Don't Hold Your Breath

Carlotta and I walked over to Mabel Jenkins's Soul Food joint ...Mabel, her sister, Corabeth and their younger sister, Anita were on the floor when we came in....

''Awww yall is so cute together...Welcome to the neighborhood ." said Mabel as we walked in and sat down.."

"Ohhh thank you." said my wife, Carlotta...I had been eating here for years ,so they knew me...They knew her too...but now that we actually lived in the neighborhood as a married couple...I guess they felt as if a re-introduction was needed..

"We are out doing laundry this morning Mabel..So we stopped by for some breakfast." I said.

"Aww that's so cute....Carlotta, you snagged a good man." said Corabeth...

"I surely hope so." said Carlotta..

"So what will it be today?" asked Anita.

"Coffee and an Omelette for me with green and red peppers,onions and cheese." said Carlotta..

"You know what I like Mabel..Shrimp and Grits with some spinach on the side." I said.

"Your special ADA Wallace." she said and smiled..

"Baby Phat will bring your coffee's out...Yall want Orange Juice with that too?" asked Mabel.

"Yes..Two" said Carlotta...

We waited for our food...I leaned over and clasped my wife's hands....

''Okay babes...finish with the story." I laughed.

Carlotta smiled..."Okay....Once Upon a time in the city of Philadelphia there was these two detectives..." she laughed...

"Oh Knock it off..." I said and we both busted out laughing.

II-

Robbery-Homicide Division, Summer 2010

The next morning...I got in the office first..I had a hot steaming tumbler of coffee and a pastry on Tyriq's desk...I figured he was still angry about the events of the night before...
I was right ...He came in...He was still fussing about that uppity detective who got in his way the night before..

He sipped his tumbler of coffee and looked at me...

''Thanks Top...Look at this." he said....

He had run a make on Detective Serena Harris...I looked it over ....

She and I were the same age, but she had been on the force a few years longer...She had moved up in the ranks pretty quick and had made Detective in the class before Tyriq ,Duke and Angie...She had started out under Lt. Eddie Cantrell, Just like Boss Lady,Angie,Duke and Tyriq and had moved on to Special Investigations...Doing really high profile investigations... She lived in an apartment complex that was ironically enough ,right around the corner from Tyriq.

"Okay...She's good...and she lives near you...So now that we know that...Can we move on to Gerald Glenn Felton..? " I said.

"Uh Yeah, Yeah...I just wanted to know who this broad was." said Tyriq.

"Maybe you can ask her out on a date after this case is over....That is if you haven't pissed her off too much after yesterday." I said smiling.

"Top...you're crazy...I aint interested in her." said Tyriq.

"Oh no? You've talked about her for the past eight hours..."I said. "Come on...I saw you checkin out her boobies...Come on noww.." I said.

Tyriq smiled...

"Well uh, I can't deny...Uh, they were you know...Just out there..I couldn't miss em...I mean...She is cute...She's fine...I can't deny her that...But she's full of herself too....Thinks she's a hot shot...Top don't ever get like that..Thinkin you're a hot shot...because there will always be a case like this that will show you that you're not such a hot shot...Always be humble." said Tyriq.

''I'll remember that." I said.

Just then, We got a call from our Sgt. Danny Ho...Who had been a Homicide Detective at one time..with Boss Lady...

"Detective Pile, Detective Rodriguez...Can I see you two in my office?" he said.

He was cute...If he hadn't been my immediate supervisor then, I would have thought about dating him....Sorry!

Anyway Tyriq and I went in his office and your old buddy, ADA Soloman Foster was in his office sitting down..The thought of dating him totally disgusted me.

"Carlotta, Carlotta, Carlotta...My My Myyyy you are still looking good Detective Rodriguez...Ummmmph, Ummmph, Ummmmph!" he said practically drooling...He was sickening.

''Hello ADA Foster." I said dryly.

''When are you going to let me hear you speak spanish in the dark?"he said with a sly grin..

"Never." I said without a hint of a smile..

"Still a hard rock eh?...You might need a favor from me one day." he said.

"I sure hope not." I said.

Sgt. Ho busted out laughing.....

"Hey guys..Look...Which one of you, my two best detectives....Ran a make on a Special Investigations Detective named Serena Harris?" he asked.

I said nothing....Tyriq stood up..

''I did" he said.

"Rico...If you want to date her, do it on your time.." said ADA Foster....

"I don't want to date her!! Would everybody stop with that crap?  I almost had my hands on Gerald Glenn Felton last night and she got in my way...I just wanted to know who I was dealing with." he said.

"Funny, she said that you got in her way." said ADA Foster...

"I did not...I had a good tip that Felton was in that bar...I had no idea you SI guys were running an undercover sting!" said Tyriq...

"Yeah...She's in deep...been deep undercover for a minute now...Don't compromise it or blow her cover..Nobody knows except the people in this room...Don't talk about it with anybody..." said ADA Foster.

"So Me and Top are off the case huh? We did all that work on this guy for nothin?" said Tyriq..

"Nobody said you two are off the case... Just ease up...Of course...You could work together..." said Sgt Danny Ho.

"Yeah...you're both just alike...Cowboys...Like to work alone...Like to hog all the glory for yourself..Haven't been able to partner her up with anybody since her last partner retired.....And the only reason you got a partner now Tyriq is because...Carlotta is soooo finnne....Lawd have mercy mami, I'd keep you too" said ADA Foster...  winking at me .I just grimaced...He was such a dog.

