Bullseye

Otto Price quaffed down a hot steaming tumbler of coffee....He was a heavy set, balding man about five foot ,six inches....He dressed immaculately though...He wasn't a slob like Benjamin Peters...He wore a very nice fragrance...

He was nervous...His hands shook...

We observed him as he sat alone in the interrogation room....

''He's scared to death" said Detective Kylie White...

"That's because he's guilty as sin.." remarked Robert Carter...

''Do you think he tried to kill you?" asked Monique.

''Yeah...They have a photo of him in the parking lot of my apartment complex..The night it happened."said Robert...

''Well Mo-Mo...Let's find out about that." I said.

''Right behind you partner...Coming Kylie?" asked Monica.

''No, I'll sit this one out....He's afraid...Too many detectives...and he might clam up...and say nothing." she said.

Otto Price was finishing his coffee when Monica and I walked in... Monica sat down beside him and I sat across from him...

"You want another cup of coffee?" she asked and smiled.

"Uh No thank you..I'm ..I'm fine.." he said.

I said nothing...I produced a photo of him standing in Robert Carter's parking lot , the night after the first attempt on his life was made...

''You know where this is...So I won't play any games with you...This is the parking lot of Robert Carter's apartment complex....This photo is time stamped 10:30 pm..Long after work hours...You two were not friends...not in the least bit...but there you were...in his parking lot, moments before the first attempt was made on his life...You care to explain?" I said.

"I was there....but not for what you think....I came there to warn Carter..." he said..

I smiled..

"Oh You did huh? He shut down your plant...Causing you to lose money....You and practically everybody at the plant hated his guts...You expect me to believe that?" I asked..

"It's trueeee...It's trueeee.....Look....This is bigger than you know...Much bigger..You have no idea.." he said and held his head down..

''Mr. Price...We do know....We know that someone in your plant is manufacturing Liquid Heroin and they have been for months...ever since Leon Speights and you entered into some kind of arrangement...We know about the trucks that leave with the stuff, we know that after the chemical spill , Mr. Carter came around and replaced their guy Ben Peters and he was warned to lay off...We know that's why he was marked for death...We need you to fill in the blanks." said Monica.

"Look...I needed a heart operation and I had used up all of my health benefits for the fiscal year...I needed money fast and Mr. Speights gave me the money...I had my operation...It was successful and I owed him...Only he didn't want money...He wanted a piece of my company...The Lock Haven Labs...I had no choice...I had no choice...He brought in this guy...This Chemist...Basil Conti....He's from South America somewhere ..He had me set him up with his own private lab....And he manufactured the stuff..In the little green bottles...A liquid opiate....Liquid Heroin...I found out by accident...After the chemical spill...Benjamin Peters actually found out...He took it to a private lab and got it examined....Then he came around saying he'd look the other way if we greased his palms...So now I was greasing his palms and I had this damn chemist making this poison in my lab...." he said, tears flowing from his eyes..

"How did Carter get involved in this?" I asked.

"It was Cherie...My Staff Assistant....He met her in a bar and by co-incidence, he discovered she worked here...He took a shine to her...

And he replaced Peters...And began looking into what was going on...Nobody expected that...He was a real stickler...He didn't know about the heroin, but he found other violations...Violations that Peters overlooked and he shut us down...I knew he was playing with fire...I went to him...I all but told him...He was signing a death warrant for himself if he didn't back off...But he wouldn't....I knew what was coming...I asked Cherie to go out with him, make nice with him since he had the hots for her and she did a few times...but she told me she was not going to sleep with him...Company or not...She said she wasn't a prostitute...But she said she would talk to him."said Otto Price.

''Well Did she?" asked Monica..

He sighed..."I don't know....but whether I liked Carter or not...I didn't want to see anybody get killed behind this...This chemist..Basil Conti is a ruthless son of a bitch...He's a killer...I overheard him on his phone saying that Carter would be taken care of...I was at his apartment that night to warn him....that his life was in danger...but I saw a company car in the lot....This car had no business being there and I knew...I knew that  I was too late...Basil or someone had had Carter killed..When I heard he survived two attempts....and your husband came down to the plant the other day...I decided to take it on the lam and get out..." he said.

Monica looked at me..

He was telling the truth...

''So Carter is still alive and  if they know we have you in custody..There is indeed a bullseye on your back.."I said.

"His too and Peters..." he said..

"Then you're in the safest place you can be right now...With us...You have not been formally charged or arrested for anything...My husband and I are going to take you to a friend of ours in the FBI...They will lock you up in Federal Custody where you'll be safe..."said Monica.

"You got a photo of this chemist..This Basil what's his name??" I asked..

"Yeah...I got one." he said.

"Good....and I promise you....We're going to put him and Speights out of business and out of your life...Just sit tight." I said.

