A Crack In The King's Armour

The next morning, we sat around the table in our conference room talking, drinking tumblers of coffee and enjoying some hot doughnuts

 that Hazel had brought over to us..

"I figured you guys could use this...So I picked these up on my way here..."said Hazel...

"Thank you so much Hazel...."said Sissy..

"Hit the spot Hazel..."I said..

"So what do we know so far?" asked Sissy.

'We can reasonably ascertain that

Marcus Cable, A wealthy and educated  Real Estate developer from the Dominican Republic ,who lives on a boat docked at Penns Landing has the hot package on the streets..." said Carlotta..

"On the positive...we put 75 drug dealers in the area and two ruthless enforcers behind bars and cleared 12 murders..."said Tyriq..

"Rico...My Rico, always with the positive..."said Sissy smiling...

We know that Leroy "Bad News" Jefferson

is the man on the street now...Anybody wants Heroin, Opiates, Cocaine or what have you..He's the drug store...."said Jimmy.

"And we don't have squat on him...Nada...We don't know where he picks up his stash or distributes his product."said Sirena..

''We do know that he has face to face meetings with his customers...in this restaurant...We've got photos of him meeting with several persons of interest..."said Hop ,showing everybody the photos..

"But we don't know what they are talking about..."said Sissy..

"So we really have nothing on Marcus Cable, Raheema Ellis or Bad News.."I said..

"Hold the phone guys..."said Duke..

"We know what happened to Tapioca Brown...Bad News killed him...We got him on tape admitting to as much..."said Angie..

"WHAT?" I asked..

"Run the most important part..."said Duke..

"Check it out.."said Angie...

They had been on an all night stakeout of Bad News's condo...

"Leroy...aren't you worried about Tapioca?  The Police or the FBI is going to capture him sooner or later.."said Raheema..

"I doubt that baby..." he laughed..

"He's dead isn't he?" she asked.

"As dead as a doorknod!"laughed Bad News..

"You?" she asked..

"Uh Huh...He never saw it coming...His body is at my uncle's funeral home and crematorium..In a day he'll be dust...No trace..."he said.

(Click!)

"Oh My God!  That's it...we got him...Murder one...He just confessed to it.."said Sissy...

"Honey Bunny, enough for a warrant?  Sharon, you're an Attorney..what do you think?" asked Carlotta.

"It's enough to take him down...I can get a warrant today." I said..

"Wait guys...True..you have enough to take Bad News off the street at anytime..But don't you want Cable and Ellis?" said Sharon..

''She's right..we do..We have to find out where Cable is warehousing his stash...He's too smart to have that stuff on his boat like Maserati did...And the only person that comes to his boat is Bad News..."said Tyriq.

"We gotta tie a tin can around the tails of the people who buy from here, find out where they pick up their stash.."said Jimmy..

"That's right...Sirena, Hop, Duke, Angie...I want you guys on that...."said Sissy...

 "We're on it Boss Lady.."

 "I'll go over to Vice and Narcotics and grab some plain clothes guys.."said Hop.

 "When you put your guys together...I'll get reports from the team I have on that restaurant..."said Duke..

"I'll see if I can get inside and get an eyeball account of what's going on.."said Angie...

"Chica...You ,Rico and Jimmy find out who his uncle is and where that Creamatorium is...We need Tapioca's body..."said Sissy..

 "Hmmm, We need to do some property searches and check our files on Bad News...They should be extensive.."said Carlotta..

 "This seems Gory.."said Jimmy...

''It's simple Homicide Jr."laughed Tyriq..

''I'll help you.."said Hazel..

"Find it and I'll get you a search warrant.." I said..

"I'll help you.." said Sharon..

And just like that...We were back on the hunt!

II-

 Raheema giggled...

''Leroy, that tickles.." she said.

He was kissing her passionately in his bathroom and running his hands down her panties...

"Ummmmmm.."he was moaning...

"Leroy come on...I've got to get dressed..My Uncle is supposed to be going out...I have to be on the boat.."she said and ran her finger across his lips..

"Let me come on the boat and uh keep you company.." he asked softly..

As they continued to kiss..

''Uh Uh..That's a no no..Unc says no one on the boat but me and him...Don't worry...I'll come and visit you some other time.." she said...

"You do everything your uh uncle says? You are a grown ass woman you know." he said..

"It's not like that.."she said..

"Well, tell me what it's like.." he said..

"You'd uh better let me get dressed."she said.

He sensed a sudden coldness in her voice just then...

 "You know Raheema...You're a brilliant girl...A Lawyer and all and you understand business...You and your Uncle have a pretty nice set up...You do all of the negotiations...You sign all of the contracts...and your Uncle is hardly in the room, but yet he is the boss.."said Bad News..

