Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

Two days later, I drove to the scene of another homicide....I was used to this...Especially when my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace called me...She only called me when it was a major case..and this one was...

When I arrived at the scene...In West Philadelphia...and officer walked me over to Lt. Sissy Van Buren....

I handed her a tumbler of coffee...

"Thanks Keith, but I just had one...Hop brought me one." she said.

I followed her to the scene...A young Black male was in the back seat of  a car...his pants down to his ankles and his boxers also down to his ankles...semen on the back seats and on the floor of the car....
Two gunshot wounds to his chest and one to his head....lots of blood...

My wife Carlotta and Detective Sirena Pile peering in from both sides of the car...

''Ouuu, such a waste..."said Carlotta..

"I'll say....at least he appears to have died happy." said Sirena laughing...The murder victim appeared to be very well endowed and still erect in death....

Detective James Barlow walked over to me and Sissy....

"This is an abandoned neighborhood, residents say that the working girls often take their johns up into this driveway to uh conduct business.." said Jimmy...

"No cameras?" asked Sissy..

"Nah Siss....None around here that I can see...This was the perfect place for a robbery-homicide."said Tyriq.

"Only he wasn't robbed...We found his wallet in the glove compartment....Drivers License, debit card and about $75.00 in cash...He was going to cop,only he didn't..."said Carlotta..

"But if this was just some random hooker kills john killing, you wouldn't be out here and you wouldn't have called me."I said.

"That's right, come over here...Take a good look at this guy's face...This is "Stink. Anton ''Stink" Davis...our second suspect in the three Monday Night Murders...He's the guy who broke the windows of the cars, which caused our victims to run out and then get mowed down..by the shooter. He was the set up man."said Hop.

 ''Whoever is going after Spain is cleaning up...Leaving no loose ends...We don't have the killer on tape..We have no clue as to who it is....but this tells me that our killer isn't finished.."said Sissy..

 ''And that our killer hasn't left town.."said Carlotta.

"This guy was a junkie...He was not to be trusted....With what he took part in, they had to kill him..If we had gotten to him and questioned him...He'd of traded in information of whoever is involved just to get a fix. He would have put somebody in for three murders.....That's a death sentence....He was definitely a liability..."said Sirena.

"Exactly...So he had to go. Look at his arms...He shot up recently..." said Jimmy...

"Thing is..Now we are no where close to catching our killer or killers."said Tyriq...

''So you're thinking conspiracy?" I asked.

"It all fits....June Carson dies right after you guys arrest him and charge him.....That's Manny Spain,cleaning up...Then almost two nights later...Manny Spain is shot five times by a woman he had been sharing a bed with...Almost killed....Now several of Manny's key people are gunned down in one night by this guy and a person unknown....And this guy...our only link to those murders...is now dead and it appears ,he was having sex before he was killed...Oh yeah...This was "Hard Candy",so was the attempt on Manny Spain...but those other murders...the successful ones...That was somebody else....The string puller....And this Hard Candy person,though lethal in her own right is not the mastermind...No,she's in cahoots with someone..But just who that someone is..I don't know."said Sissy.

Hazel and the Crime Scene Investigation crew drove up just then...To no one's surprise...Her husband, Detective Edwin "Duke "Baylor was with her....

Hazel looked at the body.....

She walked over to us and smiled..

"The good news is that...our killer was having sex before he died...There is enough DNA in that car, blood,semen, saliva and woman's lipstick and maybe even a print or two for me to compare it and get a match for Ms. Candace "Hard Candy" Nelson...The FBI has her DNA on file from a previous arrest."she said.

''And if so...We have enough to charge her with murder and get her to turn in her co-conspirator."said Duke.

Maybe...but...it was never that easy in this line of work...We all knew that.

II-

We had shutdown the task force and had all returned to our homes and back to police headquarters...

