Goldilocks

 My name is Keith Wallace...I'm an Assistant District Attorney....I prosecute Homicides and other major crimes..

I work with the detectives of the Criminal Investigative Division...A group of hand picked detectives I put together with Lieutenant Sissy Van Buren for just this type of thing...Major crimes and criminals...Today we had a real himdinger...

John Longhorn  Sykes, currently serving his seventh year of a 25 year sentence for a major jewel heist , was testifying in a court case today...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....

A very alert guard fired a shotgun blast that hit one of the would be rescuers, killing him instantly.......His partner returned the fire....

Another guard fired his glock at the man, killing him instantly at the scene...

John Longhorn Sykes and the other three men got away in a hail of bullets......

I was immediately at the scene with Lt. Sissy Van Buren, Detectives Edwin "Duke " Baylor and Angela Belton-Barlow... There lie two white males...in the late thirties...deceased...

Uniform Policemen and CSI officials were everywhere..

"This is a mess Keith....This was planned very well...These guys knew the entire layout , they knew that he'd be taken downstairs in the elevator and brought out this back exit...They timed everything just right.." said Sissy...

''Damn...I don't believe this..We've never lost a prisoner before.."I said.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later...Somebody wanted this guy badly...They reached out and got the best." said Duke, looking at one of the dead men...  "I sent this guy up myself...Professional , strong arm robberies...bank jobs...." he said.

 "This guy here...Has a rap sheet as long as he is tall, Burglary,Grand Larceny, Auto Theft...Bank Robbery, even Manslaughter...What was he doing on the street?" asked Angie...

Angie and Hazel observed the second dead man......

"Well, The taxpayers were saved some money...Two bad guys off the streets and no cops hurt.." said Hazel as both bodies were covered and put on stretchers and whisked away...

The crowd began to disperse...

"The problem is...John Longhorn Sykes is at large...He goes after millions....Whoever hired these guys to get him, wants him for a big job.."I said.

''Duke, Angie...collect these Smoke bombs and shotguns...trace em, look at the Street and Traffic cams..we need to know where they came from." said Sissy..

"I'm on it....Also...I'll check my sources on the street, find out what shot callers are hiring talent and where they might be." said Duke..

"Siss....Carlotta just called me....We may have found the getaway car and the rest of this crew....She says she's got a triple just a few blocks away." said Angie...

 "WHAT?" I said.

"Ohhhh this is nasty, real nasty guys.." said Sissy...

II-

On the rooftop parking lot of a building about eight blocks away...Sissy,Angie,Duke ,Hazel and I met my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez -Wallace and her two partners...Detective Tyriq Pile and Detective James "Jimmy" Barlow....

There was three dead bodies...White males...all within their late twenties ,early thirties...All shot in the chest and head by what appeared to be a pistol...a single pistol...  and a brown sedan....with the motor still running..

"It's a mess boss lady....They all appear to have been shot and killed in the past half hour..." said Carlotta, standing with three uniform policemen ,looking at the bodies..

''Whoever shot them, shot them with precision...right through the heart...they died instantly...One ,right after the other.." said Tyriq, who kneeled down with Hazel and observed the bodies..

''Beats payin em.." said Jimmy, who instructed uniform policemen to bag and tag the shotguns found and smoke bombs...

"I busted this guy when I was in Robbery-Homicide...Major Heist guy...Gunman..." said Carlotta holding the wrist of one of the dead men...

"I busted this one here...Same thing...Major heist guy too!." said Tyriq...

"This guy here....Major heavy...Manslaughter, Assault, Car Theft....I busted him a year ago...What is he doing on the street?" asked Jimmy aloud...

"I'm seeing a pattern here..."I said..

Detective Tony Hopkins was going through the car with C.S.I. personell...

"Hey guys...Did Sykes have a bad heart?  I found Nitro Glycerin pills in the back seat..." said Hop..

"Check his medical records...Wipe that car down for prints and everything.." said Sissy...

