The Good Time Boyz...

"You guys do great work....I'm impressed...." said FBI Special Agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell..."We have extensive sheets on Billy Ragland, Johnny Boy Pabst and Wayne Fort....We call them the "Good Time Boyz", They all played football together in High school and graduated from that to being a Stick Up crew and now they've hit the big time...Robbing banks...I did a little research too... Did you know that the dead security guard, Vic Davis busted all three of these guys when he was a Detective in Robbery-Homicide and that he had inquired about their parole dates just a year ago?" she said.

''No, I didn't know that...but we've already ascertained that he was helping them , not hunting them from the bank footage." said Sissy.

''And they double crossed him." I said.

"Bobby Coster, who they hired to drive one of the vehicles made a mistake when he got caught on film buying them coffees , so they whacked him too..." added my wife Carlotta.

The four of us were sitting in Sissy's office drinking coffee two days later..... As we sat , Detective Tyriq Pile and James "Jimmy "Barlow walked in...

"Lou, we finished our investigation of Vic Davis.... He was up to his neck in debt...He owed close to 100G's to his creditors and his house was about to go into receivership....His car was set to be repoed any day.." said Jimmy.

"He had worked at that bank for two years...All in good standing...Then ,Lt.Cantrell told us that he started coming around, inquiring about Ragland,Pabst and Fort and when they would be paroled...I think he planned to rob his own bank..He must have gave them the entire set up..." said Tyriq.

''It appears they knew the entire layout of the bank...They knew the code to the safe..a time locked safe and had the back door alarm disabled." said Agent Ferrell.

''Wait a minute...A security guard can disable the alarm...and maybe he can give them the layout of this place...but he wouldn't be privy to the codes for the time lock safe....No...That would have to come from somebody else...Somebody that works in the bank...A Higher up...Somebody possibly still working in the bank." said Carlotta...

Sissy smiled..."You know...She's right...Chica, Tyriq, Jimmy...go get Hop and Sharon, if you have any FBI agents to spare...You all need to do work ups on all of the employees of that bank..." she said.

"I was wondering where Tony was..." she said, her entire demeanor changed...

"He's with Duke and Dr. Hunter.." said Sissy...

"A long time ago...I-I-I ,I hurt him....I was a different person then...I'd like to tell him that I'm sorry...but I don't think he'll ever forgive me..I can't forgive myself..." she said.

''You should talk to him..It all starts with a simple conversation...He'll hear you out." I said.

"I can't..." she said.

"Yes you can Sharon and you're gonna." said Carlotta.

Sissy and I were stunned....

''It's the decent thing to do Sharon....Go talk to him..He's tore up inside.."said Carlotta.

"You always were my moral compass Carlotta." said Sharon.

"She is special like that." said Sissy and smiled at Carlotta.

I leaned over and kissed my wife on the cheek...Carlotta giggled like a school girl and blushed.

"Wow! ADA Wallace...I only knew one other guy who could make her giggle like that..A guy named Mickey Lolo.. Glad you found love again girl...Now if only I could" said Sharon....

"You can Sharon....if you open yourself up to it." said Carlotta.

Again Sissy and I looked at Carlotta in awe. My new wife was full of surprises.

II-

Duke called Sissy shortly after Agent Farrell left...Carlotta, Tyriq and Jimmy went with her and some FBI Agents...They went to the bank....They were going to interview and do work ups on all of the employees..I knew it would be a long time before I saw my wife again today!!

I rode with Sissy to a ratty apartment complex in Southwest Philadelphia...We saw Duke and Detective Hopkins on the street...Uniformed officers were walking up and down canvassing the neighborhood...questioning people..

"It's bad Lou...I got a lead from one of my confidential informants that the gang might be holed up here..I took Hop with me...and some uniforms and we hit the house...Billy Ragland, Johnny Boy Pabst and Wayne Fort are all in there...They've been shot to death!!!!!...It's bad Lou..." said Duke..

"What?, that's the whole gang...Let me go inside..." she said.

