My Big Chickadee

Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson ,Sean Jackson,my wife Sepia and I sat in the Surveilience van about three blocks from Hambone Jenkins's office...

We were listening to his phone calls...I had had Lockpick Johnson and Peeping Tom wire his house ,his car and his office for video and sound...Sean Jackson had put a GPS tracking device on his car...and Clerow and Owen Todd were in seperate cars shadowing his every move...

Kool Kat, Chris Thompson, Chess, Donald Smooth, Gus and Marco Gervay had been talking to different folks about how Big Chick had killed a girl and Bennie G. and how they had got it from Hambone Jenkins...

This wasn't true of course...I had told them to put the word out....Joe Neptune at the Mermaid Club was saying the same thing...

I had published an erroneous story in my newspaper that ADA Keith Wallace had a witness that put Charles
"Big Chick" Mooney at the scene of both murders....

I knew that with this swirling around...it wouldn't be long before Hambone got a call or a visit from Big Chick..

I had Sepia with me tonight because , I couldn't bare the thought of her being alone and pregnant and me running the streets...So I figured...She'd be safer with me and my guys in the van...

''Kev...We got a call coming in."said Peeping Tom.

"This ought to be good."said Lockpick Johnson..

"Hello..

''Hambone...you been runnin your mouth I hear." came the voice..

''What? Runnin my mouth, what chooo talkin bout boss?"he said..

''Don't you what you talkin bout boss me..So you gonna run to ADA Keith Wallace and turn me in for two murders you lyin little creep..You aint see nothin...You heard about me killin that babe from Bennie G. and he aint talkin no more." came the voice.

"Big Chick...I don't know what you talkin bout baby!" said Hambone...

"It's all over the streets..I heard it in the Mermaid Club, In Ciros, In Josies even and I don't even hang out there...You runnin your damn mouth all over town...Well I'm gonna close it...Just like I closed Bennie G's mouth...That bastard looked right dead in my eyes when I strangled that girl and then two days later, he gonna try and blackmail me...I killed him with my bare hands , right on the spot...and I'm comin over there and close your mouth...for good." came the voice.

"Chick...Chick...You got me all wrong baby...I aint talked to nobody...I aint been in no bars..I been workin...I don't know what you talkin bout."said Hambone..

"Save it Hambone..you're a dead man."came the voice..

"Don't be threatenin me...I got a gat too!...You come on over..Come on with it..I'll bust a cap in yo ass.."said Hambone..

"Yeah  We'll see about that. we'll see if your gat beats my gat...I'm on my way."

"Big Chick..look...I aint said nothin to nobody...I swear fo god..."

"Don't punk out now...I'm on my way..I aint burnin for no two murders..."

(click!)

Sepia kissed me in the lips,long and hard...

 "You got him baby...You got him!" she said and kissed me again, slower and softer...

Sean Jackson, Peeping Tom and  Lockpick Johnson all smiled and clapped...

"Okay guys..Make two copies of that tape...Send one to ADA Keith Wallace in the District Attorney's office and one to Lt. Sissy Van Buren at the Criminal Investigation Division office...That ought to be enough to put Big Chick in the box...And do me a favor..Drop my wife off at home for me." I said.

''Sure thing Kev." they said.

Sepia looked at me longingly...

"Where you goin?" she said with a fake pout..

"I'm goin and get Walter...It's time to take the trash out."I said.

II-

I knew how Big Chick thought...He wasn't going to risk being seen going over to Hambone's...He more than likely was going to send somebody....That's why I got Kool Kat...

I took my Lexus...While I drove...Kool kat loaded his .44 magnum and put his black leather gloves on...
''You takin this serious huh?" I joked.

''Life and death is a serious matter Kev."he said.

The way he said that sent a chill through my spine.. Then I remembered...Kool Kat had been one of the most feared enforcers on the streets at one time...He didn't get that kind of rep by being frivolous about anything..

My smartphone vibrated...It was Clerow...

'"Yo" I said.

''We got company boss."he said.

"Big Chick?" I said.

"Nah..a car load of guys.."he said.

''Hang tight...We are right around the corner.." I said.

We drove around the corner and parked just in time to see four guys, all armed with automatic weapons heading towards Hambone's Septa Office..Hambone as it turns out, did have a gun...a small .38 smokeless like mine... He appeared at the door..

''You boys back up now..I don't want no trouble.." he said.

"Too late pops...You got it..Big Chick sends his regards.." he said as they loaded their weapons..

"AND WE SENDIN OURS!" said Kool Kat..

He aimed his .44 magnum at the leader... Clerow, Owen Todd and I aimed our .45's at the other three...

"What do you guys want?" asked one of them...

''We aint here to ask you out to lunch!" said Clerow....Kool Kat looked at me and snickered...I smiled...So did Owen Todd..

They were not fools...They dropped their guns.... Owen and Clerow collected their weapons and put them in plastic bags...

Kool Kat and I  tied them up and gagged them.....I called the police...

Hambone was sweating in the middle of winter like it was July...

"Kevin, am I glad to see you..." he said.

"Relax...I wasn't going to let anything happen to ya bone."I said.  Kool Kat just laughed and smacked his thigh...

