Gerald DeBlass

DeBlass, Gerald

Appeared in Naked in Death (c. February 13-22, 2058) and mentioned in Rapture in Death (July 31 - September 8, 2058)

Personal Information

• Description: He was a compact bull of a man.
• Hair: White
• Eyes: Nearly black
• Height: 6 feet (182.88 cm)
• Weight: 220 pounds (99.79 kg)
• Relationships: Anna DeBlass (wife); Richard DeBlass (son); Catherine DeBlass (daughter); Sharon DeBlass (granddaughter); Franklin Summit (grandson)
• Occupation: Senator (Conservative Party) from Virginia

Description

• His crop of white hair was cut sharp and thin as a razor so that his head seemed huge and bullet sleek. His eyes were nearly black (sharp and hard), as were the heavy dark brows over them. They were large, like his nose, his mouth.
• His large-knuckled hands were enormous, smooth and soft as a baby's. His voice was deep and booming.

Personality

• Described by Feeney as “The gentleman from Virginia, extreme right, old money.” Whitney described him as a pompous, arrogant asshole. Eve agreed.
• He prowled the room as he was given to prowl the New Senate Gallery in East Washington; and told Dallas that it should be obvious that Sharon was murdered by one of her clients. He stated, “A man who would pay for sexual favors would have no compunction about murder.”
• According to Derrick Rockman, nothing was more vital to the senator than his family. He said that Sharon’s death was devastating to DeBlass. DeBlass said that Sharon had been an important part of his life and that there was no connection between Sharon’s, Lola Starr’s, and Georgie Castle’s murders.
• Roarke said he hated DeBlass’s pompous, hypocritical guts. And that if he got his party’s nomination for president, he’d put everything he had into his opponent’s campaign. If it was the devil himself. DeBlass called Roarke an amoral opportunist who would stop at nothing to add to his own power.
• Catherine said that he was afraid of women.

History

• He said he had served justice for more than fifty years. Later, to Dallas, he said, “I've been in the business of bullshit for more than twice your life, lieutenant. So don't pull out your tap dance with me.”
• He had a gun collection that he enjoyed and he tried to interest Richard in them when he (Richard) was younger. (DeBlass occasionally used the black market.)

Criminal History

• Gerald DeBlass raped Catherine and Sharon. Catherine said her mother (Anna) knew but pretended she didn’t. Anna wanted everything to be quiet and perfect.
• Gerald used to come into Catherine’s room when she was seven or eight and touch her. He said that it was a secret game; that it was all right because he was Daddy and Catherine was going to pretend to be Mommy.
• He raped her on her twelfth birthday, saying she was old enough. He said it was a present.
• Catherine saw that Gerald started doing the same thing to Sharon; she wanted to help, but didn’t know how. And then Sharon turned it around on him.
• It was Christmas Day when she heard Sharon and Gerald arguing. She threatened to expose him unless he paid her as she had everything documented. Then she said that he could still have her, if he was willing to pay just like any other client. When he grabbed her, Sharon looked over his shoulder at Catherine, who had been listening in the doorway.
• At Sharon’s funeral, DeBlass hugged Catherine and told her to pay attention. To remember, and to see what happened when families don’t keep secrets. He said Franklin was a fine boy, that she should be proud, and careful.

Homicide Information

• DeBlass killed Sharon DeBlass on impulse and panicked afterward.
• Rockman had driven the senator to Sharon’s and helped him cover it up. DeBlass was given a sedative and Rockman cleaned up the mess; he then explained that Sharon had to used as one part of the whole. The senator’s penchant for recording his sexual activities gave Rockman the idea to use that as part of the pattern. Since the gun, a Smith & Wesson, Model Ten (blue steel) .38, wasn’t registered, he decided to leave that behind, also as a part of the pattern.
• He was an accessory to the murders of Lola Starr and Georgie Castle.

Interesting Facts

• He continued to introduce bills that would make prostitution illegal. He also stood against procreation regulation, gender adjustment, chemical balancing, and the gun ban. His Morals Bill went before the House on February 22.
  • His opposition to the gun ban was one of his pets. He owned a number of nasty antiques [guns] and “spouts off regularly about that outdated right to bear arms business.”
  • He was a strong proponent of the group known as Moral Values.
• He went over Whitney’s head (by talking to Chief Edward Simpson with whom he was allied) and arranged to meet the investigating officer in Sharon’s murder. He also received authorization from Simpson to access any and all evidence and investigative data on the murder. He later insisted on an update from Eve and Feeney in East Washington.
• His alibi was that he was in East Washington the night Sharon was murdered. The senator and Rockman worked late refining a bill he intended to present the following month. They worked until midnight, Rockman stayed in the guest room, and they had breakfast together the next morning at 7:00 a.m.
• It was a long shot, but he had some backing for the next presidential election. Nadine said he was the front runner for the Conservative Party’s nomination that summer.
• He said he revered women, which is why those who sold themselves, those who disregarded morality and common decency, revolted him.
• DeBlass and Rockman both indicated that it might be better to let Sharon rest in peace instead of finding her murderer.
• Richard described his father as a talented amateur in matters of security and had a self-serving relationship with Simpson. DeBlass considered Simpson a fool.
• Eve arrested him after his address on the Senate floor, where he had been hawking his Morals Bill.
• Rockman said that DeBlass could have eventually become Chair of the World Federation of Nations.
• After DeBlass was arrested and released, he stood by him as DeBlass chose a Magnum .457, put the gun in his mouth and “died like a patriot.” Rockman told DeBlass it was the only way and DeBlass agreed.