Girl Next Door

A Thunderstorm blanketed the city the next morning....

It didn't bode well for the first full day of the investigation, but never the less...We had to begin...

ATF Special Agent Darryl Hayes walked down to our conference room...He smiled and he yawned....

"Good Morning everybody....The smell of Hot Coffee and food from the kitchen woke me up." he said to Sissy...

''We like to take care of our folks.." said Sissy ,smiling.

Eddie C. ,Duke, Hazel and Carlotta prepared breakfast for everyone...There was Eggs made to order, Pancakes, Waffles ,Bacon and sausage...and tumblers of Orange Juice and Coffee..

Tyriq, Hop, Sirena and Angie served everyone and set the table..

"You guys really do work together well..." said Darryl Hayes.

"I told you they're good.."said Sharon...

Hop walked behind her and kissed her on the cheek...She giggled like a school girl....

Darryl Hayes winced...he clearly didn't like seeing that...

II-

 Hours later...We all met in our conference room and reviewed our days work!

''So let's get down to cases...What do we know about yesterday?" asked Sissy...

Carlotta spread out photos of the five dead men...

"These five men....Two killed by guards and three killed by whoever owns the German Lugar known as "Goldilocks" sprung  a prisoner...John Longhorn  Sykes, currently serving his seventh year of a 25 year sentence for a major jewel heist , was testifying in a court case yesterday...Concerning the attempted murder of a guard at the state prison. As he was escorted out...four smoke bombs exploded.....Five men, wearing gas masks and armed with shotguns got the drop on the guards and escorted him to a car...." said Carlotta.

"I pulled the records of all five of these men...They all have worked together before ,all are experienced and all have records as long as they are tall...Whoever reached out to them felt as though they had to kill the other three ,once two of them got aced...because those two would no doubt lead us to the rest of the gang." said Tyriq.

"Which leads me to think that the shot caller wanted someone clean or at least cleaner than these guys...It's known that John Longhorn  Sykes likes to work alone...So maybe they didn't need the other gang members.." said Jimmy...

"Ballistics say that all three gang members were shot and killed by a german lugar...

Code name Goldilocks...I got a ballistics match to at least twelve killings that have taken place over the past ten years...It's the same gun." said Sirena..

"I checked on the prescription for Nitro Glycerin, the particular kind that our boy uses.....It was purchased at the prison...He does have a bum heart....So I'm calling all of the local drug stores and I'm going to have plain clothes men on those stores and with photos of our guy...." said Hop...

"I checked on the cigarettes we found in that car...They're only sold in Italy...So Sharon and I contacted Interpol and the Italian police are checking into who might have purchased them....They're not that old.."said Angie..

"I'm cross checking with Customs to see who has entered Philadelphia from Italy that may have a past criminal record." said Duke..

"I'm helping him with that.." said Sharon..

"Yes...That may tell us who "Goldilocks" is and we can get that gun and it's owner off the street once and for all." said Darryl Hayes..

''Sissy, we found all kinds of DNA and fingerprints in that car....First of all...All five dead guys and  John Langhorn Sykes 's prints and DNA were in the car and we found some gray hairs...that were unidentifiable, along with some prints that don't match any of the deceased or Sykes..." said Hazel..

Agent Hayes was all smiles ,listening to Hazel....

"Now we are getting somewhere...That is Goldilocks...That gun was used in some homicides in D.C. and Atlanta...I'm going to have the ballistics matches faxed here ,along with the DNA and the prints we took from an unsolved homicide several years ago...If it's a match...Then we've got Goldilocks." he said.

"But you still don't know who he is..?" said Hop..

''Young man....THIS IS HOW WE BEGIN TO FIGURE OUT WHO GOLDILOCKS IS!" he said.  His uncommon anger surprised all of us..

"I'm just sayin...You don't have a name or face to put to this Goldilocks...Your match to earlier murders is good, but until we can find whoever in the system...it's a moot point..that's all I was saying.."said Hop..

"IT IS NOT A MOOT POINT..WHEN YOU'VE BEEN IN THIS GAME A LITTLE LONGER YOU'LL UNDERSTAND THAT EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!" said Agent Hayes loudly....

Sissy intervened diplomatically...

''Yes.. Yes.. we all understand that...Detective Hopkins didn't mean anything by that....He was just stating a fact...We.. We are all on the same team here...No need for any tempers to rise at this early point in the investigation." she said.

"Agent Hayes...Can I speak to you in private?" said Sharon...

His entire demeanor changed...

He smiled..

"Why yes mam!" he said.

 Carlotta and Sirena, who knew the deal looked at each other , their eyes as wide as saucers...

 Angie was like...

"Whoa...What was that?"

"Do you two know each other?" said Hazel to Hop...

"No...He and Sharon were engaged and they used to live together...I suppose he hasn't gotten over her yet. But he'd better deal with it and soon!" said Hop ,diplomatically.

''Dude...you're taking this a lot better than I would.." said Jimmy..

"Yeah, Junior is right..." said Tyriq.

Duke looked at me...

"I'm just minding my business..." he said.

