Floating Lotus

Monica and I were in Chinatown ...We had found, thanks to one of my C.I.'s from my days in Narcotics...One of the illegal floating crap games that the Chinese run and had gotten ourselves inside...

There were not many Black people inside of here, though there were some...It was mostly Asian and Russians...

We were looking for one person, Kim Chi...the female get away driver in our murder case...We had already arrested her partner, the actual shooter and recovered the car and the murder weapon...

For some strange reason.....Deputy of Operations, Barbara Shipley had taken our suspect and what she thought was a case file off of our hands...Ending what she thought was any further involvement between Monica and me into the investigation...

The only thing was...We hadn't been ordered off the case...Not by her and certainly not by Lt. Cotton..

Who told us...

"Stay on it until further notice...Somebody somewhere is scared or else she wouldn't be down here...She's never ever come to homicide before or any other department about any other case...So why now??  Somebody higher up may be behind this.." he said.

"I'm thinkin that too Lou...but who?/I don't think it's the Commissioner...He impresses me as really wanting this case closed..."said Monica..

"Things aren't always as they seem...He's hardly been to work since the murder and yesterday at the funeral...He hardly seemed like the grieving spouse...He wasn't even pretending to be upset...He ducked out of the internment as soon as he could and he didn't even go to the repass..." said Lt. Cotton..

"I told you the Private Investigator told me that his wife hired him to find out if he is having an affair and that he may be having one...Only thing is.. We don't know with who.. Not yet.." said Monica.

"That explains a lot...Stay on that angle...but don't tell anyone else..Keep that quiet Mo-Mo...because if you're wrong....I don't have to tell you about the possible repercussions...." said Lt. Cotton.

"Oh I know...I know.."said Monica ,who looked at me..."Come on Partner..." she said.

''Where are you two off to?" he asked.

''To Chinatown....to play some poker and to catch us a getaway driver.." I said smiling..

II-

 And so here we were...In Chinatown at the Floating Lotus....A very Tony Chinese Restaurant and Bistro downstairs...while upstairs...A Floating Crap game filled with Chinese and Russian playas with a hole burning in their pockets and money to spend...

I sat down at a table with a combonation or Asian and Russian Poker players...

"We don't usually see your kind in here."said one of the players...

"I know..I don't usually come down here...butttt...I heard this is a hot game....And I pride myself with being the best....and if you want to be the best..you gotta beat the best.." I said..

A Russian man put a stack on the table...

''That's $100K....You think you're in the right game Soul Brother?" he asked laughing... I pulled out a stack that equaled $200K..

''Come on....I thought you were playin for real money here...Let's play..."I said smiling...

Monica sat on my lap and kissed me....She sent a telepathic message to me....It was so cool being able to hear her thoughts sometimes too the way she could hear mine...

"The Russian guy just said to his friend in Russian that you're a cornball and he's gonna take you for all you've got.." she said...

I smiled....They all think that....

I'm actually a pretty good Poker player and so is my wife....but even better..As a telepathic mutant, she can read everybody at this table's minds and tell me what they plan to play before they do....If we weren't cops..We'd make great con men...

''Who is pretty girl?" asked the Asian gentleman.

"That's my wifey... We just got married a few months ago.. "I gushed...

"Shouldn't you be saving up for a house or something instead of blowing what looks like your life savings on crap game?" he asked..

''We already have a house.. Now you guys gonna play cards or you gonna lecture me..?" I asked.

"I'm going over to the bar and get us some drinks...You want something baby?" asked Monica ,who kissed me again...

"I got you babe...I can still hear their thoughts" she said to me telepathically...

I passed her about $1000.00

"Knock yourself out doll." I said...
Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads...

The card game began...

"You have a very pretty wife.."said the Russian...

"Yeah she is adorable.."I gushed...

They all looked at each other and smiled..

Within one hour....I had won nearly $300K.....Everybody was tapped out...I passed my chips to a young Asian Waitress..

"Here doll cash me out and get my money in something I can carry lightly. Gentlemen!!!...With this much cash I can buy a better house." I said smiling...

The men at the table were astonished....They couldn't accuse me of cheating...I played with their deck...And my wife was far away from them ..too far for her to have signaled me in anyway they could have understood...


They couldn't believe they had just been took by such a cornball!

