The Suspect Heart Attack

Two Police Helicopters hovered above the area of the city known as Jewelers Row and reported to Sissy...

Sissy turned to me...


"These guys are slick...They bypassed the security system...during working hours and sent a phony feed into the cameras...Our guys have already picked it up...and the copters have picked up a small explosion.." she said.

"They burrowed in from behind and rather than get in the elevator...They went up the stairs and they're repelling down the shaft...Just like Tyriq predicted they would.." I said.

The night before...Tyriq had shown us a map of the Jewelry store in question...He described how they might do it..


"They'd burrow in with small explosives from the back and bypass the elevator." he said.

''See they would know that the elevator is a trap.. that no one uses it and that it stops in between floors and doesn't start moving until the cops got there.." said Carlotta.

"We studied John Longhorn Sykes... He got nabbed trying to break into a place just like this once...So this time.. He'd know better..." said Jimmy...

"He's an expert in Electronics and Explosives...He'd know to short circuit the Street cams in that area and the security cams in the building...He'd need a guy to do that..."said Hop.

"And he'd need two athletic guys to actually go up and make the snatch...He's up in age himself.. I can't see him doing it.." said Sirena.

"And shot caller is outside or in the lobby, waiting...Coordinating the whole thing.." said Duke..

"But he'd need some type of distraction, momentarily, so they could make their getaway before things went back to normal and they got warned of a robbery..." said Angie..

"Right Angie...This whole thing goes down fast....It can't take anymore than twenty to twenty five minutes...They leave in one car and then switch to another car..." said Sharon...

"He's good with chemicals...A fire maybe? An Explosion?" said Carlotta.

"No that would bring firemen... and cops....It would have to be something else." said Sissy.


This was the conversation we all had after dinner the night before...

II-

It was Hazel , who gave us our first break as we rushed toward what was already going down...


"Sissy....Guys...He brought some medicine that induces a heart attack!! That's it...A man having a medical emergency right at the culmination of this brings the guards off the monitor and the crowd away from the lobby...It gives the rest of the gang a chance to escape without notice..."said Hazel...

Carlotta was listening to the entire exchange on her Walkie Talkie..


"That was it!!! Hazel you're right...That's what I couldn't figure out.. Why he'd buy a drug that induces a heart attack!!Now it all makes sense.." said Carlotta..


As we spoke...It had already gone down...A man was reported having a heart attack...in the lobby of the Jewelry Store...

The guards and the crowd flocked around him....Having no idea that this was John "Longhorn " Sykes, the man who had just masterminded the multi -million dollar robbery of their very establishment. and the man kneeling over him and "Calling an ambulance" was Paulie Leonetti ,shot caller and one of the most vicious killers around...

Amazing how an Ambulance drove up, right on sight....Charles "Buddy" Geisler got out of the car, he was dressed as an ambulance attendant....With him was Larry Tackett. They loaded John Sykes and Paulie Leonetti into the ambulance...Curtis Gowdy was driving...They pulled off..


"You get the stones?" asked Paulie..


"Boy did we? Even grabbed some extra swag.." said Larry Tackett..


"Let's get out of here..."said Buddy Geisler..

"This was sweet...A sweet score..Like clockwork..We bypassed all the alarms just like you said and repelled down the elevator shaft and slipped out during the confusion and got this ambulance that we stole last night...Sykes...you're a damn genius..." said the driver...Curtis Gowdy...laughing as the five men pulled off..

Carlotta ,Tyriq and Jimmy were behind them in an unmarked car....with tinted windows...

Sirena and Hop and Angie were also on them, playing "Front and follow" Something Captain Cantrell had taught them as a way to follow a perp and make them think they were following you...


''Sirena, you're driving this car baby!" laughed Angie..

"Captain Cantrell used to yell at me when he was teaching me this...

Saying I was driving too slow." she laughed.

"Me too! He used to say ,Drive with confidence...Don't drive like you're scared girl." laughed Angie, remembering...


Her and Sirena laughed..

In another car, Sissy, Sharon and I were coming in on them....

