Breaking The Frame

One of the surprising things I like about being a private investigator is that I can operate in a quasi-legal basis...As good of investigators as my friends, Sissy,Carlotta,Tyriq, Jimmy,Duke,Hop and Angie are...they are still Philadelphia Police officers and they still have to operate under the code of the law...My name is Kevin Morris...I'm not a cop...I don't always operate under the code of law....What I was doing tonight was beyond the scope of the law on so many levels...

The odyssey began late in the afternoon.... My friend Sean Jackson sat in an apartment we were using that was just across the street from the Apartment complex where murder suspect Billy Blake was found beaten to death.... He had a telephoto lense and high end video equipment...He had been studying the comings and goings of people in the building all day...a pretty thankless and boring job until around 6:30...He called me..
He got photos of a man known as Barry "Butchie" Barrington getting out of a car and meeting with Freddie
"Faffy" Green...The desk clerk who claimed that he heard Lt.Eddie Cantrell cursing and beating Billy Blake..

Barry "Butchie" Barrington was a lieutenant in Camden Gangster, Cat Daddy's organization...He was passing an envelope to the clerk...Freddie Green...My research on Green showed that he had convictions for wire fraud, passing and writing bad checks ,identity theft and most of all perjury...He had three convictions for perjuring himself......He had only been working here for about a month....My research into the building showed that it was owned by Herbert Lutz and associates..Mr. Lutz was into William Coyt, Cat Daddy's main man for 50G's...Gambling debts....So basically Coyt owned him and his building...

Peeping Tom , my ex CIA operative friend and his associate, Lockpick Johnson slipped into Green's quarters and wired his room for sound and video and cloned his cell phone...We didn't catch any conversations of him talking to Coyt, but we did catch several of him talking to Barrington ,whose cell phone we had also cloned and were listening to...And we knew that this meeting was taking place.

"Freddie, it's me..Butchie."

''Yo man what's up?"

"I'm coming by with a token of appreciation from our mutal friend this afternoon at 6:30pm."

"Cool,I'll just be gettin off the desk then."

"Good...Our friend really appreciates the  favor you're doing him by testifyin against that cop for us..and keeping your mouth closed otherwise."

"Oh sure...sure...I aint talking to nobody..."

"Good, remember, keep your story straight...You heard the cop cursing and pummeling Blake and you heard Blake begging for his life after he confessed to the murder."

"Right...I got my story straight....The Grand jury meets in a week."

"That's right....There will be another gift from our friend after you testify at that and they indict Cantrell for murder."

"That's what I'm talkin bout..."

''Okay..I'm on my way..Be easy babe."

''Always Doc."

That night....Freddie Green was off duty...Headed down the street ..Imagine his surprise when Clerow walked up to him.....

"Hey partner....got a light?"asked Clerow..

"Nah...I don't smoke." he said.

"Me neither" said Clerow who stuck a pistol in his gut and smiled that toothy grin of his...

"Hey what is this?" he said.

"Just walk over to that car across the street...Don't get cute." he said.

Clerow marched him over to the car and he got in....Owen Todd was at the wheel...Kool Kat was in the back seat with him...

He fainted!  I don't blame him....Kool Kat has scared the piss out of playas much rougher and tougher than him!

Clerow smiled and then waved as Owen and Kool Kat drove off!!!

They drove him to a warehouse off the pier , where I was waiting for him....He was scared to death....

"Hey-Hey-Hey man...what is this...I did what you said...I kept my mouth closed...Come on...I been a stand up guy...." he said.

''About what Mr. Green?"I said.

"You know..About that cop." he said..."You're Cat Daddy's boys right?" he said.

"Nope...I represent some people who don't want Cat Daddy around...Now what about this cop?" I said.

