The Investigation: Part Three

WDLL News interrupts the evening's programming with breaking news.

Anchor: Shock waves ripple through Doll County as Detective Glimma Spiro, is arrested for the recent arson in and around Barbieville.  Federal Agent Lorina Dahl and Barbieville Police Chief Becky Lynch took her into custody about an hour ago.   

Barbieville Mayor Rose-Grace Pike and Chief Lynch speak to the press in a live broadcast.

Rose-Grace:  We were as surprised as anyone at what the investigator found.  We can't speak to the particulars, obviously, but several past arson convictions are now in question.  We can't thank Agent Dahl enough for her assistance.

Reporter: Your department couldn't solve this on their own? 

Lynch: The sheriff's office claimed jurisdiction, as the county agency, and refused to work with us. It wasn't until the mayor requested assistance from a federal agency that we had access to much of the information.  

Another Reporter: Was the sheriff in on it? 

Rose-Grace: There's no reason to believe he's guilty of anything more than being blinded by the detective's stellar reputation.   

*****

Early the next morning, Albus bumps into Lorina in the park.

Albus: There she is, the heroine of Barbieville.  You busted the case wide open in less than a week. 

Lorina: It really was just a matter of getting the evidence to a lab.  The county lab just wasn't equipped to handle it.  Or maybe Spiro was lying about that.  I don't know, but my lab made short work of it.

Albus: I heard the arsonist's hair turned out to be from a wig?

Lorina: Where did you hear that?  (leans closer and whispers) It was from a dog.  

Lorina: I'm going to be in town a couple more days.  Are you busy? 

Albus: Besides work?  No.  What did you have in mind? 

Lorina: Well, I seem to recall you poorly hiding some marijuana... 

Albus:  You're a Fed! 

Lorina: Nope.  I've been retired, again, for about twelve hours.  Besides, the stuff is legal here.  (Albus starts to say something about federal laws.)  Don't make me quote the Tenth Amendment at you.  I promise not to cuff you unless you want me to. 

*****

While Albus is getting better acquainted with Lorina, Rose-Grace sits her boys down for a talk.

Rose-Grace: I understand why you feel as you do about Ryan.  I agree that his discovering an African ancestor is poetic justice, but you need to be careful how you express it.  You say it serves him right, like it's a bad thing. 

Finnick: Well, for him it is.  

Tanner: Is this about setting an example for the younger kids? 

Rose-Grace:  That, too. I'd really hate to see your futures suffer because of out-of-context remark.  To those who don't know you, your reaction to the news looks like you have a problem with blacks.  I just read a news story about a woman who got fired for something akin to this.  

Finnick: Pocahontas isn't going to fire us over this.  She probably agrees. 

Tanner: She won't have a lot of choice if a lot of people boycott Witch's Cove.  And colleges could turn us away.  Albus can only teach us so much, man. 

Rose-Grace: Just be more careful how you express yourself publicly.  

Albus goes to the office for the day's work order.  

Albus: These are lovely.  Who sent them?

Pocahontas: I have no idea.  I've gotten flowers about once a month since Valentine's Day. 

Albus: It's not John? 

Pocahontas: He swears it isn't.  And Ben Kishi said I'm not his type.  

Albus: Well, it isn't me.  You'd feel too much like incest.  

Pocahontas: Gross.  (Prints up the work order and gives it to him.)  I'm not worried about my secret admirer and you shouldn't be, either.  You aren't my daddy.  

Albus: More of a daddy to you than Johnny Appleseed. 

Pocahontas: Yeah, he's too busy planting his seed all over the country.  I've heard it a million times.

Claudia, Moana, and Nikki hang out in the cafeteria before school

Moana: I can't wait to show Jason the thing in our science book about uncles and cousins.

Nikki: What about them?

Moana: Uncles are second degree relatives and cousins are third degree relatives.  If the DNA test says what degree we are, then we'll know which he is to me.  We know he's one or the other, but none of the men in the family will admit to being with Mom. 

Draco: What kind of a slut is your mom? 

Moana: She might have been a slut, but at least she taught me not to eavesdrop and butt in on other people's conversations.

And last but not least, Spiro is being transferred into Doll County Jail. 

Spiro: You know I didn't do this.  

Lynch: I know you're the height and weight of the perp in the footage, you have no alibi for any of the fires, and your entire career is built on arson investigations.   In every one of those cases, the one convicted was the town pariah.  

Spiro:  Do you know what those criminals are gonna do to me?

Lynch: Yeah, but I don't care.