''Any of these guys smoke?" asked his partner, Sirena Pile, who was also checking out the car....."I found a pack of cigarettes..They're not the domestic brand...and from the language...They look like they're manufactured in Italy...." she said.

''Wow!"said Sissy...."We'll check the prison medical records on all five of these.." said Sissy..

"Your two were killed by guards right?" said Sirena..

"And an investigation of those two might have led to these three...Which is why they were murdered and done rather efficiently..."said Carlotta...

"Yeah, but they left this car behind...and in a hurry...I'm certain it's loaded with DNA and fingerprints..." said Jimmy...

"Jimmy's right...This wasn't part of the plan...This was improvisation at it's worst." said Sirena..

Tyriq was looking at the gunshot wounds and the bullet fagments collected...He called Duke and my wife Carlotta over to him...

"Duke, Top...We've seen this before...haven't we?  Take a look at the shells...Look at the accurate shooting ,look familiar?" asked Tyriq.

''Aye Mios Dios...Goldilocks!!" said Carlotta.

''Damn!  Could it be? After all this time!!Goldilocks??" asked Duke..

Jimmy, Hop and Sirena all asked in unison..."What is Goldilocks??"

"I can answer that!!....Ten years ago...There was a series of contract killings...all done with accuracy, all just like these, shot through the heart and with a single German Lugar....Which we never found...and we never found the killer either.." said Angie..

"I remember that case very well...Lt. Cantrell and Lt. Tragg worked that case hard...Never cracked it...The elusive killer just vanished without a trace...like thin air...and we never found the gun....You think this is the same work?" asked Sissy..

''Same work..Same style..I'd bet my badge...the same gun..." said Tyriq...

''Sykes?" I asked.

"No, Not him..."said Angie..

''He's no killer..He's a safe cracker...A Brilliant heist man...Expert with chemicals, electricity and computers...but he has no violence in his past....This is someone else..." said Carlotta...

Just then Sharon, FBI,Deputy Special Agent in Charge ,Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins and another man walked up..

 "Hey guys...This is ATF special Agent Darryl Hayes...." she said.  Darryl, these are my friends....Lt. Sissy Van Buren, ,Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace, Detectives Tyriq Pile, James Barlow, Sirena Pile, My husband, Detective Tony Hopkins and  Detectives Edwin "Duke " Baylor and Angela Belton-Barlow..

They're with the Criminal Investigation Division ..We work very closely together ..In fact my office is in their suite...I'm their Liaison ." she said.

"Liaison? My Sharon, you have grown since the days we worked together in Atlanta....You and the cops were constantly at war back then...." he laughed..

"These guys are different....Wayyy different, they aren't jerks and they're pretty damn good cops, which is why I work with them...

And this is ADA Keith Wallace...He can be most helpful in getting us warrants and any support we need..." she said.

''If you say they are solid...Then I'll take you at your word...Ohhh Did I hear you say husband?? You got married Sharon?" he said.

"Yes..I did...This is my husband, Detective Tony Hopkins." she said.

"Pleased to meet you " said Hop...

"Uh yeah.." said Agent Hayes...He definitely didn't appear to be warm towards Hop...

"Excuse me for asking, But what is the ATF doing here? What is your interest in what is now our triple murder and escape of a prisoner?" asked Sissy...

"The Goldilocks File...We've been looking for that particular gun and the killer who weilds it almost as long as you guys have...I got a tip that the gun and it's owner has resurfaced in the Philadelphia Area!"said Agent Hayes, who looked at the bodies and the gunshot wounds....

"Ummmmmmmmmmmm, precision shooting....Same Style...same type of bullets...Uh Huh, This is Goldilocks alright!"he mused..

"Well for an investigation like this...We have a remote base that we work at and live in away from police headquarters..."said Sissy...."You're welcome to bunk with us.." she said.

"It's a government owned Apartment complex...Only it's a makeshift police station...Apartments for us to stay in upstairs..A conference room, computer and evidence room downstairs, Law Library and makeshift morgue downstairs and holding cells in the basement for prisoners..." said Sharon..