II-

After Monica and I delivered Otto Price to federal custody....We were heading back to the squadroom when Monica's phone rang...

"It's Kylie..." she said.. ''What's up Kylie?" answered Monica.

"I caught a homicide....You need to get over here...It's a person of interest to you...That's all I'm saying." she said.

''Robert??" asked Monica.

"No...He's with me and your sister....We haven't let him out of our sight...Which he by the way is loving..He told me he liked my bra.." laughed Kylie...

"Guess that means you have to close your top huh?" she laughed..

''Yeah girl and it's hot.."laughed Kylie...

They both laughed...

''What's up?" I asked..

''Kylie caught a case...Said we might be interested..."said Monica.

We headed for the address she gave us....

On the living room floor of yet another apartment living room lay the body of Benjamin Peters.....Like Robert Carter, a week ago...he had foam around his mouth....The entire room smelled like almonds...and on the counter, three empty Protein Shakes lie...

"Benny always was a glutton,always over ate, always over did everything.." said Robert Carter ,standing over Monique as she observed the body...

''Robert...Stop trying to look down my blouse.." she remarked as she put on latex gloves and examined the body...

He smiled slyly....

Monique smiled too...

"You are incorrigible.." she said, shaking her head...

Monica and I entered the room and Kylie led us over to the body...

''He drank three of those...They were all laced with Cyanide...He was watching the baseball game at the time.."said Kylie,who also had on latex gloves..

''This man is really dead.."sighed Monique..who stuck a thermometer in his side...

"Judging by body temperature and lividity...I'd say he's been dead at least three hours." she said.

"He is sis."said Monica who kissed her sister on the cheek and hugged her....

"Hey where is Price?" asked Robert Carter...

''He's somewhere where Speights and his people can't get to him...We can arrange for you to be put in the same kind of custody..."I said.

"No...I want to help...I want to help you get them...Can you wire me up?" he said.

I looked at Kylie...

"Let's run it by the Lieutenant first..." she said.

The four of us watched somberly as they wheeled Ben Peters's portly corpse out of his apartment and down to the street...

This had started out as an attempted murder case....Now it was a murder.....I looked at Monica..

"Price told us that he, Carter and Peters had a Bullseye on their back...Guess Peters was the first one who's target got hit." I said.

"Well we've got to wrap this thing up before any more bodies start falling.." said Monica.

III-

''I don't like putting civilians in harms way like this..but if you're certain you want to do this...I want you to sign this waver..."said Lt. Cotton to Robert Carter...

''Believe me...I have to do this...People like Leon Speights are bullies and I hate bullies." said Robert Carter...

"You're going to wear Kevlar and a trauma plate....and a wire..." said Monica..

"But of course..." he said...

"This wire you're wearing has a video feed on it..we'll be able to see and hear everything...Just get Basil to talking, don't push too hard...We have warrants for him Speights and Speight's main man "Drac" and a warrant to hit that whole lab.." I said.

Lt. Cotton put on his kevlar vest and trauma plate and made a few calls...

"Alright guys...You ready?" he said...

''We ready Lou.."said Kylie..

"Let's Do This..." he said.

IV-

We met at the docks....The loading area of Lock haven Labs....Lt. Cotton, Monica, Kylie and me and 25 shotgun toting uniformed policemen..

''Whose got the warrants?" asked Lt. Cotton.

''I got em..." said Monica...

''Let's go..Hit em hard and fast." he said.

"Move Out.." I said...

and with Kylie White..We led Twenty officers into the back of Lock Haven Labs...

Lt. Cotton and Monica led five officers in the front door.....

"POLICE FREEZE!" we said as we ran into the lab and surprised lab workers tossed their hands up in the air...

While a floor above in Cherie's office...Robert Carter attempted to talk to her....

"Cherie...The police are downstairs..They're raiding this place...One of your chemists....Basil Conti...was manufacturing Liquid heroin.." he said.

Cherie looked astounded..

"He was?? Oh My God!!!" she said...

"He was fished in here by a bad man...Leon Speights...We know all about him...I've been working with the cops..We are going to get Speights and bring him in...Where is Basil's office...They have warrants for him too?" said Robert.

"I can't tell you that Robert." she said.

"Cherie...you don't want to be mixed up in this...That's why I stopped here to get you someplace safe...It's coming down and it's all coming down now." said Robert...

"Oh Robertttttttttt...How sweet...I'll be safe." she said and pulled out a .45 and loaded it.

"You have a gun?" he said.

"Sure do... AND I SHOULD HAVE JUST SHOT YOU INSTEAD OF TRYING TO TAKE YOU OUT QUIETLY!" she said.

"What?...It was you? You poisoned me??" he asked Incredulous..

