Adventures of Black Cat.

Part 9: Connecting the dots

Cathy comes back with the laptop and a small coffee table to mount it on. She opens it up to a loss prevention course that is designed to prevent recidivism according to the “learning outcomes” introductory text block. Below this block there is a “WARNING” text block that demands that the course taker provide quality work so that they can be accurately profiled.

The course taker is then instructed to click on the “camera” icon to take a picture of themselves before starting. The background design of the web-page is a series of prison cells with no branding anywhere as if the web-page was made to conceal the identity of the developer. This prompts Felicia to ask:

Felicia: So, who designed this course?

Cathy: The Psychology Institute for Loss Prevention, what is it to you? Want to rob them in retaliation for making you do this? Go ahead, I would be the first to tip them off.

Felicia: I am sure you would, but I also want to know who welded these cages.

Cathy: I told you, I have connections. These cells can be claimed and re-worked from any abandoned prison. I ain’t giving someone like you any more specifics.

Felicia: You are working unofficially for the State, aren’t you?

Cathy: Just do the damn course. It should take you less than an hour. I will be back to check on you in 2. Sit tight. Cathy leaves after slamming the cell-door shut

The first part of the course Felicia works on is multiple choice as it relates to decision-making, the second is a questionnaire to understand her preferred vocation according to the RIASEC vocational personality test (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional), and the third part consists of long answer questions that asks to describe images to understand how she perceives opportunity.

Felicia quickly completes the course and revises it to ensure that it is “quality” work. She then opens up another tab to look up certain laws. According to New York Penal Law, official misconduct is unauthorized conduct that goes beyond the scope of ones jurisdiction of official duties. Two of these elements are “Commit a particular and unauthorized act relating to your office and official function. Keep in mind that merely committing an unpermitted act is insufficient to violate this element. You must also be aware that your actions were unauthorized; or

• Knowingly refrain from following or complying with a duty required by law or that is inherent to your position regardless of its nature and scope.

Felica: Bingo! Yogi girl here is working outside of her security duties as a storeowner by forcibly confining people and coercing them into doing this on-line course. This implicates so many people! Internal affairs of the police, their union, the company who welded these cells, the Institute she mentioned, and maybe more! First, I need to overpower Cathy to and blackmail Cassidy into getting my gear back. I need to get a hold of her cellphone to do this.

An hour later, Cathy unlocks the cell door to check if Felicia has finished. Cathy turns the coffee table towards her and sees the certification of completion page for Felicia “Black Cat” Hardy with her picture above the title of completion.

Cathy: Congratulations, cat. You are part of our small batch of prison gradu……AGH!

Felicia puts Cathy in a wrist-lock to get her closer to take a hold of her by the hair. She then takes Cathy’s phone out of her pocket belt, takes the key-pin for the shackles out of the waistline of her yoga pants, and then throws Cathy to the ground.

Cathy: Ugh. I didn’t know you were that strong.

Felicia: I didn’t know you were that weak. Here is the deal, yoga girl, raises Cathy’s phone tell your daughter to get her ass over here with my confiscated gear. If you or her refuse to cooperate, I call the police and leave with them with series of anonymous tips that you are violating New York Penal Law through official misconduct. You follow me?

Cathy: If you call the police, my daughter hands in your gear to….

Felicia: Ha! You take me down, and I will take you down with me. What is it going to be?

Cathy, in desperation, tries to tackle Felicia but has one of her legs easily swept from under her with a Judo foot sweep. Felicia then places her boot on her chest to hold her down and then says:

Felicia: Bad move, yogi-bitch. You closed the one opportunity you had to negotiate. Your last name is “Gordon”, yes? Cathy nods in stunned silence

Felicia then calls the police and puts the phone on speaker. She asks the operator if she can speak to internal affairs regarding a person named “Cathy Gordon”. She is forwarded clerk named “Bruce” who tells Felicia (going by the name of “Vanessa”) that she will be placed on hold for a few minutes to retrieve Cathy’s profile info. Felicia looks as Cathy’s nervous expression and smiles to herself knowing that she is screwed.

Bruce then breaks this nervous tension by confirming that Cathy is a part-time civilian employee of the department. Felicia, a bit surprised by the news, then sees an opening to incriminate her by saying:

Felicia: Ya but, she has no powers of arrest or confinement, right? Yes? I took a look through her basement window and saw some shady stuff. I can get pictures if needed.

Bruce: Ma’am, you are not authorized to investigate the manner. According to her profile, she is an accredited member of our loss prevention program and security program as sponsored by the Psychology Institute for Loss Prevention. She has powers of arrest and can hold prisoners to decrease backlog in local jails as they are often full. Can I help you with anything else today?

Felicia: No…..you have been great. Bye.

A stunned Felicia looks down at a smiling Cathy who slowly moves Felicias foot off her chest and gets to her feet.