Sissy and I both had decided that 110 drug arrests and the taking of that warehouse was about as far as we were going to get into Manny Spain's operation at this time...We were now concentrating specifically on solving the triple homicide that got this whole party started in the first place...And here we had a fresh homicide, one that appeared to be related to the other three homicides and that might lead us to one of two suspects...

Meanwhile upstairs in Internal Affairs...Lieutenant Joseph Halliwell stood by the door as Detective Angela Belton-Barlow walked out of the ladies room...He was tall...handsome...His hair just beginning to gray......He was twice divorced.....Both of his wives left him because of his infidelities...he loved the ladies and he had long admired detective Angela Belton....She had caught him checking her out a few times...but outside of a sexually suggestive remark or two ,he had never seriously come on to her....

Today however was different..He didn't so much want to come on to her as to get information on her husband and the team of detectives her husband worked with...He knew that Angela's husband was in the Criminal Investigation Division...They handled Major Criminals and major crimes....If anyone were profiling Manny Spain's operation...It was them...Plus, they were all missing for a few days and in those few days...110 people got arrested , a warehouse got taken down with lots of drugs and a ledger with names,dates,payoffs...et al...Only Sissy Van Buren and her guys were good enough to take down guys like this...

Part of him wanted to congratulate them....He hated Manny Spain...He hated that this cheap street punk had risen so far up that he was above reproach....No criminal record, Owner of three condos and two under construction....Hob knobing with the Mayor ,City Councilmen and businessmen while unknown to those types...He was financing and selling a package to all of the local drug crews in the city and hauling in undocumented millions....and replacing outright murder with blackmail...

Manny Spain appeared to be so angelic, why even the Devil himself didn't recognize the evil that was within him...

He had hated June Carson too!!...But at least June Carson never pretended to be anything except who he was...and what he was...A Gangster!

He smiled...and leaned over Angie Belton's desk...She was a beautiful woman...He had long lusted after her...He was sure she knew it too...He was getting a good look at her cleavage and her white lace bra...She knew it and did nothing to cover up...

"My..My...My Detective....You certainly are a beautiful woman.." he said.

What a dog she thought!

"Thank you Lieutenant Halliwell." she said...smiling sweetly....

"So tell me...We've known each other a long time....a long time....How come you and I have never gone out for a drink?" he asked leeringly...

''Why are you asking me this now? ..I'm married....My husband is a Homicide detective..." she said.

"Yessss..and a lucky homicide detective indeed.....Speaking of which...I haven't seen him around lately...He and Sissy and all of the detectives in her unit have been missing for awhile..Working on a big case huh?" he asked..

"They're always working on a big case...That's what they do..Criminal Investigation Division." said Angie smiling sweetly...Now she was curious...as to his line of questioning and willing to flirt and play along..

''They workin on anything major??...I mean I haven't seen them around and uh there have been a lot of major drug busts this week..Was that them?  Working in some remote place?" he asked.

"They're working on a triple homicide...is all I know." said Angie..

"Any leads?" he asked.

"My husband and I don't talk about our open investigations."she lied...

"Oh come on?....You're married..Pillow Talk??" said Lieutenant Halliwell..

"I don't know about you Lieutenant....but when I open up my blouse.....my husband is usually speechless "she said and smiled coyly at him..

His eyes popped out of his head and he got a slight erection at just the thought! Angie noticed that...She was somewhat shocked at the effect she had on men...Including her husband...

"I'll just bet he is...heh,heh,heh..." he said..  ''We should at least have that drink sometimes...over lunch...as friends..." he said.

''Sure...Just let me know." laughed Angie.

"REALLY??" he said.

"Just a drink right? Nothing more???" she said.

"Uh yeah, right?" he said.

A day later in the office of Captain Edward Cantrell....Detective Angela Belton sat with Ed Cantrell and his wife, DEA Special Agent in charge, Carol Redding...

