Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
Seratus Tiga Puluh Enam – Two days 19.5 hours
Ambassador’s Office, US Embassy, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:30 PM
Minister Robert Burnside (career State Department employee) entered the office where Ambassador Scot Walkerson (political appointee) was practicing his putting. He politely waited while Scot had stroked the five balls and sunk four.
“Excellent, Sir. Your putting is improving.”
You think so, Robert? I hope so. My last round was very disappointing.”
“You know how golf goes, Ambassador, ups and downs.”
“Yes. But I’m tired of the recent downs. What’s up?”
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but I just got a disturbing call from the Deputy Director of the Central Narcotics Bureau. He has heard from a sister agency in Turkey, the KOM, it’s called, that Trixie Thomson has been arrested at the Istanbul airport for smuggling a kilo of hashish!”
“What!!! The Ambassador stared, red-faced with surprise and anger at Burnside. "A KILO!"
“I’m afraid it’s so. Trixie must have had it at her apartment and slipped it in her bag. In their defense, the Marine guards had no reason to be on the lookup for that.”
“Thank God we got her out of here and away from Hodges. Hashish! Imagine the trouble she could have gotten him in with that!”
“Should I contact our Embassy in Ankara or our Consulate General in Istanbul to arrange help for Miss Thomson?”
“What? Help!! Absolutely not! Trixie Thomson is no longer the responsibility of the US State Department. She had made her own filthy bed, and now she can lie in it.”
“Really, Sir? No help at all?”
“Nothing! Wait! Now that I think of it, the Ambassador to Turkey is the former Governor of Iowa, Dick Wilson, whom I know well. I will call him. Have my secretary place the call.”
“I’m glad you are going to help that poor girl.”
“Help her? I’m going to warn Dick to stay a hundred miles away from the tramp! She’s only trouble! The Turks know how to handle that type!”
Burnside diplomatically hid his disgust. “Will that all, Mr. Ambassador?”
“Yes….No! Wait! That slut has got me thinking about Jeffrey Hodges again. I’m planning on resigning from here sometime in 2021 to go back to Wisconsin and retake the Executive mansion. I could use a bright young man like Hodges on my staff - he’s a Republican, I’m sure. You said he’s an upstanding family man?”
“Yes, Sir. Everyone here was impressed by his devotion to his wife when she had a rough start to her pregnancy.”
“Great. What is – what was her name again? – what’s she like? How is she doing now?”
“Kathy, Sir. It is kind of you to ask. I understand she’s in her thirteenth week and doing much better. She’s younger than him, 23, and very attractive. She is devoted to him – very supportive!”
“That is good to hear. Many wives don’t realize how important it is to subordinate their desires to those of their husbands. Very attractive, you say?” Scot gave Robert a questioning look as his hands made the classic hourglass gesture indicating a sexy female figure. “That’s a plus out on the campaign trail!”
“Yes, Sir. A very shapely young woman.”
“Robert. You know that little dinner that I’m giving at the Cricket Club for a few senior staff on Thursday? Make room for Hodges and his wife - invite them in my name. Be sure that Kathy? Yes, Kathy attends. I want to meet this devoted wife. Arrange for her to sit by me so we can become better acquainted. My wife won’t be attending. Therefore that space will be open. Yes, Burnside. I believe Hodges is just the man to help me make Wisconsin Great Again!”
Yes, Mr. Ambassador,” said Burnside, withdrawing without making his feelings known.
Office of First Minister of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:35 PM
Frost sat quietly and smiled. That admission by the bitch was the final triumph he had sought. His last case was a success. While it had been his ideas and insights that had solved the issue, he had willingly let Musa have the credit with his boss. The young inspector was bright with excellent potential. Frost needed no more recognition.
Similarly, he had allowed Musa to conduct the questioning while he sat and observed intently. Old farts needed to let the bright young ones get their feet wet, he thought to himself. I’ll help if needed.
Musa asked, “First Minister, you confirm that you wrote that note and instructed Rogers to delay Miss Jones that morning?”
“Yes,” Josephine sobbed. “I did.”
“Did you also encourage him to molest and rape her?”
“No. Of course not! Well, I didn't really encourage him. I might have said something like, ‘it’s your chance to have some fun with the slut.’ But I never explicitly mentioned rape!”
