Sacred Spring
9:58 AM - Saturday, November 1, 2014
Rockridge, Oakland, CA
There were few things Mark Greenberg liked more than the fist drizzle of hot water over coffee grounds. He loved watching the white and brown foam come up into bloom, loved the rich aroma, and loved the slow process of brewing brought about by simple hot water and ground beans. It felt like a decadent indulgence to take the proper time to make something so easy — all you had to do was control the flow of water and let nature do its work. The coffee began its light rattle as it dripped into the lower chamber of the Chemex when Katie stepped out of the shower.
“I’ll be ready in 15 minutes!” She called from the bedroom.
“OKAY!” He replied, mentally calculating how much longer the coffee would take, plus how much time he’d have to enjoy it before they left. 10 minutes. He drizzled another round of steaming water over the grounds and double-checked the list.
Hardware store: paint - Benjamin Moore “white dove” and “misty rose”, drawer and door latches, outlet covers, plant? (Katie had added this last item, wanting at least something green and living in the room).
Ikea: Gulliver 2-piece furniture set (with crib and changing table), Billy bookcase (Katie insisted for books and toys.)
West Elm: to take a look for nursery club chair/glider (Katie liked the chair his Mom had given them, but it could be even more than a new one to get it reupholstered. This ever-important chair was a nagging question mark.)
He clicked his phone off, knowing Katie would have more additions once they got on the road.
He pulled the wet filter out of the Chemex and plopped it in the sink to dry. The fresh coffee - his second pot since he woke up at 6:30 - was the perfect fuel for this list of errands. He always thought a second pot was better than the first; the first being a necessity, the second an indulgence. Hopefully there would be some lunch in the mix today too. Maybe they could pop into Camino in Grand Lake for a few small plates. He heard Katie’s hair dryer come to life in the bathroom just as his phone started vibrating on the countertop.
The number said “US PARK SERVICE” which could mean absolutely anything.
“Mark Greenberg?” He answered with a question.
“Uh…hi…Agent Greenberg?”
“Yes, who’s speaking?”
“Hi - my name is Officer Paco Mayfield of the US Park Police. I phoned the FBI field office in San Francisco and the receptionist gave me your number.” Shit.
“Yes, what can I do for you?”
“Well, there’s no easy way to say this. I need your help - a lot of help. We have discovered the body of a young woman in The Presidio. It’s at the base of a number of walking trails which may hold evidence and which will need careful searching.” Paco paused, and not hearing anything by way of response, pressed on. “In the meantime, this is an active national park and it’s the weekend, so a lot of visitors are already showing up and my team is overwhelmed with telling people that trails are closed. We need to lock this down and get the investigation going. I don’t know if this will eventually come to the FBI, but it’s federal land and the SFPD doesn’t want to touch it. I mean, they’re saying they’ll help, but they don’t really want to be involved. I called the ISB and I’m still waiting for a call back.” Paco took a breath. “I don’t know who else to call - I was just hoping I could get some help.”
Greenberg knew two things: his Saturday was over and Katie was going to be furious.
10:15 AM - Saturday, November 1, 2014
SFPD Northern Station
A quiet Saturday morning with a pile of car break-in reports to get through. Desk duty is for rookies, Jeannie thought. She decided to make it through another ten report write-ups before breaking for lunch, making a game in order to stay productive.
“Hey Jeannie,” she looked up to see Owen Dunne, another of her academy class at her desk.
“Hey Owen - what are you doing here?” Jeannie asked, smiling. Owen was one of the nicer ones of her class: calm, accurate, no ego. His kindness singled him out as one of her friends, along with Stephanie, that she really liked and trusted.
“Got called in. There’s a pow-wow in five minutes. I guess something’s up?” Owen looked around. The station did have a bit more buzz than it had a few minutes before. Jeannie felt her brow furrow. She hadn’t heard about any pow-wow. Was she being excluded for some reason?
“Hmmm. I haven’t heard anything.” She looked around and the Captain walked into the pool.
“Dunne, Hagen - morning.”
“Morning Captain” they said, as Jeannie jumped up to standing.
“Alright, come on in, let’s get this started.” The Sergeant wasn’t there - was this pow-wow something the Captain was leading? What is happening? In the briefing room, a number of rookies were seated, with a few experienced officers in plain clothes across the back. Owen and Jeannie got seats together and then caught the eye of Steph, who was supposed to be off, sitting in the front row. Steph shrugged to say she didn’t know what was happening either. Was this a drill? No one seemed to have any indication of what was going on.
The Captain went to the lectern at the front and the room fell silent.
“First, thank you everyone for coming in, many of you on your day off. I apologize for not being direct in my communication, but this is a sensitive matter.” The Captain looked grave as his eyes met everyone’s in the room. “We have received a call from the US Park Police in the Presidio. They need our help today. As of roughly…” the Captain consulted the wall clock at the back of the room “and hour and twenty minutes ago, the body of a young woman was discovered in the park, and it looks like it could be a homicide. The discovery was at a site called,” the Captain consulted his notes, “El Polin Spring.” Jeannie’s eyes grew wide and she felt herself gasp.
