Grabers Deli

The next morning I went to the cab company with the license plate and the photo of their cab, complete with a photo of Tyrone Mackey getting in the cab...

"That's one of ours....That's one that went missing a day before your boy here got in....But that's not the cab that took his call...That's not the cab that was up." said the manager..

"Is that cab here?" I asked..

"No...but all of our cabs have lojack....We can locate it through that..."he said..

"Well why haven't you tried to locate it up to now?"I asked incredulous..

"It's gets busy around here..We were going to get on it.." he said and shrugged his shoulders...

It didn't take them long to locate the cab....I rode with the manager and the dispatcher to an old abandoned neighborhood in North Philadelphia..

"Whoa!" said the Dispatcher...

There was a nice bullet hole in the front seat... and what looked like dried blood on the seat.....

I got out...

''Don't you guys touch anything...Here ..call this number.." I said.

"Whoa...This is heavy..."said the manager...

"Yeah, very heavy..."I said...

I was certain now beyond a shadow of a doubt that my missing persons case was now a murder..but then I had suspected that from the beginning.

II-

Soon Crime Scene Photographers  and CSI personell surrounded the cab and Forensic Investigator ,Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor was taking a look at the car....

Her husband, Detective Edwin "Duke"Baylor and Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace,Tyriq Pile and James Barlow had on latex gloves and were looking inside the cab...

Detective Sirena Pile popped the trunk..There was nothing inside...

Her partner , Detective Tony Hopkins was telling uniformed policemen to do a door to door search of the perimeter and to get somebody on any ATM cams...(There were none that I could see) ,Street Cams...(only one) and maybe traffic cams ,which was a block away..

I stood to the side with my good friend..Lieutenant Sissy Van Buren...talking...

"So Kevin, according to you...Tyrone Mack of Camden got in this cab a few days ago and was never seen again?" she asked..

"Yes...This is a surveilience photo I pulled."I said.

She smiled wryly...

"How did you get this?" she asked..Then she smiled.."Never mind...but this is the cab..Only we've got no body." she said.

"That blood may show us something.."I said..

Just then I saw a throng of reporters and a familiar face....Lt. Tragg heading our way..

''Oh Hell.."said Sissy.

"What have we got here ?" he asked... Sissy looked like she wanted to strangle him....

''We don't know yet..Why are you here and with reporters???...This has nothing to do with you.Get them away from my crime scene" she said angrilly...."

"Last time I checked..I am still a cop and police business is my business." he said..He looked at Duke..

"Bloody cab...Who is our vic Duke?" he asked....

Duke looked at him like he was crazy and did not answer...

"Detective...I asked you a question." barked Lt. Tragg..Duke walked away from him....

''Lieutenant Tragg..Leave my detectives alone..they're doing their jobs ,unlike someone else I know." said Sissy.

"Now Look."said Lt. Tragg..

"No YOU LOOK!" said Sissy...

Things were getting tense here..Too Tense!

"We have reason to believe that Camden Drug figure Tyrone Mackey was in this car and met foul play if you must know.." said Sissy..

"Based on what?" he said and he snatched my photo out of my hand...

"Ohhh, based on the fact that he got in this cab here...."he said.

"No grass grows under your feet Lieutenant."I said laughing and snatched my photo back!

Lt. Tragg looked at me with biting scorn..Then he glared at Sissy

"What is he doing at your crime scene?" he snapped.

"He is the one who called us.We wouldn't be at this crime scene if he hadn't of alerted us."said Sissy..

"My client hired me to look for Mr. Mackey...and this is where my investigation led me." I said.

"Your client eh? You got a P.I.'s license or is this still your little hobby?" he asked.

"I have a P.I.License, have had one for years now...Even have an agency...Here's my card."I said.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN CARD!!Where did you get this photo?" he asked..

"That is my business...."I said.

"I can have your license pulled you know."he snapped..

"Hey why don't you go try and find a real suspect huh?, before the FBI beats you to it."I said.

Duke,Tyriq and Carlotta busted out laughing...I had heard how he was in West Philly looking for a suspect that the FBI had arrested hours before in Camden and how nights before...Sissy and her guys had captured the Sewer Killer,  a killer he was supposed to be investigating hours before he went on TV with an "update" He was the laughing stock of the city...

I had heard how he had strong armed Carlotta into giving up a confidential informant too and how Sissy and the Deputy of Operations had ripped him a new one...

He had never liked me and the feeling was mutual..I wasn't going to let him bully me..

He glared at Duke,Tyriq and Carlotta who defiantly continued to laugh derisively at him....

He then turned his attention to me...

"Who is your client?" he asked..

"None of your business...I found this bloody cab and I reported it to the police...Like a good citizen...My job is done..How bout doing yours...and actually making an arrest?" I said.

All of this was on camera...Several cameramen laughed....Even uniformed officers were laughing...

"Morris ,I can have you arrested." he said.

"On what charge?" I asked..

He ignored me and looked at Sissy...

"He should not be at your crime scene.." he said..

"The only one who shouldn't be at MY crime scene is you." she said icily.

''Sissy,I don't understand this hostility and blatant disrespect.."said Lt. Tragg.

Sissy dismissed him tersely and walked away...He stomped his foot in anger and pulled out his smartphone...

"It's okay Siss...I'll go...I'll talk to you later...You have a nice day Lieutenant..."I said and smiled at Lt. Tragg...

He stomped his foot in anger...

