Blue Gangster

I stood outside of the rowhouse in Southwest Philadelphia sipping a tumbler of coffee with my friends, ADA Keith Wallace, Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor and FBI  SAC-Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins...

It was a very bloody scene...Ten men had been found shot to death in a row house....The worse Mass Murder in recent city history...

It had been two weeks since I had rescued Fathead Newton's girlfriend from Johnny Winchester and his boys and they had been arrested and charged with kidnapping...

Sissy had called me when these bodies had been found...

"Kevin, I want to thank you for helping us catch Johnny Winchester and his boys....That girl on the film you sent us...was the missing girl we had been looking for in an unrelated case..What became of her?" said ADA Keith Wallace...

I looked at Sissy...She looked at me...

''What's this about Kevin?" she asked gently.

"I guess it's time to come clean....It's not so unrelated...That missing girl is the girlfriend of Fathead Newton!! He was my client..She had been kidnapped by her former boyfriend, Johnny Winchester...He hired me to find her and return her to him.. That's all..He has nothing to do with this...In fact..he and she have left town.. "Ike "Cold Hearted" Stewart is in town and making moves on all of Fathead's old territory. He's the man you want."I  said .

"We know about him...We've been watching his movemants..." said Duke.

''Yeah ,I know...He's the mastermind behind this...Johnny Winchester worked for him." I said.

"We know...but we've been watching this gang...His competition ...The El Rukin Organization.. Duke, Tyriq ,Sirena and I have been profiling them...We have undercover FBI,plain clothes cops, wire taps...the whole works on them...They are the only gang that has the muscle to hold off Cold Hearted Stewart...He had moved through West Philly gobbling up corners and turf until he hit this part of the Southwest Philly...The El Rukin's stopped him in his tracks."said Sharon...

"He wanted Fathead's blessings and his ex soldiers to bolster up his army and to help him take over, but Fathead said no...That he wanted no parts of this anymore...To punish him they kidnapped his girlfriend..."I said.

"And so Fathead hired you to get the girl back....You did that ,But Stewart and  his gang have decided to move forward without him."said Keith Wallace.

"Yeah...That's what this looks like... He's convinced enough of Fathead's old guys to go in with him.. "I said.

"He's put a big dent in their organization with this...He took out all of their middle managers...If he strikes fast enough...He can take them down quick...But before that happens, we are going to take the El Rukin Gang down ourselves...I already have warrants on a number of their known members..."said ADA Keith Wallace.

Just then, Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez Wallace, his wife and  Tyriq Pile, James Barlow, Sirena Pile and Tony Hopkins walked over to us with Dr. Hazel Hunter Baylor of Forensics...

"Hey Guys" I said.

Carlotta kissed me on the cheek...

'"Heyy baby." she said.

''Heyy Chica." I said ,smiling...

"It's bad Lou...Ten guys , all shot in the back of the head...execution style..." said Jimmy...

"They were bound and gagged...So we know that there was more than one person involved..possibly two,maybe three.."said Tyriq...

"Here is where it gets cute...They were all top lieutenants in the El Rukin gang...Guys we had targeted.."said Sirena...

"It looks like they came here for some type of secret meeting...Like they were being offered a deal...to defect ,from what our undercovers are telling us. we knew about this meeting, but before we could get up on this house..This happened." said Hop.

"Either they got surprised or El Rukin found out and evened up things."said Carlotta...

"Can I tell my people to  release the bodies.....If you guys don't mind." said Hazel ,who looked sick to her stomach...I couldn't blame her...so much carnage.

''Go ahead"said Carlotta.

"If I may make a suggestion....Put a team on these sewers....A five mile radius...and you'll find the guns.."I said. 'That's how they do things...They shoot their guys and then drop their guns down in the sewer.''I said.

"Good idea Kev...I'll put a team on the sewers in this immediate area . " said Duke...

"And while you're at it...Check out this guy...His name is Richard "Ice'Waters...I'll send you a photo of him." I said.

"Ice Waters? What a name!" laughed Jimmy...

