Deals That Go Down

ADA Keith Wallace and I had been friends for as long as Sissy and I had known each other...Going on five years or so...He was a cool brother and a smart and fair guy to boot...

I liked him...I could talk to him on and off the record...So on Monday morning, I stopped by his office...

"Heyyyy Kevin...To what do I owe the pleasure of this rare visit?" he said.

"I got what you law enforcement guys might call a good pull." I said.

"OHHH?" He Said.

"Listen, Do you remember the Phillips Armored Car robbery of 2001?" I asked.

"Yeah....Wowwww, three million taken and not a trace of the money ever surfaced and
nobody was ever arrested for the job!!  That's kind of like an urban myth now." he said laughing.

"What would you say if I told you, I could deliver to you not only the money, but the guy who took the money?" I said.

He looked at me funny....

"I mean, I mean you've delivered us some great cases in the past Kev...but this one is a little out of your league isn't it?" he said.

"Well my client, who wishes to remain anonymous claims that he and a recent murder vicitim, Little Willie Tate took down that armored car back in 2001. He's willing to turn himself in and the money." I said.

"What's the catch?" he asked me.

"He wants a clean slate...No prosecution and protection." I said.

"I have to do some research , I think the statute of limitation might  already apply to the actual robbery...I don't know...Plus, I have to check with the bank...I need at least 48 hours.." he said.

"Fair enough." I said.

"What or who does he need protection from?" he asked.

"Local players....As you may suspect...The natives are getting restless...."I said.

"I'll bet they are...and Little Willie Tate was the first casaulty ,I suppose...And would those natives happen to belong to one Mike Traine?" he asked.

"Yupper." I said.

''Yeah...I figured...I've been watching him....He's a slick one... Rumored to have his hands in a number of criminal enterprises...a rising star in the world of crime." he said.

"Yeah...I've heard a lot about him...Never met the man myself.." I said.

"Look...I got people over me...I gotta run it by them and run it by the bank...Give me 48 hours...and I'll give you an answer...Okay?" he said.

"Fair enough." I said.

"But then Kev...I may need you to either step aside and let my guys go after him or turn him in...I'm sorry, that's how the game is played." he said.

"I know that...Thanks anyway for at least being willing to try." I said.

"We owe you too much not to Kevin." he said.

I thanked him  and got in my car and pulled off.

II-

That afternoon, Peeping Tom and Lockpick Johnson dropped by my house...Sepia and I were just finishing dinner...

"Mrs. Morris, Can you get any more beautiful?" said Tom , tipping his hat as Sepia answered the door...My wife smiled and pointed to the kitchen...

"Hello Tom, Hi Lockpick...He's in the kitchen.." she said as they came inside...

"Hey guys...What's good?" I said.

"Something for you and the missus....A new toy I came across.." he said and passed me  a small disk the size of a quarter..

''What's this?" I asked.

"What that is is a micro GPS unit....It's also a magnet...This is virtually impossible for anyone to discover...Here is one for the missus too.." he said and tossed one to Sepia..

"It is even more powerful than the ones we were using to track vehicles..." he said.

"Wow! Thanks man." I said.

"This of course cost me a pretty penny to get ahold of." he said.

I smiled...

"Stop by the office tomorrow...I'll have a check for you." I said.

"Pleasure doing business with ya Kev...By the way, how is the home security system working?" he said.

"Like a charm." I laughed..

Sepia and Lockpick Johnson watched us and just laughed.

"Well, we are out of here...Enjoy the rest of your evening folks." said Tom as they left...

Sepia looked at me, smiled and shook her head...

"What a pair..An Italian Ex CIA operative and a Black ex con, former heist man...What a pair." she laughed..

"If I didn't know them myself, I wouldn't believe their partnership...

Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom had helped me immeasurably over the years...I was glad to know them and have them as part of my team.

III-

I returned to the Laundromat.... I met Hats McMillian in the upstairs office...

"Well Kev, did you meet with ADA Keith Wallace?" he asked.

"I did." I said.

''He go for it?" he asked.

"He's got to run it by some higher ups...He's going to get in touch with me in two days." I said.

"Oh man." said Hats...

"I'd advise you to sky up...Get your girl and vanish for awhile...Call me when you're someplace safe okay?" I said.

"Okay.." he said.

"Do you have anyplace to go?" I asked.

''Yeah..I got an aunt in Camden." he said.

"Go get your girl now and sky up....Mike Traine is ruthless." I said.

I didn't realize how ruthless at the time I told him that.

IV-

As soon as I left the laundromat...I walked over to my wife's job....Her car was still parked in front of the office.. I walked in...Bonita and  of their administrative assistants was there...

''Hey Kevin...How you doin?" said Bonita..

''Hey Neet...Where's my Girl?" I asked.

''Sepia showed a house to somebody two hours ago and I haven't seen her since." she said.

''Really? Her car is still in the parking lot." I said.

"It is? ,Then she must have come back, but that's not like her to not check in.." she said.

"Maybe she's at one of the stores here in the shopping center." I said.

"Yeah maybe!" said Bonita.

As soon as I walked out of their office ,two men, dressed in black suits with white shirts walked up behind me...

''Kevin isn't it? Kevin Morris?" said one of them.

"Who wants to know?" I asked.

"Mikey...Mike Traine." said the other one who shoved a pistol in my back, while the other one took my .38 smokeless and then reached down and took my. 22 out of my ankle holster..

A White Escalade pulled up...

Mike Traine himself was driving...

"Get in and don't get no funny ideas...Take a look in the back seat." he said...

Sepia was in the back seat!!! She was blind folded and her arms was tied behind her back...

"Get cute and your pretty little skirt gets it first, then you....now get in..I aint askin you again." he said.

He was a bald headed, light skinned guy about five foot , ten...with a pencil thin moustache...

Another guy blind folded me and then tied my arms behind my back... They pushed me into the back seat

and then they pulled off into the night.

( DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED...)