Sissy and I broke out into raucous laughter....

III-

An angry Sharon lashed out at Agent Hayes...

"What was that? What was that?" she asked..

''What was what?  He's a young detective...He doesn't have the experience you other guys have and instead of being quiet and trying to learn something...He's making ridiculous comments.." said Darryl Hayes..

"He's not a young detective as you say...He's a very good detective...Has a high clearence rate in his own right and is the only first year detective in the department's history to go to an elite unit...right after promotion from uniformed officer to Detective...." she said.

"Well whoop de dooo...I hear he's almost finished law school...Dropped out when you two were together..." laughed Agent Hayes..

"Still an imperious jerk aren't you?" said Sharon...

"Babyyyyy!" he said.

"You know...They don't know why we really broke up...I didn't tell them...I spared you the embarrassment! and with your problem...I'm surprised you're still ATF...You need help Darryl..."said Sharon..

"I'm fine...I've had therapy, I've been in anger management and I'm clean...Two years clean.....My record is spotless...I-I-I guess I just can't deal with you being married.. That's all.....How did this happen?? How did you fall for a junior detective?" he asked..

"He, Carlotta and I lived on the same block...We've known each other since Kintergarden...Me and Him..I met Carlotta in the first grade....She and her family lived in the house on one side of me and Tony lived in the house on the other side.."said Sharon.

"Oh so you're the ,you were the girl next door..huh?" asked Darryl Hayes..

"Yes..In more ways than one...Tony was my first....Few people know that...We've been on and off all through school...and later in Law School....He had to drop out....I graduated ,left town ,joined the FBI after I passed the bar and wasted a decade of my life in D.C. ,Atlanta and New Orleans before I returned to Philly and got my head on straight and married the only man who ever really loved me...And became friends with the wonderful detectives and cops in his unit...Now he is my husband and don't you EVER talk to him like that again!  HEAR ME?" said Sharon...

"He wasn't the only man who loved you Sharon...I loved you..." he said.

"You hit me...You hurt me..." said Sharon..

"That was a moment of craziness....That will never happen again...I swear baby!" he said.

"Oh it damn sure won't...My husband will kill you, If I don't first...." she said and she walked out of the side office..

Darryl watched her as she walked out...

"Damn she's a sexy woman.." he mused...

IV-

"Hey guys...I'm frying up some chicken tonight..." said Eddie C.

"I didn't cook this morning...I'll fix a salad..."said Sirena..

"I'll fix some mashed potatoes.." said Angie..

"Before we break...Carlotta, Rico, Jimmy, Sirena and Hop...I want you guys to look in the Diamond District tomorrow, find out all of the expensive exhibits and who has the most in securities...I want you all to fish plain clothes guys into each and every place and get on their store cameras, street cameras and traffic cameras in the areas..Sykes was called in for something big...I don't want to leave any stone unturned.." said Sissy..

 "This is like old times in Robbery-Homicide eh Rico?" said Carlotta.

 "Sure is...I think I'll drop by and see Lieutenant Ho and get more lowdown on these five cool cats that bought it." said Tyriq..

 "Yeah and we need to find out who the shot callers are and who is hiring talent.." said Jimmy..

 "I'm going to work my sources on the street, See if they've heard anything." said Sirena...

"That's our way of saying we are on it Siss." said Hop...

"I love you guys..." said Sissy...."Duke! You, Angie and Agent Hayes...look into those ballistic matches on that gun and meet with Hazel...

Compare the DNA and Prints you have...Whoever Goldilocks is might not have been in the system ten years ago...but they might be now.." said Sissy...

''Already on it Siss." said Duke.

"What he said.." laughed Angie..

Agent Hayes smiled...

"You inspire such loyalty in your troops...I like that." he said.

"Comes from years of working with these guys in one capacity or the other...I trust them and they trust me..." said Sissy..

"Yessssssss.." he said ,looking at Sissy salaciously..."Uh if you don't mind...I'd like to work with Agent Hopkins on cross checking with Interpol on foreign entry into the U.S. and on the purchase of those cigarettes." he said.

"Oh, uh Okay..." said Sissy...

Sharon grimaced....

As they prepared dinner, I looked at the photograph of the German Lugar used in my triple murder yesterday and in so many others ....

Carlotta stared at the pistol....

"Tyriq told me about this pistol and it's legend when I first became his partner...I thought it was an urban legend.." she said.

"No legend...it's real...Whoever owns this gun is a Have gun will travel kind of guy...He's a cold blooded and remorseless hitman who has been taking out gangsters for a decade and has eluded capture..So what is his interest in a guy like John "Longhorn" Sykes..?" asked Sissy...

"Maybe he wants to retire...maybe he's tired of making short money...Maybe he wants this guy to make that big score that puts him in the winners circle.. No more risk, No more killing.." I said.

"Then we have to stop him before he retires that gun." said Carlotta.

"Yes Chica...Exactly." said Sissy.

We heard a crackling of thunder....It was pouring down rain again...

Nightfall had come....The streets might have been cool, but this case was still very hot.!

(TO BE CONTINUED)