Dragnet 2023

Dragnet 2023

Narrator: Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to read is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Friday Voice-Over: "This is the city: Los Angeles, California. There are times when money is not used. Instead, items and services can be traded from one person to another. Little boys like to trade baseball cards. Teenagers who like each other like to trade kisses. Adults like to trade shifts at work. Things that can be bought can be traded. Most of the time, both parties want to trade. Other times it is not consensual. When that happens, I go to work. I carry a badge.

It was Tuesday, September 19. It was clear and warm in Los Angeles. We were working day watch out of the Special Investigation Section of the Robbery Homicide Division. My Partner is Frank Smith, the boss is Captain Bernard. My name is Friday.

Yesterday, Louise Spencer was attacked by her son. Her son was placed in Rampart Memorial Hospital under psychiatric observation. We start our investigation by interviewing the alleged victim, Interviewing the victims are done a thousand times a day.

Two seventeen PM, Frank and I pulled up at the Spencer home. We had called earlier informing Mrs. Spencer we would be arriving at approximately two PM."

*** Knock Knock ***

No answer.

*** Knock Knock ***

Frank: She doesn't seem to be at home.

Friday: She said she would be here.

Frank: She must have forgotten.

Friday: Could be.

Friday Voice-Over: Two twenty-four PM, Frank and I were heading back to the station when we received a message on the radio in our car.

Speak in Police Car: "One K 80, come in."

Friday: "This is One K 80, come in control."

Captain Bernard: "Frank, weren't you supposed to interview Louise Spencer."

Friday: "We just visited her abode. She wasn't there."

Captain Bernard: "We got word she is at Rampart Memorial Hospital."

Friday: "What happened?"

Captain Bernard: "She had some sort of breakdown."

Frank: "We'll proceed to the hospital."

Captain Bernard: "Fine."

Frank changed directions and we took the fastest route to the hospital. We arrived there at two thirty-one PM. We were told that Louise Spencer was in the Psychiatric Unit on the fourth floor.

Friday: "Police officers. My name is Friday. This is Frank Smith. Is Louise Spencer a patient here?"

Nurse: "Let me check...Yes."

Friday: "Can we talk to her?"

Nurse: "I'm afraid not. She is incoherent. You should talk to the psychiatrist on duty: Doctor Baurch."

Friday: "Dr. Baurch, we heard that Louise Spencer had a breakdown."

Dr. Baurch: "You mean the real one?"

Friday: "The real one?"

Dr. Baurch: "Yes, we have two. The one brought in this morning and the man who insists that he is Louise Spencer."

By a strange coincidence, the victim of the assault and the person responsible for the assault had been brought into the same psychiatric unit.

Friday: "Can we talk to Mrs. Spencer?"

Dr. Baurch: "I'm sorry but she is not communicative. She has regressed mentally. She has the intellect of an infant. Our testing shows she has the intelligence of an infant between six and nine months old."

Frank: "Six to nine months? You mean she can't talk?"

Dr. Baurch: "More than that. She babbles incoherently. Says thinks like mammamammam and babbabbaba. But those words don't seem to mean anything. She can sit up, but can't crawl or walk. She likes to put things in her mouth and can reach for toys. She looks at you when you talk to her, but she doesn't seem to understand what you are saying. She's just like a young infant."

Friday: "Do you know what caused this?"

Dr. Baurch: "We haven't a clue."

Friday: "Could she be faking?"

Dr. Baurch: "She isn't faking. That we know for sure. She is constantly monitored."

Friday: "Can we see her?"

Dr. Baurch: "You can see her if you want. But she is literally a big baby."

Friday: "What should we do, Frank?"

Frank: "Since we are here, let's get a statement from Phillip Spencer."

Friday: "Good idea, but do you think we should question him without his lawyer being present?"

Frank: "We'll give him his Miranda warnings again."

Friday: "That should work."


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