"I'd rather work with as few people possible...I want to keep this in house.." he said.

''Well, you'd be working with me and these guys.....I'll bring in a few of my trusted agents....You got anybody?" she asked.

"No it's just me...My clothes are in my car..." he said.

''Good...This afternoon, we'll meet up..." said Sissy...

"Great." he said.

''We are releasing the bodies now." said Hazel..

"Oh I'm sorry...Darryl, this is Dr. Hazel Baylor...She's part of our team too...She's our Forensic Investigator." said Sharon...

"Pleased to make your acquaintance.." he said, all smiles upon seeing Hazel....

"Pleased to meet you." said Hazel.

III-

''Sharrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrronnnnnnnn." said Carlotta to her friend..

"Yes Lotta." said Sharon...

"What's the deal between you and tall chocalate and handsome?" said Carlotta..

"Yeah girl, Give us the scoop!" said Sirena , who had grown as close to Sharon as she had to Carlotta...

"I don't know what you guys are talking about." said Sharon with an uneasy laugh....

"Sharon....I know you since we were in first grade.....You can't lie to me or fool me." said Carlotta.

"Okay...Okayyyy....Yes...Darryl and I had a uh thing..When I lived in Atlanta....Okay??" said Sharon...

"What kind of thing?" asked Sirena, smiling slyly...

"Sharon are you blushing mami?" asked Carlotta..

"We lived together in a loft for a spell...We uh were engaged to be married...for a minute...It uh didn't work out...Please....Please don't tell Hop...I-I -I uh might tell him!" said Sharon.

"What's to tell? You're married to Hop now?  That's old business." said Carlotta.

"I am and I'm happier than I ever knew possible...Lotta, I played with Hop's affections for years...You know that....And all the while..I could have been happy....I was always looking for someone better, Someone more accomplished..Agent Hayes was, is an Attorney ,like me as you know....He was tall ,dark, handsome...and very suave...I thought he was the one....But don't let his demeaner fool you...He's competitive  ,ambitious , not really a team player and has a wandering eye...That's why we broke up..." said Sharon...

"You know, My partner has been going to law school at night and he's one month from graduating...He'll be an Attorney soon..." said Sirena..

"Yes, I am very proud of Him." said Carlotta..

"I am too and no man treats me better or loves me as hard as Tony Tony does...I mean...I mean..." said Sharon..

''Aww...is that your nickname for him?  That's sweet...That's cute." said Sirena..

"Don't tease him...Don't tell him I let that slip.." said Sharon..

Just then Hop and Jimmy Appeared...

 "Hey ladies...We are all packed up and ready to go...You guys coming?" asked Hop...

"You girls must have come up with some new evidence on this case huh?" laughed Jimmy...

"Oh hush up Jimmy" laughed Carlotta, "In fact...We were discussing the case." she laughed...

IV-

That afternoon, we gathered up files and clothing from our homes and moved ourselves into our remote offices ...The government owned Apartment complex known as "Copland."

ATF Agent Daryl Hayes was fascinated by our set up......

"Counselor, this is a great set up you have here...And you mean few people know you're here?" he said.

"Only people who need to know...Like their Captain, The Commissioner , The Deputy of Operations...and a few trusted plain clothes cops from Vice and Narcotics who we have worked with before.." I said..

"So I hear, you hand picked these detectives yourself....Huh?  Duke,Tyriq and Jimmy I understand...

They look like solid guys...but the women?? Oh My LOrd!  " he laughed..

"Believe it or not...They all have solid records , high clearence rates...all were top of the class in the police academy..All are good cops or they wouldn't be in this unit..."I said.

"It doesn't hurt that they look good too, Heh-heh, heh...I understand you're married to the cute Puerto Rican one...Carlotta right?" he said ,smiling as he watched my wife walk across the conference room floor and take her shoulder holster off..

"Ummmmmmmmph she's sexy and that Lieutenant....Lawwwd!" he said..

looking at Sissy....

