Tico

"DAMNNNN HOW DID ANGIE GET THIS INFORMATION?" said Duke as we all sat at the conference room table the next morning..

'I don't know how, but most of it matches up with what you and your team of Vice and Narcotics boys were able to pull."said Sissy.

''She's got even more..Home addresses, phone numbers, email accounts...even bank account numbers.." said an ecstatic Duke..

 "This and what we've gelled together in our federal investigation is enough to start drawing up indictments."said Carol Redding

"And taking some doors.."said Sharon...

Sissy looked at her other detectives..

"I want you guys to go to Dover...See if those five guys will start talking.." she said.

"Ouuuu Road trip!"said Carlotta.

"It's been awhile..Rent a nice big SUV hubby..."said Sirena..

"I'm on the phone now.."laughed Tyriq..

 ''Hop,let's get some Hoagies and sodas.."said Jimmy..

''Way ahead of you buddy.." said Hop..

"Coming with Hubby?" asked Carlotta..

"Why not.?..I've got nothing better to do right now." I said.. It had been awhile since we'd been on a road trip...

"I wish I was going, but I got to get my team set up with this new information.." said Duke..

"Angie emailed me..She said she was in the loft during an unguarded moment when the two of them were having sex and she found this book hidden away..."said Sissy...

At the mention of sex, everybody's eyebrows raised..

"Oh it's all on tape...We can view it tonight when you guys get back." laughed Sharon...

Sissy and Carol looked at each other and busted out laughing...

II-

At Ernesto Borrasco's development...His second in command, Tico walked in...he saw a pair of ripped panties on the floor and a ripped bra..

The bedroom door was open.....He saw a pair of boxer shorts and an undershirt and a dress shirt strown across the floor....

He could only imagine what had transpired in the past few hours...

"Tico...we have a problem...First off...Purifoy is still alive...He's in a hospital and his room is guarded by cops.....He's a friend of Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace...lucky for us...he's in a medically induced coma and isn't talking.."said Ernesto..

''Even if he does talk, what is he going to talk about? He doesn't know you.."said Tico..

"But he was sleeping with my wife...That is enough to bring unneccesary heat  at a time when we can ill afford it...I've got deals with people in West Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, The Mainline and North Philadelphia for my lucrative package....I don't want anything getting in the way of that."said Ernesto..

"Relax...The cops don't know your name...They have no idea you've got the hot package on the streets. You're never seen..."assured Tico..

"But you are Tico and you can be traced to me...That crew you hired to kill Purifoy...They were all arrested within in a day...did you know that?" asked Ernesto...

"I hired Joey Gallo...He hired the rest...They never saw me or heard my name.."said Tico...

"Doesn't matter ,they're all in jail and get this...They're not in any of the city jails or the federal holding facility downtown,I had someone check....They've vanished without a trace...which means.. we can't get to them...which also means they must be talking and the feds have them holed up somewhere..."said Ernesto.

"You're paranoid...They don't know you...or me...They're low level hoods...and Joey is not going to double cross his new partner anytime soon...I'll get a lawyer and we'll look into this for you...Relax." said Tico..

"Okay,l ook into it Tico....I've got business on the line...and I don't want anything to come between it.."said Ernesto...

He walked to the door..

"I've got some business to attend to...Help yourself to what is in the frig....Tell Maris, I'll be returning shortly. Let yourself out."said Ernesto as he left..

Tico was about to go in the refrigerator when Maris appeared...

She shook her head..

"It was you....It was you all along Tico....You told my husband about me and Dr. Jason Purifoy didn't you?   But you didn't tell him about you and I did you?" she snarled..

Tico said nothing at first...

"How could you share your bed with me and then sleep with the gringo?" he asked..

"I like him better...He's pure , not involved in dirty business like you and my husband..."said Maris..

"You use people Maris...You used me spitefully....You use people up and then discard them like they are yesterday's trash...." snarled Tico....

"Your little band of would be killers not only blew the hit...but they aren't in any of the area jails, which means they are in protective custody and the only reason they are in protective custody is because the cops have gotten them to talk." said Maris laughing..

