There was a knock on Agent Carla Brunson's door...
She didn't look surprised when she saw her early morning visitor..She looked around though...She expected more people...
"You came alone?" she asked..
''Did I need to come with someone?" asked Sharon Hopkins ,Deputy Special Agent in Charge of The Philadelphia FBI...
''You know don't you? Let's cut the crap Sharon."said Carla.
"I know Your Father is into Johnny Gillespie, a New Jersey Underworld figure for close to one million in gambling debts and the only reason his legs aren't broken or his fingers...is because his daughter is you...A Department of Justice Special Agent..In the Integrity Unit...You police the Feds...He told you if you give him information when he called on you...He wouldn't hurt your father.. I know he contacted you sometime last month and asked you to be on the lookout for any warrants on his people...His 12 hackers who were helping him to bleed legitimate drug companies dry so he could sell and make a killing on the black market..His wire room bosses in Camden, Here in Philly and in Atlantic City and his enforcers...You gave him the names of those 12 people as soon as you saw the indictments..."said Sharon..
"I did...and I hate myself...I've become everything I hate...Everything I despise...I'm through lying and covering up..but I didn't know he was going to kill them..I thought he was going to shut down the operation and tell them to get in the wind...I swear ,that's the truth...I've felt horrible about the murders...I felt horrible about that little song and dance I had to put on for you and Carol Redding.
..I knew you guys were good agents and I knew Sissy Van Buren and her detectives were good cops..." said Carla.
"You May find this hard to believe , but I believe you..We've never liked each other Carla...but one thing I've never doubted...Was your integrity, and that you weren't a good agent..." said Sharon..
"My dad is the only family I've got...My Mom is dead...My brother died of cancer a few years back...He's it...He got himself into this mess...and it's cost me my career I suppose and my freedom..." said Carla..
"I didn't come here to arrest you..I understand.... If it were my brother, my dad or my husband in a bind like your father,I wouldn't hesitate to help them in any way I could...I'm not here to judge you or arrest you...I'm not wearing a wire..if that's what you think."said Sharon,opening her blouse to make her point.
"My friends in the Criminal Investigation Division picked your dad up yesterday..and we packed him up too!....He's at Dover Air Force base in custody ,along with Henry Holcomb....Gillespie can't get to him there,because he doesn't know he's there..He's safe...
I've got undercover FBI agents shadowing Johnny Gillespie and I've wiretapped his townhouse...We got deeper into him than he thinks....That's why we knew about Caleb....Oh and thanks for sending me those files..We had a lot of that information already, but it certainly helped..."said Sharon..
"You're not arresting me? I'm as good as dead anyway..I know Johnny has a contract out on me or he will eventually...He's a snake and I know too much.....I gave sensitive information to a known gangster...I compromised a sensitive investigation...I obstructed justice..My career is decimated...And I could go to prison...I'm sure this is your crowning achievement.."said Carla..
"Nobody knows about you and what you did except Me and my friends....The FBI, ATF and DEA don't know..I've kept my suspicions to myself for days...I finally told them yesterday...When I found out about your father.."said Sharon...
''Carol Redding knows."said Carla.
The Top DEA Agent in the area did know!
''She does..In fact she knew first...You slipped and said something about the investigation that you shouldn't have known...That's what put us on to you...Then I found out about your dad...I'm not here to arrest you or bury you ,I'm here to ask for your help.."said Sharon..
"My Help?" asked Carla..
"You can make this right...Testify against him, help us take him down...You do this and I'll do everything I can to keep you from being prosecuted and possibly from being terminated...I'm an Attorney don't forget.."said Sharon...
"I remember...I was always jealous of you because you had a law degree when you started at Quantico..The Bureau always treated agents with law or accounting degrees better than people like me..I was a former Homicide Detective from D.C. when I went to Quantico...Wow!You did good here Sharon...You seem so at peace...Not like before in Atlanta, D.C. and New Orleans....What was different about Philly?" asked Carla.
"It was home...I'm from here...I came back and married the boy who almost got away, The boy who had loved me all my life, who I had always taken for granted.."said Sharon,
thinking about Hop..
"That's right...you're married to one of those Detectives...Detective Tony Hopkins..."said Carla.
"And their boss, Sissy Van Buren is a cop's cop...a gem and they all respect her...She's a strong woman and she gets that respect....because she's good at what she does...
She understood me and has been nothing but a friend and sister to me since I got here...I was reunited with my very best friend from childhood..Who is also one of those detectives..
Her name is Carlotta...and two of the other female detectives,
Angie and Hazel went to High School with me....and the men,
Oh my God ,have you seen the Assistant District Attorney?? He's a Hunk...That's my best friend's husband..
And this guy Duke...Lawwwwd! He's married to my friend Hazel
Cool, Smooth Rico...He's married to my other close friend, Sirena..
She and I have gotten really close since I've been here, We are like sisters.... and Jimmy
Coolest White boy I ever met...He's married to my girlfriend, Angie..... We are like a family....I love working with them..I love living near them and hanging out with them, when we are not at work... and so many other people I've met since I've been back...My husband and I have bought a house and this is my home..My last stop..."said Sharon.
