Last Hand

A car sat by itself on a back street... Inside the car sat Maris Borrasco, 37....Gunshot wound to the temple...blood streaming down the side of her head...

Next to her sat Torrance "Tico" Butler....Gunshot wound to the head...blood streaming down the side of his head...

The Gun lie on the flor of the car,,,

In the back, a hastily typewritten suicide note saying simply....

"I loved you Maris...Living without you in my bed was not living at all...I'm Sorry.."-Tico...

CSI and crime photographers were snapping photos of the scene...

Hazel was shaking her head....

"Looks like a murder -suicide Dr. Baylor..."said one of the uniformed officers..

"We'll let the detectives determine that..."said Hazel..She had already called Sissy and I and told her of the grisly discovery she had found so that no other detective...especially Lt. Tragg wouldn't get involved in this...

 Police cars were all around, controlling the crowds...

Just another summer night in the city...Just another murder!

Carlotta opened the door and examined the male's body...

 "This is Tico alright...Gunshot wound is to his left temple....problem is...He's right handed...and the gun is dropped on the floor here to his left.."said Carlotta..

"And this woman, Maris Borrasco...She was shot on the left hand side too...So what did the killer do lean over and shoot her on the left side ,then shoot himself on the left hand side too and drop the gun on the other side of the car?" asked Jimmy...

Tyriq shook his head..."Highly unlikely...And this uh typed suicide note on the back seat....How very convenient.,..."he said, Smiling..

''This looks like a double homicide made to look like a murder -suicide.." said Sissy...

"I'll write it up as that.. Double Homicide.."said Hazel..

Sirena felt the back seat...

"Somebody was back here...This seat is warm and it's got an indentation in it...The killer probably abducted these two from somewhere.. Made them get in the car and drive out here...He leaned over and shot Mrs. Borrasco first and then shot Tico second...This suicide letter was all prepared.." she said..

"Ohhhhh and look...our boy smokes...he left a cigarette butt in this back seat..."said Hop ,who bagged and tagged it.." We can get some DNA off of this if we are lucky." he said.

"Tico didn't smoke...I don't know about Mrs. Borrasco.." said Carlotta..

"I just got some info on this car...It was stolen off of a used car lot in Kensington a week ago.."said Tyriq..

''We found a latent thumb print on the handle and a palm print..It's smudged like somebody tried to wipe it off.."said a CSI guy..

"Now we are cookin with gas...Oh Oh..Heads up.. We got company!" said Jimmy...

It was Lt. Tragg..

''What have we got here boys?" he asked.

''The scene has been processed Lieutenant." I said.

"When I'm in court and need a legal question answered..I'll ask you counselor..My question was directed at the detectives here and the officers of which I am their superior." said Lt. Tragg..

"My detectives have processed the scene like he told you...It's a double homicide...Do you need to know anything else.?" answered Sissy..

"Yes...Like this is my district.. I haven't seen any of you guys in weeks and yet you're here so fast..."he said.. He then looked at Hazel..."I'm beginning to think you were tipped." he said.

Hazel ignored him....

"It's beginning to smell rank out here...Can I remove the bodies?" she asked Sissy...

Lieutenant Tragg noticed that she never asked him for permission to remove the bodies..

''Dr. Baylor...I'm getting a little tired of your blatant disrespect of my rank and position...and I-" he said.

"Release the bodies Hazel."said Sissy ignoring him..

''Wait just a minute.."said Lt. Tragg..

"You wait just a minute.."said Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins of the FBI, who had just driven up.."This murder is tied to a target in a Federal Investigation that Sissy's CID unit along with Vice and Narcotics are working with the FBI/ATF and DEA...It's her case... Dr. Baylor didn't call her in...I did..and my authority supercedes yours Lieutenant...Now back off..or your Deputy Of Operations and the Police Commissioner will be getting a call from a U.S. Attorney in the morning."she said.

'The Philadelphia Police work for the Feds now?" he asked sarcastically as the bodies were being moved on stretchers to ambulances...

and other police were controlling the crowds..

"Yeah, the good ones...which is why we don't call on you!"said Sharon..

Jimmy cracked up laughing and walked away...

Lt. Tragg was furious...

"DETECTIVE BARLOW!!" he bellowed..

''Good Night Lieutenant. The crime scene has been processed, there is nothing more to be said or done! "said Sissy.

 "Good Night Lieutenant...Hopefully I'll be seeing you in court...WITH A GOOD CASE FOR A CHANGE" I said sarcastically and smiled..

 Hazel didn't say a word to him.. She acted as if he wasn't there...She could not stand him..

 "Good Night Lieutenant.."said Carlotta.

 "Good Night Lieutenant."said Tyriq.

 Jimmy defiantly laughed and kept walking..Not saying good night...Next to Hazel, He equally despised Lt. Tragg...

 "Jimmy would you stop that? I like working with you...He's going to come down hard on you,you keep openly pushing the man's buttons."said Sirena.

 "Yeah Man...Cool it."said Hop.

"Good Night Lieutenant.."said Sharon...

Lieutenant Tragg hated Sharon Hopkins more than any of the rest with the possible exception of Detective Jimmy Barlow..who he had never liked. The feeling was mutual..He stomped his foot in anger, but there was nothing he could do.

II-

Duke was soon going to be rewarded for his hard work...His team of plain clothes Vice and Narcotics cops had kept all of the people on the warrants under close surveillance for weeks....

A ship came in and they watched as the best Heroin and Cocaine and Opiates were loaded on to them..

