Cold Case

It wasn't long before The Police arrived on the scene...Police photographers snapped photos of the five frozen bodies..C.S.I. guys were busy processing the scene for evidence...

Forensic Investigator, Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor and Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez and Tyriq Pile had on latex gloves and were looking at the bodies..

"It's hard to tell how long these guys have been in here...They are frozen solid..."said Hazel...

"Yeah, but it's not hard to determine the cause of death...Gunshot wounds to the head." said Detective Tyriq Pile..

Carlotta looked down at the bodies...

"This is Tyrone Mackey...The guy you were looking for Kevin." said Carlotta.

"Yeah, him and then some..."I remarked..

"Yeah and this guy over here is Charlie Napier...a leg breaker for whoever is paying." said Jimmy who was walking around with a flashlight and three uniformed officers...

Detectives Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Sirena Pile were looking at another body...

"This here is Tommy Hager...They call him "Hulk" ..He's Bobby Dee's enforcer." said Duke.

"He was Bobby Dee's enforcer..He won't be enforcing anything anymore..."said Sirena as she put on her latex gloves and observed the body...

Her partner, Detective Tony Hopkins walked in with three more uniforms...

"Nothing and nobody around here....I got guys checking the area...five to six miles and of course we got guys on street cams, ATM cams and traffic cams." he said.


To the side of us...Lt. Sissy Van Buren and a female uniformed officer had on latex gloves and were looking at the body of Clarence Baskett..

"Kevin, you hit the jackpot here...This is Clarence Baskett...I think he was in the wrong place at the wrong time...His enforcer Charlie Napier was the real target ,judging by the number of bullet holes in him. Baskett may have witnessed it." she said..

"Sorry to do this to you Sissy...I was talking to someone casually in a bar and they mentioned that Bobby Dee owned an Ice House...He took it from a guy named Joe Crump , who owed him money and I did a little nosing around...and this is what I found.."

"It was a good find..."said Sissy....

"Who is that guy over there? He's the only guy I don't recognize." I said.

"I can tell you that." came the voice of ADA Keith Wallace.

"He's a low level hood named Kyle Mortimer..He was into Bobby Dee for 50grand...He vanished a little over a year ago....He was also an informant...He was going to give me information on a murder allegedly ordered by Bobby Dee and carried out by these three cool guys Charlie Napier, Tyrone Mackey and Tommy Hager nearly nine years ago if I let him walk on wire fraud charges when he simply vanished..He said that he was actually there when these guys took Graber out of the bar that night..I always thought that he had more to do with it than that...That he was one of the guys who set Graber up..Told the others where he was...Anything to get their attention off of him and his debt.." said Keith Wallace.

"Seems to be a lot of that going on." I said.

"Yes and everything leads to Bobby Dee...Uh Oh...Boss Lady here comes your friend!" said Carlotta...

Just then ,Lt. Tragg and a gaggle of reporters came charging through the Crime Scene line..

"Well, Well, Well...Mr. Kevin Morris...We meet again...Seems like everytime I see you...Someone is dead!!....What do we have here? five bodies and all are tied to your client..."he said.

"My former client...Our business is over...It's been over for weeks."I said.

"So what are you doing here?" he asked.

"I got a tip from a guy I was talking to in a bar..I came here and I found this...and I called the police."I said.

"You just happened to get a tip...and from a guy in a bar? How did you get in? This is a private business." asked Tragg.

"The door was open so I walked in." I lied.

"I don't believe that...You're under arrest,breaking and entering and conspiracy to commit murder." he said.

"Get real Tragg..I called the cops when I found this."I said.

"How is it you are always on the scene?" he asked..

"How is it you're always on the scene of someone else's investigation and with television cameras?" I asked..

He grew red as a beat....

"Detectives!! Somebody arrest this man!" he yelled.

"Nobody move!  This is my crime scene...My detectives and uniforms are conducting an investigation....Now I'm asking you nicely to leave my crime scene Lt. Tragg. Nobody is getting charged or arrested unless I say so.." said Sissy.

"Lieutenant ,It does not look good for two police commanders to be at odds and on television." he said.