"Come on...It's just a cop...Mr. Coyt...Mr. Coyt..he hated that cop...hated him with a passion, so he come up with this plan...this plan to get rid of him without hittin him...You can't kill a cop right?  He told me to find the dumbest, loser of a punk lookin to make a come up and offer him money to do a hit...I found Bill Blake, you don't get no dumber than this guy...I told him that the old guy at Sam Mothers was into Mr. Coyt for big bills and that he had stopped payin and was talkin about going to the cops...I gave him a gun and told him to clip the old guy and make it look like a robbery...After Blake knocked the guy off...We hid him in my apartment complex, which is halfway across town from where he lives...Then when the time was right...Call that cop ...you know...anonymously like and have him come over to get him...Only...the kid would be dead by then and the cop would be blamed for it...I called the newspaper and TV people ,like thirty minutes afterwords...Then I called Coyt in Camden and he called these two detectives that was investigatin it.." he said.

"Butchie paid you today." I said.

"Hey how do you know that? You guys cops?" he asked.

"Uh no...You'd be better off if we was."said Kool Kat....Owen Todd laughed and slapped his thigh...

Owen Todd then brought out an IPAD Tablet....and replayed everything he just said.

"You guys kidnap me off the street, then you tape me sayin that stuff....You can't use that in court...My lawyer will say I was co-erced ." he said.

I smiled....

"Will you look at this? This guys a lawyer...Who said I'm going to use this in court?...I'm not sending this to the cops....I'm sending it to Coyt and Cat Daddy..." I said.

"What?" he said...His eyes now growing huge...

"It's insurance!!....Of course I don't know what they'll do to you once they see it..Maybe you'll convince them that you still won't say nothin."I said.

"Which is hard to believe...I mean..We didn't even hit you." said Owen Todd...

"No....Nooooo, they'll kill me.." he said.

"Well....you could always call this number...Ask for Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Philadelphia Homicide and tell her what you told us."I said.

"You guys are cops." he said.

"No..we're not...But who we are isn't important...You can go now...."I said.

"Huh?" he said.

"You can go....We aren't going to hold you....I got what I needed from you." I said and Kool Kat,Owen Todd and I walked out of the warehouse and left him.....

"Kev ,this is a risk...You think he'll go to the police?" asked Kool Kat as we drove away.

"I got Sean and Clerow on him....and a GPS system on his car to track him....I sent all of the information I got on him and the tapes of the phone conversations prior to this to Sissy and  Detective Angie Belton...That should be enough to clear Cantrell." I said.

II-

Barry "Butchie" Barrington was a big bruiser of a man....a lot tougher than Freddie "Faffy" Green....He was standing out on the pier, a few hours later with a young lady ...talking...

"Yeah Baby..So...look..I might be moving over here soon and maybe you and me can do some talkin...Have a few drinks, a few laughs ...you know and then whatever...you know?" he said.

"I'm interested in whatever." she said...

"So am I Butchie." I said.

"Hey what gives?" he said,

"Butchie, who are these men?" she said...

Kool Kat, Owen Todd and Clerow stood behind me...I did not feel like getting into a fight with this clown tonight...

"I'm interested in why you beat a 23 year old punk to death...A punk who the cops wanted for murder...A punk your boss Coyt put up to kill an old man...An old man that had nothing to do with nothing.." I said.

"You a cop? How did you know that I killed that kid??..Who told you I did it? Freddie Green?" he asked.

"Nah....You just told me you did it...That old man was my uncle." I lied...Kool Kat couldn't contain his laughter.

He looked at us...

"You guys don't look like Cops." he said.

"He told you we aint cops."  said Kool Kat.


"Maybe I'd better go." said the girl...

Owen  Todd gave her a few dollars....

"This is car fare sugar....Don't come back" he said...

She didn't have to be told twice....She took the money and she immediately left!!...

Kool Kat pulled out his .44 magnum, Owen and Clerow pulled out  .38 smokeless's and so did I.

"Okay partner...Let's walk...I sure hope you can swim." I said.

"Hey..Heyyyyy...Wait a minute....Look...I told Coyt that killin that old man at random was wrong...I didn't want to do it...I told him to forget about that cop....I said we could get around this...but he wouldn't listen...He told Faffy to find  a nobody , some dumb kid lookin to make a come up...He found Blake and Blake killed that old dude.."said Butch...