"Gentlemen...This was a pleasure...Maybe I'll come back next week." I said..

They all grunted and grumbled as I put my cash in my bag and preceded to walk out...With my cyber eye ,I noticed a young woman...She was Asian...Very shapely and attractive in a black latex body suit...following me....As I exited through the back kitchen she caught up with me and put a gun in my ribs..It was Kim Chi..

"Alright Soul Brother...I don't know how you hustled those guys...but somehow you did...Hand over the bag with the cash..."she said and shoved the gun into my ribs even harder..

"What? You're going to shoot me here amongst all these witnesses?" I said.

"They all criminals...You think they'll tell the cops?" she said...

"No but my wife would be very upset if you did that..."I said.

"I'll kill her next..I don't give a damn.."she said.

"Oh BUT I DO!!" came Monica's voice...She had her glock aimed at Kim Chi's head.

There was a loud commotion out on the floor, the sound of yelling and people running...Detective Kylie White and 10 shotgun toting uniformed officers raided the floor....They came into the kitchen and handcuffed Kim Chi ,who was astounded...

"You're a cop?  You two are cops??" she asked..


"I'm afraid so..."said Detective Kylie White.

" We didn't come here to raid this place..."I said.

"What did you come here for?" she asked...Now confused..

"To Arrest you for first degree murder...."I said..

She stomped her foot...

"Damn It."she said.

"Life's a bitch ,aint it girl?" said Monica...laughing...

"Okay guys...Take her out of here..." said Detective Kylie White.



III-

In a dark parking lot....Miles Away...Deputy of Operations, Barbara Shipley drove up....Another car drove up....In it was Private Investigator,Phillip Marlon...

Upon seeing her ,he smiled...

"Barbara..Barbara...My my my...the years have still been kind to you...You still have that knockout figure.."he said laughing..

''Cut the crap Phil...What do you want?" she asked.

"Funny thing happened...You know...I don't owe you any favors...You're responsible for having me booted off of the police force years ago and you took the position that was rightfully mine..." he said.

"Yeah..so what?" she smirked..

"Ohhhhh I wouldn't get so persnickety if I were you Babs....You got a problem..."he said.

"What kind of problem?" she said..

"A pretty little Detective came to visit me the other day....See..She's investigating a murder...The murder of Police Chief Tannenbaum's wife...You may have heard of that case.."he said.

"Yeah..What about it??" she asked..

"Mrs. Tannenbaum asked me to find out if her husband was cheating on her...and I did...Only thing was..I couldn't find out WHO he was cheating on her with...At the time she died..I didn't know who the woman was..just that the woman was a cop...somebody high up....Then this pretty little detective visited me and you know what? I liked her...She's good police, young, innocent, idealistic, really wants to do a good job...Just like I once was...Just like you once were at a time..So I kept looking and I asked a few friends I still have at the police motor pool, just who was taking those cars, the ones I saw at the hotels and motels the Police Commissioner was staying at and guess what I found out....IT WAS YOU!  YOU'VE BEEN A NAUGHTY GIRL BABS!!....Not only that..I have photos taken from the last time you took one of those cars...That's you in this photo....So I got to thinking...Hmmmm, I wonder if ...If maybe....You had Mrs. Tannenbaum killed ,so you could have her husband..?? Hmmm Crazy thought isn't it?" He said.

"You're crazy..."she said.

"Am I?...That pretty little detective and her husband will probably be asking the same questions I am asking...and they'll probably figure out what I just figured out and it will be all over for you...." he said.

"What do you want?"she asked.

"One million dollars ...and I make this all go away...Including the two detectives....and we never had this conversation...." he said.

"I don't have that kind of money...You're crazy..."she said.

"You have resources...get me the cash...You got 48 hours...or...I could call up that pretty little detective and fill in the blanks for her...She's pretty smart.....She'd figure it out and have you in cuffs within minutes..." he said.

"You're a son of a bitch Phill..." she snapped..

"I am....I am...I learned it all from you....Babs...Cash money or it's bye bye Babs and seperation from Johnny boy...Heh, heh,heh.."

"Alright...I'll be in touch.."she said...

"Oh I know you will.." he said laughing his head off..

IV-

 Kim Chi sat in the interrogation room or the "Fishbowl" as the Detectives called it and drank a styrofoam tumbler of coffee..

Monica just stared at her...