"Never heard of him"said Tyriq...

"That's because he's a player from Chester...Do a work up on him....He's a cold blooded psychopath...Is rumored to have killed 28 guys in the Chester and Wilmington ,Deleware  areas alone...He did federal time with Ike "Cold Hearted''Stewart.." I said.

"They killed these guys...They are making a move on El Rukin...Cold Hearted means to take over with or without Fathead's help. I want this guy as bad as you do..If I hear anything...You guys will be the first to know " I said.

They thanked me profusely.....

II-

Within the coming weeks....ADA Keith Wallace, Sissy and her detectives with Sharon and The FBI did Cold Hearted Stewart's work for him...They arrested 55 members of the El Rukin Organization charging them with drug possession,conspiracy to distribute, several murders, intimidation of witnesses,loan sharking, et al...It basically destroyed them,making Ike "Cold Hearted ''Stewart what he always wanted to be...The King of West and Southwest Philadelphia by default....There was nothing to indict him on...No proof of any wrong doing on his part...So he was free and clear...

The sewer search turned up several firearms...some with the serial numbers filed off, some with them still on...and some bloody fingerprints.... and latent DNA,Which led to the arrests of Eddie Rollins, James Maxwell and Floyd Young...All area hoods, all with ties to Cold Hearted Stewart and all indicted for the murders of the 10 El Rukin Gang members.. along with a few other area homicides...A few other area hoods were also picked up with ties to other murders.Sissy and her detectives practically cleared their books with this murderous trio and the others...

It was nice that Sissy and her detectives cleared their murders...but that meant that Richard "Ice" Waters was still at large...I had no doubt that he orchestrated the mass murder... He either kept his gun on him or just had those three boys do it under his supervision..

I sat at the bar with Gus drinking and thinking...My case was over..I had found Fathead's girl...he and her were safely out of the city....The one's responsible were safely behind bars....It wasn't my job to take down Cold Hearted Stewart....or Richard "Ice" Waters....but I made this phone call anyway.....To Atlantic City...
I knew a man there that would be interested in knowing that Cold Hearted Stewart was back in town....


III-

 I decided to go find Ralph Mole...he might be in danger...I wouldn't put it past Cold Hearted Stewart to try and snatch him and Roscoe to find out Fathead's whereabouts or to kill them as revenge..a kind of screw you to Fathead...See that's how twisted the man was.


I called Ralph Mole twice...He didn't answer....When I drove up in front of his apartment complex...His window was open and I smelled the aroma of eggs and sausage...I smiled...Ralph was probably cooking..He was an excellent cook...His phone was probably on a table, vibrating and he didn't hear it...He also might have female companionship...

As I walked toward his apartment I hoped I was interrupting anything...As it turned out...I was..Just not what I thought..

I rang the bell...Ralph came to the door..he looked afraid....

''Hey man...Everything good?" I asked.

''Kevin..." he said.

I heard another voice behind him...

"Not for you?" came the voice of Richard "Ice" Waters....Killer....

''Soooo Killerman...At last we meet..I've heard soo much about you." I said smiling...He had no sense of humor!

"I've heard about you too.."said Ice Waters as he stared at me...

He pulled out his .44 magnum with a customized silencer and motioned for me to come inside the apartment..

"You know...After Fathead's girl vanished...and we found out she wasn't in police custody....Ike said that this sounded like you, A nosy assed Private Investigator who sticks his nose into too much..Fathead was here wasn't he? He hired you to get his girl back...You shouldn't have done that...but no matter....It didn't stop us...We own all of the real estate anyway...The cops helped us out without even knowing it." he said.

"They did didn't they...but I wouldn't celebrate yet...."I said.

"Oh no? What would you do?" he asked sarcastically...

"You'll find out...Soon enough."I said.

"You know somethin I don't know?" he asked.

"Like I said...You'll find out soon enough."I said.

"Yeah? Well I'll tell you what I know..I know that you aint got too much time to live..how about that?" he said.

I smiled..