''What can they talk about? Joey Gallo hired that crew...They've never seen me or Ernesto..."said Tico, almost as if he was trying to convince himself..

"Joey is my husband's partner...His crew was prepared to buy weight and distribute it to other drug crews in North Philadelphia...Anything messes up this deal and he'll kill you Tico..."laughed Maris..

"You'd love that wouldn't you..?" sneered Tico.

III-

SOME HOURS LATER-


And back at our site...Sharon and Sissy and Carol were receiving a message from Duke..

"Angie's info was on the money....We got at least 75 people...all members of various drug organizations under surveillance....And that's just West and Southwest Philly....We've got another 50 if you include The Mainline and the in roads he's made into North Philly....We've got enough chatter for Keith to start writing up indictments soon and to start taking some doors..."said Duke..

"Excellent work Duke...Stay up on them...We'll be making a move soon..." said Sissy...

"You find those Warehouses?" asked Carol..

''Sure did...He's smart....He's got them situated in three separate areas of the city...They aren't near the docks...Those ships move in and his trucking company...Ace Holdings unloads them and transports them.... Pick up times are different nights of the week so that there is never a way to track them..."said Duke..

''Ace Holdings trucking and storage is owned by a deceased white woman....That's who's name it's in, but in actuality ...it's owned by Ernesto Borrasco.. Sit on the warehouses...and the trucks...let them come and load up, follow them to the warehouses...Make the arrests, only when you are certain they have picked up..."said Carol..

"Roger that!" said Duke..

''Good work Duke..."said Sharon..


By this time we had returned with news...

'Well we are back...I've got indictments to write.."I said..

"They're scared...They realize the only reason they are in protective custody is they are in danger...Mitchell and Hector Gallo broke first...They said they were just ,get this , driving and riding along with their older brother Joey..." said Carlotta...

 "Richard and Tommy Betts say they were hired by Joey Gallo to hit the guy, They don't know him or anything about him..They were paid Ten large a piece.."said Sirena.

"I believe them..."said Hop....

"Joey Gallo is your man....He said he was paid by some guy named Tico...and told to hit Purefoy..That's all he knows...so he says...He doesn't know why or even who the guy was.."said Tyriq..

"Judging by the way this guy is sweating bullets...I believe him..He's scared...They know by the fact that they aren't in the city or county lock up that they've hit somebody heavy and they fear whoever this Tico is more than they fear us.."said Jimmy...

"I know who he is.."said Carlotta..

"YOU DO?" said Sissy and I, Sharon and Carol.

"Yes....His real name is Torrance Butler....He once did a dime for attempted murder and conspiracy...a long time ago...Once released...He improved himself greatly went to Community College got an Associates degree in Business, even set up a small business in the neighborhood, brought a couple of off the rack suits and made himself a man of influence...a broker if you will among drug organizations..A man who put people together...He caught the attention of our guy Ernesto Borrasco years ago....First he was his driver and valet...Eventually he became his number two...His advisor...His face on the street." said Carlotta.

"How did you know this Top?" asked Tyriq, smiling from ear to ear at his partner and one time protoge'

"Our paths first crossed when I was plain clothes, Narcotics...Right before I met you and Duke ,Rico.. and I see over the years both of our profiles have risen... I've become a Detective and he is now Borrasco's number two...."said Carlotta...

"And listen to what today's surveillance brought us.."said Sharon as we turned our heads towards the monitor..

Tico was about to go in the refrigerator when Maris appeared...

She shook her head..

"It was you....It was you all along Tico....You told my husband about me and Dr. Jason Purifoy didn't you?   But you didn't tell him about you and I did you?" she snarled..

Tico said nothing at first...

"How could you share your bed with me and then sleep with the gringo?" he asked..

"I like him better...He's pure , not involved in dirty business like you and my husband..."said Maris..

"You use people Maris...You used me spitefully....You use people up and then discard them like they are yesterday's trash...." snarled Tico....

"Your little band of would be killers not only blew the hit...but they aren't in any of the area jails, which means they are in protective custody and the only reason they are in protective custody is because the cops have gotten them to talk." said Maris laughing..