“Not explicitly. I see,” said Musa, fighting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Frost just sat and ground his teeth in disgust. If he had spoken, the hatred would have been unmuted.
Musa bin Ibrahim rose and said, “Josephine Shanmugam, I must inform you that you are suspected of multiple crimes committed on Parliamentary Grounds and may be arrested at any time for those crimes. You are not to leave Singapore without my permission. Consider yourself under house arrest. You may only leave your residence to go to this office or other locations to perform only official duties. Do you understand?”
Josephine struggled between sobs to answer. “Yes. I understand.”
“We must leave now. Rest assured that we will be in touch shortly.”
The distraught women nodded mutely.
Musa led the way out with Frost trailing.
Irrawaddy Rd., Outside Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday 4:42 PM
Once they had cleared the building, Frost turned to his friend and asked. “Look Darling; this is your show now, and I’m not second-guessing. But why didn’t we just clap on the irons and throw her into your lovely Guards’ jail?”
“The Commander called me just before I met you, and we discussed that. I apologize that I didn’t tell you before now. I wanted us focused on questioning her and gauging her reaction if she denied everything. As it turns out, she made it easy for us with her confession. Was your recorder going?”
“Yes, I checked right before we entered and just now.”
“Same with mine. We have warrant-authorized recordings of the Minister lying through her teeth and then confessing. Legally, it would be best to use a warrant from the Parliamentary Court to arrest her. Now that we have her confession, we can get that and specify her precise crimes.”
“How, soon, Darling?”
“Later tomorrow. There’s a Cabinet meeting at 2 PM, and the Commander did not want to create a stir before that. We’ll be waiting for her when she returns to her office, afterward.”
“How do we know she won’t take a powder? Leave Singapore?”
“No chance of that. You’ve got to understand Shanmugam and Beter-Gisber. Trust me, Josephine will not run. Singapore and her Ladyship are her life. She’d sooner take a bullet for her mentor than leave her.”
Office of First Minister of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:45 PM
Phone call:
JS: Mama, I need to talk to you as soon as possible.
RBG: Sayang saya! You sound most upset. Please come right over to my home. I shall be there in fifteen minutes.
JS: Thank you, Mama.”
Ambassador’s Office, US Embassy, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:30 PM
Minister Robert Burnside (career State Department employee) entered the office where Ambassador Scot Walkerson (political appointee) was practicing his putting. He politely waited while Scot had stroked the five balls and sunk four.
“Excellent, Sir. Your putting is improving.”
You think so, Robert? I hope so. My last round was very disappointing.”
“You know how golf goes, Ambassador, ups and downs.”
“Yes. But I’m tired of the recent downs. What’s up?”
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but I just got a disturbing call from the Deputy Director of the Central Narcotics Bureau. He has heard from a sister agency in Turkey, the KOM, it’s called, that Trixie Thomson has been arrested at the Istanbul airport for smuggling a kilo of hashish!”
“What!!! The Ambassador stared, red-faced with surprise and anger at Burnside. "A KILO!"
“I’m afraid it’s so. Trixie must have had it at her apartment and slipped it in her bag. In their defense, the Marine guards had no reason to be on the lookup for that.”
“Thank God we got her out of here and away from Hodges. Hashish! Imagine the trouble she could have gotten him in with that!”
“Should I contact our Embassy in Ankara or our Consulate General in Istanbul to arrange help for Miss Thomson?”
“What? Help!! Absolutely not! Trixie Thomson is no longer the responsibility of the US State Department. She had made her own filthy bed, and now she can lie in it.”
“Really, Sir? No help at all?”
“Nothing! Wait! Now that I think of it, the Ambassador to Turkey is the former Governor of Iowa, Dick Wilson, whom I know well. I will call him. Have my secretary place the call.”
“I’m glad you are going to help that poor girl.”
“Help her? I’m going to warn Dick to stay a hundred miles away from the tramp! She’s only trouble! The Turks know how to handle that type!”
Burnside diplomatically hid his disgust. “Will that all, Mr. Ambassador?”
“Yes….No! Wait! That slut has got me thinking about Jeffrey Hodges again. I’m planning on resigning from here sometime in 2021 to go back to Wisconsin and retake the Executive mansion. I could use a bright young man like Hodges on my staff - he’s a Republican, I’m sure. You said he’s an upstanding family man?”