"I've heard that before....If you got time..I'll show you where most of the guys who said that are buried."I laughed.

Ralph Mole was sweating profusely....

Richard "Ice ' Waters  said no more, He motioned for both of us to sit down...We did..

He fixed himself a plate of food...Seasoned Hash Browns, Sausage, Eggs and Grits...He sat and ate ,all the while keeping his eye on us and his trigger on his gun...

"Take your piece out....slowly and put it on the table.."he said.

I did as I was told..

''So...you're Ice Waters huh? Cute nickname.." I said.

"You're Kevin Morris..Private Investigator, professional police informant and all around busy body....I know all about you,I know that you're real cool with the local coppers...They're sure gonna miss you."he said laughing a sinister grin...

''Miss me? Why? Am I going somewhere?" I asked..

"Yeah...you might say that..."he said ,gobbling down the food...He looked at Ralph Mole..

"You're a good cook Ralph....You used to cook for Fathead....I might let you live....but you Mr. Morris...No chance..." he said...

''And I'm just going to let you take me out right?" I said staring him right in his cold emotionless eyes..

"What choice you got? I got the drop on you and you got no gun?" he said.

I sat back and laughed...He didn't see my left hand which was pulling my forty out of my back waist band...

"What's so funny?" he said...

''You didn't lock the door when you brought me in here.."I said.

"So?" he said.

''So...That was a big mistake. Somebody might walk in on us" I said...

''I doubt that seriously...Anybody walks in here...They're as good as dead too." he said.

"Think so?" I said.

"Hey Shut up...before I shoot you right here..." he snarled..

I whipped out my forty and shot him in the chest....and Kool Kat kicked the door in and fired his .44 mag two times ,hitting him in the chest and the sides...Ralph Mole pulled out a .38 smokeless and fired also, hitting him in the shoulder and his chest...The force of the multiple gunshots blew him out of his chair and across the kitchen floor! He was stunned....He tried in vain to pull himself up as blood poured out of him....He looked at us with pure surprise...

"Like This?" I said.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! I'VE BEEN SHOT!!" he yelled as he tried to pull himself up off of the floor...coughing and spitting blood..."Yall shot me....Argjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned....He was holding on to the sink counter...coughing and spitting blood...in obvious pain...trying but failing to stand up....

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww lawd...yall niggas done shot me...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...ouuuuuuu....it hurts...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh..it's gettin cold...dark..ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."he moaned..

Kool Kat walked over to him...He had his gun aimed at his head.....

I stood over him...with my .40 aimed at his head also.....

"You know..I thought you'd be a lot more difficult to bring to ground...You were really quite easy....You're very over-rated. "I said,smiling..

"YOU GO...YOU...YOU....YOU...YOU GO STRAIGHT TO HELL..OHHHHHHHHHHHH  ,I done stepped in it nowwwwwww...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Ohhhhhhhhh,I've been shotttt! I been shot....Ohhhh hell....I'm shot..ouuuuuuuuuu..."he moaned and then fell back to the floor and died....His expressionless eyes still open and staring straight ahead!

Ralph Mole looked at him....

"Thanks Kev, Kools...You guys get out of here...I know some guys....They'll clean this up and they'll take care of the body...I don't want you guys to have any trouble with the law over this...But I want his body found...I want a message sent....To Cold Hearted Stewart" he said.

"Okay, but before we go...You got any take out packages man..That food looks good and I am kinda hungry.."said Kool Kat..

.

Ralph Mole and I both looked at Kool Kat with a side eye...

"What do you think I'm runnin here..a restaraunt?" he said...

The three of us cracked up...

IV-

 A few weeks later, I was on the roof of C.I.D. headquarters sharing a steaming hot tumbler of Coffee with Lt. Sissy Van Buren...

"See Sissy, you say I never visit you unless I want something.....I'm here today and I don't need anything..'I said.

''Yes..I see..Always nice Kevin."she said and smiled and sipped her coffee...

''I have news for you...Rather strange news..." she said.

