Diamond Life

Detective Tyriq Pile addressed about 25 plain clothes policemen at headquarters the next morning...They were dressed from everything from homeless people walking the streets to very well dressed and well heeled buyers....Security Guards and uber drivers , equipped with the latest in electronic surveilience devices...

"You guys are going to be spread out at all of these places we have ear marked...The only people who know who you are are the management...Keep your eyes open as well as your ears...You are to report everything you find to this e-mail address or this phone number...It's a Direct line to our remote headquarters..." he said.

My wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace said...

''We picked these places because they pull in the most money and have the absolute most expensive jewelry in the city, possibly the state...We believe our escaped convict.. John "Longhorn" Sykes and others are planning a major heist...somewhere on Jewelers row and soon.. We haven't identified the rest of the crew yet, but we are working on that." she said..

Detective James "Jimmy "Barlow said...

"Your job is to observe and to relay us everything, video, audio...Everything, but do not intercept...We have a team of uniforms waiting to do that...We don't want it to be obvious that we are looking or on to them." he said..

"Jimmy...Did you and Duke visit Danny Ho at Robbery-Homicide?" asked Tyriq

"Yeah...We showed him the doziers on all five dead men...." said Jimmy...

"This crew has been running together for nearly a decade.....and the shot caller is believed to be an old guy...Paul Leonetti....Old school guy..." said Duke..

"I've heard that name before...He was never made...but he was a close associate to several La Cosa Nostra families...He did business with some Black and Latino and Asian drug organizations.." said Carlotta..

"You think...You think maybe he's "Goldilocks"?" asked Tyriq..

''Possible...That guy's got no sheet.....No convictions...Not even a juvie record..." said Duke..

"But he's got a few arrests...We might not have his DNA...but his prints have got to be on file somewhere.." said Carlotta....

"Well...we are done here...Let's go back." said Jimmy.

II-

At headquarters... Detectives Tony Hopkins and Sirena Pile reported back to Sissy, Sharon, Agent Hayes and I...

''Siss...I did a check and a cross reference of all of those pharmacies in the immediate area and I got a hit..."said Hop...

"Late last night before closing... John Longhorn Sykes and  two people went to this drug store...Near Penns Landing

and bought two things...Nitro Glycerin...for his heart and another drug...a drug that induces or gives the impression of a heart attack.." said Sirena..

"Oh My God...He used his real name?" asked Sissy..

"Yeah and what's more...We got him and his two associates on the store camera..." said Hop...

"You're kidding?" said Sissy...

"Not kidding...Look at the monitor everyone..." said Sharon..

The Monitor showed John Lonhorn Sykes in the drug store making the purchase...and standing with him were two other men....

"Recognize em Siss?" asked Sharon...

''We definitely know one, don't we Keith?" asked Sissy...

"The chubby one smoking the cigar and being asked to go outside is A.J. Miller...A sleazy Attorney...He used to be an ADA..Was a pretty decent Attorney at one time...Then he went into private practice and began representing the same type of scumbags he used to lock up...rumor has it that he goes above and beyond for his clients and even gets a cut of their criminal enterprises....We've never been able to prove it..but that's the word on the street."I said.

"I know his type...I despise them too!" said Agent Hayes...

"But this guy....the old guy....That's Paul Leonetti...an old guy who always wanted to be a wise guy...I don't know why...but he never got made...never became a made man...He was allegedly a bookmaker, put down a few scores and is rumored to have even done some hits, not just for La Cosa Nostra, but Black, Asian and Latin gangsters..." said Sissy...

"Wow...He got a sheet?" asked Agent Hayes..

"No....No convictions....Not even a Juvie record.." said Sissy...

"But he's got a couple of arrests ,going back 15 years....I just got off the phone with Carlotta, Rico Suave and Jimmy...They told me that Danny Ho told them , Paulie Leonetti had been the shot caller for those five guys that bought it yesterday...That he's quietly been putting down scores for years, and that they have never been able to put a tag on him..." said Angie..

"Angie got his prints from the past and I ran them against the unknown prints we found in that car and it's a match, that was definitely him with those five guys that busted Sykes out...." said Hazel...

''Sirena and I checked out those Gas Masks and those shotguns....All purchased legally by those five guys at different times, all using fake ID's..."said Hop...

''Then how do you know it was them?" asked Agent Hayes...

"Because....Look at the monitor...We have them all on film making purchases at various gun shops.." said Sirena.

Sharon glared angrily at Agent Darryl Hayes...He smiled...but he was smiling at Sirena..

"OUTSTANDING DETECTIVE!" he said and clapped..

"Look on the monitor at the old guy...He's pulling out those cigarettes...The Italian brand...Just like the kind in the car the other day...That's him....The sixth man in that car...The one we couldn't identify..."said Hop..

Carlotta, Jimmy and Tyriq returned just then...

''We've got all of the plain clothes guys in place..Whichever one of these businesses these guys hit..We'll be ready.." said Carlotta..

Agent Hayes was slyly checking Carlotta and Sirena and Angie out and smiling to himself..Then he looked at me and Sissy...

"I am impressed....You guys are more than just pretty faces...You're damn good...I can't believe how efficient and fast you guys work...You're like a well oiled machine.." he said.

