Cat In The Box

Sundown.....a few days later.... Duke ,Tyriq, Jimmy and I were several yards away from our targeted location...Tyriq was using some high powered binoculars...So was Jimmy....Duke had on headphones and was listening as well as watching a video monitor...

''Everything is going smooth...Top and Sirena have made contact with Cat Daddy's boy...They went in and they made the purchase... A huge purchase...We got it all on video...They bought serious weight...Heroin,Coke, Oxy...the whole works...Looks like our boy,Cat Daddy is going into the pharmacy business." said Duke.

''Yeah...well tonight we are putting him out of the business...We are going to hurt his pockets with this." I said.

''Yeah and some other drug organizations too.This is great."said Tyriq.

"Sirena and Top are two of the best undercovers I've ever worked with...They practically charmed the pants off of that guy and won him over in two days...And enough so that they got inside that warehouse and saw things we would have never been able to do with a guy detective.." said Duke..

I had to admit...I was very turned on by what my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace aka as "Top" was wearing for this sting...and Tyriq's wife was no slacker either...They could have charmed the pants off of me at anytime I mused..

From the wire tap:

"Well ladies as soon as I deliver this product and get paid...How's about the three of us riding to Atlantic City tonight and getting a room and having some funnnn, huh?"

''What kind of fun you got in mind papi?" said Carlotta.

''Birds and the bees kinda fun...cause both of you are fine as hell...."

"He wants to do us both Lotta.."said Sirena.

"You say that like I can't.....I don't need no viagra....I'm as healthy as a bull...We'll buy a couple of drinks , get some dinner...Either of you girls snort?"

"Nahhh...never that papi."said Carlotta.

"Really, yall look like some pretty hip girls.."

"We are pretty streetwise considering we are cops."said Sirena.

"Huh...What the hell?"

"Get your hands up loverboy...It's all over...See those boys in blue out there stopping your truck and grabbing your driver?  They work with us."said Sirena

"Awwww hell...I don't believe this..."


"You have the right to remain silent...Anything you say can and will be used against you...You have a right to an attorney,If you can afford an attorney,one will be provided for you...Do you understand these rights?"said Carlotta.

''Damnnnnnnnnnnnn....cops? You two? Yall look too damn good to be cops!"

"That was Top and Sirena...They have Cat Daddy's boy in custody...and we intercepted the truck with the dope..." said Duke...

"Great...Tell Cantrell he can move his guys in." I said.

Lt. Cantrell was given the go ahead....And about 30 Tactical squad and Swat officers stormed the Warehouse....

They arrested close to 60 people inside and another 25 people outside, represenatives of major area drug organizations.... They seized enough Heroin, Cocaine and Oxi to juice the entire tri-state area for sometime...It was a good Night....

I was pleased...Cat Daddy was out of business...But the worse for him was yet to come!

II-

Lt. Sissy Van Buren sat in her office alone the next day....So when Cleveland "Cat Daddy" Summers came strutting in...The office was empty except for a few policemen and detectives who he did not know...

He smiled and sat down in her office...

"Heard you was lookin for me." he said.

"That was two days ago." said Sissy.

"Well you know...I been busy." he said.

"Heard you had a cash flow problem." she said, smiling...

"Well you know how that is...Easy come, easy go." he laughed.

Sissy smiled....but said nothing....He eyed her and smiled himself...

"Damn Lieutenant ,you look good...and you smell good too...I aint even mad about you guys bustin me a few days ago....I'm willing to let by gones be bygones...if you'll go out with me..." he said.

"Are you serious?" laughed Sissy...

''Serious as Cancer...I haven't been able to get you out of my mind since you busted me...I was checkin you out even then...Come on...Why don't you let me take you out?? I can take you to a nice place..Good food, good wine...Where they won't know you're a cop and I'm uh what I am...Seriously...Let's call it even and be friends.." he said.

"I have a boyfriend." she said.

''So what? He aint your husband...He aint even got to know..."said Cat Daddy.

"How are you going to have time or money to be going out with me? Aren't you under indictment for murder?" asked Sissy...

''Aww come on Lieutenant ...You know that Keith Wallace is out of his mind trying to charge me with a four year old murder....And what is he going to do now that his witness is dead?  He'll be dropping the charges in a few days if he hasn't already." he said.

"Well see Cat Daddy that's the thing....ADA Wallace is not dropping the charges against you and in fact,I asked you down here to tell you that we are charging you with two additional murders." she said, still smiling..

"What? You can't possibly be blaming me for the deaths of those people you had stashed in that hotel...I was nowhere near there....I can prove where I was." he said.