"Oh?" I said.

"Sharon got a call from the police in Margate.." she said.

"Oh yeah ? Margate?  New Jersey?" I said.

"Yes...You know that guy you told us about that might be responsible for those murders a few weeks ago..Uh ,Richard "Ice" Waters?" she said.

''Yeah, Sorry you couldn't make a case on him..I really thought he was responsible." I said.

"Well it doesn't matter....He's dead! His body was found nude, tied to a dinghy, out in the bay a couple of weeks ago....He had been shot multiple times...but they didn't retrieve any bullets...Whoever killed him, removed the bullets from his body...and the M.E. out there said from the decomp...He had been dead for about three weeks..!!! They don't think he was killed there,but they don't know where he was killed....I'm just glad it happened somewhere else and not here. And get this...There was a pistol with a silencer on it next to the body in a plastic bag...The FBI did a ballistics check...That gun is linked to over twenty eight homicides in Chester and two in Wilmington,Deleware as well as about five here in Philly...With him dead...We found witnesses that placed him at the scene of our mass killing a few weeks ago...He was a one man killing machine."she said.

"Wow...he was a real piece of work...You guys question Cold Hearted Stewart about this.?" I asked.

"That's just it...Chica, Rico and Jimmy went to his condo with five uniforms....No sign of him... Everything was there as though he was coming back...but no sign of him at all...We kept a couple of plain clothes guys on his condo for two weeks...He never returned..."she said.

"What?" I said incredulous....

"No,Not a Trace...His car is parked  right outside where he was staying...The keys were upstairs in his apartment...I put Duke, Sirena and Hop on what's left of his people and they appear to be just as baffled...He hasn't been seen in weeks."said Sissy..

"So what now?" I asked...

''Nothing...It wasn't our case...I was just trying to help the Detectives in Margate...They got nothing...No clue...They only called us because he's kind of a Philly guy....Sharon and the FBI are looking into it...but nobody cares really, not about him or Waters..We've got more pressing issues.It looks like a gangland hit...And the surprising thing,Cold Hearted Stewart has only been missing for a few weeks, but already, his people are defecting in droves...Like they know he's not coming back!" said Sissy.

"What  are you going to do about Cold Hearted Stewart?" I asked.

"What about him? He's not under indictment here for anything... There is no proof he had anything to do with this.....The man did work for him...Maybe he got spooked and got out of town...Good riddance...."said Sissy...

I nodded and sipped my coffee....

"Yeah, you're right." I said.

Richard "Ice" Waters...That was Ralph Mole, sending a message...Now either Cold Hearted Stewart got scared and bounced....Or that call I made to Atlantic City a few weeks ago made a difference...

Either way...I was glad that I didn't know....I didn't want to know any more about this dirty gangster business...I was just glad that it was over and the streets were quiet...At least for now.

EPILOUGE:  PARIS

"Hello"

''Fathead..How you doin baby?"

"Shark Dollars? Is that you?"

"Yeah man..Hey look...That little problem you had in Philly....You aint got it no more." he said.

"I heard they found Ice Waters in Margate."

"Him?  I didn't have nothin to do with that..I don't know what that was about...I'm talkin bout his boss...He's gone.!...And you don't ever have to worry about him again.I got that on good word."

"Thanks Shark"

 "Don't mention it..." he said.

'"Hey Shark?" asked Fathead..

"Yeah man?"

"You ever think about gettin out?  This life."asked Fathead...

''Me? Maybe...I don't know...Guess I'm just a gangster I suppose." said Eric Shark Dollars Redding.

Fathead laughed...He had said the same thing to Chess and Chris Thompson years before...

"Arthur...Come to bed...I'm super naked." yelled Contessa..

Fathead smiled and headed toward the bedroom...

"Be Easy Shark" he said .

''Always Babe!" he said.

And meanwhile...
....Somewhere, at the bottom of the Schuylkill River, Ike "Cold Hearted" Stewart's bones gently shift with the moving waters and the stirring of the silt..

FOR SLC-