"I'm proud of all of my detectives.."said Sissy ,beaming like a proud mother..

"Only problem is..We don't know where they are or when they plan to strike.."said Tyriq..

Jimmy laid out a photo of one of the places we had under survielience..

"My guess is....This place.." he said.

"It's got a multi million dollar shipment worth of new gems that just came in from South Africa on the top floor and it's supposedly impossible to get to...That would offer a guy like Sykes, a major challenge and it's mouth watering enough for Leonetti, who's getting up in age to make his final play and retire." said Jimmy...

"Jimmy's right...Any old crew could knock off one of these other places....but that place right there and that swag....Is what a master heist guy would knock off and if anybody could pull a job like that...Sykes could."said Sirena..

"Okay...but I'm interested in this Leonetti...At long last...He may be Goldilocks...we have a sample of Blonde hair coming up here by mail...I have to go to the federal building tomorrow to pick it up...Mrs. Hazel,perhaps you could go with me and we could go to the M.E.'s office and test it against that white hair you found that you couldn't identify...If it''s a DNA match...Then for sure..We've identified..GOLDILOCKS..You guys have your ex-con and we both have a deadly killer ..Everybody wins!"said Agent Hayes..

"I'll go with you tomorrow." said Hazel..

''Siss...I've checked all of my street sources...Me and Top...No sign of Sykes or Leonetti....but I do have an address of a Hotel where Leonetti was known to stay...I've got a uniform sitting on it."said Duke..

"Pull the uniform....If he is there and he sees a squad car, he might get suspicious." said Agent Hayes..

"You're right...I'll pull him.." said Duke.

Eddie C. walked in....He kissed Sissy..

'Ummmmmmmmm hey boss lady.." he said..

Sissy blushed like crazy....

''Heyyy." she said...

''Our dinners should be ready...I need somebody to ride over to Sam Mothers and help me bring em back." said Eddie..

"I'll ride with you.." said Hop..

''Yeah, Me too." said Jimmy...

"I need to pick up a few things from that Wawa across the street from Sam's...is there room for me?" asked Angie.

"Always room for you darlin!" said Eddie C.

Agent Hayes Laughed.

III-

While we waited for dinner to come...Most of us retreated to our rooms...

Carlotta and Me..

Where I unzippered her dress and preceded to kiss her passionately...

"Ummmm papi....I hope we finish this before they return...I am hungry..." she said as we began to make love...

Tyriq and Sirena... They had taken their children over Sirena's parents house and now had their room to themselves..

No sooner than their doors closed....Their bed was squeaking and the headboard was slamming against the wall and they were moaning, cooing and giggling...

Likewise, Duke and Hazel were in their room making sweet love and surprisingly not making a sound...but sweating and staring into each other's eyes..

Sissy was in her room,lying across the bed, getting some much needed rest...

As for Agent Hayes...He wandered down the hallway to Sharon and Hop's room...The door was cracked and he stepped inside..

"Nice room you have here...." he said.

"You shouldn't be in here..." said Sharon....

"I should be in here..." he said ,smiling and shut the door.. Sharon walked past him and opened the door wide..

"Darryl...I'm married...Go away..." she said.

"You know...I was on assignment...In Oklahoma after you left me...I came home to our loft and all your stuff was gone.. Not a trace!  I made a few calls and found out you were in New Orleans...I had to go back on another assignment...in California...by the time I got back to Atlanta and made it to New Orleans...They told me you were in Philly...I know you were born and raised here.. So I thought you were just going home for a visit...Then I hear you accepted a position as Deputy SAC-FBI and that you were staying here permanently..
I was stunned baby...Stunned...Then I hear on the horn that the Goldilocks file was reopened..That three murders linked to it occurred here in Philly and I jumped at the chance to come up here...To see you again...And here you are married ,to a Philly detective..."he said..

"We have a house too.....I figure in about ten years...I'm leaving the FBI and I may practice law again ,maybe have a few kids...Who knows?...but Philly is my home to stay.. I have a Husband here and a home here...and friends....Things I didn't have anywhere else I worked." said Sharon...

 "And that's it huh?" he said.

''Yes that's it...What were you hoping for?" asked Sharon...

''You were the best I ever had...I remember the last time we made love..

You were wearing a matching pink panty and bra set....You had you hair out....I had you across the bed...just going to town...

"Ummmph...We nearly broke the legs off the bed that night girl.."he said, smiling at the memory!

"That was a long time ago...You really need to move on...The only person that is going to break my bed is my husband." said Sharon..

''So it's like that huh?" he said.

"Yeah...it's like that." said Sharon...

"Hmmmph!" he said, stomped his foot and left....He got in his car and scrambled off into the night!!!

IV-

We all made dinner that night...

Eddie C. had brought us all platters from both Sam Mother's Diner and Mabel Jenkins Soul food joint..The food was all good and hot..

We all were very hungry because there was no dinner conversation...Just eating and drinking....

"Hey Sharon...Where is Agent Hayes...His dinner will be getting cold?" I said.

"He got in his car and went off somewhere...He didn't say...Maybe he was hunting down a lead.." she said..

Somehow ,none of us believed that!

(TO BE CONTINUED)