Parting Shots

Detectives Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Tyriq Pile arrived at the Mall with three police cars and a Paddy Wagon...The two of them and six uniformed policemen fanned out and had no trouble finding and arresting mall security guard, Dominick Evans and charging him with the double murders of Joshua and Cynthia Washington and the murder of  Lawyer, Melvin Feingold..We didn't have enough to charge him with the murder of Gangster, Willie ''Shoes" Shoemaker...but he was a suspect in that case also...He surrendered quietly without a struggle...He almost looked relieved to be caught...Tyriq Pile would later tell me.

I got them a warrant and they raided his house, where they found a Glock nine and bags of latex booties and gloves...The same kind homicide detectives use in some investigations to keep from contaminating a crime scene...

They found black jeans, black t-shirts, black ski masks, and a taser...All of which we impounded for evidence and the White Impala, with the license plate that matched the one Detective Jimmy Barlow Saw on the Video....

Meanwhile, the love of my life, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, Detective Jimmy Barlow and their Lieutenant, Sissy Van Buren were not so lucky...

They took six uniformed officers with them also and raided the coffee shop where I told them that Barbara Dennison worked.,I accompanied them....They were told that she had quit a day before....

I got them a warrant and they raided her house. (We had gotten her home address from the computer that Jimmy and Carlotta had examined days before..)Turned out It was a rental home in her name.....When they got there..they found it empty!!!

Barbara Dennison had flown the coop!

''Man, this broad must have a sixth sense....She must have known we were on to her." said Detective Jimmy Barlow.

"How could she have known?  We gave her no indication that we were even close to an arrest...Nothing has been in the papers." said Detective Carlotta Rodriguez...

"Neither of you really knew her like I did...She is very smart, had great instincts...Almost like a sixth sense..She knows that with the rate the bodies were falling that the pressure to find the culprit was on...She probably knows that we are working on it...She knew that the time to leave was now...and that's what she did...Pack it in guys....She's quit her job and it looks like she's got a head start on us...She's gone." said Sissy.

"I hate to lose like this...I wanted to crack this case." said Carlotta....

"Relax Chica...We did crack it...We know who we are looking for." said Sissy who smiled and put her arms around her.

II-

When we arrived back at C.I.D.. Sissy smiled upon seeing Duke and Tyriq and their prisoner, Dominick Evans in the fishbowl....

''Well we did get lucky...We got one half of the murderous duo..." she said. "Good Work Tyriq, Duke." she said.

''He's not talking Lou. Hasn't said a word.. Just sits and stares."said Tyriq.

"Where is Babs?" asked Duke.

''Gone" said Sissy.

"Gone?" asked Tyriq...

"She quit her job yesterday and we went to her house and it's bone dry." said Jimmy.

"Damn..." said Duke.

"Hey guys...Let me brace Dominick? " said Sissy..

"You Boss Lady?" asked Carlotta.

"You?" asked Duke and Tyriq in unison...

Sissy never braced or interviewed suspects...She usually left that up to Carlotta,Jimmy, Duke and Tyriq, but she had been a Homicide Detective, It's not like she hadn't done it before...


"Yeah...I know him...Jimmy come in and be my second." she said.

Jimmy smiled and stuck his tongue out at Carlotta, Tyriq and Duke...I just stood and laughed as they went in...

Sissy walked in and sat down...Dominick looked at her and smiled...

"Sissy Van Buren....How long has it been?" he said.

"Hi Dom...It has been a few years..." she said and smiled.

"Is this little Jimmy?? Oh My God..He's a Detective now...I remember when he was fresh out of the academy, runnin to get my coffee." he laughed...

"Yeah but you know, they say the worst conversational piece is Remember when." said Jimmy.

''Is that what they say?" asked Dom sarcastically.

''Yeah" said Jimmy.

I could tell that Jimmy didn't like being reminded of that and especially not by him.....I looked over at Carlotta and she bristled at his mention of those days when she and Jimmy were young uniformed officers...I didn't know either of them then...but I'm bettin she was cute !  I walked over and put my arms around Carlotta, she leaned her head into my chest, but continued to watch...

