Friday, August 1, 2014

A Long Way Down


Carlotta's phone rang ....We were standing in the living room kissing...


"Papi...my phone is vibrating..." she said in between sensuous kisses...

"Ohhhhhh, let it ring..." I said continuing to kiss her.....Who could it possibly be? It was a Saturday night  and it was 10:30...

"I've got to answer this...I'm sorry."she said, smiling sweetly and breaking our embrace....

''Hello." she said.

''Detective Rodriguez-Wallace?"came the voice...

"Yes, this is she?" said Carlotta...

"I'm plain clothes officer Billie Nelson...I was assigned  to keep an eye on Mimi Honeywell!!" she said.

"Yes?" said Carlotta..

"Well she's got a gun!!  I saw her take it out of the trunk of her car and load it...She's wearing a blonde ,curly wig, huge sunglasses and a beige trench coat and flats...I followed her.....She has appeared to have abducted a woman..An African -American woman at gunpoint...Forcing her into her car....I placed a GPS unit on the car and I followed her..." she said.

"Oh My God.....Tell me where you are!" I heard Carlotta say....

Now I was concerned...This didn't sound good at all...

"Okay...Are you armed?? Stay close , I'm going to call my folks...We'll meet you there...Don't try to engage her unless you absolutely have to.." said Carlotta...

"What's up?" I asked...

"It's Mimi...she's on the move!!!...That was the plain clothes officer you had watching her...Mimi has kidnapped a woman at gunpoint and took her into Olde City to a high rise..."said Carlotta....Damn her!! She was messing up my groove...

"A High Rise?? Sure...It's where her cosmetics company is housed..." I said..

"That's a dead give away." she said.

"No it's not...She has no idea we are on to her...She doesn't know we found Paul Witherspoon's body or that we know about the body of her husband in Chicago being found..."I said.
"Honey Bunny, call Duke, Rico, Boss Lady and the rest...Tell them to meet me there...I'm changing my clothes." she said.

''Changing your clothes?" I asked...Now I was really pissed ,She had looked so hot in her yellow mini dress...with matching heels....

"I can't go like this..." she said.

I didn't argue...I made the calls..

II-


We raced to the High Rise through the streets of the city....Carlotta was driving her Mustang that I bought her a few months ago...That girl could drive a car...She handled with the ease of a seasoned race car driver through the streets of Philadelphia...I marveled at how beautiful and serene the city streets looked at night...Nowhere near as packed and crowded as the New York City streets...but with just enough people...Philadelphia in contrast seemed serene...









Carlotta and I met the entire crew...Sissy,Jimmy,Tyriq,Duke, Hop,Sirena and Sharon who insisted on coming along for extra support..Hazel was with us too and Sissy had called in five additional plain clothes officers to assist...

"This is a huge building and we don't know where they are." said Sissy...

"You suggesting a room to room Lou?" asked Jimmy...

"No..we don't have time and we don't want to tip her off.." said Sissy...

Carlotta's phone vibrated...It was Officer Billie Nelson...

"Detective Rodriguez...They're on the roof.. I'm right outside.." she said.

''Okay...We are downstairs...We are coming up..Stay put....Good work Officer Nelson."said Carlotta..

Sissy looked at Hazel and I...

''Hazel...You and Keith wait down here...We are going up...." she said.  "Duke, You and Jimmy take three plain clothes guys and head up in the first party...Take positions..." she said.

''We on it Lou" they said..

Then she looked at Sirena and Hop...

"Sirena ..You and Hop and the other two plain clothes guys approach from the other exits with me...Rico..You and Chica and Sharon take the elevator up and proceed with caution..."she said.

"I'm on it Lou..You girls ready?" asked Tyriq...

"Let's Do it Rico"said Carlotta...

"Ready as I'll ever be. " said  Sharon...

Carlotta ran over to me and kissed me...

"I love you papi." she said.

"I love you too." I said to her...Her kiss had surprisingly turned me on something fierce.

And then they headed in swiftly....They all were dressed in regular clothes...There were no marked police cars on the street...Except for their badges which were draped around their necks...Nothing about them said police...Oh yeah...They were carrying glocks and moving swiftly....

Officer Hunt saw Duke and Jimmy and the three plain clothes officers arrive first and take position behind her... Sirena ,Hop and the remaining two plain clothes officers took cover down the other end of the hall along with Lt. Sissy Van Buren...

Rico, Carlotta and Sharon got the closest...