"Oh I know you can...but in this state, conspiracy is just as bad as you actually putting the bottle of cyanide in the room yourself....I have someone who would like to talk to you...Chica...bring him in." she said.

Carlotta came in with Nasir"Chemical" Ali....Cat Daddy was astounded to see him!!!!....

"You SOMOVABEETCH....I TELL YOU, I TELL YOU AND YOUR PARTNER THAT I DON'T KILL WOMEN AND CHILDREN....You never told me that a pregnant woman was in that room...You made me kill baby...You ..You...SOMOVABEETCH..." he snarled...

"What? You crazy....I never saw this man before in my life." said Cat Daddy...

"That's not what he said and we checked his bank account in Caymen.....A payment from your account transferred money to his account the day after the murder." said Carlotta.

"Oh and speaking of that first murder....I have someone else that would like to talk to you.." said Sissy..

"Detective Hopkins.." she called...

Hop brought in Stella Brown... She stared daggers at Cat Daddy...


''Awww nahhh, the papers said that you were dead...dead...deaddddddddd!!!"he said.

"You killed my husband and your gas caused me to lose my unborn child...I was three months pregnant you bastard....I hope you rot in hell." she said.

"SOMOVABEETCH!!!" screamed Chemical Ali...

"Hop ,you want to do the honors?" said Sissy..

"Cleveland"Cat Daddy" Summers, you are under arrest for the murder of Frank Mott, The Murder of Carlos Losado, the murder of unborn fetus Brown...and conspiracy to commit murder, and witness intimidation...You have the right to remain silent...Anything you say can and will be used against you...You have a right to an attorney,If you can't afford an attorney,one will be provided for you...Do you understand these rights?" he asked...

"I want my lawyer down here." he said.

It was then that I walked into the office...

''Don't say I never did anything for you...I already called her, she's on her way." I said as Hop handcuffed him...and two officers prepared to walk him out...

"And this time Cat Daddy, you will not walk out of court past us..." I said.

"Yeah...We'll see..." he snarled...

III-

Cleveland "Cat Daddy" Summers was convicted of three counts of first degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit murder and acquitted of witness intimidation.

His Attorney, Tasha Gilliam argued successfully enough to spare him the death penalty...He instead got Life with no possibility of parole...I could live with that...The criminal career of Cat Daddy had come to a close...He didn't even look my way as he was being escorted to the prison bus...

Chemical Ali received 15 years in Federal Prison for his part in the crime and Stella Brown was released from custody with time served  and is now going to Basil Robinson and Eddie C's outreach center religiously...She got a job and a small apartment and as far as I can tell is starting a new life for herself.

EPILOUGE-

After we left court...I ran into Tasha Gilliam in the hallway...

"Well Keith...You beat me in court...Happy Now?? Did this win somehow take away the pain of yesteryear?" she said.

"No...in the end...I didn't get the joy I thought I would." I said with a sigh...

''Keith, you already were ahead of the game before this case begun...You have a beautiful wife...I've seen you two around town...In Roxys and in Josies and at Mulberry Street the other week...She looks like she loves you very much....I haven't found a man to love me like that yet.....This was just another case..You win some...You lose some....I don't take these cases personally....You shouldn't either." she said.

"You're right Tasha...You're right...I have been a petty, vengeful fool." I said.

"It's okay...nobody's perfect....You're a better man than most and I ought to know..." she said with a wink.

"Thank You." I said.

"Go to your wife Keith...She's a very fortunate woman.  Have a great life." she said and smiled...

"You too Tasha." I said...

I stood there and watched her as she walked away... I heard someone calling my name from a distance....with a deep Spanish accent...I smiled...It was my wife, Carlotta...

''Heyy Babes..What are you doing here?" I asked..

"I was trying to get here in time to see you in court today...How'd everything go?" she asked.

"Well, Cat Daddy won't be walking out of here laughing in our faces again...He got Life, No Parole..."I said.

"My brilliant,brilliant husband.Now....Let's not speak of Cat Daddy anymore..." she said and kissed me...

"I love your accent...the way you say Cot Daddy." I laughed ,kissing her again.

"How about lunch?? My treat??" she said.

I looked at her side eyed....She was saying a taste in that dress she was wearing.....

"Nooo papi...I'm really talking about eating lunch...I'm starving." she said sensing what I was thinking...

"Oh...I uh knew that." I said.

Carlotta smiled...

"I'm off for the day...After lunch....We can uh go home and uh....you know." she said...

I lifted her up and spun her around....

"I am indeed a winner....and I have been since I got involved with you." I said...

Carlotta giggled like a school girl...

''Put me down...Put me down...You are so crazy." she squealed with joy....

And I was...