Nora Zorich said, “If you’d like to have an attorney present, we can call and ask the union to send one.”
Stahl said, “I don’t think that’s necessary, but thank you. Let’s go ahead with our discussion.”
The chief said, “I’m going to ask you a question. You don’t have to answer it, but I hope you will. Is there any truth to the accusation from the newspeople?”
“Absolutely.”
“Pardon?” said Robert Minoso. “I’m not sure I heard correctly.”
“Yes,” said Stahl. “From the evening after the bomb we dismantled and destroyed at the gas station in the Valley until the day Diane Hines got injured in the trap at her apartment, she and I were engaged in a sexual relationship.”
The mood of the room seemed to become charged, full of potential energy like a courtroom. Gwendolyn Barker leaned forward. “Are you saying that the relationship is over?”
Stahl said, “No. But we hadn’t been together for very long before Sergeant Hines was attacked. About six days. She was severely injured and was in an induced coma for forty-two days before the doctors felt it was safe to bring her out of it. I think she’ll need time to assess our relationship from her present perspective and decide whether she still wants to pursue it. I’m hoping she’ll decide she still wants to, because I do.”
Gwendolyn Barker looked disappointed. Robert Minoso said quietly, “Are you aware that city and police regulations prohibit this conduct?”
“Yes,” said Stahl.
“I don’t know what to say,” said Minoso. “You’ve put the city in a difficult position. The city is liable for penalties and damages for sexual harassment, possibly for creating a hostile work environment, and on and on.”
“I’m very sorry,” said Stahl. “Mostly for the embarrassment I caused. But I wouldn’t worry about Sergeant Hines. She isn’t going to go after the department.”
Minoso looked deflated. “I’m sorry to have to take a different position, Captain Stahl. Like the chief, I’ve been very glad you agreed to help. But I’ve handled these cases for the city for years. We settle cases every year that started out in similar ways. Right now you’re saying to yourself that Sergeant Hines loves the police force. I’m sure she does, and I know she’s risked her life repeatedly to save other officers. But what we have to worry about isn’t today. What if, five years from now, you’ve broken up, and she’s been passed over for promotions, or disciplined, or even fired? She won’t love the police force then. There are statutes of limitations on most of the injuries she could sue for, but under the continuing violation theory, her attorneys could get around those limitations. Plenty have figured out how. We’re paying damages to plaintiffs from years ago all the time.”
“I’m sure you understand that neither of us intended to put the department in a difficult position,” said Stahl. “We had expected that the bomber case would be solved and I’d be off the police force by now, and Sergeant Hines would be able to continue her exemplary work for the rest of her career. She’s never had any violations of police policy before, and wouldn’t have except for my failings as a supervisor.”
Nora Zorich, the assistant DA, said, “Captain, I want to state my agreement with the others. I’m an admirer. And I’m more of an admirer since I’ve watched your behavior today, both in telling us the truth and in speaking of Sergeant Hines with affection and respect that prove to me this wasn’t a supervisor taking advantage of an employee. I’m positive that everyone in this room wishes we could apologize to you for invading your privacy, then forget the issue — or really, advise the chief to let it go. But we don’t have that option.”
“I understand,” said Stahl. “I’ll go write my resignation and make it effective tonight so it can be released in time for the eleven o’clock news. It will be phrased in a way that makes it clear the force didn’t tolerate my conduct and that the chief acted immediately the evening he heard about it and called me in. I do request that no action be taken against Sergeant Hines.”
The chief said, “Damn it. We can’t afford to lose either of you. We need help. Who wants to bust a woman who’s a hero to the department for having a normal private life?”
Gwendolyn Barker said, “I have an idea. It’s unorthodox, but it’s a way out.”
“What is it?” asked the chief.
“You accept Captain Stahl’s resignation. Then the police commission contracts with Mr. Stahl’s security company to provide his services during the crisis. Sergeant Hines probably won’t be back on active status for months. If she comes back while he’s still here, she won’t technically be under his supervision, because he’ll only be a civilian consultant and not a sworn officer. We hire outside experts, lawyers, and contractors all the time. Why not hire Mr. Stahl now? And that’s his punishment — that he’s off the force, with no rank.”
The chief said, “Do you buy that, Dick?”
“Yes, sir.”
That night Dick Stahl was waiting in Diane Hines’s room at Valley Presbyterian when she returned from a walk. She had a cane, but she was walking normally when she stepped in.
She came to him, presented herself for a hug, then kissed him quickly on the lips and sat on the bed.
“You’re recovering fast,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “Pretty soon they’ll kick me out of here.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.”
“Why?”
“Lots of reasons,” he said. “Nobody has talked to you about your apartment, right?”
“No.”
“That’s because it isn’t there anymore. It’s been gutted and they’re planning on rebuilding something, but it won’t be ready soon. I’d like to invite you to move into my place with me.”
She studied him. “Why?”
He met her stare. “Well, there are actually three reasons, but let me mention two out loud. Keep in mind you don’t have an apartment. The reasons are that I want you there, and that my condominium is probably the safest building in Los Angeles, particularly with two veteran cops in it.”
“You’re worried he’ll try for me again?”
“It has crossed my mind, but right now I’m just using that to make my place seem inviting.”
“Have you forgotten that living with you would get me fired? Or are you assuming I’ll never get well enough to handle a bomb again and be on disability forever?”
“I’m not assuming anything now,” he said. “And by the way, we’re caught.”
“Captain Almanzo? He told?”
“No, he didn’t. But a television reporter got a leak, probably from the crime scene people, and sprang it on me at a press conference today.”
“So I’m hours away from getting fired for being a slut?”
“No,” he said. “Your job is safe. I resigned from the force today. They’re going to hire my security company so I can keep working as a consultant on the bomber case while you recover.”
“Jesus, Dick. I caused this. I’m sorry.”
“For what? I wasn’t going to be a career cop.”
“For having humiliated you.”
“I’m not humiliated.”
She frowned. “I’ve been planning to go stay with my mother in Florida for a while. I have a perfectly nice mother, you know. I think I never mentioned her because we were having a wild fling and it seemed weird to bring her into it.”
“What’s her name?”
“Grace.”
“Pretty,” he said. “Was it a wild fling?”
“Hell yes, it was,” she said. “Every minute we weren’t working we were fooling around or drinking.”
“Good for us,” he said. She could see that his face looked sad.
“Did calling it a fling hurt your feelings?” she said. “Be honest with me.”