Carlotta and Tyriq sat in the fishbowl....I could look at both of them and tell they were tired....I knew why my wife was tired...I had given her quite a work out the night before...Two times at the houseboat and once more when we got home..
No doubt Tyriq had put a hurting on his wife, Detective Sirena Pile...
Detective James "Jimmy 'Barlow...Their partner brought two steaming tumblers of coffee for them both and he had one for himself...
"I just talked to your wife Rico...She said that She and Hop picked Hugh Benny up and they should be here in a few minutes." said Jimmy...
He was right on the money....Detective Sirena Pile ,flanked by three uniformed officers walked in with Hugh Benny, a tall dark skinned, well dressed young man with a killowat smile and loads of charisma to match...
Her partner, Detective Tony Hopkins brought up the rear...He opened the door and escorted Hugh Benny into the "fishbowl..."
He looked around, smiled and sat down...
"Never been in here before..." he said...
It was true...Hugh Benny, a high stakes gambler had no arrest record...not even a juvie arrest...He was a solid citizen...He ran a very high stakes poker game that attracted only the hoi paloi...Businessmen,Hedge Fund owners..Lawyers,Doctors....and Millionaire socialites like Robert Gucci...
He took one look at Carlotta and smiled..
"Lawd today...first you send that sexy little minx and her partner to arrest me and now I'm being interrogated by you chicita...OWW OWW OWW....Look here sweetie...Tell your partners to bounce and I'll just talk to you." he said.
Carlotta said nothing...but Tyriq did..
''Cool your jets loverboy...That sexy little minx who picked you up just happens to be my wife." he said.
He looked at Tyriq...
"No kiddin?" he said...
"No kiddin and my partner here is married to the Assistant District Attorney...The man who might prosecute you and put you in jail." he said.
"Nahhhh...put me in jail for what? Playin cards? Come on....It's me...It's Huggggggggh baby!"he said laughing...
"Okay laughing boy...laugh at this."said Jimmy as he put a photo of a palm print on the table.
"What the hell is that?" he asked..
''It's a palm print papi...YOURS!! You were on Bobby Gucci's house boat." said Carlotta.
''Yeah...I was..So what??? Wait a minute...You don't think I killed them do you?"he said, no longer laughing...
"That's exactly what I think....We got you on the traffic cam at his houseboat a half dozen times in the days leading up to his death and just a few hours before he and his guests died..."said Tyriq...
"I wasn't the only one there..Look...Bobby G. was my friend."he said.
"He lost 2 milli to you in your floating crap game recently....You met with him a week ago and he was a little upset when you left..."said Carlotta..
"Come on....It's me...It's Huggggggggh baby! Hugh don't murder....Yeah he was into me for two milli, but he paid me in full...He was a little upset about losing all that cash and he was pissed when I came to collect the week before...but he wired the complete amount into my account the DAY before they died...Check my bank account..You'll see...We was square..That's not all he was upset about anyway." he said.
"What else was he upset about?" asked Carlotta..
"He said someone was shakin him down for cash too....He didn't go into details...and I didn't care...I just wanted my cash." he said.
''We got this palm print off of the refrigerator...Is that where you got the poison from?" asked Jimmy.
"Poison? What Poison? Look, Bobby and me stopped drinkin liquor and alcohol period about a year ago...All he had to drink was one of those uh Protein shakes...I had one...In fact we all did..We talked and then I bounced....and all three of em were alive...I swear...When I left." he said.
"You all drank one...You're alive and they're dead.."said Jimmy...
"Their glasses were already poured when I got there...I took one out of the cooler."he said.
''What time did you leave?"asked Carlotta...
"9:00 pm sharp...I picked up a girl and we went to a bar....Then back to her place...I'll give you her name,address and phone number..You can ask her....And while you're at it...You need to ask the other guy who was there." he said.
"What other guy?" asked Jimmy and Tyriq.
II-
Meanwhile, Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor and his partner ,Detective Angie Belton-Barlow entered the Marine Police Boat ...