 "They were good, but we are on em. Carlotta, Rico and Jimmy are a few blocks behind them and Sirena, Angie and Tony are playing front and follow in front of them.."said Sharon...

"They came very close to pulling this off and slipping right through the net we had drawn....We really lucked out on this...Your friend, Agent Hayes ,really came through.." I said.

"Rico, Chica and Jimmy are on them.....So is Angie, Sirena and Hop... I know where they are...Chopper you got a visual?" asked Sissy.

"Got em Boss lady...I think your guys have been made...

They're speeding up...They're switching off to another street.." said the man in the helicopter...

"Stay on em..Keep me posted.." said Sissy.



III-

"I DON'T BELIEVE THIS...COPS!! HOW DID THEY KNOW?? HOW COULD THEY HAVE KNOWN???"screamed Paulie Leonetti...


"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Help me..Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.." moaned John Longhorn Sykes..


"Knock it off with that fake heart attack, we got heat on our trail.."said Paulie..


"Paulie...he aint fakin it..look at him..he's sweating like a stuck pig and his pulse is weak.. He must have taken too much of them pills..." said Buddy Geisler...


"We gotta ditch this ambulance...Curt...Drive into the park.....The trees will block the choppers...Turn here.." said Paulie Leonetti...


They grabbed the sacks of  diamonds...


Paulie raised his gun to fire..


"No need for that boss.. He's dead! No pulse.. No breathing..."said Larry Tackett..


"You sure?" asked Paulie..


"Yeah.."he said.


Buddy felt his pulse...


"He's dead boss!" he said.


"Ohhhhhhhhhh well...Thanks Johnny...I'll never forget you....Come on, grab those sacks and let's go.." said Paulie as he, Larry, Curt and Buddy grabbed the sacks of Diamonds and ran out of the park, where they quickly changed into their street clothes and  jumped into their gray van and pulled off..

"Think we shook them cops?" asked Buddy...


"Oh of course...They'll find poor Johnny and we'll be in the other direction..."said Paulie..


As they exited the park....Sirena and Hop rammed their car into their gray van so hard that the gray van spun around...


"ARghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! We been hit boss!" screamed Curtis Gowdy...


"No kiddin? I bet you were at the head of your class Curt." said Paulie Leonetti...


"I don't believe this shit. Come on.. grab those sacks...We'll lam it on foot and meet up at the apartment complex..to split up the swag." he barked..

They went to get out of the van and Carlotta, armed with a riot pump shotgun, Tyriq armed with a glock and Jimmy armed with his glock was running towards them...


"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! COPS!" said Paulie Leonetti...

Sirena put her gun to Paulie Leonetti's head ...


"On your knees...DO IT!!!" she barked...


"I don't believe this shit." he barked.. Shaking his head..."I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!"he said.


"Well at least you didn't get shot." said Sirena.

Hop put Buddy Geisler and Larry Tackett on the ground and handcuffed them...They kept mumbling..."How did you know? , Who tipped you off?"


''Questions aren't in your vocabulary right now." said Hop... "On your feet." he said.

and Angie put Curtis Gowdy on the ground...and handcuffed him. 


Within minutes about three police cars were on the scene..




Sissy , Sharon and I drove up just as all this was going down...

"Got em all..." said a jubilant Sissy...

 ''Somebody is missing.." said Sharon..

Sharon and I looked around..


"Where is Sykes?" I asked..


Paulie Leonetti frowned..


"He's dead! He had a heart attack.. His body is back there in the Ambulance..in the park.." he said.

"I don't think so...We just checked that ambulance...Nobody is in it." said Duke , who came running up with Agent Hayes...

Agent Hayes reached into the car and fished out the German Lugar....It was under the back seat....He motioned for a uniform policeman to bag it and tag it.

"Ahhhhhhh Goldilocks!!! You don't know how long I've been lookin for you." he said
looking down at Paulie Leonetti..."And you too!" he said and smiled... Paulie  Leonetti just smirked...