"She and I had been friends and associates for years...She asked me to bring her some good detectives who could close cases after a number of her detectives retired and she had openings and so I knew a lot of these detectives for years...and I began bringing them in....

He watched Tyriq, Sirena and their three small children unpack their bags and set up in their room...

He smiled...

"Damn, she's hot...and those two are married?" he mused..

"Yeah...He was here first...She worked over in a section called Special Investigations...I brought her over because she's good at profiling..." I said..

"I bet she's good at a lot of things...In the bedroom...and judging by the fact she has three kids and still looks like that....Lawd!" he said..

He eyed Jimmy and Angie enjoying a soft kiss in the corner...

"Those two? They're married too? I was kind of interested in her..." he asked..

 I smiled.

''Sorry pal...They just got married recently...She was in Homicide ,then went to Internal Affairs for years and then we brought her in.." I said.

''And the white boy jumped on it...I don't blame him...Get that good Brown Sugar....She probably drives him crazy.." he remarked.. "Say what about that cute coroner? Or Forensic Investigator ?? Is she going to be here?" he asked..

"You mean Hazel?  That's Duke's wife...."I laughed..

"Sorry man, all these women are taken..." I said...

"You seem to be more interested in the women here than this case." I joked...

"I like to know all of the players on the board, counselor...So I don't step on anybody's toes..." said Agent Hayes..
 He spotted Eddie C.  bringing in beer and Hoagies...

"He a cop too?" he asked..

"That's Sissy's Husband....

He's a civilian...He's a social worker...Runs an outreach program for at risk youth...He's the only civilian that knows about this place.." I said.

He eyed Sissy and smiled and shook his head...

"Ummmph, Ummmph,Ummph...All yall married and working together...How do you get any work done?" he asked..

"They take what they do very seriously...And they've known each other and worked together in different units for years....They're a good bunch of guys." I said.

"I did my research before I came out here...You guys have cracked a number of big cases...You each come highly reccomended  by the Bureau and local law enforcement....I'm pleased to be working with you.." he said.. He eyed Sharon who had got comfortable, Sitting on Hop's lap...She was feeding him morsels of a Hoagie..

He frowned and then grimaced...

"I was engaged to be married to Sharon once...We lived together in Atlanta for awhile.." he said.

"Oh? I didn't know....Her husband was a very talented Uniform Officer...Very sharp...I saw more for him...I got him to take the detectives test...He aced it...And I had heard he had been in law school...I practically paid for him to go back...He graduates next month....I'm very proud of Detective Hopkins..He's been a real asset to our unit.."I said.

"I didn't know she was married...I came up here with hopes of..Well...Never mind.....We've got to get started on this Goldilocks case tomorrow....Thanks for filling me in counselor." he said and slapped me on the back...

He walked over and grabbed a Hoagie and a beer and began chopping it up with Duke, Tyriq ,Jimmy and Eddie C...

 My wife, Carlotta brought me a beer and sat on my lap....

"What did he want? A run down on the marital status of all the girls?" she asked me..

I smiled..

"You never cease to amaze me...Now what made you ask me that?" I said smiling sheepishly...

"He's been looking at all of us as though he was trying to look through our clothes...Boss Lady an I noticed it...So did Sirena and Angie.." said Carlotta..

"Yeah,I told him who was married to who...and about our uniqueness...He told me that he and your girl ,Sharon were once engaged and that they lived together.." I said.

"Yes...Sharon told me and Sirena....Don't mention that to Hop...She would probably rather tell him." said Carlotta.

''What's to tell? She's married to Hop now....besides...That's none of my business...We've got an escaped felon , a triple murder and a mysterious gun and gunman who is killing people....That's my concern..." I said.

"Ouuuu papi....I can feel something hard ....Are you sure that's your only concern...???" she asked me..

''Welll ahhhh, right now...you're my concern..." I said..

"That is more like it."Carlotta Laughed..

(TO BE CONTINUED)