''Yeah? And?"she asked as she fixed her hair.... Once they both were dressed and headed out to breakfast, Bad News continued..

"I'm just sayin...You do the heavy lifting and yet he is the boss..You ever think of uh going on your own?" asked Bad News.

"He put me through college and law school...Some kids leave college and law school deeply in debt...I didn't..He paid for my entire ride in cash...And he buys the good product that you are selling to this city..."she said.

"Yeah, but I bet you actually do the negotiations...I'm just sayin..You could uh be the boss one day...Just somethin to think about..."said Bad News.

"Let's take a conversational detour right there partner...NEVER TALK AGAINST MY UNCLE ,IS THAT UNDERSTOOD??"said a now very angry Raheema..

"Hey Baby freeze!!!Freeze!!...I aint mean nothin...I was just sayin...Just conversatin baby!" said Bad News..

"Perhaps it's a better idea if we keep our association strictly business..No more  sleeping together..."said Raheema..

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyy, Baby look, I'm sorry I brought it up...Forget about it..."laughed Bad News..

"You're a snake....No one can trust you...You betrayed all of your compatriots...Betrayed your boss, both of em...And now you try to float the idea of me going against my uncle.."said Raheema, getting out of his car...

''Awww Baby nawww, you takin this way too serious.."protested Bad News..

"We have a business agreement, but know this...The Last guy who crossed my uncle is several feet beneath the bay, with a hole in his head ....Police are still searching for him....and I liked him way more than I like you! Remember that.."said an angry Raheema..

"Baby...I'm sorry...I should have never brought this up...I meant no disrespect to your uncle..We got a good thing going on..." said Bad News..

"I'm sorry too..When people show you who they are, you should believe them.."said Raheema.."I knew who you were the moment you stepped on our boat.."said Raheema.

"Awww baby please.."protested Bad News...He was desperate now...He had really enjoyed his night with Raheema and he wanted her to be his woman..

Raheema was done with him in any capacity!

Bad News stomped his foot and watched as Raheema got out of his Bentley

and hopped into a cab..

and rode away...

The King of Philadelphia as he called himself, stomped his foot in anger..



III-

The Diner looked like what it used to be..a Train Car...It was painted Gray and Blue Striped..A classic diner...

A non  descript van sat nearby....with tinted windows...Inside was Detectives Edwin "Duke" Baylor , Angela Belton -Barlow, Sirena Pile and Tony Hopkins...along with three uniformed police officers, a technician and and driver..who was also a uniformed policeman..

''Nice place...I remember diners like these when I was a kid...My dad took me, Carlotta and Sharon

 to one of these when we were in first grade I think for Ice Cream.."said Hop...

"You three have known each other for a long time.." said Angie...

"I lived next door to Carlotta and Sharon lived on the block behind ours...Across the drive way from Carlotta..We've known each other since Kintergarden.." said Hop..

"Yeah, I remember diners like that...Good food...a lot of food too and inexpensive.." loved em.." said Duke.

Sirena adjusted her telephoto lense.

"I'm getting a lot of good photos...Look at these mopes who are coming in here..A literal who's who that's left in the drug world..and some new faces.." she said..

"Get License plates...Facial recognition...I'll feed em to Sissy and Sharon...for addresses.."said Duke..

Inside the diner we had two plain clothes guys posing as customers....One was wearing glasses that enabled us to see everything as well as being wired for sound...

The other was snapping photos with a micro-camera..

Bad News walked in sat at his table, ordered a Milk shake and held court...All of the guys stopped by his table and sat down...They talked to him for a few minutes and placed orders..He whispered to them where they could pick up what they needed..

We couldn't hear the conversations, but then again..we didn't need to...


At Headquarters...

Sissy reported to us what was going on..

"They're getting good information..real good information..Photos and video of Bad News and a whole lot of people placing orders...It would be nice if we had audio, but it doesn't matter..We know who these people are and what their business is.." she said.

''Any money changing hands?" I asked.

"Not in there...They walk out and they leave an envelope with a guy in a car sitting near by and they keep walking..."laughed Sissy..

"How careful is Bad News..He never touches any money, Is never seen with any drugs on his person.."laughed Sharon...

In another room...Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy and Hazel seemed to be racing against time..

"I'm doing property searches of all of the Cremetoriums in Philadelphia by computer.."said Carlotta.

"Let's narrow it down...To Black owned..There can't be that many Top."said Tyriq..

''There isn't...Only three in the general area..This guy just established his business last year and this guy would be too young to be Bad News's Uncle.."said Jimmy...