"Then move along Lt.Tragg... Sissy and her guys got this.."said Keith Wallace...

"Unbelievable...What is it about her?? She's got Captain Cantrell wrapped around her fingers...but you too ADA Wallace? Aren't you married? Isn't your wife right over there?" he asked...

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say any of that .And the next time I play poker with the Commissioner and the Deputy of Operations..I won't mention these remarks."said Keith Wallace...

Just then Captain Eddie Cantrell drove up...

He looked at Lt. Tragg...He was clearly exasperated...

"Get out of here!!!...I'm not going to say anything else...GO! That's an order!" he said.

"I'm about to make an arrest." he said.

"Arrest?? Of Who?" he asked..

"Kevin Morris here...He was conveniently at the scene..." he said.

"Well at least he was at the right crime scene."said Cantrell..

With that, Hazel, Duke,Tyriq, Carlotta,Jimmy,Sirena and Hop busted out laughing...so did a number of uniformed officers and CSI personell..Most of them had dealt with Tragg and did not like him I discovered later.

I have to admit...I was laughing myself.....

Lt. Tragg stared icily at Ed Cantrell and then walked away, got in his car and sped off like lightning..

Everyone at the scene clapped and laughed loudly.....

Captain Eddie Cantrell walked over to Sissy..

"You alright darlin?"he asked..

"I'm fine Captain."she said and smiled..He took both of her hands gently in his and rubbed them...Sissy meekly held her head down...

"Next time he shows up at your crime scene...Just speed dial me..You hear?" he said softly.

"I will and thank you again."she said softly..

"Always." he said  softly and got in his car and pulled off.

I walked over to Sissy...

"I'll call you.." I said.

She smiled and pulled me to her and hugged me..

The bodies began being moved out of the icehouse... I watched... There was a lot more to this than what met the eye...I decided to go have another talk with Bobby Dee.

II-

 

That was not going to happen....He didn't answer his door at his home...He didn't answer his phone either...

I drove around to his deli...

 

"The cops got him." said one of the workers...

"The cops?" I asked..

"Yeah...a white guy, nice suit, slick backed hair...Came in here about two hours ago and handcuffed him...Arrested him on suspicion of murder charges..." said the worker..

"Lt. Tragg!" I spat...Why wouldn't he lay off? We had nothing to tie Bobby Dee to these murders...Nothing that could be taken to a grand jury...Tragg was jeapordizing what ever case Sissy and her guys were building.

I called Sissy...

"HE DID WHAT?" she asked.

"He arrested Bobby Dee, about two hours ago." I said.

"Really? Well where is he?  He should have been here by now...Bobby Dee hasn't been processed and Lt. Tragg isn't in his office...or on television." she said and we both grinned..

"That's odd...."I said.

"Kevin , where are you? She asked..

"At Grabers Deli."I said.

"I'll meet you there in a few." she said.

"Okay...I'll be here.."I said.

Sissy and I sat down and had two Corn Beef specials and potato salad....and cokes.

"Oh My God Kevin..This is the best ..Reminds me of the neighborhood delis when I was a little girl."she said as we both chowed down on the corn beef specials...

"Yeah...it does... "I said... Sissy took a napkin and wiped the potato salad off of my lips.

I pulled out my ipad mini....

"Sissy...Remember when you were telling me about the murder of Jack Graber the other day when you were at my house?"I asked..

"Yes...what about it?" she asked..

"Graber had a daughter, Jacqueline Graber right?" I asked.

"Yeah...She was about my age..." said Sissy.

"Twenty Two?" I said and smiled...

"Ouuu if we weren't both married ,I'd give you a big kiss right now..." she said laughing..

"Well I did a little digging...The cops couldn't get anybody to co-operate with them and her father's murder went cold...She did her own investigation according to neighbors who would talk to me..but she couldn't get one person to come forward and talk to the cops and she had no physical evidence...
She uh had a semi-nervous breakdown and she wound up in Blue Skies for awhile."I said.

"How did you get that information?" she asked laughing and shaking her head...