"Big Chick is out there...He sent these guys after me..." he said.

"I know...He won't be floppin around much longer.." I said.

III-

ADA Keith Wallace came personally, along with Detectives Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Tyriq Pile and about four uniformed policemen, armed with shotguns  to pick up the four thugs...I had their weapons in plastic bags.. I cut Kool Kat,Clerow and Owen Todd loose.. Hambone and I waited for the police by ourselves. These four thugs were known gunmen...High priced muscle , who probably had more than a few felonies between them...

''Well Kevin...Thanks again...We've been looking for these cool cats for awhile." said ADA Keith Wallace.

''Yeah...and I'm sure if we run a ballistic check on these guns..We'll clear several homicides." said Duke..

"Wow...Big Chick sends you guys to do his dirty work...he'd of been better off doing the deed himself." laughed Tyriq.

"Yeah" I laughed...

"Okay guys let's go." said ADA Wallace...The four goons were read their rights and escorted off by the uniformed policemen...

After they were all gone...I said to Hambone..

"You got any coffee?"

''Coffee ?...Man, I can't drink no coffee ...I got to pack....That fool aint gonna back off just cause of this Kev...He'll come for me himself." he said.

''Oh I know he will, that's why I'm here..Now go on inside."I said.

We went inside his office and Hambone poured me a hot tumbler of coffee..We sat down and talked...He was so upset from what had  just happened that his hands began to shake..

''Relax bone...Everything is going to be alright." I said.

"Easy for you to say." he said.

I just laughed.

IV-

After about an hour..There was a knock on Hambone's office door...He got up to answer it...I cautioned him to stay put...I pulled out my .38 smokeless and aimed at the door..

"Kev, what'choo doin?" said Hambone..

Big Chick kicked the door in and came in with his .45 drawn...I knew he sent those guys as a decoy to see if the cops were watching the place...Once he thought they were gone..He made his move.I'm telling you..I was in Big Chick's head.

"Who the hell are you?" he said to me..

"I'm the man that's not going to let you kill anyone else."I said.

"Oh yeah?" he snarled..

"Yeah!" I said.

"Oh a tough guy eh?" he said.

"Tough enough for you." I said.

"Once you kill one, another aint no thing." he snarled. That sent a chill down my spine..This man clearly didn't mind killing.

"You killed Shirley and Bennie didn't you?" I said.

"Me and her was havin a disagreement..Things got out of hand...I didn't mean for it to go that far...But Bennie G???..That rat tried to blackmail me...I meant to kill him...And now I'm gonna kill you and big mouth Hambone here" he said.

"I don't think so papi...Drop your weapon" came the beautiful spanish accented voice of Detective Carlotta Rodriguez...

She had her glock practically touching his neck...Three uniformed policemen were behind her, armed with shotguns....Detective James "Jimmy "Barlow walked up and handcuffed him...

''Big Chick...Big Chick..Anybody ever tell you that you talk too much?" he said laughing..

Big Chick angrily stomped his foot.....

"I don't believe this!" he spat...

Just then Detectives Sirena Pile and Tony Hopkins walked in the office...

"Believe it Big Chick...We got every word Kevin..."said Detective Sirena Pile...

"Yeah..This clears both of our murders. Thanks Kev." said Hop...

Carlotta kissed me on the cheek...

"Thank you baby...I knew you'd come through for us..."she said.

"This place was bugged...This was a trick...You set me up Hambone.!!!!"..he snarled.

"Ah didn't know nothin about this, I swear." said Hambone..

"He didn't...I set you up."I said.

"You? Who are you?" he said.

''Does it really matter Big Chick?"I said.

"You better hope I never get outta jail" he said ,looking at me with red hot hatred...

"He doesn't have to worry about that...With what we have on you...You're never gonna see the light of day again."said Jimmy as he and the uniformed policemen walked Big Chick out to the paddy wagon.

Outside, I saw Lt. Sissy Van Buren standing on the corner watching...

She smiled at me...

''Wow Kevin...This is like, how many cases you have helped us crack?"she asked..

"Who knows?" I said.

"I'm thinkin one day maybe somebody will write a book about us or create a TV show based on all of us and our exploits." she said smiling..

''Who knows Sissy...Maybe.Maybe we'll be the subject of some blog!" I said.

We both looked at each other and busted out laughing...

EPILOUGE:

The four goons that I turned over to ADA Wallace, Duke and Tyriq turned out to be responsible for eight murders between them and all are serving multiple life sentences...

Big Chick was convicted of both murders and given a life sentence for both....

Hambone Jenkins is sleeping a lot better now of days , knowing those killers are off the streets..

I wound up at home with Sepia, relaxing in our bedroom.....

"Well..another case cracked.." she said.

"Yeah..Nice and neat...Nobody got hurt...That's because I planned it well." I said.

''And you have good friends that help you...Not Just Walter and Clerow, but the cops too."she said.

''Yeah...and the cool thing is..we all live here in this neighborhood."I said.

''Our baby is going to be so safe." she said as she laid her head on my shoulder..

''I sure hope so...I sure hope so." I said as I rubbed her pregnant belly and hugged her.

(For Sarah)