"You killed that kid ,Billy Blake didn't you?" said Kool Kat...

"He told me to do it....I swear..I aint have nothin against that kid...I swear..It was Coyt...He had a crazy hatred for that cop, Cantrell...A crazy Hatred. He told me to kill the kid with my bare hands..I roughed him up a bit, then I strangled him...He went fast...Not too much pain...Hey,I had orders...It wasn't personal..I didn't kill your uncle though, that was that dumb kid..." he said.

"What about Cat Daddy?" I asked.

"Nah Cat Daddy aint have nothin to do with this...He don't know nothin about it...Coyt was over here purely to scope out new territory for him.." he said.

"Well pal...I got good news for you and Bad News." I said.

"Here's the good news....We aint cops and we aint going to kill you..In fact...We are going to let you go..."I said.

"Huh? What?"he said.

"The Bad News....I'm wearing a wire and those two people coming down here are most definitely cops and they heard every blood thirsty word you said."I said.....

"You set me up!!.." he said.

"Yes, I believe I did." I said.Kool Kat,Owen and Clerow were beside themselves with laughter.

He sighed and put both of his hands up in the air..

"This is all Coyt's fault....I told him..I TOLD HIM TO FORGET ABOUT THAT DAMN COP!!" he said and angrily stomped his foot.

Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace ,along with three shotgun toting uniform policemen arrested Barry "Butchie "Barrington and charged him with First Degree Murder....

''Kevin...You've done it again....Thanks man,Thanks Kools, Guys"said Duke...

Carlotta kissed me on the cheek...

"Love you baby...By the way..Some guy named Freddie Green , the witness against Cantrell came down to CID tonight and confessed everything to Jimmy and Tyriq....He recanted his earlier testimony..begged us to protect him....You know anything about that?" she asked giving me the serious side eye....

"Who me? Come on now...I'm not responsible for all of your good luck!" I said.

Duke, Carlotta,Kool Kat,Owen Todd, Clerow and I busted out laughing as they hauled Butchie away.


III-

The next night ,I was in Josies...It was packed as usual, though not as packed as the Friday before...When the Liquid Love Band performed...Gus and I were at the bar laughing and talking when in walked William Coyt...He was with two young ladies...They sat down at a table and ordered a huge bottle of Champaigne...

"I hate that guy....He orders a hundred dollars worth of drinks and never tips." said Gus...

"Don't worry..I got a feeling you won't be seeing him around much longer.."I said.

"Oh? You know somethin I don't, kid?" he said..

''Watch and learn." I said.

Lt.Eddie Cantrell walked in...He was flanked by three uniformed police officers....He walked over to William Coyt's table and smiled down at him...

"Mister Coyt...Apparently you don't listen very well...I asked you not to come back in Philly didn't I?" he said.

"Yeah, when you was a cop you did...But you got no authority to ask me not to do anything you wing tipped bozo...So get outta here, before I have you arrested for harrassment." he said.

There was a deep silence....Coyt looked up and Cantrell was still standing there, smiling..

"Hey, I thought I told you to beat it...You got no authority." said Coyt.

"How bout I take you downtown and TEST my authority?"  said Lt. Eddie Cantrell.

"You got nothin." he said.

"Guess you haven't been watching the news...Freddie Green recanted and Butch Barrington sang like Boyz II Men.....They put you in for murder ,Coyt." said Lt. Cantrell....

He tossed the handcuffs on the table...

"Put on the cuffs Coyt....It's Tank time baby...You're under arrest on two counts of First Degree Murder...It's all over baby blue!" he said.


Coyt looked around...He gulped down his drink and then stood up......Cantrell grabbed his arm...

"Uh Uh...Hey Gus...What does he owe you?" asked Cantrell...

"$120.49" said Gus....

Coyt peeled off six twenties and two quarters and this time , he handed it to Gus... The policemen handcuffed him and took him outside where a cruiser was waiting to take him downtown....