"I have my resources." I laughed... "She moved out to Los Angelas for awhile...and then just last year she moved back to Philly....Even ate in Graber's Diner once....and then dropped off the grid..."I said.

"You know, my detectives have a grainy photo off of an ATM cam of a female in a black latex suit and black shades leaving that old Icehouse a few nights ago...It wasn't enough to get a facial...I was keeping that under my hat until we had more.."said Sissy..

"Take a ride with me Sissy...I got a hunch..." I said..

"Where are we going?" she asked..

"To the cab company." I said.

III-

Sissy and I looked at film footage of everybody that came and went into the cab company on the day that Tyrone Mackey vanished...

It didn't take long for a young lady to appear...She was about five foot five, shapely, Blonde and had her hair in a ponytail..Had on tight black jeans...black Jordans...a tight black t-shirt and a black leather jacket..She wore black shades...

"Hey..who is she? She doesn't work here....She never worked here."said the Dispatcher..

"She's a bit older now...but that's her..That's Jacqueline Graber!!!..."said Sissy...

"That's her...I think we should pay that Icehouse another visit."I said.

"You think she's killed Bobby Dee?" asked Sissy...

"Either that or holding him there...until nightfall.."I said.

"But that's our crime scene..We recovered five bodies from there..."she said.

"That's right and everybody is gone...It's doubtful that anyone will be back...Where else can she stash them?" I asked.

"You think she'd return to the scene of the crime ?" asked Sissy.

"This is her end game...She saved Bobby Dee for last...It's worth a look...If I'm wrong..I'm wrong..At least you got a suspect in your five open murders...And at best we can trump old Lt. Tragg..."I laughed..

"With any luck he'll be one of the bodies in there."joked Sissy...

We both laughed heartily and hugged each other..

IV-

Inside the bowels of the Ice House...Bobby Dee was clad only in his boxer shorts and a t-shirt..He was tied to a chair...Next to him, also bound in boxer shorts and a t-shirt was Lt. Tragg....They were both shivering....

Standing over them with a .40 caliber gun and a silencer was Jacqueline Graber, daughter of Jack Graber, the former Deli owner....

Bobby Dee laughed...

"Jackie..I always said you had a set on you and I wasn't talkin bout your tits...You got more balls than your dad.." he laughed..

She shot him in his knee...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, GOTDAMN IT...I DON'T BELIEVE IT ,I'Ve been SHOT!" he screamed in obvious pain...

"Don't you talk about my dad...He was a good man...You destroyed him..."she said..

"Jackie...Good lord..he was weak...He was weak..He gambled...He played the ponies...arghhhhhh."he moaned..

She shot his other knee..

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, GOTDAMN IT...BITCH...YOU'LL FRY FOR THIS..ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.." he screamed in pain....

"Bitch huh?" she said and shot him in his liver...

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELLL...." he screamed...blood was now pouring out of him....

"You killed my daddy...You took advantage of a man who was already drowning...you showed him no mercy you pig and then to add insult to injury..You took his deli...The only thing he had left..You took it over after you murdered him.."she screamed and shot him in his other side...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.."he screamed in unbelievable pain as blood just poured out of him...

Lt. Tragg cried out...

"For god sakes Jackie..For God Sakes...I'm a cop!!..I was going to arrest this bum..I was going to put him in jail,make him pay for what he did to your father." he said.

"With what? You got no evidence...and nobody was going to talk to you...You just wanted to be on Television, Make yourself look like a hero and then when this pig walked again..You would be on to the next big story...I've seen you on TV before..Always announcing a big arrest after somebody else has made the collar.." she spat...

"But I had him..I had him in handcuffs...For Godsakes...I'm a cop...You kill me...It'll be worse for you.You know what the state does to cop killers...You'll definitely get the death penalty"said Lt. Tragg...

"Really?  I've already killed five other people...these bastards who killed my daddy and who sell poison to kids...one or two more won't make a difference. I think I'm still in line for a needle." she said..

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...Jackie..that was just business between me and your father..It was never personal...ARGHHHHHH!"moaned Bobby Dee..

"Don't give me that crap...Be gone!" she said.