III-

On the roof, Mimi Honywell removed her wig and sunglasses and pulled out her glock...She had Claudette Robinson-Witherspoon tied up...

"Move over to the ledge...Move!!" she said...

"Mimi...Why are you doing this to me? Why?" screamed a terrified Claudette...

''Because you stole from me....You ruined my life..." screamed Mimi...

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen you in years.."said Claudette ,who was now terrified...

"You stole Paul from me...We were engaged to be married...Did you know that cheerleader?" screamed
Mimi...

"WHATTT?  You-You-You-You are crazy!" said Claudette...

Mimi cocked her gun...A .45!!

"I'll show you crazy.....I loved that man all through high school and  everytime...everytime me and him got close there was always you...always you!!!" said Mimi.....

"Me? I'm not the only girl he cheated with...He had a thing for Sharon Farrell and Carlotta Rodriguez..." said Claudette...

"Carlotta shut him down....Carlotta's boyfriend shut him down....and Sharon?? she's married now, so is Carlotta....but you? You?? You took him from me..."she screamed...

"How many years ago was that? You talkin high school....Get over it...My god...what is your problem?" screamed Claudette...

"You are the only problem I have left....I killed my cheating husband...dropped him in a hole where they will never find him and I killed your bastard husband...did the same to him too....and his cheating best friend, Gary...I popped him too...You're the last piece of the puzzle Claudette..." said Mimi..

"Carlotta and Sharon are cops..They'll get you...You won't get away with this..."said Claudette...

"They don't have a clue...They aren't even close..."she snarled..

"They found Paul's body...a few days ago...In the Tacony Creek...They'll figure out it was you...They'll put you away for life."said Claudette...

"You lie...They didn't find Paul...I talked to Carlotta this morning and she didn't mention it..."said Mimi...

Mimi put her face to Claudette's ear....

"This murder doesn't even follow the pattern of the last one...They won't make the connection....So stop trying to fool me.." she said.

"Mimi please...You need help...You just need to talk to somebody...I know....I know how you must have felt...Gary and Paul weren't nice guys...They both treated women pretty bad..We were all victims of both of them...but they're both dead...You don't have to do this...They can't hurt you anymore...Mimi please...You're right...The cops don't know...They don't have a clue..Stop now while you're ahead..Don't bury yourself more...I won't tell...I won't say a word...Please...Don't kill me..."she said...tears streaming down her face..

Mimi cracked up laughing...

"You know...You almost convinced me for a half second...Now get up...You ruined my life...I didn't get a break...It's over..."she said.

"IT'S OVER FOR YOU MIMI!" came the voice of Carlotta...

"DROP THE GUN AND BACK AWAY FROM HER!!" said Sharon...




 Mimi turned around stunned....
''Carlotta, Sharon??? You-You knew??"She said...She was totally stunned...Almost embarrassed...

''We found Paul's body....a few days ago....We looked at you to rule you out...but everything matched...DNA, fingerprints and motive...We've been following you for awhile....."said Carlotta.

''They found your husband's body in Chicago...We know the whole story Mimi...Give it up...It's over....It's all over..." said Sharon.

"I don't freakin believe this...All you bitches...Stole my man, now you're going to be the ones to put me in jail...HELLLLL NOOOO! HELLL TO THE FREAKIN NO!!!"  said  Mimi and she raised her .45 up in the air...and aimed at them, with her finger on the trigger.."I'LL TAKE YOU OUT FIRST!" she said cocking the gun..

"Mimi are you crazy?? Put that gun down."screamed Carlotta...

"Mimi...Don't do this...You need help...Mimi Please!" pleaded Sharon...

''We are your friends girl." said Carlotta..

"Nah Bitches...Yall the competition...and I'm gone wipe out the competition.."she said amd aimed the pistol again and pulled the trigger..

Carlotta yelled "GUN" and both she and Sharon fired , hitting Mimi in the chest...Mimi fell backwards.....The force of the two shots blew her wig and sunglasses off....Surprisingly,she still attempted to aim her gun at her former friends...

Tyriq entered and fired ,hitting Mimi in the side....She spun around like a top...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." she moaned.....and staggered..

Mimi groaned , dropped her gun and smiled...as blood ran down her blouse.....

"Bye Bye Bitches!Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." she said and toppled over the side of the building and fell into the street below....

Claudette screamed!

Carlotta and Sharon held her...

Sissy and the others entered....

Nobody said a word....There was blood splattered on the deck.....Jimmy looked over the side...

