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.
James Draper, his accomplice, was convicted of conspiracy and will be remanded to the St. Louis jurisdiction where he will be tried on separate counts of murder in the deaths of members of the infamous Clanton Gang.
The nature of the evidence presented was so compelling that the jury deliberated only two hours before returning a verdict of guilty on all counts. Sentencing will be performed in ten days, but it is expected that the death penalty could be imposed. (Story continues A2)”* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A little later, in the editor’s office at the Daily Planet, Lois, Clark, Hattie and JJ were together. Hattie and JJ were sitting on the couch while Lois and Clark were in their office chairs.
Hattie said to Lois, “Thanks for testifying. That kept them from trying to place the blame on me.”
Lois smiled and said, “All I did was tell the truth, besides, you didn’t do anything except gather all the evidence the police needed to put him away, for good. Good job.” She looked over at Clark and said as she started to laugh, “You’re right. Two peas in a pod.”
Clark gave JJ a wink as he said, “Absolutely scary.”
Just then there was a knock on the door.
Lois signaled for the person to enter.
A delivery boy entered and said, “Delivery for Kaplin”
Surprised, Hattie jumped up and said, “That’s me!”
She accepted the box. It was long and was obviously a flower box. Hattie sat it on the corner of Lois’ desk and opened it. Inside were a dozen red roses. Hattie looked over at JJ and smiled. She said, “You don’t waste any time do you?”
“How can you be so sure it was me?”
“After the discussion the other day?” Hattie put the flower box under her arm and with her free hand grabbed JJ’s hand and said, “Come on JJ, you owe me a dinner.”
Shocked JJ stammered, “Dinner? I do?”
Hattie smiled and said, “Sure, this will be number three. Remember what I said about number four?”
JJ started to smile at the memory and said, “Ahhhh, yes, yes I do! Let’s go partner. I know this little place around the corner. Romantic sidewalk seating and they have the best Italian food in the city.”
As the door closed behind them Lois looked at Clark and said, “I think we did good partnering them up.”(7)
“Yeah, I guess we did. You know, I think JJ’s on to something. How does Italian sound to you for dinner?”
Lois got up out of her office chair and moved over to Clark and sat in his lap. She turned so that she was facing him and put her arms around his neck. She moved in close so that she was whispering in his ear, “You and I both know what Italian does to you, so I say, I know this little place in Rome. Someone who shall remain nameless used to fly me there for dinner sometimes.”
Clark jerked back and asked, “Luthor?”
Lois laughed and said, “No, silly, Superman! Now, don’t give away this secret, but I think he had a thing for me.” She giggled. “I have always enjoyed my time with you. Remember my birthday, back in 2010 when I got the pendant? We flew to Paris for dinner and then we joined the mile high club.”(8) She closed the distance between their lips for a lingering kiss before she finished, “I’d kinda like a repeat performance. The paper has been put to bed. Celeste or Lucy can make dinner for the rest of the kids. Superman and Ultra Woman are taking the night off. Let’s get out of here.”
With a gleam in his eyes, Clark said, “I can’t wait. Let’s go.” <”Hmmmmm, the last time we did this we wound up with Sam. I wonder.”>
comments go here The end
(1) “Hattie Kaplin – Reporter - Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1C – N”
(2) Idim
(3) Idem
(4) Idem
(5) “After Summer Camp – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1CA”
(6) “First Love – Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1 D – 1L”
(7) Ibid “Hattie Kaplin - Reporter
(8) “Lois Lane – Mother of Utopia – The Early Years (A Christmas Story) Matchmaker Chronicles Volume 1A”
