# 17

Sarah Lee didn't much like feds, even the ones who did cooperate. The new sense of cooperation after the massacre in New York was still pretty much an upward trail. Local PDs all over the country gathered grass roots information, then tossed it into the Federal maw. The feds chewed it over, digested it and now and then vomited some back.

If they were as quick to distribute information, as they were to rush in and make an arrest, which the local cops tipped them to in the first place, street cops might have thought more of them. A local cop, withholding information in a terror investigation, was as good as in jail with the people he put there. So nobody did it. Besides even if they didn't get the credit they all wanted to the same thing.

However a shooting at a civil war re enactment wasn't likely to be a terrorist plot. She doubted seriously that there were radical Muslim re enactors on the battlefield. She smiled as she wondered it there were crusader re enactments. She giggled like a school girl at the thought. She knew how much organization went into one of those re enactments. She doubted that the Christians and Muslims could work together that well. The reenactment might start with real battles over lunch at the Jerusalem holiday inn.

She was almost back at her wagon when the black suv pulled up along side her, took a good look then passed quickly. It was filled with men in suit pants, white shirts, ties, and wind breakers with FBI on the back. Sarah Lee grunted. She was really going to hate to leave with the first act of the circus still in progress. However, she just wasn't that curious about why somebody with so little imagination as her spook friend would be so quickly onto a shooting at a federal park.

Sarah was almost the only one in the encampment area. The others were either involved in or out rubber necking the battle. She quickly hid away her two exposures made just before the incident. No she wasn't withholding evidence. If there were anything of interest on them, she would turn them in to the Atlanta Pd to forward to the Fibbies. After the way the boy G-man had handled her blank film, she doubted that any would survive. Yes, the holders she turned over to the Fibbies had not been exposed at that time. Sarah carried eight film holders but seldom used more than two.

Even though she thought she should be doing something constructive, she set up her camera for the re enactor's portrait shoot. They would be rushing in all filled with adrenaline and ready to beat their chest. None of them knew of the shooting on the hill. She intended to let the Fibbies or the newspaper inform them.

Sarah Lee had fudged again. She had driven her old land cruiser to the mini mart outside the park before breakfast to fill her cooler with ice. So while the others were sweating in their wool uniforms, Sarah was sitting in her cotton period style, but not authentic, summer dress drinking powdered lemonade, with ice no less. She was mulling over the what ifs, when the out of place black pickup truck arrived. The park pickups were allowed to go anywhere and everywhere.

"Hi there, you are that Atlanta Police Detective aren't you?"

"Yes that's me," Sarah replied. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Not really, I'm just shook up a little and wanted to talk to someone. The word is not to discuss what happened with anyone, but I don't think that means you. I mean you do know what's happening." It was at that moment that Sarah caught the vibe. The park ranger was trying hard to be what she thought lesbians were like. She had obviously pegged Sarah as a lesbian and hoped to buddy up to her. Sarah almost told her that she was barking up the wrong tree, but decided not to do that just yet. When people tried to pry information from a cop, they always gave up some to start the ball rolling.

Sarah had spotted the ruse because she was used to it. People were always mistaking her for a lesbian. She was first of all not all that attractive, and she had a commanding presence. Put those to together and it just scream lesbian to some people. Hell Sarah didn't even like golf. she chuckled at the last. It was so obvious that the park ranger looked at her curiously.

"I was just thinking how you boss would react if he knew?"

"Knew what?" Just then it hit Sarah that Peter was her boss. There was something terribly wrong here, she thought.

She tried desperately to piece together what she knew. She did that before she began to even think about the ranger girl.

Peter got him self shot.
The FBI and some shadow guy show up much too fast.
They try to limit the involvement of the local cops.
Then ranger girl shows up trying to be her 'friend'.

It smelled of conspiracies up and down the line. More than one going on at the same time.

Ranger girl put her hand on Sarah's arm as she spoke. Sarah resisted the urge to slap hell out of her. Sarah had done that before and gotten away with it. She had no idea if she could with a park ranger at that particular moment. Besides she wanted information not to defend her sexual preferences.

"So detective what happened?" Bold little hussy, Sarah thought.

"You boss is dead, that's about all I know. The super cops aren't talking to us peons." She let that sink in then asked, "So what kind of man was Peter."

"Well I really shouldn't say." The little ranger tried to stand. Sarah took her arm and forced her back onto the campstool.

"Sweetie, you come here looking for information, now the super cops are going to find that noteworthy. I got no interest in doing their job, but now you started this so tell me about Peter. Hell you can lie if you want, but you damn sure better start talking.