Old Dogs, New Tricks

I immediately went back to Jefferson Hospital to give Vinnie Scully the bad news...

"Vinnie, somebody broke into your house man and trashed the place....They erased all of your computer files and they blew your safe...got all of your files on Carl Cutter." I said.

He looked bewildered.....

"Damn Kev...that's my entire story, that's all of the evidence I had against him..." he said.

"In the future, when you're covering something sensitive like this...Keep a back up file, make copies and leave them somewhere else,like with a lawyer." I said.

"Is that what you do Kev?" he asked...sitting up and smiling.

"Oh yeah...I have an office...I can't tell you where it is....but I keep all of my sensitive files there on my computers and I keep back up files with my attorney." I said.

"That would be Robert Foxworth or Conrad Nelson..." he said smiling.

"Ahhhhh,I see you do your homework."I said without telling him which attorney it was... Truth be told ..it was with both...Conrad Nelson was my company, Morris Communications Ltd attorney, while Robert Foxworth and associates was my personal attorney as well as my good friend..  Morris Investigations was in the sub- basement of the building where my company was located...Even the cops didn't know that....Only my wife and Robert, Kool Kat, Sean Jackson, Clerow, Lockpick Johnson, Owen Todd and Peeping Tom knew where my investigative office was actually located...They were the only ones with access..

Here ,I kept several Laptops with information on my many cases...and clients....I kept all of the weaponry and wiretapping devices we used there also...Oh, Chess, Chris Thompson and Donald Smooth knew and were sworn to secrecy!

II-

I called Kool Kat, Owen Todd and Fathead Newton....Then I looked at Vinnie...

"They've broken into your house twice man...First, you say they stole a pair of shoes....That is baffling me..Then they blew your safe and erased your laptops....Whoever is after you won't stop until you are dead
Vinnie...You've opened up a hornets nest man." I said.

"I'm a sittin duck in this hospital Kev." he said.

"That's why you're checking out." I said.

"Huh? What?" he said.

"I called Kool Kat and my man Owen Todd....They're going to take you by your house so you can pack a bag and then they are going to take you to a friend's safehouse where you'll be safe until I can sort this out." I said.

"Gee thanks Kev...you're a real pal.....Listen....Cutter wants this meet with the Chamber of Commerce to go well...It has something to do with his legitimate business...but it's his other business you need to check out."said Vinnie..

"By that...you mean his drug business?" I said.

''Yeah ...Ever hear of a guy named Pete Moss?" asked Vinnie.

"Yeah, low level drug dealer..Made a grab for Fathead's old territory this summer when Big Cheese,may he rest in peace and the now imprisoned China White were beefing...I heard Pete Moss kind of quietly retired." I said.

"Oh he's off the street, but he aint hardly retired...He and five guys are running Cutter's Heroin and Cocaine business...Out of a warehouse in Little Norway, He's wholesaling it....Now that he knows I know his game...He's probably going to change it up...but you find Pete Moss and get up on him....you'll have the entire Heroin operation...He's got another guy....Charles "Bread " Basket....He's runnin a Meth Lab for him up in Kensington.."said Vince..

"Charles Basket??/He was China White's number two man....He and Pete Moss hated each other..."I said.

''Well,They obviously mended fences .. They both work for Cutter now and the three of them meet once a week at this diner out near the airport...
You know the spot...Nat's joint..."said Vinnie...

"You did some good work...You ought to be in my line of work..."I said smiling...

"I got no proof now Kev...." he said.

"Don't worry...I'll get you what you need babe.."I said.

"Follow Pete Moss and Charles Basket...They're the key to Cutter." he said.

"Wow...two old dogs...I thought they were out of the game...They're very much in the game." I said.

"Very Much so Kev" said Vinnie.

III-

Kool Kat and Owen Todd took Vinnie to his house ,where he straightened up and packed a couple of bags and locked up.....Then they took him to Fathead's safehouse...

I put Clerow and Owen Todd on Pete Moss...They followed him for close to a week with help from Sean Jackson.... I met with the three of them in Sam Mother's Diner , a week later...

"You were right boss...Pete Moss and five guys he works with drive to New York City where they purchase high grade Heroin and Coke as well as Meth and they load up about five trucks of it and bring it back here...They operate out of a warehouse that is owned by Cutter...He's got several...Most of em are legit...They house his company products...you know, condoms, contraceptives...birth control stuff...but the one warehouse houses the dope and coke...it's well guarded.." said Clerow...

