The Posture of Innocence, day 46.67

A whistleblower -- one whose Captain Lee's keen ears tell him is a woman -- pushes key information abut Lieutenant Deadwood under Captain Lee's door ...

To get totally caught up on The Posture of Innocence, here are the prologue, day 1, day 2, day 3, day 3.5, day 4, day 4.5, day 5, day 5.5, day 6, day 7, day 7.5, day 8, day 9, day 9.5, day 10, day 10.5, day 11, day 11.5, day 12, day 12.5, day 13, day 13.5, day 14, day 15, day 16, day 16.5, day 17, day 18, day 19, day 19.5, day 20, day 20.5, day 21, day 22, day 22.5, day 23, day 23.5, day 24, day 24.5, day 25, day 25.5, day 26, day 26.5, day 27, day 27.5, day 28, day 28.5, day 29, day 29.5, day 30, day 30.5, day 31, day 31.5, day 32, day 32.5, day 33, day 33.5, day 34, day 34.5, day 35, day 35.5, day 36, day 36.5, day 37, day 37.5, day 38, day 38.5, day 39, day 39.5, day 40, day 40.5, day 41, day 41.5, day 42, day 42.5, day 43, day 44, day 44.5, day 45, day 46, and day 46.33!

At 4:50, Captain Lee had been sitting in his office when another envelope was pushed under the door. He restrained his curiosity – he could have been at the door in a stride and a leap and known who was feeding him inside information, but if that person thought it was safe to be known, he – or she, the captain realized from the sound of the shoes and flowing skirt moving quickly away – would have come forward openly. It was very important, in cold case work, to not disturb the sense of safety for people taking a risk to get information to the right people.

Captain Lee went after two minutes and picked up the envelope, opened it, and read its contents – sure enough, Lieutenant Deadwood was crowing about a big job he was going to get the next day, something big enough to leave police work and come back and swoop up a woman he was sexually harassing at work … given the terms the writer described, the lieutenant must have been feeling very bold about the job and what it would pay, and how he had the kind of woman who would let him get away with that … but she wasn't letting him get away with that. The woman knew enough to know that Captain Lee was after all the corrupt men on the force, so she had passed on the word …

How much would that job have paid? Little wonder the lieutenant was feeling confident: by 4:50, Captain Lee knew the figure was up to $1,000,000. What, therefore, was going to happen, Captain Lee mused at 6:15pm, on his way home, when Lieutenant Deadwood found out he wasn't getting the job or the $1,000,000, after he had boasted to some woman he wanted about all that he was going to do? Mr. Lofton was not going to be available to take his call … or, could he be?

On the other hand, Captain Lee's morning press conference was scheduled for 11:00am … more than likely the lieutenant would know right then that the whole jig was up and take off running with whatever resources he could lay his hands on. Unfortunately, no compelling evidence of murder existed for Lieutenant Deadwood, although there were good accusations against him. Judge Joseph Bane Lofton had refused to give Captain Lee a warrant for the lieutenant's arrest – he could be watched, but not grabbed yet. Perhaps the new information would tip the scale … but, Judge Lofton had gone from his office to Richmond to visit family after working through the morning.

Day 47 is up