"Dom! You're in a lot of trouble, you know that right.?" said Sissy.

He put his head down....

"Yeah, I know....I never dreamed that one day I'd be sittin in here, with handcuffs on being braced....I used to be on the other side doing the questioning...When I saw Duke and Tyriq in the mall and the cops...I knew that the jig was up..I suppose you guys been to my house too huh?" he asked.

"Yes, we have." said Sissy.

"I figured that this might happen...I-I-I been bitter for years...I was a detective Sissy,Like you!!...I had a gold shield...I was the elite of detectives...a Homicide cop!!....and I got reduced to being a rent a cop, at a damn mall...couldn't even collect my pension..Living in a rental house...because of some hookers?? And some girl with mental problems?? Come onnnnnnnn." he said.

"Dom...Come on....You know better...You knew better..." said Sissy.

''Awww Come on Sissy? All the guys played around..Everybody wasn't married to a lawyer like you were at the time...By the way,how is Robert? ,I always liked him?" he said. Sissy wasn't buying it.

" He's fine! He's remarried. When did Barbara sell you on this?" asked Sissy.

"She came to me about a year ago...I ran into her in the Aqua Bar...She told me that after she got canned..She was a stripper for a little while...Then she tried her hand at the Casinos, doing security for awhile and then gave that up altogether ,came back to Philly and was working as a cashier at a coffee shop..

She said.."Look at us...What are we doin living like this??, You working at a mall as a security guard..Me working security in a casino in Atlantic City..and stripping at one point!!!...This wasn't supposed to happen..It didn't have to happen."

She was more bitter than I was..She was pissed at ADA Joshua Washington....She hated him with a passion and that Jew Lawyer that exposed her , well he wasn't far from the top of her hate list...She was obsessed with them both!!...She blamed both of them.Knew their schedules, where they lived...studied their movemants..She had em down pat." he said.

"But why did you get involved...Neither of them did anything to you?" said Sissy.

"Washington recomended that I be dismissed from the force..Told Lt. Cantrell that I blew every one of my cases that he tried to try because of my unprofessional manner..Maybe he shoulda been a better lawyer!!...Barbara said if it looked like two people were involved it would be harder to figure out a motive...She said they were symbols of everything that was wrong with the department.At the time I agreed..I mean,I hated Washington almost as much as she did...but I had no beef with Feingold or Washington's wife..I didn't even know em...That was all Babs.." he said.

"Why did you kill Mrs. Washington?" she asked.

"I didn't do her...Barbara did her...We didn't know she was home...We heard her  rummaging around upstairs after we lit Josua Washington up...She ran upstairs and popped her. She was supposed to be on vacation..I guess she returned early...We had nothing against her..." he said.

"What about Melvin Feingold?" asked Jimmy...

Dominick looked at Jimmy and smiled, then he laughed....

"Imagine this...YOU asking me a question..." he said.

"Answer the detective's question Dom." said Sissy.

"Yeah, we both did him too!...The next night!...You guys didn't find him until the next day...We saw You, Detective Pile and the uniforms when you arrived..We were right across the street in a rental car with shaded windows watching and laughing." he said.

"And Shoes?" asked Sissy.

"Shoes? Who?" he asked.

''Willie "Shoes" Shoemaker, a wiseguy..." said Sissy.

"I don't know nothin about that." he said.

That meant that Barbara probably went solo...A parting shot before she left town, I thought.

"You want a lawyer?" asked Sissy.

"Nah....I'm tired..I haven't been able to sleep....I can't  believe that I took part in this crap... I didn't really have the heart for anymore killin..." he said.

"How long had you two been sleeping together?" asked Sissy...

"Damn Sissy, you're good...Off and on since we were Detectives on the force...I wasn't the only one...Lt. Cantrell was banging her too..That's why he wouldn't fire her , Even after ADA Washington demanded it..Washington had to go to the Deputy Ops to get that done."he said.

Sissy shook her head....

"Goodbye Dom." she said as she got up..."Jimmy, take his statement." she said.