''What can they talk about? Joey Gallo hired that crew...They've never seen me or Ernesto..."said Tico,almost as if he was trying to convince himself..

"Joey is my husband's partner...His crew was prepared to buy weight and distribute it to other drug crews in North Philadelphia...Anything messes up this deal and he'll kill you Tico..."laughed Maris..

"You'd love that wouldn't you..?" sneered Tico.

(Click!)

"Welllllllllllll will you look at this?   This is a damn soap opera...It wasn't Borrasci, but Tico who put the hit in motion....I can indict him ,The Gallos and The Betts Brothers on Conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of Attempted Murder..."I said..

"I knew this was about a woman..."said Jimmy...

"Yes you did...You called this one right..." said Sissy..

"How long will it take to get those warrants signed?" asked Tyriq..

"If I start now....I'll have them done by midnight and have them scanned and sent to a Judge marked Urgent..Tomorrow morning...They'll be on the Judge's desk and we'll have them signed and ready to go by the time we finish breakfast..."I said.

 "Well Sirena girl,let's clean our weapons and get our vests and trauma plates ready.."said Carlotta

''Right behind you Lotta."said Sirena..

"Hold up Junior...I'm right behind you..."said Tyriq...

''Uh Siss...I uh was wondering uh.."said Jimmy..

"I'm sending Angie a text right now, telling her to come in..."said Sissy..

IV-

Angie had just read Sissy's text...

"COME IN!" it read...She knew what that meant...She packed her bag with her Tablets, Phones and laptop first...

She was about to pack her bags when the doorbell rang....It was Ernesto...

''Angie...Is this a bad time?" he asked.

"Uh I was going to take some things to the dry cleaners and the laundry...."she said..

"You were gone all last night.." said Ernesto...

"You keeping tabs on me Ernesto.?" laughed Angie uneasily....

"I am....I mean I do...All I think about is you....I needed to see you last night...When I realized you were gone I worried like crazy...Where were you?" he asked..

''Excuse me...I work for you..I'm not your girlfriend or your wife..I was wherever I was...and that's all you need to know.."said Angie..cool as a cucumber...

"I uh I know....I meant no disrespect....Is there another man in your life?  If it is...I can give you much more than he can, Whatever it is....I want you...I need you...I want you to be my number two...my partner.." he pleaded..

"You have a wife and a number two....Isn't that what Tico is for..?" asked Angie..

"My wife is not loyal...She has betrayed me...She has shared her bed with at least two men....She's gone now...She won't be coming back...and Tico is not trust worthy...Why he may have put me and one part of my business operations, the part you don't know about in jeapordy...He too is gone...That's why I need you...I need you to be my number two....You have great business acumen..and I also want you to be my woman....To share my bed..." he said..

"Ouuuu this is so much....I have to think about this...Give me some time to think and I'll get back to you.."said Angie..

"Alright...Fair enough...but don't take too long.." he said.. "Good Night Angie." he said and walked back up to his floor..

Angie packed her clothes..and her bag containing her tablets, laptop and phones and slipped down the back stairs to her car in the indoor garage.. She used her sweeping devices to make sure no GPS or tracking devices were on her car...There was none...She was surprised...

She slowly pulled off and drove as fast as she could out of the development

and back to our site ...Where she was welcomed with hugs and open arms ...

by all of us..

 "Welcome Home Angie Girl...I'm so glad to see you."said Sissy,...

 ''Welcome Home Angie."I said and hugged her..

 "Welcome home Mami."said Carlotta

 "Good to see you Ang!" said Tyriq

 "I missed you chocolate cupcake.."said Jimmy, grabbing her and kissing her passionately...

 "Good to see you Angie" said Hop...

 "Come here girl...I've missed you so much.."said Sirena, hugging Angie and squeezing her...

 "You did good work partner...I'm proud of you.."said Duke..

 "This time tomorrow...a lot of people are going to be in handcuffs and behind bars.."said Sharon..

"You need to teach my agents a course on how to be an undercover girlfriend.."said Carol Redding..

V-

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 floor 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!

(CONCLUSION NEXT)