“Yes, Sir. Everyone here was impressed by his devotion to his wife when she had a rough start to her pregnancy.”
“Great. What is – what was her name again? – what’s she like? How is she doing now?”
“Kathy, Sir. It is kind of you to ask. I understand she’s in her thirteenth week and doing much better. She’s younger than him, 23, and very attractive. She is devoted to him – very supportive!”
“That is good to hear. Many wives don’t realize how important it is to subordinate their desires to those of their husbands. Very attractive, you say?” Scot gave Robert a questioning look as his hands made the classic hourglass gesture indicating a sexy female figure. “That’s a plus out on the campaign trail!”
“Yes, Sir. A very shapely young woman.”
“Robert. You know that little dinner that I’m giving at the Cricket Club for a few senior staff on Thursday? Make room for Hodges and his wife - invite them in my name. Be sure that Kathy? Yes, Kathy attends. I want to meet this devoted wife. Arrange for her to sit by me so we can become better acquainted. My wife won’t be attending. Therefore that space will be open. Yes, Burnside. I believe Hodges is just the man to help me make Wisconsin Great Again!”
Yes, Mr. Ambassador,” said Burnside, withdrawing without making his feelings known.
Office of First Minister of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:35 PM
Frost sat quietly and smiled. That admission by the bitch was the final triumph he had sought. His last case was a success. While it had been his ideas and insights that had solved the issue, he had willingly let Musa have the credit with his boss. The young inspector was bright with excellent potential. Frost needed no more recognition.
Similarly, he had allowed Musa to conduct the questioning while he sat and observed intently. Old farts needed to let the bright young ones get their feet wet, he thought to himself. I’ll help if needed.
Musa asked, “First Minister, you confirm that you wrote that note and instructed Rogers to delay Miss Jones that morning?”
“Yes,” Josephine sobbed. “I did.”
“Did you also encourage him to molest and rape her?”
“No. Of course not! Well, I didn't really encourage him. I might have said something like, ‘it’s your chance to have some fun with the slut.’ But I never explicitly mentioned rape!”
“Not explicitly. I see,” said Musa, fighting to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Frost just sat and ground his teeth in disgust. If he had spoken, the hatred would have been unmuted.
Musa bin Ibrahim rose and said, “Josephine Shanmugam, I must inform you that you are suspected of multiple crimes committed on Parliamentary Grounds and may be arrested at any time for those crimes. You are not to leave Singapore without my permission. Consider yourself under house arrest. You may only leave your residence to go to this office or other locations to perform only official duties. Do you understand?”
Josephine struggled between sobs to answer. “Yes. I understand.”
“We must leave now. Rest assured that we will be in touch shortly.”
The distraught women nodded mutely.
Musa led the way out with Frost trailing.
Irrawaddy Rd., Outside Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday 4:42 PM
Once they had cleared the building, Frost turned to his friend and asked. “Look Darling; this is your show now, and I’m not second-guessing. But why didn’t we just clap on the irons and throw her into your lovely Guards’ jail?”
“The Commander called me just before I met you, and we discussed that. I apologize that I didn’t tell you before now. I wanted us focused on questioning her and gauging her reaction if she denied everything. As it turns out, she made it easy for us with her confession. Was your recorder going?”
“Yes, I checked right before we entered and just now.”
“Same with mine. We have warrant-authorized recordings of the Minister lying through her teeth and then confessing. Legally, it would be best to use a warrant from the Parliamentary Court to arrest her. Now that we have her confession, we can get that and specify her precise crimes.”
“How, soon, Darling?”
“Later tomorrow. There’s a Cabinet meeting at 2 PM, and the Commander did not want to create a stir before that. We’ll be waiting for her when she returns to her office, afterward.”
“How do we know she won’t take a powder? Leave Singapore?”
“No chance of that. You’ve got to understand Shanmugam and Beter-Gisber. Trust me, Josephine will not run. Singapore and her Ladyship are her life. She’d sooner take a bullet for her mentor than leave her.”
Office of First Minister of Home Affairs, Singapore, Tuesday, 4:45 PM
Phone call:
JS: Mama, I need to talk to you as soon as possible.
RBG: Sayang saya! You sound most upset. Please come right over to my home. I shall be there in fifteen minutes.
JS: Thank you, Mama.”