THE ARREST OF MAYOR BETTAKER
The second arrest of Mayor Brian "Bri" Bettaker gets its own chapter here for a couple of reasons. It may be the single most dramatic event in Rain City's history, if not exactly the most important. It also was the first, and most successful case of a player-created plotline being integrated into the official EPG story of Rain City. It was certainly the biggest such scenario, both in terms of scope and the time involved in its completion. Finally, it sets the stage for important events yet to occur in town. Players who intend to be a real part of Rain City should be familiar with the history of Bri Bettaker's arrest if they want to understand these future events.
The news of the mayor's initial arrest for gambling on hamster races broke just after Baby C had been named District Attorney and had appointed Beachgal Chief A.D.A. Baby C had trepidations from the first, knowing that Bettaker was Paulson's man, which would make a conviction difficult. But when the case was assigned to Judge Spinder, she knew that it was lost before it had started, as Spinder is also taking bribes from Paulson. As she predicted, Spinder dismissed the case on the grounds that the State had insufficient evidence to present a prima facie case. The next day, during a conversation with her friends Bacardi Jim and Beachgal, Baby C dropped the bombshell about the dismissal. "He said we have insufficient evidence," she related. Then she looked at BJ. "Unless there is something you can do to help."
Bacardi Jim was galvanized! He had already solved most of the mystery of Bert Rudall's disappearance, he had yet to start his own agency, and saw an opportunity to not only meet an incredible challenge, but to help out his friend and score one for the Good Guys all at once. He retired to the Harem Tent and spent the next two days in seclusion, working out the details of a bold, sneaky, and innovative plan. He returned to Baby C with a proposal: he would go undercover, disguising himself as a newcomer to town. He would lure Bettaker back into the seedy world of hamster racing with a challenge the poor addict couldn't resist. He would videotape and record the whole thing. And he could guarantee that Paulson wouldn't step in to protect Bettaker this time. Baby C seemed dubious at first, but trusted BJ's instincts and skills, and told him he could proceed, though it would have to be without any official support from her office.
And so Ron Jameson was born. Jameson was actually BJ in a skin wig and fake nose, a disguise he created with the help of the theatrical background of his ex-wife Rainbowmom. Jameson claimed to be an attorney from Las Vegas, who had abandoned his practice to become a professional gambler. Having heard that Rain City was a hotbed of hamster racing, he had come to town with his Striped Brazilian hamster Pele. He was looking for fresh blood and fresh money, having claimed to have beaten all takers in Vegas. (In his belief in the eventual success of his plan, BJ had actually spent $10,000 of his own money purchasing Pele.) After establishing his presence in Rain City, Jameson started placing newspaper ads looking to lease a locale for his races, employees to work there, and trying to drum up some competition.
But it was no use. He couldn't find a place to use as a hamster racing site. He couldn't find employees to use as window dressing for his sting operation. And Rashid O'Malley already had the hamster racing scene happening in the back room of the Drizzle Club. BJ could find no takers for Pele. Bacardi Jim was forced to ask for Baby C's help. By this time, BJ had in his possession the documents proving that Paulson was really the money man behind O'Malley's hamster racing operaton. The same file of documents also proved that O'Malley had, in fact been embezzling from Paulson. BJ asked Baby C to offer O'Malley immunity from embezzlement charges if he would cooperate in BJ's sting of Bettaker. He also made a call to Paulson, threatening to turn the documents over to Baby C unless Paulson stayed out of the whole affair this time. "Let me have Bettaker," he told Paulson, "or I use these files to come after you." Baby C agreed to the deal, as did O'Malley and the stage was set. Several video cameras and microphones were installed in the Drizzle's back room.
Rainbow over Grey Lake, where the body of Bettaker's predecessor was found.
But there was a fly in the ointment. Gypsy, still very much the ace investigative reporter in those days, had taken a keen interest in the doings of both Bacardi Jim and Ron Jameson. Furthermore, Yu Pei Mee had started blurting out Jameson's name at inopportune times. (I think he still does. Ask Yu "Where are the hamster races?" Ask him many times. He will mention the names of several player characters.) BJ was afraid that Gypsy would stumble onto the truth of Jameson's identity, so he took a final drastic measure.
He died.
With the help of his Chiefwife, the Assistant D.A., Bacardi Jim faked his own death from heart disease. A coffin filled with camel dung was lowered into the ground, and for almost three months, Bacardi Jim did not exist. He saw his wives only fleetingly, and always as Ron Jameson. He moved out of the Harem Tent and into the Dampmore. And, most tragically, he saw one of his wives have a brief affair with his friend and future partner, Llewellyn while he could do nothing but stand back and watch. But it worked; Gypsy was thrown off the trail, and Ron Jameson was finally established as a fixture in Rain City. Only Baby C, Llewellyn, and BJ's wives knew that he was still alive.
Eventually, the whole operation payed off. Late the night of October 8, 1999 Jameson finally managed to get Bettaker on tape gambling on a race between his hamster and Pele. As a bonus, the cameras also caught Bettaker drugging his hamster with amphetamines, and trying to pay off his loss with a check drawn on the city's account. (A transcript of the events of that night are available by request from any number of people.) As police burst in to make the arrest, Jameson pulled off his wig and fake nose and revealed himself to be Bacardi Jim.
And so Bettaker sits in jail, denied bail as he is considered a flight risk, and this time Spinder can't lift a finger to help him. Bettaker's Deputy Mayor disappeared the next day, claiming that health reasons were forcing him to take some time off, and hasn't been seen since. After a month or so, the city council appointed Acting Deputy Mayor Hart Thorin to fill Bettaker's office until such time as he is either released, or his conviction allows another election for a successor. Thorin has proved to be quite popular (see "Non-Player Characters") and rumor has it that he may run for the mayor's office next election. Rumors also have been flying that Beachgal is considering running, should Bettaker be convicted. And Bacardi Jim, prompted by the success of his sting, decided that the time was right to open his own agancy. Since then, Desert Moon Investigations has become quite successful, rivaling even Joe Terror's agency as the top PI firm in Rain City.