"Angie what are we doing on Lt. Tragg's boat? I don't want any trouble out of him..." said Duke..
''Don't worry about him...He's giving a press conference...about his disasterous bust of Ronnie Mo...and why he had to cut him loose...That's why I waited to bring you out here...Now open your bag and bag these protein shakes..While I replace them with these."she said.
''We don't have a warrant Angie."said Duke.
"We don't need a warrant...This is a police boat, property of the Philadelphia Police department and what are we? Philadelphia Police! I noticed these the other day when I was on this boat with Lieutenant Tragg...He says they are not his...They belong to the other cop that rides on this boat with him..."said Angie..
''So what Angie? A lot of people drink these things..." said Duke.
"Yes they do....But it's the exact same brand we found on the houseboat...I want Hazel to test them for Cyanide..." said Angie.
"Cyanide???...Why would there be more in here?" asked Duke..
''Duke...indulge me babe...just a hunch. Besides...I'm replacing them with these ,so that no one will know that we were even here...If I'm wrong..." said Angie replacing the Protein Shakes she was taking with fresh ones...
"You think of everything Angie."said Duke..
"I do don't I?" she giggled.
Duke hugged Angie...
"I've missed you baby." he said.
She smiled...
"I missed you too!" she said,smiling weakly...
III-
Sissy and I sat around the conference room table with Carlotta, Tyriq ,Jimmy and Sharon...
''Where did you guys get on Hugh Benny?" asked Sissy..
"Please tell me you guys got something...Lt. Tragg has been on the television saying that there is a conspiracy outside and inside the department to cover up these murders and that he is going to get to the bottom of them."I said.
''From what I hear, he has re interviewed every family member, every business associate and every close friend of the victims ...The same people that Jimmy,Rico and I already interviewed....and got nowhere....He accused them of with holding evidence .of being bribed or threatened by Rico,Jimmy and me..Boss Lady we are murder police...Let us shoot Lt. Tragg and dispose of his body." joked Carlotta..
"I'm with that....We got body bags...and acid to dispose of the body.."joked Tyriq...
"We'd be heroes Lou." joked Jimmy...
"Ouu listen to my murderous detectives." Laughed Sissy...
"I'm a federal agent and I'm inclined to help you guys.."laughed Sharon....Just then, her husband, Detective Tony Hopkins walked in with his partner, Detective Sirena Pile..
"Hey guys...His alibi checks out...Bobby Gucci wired two million dollars into his account the day before the murders...and he did leave at nine like he said."said Hop.
"I found the girl he said he picked up....She said they went to the bar and stayed until closing...The Bartender confirmed it and they are on traffic cam going back to her apartment...He didn't leave until daybreak...It's not Hugh Benny."said Sirena..
"Okay...Cut him loose."said Tyriq....
"He mentioned another guy being there...Some kind of body guard....He gave the police artist a description...He said he didn't know the guy but he had been there and seen him before."said Carlotta.
''When I checked Gucci's financials...It appeared he had hired a Bodyguard of some sort...He was paying him under the table because there is only a record of withdrawals...and each time for a larger amount..always on a Friday...."said Jimmy..
"Hugh told us that he was upset with some guy and that he wasn't going to pay him anymore and was going to fire him...He was feeling a squeeze....It might be this guy."said Carlotta...
"You know what this sounds like?" asked Sirena..
"Blackmail!!!!" said Sissy ,Sharon and I in unison.
IV-
And in Hazel's office...
Hazel walked into the room where Angie and Duke were patiently waiting...
"Angie...Duke...you guys are on to something!!!...These drinks were laced with Cyanide...."said Hazel...
"Looks like you were right partner."said Duke...
"You get any prints off of them?" asked Angie...
"I did...but they are not in the system....I ran them through the FBI's VICAP and got nothing and then I accessed Interpol and again came up with nothing...But I will tell you one thing.."said Hazel...