Sean Jackson showed us some great Photos he managed to take with a high powered camera of the meet in New York City, of the product being loaded on to the trucks and of the transfer to his warehouse here in Philly.

"They're good...fast and tight....but I got em Kev...I got photos of several drug organizations and their represenatives goin in and coming out with product...Got the licensce plate numbers on the cars too, good photos...and some video..." said Sean...

"Not only that..Kev...I was on Charlie Basket...He gets a delivery from one of the guys that works for Moss every week...He's got six babes workin for him....They sell the meth up in Kensington, Northern Liberties and Little Norway..."said Owen Todd.

''Sean ,did you get any photos?"I asked..

"Yeah Kev...That's Basket's entire operation....Plus look at this...He's runnin a little prostitution ring on the side....I don't know if Cutter knows about that."said Sean..

"Or cares...Shame we don't have any photos of Cutter actually meeting with them...but maybe soon...Peeping Tom called in some of his old operatives and I fished them in with the crews who buy from these guys...We've already got all of Cutter's warehouses wired for sound and video...so that we can watch his entire operation from a live feed." I said.

''Wow...We've got better information than Vinnie had."said Sean Jackson.

"Well at least Vinnie pointed us in the right direction." I said.  "Good work guys...Hang loose." I said

IV-

A few nights later I was walking down a city street when a man began walking briskly behind me...Oh no, not again...I was wearing one of my new suits that I had had tailored by Sam the tailor and my new shoes..My car wasn't far away...I could make a run for it... I really didn't feel like fighting and getting someone's blood on my new suit or tearing the pants...

The man got up close to me...

"Kevin Morris right?" he said.

I spun around, only to see the business end  of his .45....

"Don't even think of doing anything stupid." he said.

''Oh I didn't." I said and smiled. Right about now...I was wishing Sissy or Carlotta would drive up...but that wasn't happening tonight.

''Somebody wants to holler at you." he said.

A 2011  Black Nissan Pathfinder pulled up...The back window came down...

Inside was the man himself....Carl "Cookie" Cutter!!!!..

"Hello Kevin...It's been a long time." he said.

"Yeah...it has...How's business Cookie?  I hear you're doing well..." I said with a smile.

"A friend of yours...Vinnie Scully...You seen him?" he asked.

"You get right to the point don't you Cookie?" I said.

"Heyy, the man asked you a question" said the guy holding a gun on me..

I turned around and looked at him...I busted out laughing..

''Really playa?  Really??" I said ,still laughing. He aimed his pistol at my head and cocked it. He was shaking....He was so mad...

Carl Cutter smiled..

" Easy Ace...Easy......lower your heater....Well Kevin, have you seen him?" he asked. His gun man lowered his pistol, but still kept it on me...

"I went up to the hospital to visit him...Haven't seen him since then." I said ,which was actually kinda sorta the truth.

"Yeah...well I've been lookin for him...If you see him, tell him I need to talk to him." he said.

''I'll do that...If I see him." I said and smiled.

"I know you...I know what you do....You got a real pretty wife..She got a nice business...You runnin what, two or three magazines, radio station, newspaper???...Stick to that...Don't put your nose in my business...Understand??...I guaruntee you ,it won't go well for you." he said.

''Aww Cookie..Threats are beneath you...Just like I thought that a man with your money would be rolling in something a little more expensive than a Pathfinder." I said.

''WHYYYYYYY YOUUUUUUUUUUU..."said the man holding the gun on me...He made the mistake of trying to rush me..I grabbed his arm, the one with the gun and cracked it on my knee..he dropped the gun and then I gave him an elbow to the jaw, which snapped his head back.....I punched him in the stomach and he went down for the count....I grabbed his .45 and aimed and fired at Cutter's driver, who ducked and hit the ground...

I peered at Cutter...

"Don't threaten me Cookie...It's so beneath you......Always nice seeing you babe.Oh yeah...and if I see Angie...I'll tell her I saw you....You know she's a cop now...Bet she'd really like to see you." I said and put the .45 in my coat pocket and walked off down the street...I peered back and saw his gun man getting up off of the ground as well as his driver.. Cutter looked at me like he wanted to rip my head off..

If I knew right....Cutter and his boys were feverishly trying to find Vince Scully...Cutter wanted him dead...What he had in his head could still sink him..It after all had led me and my guys deeper into their operation than I'm sure they would have liked.

(TO BE CONTINUED.....)