III-

Sissy walked out of the Fishbowl and walked over to Detective Tyriq Pile... As Carlotta and I watched...

"Tyriq, call Special Agent in Charge ,Frank Cotton over at the FBI and tell him to put out a fugitive flight warrant for Barbara Ann Dennison." she said.  "Duke...Good job here, Go home, get some sleep. Tell Tyriq he's done for today too." she continued.

"Thanks Lou." said Duke.

"Boss Lady?" asked Carlotta.

"Yes Chica?"

"I heard him mention that Lt. Cantrell was sleeping with her too." she said.

"Uh huh." she said.

"What if she went to visit him? What if she hasn't gone yet?" she asked.

"You really want to catch her don't you?" laughed Sissy.

''Well...She's gotten everybody else that had a hand in her losing her job and the guy who used to be Deputy Ops when she was on the force has been dead for years.....Lt. Cantrell is the last piece of the puzzle." said Carlotta.

Sissy pondered the thought for a minute...

''Hmmmm, you've got a point Chica... I mean, it can't hurt to look right?" said Sissy..Who looked at me and winked..I smiled.

"Let's use your car Keith." she said.

III-

 

It was a warm Spring night...Unseasonably warm...almost 79 degrees...Most of the windows on Lt. Cantrell's block were open...His was no exception..

Carlotta and Sissy had their guns unholstered and walked around looking for anything suspicious...and then we got in front of his house...

From the streets the three of us could hear bed springs squeaking loudly, headboards slamming against the wall..and wails of  lust and ecstacy

''Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..."

"Ohhh baby, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Barbara ...ouuuuuuuuuu, more, more... ohhhhhh..."

"Sock it to me Eddie...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd lawdd it's soooo goood...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh I've missed you girl...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh sweeeeet jesusssssssssss you are a demon in the bedddddddddd...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. Edward..ouuuuuu..Edward....OHHHHHHH."
she wailed...

"Ohhhh Barbara, why did you leave me?,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm losin my minddddddddd!! "

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I love you soooooooooooooo much...ouuuuuuuuuuuu.."

"Damn, I kind of hate to interrupt the man at a time like this." I said.

Both Sissy and Carlotta gave me the serious side eye and said in unison- "Men!!!"

Finally there was silence.....Perhaps they were finished...

''Girl, where are you going? You gettin dressed??" said Lt. Cantrell...

"Got to go." said Barbara Dennison...

"Go where?, We just got started good.." he said.

"That was my parting shot..See...ADA Washington got me fired and you promised to go to the F.O.P. and get me a lawyer and get me re-instated...You never did...You never returned my calls..All those years..All those years I let you have me whenever you pleased...All I did with you and you acted like you didn't know me." she said.

"Barbara wait..I did all I could for you...I swear ...I did everything I could...but there was people over my head...It was out of my hands!!!!...I swear. Heyyyy, Wait a minute... It was you wasn't it?  You killed The Washingtons and Feingold, Didn't you??Oh my God!!!...Hey put that gun away..What you doing with a gun??" he yelled...

We heard a shot!

"ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH, YOU BITCH!  I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! I'VE BEEN SHOT!!!!!YOU ALMOST HIT ME IN MY JOHNSON GIRL..ARRRGHHHHHHHHHHH, OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.." came the moan...

I picked the lock.....Carlotta and Sissy looked at me with astonishment.... I smiled weakly....

''What? Before I was an Attorney, I was a kid from West Philly..I wasn't always the sterling guy you see today!....Go get her." I said..

Sissy smiled broadly and shook her head...

"Got any other things we should know about, counselor?" she asked.

"Well, I'll let you know as it comes up." I laughed...

Carlotta whispered in my ear...

"I'm really turned on by you right now." and then she winked and cracked up laughing..

I shook my head and smiled.

Barbara was dressed and coming down the stairs when she looked and saw Sissy and Carlotta with their glocks drawn and aimed at her....

"Barb...It's Over...We got Dom, he laid the whole thing out...He gave you up! Please ,don't make me kill you." said Sissy.

Barbara Dennison smiled..dropped her weapon and allowed Carlotta to handcuff her....