"Hey you said nobody was in the van....I felt his body....Sykes was dead.." said Buddy Geisler..


"Me too.. He was sweatin and his chest was heavin...He's dead......I felt his body too!"said Larry Tackett...

"I'm afraid not.." said Duke.." Nobody was in that ambulance.." he said.

Sissy opened the sacks and poured out the contents....Rocks....Regular rocks, stones and pebbles...


Paulie Leonetti looked sick..


"WHATTTTT?? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS???? OH MY GOD!" he said...

"These are rocks....Oh My God!!!!" said Carlotta....She started laughing...

"Sykes faked his death...knowing you guys would leave him.." said Tyriq ,who was laughing himself now..

"Oh My God! Sacks of rocks. .We've been chasing sacks of rocks!" said Angie, Sirena and Sharon , who were all laughing...

Jimmy smiled and shook his head..


"Looks like you guys got snookered." he said.


"WELL I'LL BE DAMNED." said Paulie Leonetti, who stomped his foot and cursed..


"SON OF A BITCH!" said Curtis Gowdy....


"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" said Buddy Geisler...


"THAT STINKIN LOW DOWN CHISLER....SYKES..." said Larry Tackett..


Several uniformed policemen arrived now and the four men were taken into custody...

"Wow....we got the gang...Our Triple Murder is down , but our main man....He got away, with the diamonds...He outsmarted everybody..."I said.

"Maybe not!!!...I really looked into John Sykes.. He owns a boat on the Marina...He bought it years ago before he went to jail...Wanna bet, he's there, right now, preparing to leave by sea?" said Hop.

 Duke smiled..


"I've always loved this guy." he said.

"Me too! Good Pull Hop!" said Tyriq..

Hop smiled..

"We haven't got him yet....This is just a theory." said Agent Hayes..

"It's a good theory!!!....You got a better one?" asked Sharon...

"Well no..I uh was just saying..." said Agent Hayes..

"Folks, let's not fight.. Let's get this guy, wrap this thing up! He doesn't have that much of a head start on us." said Sissy.


IV-

John Longhorn Sykes was at the Marina...getting his boat ready to depart...When he saw Police Choppers above..

He was stunned...


"I-I-I don't believe it!" he said.

"Hola  Johnny." said Carlotta, who raised her shotgun....and cocked it...


"WHATTTTT? How did you?  How did you know??" he asked..


Carlotta smiled. 


"No Hi, No Hello Johnny???...I am so hurt.." she said..


"Hello gorgeous...Heard you got married since I've been away. Couldn't wait for me huh?" he said, laughing....


"Well, a girl has to do what she has to do." joked Carlotta.

"Well.. Well.. Well.. It's been awhile hasn't it Johnny?" said Tyriq..


"Detective Pile...Yes it has...." he said and shrugged..

"Gotta hand it to you...That was a great caper....and the way you snookered your partners....Man, that was classic!" said Jimmy....


"You liked that huh? It was funny." he said to Jimmy...laughing...

"There really is no honor amongst thieves is it." said Duke, who grabbed him and snatched his pistol from him...


"Hello Duke....Long time no see." he said...


"How you been Johnny?" asked Duke...


"As you can imagine...I've been better." he said and smiled weakly...

Angie cracked it open...


"It's not loaded..." she said.

"I didn't think so...He's not violent." said Sirena , who handed the handcuffs to her partner...


"This is your collar...You earned it partner." she said.

Hop put the cuffs on him and read him his rights...

Sissy stepped on the boat and opened up an ice chest...An Ice chest filled with Diamonds...


Her eyes got as large as saucers...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, now this is real ice baby, look a here., look a here, look a here." she said.

Sharon beamed...


"You told us this morning to pack....that this was going to go down quick...I was thinking tomorrow....Not today." she said.

Agent Darryl Hayes smiled...


"Damn good case... ADA Wallace, Lieutenant Van Buren...It was a pleasure working with you guys...Sharon, you weren't lying, these guys are good...


You got your escaped felon and the gang that pulled the heist, you got your merchandise...

and your triple murder is down and I got "Goldilocks at long last....

