You Bet Your Life

Detective Tony Hopkins brought Lt. Sissy Van Buren...His partner in this case a tumbler of coffee..Three creams and three sugars...Just like she liked it...

She thanked him and the two of them continued their investigation......

Unlike a lot of Lieutenants...Sissy liked to get out on the street every now and then and work a case...It kept her sharp both mentally and physically...Plus she got bored sitting at a desk, pushing a pencil as she called it..She liked to feel what her detectives and cops felt.

They had interviewed all of the alleged underworld contacts of the dead man...40 year old Vince "Vinnie" Gilligan...a Jeweler...Known to carry a large amount of cash and known to own a very high end jewelry store frequented by mobsters...

Nobody on the streets had a bad thing to say about Vinnie and a check of his financials...Credit Cards,Debit Cards, Bank Accounts et al showed nothing out of the ordinary for him...He was engaged to be married soon to a woman named Gina Slaughter, a very pretty divorcee' who he had met recently at a party...

Sissy and Hop interviewed the grieving fiance...

''Oh My God...I can't believe this..I can't believe it...Vinnie and I were going to be married in just six weeks...Why did this happen, Why?" she cried ...Sissy held her and hugged her...

"That's what we are trying to find out...."said Sissy...

"Mrs. Slaughter..."said Hop..

"Ms. Horton....Slaughter was my name when I was married to my rat bastard ex-husband..."she corrected him...

''Ms. Horton, your fiance wore a lot of jewelry and was known to carry a lot of cash...We talked to key members of the Secreto crime family and other underworld figures he was known to hob knob with and so far we can't find a one who had a bad word to say about him." said Hop..

"That's because nobody had anything bad to say about him...Those guys loved him....but he wasn't no gangster,no made guy...Check him out he doesn't have a traffic ticket on his sheet...They bought jewelry off of him...that's why they loved him...Not because he was into anything dirty." she said.

She was right...Vinnie Gilligan didn't have a police record of any type..No juvie...No nothing..

II-

My wife, Carlotta, and her partners, Detectives Tyriq Pile and James "Jimmy Barlow started from the bottom...They visited all twelve of the crime scenes...took more photos...interviewed or re-interviewed all of the victims and witnesses..and went on the Police evidence website for more photos from the crime scenes...

"I sure wish we had that asshole, Ray Slaughter's notes so that we could compare the victims and the witnessess statements...maybe we might find we missed something." said Jimmy...

"Jimmy has a point...It beats starting this case cold.."said Carlotta..

''You guys are right, but you saw that guy...He wouldn't even talk to me and you Top...Maybe you can talk to him alone Jimmy, get him to come around."said Tyriq..

"Yeah..Maybe I'll drop by with a case of beer tomorrow and smooth things over." said Jimmy..

"I hate people like that.....You have to kiss their ass to get them to co-operate.."said Carlotta...

"I know Top, but what are you gonna do?" said Tyriq...

Just then, one of the uniformed officers assigned to their detail walked over to Tyriq...

"Detective Pile?" he said...

"Yeah?" said Tyriq...

"I just want you to know...uh Ray...Detective Ray Slaughter has a one hundred dollar bet going that you guys won't crack this case before he does...but I bet on you guys...all the guys back at the building bet on you guys.." he said.

"One hundred dollars eh? ,I want in on that...I'm bettin on us."said Carlotta...

''I like our odds too...I'm in.."said Jimmy..

"You guys crazy? We are in the middle of an investigation...We've been interviewing people, re-interviewing some and re canvassing all of the crime scenes and we got squat...That's a sucker bet..besides...This isn't a game...This is an investigation." said Tyriq...

Carlotta and Jimmy gave him the side eye...

"I'm in...but I'd sure hate to lose to that guy..."he said...

III-

I was back at headquarters with Duke, Sharon and Sirena..

"I hope you guys have some good news for me...I've talked to Sissy and Carlotta and they've got nothing..."I said.

"Aren't you glad you've got a friend in the FBI?" said Sharon...."We triangulated the Street Cams, The ATM Cams and the traffic cams up to a five mile radius in all of the crime scenes in the hours before and after all of the robberies and look what we found?  The car...The same car used in all twelve robberies...Pulling up to the scene...and leaving the scene...and look..there are our three perps..."said Sharon....

"They're babes..."said Duke...

Indeed they were...Three girls..All with Blonde hair...More than likely wigs...Dark Aviator shades so we couldn't get a good look at their faces...Black Latex body suits and gloves..

"That explains why Hazel and her people couldn't find fingerprints or DNA evidence..."said Sirena..

"Look....We got a license plate....I'm going to run it right now.."said Sharon...

Just then..Detectives Angie Belton-Barlow and Forensic Investigator, Hazel Hunter-Baylor walked in..

"Hey everybody...How goes the great investigation?" asked Angie...

"We may have gotten a break" said Duke..

''Just so you know...I bet on you guys."said Hazel..

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"You don't know?..I heard racist ass Ray Slaughter has a bet that he'll crack this case before all of you guys..One hundred dollars a head...I bet on you guys...So did most of the guys in my squad room...Nobody likes Ray..." said Angie..

"I'll take some  of that action," I said...."Not a word of this to Sissy...She doesn't like that kind of thing."I said, smiling sheepishly...