"Yes Robert...Remember when you walked me to Rite Aid?...I switched the Protein Shakes you bought with my cyanide laced ones...And remember when you were trying to kiss me in my office?? I pick pocketed you and made a copy of your apartment keys with our three dimensional printer...That's how I got in and rigged the bed....I should of just shot you like I'm about to do.." she said non-chalantly....

"I don't believe this..." he said...heartbroken...

"Awwwww Robert...You caught feelings? You didn't really think that you had a chance with me did you? A cornball like you...Mr. Dudley Do-Right....Please...Leon is 100 times cooler than you could ever be..and he gave me money to keep Basil Conti comfortable and in line..." she said...

"Oh My God...I never knew that you were in this too.." he said..

"Yeah, well..." she said and fired two times point blank into his chest....The power of the blast knocked him across the room and deposited him in the middle of the floor...

She looked at him one last time...

''What a sucker!" she said...Put her gun in her purse and slipped out the side door..

Kylie and I heard the shots and dashed into the room, only to see the body of Robert Carter lying on the floor..

''Oh My God...He's been shot!"said Kylie.

''And from these shell casings....It was a .45.." I said...

We heard a groan....

Kylie grabbed my arm...

"Oh My God...Nooooooooooooooo....How did he survive that?" she said as Robert slowly got to his feet...

"He's wearing Kevlar and a Trauma plate Kylie...Nothing fantastic about that." I said..

Robert groaned...

"It was Cherie...She is the one who tried to poison me and electrocute me...She was running the drug program for Speights here at the plant...She was his eyes and ears...and I got it all on tape...but I'm afraid she got away."said Robert Carter..

''No She didn't!! I caught her and Basil Conti trying to walk out the side door..."said Monica who appeared in the room with both Cheri and Chemist Basil Conti in Handcuffs....

Cheri looked astonished to see Robert Carter standing...

"WHO ARE YOU? ARE YOU SOME KIND OF SUPERHUMAN???WHY WON'T YOU DIE? WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU DIE....???  JUST DIE LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE....DAMNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!" she screamed as uniforms escorted her and Basil Conti out along with three truck loads of Liquid Heroin and shut down Basil's entire private laboratory...

Cherie was still muttering as they put her in the paddy wagon..."WHY WON'T YOU DIE? WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU DIE....???  JUST DIE LIKE NORMAL PEOPLE....DAMNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!"WHY WON'T YOU DIE? WHY THE HELL WON'T YOU DIE....??? DIE PLEASE!!! PLEASSSE DIEEEEeEEE" she screamed....

I looked at Robert...

''You Know...I never thought she was the right girl for you." I said.

Kylie nudged Monica...

"That's your husband girlfriend..." she said laughing..

''I'm married to him...I'm in love with him....What am I gonna do?" Monica laughed jokingly...

"Just enjoy him girl..." said Kylie laughing out loud!

EPILOUGE-

Leon Speights and his Lieutenant...Darryl "Dracula" Hunt were arrested and charged with conspiracy to manufacture and sell controlled substances...To wit..Liquid Heroin and sentenced to 25-50 years in Federal Prison.....

Basi Conti was charged with the same and also sentenced to 25 years in Federal Prison...

Cherie Moore was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit murder -Robert Carter and one count of First degree Murder -Benjamin Peters...She was sentenced to Life......

Otto Price returned to his job as Owner of Lock Haven Labs...And had no further trouble from L&I or the police.

A Week Later....

Monique stood outside her office talking to Robert Carter...

''Well Robert,You're a hero..You exposed that entire Drug Conspiracy and helped the police take some very bad people off the streets..I'm proud of you." said Monique, smiling..

"Yeah...I'm just glad all of it is over...You know I quit my job at L&I don't you...?" he said.

"You did?? What are you going to do now?" she asked.

"My girlfriend got me a job where she works ...At the hospital..I'm Quality Control Inspector at the Hospital.I make a pile more money too." he said.

"And this girlfriend?" asked Monique..

"You met her...Dr. Cassandra Barnes....We uh kind of uh got together...We live together now...I moved out of my old apartment and we got a new apartment.." he said smiling sheepishly..

''Wow...New Job, New Apartment, New Girlfriend...How nice for you."said Monique...

''Well...You take care of yourself Dr. Talbert and uh keep findin them dead ones.." he said laughing at his own joke..

Monique smiled and shook her head as he walked away...Monica and I walked up just then...

''Was that half man, half amazing that just walked away?" she asked.

''That would be him."said Monique..

"I'm never gonna forget him...One of our strangest cases ever..."

''You aint never lied"said Monica and Monique in unison..

''Well girls...I could go for a cold one...How about you two?"I said.

"Works for me."said Monica.

"Yeah...me too..."said Monique...