Kim Chi stared at Monica...

I walked in with my case files..

"You are in big trouble...Kim Chi...A few nights ago.. You drove this car....with this guy, who we had down here yesterday....and he used this shotgun to blow the face off of the Commisioner's wife.." I said.

She laughed...

"You're crazy.. It wasn't me...I don't know him." she said.

"You're lying Kim...You do know him...He plays Poker at the Flying Lotus on a regular basis...and he dines there quite often too...You know him quite well." she said and showed Kim Chi photos of the two of them together on other occassions...

"You know he's an Israeli hitman and that he has done a few jobs for local organized crime figures around town ,willing to pay...Including this one.. You're his driver." said Monica.

"You are crazy...I may know of him...but I didn't take part in any murder..I've been working at the Flying Lotus all week." she said.

"Another Lie..Kim Chi."said Monica.

"Here we go again Kim Chi...Fairy Tales.."I said.

I showed her a glossy photo of  Revan Ramli in sunglasses , standing outside of the car and a blurry photo of him holding a shotgun and his partner, Kim Chi...

"I have the shotgun your boy used to kill Mary Tannenbaum.." I said.

Just like him the day before Kim Chi said-

"You certain you can prove that that was murder weapon??" she said ..."And this photo here...Not a clear photo of me or him.. It's very  blurry...You sure that's me?" she laughed..

 Monica produced a clearer photo of Revan Ramli and Kim Chi abandoning the car and bleaching it down...It was taken by an ATM camera ,across the street from where they ditched the car...They missed that...

"That is certainly you isn't it Kim Chi ???and Revan Ramli...."said Monica..

Her jaw dropped...

 ''Oh and we have your latent fingerprint in the car Kim...  We got you....It's time for you to make a deal..Who hired you two to kill Mrs. Tannenbaum..?" I said.

"I'm not talking anymore...I want a lawyer."she said.

"Okay...We are charging you with First Degree Murder...And since this is a cop's wife...Not just any cop, but the Police Commissioner.. You're looking at the death penalty....Lethal Injection...And even before they juice you...You'll be locked up 23 hours a day, away from all human contact....With one hour a day to shower and exercise...You'll be begging them to juice you.." said Monica..

"Lawyer..."said Kim Chi...she was a tough one...

We heard a banging on the two way window....

Monica and I walked out into the hallway...It was Kylie..

 ''What's goin on girl?" asked Monica

"Yeah what's up baby?" I asked..

"You got trouble...Your suspect....Revan Ramli...He's dead....He was found stabbed several times in his cell over at Department of Corrections, about an hour ago..." she said.

"WHAT?" I said...

"I know.. Lieutenant Cotton is furious...He's over at D.O.C. right now.. I gotta go...I caught a case...Some Private Investigator.. Phillip Marlon was found shot to death in his office , a while ago..."she said.

''Wait...Did you say Phillip Marlon?? That's the P.I. who Mrs. Tannenbaum was visiting the night she got murdered...He told me that the Commissioner was having an affair...He hadn't found out who the woman was at the time." said Monica.

"He must have found out and whoever is behind this ,must have silenced him..."I said.

''We are going with you...We can't keep Kim Chi here and she's not safe in D.O.C." said Monica..

"I have a friend in the FBI.."I said.

Monica smiled..

"They idolize you now don't they you stud you...?" she laughed...

She was talking about the marathon sex session she and I had in the basement locker room that they overheard on Agent Ed Lawlor's wiretaps...

I smiled sheepishly......

Kylie looked at us and just shook her head...

"You two are somethin else...I don't even want to know....Lawd have mercy...." she said.

''Anyway...we have formally charged Kim Chi and we'll drop her off at the Federal Lock up where she'll be safe.. No one will know she's been arrested and in custody until tomorrow morning..."I said...

"Good let's go."said Kylie...

"We'll take my car....We'll meet you on the roof Kylie.."I said.

"Okay." she said as she headed for the roof...

I pulled Monica over to me..

"Huh? What?" she asked..

"I just wanted to tell you how good you look today babes...We been so busy..."I said and kissed her neck and her lips...

''Ouuuu Thank you baby...Maybe if we get home at a decent hour.. we can uh...unbusy ourselves" she smiled slyly and winked and walked toward the rooftop exit...

I smiled sheepishly as I watched her walk away...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)