An Offer She Can Refuse

The squadroom had a mostly full staff this morning...Only Lt. Cotton, Monica and I were missing..

the reason why?

We were on a boat ,out on the river.....but I'll get to that in time..

Deputy of Operations Clyde Gould ,who had been paying an inordinate amount of attention to us lately stopped by our office...

Only Kylie was there of the detectives he knew...

''Where is Cotton?" he asked..

''The Lieutenant is out...He didn't say where he was or when he'd be in..."said Detective Kylie White..

''Where is Detective Nate Nellis and his wife, Detective Monica Nellis?" he asked.

"They're on the street...running down a lead on a case."said Kylie..

"The Porter Case?" he asked.

"I don't know...They've closed three other cases since then.."said Kylie..

"Yes they have and so have you Detective White, which is why I'm here...Look...I've gone over your jacket.." he said.

"You have?" said Kylie..

"You know, you have a very impressive amount of arrests and closures yourself...Just as many as Nate and Monica...and yet Lt. Cotton goes on and on about how Nate and Monica are his BEST DETECTIVES!.. Nonsense...They've cracked a number of cases with your assistance.." said Clyde Gould..

"So sir you're saying this to say what?" asked Kylie..

''I see a direct promotion in your future.. A sergeant's stripe Detective..." he said.

''I must admit.. I have been thinking about taking the test.."said Kylie..

"You could bypass that test....I could promote you directly on merit.." said Gould..

Kylie's eyes lit up....

"REALLY?" she said..

''Oh yes...but I need you to do me a favor.. I need you to be my eyes and ears....I need some information...On Cotton and his brother and sister in law...Every case they take on...Every short cut they might take, where they go, what they say about me...Can you do that?  It's nothing hard...You just slip off and report to me when you can....They'll never know..."he said.

"That's all I have to do?" asked Kylie..

"That's all and this time next year...You could be sending Monica and Nate out on assignments...They'd be answering to you or maybe you could go to another unit...as Detective Sgt. Kylie White...Think about it." he said.

Kylie was silent for a moment...

"Nothing to think about...I'm in..." she said smiling..

"Good Girl...Now where is the Lieutenant and the Nellis's really at?" he asked..

"I don't know where the Lieutenant is, I really don't...Nate and Monica are out running down a lead.. That's all they told me this morning..I don't know if it's the Porter case or not..  They do have a plain clothes man on John Sebring.." said Kylie..

"Okay, good for now..but I want to know where Cotton was today and information on whatever the Nellis's find today..." said Gould..

"Yes Sir, Sirrrr..And thank you sir." said Kylie, smiling wryly...

"Good, that's all detective...I expect to hear from you soon." said Deputy Of Operations Gould.

II-

We were out in the middle of the river with a Police Marine Boat and covered by a Helicopter....

Monique laughed at her sister...

''Mo-Mo..your husband isn't going to be able to concentrate once he sees you in that bikini.."she said.

"He's seen me in this...I wore it the time we went to the moon and discovered that man-made river.."said Monica..

"The mini sub is ready detective.." said a Marine Policeman..

I must admit, I couldn't take my eyes off of Monica in that Bikini as I handed her and Monique Snorkels and breathing apparatus...Monique was going to be driving...but just in case...She had breathing apparatus..

"Okay, you guys ready?" I said..

"Ready as we'll ever be.." said Monica..

She had scanned Deputy of Operations, Clyde Gould's mind and had discovered he had given a .22 Baretta
to a local hood and told him to discard it...The hood, who liked fishing, went out on the river and dropped the gun in the water...

Monica was taking a gamble that she could find the gun....A Big Gamble...The Deputy of Operations would eventually see the paper work that she had optioned a Marine Police Boat and a Copter and a Mini Sub and if she wasn't successful...Both She and Lt. Cotton and possibly me would have a lot of explaining to do...

"This is going to be so much fun...going down with my sissy.." she said, hugging Monique..

"I haven't driven one of these things in a long time.."said Monique, smiling...

''It's like riding a bike...You never forget how.."said Monica.

''Or having sex.."added Monique..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."laughed Monica as they both got in the Mini-Sub...

and prepared to cast off...

She sent me a message through mental telepathy...

"I would kiss you, but judging by the way yo are staring at me in this Bikini you've seen before..I don't want to get you too excited.." she said..

I smiled....and watched as

Monique steered the two man vehicle out to the middle of the river and then down, deep down under the waters.....

I could watch the entire thing through monitors....

Lieutenant Cotton walked upside...