"I'm certain...The mole is Joe Halliwell....Except for a few leering stares and some salacious remarks..He's never had much to say to me before...I  had a few drinks with him last night...Now all of a sudden..he's asking me about Sissy and Duke and Tyriq,Carlotta,Jimmy,Sirena,Hop and Sharon....and if they were investigating Manny Spain or any suspected drug couriers in the area...It's got to be him."said Angie.

''Eddie...I knew it was a cop...I knew someone in your shop had been giving Spain and June Carson information..Never thought it would be Halliwell..I always thought he was a stand up guy."said Carol Redding..

"He has been for years....But he drinks and he gambles and he chases the ladies,..I think Spain or whoever has something on him..."said Ed Cantrell.

"That's why I told Sissy and her guys to shut down the task force...and come back to work...We want them to relax a bit...think that we are done...But Spain wants their names and our location..."said Carol.

"He has figured out that they were on the task force...You think Spain is crazy enough to try and take them out?" asked Angie..

"Oh Nooo...Noooo. ..Even if he were that crazy...That would bring too much heat...And after that disaster with Minolo Sennterro...I doubt if he'd be able to find anyone that would be willing to do it. ..Noooo that's not what he does...He finds dirt on people and he owns them after that..."said Carol.

"He won't find any dirt on Keith, Sissy,Carlotta, Tyriq,Duke, Jimmy,Hop or Sirena...Sharon or Hazel either..I'll state my reputation and my badge on that." said Angie..

"No..but there are  a half a dozen or so FBI and DEA agents involved...Vice Cops, Narcotics Cops....He find anything on any one of those other people and he's got what he needs...Another mole or maybe two or three...That's what he wants...More information...He's already gotten Halliwell...And after all of the arrests this week...He probably figures he needs more people feeding him information....Get word to Sissy and her people..Tell em to put a tail on Halliwell...Ask ADA Wallace to authorize wiretaps."said Captain Ed Cantrell.

"I'm on it."said Angie..

III-

 Sometime later....Candace "Hard Candy" Nelson sat in a Tony new Pizzeria/Bar that had opened up called ironically enough Last Stop...Carlotta and I and Tyriq and Sirena had doubled dated one night and had stopped here...The Pizza was great...So was the assortment of Beers....I had told Duke and Hazel about it...

Two men came in...One sat on each side of her....Both were wearing straw fedoras...One had on a white shirt and shorts....The other had on a black shirt and shorts....Both were checking out her cleavage....She was used to this....

"Damn baby...you got it goin on....You got a boyfriend?" asked the one...

"As a matter of fact, I do." she said and continued to drink her beer...

"Yeah? You love him?" asked the other one laughing as he drank his beer.....

"Why? You think you can do a better job with all of this?" she laughed...

"You never know." said one...

She smiled..

"Neither one of you look like you got enough in your bank account or your pants to handle this...I'm a boss player...Fit only for a boss." she snarled..

One guy laughed...

"Like January Carson huh?" he said...

Now she knew he wasn't playing and that this just wasn't mild flirtation....He stuck a .45 in her ribs..

"No sudden moves sweet cheeks or I'll put one in your side and I promise you, you'll bleed out and die a painful death before anyone can come here to help you...Now get up slowly and let's ease on out of here." he said...

The other one put a gun in her side also...

"Don't get any stupid ideas about any big play....I won't hesitate to kill you right now..."he said.

''Who you guys workin for? Manny Spain?? I only deal with the boss..Not his errand boys.."she said defiantly..

"Just get up and move it..."said the other man...

As they eased quietly out of the Pizzeria and onto the street...Carlotta got out of a car and began following them....

She noticed another car easing down the street slowly...Finally she yelled..

"POLICE , ALL OF YOU ,DROP YOUR WEAPONS....YOU'RE UNDER ARREST!!!"

Then she ducked...The gunfire she knew was coming, came...From the car and from the two gentlemen.. Duke and Rico had trained her well on how to be aware of everything around her...Her natural speed enabled her to get to a safe place and set up..

