Book Excerpts

The Beach Club

Þ “The Beach Club and Lieutenant Alex Santos…”

“Get out the Coppertone—you have beach time coming,” peers would say to an unfortunate officer when it was found out that Santos initiated another one of his inquiries.  “Beach time” was the familiar expression for a suspension without pay during which the officer was said to spend the time off at the beach… As Sergeant Shannon was about to expand on the efforts he wanted his officers to take for the evening, the briefing room door opened and Lt. Santos sauntered into the room. The jovial tones of the room subdued as the smiles and cross talk were quickly replaced with silence and somber looks. Most of the officers in the room, including Shannon, at one time or another had been the casualty of “Alex the Axe” and had a disciplinary suspension in their personnel file.  Because of these dealings, the swing shift was jokingly dubbed “The Beach Club.” (Chapters 2 & 3)

 Þ “The Regime…”

Santos kept busy forming his own alliance of loyal officers and sergeants that worked as informants and faithful subjects that blindly backed his proposals. Though they were few in numbers, this exclusive group held tremendous political power within the department. It was Santos’ alliance that was sent to special training, received first-class assignments, and received departmental recognition for deeds of dubious achievements. Santos and his subjects secretly earned the label “The Regime” by those that were victims of his probes or did not approve of his intentions… Shannon admitted to himself he was impressed at Santos’ strategic placement of loyal personnel giving him insight to every division and shift within the department. (Chapters 2 &12)

 Þ “Patrone’s love interest and escape…”

For some in law enforcement, escape from the pressures of the job is done with a bottle with which the individual can self-medicate himself into a haze. For others, the get away is done with prescription medications with which the person regulates his mood and feelings with a combination of uppers or downers—depending on the desired disposition or feeling. For Patrone, his escape was a woman with whom he could feel wanted, important, and have a feeling of self-worth by impressing her with his status or beliefs… Patrone was careful to keep his interactions with Diane off-duty.  He was not like some officers he had heard about that kept a “beat-wife.” They risked their jobs by surreptitiously stopping by during duty hours and grabbing “a quick one.”  It was often said as a warning at the department that, “The badge can get you laid, and getting laid can get your badge.” (Chapter 8)

 Þ “Playing the Game…”

“Playing the game” was an expression used for a discount or gratuity given to the members of the Eden Valley Police by the various eating establishments. When officers talked about the places to eat throughout the city, the first question usually about the restaurant was not the quality of the food, or the type of cuisine but “Do they play the game?” A local restaurant could have the blandest food, the ugliest waitresses, or be located in the most out of the way area, but if they charged cops half-price or a fixed tab of only a couple of dollars, they were at least guaranteed some business from the Eden Valley PD swing shift. ….  “Playing the game” was so abused within the ranks of the police department that it was equated to the military’s policy on homosexuality—Don’t ask, don’t tell. (Chapter 21)

Þ “Sexual Assault Detective Raymond Depietro…”

Eden Valley was fortunate to have a sexual response team that consisted of specially trained investigators, like Depietro, as well as advocates from women’s groups to assist the victim. Despite his reputation as a woman chaser during his off-duty hours, Depietro also had the reputation as a highly skilled investigator who worked well with the victims and advocates to arrest the person responsible for the assaults…Back at the station, the overhead fluorescent lights of the Detective Division made for a lonely island of illumination for the otherwise darkened floor. Depietro started to suffer a sense of defeat in his hunt for the rapist. There was no commonality of the victims, other than they were lone females on their home turf. One rape occurred in a retail area, the other in a residential area, and tonight’s was at a school. Depietro even compared the sheriff’s case which had occurred in an industrial area. These weren’t like typical stranger rapes that were at a park or off the street. All cases included a substance poured over the scene of attack, probably to conceal evidence. He believed he was collecting victims, but no suspect. (Chapters 6  & 19)

  Þ “The Seven Point Bar…”

Police car door insignias from departments all over the state adorned the walls of the watering hole. It was a place that was owned by cops and that catered to cops. Anyone was welcome, however if one had a badge in his wallet, he was automatically accepted. It did not matter if they were city police, county sheriff, DA Investigator, or college and school police… On any given evening, an off-duty officer could walk into the Seven Point Bar with just ten dollars and leave with both a buzz and change—predominately because of the prices and the generosity of the many patrons who would buy the house a round for any trivial reason. (Chapter 22)