I followed her as uniformed officers led her inside and up the stairs... In the living room lay Billy Ragland..he had been shot twice , in the back of  the head...Detective Hopkins was kneeling, looking at his body as police crime scene photographers and investigators studied the room...

''Lou...He never saw it coming...Whoever killed him surprised him....There's a .45 pistol in his hands.." said Detective Hopkins...

I walked into the other room...I was now joined by Duke...It looked like Wayne Fort and John ''Johnny Boy" Pabst...had been playing cards...they were both slumped over a card table...with two slugs a piece in their heads...blood just pouring all over the floor.

''This is going to be quite a job, getting DNA ,Fingerprints and ballistics from this house...I'm going to be here all night." said Dr. Hazel Hunter.

FBI Special Agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell and six agents entered the flat just then...

''Oh My God...That's the three bank robbers you IDed...." she said as they pored over the three corpses..

''Duke found four styrofoam coffee cups in a dumpster yesterday....I did a DNA check and it matched positive for these three and Bobby Costner." said Hazel Hunter...

"Hmmm, The security guard who helped with the set up is dead...and three of the gang members including both getaway drivers are dead...Which leaves only two people left." said Sissy.

"Two people?" I asked.

"Yes...The lone bank robber...The short one we couldn't identify and the mastermind who is back at the bank..." said Sissy.

III-

The bodies were removed and a few hours later , Sissy, Myself, Duke, Dr. Hunter, Hop and FBI  Special Agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell were all at the Medical Examiners Office.

Carlotta, Tyriq , Jimmy  and the FBI had just finished interviewing the last of the folks at the bank...Sissy cut Tyriq and Jimmy loose...and Carlotta had said she'd be coming over to the M.E.'s office with one of the FBI agents.

"Well" said Doc Gibbons..."All three of these boys were killed with that .45 you found in Ragland's hand..." he said.

"Okay, but Ragland didn't kill himself after he killed them , so what gives?" I asked.

"Well ADA Wallace...That's what your detectives are going to have to find out.The killer shot those two first, then shot Ragland and placed the gun in his hands." he said.

''The killer probably wore gloves.. I'm thinking he came there with Ragland..Whacked those two and then surprise, surprise..He whacked Ragland too..." said Sissy.

''Which means No witnesses to link whoever killed them to the bank robbery or any murders..The entire gang is dead..Nobody left to divy up the money with except two people..Whoever set this in motion and just one of the bank robbers. They clean up well."said Duke.

"Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy and the FBI  did work ups and interviews on all of the bank employees..Let's see what they came up with tomorrow..."I said.

''It's going to be a long night babe..You leavin me?" asked Dr. Hazel Hunter as Duke headed for the door.

"Never that babes, I'll be back...I called out for some dinners from Mabel Jenkins Soul Food joint for you and me and the uniformed officers assigned to us..and maybe some of the federalis." said Duke.

''Duke Taking care of your people...I like that. Something I taught you  obviously stuck. " said Sissy, laughing...

''Sure Lou. A lot that you taught me stuck! You want a platter too?" said Duke.

"Duke..No offense, but eating dinner in the M.E.'s office around all these dead bodies just doesn't do it for me." she said.

I laughed...So Did Doc Gibbons and Hazel Hunter.

"Wow Sissy, this case has just collapsed around us...We don't have the money , the whole gang is dead and two of the main players are in the wind...We don't even know who they are." I said.

"It's always darkest before the dawn Keith." said Sissy.

"Yeah, well it's pretty dark right now." I said.

Sissy rubbed my arm gently...

''I know.....I know..." she said.

I peeped out into the hallway....FBI Special Agent Ferrell was talking to Detective Hopkins...

"I never told you how proud I am of you...A Homicide Detective...Wow!" she said.

"I might as well not front...I just became a Detective a month ago....The only reason why I'm with Homicide is because this is where I was detailed to as a patrolman...I'm supposed to be over in Narcotics with Lt.Cantrell, but he's got the hots for Lt. Sissy and she asked him if I could stay in Homicide a little while longer and he said I could stay as long as she needs me...I could be transferred out next week if possible." he said.