"Wrong Sol...Carlotta is good police...Best partner I ever had...We work well together!   I don't look at her like that...She's my little sister." said Tyriq..

"Oh really?  That sounds so sweet Rico...But aint you a little too old for that?" said ADA Soloman Foster.

"Hey Sol, Some people actually put in the time ,rather than trying to make time." said Tyriq...

Sgt Ho and I looked at each other and laughed the way that you say Boss Lady and I do when something is funny.

"Okay..So it's settled... You three will work together and try to stay out of each other's way." said Sgt Ho.

"Alright Sarge...You got it." said Tyriq...

"Hey Tyriq...I've seen Detective Harris...She is cute..Maybe you two can have drinks after you nab Felton." said Sgt. Ho, looking at me and laughing...I laughed too.

" You know...That's not a bad idea. You and Detective Harris and me and your foxy partner, Carlotta!"  said ADA Foster looking at me...I didn't look his way at all.

"Yeah? Don't hold your breath waitin for that!" said Tyriq, who despised ADA Foster.

Again Sgt Ho and I looked at each other and laughed...So did ADA Foster...

"I live to keep you happy Good Seargent." said Tyriq...

"Come on Top." he said and  Tyriq and I left the office...

"I'll be waiting for your call Carlotta" said ADA Foster with a devilish grin...

"Don't hold your breath." I said and followed Tyriq.

My cell phone went off...

"Hello" I said... It was Mickey Lolo...

"Carlotta...you got about an hour to meet with me?" he asked.

"For what Mickey?" I said.

"You got a problem you don't know about...You need to talk to me soon....Meet me at Minks in about an hour." he said.

"Okay." I said.

''What's Up Top?" asked Tyriq..

"It's my C.I....I have to meet him alone...I'll be back...and Rico...Don't go anywhere without me okay?  If you get a tip...Call me...I'll meet you wherever okay?" I said.

"Okay Top, I promise." he said.

III-

Minks was a tony bar with high end clientel...Nobody I knew hung out there or even knew of it's existence...Which is why Mickey Lolo always met me here....He was the number two man in Minolo Sennterro's organization...Even though Minolo knew me personally and knew that Mickey and I used to be engaged...He also knew that I was a cop...a Detective at that and he wouldn't have taken kindly to seeing Mickey talking to me...

I entered Minks...Mickey Lolo signaled for me to join him in a booth....  I sat down with him...He smiled and shook his head...

"Damn Carlotta...you sure look good...I must have been out of my mind to break up with you." he said.

"Okay,Okay Mickey...What did you call me here for?" I said.

"You sure we can't get back together? Not ever?" he said, undressing me with his eyes...

"If you stop working for Minolo,I might consider it....Am I worth you giving up your condo...Your nice cars...Your money...Your prestige???" I said.

He hesitated...

"See, you had to think about it...Guess not Mickey." I said.

"Damn baby...you ask a lot." he laughed...

"I'd do it for you...Without hesitation...But come on...you didn't call me down here to talk about getting back with me...What you want Mickey?" I asked.

"You and your partner been on a Heist guy...G.G. aka Gerald Glenn Felton for awhile now haven't you?" he said.

''How do you know that?" I asked...

"It's my business to know...You got a leak in your shop...Didn't you ever wonder how as soon as you get up on this guy...He's a step ahead of you?  There's a girl that works in your office..Odessa Belle...She's an Administrative Assistant...She sends all the documents over to the D.A.'s office for processing...Warrants..et al right?  She's Felton's girl...She's been feeding Felton information on everything pertaining to him for a couple of years now....She's sporting a ring...Thinks he's gonna marry her...HA...He's just stringin her along..He told my man Juan Rivera that he's met some new chick and that she's different....That he's been wining and dining her and that she's different from all the rest...He thinks he's in love and get this..He's plannin one more score and he's retiring...Says his new girl doesn't know what he does for a living...and he's not going to tell her...He's got an associate's degree from community....He's talkin about going back to school gettin his bachelors degree and getting a straight job...I mean Juan told me that Gerald's nose is wide open...He aint even slept with this broad..."said Mickey Lolo..

"Oh My God Mickey...This was great information." I said... I went in my purse, but he put his palms up...

"Are you kidding Carlotta? Are you kidding..You think I'd take money off of you..After all you've meant to me?" he said.

"Thank you Mickey...I'm grateful to you.." I said.

"What you drinkin?" he asked.

"I'm working babe...I can't drink.." I said.

He shook his head and smiled...

"I like you Carlotta, you're so good...I was a fool to let you get away...I might just give all of this up one day..Hope you're still around when I do." he said.

''Don't hold your breath Mickey...but thank you anyway." I said.

"Carlotta...Don't you love me ,even a little bit?" he asked.

''A little bit..We went through too much for me not to have any feelings for you Mickey.." I said..I stroked his hand gently and left.

IV-

"Oh My God, the plot thickens...This is a real good story babes..." I said.

"We've finished our food...You want me to pay the check?" said Carlotta..

''Stop! Don't be ridiculous...I got the check...I want to hear more of this story..."I said.

''Okay...I'll tell you on the way back to the laundromat." said Carlotta.

(TO BE CONTINUED  in 2 Days!)