Cantrell pulled me to the side...

"I know what you did....Thank you Kevin....Sissy is lucky to have a friend like you....If you see Duke and Carlotta...Tell em I'm sorry...." he said.

"Everything worked out Lieutenant Cantrell...You solved your friends murder and  you sent Cat Daddy a message in Camden." I said.

"Yeah" he said and quietly left.

Gus looked at me after they left....

"That Cheap Bastard  Coyt still didn't tip me." he said.

"Oh Come on Gus...His bill was $120.49....He gave you fifty cents....That's one cent more than his bill."I said.

Gus looked at me with a side eye...Then he and I both cracked up laughing.

EPILOUGE:

William Coyt and Barry "Butch" Barrington got life in prison for the murders of Bill Blake and the night manager at Sam Mother's Diner...Freddie "Faffy" Green got 5 years for his testimony and will be in the witness protection program following his release from an unknown federal lock up~!  Lt. Cantrell was re-instated of course and exonerated of all charges!

A few weeks later, Lt.Sissy Van Buren and I were standing on the roof  of the CID building having coffee and talking...She was incredibly upbeat....

"Kevin, you are like my guardian angel.." she said.

''Really?"I said.

"You not only helped clear that murder in Sam Mother's Diner...but you cleared Cantrell's name and you got him off my back!' she said.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"He's so ashamed about how he acted that he hasn't been around here in weeks...I get my work done...I can sit in my office and relax...Nobody is sending me roses and jewelry that I don't want...It is great..." she said.

"You mean you don't miss all of the attention?" I said and laughed.

"No I do not!...I mean if it was wanted attention maybe...But Cantrell and Rollie Rollerson is not attention I want.  I just want my man to give me that kind of attention.." she said.

"I understand." I said.

''So tell me..." she said and looked at me slyly....

"Tell you what?" I asked.

"About you and Angie Belton...."she said.

"Nothin  really to tell..We were kids..I was like 10 and she was 12...She never thought she was pretty back then......I was like the first guy who paid her any attention...Truth was..She was always very pretty, even then and a lot of guys had designs on her...She just didn't realize it. "I said.

''Until she met you huh?" said Sissy.

"Yeah...I was kind of experienced and she trusted me." I said....

"At ten you were experienced?" laughed Sissy.

''Yeah..I'd take her to the movies with the money I made workin for my Dad and Gus.. and every once in awhile I'd buy her something.No other ten year old boy was treating a girl like that." I said.

''She was like your first girlfriend huh?"asked Sissy.

"She was my first girlfriend....I believe I was her first boyfriend too.." I said.

"How come you two broke up?"she asked.

"She was older and at that age, two or three years means a lot more than it does now...She caught the attention of older guys  eventually and we kind of drifted apart...She went to Girls High...I went to Overbrook and you know how those things go...I'm happy she's found someone now..Jimmy is good for her. and I'm happy you found someone too."I said.

Sissy smiled at me...

"And I'm Happy for you too Kevin...I really like Sepia...I remember when I met you ...You guys were living together....Now you're married...She and I talk sometimes...She's so down to earth...That's what I like about Chica and Sepia...both down to earth ,no non sense girls." she said..

"Is another marriage in the cards for you Sissy?" I asked...

"If I'm asked..." she said...

"Might be sooner than you think...Eddie C. told me that he loves you." I said.

"He told Chica and Keith Wallace that too...But he hasn't said that to me yet. Other than when he's in the throes of passion" she said smiling and winking...

"Well doesn't that count?" I said laughing out loud.

Just then Carlotta joined us on the rooftop!

"Hola Kevin...Hey Boss Lady...You might want to stay up here on the roof a little longer." said Carlotta.

"Huh? Why?" said Sissy.

"It's Cantrell!!! Jimmy told him that you were out on a call....But he's waiting downstairs..." she said.

"Ohhh Hell, Is there another way off this roof?" asked Sissy.

"Well you could jump" I said.

Carlotta, Sissy and I busted out laughing.