''Mannn, that was a long way down" was all he would say...

Sissy walked over to Carlotta and Sharon..

"You two okay?" she asked..

"Yeah Boss Lady, We are fine.."said Carlotta...

"Yeah..I'm good..."said Sharon..

"No you're not...I can't make you Sharon, but Chica...You're on desk duty for two weeks and I want you to talk to the department therapist...That's an order!...Sharon, I suggest you do the same."said Sissy..who then hugged them both....

"For what it's worth...Good Job...All of you." said Sissy...

"I'll write this up...."said Tyriq...

"Thank you so much...you saved my life."said a  visibly shaken Claudette.

Sirena hugged Carlotta and Sharon....as well as Claudette...

"Come on...let's all go to Jakes and get some Hot Dogs and some Coffee....We don't have to talk about this.." she said.

By now I had rushed to the roof..
Sissy and Duke approached me...

"They're fine Keith" said Sissy...

I pulled Carlotta to me and hugged her anyway...

Hop hugged Sharon who kept saying...
"I'm going to be the best wife for you baby...I'm going to make up for everything...in the past..."she said ,tears streaming down her face...

"Baby....Have I complained?? Huh?? You already are the best wife ...Stop talking like that...Mimi took her hatred out on the world...That's not your fault babes."said Hop..

''I love you Tony."said Sharon ,kissing him like kissing was going out of style..

"Damn girl...You got any other girlfriends with grudges?" he asked jokingly...

Sharon smiled-

''Silly." she said.

We all exited the rooftop and headed down to the street..

On the street, The Medical Examiner's Office had already arrived and had picked up Mimi's battered body...I remembered another troubled woman we dealt with whose life had ended violently...Serial Killer,Emma Strand, my ex-girlfriend...

Hatred had been her strongest emotion too!...So strong she couldn't let go of her past and live and love in the present...

We all wound up in Jake's Hot Dog Joint ,Sissy,Me, Carlotta,Sharon, Duke, Jimmy, Sirena, Hop,Tyriq and Hazel and the brave plain clothes cops who made the case...as well as would be victim Claudette Robinson-Witherspoon...We didn't discuss the case at all...Claudette,Sharon and Carlotta laughed and talked about pleasent and funny high school memories.. Sissy,Sirena ,Officer Bonnie Nelson and Hazel laughed and joined in...While me and the guys, Duke, Tyriq, Jimmy and Hop and the Plain Clothes guys talked about the job and sports...

The entire night was so surreal...The most surreal night I can imagine...

EPILOUGE-




Carlotta was on desk duty for two weeks...Which was good because that meant she was home every night on time..No exceptions and she got no calls about murders...She did talk to the therapist and she appears to be just fine....

Surprisingly...Sharon talked to the therapist too and is doing just fine from what I could see...

One Friday, I picked Carlotta up after work and we went to the store to buy groceries...

"Guess what Papi?  I go back on full duty Monday.." she said with that sweet smile of hers..

''I know you'll be happy.."I said.

"Wellll..I have enjoyed these past two weeks but..."she said.

''You need to be on the street with Rico and Jimmy right?"I said.

"Yes."she said...

I hugged her ..

"Oh By the way...Tell Sissy she owes me a dollar." I said.

''A dollar?'' she said.

"We made a little wager....I won." I said smiling...

"You're not going to tell me what it was about are you?" asked Carlotta...

"She was really frustrated with the way the case was going...She and Jimmy thought it was a who done it...you know , a cold case...But I said you guys would crack it..and you did."I said.

It was the first time I had dared mention the case since the terrible conclusion...

Carlotta smiled..

"Always bet on your wife"she said and kissed me...

But of course! I thought, smiling.



7 comments:

Toni said...

A sad ,bittersweet ending!

Angie B. said...

I was choking up reading that roof scene....Can't believe a fictional blog post could bring emotions like that out in me! You really are a good writer,Keith!

James Perkins said...

Sad, but this ended the only way that it could...Good Story...Great writing as usual!

Sunflower said...

I agree...Very sad ,bittersweat ending....I had hoped that Mimi would have gotten some help..But she had already gone way over the line.

Anonymous said...

I was ready to throw my panties...First their grope in the living room was interrupted by the phone call and then at the end of the story,you didn't give us your usual payoff...Damn!

Brenda said...

@anonymous- Frustrating isn't it?
Well just imagine that they had sex all day long during Carlotta's desk duty stint!

Cheryl said...

LMAO @ the last two comments.