She aimed her gun at his head and fired again....This time...Killing him instantly....

Lt.Tragg looked on in horror..

"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME...PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE,....ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"PLEASE DON'T KILL ME...PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE." he yelled..

Just then Sissy and I appeared...We had our guns drawn...

"It's all over Jackie..drop the gun." I yelled...

''Do it Jackie...We heard the whole thing!!...We know the whole story!!!...It's over!!! " said Sissy.

She smiled ,then aimed at Sissy and me..

"Eat it cops" she said and fired..

We ducked...

Both Sissy and I fired a number of times...

Jacqueline Graber was hit several times...She tossed her gun up in the air ,spun around and fell to the ground...

I got to the body first...I felt her pulse..

She was dead! I think she wanted to die..Suicide By Cop!

I looked at Sissy and just shook my head.

Lt. Tragg looked at me...

"Another hunch huh Morris?" he said with a weak smile as I untied him...

"Lucky for you huh?" I said...

He laughed...Happy to be alive...

"Yeah...This time....Hell Yeah..." he said ,out of breath

V-

Once again bodies were being removed from the Ice house...

Sissy looked at me and smiled..

"Thanks to you Kevin...we have six cleared murders and a closed cold case....Don't know what I'd do without you buddy." she said and hugged me..

Lt. Tragg was escorted out in his boxers and t-shirt...Once again, the Television cameras and cameras were flashing...

How humiliating...He had arrested a man long suspected of masterminding a brutal killing only to be upended by another killer and taken hostage...Once again, he was the laughing stock of the city....And what was worse...He was rescued by the woman he often tried to brow beat and humiliate...and me, A private investigator who he was getting ready to arrest just a day ago..

He looked at Sissy..

 

''Sissy,I guess I owe you thanks..You saved my life... I-I-I would appreciate it greatly if you not talk specifically about what went on in there..." he said.

What he meant was he didn't want it known that he begged and pleaded for his life and screamed like a little girl.

"If it wasn't for Kevin and his hunch...We wouldn't have gotten here in time." she said.

Apologizing or acknowledging me was more than he wanted to handle....Hew simply shrugged his shoulders...

"GET THOSE GOTDAMN CAMERAS OFF OF ME....I HAVEN'T GOT ON ANY PANTS.."he yelled as he was escorted away....

Sissy smiled and looked at me...

"You know the newspapers are going to have a field day with this don't you?" she said.

I laughed...

She laughed...

We both stood there outside of that Icehouse and laughed until our sides hurt...

EPILOUGE-

Chris and Chess bought Graber's Deli and kept his staff on and gave them all ten percent raises...

With Bobby Dee dead and all of his cronies as well ,it was if a cloud was lifted in the area..Neighborhood shopkeepers no longer had to kick out weekly payments to him..People felt like they could breathe for the first time in years..

Nobody claimed Jacqueline Graber's body..She was buried in a lonely potter's field..

As Sissy predicted the media had a field day with Lt. Tragg's predicament...

"For once, he had the right suspect....just not ALL of the suspects or his pants!" joked one reporter...

The police and the media laughed their heads off at photos of Lt. Tragg in his boxers being rescued from the ice house...

While Sissy didn't disclose his behavior ,I had made no such promise...Hazel, Sirena,Carlotta,Jimmy,Duke,Tyriq and Hop laughed so hard they couldn't stay in their seats after I stopped by C.I.D. headquarters and told them the story..

Even ADA Keith Wallace was laughing hysterically, slapping his palms on the walls...

"Oh My God Kevin, I sure wished you had of recorded that..." he said laughing so hard he was shaking..

 

Sissy kissed me on the cheek...

"Thanks for helping us clear all of those murders..and for making my favorite people laugh..."she said..

"Anytime Sissy, Anytime.." I said. "If you need me...I'm just a phone call away."I said and kissed her on the cheek and left.

After I left police headquarters I drove into town..I sat in my car and just watched all of the different people walking to and fro, driving up and down the streets, going about their business..They were all like sheep..

I was happy to be one of the people who helped protect them from the wolves...