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Frankly, I wondered what that had to do with us, but I’m sure you’ll fill me in.”
    I explained the possible connection of Walter Bradshaw to the murder of Arnold Ginsberg and the request from Salt Lake City P.D. for our help with the investigation.
    â€œIt strikes me that we should help with the case, but I’m going to leave that to your discretion. What I do expect is that you keep me in the loop and always exercise good judgment before committing us to these kinds of investigations. Tell me this. Has the press connected Ginsberg’s murder to the Bradshaw case?”
    â€œNot yet, but I think it’s only a matter of time. It’s possible that Salt Lake P.D. might release that information in the normal course of business. But even if they don’t, it’s only a matter of time before some good investigative reporter will uncover the fact that Ginsberg was a witness in the case and that Bradshaw was on parole at the time of the robbery/murder.”
    Cates was a note-taker. As we talked, he busily scribbled notes to himself in a planner. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll pass this information along to our public information officer in case the media starts asking questions. Anything else?”
    â€œOnly that Bradshaw’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for tomorrow, and the prison’s Special Operations Tactical Team will shuttle him back-and-forth between the courthouse and prison. With the other members of his gang still at large, security is tight.”
    â€œAppreciate the information, Sam. I’ll consider it. Before you leave there’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
    That put me on full alert.
    â€œI’m sorry that until now I haven’t had time to sit down with you and go over some things. My first few weeks on the job have been a little hectic. And I want you to understand that while I don’t hold you or the Special Investigations Branch responsible for the recent scandal, there are some people, both in and out of the department, who have pointed the finger of blame in your direction.”
    â€œI’m sure that’s true.”
    â€œI considered reassigning you but decided against it, in part, because of a conversation I had with my predecessor, Norm Sloan. Sloan gave you high marks for not only your professional skills but also your loyalty to him, and your dedication to the department. You’ll soon discover that I will demand the same level of personal loyalty and dedication.”
    â€œI appreciate Director Sloan’s kind words of support. And of course I’ll try to provide you with the same level of dedication and support that I gave him. And if it turns out that that’s not good enough, we’ll both know that it’s time for me to move on.”
    â€œFair enough,” Cates said. “The issue I wanted to discuss with you today is how to keep the department operating on sound ethical principles and the role you and the SIB will have to play in that endeavor. I ran a tight ship for twenty-eight years in the King County Sheriff’s Department and I intend to run a tight ship here. People in this department are going to quickly learn that I have a zero tolerance policy for rogue employees who think they can operate outside the rules. Tell me something, Sam, how do you think we can prevent future scandals like that recent business with the so-called Commission?”
    â€œLike a lot of people, I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. And I’ve concluded that, as a department, we should have been doing some things differently.”
    â€œSuch as?”
    â€œHiring for starters. In the name of saving money, the department gutted the budget for conducting full-field background investigations on prospective employees. Also, we eliminated psychological screening completely from the personnel selection process. That was a mistake.”
    â€œI couldn’t agree