Everybody wins...Love this...Love workin with you guys.." he said ,smiling jubilantly...


A Black Government car drove up.... Three men in Trenchcoats , wearing Wing tips and dark suits got out...

Sissy and I looked at Sharon...She shrugged...


One of the men pulled out what looked like a warrant...He looked at Agent Hayes..


"You Darryl Hayes?" he asked.

"Yes.. I am a Special Agent with the ATF...We just cracked a big case.. Who wants to know?" he asked...


"We are Federal Agents..We have a warrant for your arrest." he said.


Agent Hayes laughed..


"What?  Arrest? For what?" he asked incredulous..


" Assault of a Federal Agent.  Early this morning...ATF Agent Portia Collins claims you beat her up and took her smartphone..."said the Agent..


"WHATTT? Oh she's exaggerating...It wasn't like that....Not at all!!!" he said.


He was handcuffed...and read his rights...


The Agents put him in the car and pulled off....

Sharon looked at us...


"Years ago, when we were living together...I said something.. Something that set him off.. He beat me up pretty bad...Afterword,  he was very apologetic...I brought him up on charges, I cancelled our engagement and I moved out....His attorney begged me to reconsider...I dropped the charges...but he was put in a therapy program and anger management for over a year.. After he successfully completed that...He was re-instated and moved out west....He has anger issues.. I still saw flashes of it... Now maybe he 'll get some real help..." she said.

"Baby!" said Hop who held her in his arms and rocked her silently and slowly as she cried..

"Oh Sharon...."said Sissy...

Carlotta, Sirena and Angie hugged her.....

Jimmy, Rico ,Duke and myself took John "Longhorn" Sykes over to the uniform policemen , who took him downtown to central booking...

"I imagine the partners he snookered.. Can't wait to see him!" I said.. We all laughed.

Seems like so many of our big cases have ended at Penns Landing!


EPILOUGE-

Charles "Buddy Geisler , Lawrence "Larry" Tackett and Curtis Gowdy all got 15-25 years for the jewel heist.....



John "Longhorn" Sykes got an additional 15 years tacked on to his 25 year sentence...He is in segregation....Geisler, Tackett and Gowdy have all threatened to kill him if their paths should cross..

Paulie "Goldilocks" Leonetti was convicted of a triple murder and sentenced to die by Lethal Injection in the State of Pennsylvania... In Georgia, he was tried and convicted of an additional 12 murders going back twelve years and also sentenced to die by lethal injection....There wasn't enough evidence to try him for any other murders he was suspected of...but at this point, did it matter?.. All he could do was pick which state he'd rather be executed in...


Even though we suspected, the Attorney, A.J. Miller of being a co-conspirator...We lacked any proof ..He claimed to be the Attorney representing Sykes...All we had was a photo of him in the same store with Sykes and Leonetti...He's not even close to the two of them...He's standing in the back of the store....So Once again.. He escaped justice...but one day...One day soon...He'd get his!

ATF Agent Darryl Hayes had assault charges dropped, but he was forced to resign from the ATF....

Sissy and I both went to bat for him.. We testified that he was very instrumental in helping us crack the case and finally identify "Goldilocks.." It wasn't enough....
He entered Therapy and Anger Management again.......but it was clear, his career as a federal agent was over.. The ATF asked for and got his resignation...He can still collect his pension at least.

The Last we heard ,He is back in Atlanta....Contemplating, opening a law practice....and or possibly getting a P.I. license! I wish him luck!

I sat at the pier the next day and watched Carlotta work out ..

"Stop staring at me papi...You should join me sometimes and get your workout on..." she said smiling...

"I plan to get my workout on....but not out here.." I laughed..

"Ohhh papi....you have a one track mind. Sexo, Sexo, Sexo all the time! Aye Mios Dios...You are always so horny!" she laughed....As I put my arms around her and hugged her....


We had been through so much, So many cases together....Being with her and like this was beyond my wildest imagination...


Proof that dreams do come true sometimes!