The Frame Fits Well

I was surprised to see ADA Keith Wallace headed into C.I.D. ,along with me...He had Coffee and pastries as well did I...

If The ADA is here...Then I knew that this was major...

"Hey Kevin...How are you doing?" he said.

"I'm doing great...It's Sissy and her guys I'm worried about." I said.

"You heard huh?" he said.

"I was there ." I said.

''Oh man, this is real bad...The Press is all over it." he said.

Inside, Sissy, Carlotta, Duke, Jimmy ,Tyriq and Hop all looked pretty grim....

Their mood brightened a little when they saw that they had two coffees and two pastries a piece...I had gotten mine from Sam Mother's and Keith Wallace had gotten his from Cakeman Raven's bakery..

His wife Carlotta gave him a big sloppy kiss when he entered...I thought...What a lucky man he was.

We placed the coffee and pastries on the table and all sat quietly saying nothing..

"Did anybody trace the phone calls?" I asked...

"I did that Kev...Duke and Carlotta's call came from Camden....But Cantrell's anonymous call came from here in Philly." said Detective Jimmy Barlow..  "Both from pay phones..." he added..

"We dusted both phones for prints...and as you can guess...we found nothing." said Tyriq.

"Well ask yourselves...How and why would someone in Camden know or care where a low level Philly thug was holed up?...and while you're at it...ask yourself this..Why would they call Cantrell?? He's not murder police." I said.

"

"The call to Cantrell came a full 40 minutes before Top and Duke got their call and I found out that the Reporters got their anonymous call 30 minutes before Top and Duke and their calls came from Camden too." said Detective Tyriq Pile..

"Camden...Camden...It all makes sense." I said.

"What makes sense?"asked Duke.

''This is Cat Daddy or better yet..His number two man, William Coyt" I said smiling.
"Coyt and Cantrell got a real deep dislike for each other." I said.

"Kev is right...I seen Coyt in Josies last Friday Night....Cantrell made him leave....Kind of embarrassed him in front of his boy and two young ladies....and really humiliated him by making him pay his tab before he left." said Detective Hopkins...

"It all fits...And that was the second time Cantrell had rousted him....He said he'd see Cantrell again...The frame was already in effect as that was going down...He hired this little dumb nobody hood to knock off Sam Mother's and steal a lousy $200.00 dollars and then hides him away...knowing that Cantrell is a friend of the victim an emotional wreck at the guy's murder...Kills the kid and calls Cantrell a full 40 minutes before anybody else...Calls the reporters, calls the district even...Carlotta and Duke were the last people called....It's an ugly frame...but it fits well.."I said.

"I've known that Cat Daddy was seeking inroads into Philly for awhile...and what you say makes sense...but how do we prove it Kevin? There's a witness that's been interviewed by Sissy, Tyriq and Jimmy who won't change his story..He swears that he heard the guy begging for his life and blows being thrown by Cantrell." asked ADA Wallace.

"Give me some time...I might be able to give you something you guys can use. From the looks of the body...I think I may have an idea of just who might have done the dirty work." I said.

Just then the lovely Dr.Hazel Hunter entered the room..

"We found the murder weapon under the bed...It's a 38. smokeless with a silencer...It's got Blake's fingerprints and DNA on it and the slugs match the ones in the victims body...He's definitely your killer." she said.

''Well Chica, Duke...You got one cleared case...But this was too easy, too neat..I agree with Kevin..this frame fits too well. This murder case was just dropped in our laps." said Sissy...

I had never seen these guys so solemn....So downbeat.... It was about to get worse...Detective Angie Belton walked in...

"Hey guys..How is the investigation going?" she asked...

''Oh Angie...This is our friend,Kevin...He's a private investigator." said Sissy.

"I know Kevin.I know him quite well." she said... I smiled sheepishly...

Jimmy,Carlotta,Duke, Tyriq , Keith Wallace and Sissy all turned and looked at me and Angie...

"Kevin and I used to live down the street from each other when we were kids...He was my first boyfriend....Gave me my first real kiss when I was 12 years old..." she said.

Duke and Tyriq and ADA Wallace all looked at me and smiled.. So did Sissy...

"That was a long time ago..."I said ,blushing...