They were unloaded at three separate warehouses...and just like that photos of all of the suspects who came to buy were taken... Duke and DEA SAC Carol Redding

and  a squad of FBI/ATF and DEA agents..backed by Narcotics and Vice Tactical squads

Swooped in and raided all three warehouses as well as the trucking company...

Arresting 39 -45 people...

Raids in West Philly, Southwest Philly, South Philly and North Philly netted them about 100 people..

By the time Ernesto Borrasco awoke the next morning, his phone was ringing off the hook...The raids, the arrests were all the news...

"WHATTTT THE COAST GUARD SEIZED THE BOAT?? BUT HOW?? HOW DID THEY KNOW?? THEY HIT ALL M WAREHOUSES??? NO WAY??  What?? 139 of my customers arrested..???WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT??" he bellowed..

"It was TICO..It had to be him...He tried to ruin me so he could have my wife.." he screamed..

He was also upset that Angie was no where to be found...

III-

If he thought nothing else could go wrong he was surprised when we walked down his hallway and into his loft..

''What is the meaning of this..? My lawyers will hear about this?"he screamed.

 "Then you better call em quick." said Jimmy.

 "While you can still afford them." said Carlotta..

"We froze your accounts.."said Tyriq..

"And here is where it gets cute, you're under arrest, Conspiracy to Operate a Criminal Enterprise, several counts, Conspiracy to commit murder,four counts..."said Sirena..

"Oh don't look surprised...We arrested one Benny Purina...The junkie who shot and killed your wife and your lieutenant...My guess is , Tico told you about Jason Purefoy...said he'd handle it..and you figured out that your wife was cheating with him too..."said Hop as he handcuffed him...

"My detectives do good work, don't they?" laughed Sissy..

"Benny Purina sung like Jodeci….He gave you up in 15 minutes ..He was jonesing hard for a fix...Next time, don't hire a junkie to do a hit.."advised Jimmy..

 ''See that's why I like working with you Jimmy, you always make me laugh..."said Sirena

"He's made me laugh too all these years..."said Carlotta...

"Get him out of here.."said Sissy..

Tyriq read him his rights...

Hop handcuffed him and turned him over to the uniformed officers..

As Borrasco was walked out by Police escort...He muttered..

"I don't believe this...I'm being arrested...That damn Tico...His snitching ass...Ouuuuuu." he fumed..

Game ,set, Match!

Sharon was waiting outside...

"Mr. Borrasco….You don't know how long I've been waiting to meet you.." she said, smiling as he was  taken downtown...
IV-

With the case closed..everybody, FBI, ATF, DEA, Narcotics and Vice cleared out.....That left only us..

Sissy had given everybody a week off..It was a Friday Night, so the ten or 11 of us voted to stay and return to our homes on Sunday night..

Duke, Sissy's Husband, Eddie C. and Tyriq set up grills and cooked some Hot Links..

while Carlotta and I

 supplied the beers.

Sissy, Sirena ,Hop, Hazel and Sharon relaxed...

 "Sharon, you didn't have to lie to Lt. Tragg and say you called it in... Captain Ed Cantrell and The Deputy Of Operations had my back...but thank you anyway..." said Sissy..

 ''When he asked if the Feds were using the PPD and you said, "Yeah, the good ones..which is why we don't call you...I wanted to scream.."said Sirena.

 "That was funny.."said Hop..

 "I love the way you put him in his place.."said Hazel..

"I love you guys...You're the best detectives I have ever worked with...I'll always have your backs.."said Sharon...

The only ones not with us were Jimmy and Angie.. They were up in their room..

 Getting uh reacquainted with each other..

After a long case...

"Ouuuuuu husband....I missed you sooooo much.."cooed Angie..

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm I missed you too!" moaned Jimmy.

EPILOUGE-

Ernesto Borrasco was convicted and sentenced to 25 years …..Most of the 139 people arrested in the raids got pretty stiff sentences...Hector Gallo and Mitchell Gallo were surprisingly acquitted of any wrong doing and released while Joey Gallo and Tommy Betts got 15 years and Richard Betts got 15-25 years....Benny Purina, the double murderer of Tico and Maris got Life plus 99 years.

ONE WEEK LATER-

Carlotta and I went to visit Jason Purefoy….He had recovered from his wounds and was to be released in a few days...

''Wow, you mean to tell me Maris Borrasco was the WIFE of some Drug Lord??? She told me he was a lawyer and a Real Estate developer..."said Jason.

"That much was true...but he also was selling a package on the streets to several drug organizations...making a separate fortune..."I said..

''Damn I sure know how to pick em….I coulda been killed...Sorry she's dead...but at least all of the people involved are in the cooler, thanks to you guys.." said Jason..

''When are they letting you go home?" asked Carlotta...

Jason smiled...His hands ran up her legs and he rested them on her behind and rubbed it gently....He smiled coyly...

"Any day now darlin...heh heh heh"he said..

"Good, Good deal...Take it easy man...I'll be right back...Let me check and see if they validated my parking." I said and walked down the hall..

Carlotta opened her purse and showed Jason a gun.. She casually aimed it at his crotch area...

"I'm a detective....I carry this in my purse...Take your hand off my butt....Touch it again and this gun has a hair trigger...It might just go off !!!!...Feel me papi?"said Carlotta without smiling..

Jason removed his hand immediately....

"I uh, ruh...I uh understand.." he said..

"Goood…Goodbye now.."said Carlotta as she joined me in the hallway...

I put my arms around her and hugged her...I rubbed my hands along her legs and her butt...

"Ummmmm papi, your hands feel so good...Ummmmm your hands are the only hands I want on my butt." she cooed..

"Huh?" I said..

Carlotta looked at me and kissed me...

"Nothing.." she said in between soft slow kisses.