Under My Thumb

The Philadelphia Police ,acting on an "anonymous tip" (I had Clerow call them from a payphone) found the remains of Evan Lawson.....He was buried near the cat house at the Philadelphia Zoo.... (I also had Bonita call all of the local newspapers and tell them that the dead man was the nephew of City Councilwoman, Mona Jenkins..) Naturally, the newspapers and media were buzzing and the backstory of him being the second suspect in a multiple homicide just weeks before.

Kool Kat, Clerow, Sean Jackson and I stood a fair distance from where the Police and the Medical Examiner's office excavated the body , drinking coffee and talking...Homicide Lt. Sissy Van Buren walked over to us..She smiled...

"You wouldn't happen to know how he got here would you Kevin?" she asked.

I raised up both palms towards her...

"Me? No....You got me on this one Sissy." I said.

"Hmmmmm."she said. "Well at least I know this was a straight up homicide." she said.

"You do?" I said...

"Yes....There is a nice neat hole in the side of his head...Oh and Kevin...We found the stolen city car yesterday." She said....I couldn't fool Sissy..She knew me too well..She knew I was working on this case and that I had supplied her with the information she had. This was just a game we played...

"The now late Paul "Pee Wee" Hankins's fingerprints and DNA were still in the car..So it's safe to say that he killed both Evans and Boyd." she said.

"That's right Sissy...Looks like you've just cleared two homicides." I laughed..

"Only my perp is now dead." she said.

"Well you know that he worked for Eldorado Mack right?" I said.

"Did he?" she asked...

"That's what I hear." I said...

"I'm sending some guys to pick him up..." she said and laughed ..."Good Work Kevin." she said.

"Me? I had nothing to do with this Sissy." I said.

"Okay...if you say so." She laughed.

She and her detectives walked away....Clerow and Kool Kat burst into gales of laughter..

"Boyyyy, you aint right." laughed Clerow...

"You are the worst liar I ever saw." laughed Kool Kat.

"What next Kevin?" asked Sean Jackson...

"We wait....These two are going to put themselves in." I said.

"You think so boss?" laughed Clerow.

"Bet on it." I said.

II-

Within an hour...We were at Peeping Tom's house listening to yet another wiretapped phone conversation between Eldorado Mack and City Councilwoman Mona Jenkins.

"Hello..."


"Don't hello me...I thought you said that dumb ass hitman of yours ditched the car and buried my nephew in a place that he wouldn't be found?   The Police found the car yesterday and my nephew's remains today... with your boy Pee Wee's fingerprints all over them...Ohhhhhhhhhh." she said.


"Don't get an attitude with me....I just got a tip from my guy in the D.A.'s office that the police are on the way to my crib to pick me up for questioning..." he said.


"Where are you?" she asked.


"On my way to the airport...When I get to where I'm going I'll call you..I want you to wire me some money." he said.


"Money?? Are you mad? " she screamed.


"You'd better....I'm tied to a murder...and sister,If I go down...YOU go down..Ya dig?" he snarled.


"You son of a bitch...My biggest mistake was sleeping with you years ago...How did I know you were such a lightweight?" she said.


"HA!  Don't flatter yourself sister...I was doin you a favor." he said.


"Hmmmph!" she said.


"Yeah...Just have my money." he said.


(Click!)


I looked at everyone...

"Tom...send this to Homicide Lt. Sissy Van Buren....Kool Kat, Clerow..We are going to the airport..I don't want to miss this." I said with a laugh.

III-

Clerow got us to the airport in no time.....While driving to the airport, we heard on the radio that the police had arrested City Councilwoman Mona Jenkins for Conspiracy to committ murder in the deaths of her nephew, Evan Lawson and his friend, Tyquan Boyd, who were suspects in a multiple murder just weeks before..

We stood in the airport near baggage check out and watched as Eldorado Mack came running into the airport...Kool Kat stepped in front of him, blocking his way...Clerow and I walked up to him.

"In a hurry E-mack?" I said.

"Yeah you might say that." he said...

"Where you goin, Aruba??, California??" I asked.

"Come on man, I got no time for games now." said Eldorado Mack...

Just then, Sissy Van Buren and several plain clothes detectives appeared with drawn guns.....Several uniformed policemen appeared also with drawn guns...

"Elton Eldorado Mack...It gives me great pleasure to place you under arrest for Conspiracy to commit Murder...Two counts." said Sissy Van Buren as the police handcuffed the West Oak Lane Playa.

"I don't believe it....I'm being arrested!" he spat as they led him away...

Sissy looked at me...

"Good Work once again Kevin....You know...you'd make a great detective...Let me know if you ever change your mind and want a spot on the police force." she said.

"I'll let you know." I said and laughed.

"Sheeeet, she didn't ask me..." Laughed Kool Kat... "Man, she's got a body on her..and that long hair...ummph,. ummph, ummph..I'd work with her." he said.

Clerow grinned that toothy grin of his.

"Come on guys...let's get out of here." I said as we walked back to our car.

EPILOUGE-


Elton "Eldorado" Mack was in court for a long time...His 52 associates took the structured plea and took the time without indicting him...but he couldn't run from the conspiracy charges...He turned in states evidence against City Councilwoman Mona Jenkins and in return he was given a 25 year sentence...Much lighter than what he deserved.

Former City Councilwoman Mona Jenkins received two concurrent 25 year sentences for her role in the conspiracy...She can't be eligable for parole for at least 15 years...

Both of them deserved a far stiffer sentence than what they got...but knowing they would be off the street for a long time was good enough for me....

I was washing my car (and Sepia's) a day later....Cock Robbins and Kool Kat happened to be walking toward my house at the same time.....

"Heyy Kev." said Cock Robbins...

"Long time no see man." I said...

"Yeah..I been workin the team out..gettin em ready for the fall." he said.

"Hey Kool Kat." I said.

"What's up man? ...Hey Cock!" he said.

"Hey look...I got some tickets....Why don't both of you come to one of my teams games and bring your girls." said Cock Robbins.

"Hey that's a good idea..thanks man." I said.

"I was readin the paper today...Did you hear about City Councilwoman Mona Jenkins?
They locked her up for conspirin with that drug dealer to kill her own nephew..aint that
somethin?" He said..

Kool Kat and I looked at each other..Kool Kat laughed...

"Yeah , that is somethin." I said.

"I voted for her..She said she was gonna rid the neighborhood of drugs..and here she had the biggest drug dealer in the neighborhood under her thumb the whole time...and you think you know someone." said Cock Robbins in disgust...

Kool Kat and I looked at each other and shared a private laugh.


For my nephew- Evan