"Boss Lady, we are going to tow this cab and get a full lab inspection of it..."said Carlotta...

"Okay....Chica...Come on guys..let's go...."said Sissy as she, her detectives and all of the police and CSI people began to leave...

"Lieutenant...A word!" he said.

"I don't have time...I have POLICE work to do." said Sissy defiantly as she and her detectives walked away...

Lt. Tragg immediately got on his phone and called who else?? the Deputy of Operations...

From the looks of things ..He didn't get the response he wanted..

"Sir...She shows me no respect and her detectives show me no respect..What? What do you mean what was I doing here? What?? Well I don't know...They had some private investigator with them..Can you believe that..A P.I??. ..What? Yes...It was Kevin Morris..You know him?  Yes sir...I am well aware that he has helped the department on numerous occassions.. No sir my head is not once again up my ass...Sir that kind of language...Yes..Well sir I-I- Sir...Yes sir...No sir..I was not impeding Lt. Van Buren's investigation.....Yes sir I imagine I could learn a lot from Lt. Van Buren, You are absolutely right sir..No Sir...No Sir sirrrrr...Yes Sir...Yess Sirrrrrrrrr Sir.... ...Well sir...I-I-I..No sirrr sir...Well no..I just...I just..No sirr...Well I thought....Well Sir...Yes sir...Alright sir...I-I'll have a report on your desk tomorrow morning..Yes sirr, sirrrrr...."he said meekly.

I was standing by my car....He was as red as a beet...I didn't know if he was going to cry or explode in anger..

"Everything okay Lieutenant?" I asked smiling broadly..

"ONE OF THESE DAYS....ONE OF THESE DAYS..I'M GOING TO PULL YOUR LICENSE OR RUN YOU IN OR BOTH MORRIS."he said.

"Hopefully you'll be able to do that while I'm actually in town right?" I said...

A couple of reporters heard me and laughed their heads off...

Lt. Tragg stomped his foot and stormed off...He jumped in his car and sped from the scene...

III-

I sat at a table in Graber's deli...The stylish deli owned by Bobby Dee and and talked to him....

''More than likely T-Mack is dead....I have the footage of him getting in the cab in front of your house....and we found the same cab miles away with a bullet hole in it and blood..More than likely, he was hit..."I said.

"Damn....I'm sorry he's dead..but that would have been a lot of money..." he said.

"There is a chance his body may never be found you know.." I said.

''Yeah I know...You did good work Kevin...Keep the dough..I just don't want the people in Camden to think I had anything to do with this..."he said.

''I don't think that they do..."I said.

''What about Basket? Clarence Basket...I know that you spoke to him..." he said.

"It wasn't him...He was in New York the day it happened and Napes was with one of Big Chicken's girls.."I said.

"You think it was New York?" he asked..

"I have no idea...You want me to look into New York?" I asked.

''Nah..." he said.

"This is your joint eh? Nice spot...Why is it called Grabers?" I asked.

"A guy named Jack Graber used to own this at one time...Of course it didn't look nothin like this..It was a small corner operation...You know with the pickle barrell, hay on the floor...you know...Poor Jack..he was a dreamer...He had plans to expand this place, add tables...create a glass front...the whole shootin match."he laughed..

"Much like you've done.."I said.

"Yeah...he borrowed 70G's from me....And didn't do nothin...Lost it on the ponies tryin to triple his money...He couldn't pay...he was weak...And he lost this place.." said Bobby Dee...

"Lost it or you took it?" I asked.

"He lost it...That's all you need to know."he said.

"Where is he today?" I asked.

''You know ,you ask a lot of questions...I guess that's your job." he said.

"Oh hell, trouble just walked in ." I said..

We both turned, only to see Lt. Tragg and two uniformed officers walking in the deli..

''Bobby Dee...Huh? You're coming down town....I need to question you about the disapearence of Tyrone Mack of Camden..." he said.

"Tragg, you're crazy...This is my client...He hired me to find him..."I said.

"Morris, you're  also under arrest, Obstruction of justice...Cuff em boys" he said..

Just then I heard another familiar voice....It was Captain Eddie Cantrell...

"Officers, stand down." said Ed Cantrell..

''Ed what are you doing?" he asked.

"The question is..What are you doing?  You have no charge on either of these men and further more this is not your investigation...It's Lt. Sissy Van Buren's...You know the policy on interfering with another detective's investigation..."said Ed Cantrell.

"Especially if it's your girlfriend right Captain sirr??..By the way...When are you getting married?" he said snidely.

"Lieutenant....I'm going to forget you said that.....Grow up!....Go home...This is not your case...You say another word and I'll write you up..Got it? Now get out of here....Officers, good night!" he said.

"Yes Sir Captain." they both said and exited...

Lt. Tragg was once again as red as a beat and stormed out of the deli...

"He really needs to do something about that" I said.

"He'll get over it."Good Night Kev...In the future, pick better company. Lt. Van Buren was worried about you Kevin..She gave me a call..."said Captain Cantrell....

"Thanks Captain Cantrell."I said. Good Old Sissy, always having my back!

"Thank you Captain" said Bobby Dee...

Eddie Cantrell looked at him..He smiled wryly...

 "I didn't do this for you Bobby Dee...I did it for my man Kevin...One day I hope to see you locked up for what you did...Catch you later " he said and smiled and walked out...

I looked at Bobby Dee...He shrugged his shoulders....

I smiled and shook my head.

(TO BE CONTINUED)