"What's that?" asked Duke and Angie..
"They match the fingerprint smudge that we found on the houseboat that doesn't belong to our murder victims.."said Hazel...
"They brought Hugh Benny into custody this morning."said Duke...
"The palm print was his...This fingerprint is someone else...And anyway...Sissy called me a little while ago...Hugh Benny alibied out....It's not him...You guys are looking for someone else.."said Hazel.
V-
An Angry Lt. Tragg stormed into Sissy's Office...
"I'M MAD AS ALL HELL...YOU HAD A SUSPECT IN CUSTODY AND I WAS NOT INFORMED??" he screamed..
"Like you told us about Ronnie Mo? " asked Sissy...
"Team Effort Lieutenant!!!...Team Effort!!!....Where is your suspect?" he asked..
"He Alibied out....Unlike you...We go where the evidence leads us...We don't call press conferences and humiliate a person with nothing to go on...We brought Mr. Benny down here quietly...We talked to him...we checked his alibi...And we found corroborating witnesses and solid proof that he's not our guy."said Sissy.
"So where does that leave us now?" asked Lt. Tragg..
"We have a fingerprint of someone else that was on that boat with them that night and a composite sketch of our suspect..Only problem is...He's not in the system...Hugh Benny is the only person who has seen him and he doesn't know his name."said Sissy.
"The Hell he doesn't..!!!!"said Lt.Tragg..
"He hasn't lied to us about anything else...I'd like for you to leave him alone...I'm not asking you Lieutenant...That's an order."said Sissy..
"You're ordering me? You're Ordering ME? I think I've been a Lieutenant a little longer than you have Sissy."he said snidely..
''So you know the regulation on messing with another detective's case correct? I believe Detective Tyriq Pile is the primary and as his supervisor...I am the only one with the authority to over rule any of his decisions and so far...He and my detectives have done sound police work...We are watching Hugh Benny..." said Sissy...
"I'm calling the Deputy of Operations."he said and speed dialed him....
"Hello...Hi ya doing Louis...This is Lt. Tragg...Huh? What? I'm helping with the investigation of the triple homicide....What do you mean you weren't informed of that?? I was on television in a press conference..I made a collar... I-I-I know it was a bust but...I shook some people up....Why are you laughing sir?? WHAT? I'm off the case?? WHAT DO YOU MEAN??? No,I wasn't raising my voice at you sir... It happened in my jurisdiction sir...Yes...I know I'm water police....I know of the C.I.D.'s fine reputation but sir...sir..sirrrr....Yes sir...I understand......Yes sir.Now look...This is a major case...I need this case sir...I am co-operating with the Detectives of the C.I.D. sir..Yes...I'm still off the case? You can't do this sir...You can't do this....You did do this? Yes sir...Sirrrrrr..."he said and hung up.
"Did you have a nice talk with the Deputy of Operations?" asked Sissy.
"What did you say to him?" he asked..
"Nothing...I don't talk to him.That's your friend...Or so you say." said Sissy,which was true...She hadn't said anything to the Deputy of Operations....
I might have mentioned something to him during the Poker game at my house which was attended by the Mayor, The D.A. ,The Police Commissioner and the Deputy of Operations...
None of who were big fans of Lieutenant Tragg.....
"I'll show you all...I'm going to crack this case.....I'll show you all." he said and stormed out of her office...
Carlotta and I walked in the office....
"Aye Caramba....He drives me nuts.....I sure wish he was not on this case."said Carlotta...
''Everything Alright?"I asked...
"Yeah....Did you give Hugh Benny Bus fare Chica?" asked Sissy.
"Yes...He asked me if I ever cheated on my husband....Three times...Aye Mios Dios...But I got him on the bus to Atlantic City..."laughed Carlotta....
"Good Tragg won't be able to find him...Guyyyyys please find this killer quick...So we all can be rid of Tragg." laughed Sissy.
Carlotta laughed...
"We are working on it Boss Lady." laughed Carlotta.
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