She returned the fire of the two gunmen.....then ducked...She was joined by her partner...Detective Tyriq Pile ...who also helped her in returning the gunfire towards the car..

"Top, it's coming from two sides....Stay down.." he yelled....He fired from one direction,while she fired from the other...

His wife ,Detective Sirena Pile opened fire from across the street...Meanwhile ,her partner, Tony Hopkins and Detective James Barlow ran in between cars and set up and opened fire...

The gunbattle went full tilt for about twenty minutes...then all was quiet.!!!!!...When the smoke cleared...both would be hitmen, Kirk Butler, 26 and Melvin Pace, 25 , both of Brooklyn lie dead from multiple gunshot wounds.....and the driver of the getaway car, Jack Gleason, 42, of Philadelphia lie dead from multiple gunshot wounds....and also dead...in the back seat....was Gino Valentine, 37of Philadelphia....Manny Spain's number two man...multiple gunshot wounds...All of the windows in the car had been shot out....The driver ,Jack Gleason had fallen out of the drivers seat and into the street...a hot .38 bulldog still in his hands...Gino Valentine had been trying to get out of the car when he got sprayed with gunfire....Kirk Butler who had been wearing the white shirt and black fedora lie in the street, his white shirt, a scarlet red now with his blood...and Melvin Pace was in a nearby alley, facedown with several bullet wounds in his back, his head and legs..both had .Glock .45's in their hands...

A small crowd of people gathered around outside.

The target of both them and us, Candace "Hard Candy" Nelson had escaped...apparently unharmed....She was seen running down the street and around the corner and then she was gone!!! Just like a ghost...How lucky she had been tonight!

We had used the same sources these criminals had used to find her and had been too late...We were hoping to snatch her before those goons did.

Sissy ,Hazel and I arrived sometime later.....

"I had her boss lady...I was this close to arresting her...and these four clowns showed up.."said Carlotta.

"They took her out of the Pizzeria at gunpoint Siss...We identified ourselves as police and they opened fire." said Tyriq...

"She got away..." said Sirena, shaking her head...

"Looks like Manny Spain came to the same conclusion we came to...That he was nearly a victim of "Hard Candy" and he was attempting to pay her back for almost killing him..."said Sissy...

"Look who one of our vics is boss lady....The man himself...Gino Valentine...Apparently he was in the getaway car....He was personally making sure that this job was done and done right..No doubt orders from Manny Spain himself.."said Jimmy.

"I'm sorry I disturbed the bodies Hazel, but I took their fingerprints and ran them through decks with my tablet....Two of these guys ,Kirk Butler, 26 and Melvin Pace, 25 , both of Brooklyn, have long rap sheets....They were out of town talent....and the driver...Jack Gleason ,has been Manny Spain's driver for years...We got enough to pick him up Boss Lady?" asked Hop..

"Who??Manny Spain???? No..we got nothin...He'll say that he doesn't know any of these clowns...Even though we know he knows Valentine and Gleason...Nothing here says him....But whoever was gunning for him is happy tonight...We just finished his work for him." said Sissy.

"If these guys knew where to find Hard Candy...and were going to take her out...Then they know who is pulling the strings...They know who she's working for...and it's only a matter of time before they find them both...We may not have to do anything.."I said.

"Well, he's got no street boss and we just wiped out his muscle...It's going to take some time for him to regroup..."said Carlotta...

"Not a good week for Manny Spain."laughed Sirena...

"I suppose we can release the bodies." asked Hazel....

"Yeah "said Tyriq.."By the way...Where is Duke tonight?" asked Tyriq...

"He's on another assignment..Related to this case and equally important." said Sissy...

I smiled...I knew where he was...

IV-

 Manny Spain's cell phone rang in his condo...He picked it up...

"Hello.." he said.