"I want in too...I'm bettin on you guys."said Sharon...

"Hey deal me in too."said Sirena...

Duke just shook his head..

"You all should be ashamed of yourselves...This is an investigation...Not some game"...He turned around and then smiled sheepishly and then peeled off a few dollars...

"I'm in...I want to see that cracker's face when we bring this case in." he said.

We all busted out laughing.

An FBI agent passed Sharon a sheet of paper..

"Oh My God...You won't believe who that car belongs to...Rollie Rollerson!!" said Sharon.

IV-

''Yeah, that is one of my cars..I reported it stolen six weeks ago."said Millionaire Playboy, Rollie Rollerson..

"Six weeks ago?" said Carlotta..

"Yeah,I hosted one of my rooftop parties with Stephan Bristol and El Gato and the car vanished..."he said.

"He's telling the truth...I just found the report."said Tyriq..who was looking at his tablet...

"Can we have a list of all your guests?" said Jimmy...

''Sure...I'll have my secretary give you the list..." he said.

"Was the affair catered?" asked Carlotta.

"Yeah...I couldn't get the people we usually get,so we used a new group...Rockabye Caterers..They did good work."said Rollie..

"Thank You Rollie." said Carlotta.."We'll try to find that car." said Carlotta.

Within 48 hours...Tyriq and Jimmy located the car...

''Smell the bleach...It's been bleached and wiped down...There won't be any DNA or fingerprints or trace evidence on this car..but I'll have it towed and I'll look."said Hazel..

"Thanks Haze...Jimmy and I have been interviewing and re-interviewing everybody at Rollie's party" said Tyriq.

"Yeah..Seems like Ray Slaughter was there before we were...but he didn't find this car that we found."said Jimmy..

"I hate to put a damper on your investigation...but would it matter if he did? This car has no trace evidence."I said.

Just then..My wife Carlotta and Detective Sirena Pile drove up...

"Heyy Honey Bunny...I missed you soo much." said Carlotta who kissed me passionately for a minute..

"Wow!" was all I could say...

"Lotta and I went to Rockabye Caterers...We interviewed the entire staff...and checked them all out...They're totally legit...but here is where it gets cute...They had three girls working there who just recently quit....The girls worked Rollie's party and check this out..11 of our twelve victims were at Rollie's party and all three of those girls called out from work on all of the days when there was a major jewelry heist..."said Sirena..

''You got names?"I asked..

''We sure do...Raven Day, Vixen Young and Blaze Carter, all 25...none with any prior criminal record..All graduates of Vassar."said Carlotta.

"Vassar? and they are puttin down scores...High end scores like this?" said Tyriq..

"Yeah.."said Sirena..

"Tell me..had Ray Slaughter been there yet? He's apparently been at every place we've been ,before we've been there..." said Jimmy...

"Oh he was there...but the girls were still working there and I'm doubting he put two and two together."said Carlotta.

"Don't bet on it...The guy is good."said Tyriq...

"He's not that good...I ordered him to show me his records on the case...He interviewed all of the people that you guys interviewed...but he didn't know about this car and as of yesterday he hadn't Identified this crew...which you guys did...I knew I could depend on you guys...Good work."said Sgt.Danny Ho...

 "Yeah but now we gotta find them." I said.

V-

We all met back at headquarters...Sissy and Hop were there talking to Sharon when we walked in...

"Heyyyy...Look who it is..My troops...I've missed you all...These past 48 hours have been something."said Sissy who was sitting down and who took her pumps off...Hop passed her a cold Coke..

"Thank you Hop."said Sissy...who looked at Sharon...''Your husband is such a gentleman and a mighty fine detective as well."she said smiling..

"I know that...That's why I married him." she said beaming..

"He's my partner.."said Sirena hugging him.....

Hop blushed and smiled...

"You guys find anything?" he said.

''Did they? They found a car used in all of the robberies and they IDed the crew."said Danny Ho.

Sissy's eyes lit up...

"You did?"she said scanning her detectives faces...

Duke walked in with Pizzas and Cokes for everyone...including the uniforms and the FBI agents who helped out..

"Three girls...all Vassar grads, no sheets on em..worked at a Catering company that does high end parties...they ingratiated themselves with all of the high rollers.. and then stole one of Rollie Rollerson's fast sports cars and went on a spree Siss...They are either finished or they are laying low until the heat is off and planning to strike again."said Duke..

"They have photos...from the DMV...Raven Day, Vixen Young and Blaze Carter, all 25 years old...One is the driver and lookout...Blaze, the other,Vixen is an electronics expert who over-rides security systems and breaks into places and the other is the boxman or woman."I said.

"Listen at my honey bunny sounding like a cop." laughed Carlotta.

Angie joined us...just then.....Sissy looked at her..

 ''Angie...put this $100.00 on us...I'm certain we are going to crack this thing." said Sissy...

The entire room got quiet...

''What? you guys are in on the bet." she said.

Danny Ho cracked up...

"That's why they call her the boss lady...nothing gets by her..." he said laughing...

I smiled....

"Indeed." I said as we all opened the Pizzas and snapped open the cans of Coke and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon!

(TO BE CONTINUED)