"I envy you Sharon..I wish I had some place to call home....You know I'm from this area originally...Cherry Hill...South Jersey...My dad was my hero..Always the life of the party...Then he began gambling after my mother and brother died...Just gambling, trying to forget I suppose.. and got caught up in High stakes Poker...Now's he's in a hole I can't get him out of..."said Carla..
"It's going to be alright...He can get treatment...Gambler's Anonymous and as for his debt..He won't owe that debt much longer...we plan to put Johnny Gillespie out of business and soon...I need your help...You testify against him and that's one more nail we can put in his coffin..
''What do you need to know? I'm in..." said Carla.
II-
While down on the street , a phone call is made..
Johnny Gillespie answered..
''What?" "She's got a visitor..I don't know who it is...Some Black chick."said the man.. "Okay, walk away...You can hit her some other time..I don't want any witnesses..." said Johnny "Oh yeah...and her old man has vanished...I went by his place...He's moved out...No sign of him or his car..and they said he hasn't been at work.."said the man.. "What? He must have left town....Damn it...Without him..I have zero leverage over her...She's got to go...but not now..Get her later.." said Johnny Gillespie. "Got it..I'm out.." said the man ,who walked down the street and into the waiting arms of Duke Baylor.
"Hello Sport...How ya doin?" said Duke..
"I'm not the one you want to rob homeboy.."said the man..
He then produced his gun...A .44 magnum with a homemade silencer..
Duke smiled..
"That's a nice piece, you know that's illegal don'tcha.?" said Duke..
"You talk like a cop....You a cop?" he asked..
Duke laughed...
"Am I a cop?" he said and flashed his badge...and ID-
Detective Edwin Baylor, Criminal Investigation Division Philadelphia Police Department
Tyriq walked up behind him and placed his glock in the small of his back...
"Nice and easy..Niceeeeeeeee and easy champ...take your hands off the heater and put em up where I can see em...Failure to do so and you're gonna have a hard time scratchin your ass forever."said Tyriq...
"You guys are cops?? You got no cause to arrest me.." said the man..
Jimmy took his gun and patted him down..
"You see champ, we do...We know you came in from Atlantic City..We know you're a suspect in at least five contract killings and we've been listening to you...Every phone call you've made..."said Jimmy...
"You guys cloned my phone..??" he asked..
"No stupid"said Hop , who handcuffed him.. "We cloned the phone of the guy you were talking to...The guy who paid you a half million dollars to kill a federal agent...That's my wife up there with her..She's FBI."said Hop..
"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed the man...shaking his head...
Sirena and Carlotta walked up...Sirena patted him down again, she took a knife and an ankle holster with a .22 in it from Him..
"Kevin Morris taught me to look for that.."said Sirena, smiling...
He looked at her ..
"You're a cop too?" he asked..
Sirena laughed..
"No,I'm just kinky...I like to pat strange guys legs down." she said.
Carlotta took another gun from out of the small of his back...
"You guys are slipping." she said and smiled.."Kevin taught me that too!" she said.. She looked at the man..
"And don't ask me if I'm a cop!" she barked..
Angie walked up with two uniformed policemen...
They read the man his rights...and took him away...
"I don't believe this...Cops comin out the woodworks.." he muttered...
Sissy walked up..
"Good Job guys.." she said..
I walked up..
"Here comes Sharon and Carla now"I said..
Carla is going to help us..
"I'll give you everything.."she said..
"That enough?" Sissy asked me..
"That's a plenty.." I said.
III-
Mulberry Street, The City's rooftop Jazz Bar and Restaurant...Carlotta loved coming here...
Johnny Gillespie was on the phone..
"Yeah...I'll be in AC tomorrow morning...Philly is a little too hot for me right now...I've got a little business to tie up here first and then I'll be on the train...Yeah..have my suite ready for me...Find me a nice escort too..Yeah ,cool..I'll see you then.." He said..
"Planning on leaving town Johnny? Awww and I'd brought some friends to meet you...This is Carlotta
and this is Sirena..
And this here is Angie...
and this is the boss lady...Sissy
and they came to party..."said Carla, who ordered them all Citris Martini's...
They all sat at his table as the drinks arrived...
He smiled looking at the lovely women...
"Carla, what is this?" he asked..
"I know...You're shocked...Shocked that I'm still alive...Your little playmate that you hired to kill me...He got himself arrested this morning..."said Carla..
Johnny smiled...
''Are you drunk?"he asked..
"Drunk?I haven't started drinking yet...I'm happy to be alive and happy my father is safe, where you can't get to him .."said Carla...
''We shouldn't be having this discussion in the open like this...Our guests don't uh want to hear this.."he said, laughing nervously..
"Oh but we do...See I'm Lieutenant Sissy Van Buren of the Criminal Investigation Division and these are my detectives,
Carlotta Wallace..
Sirena Pile..
and Angie Belton.." said Sissy...
They all flashed their badges...
"You gotta be kiddin me...You ladies are cops?...You don't look like cops." he laughed..
"WELL HOW BOUT US? DO WE LOOK LIKE COPS?" said Duke Baylor..