"I sure hope she finds something...Once Gould sees the manifest for this little adventure.. We all may wind up walking a beat or worse...Unemployed..."said Lt. Cotton..

"She scanned his mind...She saw the entire thing..." I said..

Deep beneath the surface... Monica and Monique  were searching...searching for a gun.. a gun that would possibly tie us to a murderer...

''Sis, what if we find other bodies down here?" asked Monique..

''For the time being...We leave em...We are looking for a gun..One thing at a time"said Monica...

Just then...a gun...a .22 Baretta slammed up against the window of their mini -sub....

''Ohhh look...this was easier than I thought.." said Monique...

Monica put on her skin diving equipment...

''Prepare to let me out...I've got to swim and get it.." she said..

III-

Meanwhile on the boat, one of the two phones on me rang...Not my work phone.. but a cheap burner phone..

''Hello" I said.

''Worked like a charm, just like Mo-Mo said it would.." said Kylie..

"He bit.." I said.

"Like a fish...He came in here and offered me Sergeant's stripes...and an assignment with a new unit if I want.. If I give him information on you, Mo-Mo and Lt. Cotton.." said Kylie..

"You usin the burner phone?" I asked..

"Of course...I'm at the diner...In the ladies room. .Of course he has someone watching me to make sure I don't make contact with you guys...and I'm pretty sure he's cloned my work phones.." said Kylie..

''Be careful...."I said..

"I pulled that Manifest requisitioning the Ship , the Copter and the mini sub...I figured it would give you guys more time.."said Kylie..

''Good Girl...I gotta go now..Mo-Mo and Monique are returning.. I think they've found something." I said.

"Already? That's great..." said Kylie..

The Mini Sub returned...

Monique and a dripping wet Monica returned to the boat...

"You guys found something? Tell me you did.." said Lt. Cotton..

"Surrrre did...Signed sealed and delivered.."said Monica..

Holding a .22 caliber Baretta....

"The serial number has been filed off....This is a cop's throwdown gun.."I said..

''Exactly...but let's see if it's a ballistic match.." said Lt. Cotton...

"My lab guys are here and they have the equipment down the bottom and the photos and all the information they need..We can test this  gun now..It's wet, but it's still somewhat functional.."said Monique...

Monica had dried off and gotten dressed..

"Kylie called..It was just like you said Mo-Mo...He made her an offer of Sergeant if she'd spy on us.." I said..

"Sergeant?? That's all? I thought he'd at least offer her Lieutenant!" said Monica..

We all cracked up laughing....

And headed back to the city....

IV-

Monica and I walked into Ziggy's popular bar...

Ziggy smiled when he saw us and pointed...

"He's over there...Please, no gun play guys.." he said..

"Relax Zig..."said Monica, smiling..

I walked over and sat down next to a guy...A guy who took one look at me and said..

"You're a cop!  I aint done nothin.." he said..

"I am, Detective Nate Nellis, Homicide.." I said.

"Homicide?? I aint done nothin.." said the man named, Jimmy Fox..

''Nothin lately Jimmy.."said Monica..

"Detective Talbert....Wow...Haven't seen you in awhile.." he said..

"It has been awhile..I got married..I'm Detective Nellis now.." she said and showed him her ring..

He looked at me...

"Nellis?? You two married?" he asked..

''You're a smart boy Jimmy.." I said and showed him a glossy of a .22 Baretta.

He looked puzzled..

"You ever seen that gun before?" I asked.

"Nahhh.Never.." he said..

"Liar...we fished this gun out of the river this morning and guess what? It's a Ballistics Match for a murder!!!"said Monica..

"Look, I aint killed nobody I swear.." said Jimmy Fox..

"But you ditched that gun in the river which makes you an accessory!" said Monica..

''Nah.Nahhhh This cop asked me to do that...and I didn't ask no questions....I did it and he gave me his card..Told me if I get in any trouble below a major felony to give him a call..I swear..."said Jimmy Fox.

I looked at the card..

''Well look a here.Deputy Of Operations Clyde Gould..."I said..

"Yeah he's like a big muckety muck..."said Jimmy Fox..

"He's big alright.." said Monica..

"Look...I aint involved in nothin...You can't put that gun on me..I don't know nothin about it.. He just asked me to get rid of it.." said Jimmy Fox..

"We know that...and you are going to help us with something.." I said..

He looked at both of us...

''What?" he said, scared out of his wits..

Monica looked at me...She smiled..

"We'll tell ya all about it." I said, smiling..

(CONCLUSION NEXT)