"Well, still, you're a Homicide Detective now and that's pretty big...I'm proud of you." she said.

"Really Sharon?  I'm still not good enough for you am I? I'm still yester love." said Tony Hopkins...

"You gonna stay mad at me forever Tony or are you gonna kiss me and allow me to make up with you?" she asked.

"Huh?? What??" he asked.

"You know you want to." she said.

"Nah...I've moved on." he said.

Yeah right? I thought!

She pulled him to her and kissed him passionately.....I was embarrassed to be watching...yet still I watched...I had to love this girl's moxie and confidence...But then again..She had a killer body....What straight man was going to resist that? I reasoned.

Hop returned her passion and all of that hurt, all of that pain came out in their passionate hungry kissing...They both were kissing each other with a hungry passion, the type that leads to the bedroom...Finally they both broke their embrace...

"Sharon....I wanted to marry you...You left me.." he said.

"I know...I know and I was wrong...It's been a few years...Believe me ,I've seen the error of my ways...I've been with a lot of smooth talking guys and flashy guys and you've been paid back...in spades for what I did.. You just never got to see how bad I've been hurt by guys....I wish you could have...Maybe it would make you feel better. I'm so sorry I hurt you Tony....Can you ever forgive me?" she asked.

"I -I don't know...I aint been right inside since you left...I've thrown myself into this job." he said.

"How bout law school?? You ever intend to go back???..." she asked.

"Yeah...I've reapplied...I'll probably do night school...I only had a year to go." he said.

"Good ..Good for you."she said.

"We don't have a chance do we?" he asked.

"You mean you'd still want me after what I did to you?" she said, tears streaming down her face....

Hop!! Tell her you would..Don't be a fool man!! I was screaming in my mind!!!!

"I love you Sharon...I always have.Since you were in Girls High...You know that!" he said...He was crying too...Now I really couldn't watch anymore..Get ahold of yourself Hop! I thought as I eased back in the door.

"Ohh Tony...It's okay." she said and held him in her arms...She was crying too....

That was all I could take...Some moments just have to be private!

"What are you looking at out in the hallway?" asked Sissy.

"Nothing...Nothing...I thought maybe Carlotta was coming." I lied.

For the first time, I had put one over on Sissy....

"She'll be here...I told her you were with me when I called Agent Farrell ."said Sissy."And speak of the devil" said Sissy... Carlotta walked in with an FBI agent.

"Heyy Baby." she said and gave me a nice wet kiss...

I was speechless...After watching Hop and Sharon and now getting this kiss from Carlotta ,I was more than ready to go home....I was good and stimulated , you might say!

"It's going to be a long night Boss Lady, but I think we got someone...The Assistant Bank Manager....He wasn't there tonight, but Rico and I are going to pick him up tomorrow...Duke told me that the rest of the gang is dead...But whoever has that money is going to have to move it out of town and quick...They can't fence it here...The FBI and the Philadelphia Police are all over it...That money is so hot, no fence will touch it..We got the Bus station, The train station and The Airports covered....Us and the Federalis..They got nowhere to go." said Carlotta.

FBI Special Agent Sharon Ferrell walked in....

"You guys did great work... Thanks Sissy, Carlotta...We'll close in on these guys sooner or later....We already know that they don't trust each other.." she said.

''Maybe not but I've got five open murder cases behind this Bank Robbery and you still don't have your money." said Sissy...

''True...but I've got peace of mind tonight." she said.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" asked Carlotta.

"I talked to Tony just now....He said that he forgives me and he still loves me." she said half smiling and half crying.... Sissy and Carlotta hugged her...

Duke and Dr. Hunter were over in the corner talking quietly.... I walked down the corridor...Detective Hopkins was standing outside in the night air...

"Hey Hop." I said.

"Hey ADA Wallace..." he said.

''Nice Night isn't it?" I said.

"Better than most." he said.

I nodded in agreement!

(TO BE CONTINUED..) 

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