He was flanked by Tyriq
Jimmy
and Hop
They flashed their badges and had their glocks drawn...
backed by several well armed Tactical squad officers at the other exit...
''Allow me to introduce the rest of my detectives.. Duke Baylor, Tyriq Pile, James Barlow and Tony Hopkins and the rest of the team at that other exit.....Oh and you're under arrest.."said Sissy..
The crowd of party goers all backed up..A Hush lit the room....The musicians stopped playing...
I walked up..
"Hi fella..I;m Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace and I've been wanting to meet you for a long time..You're under arrest for Conspiracy to commit murder, Thirteen counts, Wire fraud, Extortion,Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, Obstruction of Justice, Conspiracy to extort a federal agent and 12 counts of First Degree Murder.." I said..
He turned as White as a ghost...If that was possible..Every eye in the place was on him...
"Oh My God!" he exclaimed...
He looked over the balcony...
"Oh My God!" he exclaimed....He was sweating and shaking...
Then to our astonishment...He leaped over the balcony, head first!!!!!!!!...
and fell down, down 13 stories into the street!!!
The crowd gasped...People on the street screamed...Everyone was upset.....
Sissy ,Carlotta,Sirena, Angie and Carla all turned away in horror...
Duke and Hop looked over the balcony in horror..
Jimmy was stunned..
''We shoulda grabbed him." he said..
''How would we know? Who knew he'd do something crazy like that?" said Tyriq silently.
"Oh My god...Let's just get out of here.."said Sissy..As we all dispersed..This was truly a night all of the party goers would remember...
IV-
The Body of Johnny Gillespie, Reputed New Jersey Underworld figure was carted off...
He had chose to take his life ,rather than face the consequences of his many crimes...
"You guys are keeping me busy.."said Hazel...
"You don't have to Autopsy him...He jumped...That was definitely a suicide.."I said..
"I don't know about you guys...but I'm hungry...There is an IHOP not too far from here.."said Jimmy..
"How can you think about pancakes after we just witnessed a suicide.?" asked his wife Angie..
"You gonna tell me you're not hungry?" asked Duke..
''I know I am...how bout you sexy?" he asked his wife Sirena..
"Where you go ,I will follow."sighed Sirena..holding Tyriq's hand...
"I am Hungry myself."said Carlotta..
"Yeah ,some pancakes would be cool right about now.." said Hop..
"Okay...I'm in....How bout you Siss?" asked Angie..
"I didn't want to say anything, but I'm in too.."said Sissy...laughing...
"Don't forget about me.."said Hazel...
''It's on me..I'm buying.." I said...
Sharon drove up just then...
She saw the body being carted off..
''What Happened? He tried to shoot it out with you guys?" she asked..
''No,Nooooo...They told him he was under arrest...They read him the charges..And he stood up and jumped over the balcony into the street before anyone could stop him...We had no idea he'd do that!..He had no prior arrest record...I guess the thought of doing all that time was too much for him..Fat coward.."said Carla.
"We are going to IHOP babes..I'll tell you all about it.."said Hop .to Sharon
"Oh My God Sharon, you were right about these guys...I love them! " said Carla..
And what a nice way to end the case...At an IHOP...
EPILOUGE-
Caleb Gunstein was tried and convicted of 12 counts of First Degree Murder and sentenced to die by lethal injection...
The would be hitman that Johnny Gillespie hired to kill Carla and her father was extradited back to New Jersey to stand trial for murder in an unrelated case...He was convicted and is serving a life sentence ,no parole in New Jersey.
New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Police shut down his remaining wire rooms...
With Johnny Gillespie's death, the case was officially over...CLOSED!
Me and Carlotta,
Duke and Hazel,
Tyriq and Sirena
Jimmy and Angie
chowed down on Pancakes and sausages..
Sissy,who was joined by her husband, Eddie C. , Sharon, Hop and Carla
chowed down on Omelets..
Sharon looked at Carla..
"With the death of Johnny Gillespie..You're free and clear...No one ever has to know about him extorting you to give up those warrants..Your dad is safe and you can go on with your life and career.."said Sharon...
"Oh My God!!!....Thank you!!!!!!,...Thank you so much Sharon....I'm in your debt...I never thought I would ever say that.....What happens to Henry Holcomb?" asked Carla..
"He was released...He didn't really do anything...He was under duress, just like you..They threatened to kill him if he didn't give them the building design and then they told him to turn in his resignation and get out of town...He's gotten his old job back and a new apartment now. Those goons are all dead now and Caleb is behind bars..."said Carlotta..
''And your dad has agreed to treatment for his gambling..He'll be released to your custody as early as tomorrow."said Sissy...
"He's free and clear too for the first time in years...Oh My God! Thank you guys..Thank you all so much...If you see Carol, Carol Redding...
, tell her...Tell her I said I'm sorry..."said Carla..
Sharon smiled..
''I will... She'll understand....All those years...All those years we competed against each other when we were young field agents.. ,tried to one up each other.."said Sharon.
''And all those years, we could have been friends.."said Carla..as she rubbed Sharon's hands softly...