"Well,if I had to get arrested, I'm glad it was by you Sissy...One of the best." she said....She looked at Carlotta and she smiled...

"For what it's worth...I'm proud of you....You always were a sharp young patrol officer and you look like you're a pretty good Detective." she said.

"She is...She's one of my best." said Sissy...

Carlotta smiled...

 "OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU, Girl ,YOU ALMOST HIT ME IN MY JOHNSON GIRL..ARRRGHHHHHHHHHHH, OUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.."came the moans of Lt. Cantrell from upstairs..

''Ladies, uh let me attend to him...Give him some dignity." I said.

Sissy laughed.....Carlotta smiled and Barbara Dennison herself, laughed too.. I ran past them on the stairwell and went to the bedroom where Lt. Cantrell lay on the floor in his boxers...He had been shot in the thigh, just inches from his penis...He was bleeding profusely, but he would more than likely live...

"Lt. Cantrell. Sissy and Carlotta have Barbara in custody and we picked up her accomplice earlier today." I said.

"Good..Good..I knew you guys would crack the case..Don't let Sissy up here..I don't want her to see me like this, OH  and ADA Wallace?" he said ...

"Yes sir.." I answered...

"Could you please keep this part of the story out of the papers? My Pastor reads the paper and there are several of my peers who would use this to humiliate me.They're jealous because of , you know...my way with the ladies." he said.

"I'll do the best I can sir." I said.

"Thank you  son..ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...broad tried to ruin my sex life..ohhhhhhhhhh lawdddd it hurts, Throw the damn book at her son....ughhhhhhhhhh! Crazy woman...I was layin that pipe too.." he moaned...

I called an ambulance and a Police car!

Sissy and Carlotta looked at me as I ran down the steps...

"He okay?" asked Sissy..

"He'll live....His pride is wounded." I said.

"Sounds like more than that!' sneered Barbara Dennison.

Sissy and Carlotta looked at each other and burst into laughter!

EPILOUGE-

Dominick Evans got himself a real sharp lawyer and turned in State's Evidence against Barbara Dennison, which got him a 15 years to life sentence rather than the death penalty or life without parole that he deserved..

Barbara Dennison got the Death Penalty for the murders of Joshua and Cynthia Washington , Melvin Feingold and Willie "Shoes" Shoemaker. She is currently on Death row and has indicated that she does not plan to appeal her sentence.

Lt. Cantrell recovered from his wounds, but walks with a limp...Nothing about his part in the capture was ever leaked in the press...

Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez, Tyriq Pile , Edwin "Duke" Baylor , James "Jimmy"Barlow and Forensic investigator, Dr. Hazel Hunter all received special commendations from The Police Commissioner for solving the case...I was proud of my little unit...

Later on at my loft, I watched as Carlotta packed her things...The case was over and her stay at my loft was over...I was going to miss her...I had enjoyed coming home to her everyday the most...Not just the great mind blowing sex...but having her to talk to, to watch a movie with...And now she was going back to her apartment..

She looked at me and pouted...

''Why you looking so sad?"

"I'm gonna miss you." I said.

"You act like you're never going to see me again...You'll probably see me tomorrow." she said and kissed me on the cheek.

"Yeah, but I really liked seeing you everyday.." I said.

"Don't you ever get tired of me?" she asked, half laughing.

"You know...Come to think of it...I never do...Other girls..Maybe I did...But not you." I said.

"Wow..." she said.

"You get tired of me?" I asked ..Then I thought better of it and said-"Don't answer that."

She kissed me for a long time in the doorway....

"The answer to your question is no..I don't...I'm going to miss being here with you too. Pack yourself some clothes you big baby...You're coming over my place for a few days." she said.

"Are you serious?" I said.

"Yes...I kind of like waking up in your arms..." she said.

''You still want me to come to Puerto Rico?" I asked.

"Yes,of course!!...In two weeks...Can you make it?" she said.

"Yeah....and let's pray no major crime occurs in between now and then." I said.

"Yes, Let's pray." she laughed as she walked me back to my bedroom and helped me pack!