"Yeah ,it was...We were just kids..." she said... "I know that he's been helping you guys out for years...I remember him from when I used to work Homicide, Sissy." she said.

"Yeah that's right...you two did meet then. Neither one of you ever told me about your sordid past or that you knew each other," laughed Sissy.

"That's because it was so far in the past. and we both didn't think it was that important, but I did pull Angie to the side at one point and reacquaint myself with her." I said laughing..

"So true.And it wasn't sordid, it was rather nice ,now that I recall." she said kind of dreamily.

"Hey Kev,She's my girl now." laughed Jimmy jokingly... I smiled..Jimmy and I were the same age...I didn't want him to feel some kind of way about this revelation.

"And you're a fortunate man Jimmy...You got a fine woman there. A good woman....I'm sorry sometimes I let her get away." I joked...

Angie blushed and laughed..."Oh Kevin shut up." she said blushing and self conscious that everybody in the room was looking at her and smiling..

"It's all good...Angie told me that she knew you and that you were her first boyfriend.
She told me that awhile ago." he said smiling.

Keith Wallace, Tyriq and Duke all laughed...

 Soon the mood grew somber again.Angie looked at all of us and then said-

"I took Lt. Cantrell's badge and gun today...He's on suspension until this mess is cleared up." she said.

"We think he was framed.." I said.

"I don't believe he'd do something like this either." she said. "The man trained me....He understood that I was doing my job..He said that if it was me, he'd be doing the same thing...It killed me to do that...I sure hope you guys can clear him.." she said.

'We workin on it." said Duke.

"You guys will... I'm going to ask around out on the streets...Maybe I can shake something loose that can help you." I said.

They all said thanks in unison.

II-

Sepia and I walked into Josies that night...We chose to sit at the bar...Gus took our orders and pointed to Lt. Eddie Cantrell sitting by himself at a table...

''Shame what happened to that guy...The press is villifying him and really giving it to ADA Wallace and the police department...They're talkin cover up.....They screaming for an indictment and an arrest...I just can't believe he killed that kid...I've known Ed Cantrell for years...He's a good cop..He's by the book..He wouldn't do a thing like that." said Gus.

"You don't think he killed that kid do you lover?" asked my wife,Sepia.

"No...of course not...I think he was framed.... I'm going to try and prove it if I can." I said.

Just then William Coyt, his goon and the same two gorgeous women that were with him before, strutted into Josies..

They saw Cantrell and they pointed and laughed...

"Well,Well,Well...if it aint Killer Cantrell...You got no badge now...No gun either...Who you gonna run out of town now...MISTER CANTRELL????" he sneered.

"If you know like I know you'll get out of here and leave me be Coyt." said Eddie Cantrell..

"Or you'll what? Kill me like you killed that boy?" he sneered...

"You buyin somethin or are you just shootin hot air?" said Gus.

He smiled..

"Give me your best bottle of Champaigne...Put it on Cantrell's tab...Oh that's right...He's unemployed...Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha." laughed Coyt...

Just then Detective Jimmy Barlow and Detective Angie Belton walked in...

"Hey Kev, Sepia." said Jimmy...

''Hey Guys" said Angie...

"Coyt given the Lieutenant trouble?" asked Jimmy.

"Just rubbing his face in it a bit.." I said.

"I wish I had a reason to bust him." said Jimmy...

"Nah....not yet, but in due time." I assured them both...

''What you got up your sleeve Kev?"asked Jimmy..

"Probably something a little against the law...Better you good folks didn't know." I said.

Angie smiled...

''Whatever you gotta do Kev...You know I'll back your play." said Jimmy.

"I'm not hearing this." laughed Angie..

"Nope..You aren't." I said.

Jimmy smiled and nodded, He and Angie sat down at the bar and ordered drinks...Sepia and I turned and ordered some more drinks...

Lt. Cantrell got up and left the bar....Gus shook his head in disgust....William Coyt had a self satisfied little smirk on his face..


I was going to do all I could do to wipe that smirk off of his face.  It was time to call the boys...I had no idea what Sissy and her detectives were doing...But I could get justice a lot faster...Soon Coyt would find that out!

(CONCLUSION NEXT!)