“What?” She didn’t realize she had said it until the Captain’s stern eyes were on her.
“Something to contribute Hagen?” He was pissed. She felt like she was about to be sent to detention.
“No - I….I just…I’m sorry sir.”
“Out with it.” The Captain stared, daring her to say something. Shit. She hated being on the spot. Out with it. Jeannie took a deep breath and spoke clearly for the room, the way she had been taught an officer should speak.
“I - I know El Polin Spring.” She began.
“How?” Parried the Captain.
“I used to volunteer for the GGNPC in the summers and lead nature walks with pre-teen kids to El Polin Spring.” Jeannie’s heart was pounding. The Captain considered her and took a breath.
“Alright Hagen, come on up and tell us what you know about it.” He still looked pissed. She got to her feet and approached the front of the room. She thought if she turned to look at anyone she’d either wet herself or pass out, so she went right to the white board and grabbed a black pen. Sketching a rough shape of the Presidio, indicating the borders of Pacific & Jackson streets to the south, Lyon to the east, and the bay and ocean to the north and west, Jeannie sketched where the Golden Gate would be for context, and then drew a small circle where she estimated the spring would be. She drew in the diagonal of Lover’s Lane, and a rectangle to indicate the Main Post. Taking a deep breath, she began.
“This is El Polin Spring.” She began, indicating the circle. “It’s maybe a half mile from the Presidio Avenue gate, a little further to the Lyon Street stairs to the east.” The Lyon Street stairs being a favorite gathering spot for local teens, most of the police knew it well. This gave good context to the location. “It’s probably another half mile on the other side to the Arguello Gate. If you’ve ever taken your kids or played ball at Julius Khan Playground - you would be right above El Polin Spring. The Spring was excavated and renovated by the Golden Gate National Parks about 3-4 years ago. There’s an architectural dig there that indicates an adobe village used to be on the site. Historically, a young girl named Juana Briones led Spanish sailors to the spring to give them a source of fresh water. Because of this water source, the Spanish decided to found the Presidio on the site, and therefore the entire city. It is believed by the Ohlone Tribe that the spring is a source of life and vitality, and therefore they consider it sacred.” Jeannie took a deep breath and dared to look at the Captain. “Either way it’s an important watershed for the natural ecosystem of The Presidio.” The Captain looked stern. Jeannie pressed on. “The idea that someone would be killed in the spring is…disturbing.” Her mouth was dry, but she forced herself to swallow.
“You can’t park there, or drive there really, but it’s a very easy walk. These days it’s a peaceful loop that’s rather busy. A lot of dog walkers and bird watchers. There’s also an outdoor classroom space for kids’ camps and field trips. It’s very…family friendly? A lot of parents and strollers. It also connects with trails throughout the Presidio: Mountain Lake Trail, Ecology Trail, Ridge Trail - you can be on any one of these trails from El Polin Spring within about 5 minutes. Lover’s Lane isn’t too far either, so you’d have a quick shot down to Crissy Field and the bay. The GGNPC has been trying to make the Presidio more and more accessible lately, so many of the trails connect easily and seamlessly.”
“Meaning?” The Captain tossed out. Jeannie looked at him directly.
“Meaning that it wouldn’t be difficult to get out of El Polin Spring in a hurry if you had to. The terrain on the west side does get a little steep as you climb up to Arguello.” Jeannie gave a general gesture to that area of her map. “And beyond Arguello is the Golf Club. If someone were on a bike…” she considered, thinking of the paved trail that lead past the Golf Club, “it could be a very quick get-away.”
“This must be why the Park Police called us to help lock down the area.” The Captain said matter-of-factly. He looked at the room. “They need people to help secure a perimeter and comb these many trails that Hagen spoke of for any kind of evidence. We are here in an ASSISTANCE capacity - this is a federal jurisdiction, but they are our neighbors, so we want to play nice. We also need to keep this quiet. The victim is believed to be a minor.” The Captain’s voice had changed. Jeannie felt her entire face getting hot. “This means minimal radio chatter, and no codes or details - we all know people listen to the PD channels. If there’s any civilian action, keep them away with whatever excuse you can. We are not to talk to any press at all. ANY! Is that understood? If this hits the Chronicle it will not be from the SFPD. Clear?”
“Yes sir!” The room said.
“Alright, let’s head out. We’re to muster at the Julius Khan Playground Parking Area. Dismissed.” The room broke up. Jeannie felt dizzy.
“Hagen.” Jeannie looked into the stern face of the Captain. Oh shit, here comes detention. “That was an excellent briefing. Good context for everyone. Thank you.”
“Thank you, Captain.” She barely whispered as he moved on.
Stephanie caught her eye and mouthed the word “YES” and gave her a smile and nod. Jeannie shrugged and smiled back. The hot nerves melting into something that felt a little like pride.