"I'm downstairs....I've got what you asked me for." said Lieutenant Halliwell

"The names of those cops on the task force...good...I'll send my men down to get it.." he said.

"Uh "Uh....I'm coming up to hand it to you in person....This is the last thing I'm gonna do for you, You hear? Lose my number after this....And don't worry about trying to blackmail me...I just wrote my letter of resignation this morning...So we are done...You got nothin....I got my pension...I'm good."said Halliwell...

"Oh you see,it doesn't work that way Joe....Whether you're a cop or not...I still own you...Public humiliation, the ruining of a reputation is a mother...There is still a lot of damage I can do..Whether you're a cop or not..."said Manny Spain...

"I'm on your floor you cheap punk..Come get this information ,Come outside you cheap street punk...Get it and be gone.." he snarled.."You walk around like you're so tough...So clouded in bullshit the Devil Wouldn't recognize you...but I do...I DO!! NOW BE A MAN FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE GOTDAMN LIFE AND COME GET THIS INFORMATION!" he said...

"You just signed your death warrant Joe...Cop or not..Who do you think you're talking to?"said Manny Spain.

"SCREW YOU,YOU'RE NOTHIN BUT A CHEAP PUNK...THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER BE!"said Joe Halliwell...

He looked behind him...Three goons with guns drawn were headed toward him...Another three goons were coming out of the fire escape...He smiled..

''Awww this is it huh? The showdown huh? COME ON WITH IT!" he yelled

He smiled..He had written his will this morning after he showered and got dressed and had been to a Notary Republic..Then he had written his letter of resignation from the police force and had smoked one of his favorite cigars after enjoying a big breakfast and drinking a fine cup of coffee...Then he had visited his Priest...He was good he reasoned..

"I figured....Well the laugh is on you, you punk...No way am I going to betray those good cops, those good guys who put a hurtin your organization...I aint given you nothin...I never planned to..Tonight...I make up for two years of being your puppet ,of feeding you information and betraying good people, good cops doin their job!COME ON WITH IT!!!" he said and aimed and fired his gun at the first goon...His shot went right between the man's eyes...killing him instantly...

"YEEEEYEAHHHHHHHHH..COME GET THIS LOVE!" he screamed....

The three men behind him fired immediately...but Joe Halliwell was a good shot, he returned their fire and mowed them down...one by one, but he had taken too many shots himself..He had been hit at least six times.....He fell against the wall...He was bleeding profusely....

The two men left went to fire...but Duke Baylor came up the fire escape just then...He had run the whole way up...He was nearly out of breath...

"PO- lice...drop them heaters..." he yelled..

The two foolish goons turned and fired at Duke , who lit them up with his Glock nine, killing them both instantly!!!! Halliwell fired one last time, hitting one of the goons...
He looked at Duke and smiled before he fell to the ground...

By now nine uniformed policemen had entered the hallway...Duke stood over Lieutenant Joseph Halliwell...

"Good shootin Duke...you got them dirty bastards....good job...you're good police." said Joe Halliwell just before he died right there in the hallway.

Duke opened the file he had been carrying....Inside it was a simple scrawled letter...

" Spain...Eat it ya punk! I hope they bury your crooked ass."

Duke laughed a little as some tears rolled down his face...


"In the end..Joe was good police...He didn't betray us...He was good police..."he said to the officers who covered up his body.

The door slowly opened up....a visibly shaken Manny Spain and two  scantily clad women peered out...

''Oh My God....What the hell happened...??" he said.

Duke looked at him and smiled..

"Of course you don't know any of these gentlemen do you?" He asked..

"Oh For Godsakes No...I was in here with these delightful young women" he said smiling at one girl who only had on her panties and a bra and the other girl who had a towel draped around her......

"And you have no idea why he would address this letter to you?" asked Duke..

Manny Spain looked at it...

"No...I don't believe I know this man.."he said innocently...

Duke laughed...

"Of course not." he said.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)