"But this guy....His last name is Jefferson and he's been in business for a few years and he's the right age.."said Hazel...

"You sure? I'll call my Judge friend...He'll write up a search warrant and scan it to me in the next half hour." I said..

"Okay...Vice and Narcotics have plain clothes guys in cars on everybody that just left that diner..

"They're on the move..."said Sissy...

Carol Redding-Cantrell of the DEA was also with us..

"Tell them not to intercept..Let them pick up their stash and just take photos..We just need to know where the dope comes in.."said Carol..

"Will do." said Sissy..

"I got the warrant...Hit that Crematorium..!!!" I said.

The Crematorium was old and could use a good paint job...

''Damn...This place gives me the willies and the smell..I should have volunteered for the diner detail.."said Jimmy..

Tyriq laughed..

"You got the warrant Top?" he asked.

"Right here Rico!' said Carlotta.

"Let's do it!" said Tyriq...as the three of them led a Tactical Unit up the stairs

and into the Crematorium..

"POLICE! OPEN UP WE HAVE A SEARCH WARRANT!!" Yelled Tyriq..

Carlotta pulled her glock...She looked at Jimmy..she laughed..

"Big Baby..Come on...I'll protect you." she joked..

Jimmy unholstered his glock and followed her inside...

They passed by open caskets with fresh bodies ready to be cremated and Urns filled with the ashes of the recently cremated..

Jimmy thought he was going to vomit..

Hazel passed him a plastic bag...

"Jackpot!!!" yelled Tyriq....

It wasn't hard ...They found the body of Tapioca Brown....with a neat hole in between his eyes..and an exit wound out of the back of his head...

Carlotta winced at the smell...

"He's starting to decompose..." she said..

''Somebody's In here" said Jimmy, jumping..

Lester Jefferson, the proprieter stumbled into the room, he was drunk...And he smelled horrible..

"Whewwww...whoaaaa man..."said Jimmy..

"I'm drunk!...I didn't quite make it to the restroom.." he mumbled..

"You've got some explaining to do.."said Tyriq..

"Oh him?  My Nephew brought him here a few weeks ago...Had him in the cooler somewhere...You know my nephew...Leroy....He aint no damn good...That boy is gonna wind up in jail some day..." mumbled Lester...

Carlotta handcuffed him, read him his rights and then passed him to one of the officers who said.

"Yeah right...We gotta take him downtown in our car...I'm gonna have to fumigate my patrol car.." he said..

"That's why I'm a detective and you're a roller."joked Carlotta..

"Awww mamsita, you got jokes."laughed the Uniformed policeman who like Carlotta was Latino.

Hazel spoke to her M.E. personell..

"Bag him...get him out of here.." she said..

The Body of Tapioca Brown ,scheduled for cremation was removed and taken to the morgue...

Lester Jefferson was taken into custody quietly with no fanfare...

"Well Top, our murder is down...We got the body and we know who did it."said Tyriq..

"What's more, we can pick him up at any time now.."laughed Carlotta..

"Hope the others are as lucky with with Cable and Ellis." said Jimmy.

Duke ,Sirena, Hop and Angie stood outside the huge warehouse with Sissy,Sharon ,Carol and Myself..

 "This is it...Everybody in that diner that was followed ,went to this warehouse tonight." said Duke.

 "It was loaded with dope..They cleaned it out..."said Sirena.

 "This is the drug store."said Hop..

''So what is our next move?" asked Angie..

"Keep an eye on this place...Do a property search tonight..Find out who's name this place is in..Next time these guys go to the store..It'll be their last pick up.." said Sissy.

"You guys did excellent work Sissy...but what would I expect from my old partner...Ms. Thorough herself."said Carol Redding-Cantrell of the DEA...

"I'll put a raiding team together...When you're ready..We'll hit this place and hit it hard."said Sharon..

"I'll get the warrants."I said.

IV-

At Penns Landing some days later..

Marcus Cage brought some flowers, A Bouquet of multi colored roses to his niece...Raheema.

''This is the third bouquet this guy has sent you..If I was gay,I'd date him myself.."laughed Marcus Cage..

"That's not funny Unc...This guy Bad News...He's not to be trusted...He's a snake.."said Raheema..

''Yeah he is..I mean look how he came to power...butttttttttt on the other hand...he is making me more money than I can get a handle on.."said Marcus Cage.

"Money isn't everything.."said Raheema who tossed the roses into the water.

 Nightfall came-

The King of Philadelphia, Leroy Bad News Jefferson

 Stood outside of his condo....He could still smell Raheema's fragrance...She was all that was on his mind right now...What he couldn't know was that he had serious problems...more serious than losing a girl, coming down the pike.


(CONCLUSION NEXT)