Mrs. Page and Her Brother

The next morning, I came down a little late...

Sepia was already in the kitchen...she had breakfast made,

Omelettes

Sausages

Hash Brown Potatoes

Coffee

and Orange Juice.

I smiled as we both sat down and begin to eat...

"You off today?" I asked.

''Yeah, I sold two homes yesterday and rented a condo...I thought I could take a day off.."she said.

"The Perks of Being the Boss.."I laughed..

"Yup! You still trying to figure out who might have shot Joey Page?  Why don't you at least talk to his soon to be ex-wife..They are going through a pretty tempestuous divorce from what he told me and Bonita..Not that I'm trying to put this on her..but she would be worth talking to...I'm just saying." laughed Sepia.

"When are you going to give up this Real Estate Business and Join me in the Private Investigating business..?" I asked her..

"I don't know...One of these days , who knows?" she said.

We kissed passionately....

II-

''I don't have to talk to you , you do realize that?  You're the Investigator and Attorney representing my husband...but I will tell you this..When I first heard he was shot...I thought it was one of his publicity stunts to get sympathy, then I heard how serious it was and that he was in a medically induced coma for awhile, then I realized that somebody hates him as much as I do, obviously." said Patricia Page, the estranged soon to be ex-wife of shooting victim, Joey Page.

"I do realize you don't have to talk with us, but thank you anyway.." I said.

"Yes, thank you.."said Kayla.

It was good having her with me.. An Attorney added legitimacy to my investigation..

"I was at rooftop swim club , having a swim and then I was at the spa at the time of his shooting..you can check it out!" she said.

I already had..She was telling the truth!

"I already checked her alibi out..and I know that once again, you were already there...So you know she didn't shoot your boy.Now look, I'm warning you Morris, beat it and butt out of this investigation.."snarled Lt. Tragg.

"Glad to see you're doing your job Lieutenant.."I said.

Kayla giggled.

"Your interview with Mrs. Page is effectively over!  Beat it both of you!" said Lt. Tragg.

"You have no legal right to order us out of here.."said Kayla..

''You're her husband's DIVORCE LAWYER and you guys aren't talking about their divorce at all, so beat it!"said Lt. Tragg..

"It's Okay Kayla...We don't need anymore information...I think we have all we need..Let's go...Mrs. Page, thank you for your time."I said.

"Ohhh don't mention it."she laughed sarcastically...

Kayla and I left..

"Kevin...we didn't get anything from her." said Kayla as we headed for my car.

''Body language babe and an unscientific thing I call a hunch..She knows more than what she's telling...I knew she didn't shoot him all the time and I knew she was swimming and then went to spa after that..But I noticed the way she jumped when I mentioned the shooting and told her he was still alive.. She knows more than she's saying.." I said.

THREE HOURS LATER-

Kayla, Jazzy, Dabnis, Sepia and I were having lunch in Sam Mother's diner..

"Looks like the Page divorce is hold for awhile, until he gets out of the hospital...Need any help on anything around the office ?" Kayla asked Jazzy...They worked at the same firm now..

"I got a couple of little things...Nothing big...Enjoy the time off."laughed Jazzy...

"I just finished a big litigation last week." said Dabnis..

"I sold two houses and rented a condo this week, I know I'm going to enjoy the down time."said my wife, Sepia..

"Meanwhile..I need to show up at my office...I've been off a few days...When Joey wakes up and begins talking, perhaps he can give us a lead into who shot him." I said.

Lt. Tragg walked in just then with Mrs. Page..

He had a pleased as punch look on his face...

She was holding his hand and smiling sheepishly..

They ordered New York Strip Steaks and Omelettes with Mimosas...

''Well will you look at that...He orders us out of her apartment ,when we were doing a perfectly legal investigation and here he is having lunch with her."said Kayla, who was furious.

"I'm really surprised you let him get away with that.."said Jazzy...

"I sure wouldn't have.."said Dabnis..."Look at him, dining with a potential suspect."said Dabnis..

"He's not breaking any laws, but I see why he can't crack any cases.."I said.

"Yeah because he's busy running his hands up women's legs and trying to get in their panties.."said Kayla..

"The Power of the Pann TAYYYS." said Sepia..

Our entire table erupted in laughter....

Lt. Tragg heard us and he gave us a serious side eye.

III-

I found myself at the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Division and my good friend, Lt. Sissy Van Buren.

How far we had both come...When I helped her crack her first major case...She was a young detective , who had just put on Lieutenant's stripes...I was being a private Investigator as a hobby...Didn't have a license yet.. It was Sissy, who persuaded me to get a P.I.'s license..

Since then, she became the head of an elite division of detectives , who take on some of the most major crimes in the city...She's gotten her own building, with her squad of seven elite detectives, vetted uniform officers and the services of the FBI and ATF, who share a building with her..

We hadn't hung out in awhile.. We stood on the roof of this massive modern building and talked.

"I hear a friend of yours got shot..Joey Page?" said Sissy.

"Yeah, you know him?" I asked.

" Sirena, Sharon, Angie, Carlotta 

 and I worked out with him here in our gym...Kickboxing and Mixed Martial Arts." said Sissy.

"Ouch, scared of you....I used to work out with him too...Me and a friend at the gym....Did you know of any enemies he may have had?" I asked.

"Him? Maybe a jealous boyfriend...the ladies loved him.... His wife hated him and the feeling was mutual...I don't understand what the attraction was..She's four years older than him to boot.. But I will say one thing...Her brother is bad news.. He is a narcotics dealer....of sorts."said Sissy..

"What?" I said.

"C.I.D, Vice and Narcotics have had our eyes on him for awhile..Her brother's name is Vincent Carrow..He owns a Pizzeria

 in Fishtown..It does good business..but his late night clients are mostly Russians who we suspect launder money through his Pizzeria...We've also scoped several of the neighborhood drug middlemen walking in, buying a large pizza , which we suspect also has Heroin in the box, street ready heroin..We've had our eyes on him for a long time... but he's slippery..He Owns the joint, but he doesn't work in there.. The store manager Mannie Reid is his suspected street boss...He runs the pizzeria and the day to day...and I'm certain he's the guy the local drug dealers come to , to get that package...and the Russian Gangsters go to ,to launder that money...

Vincent spends his days in there, on the phone, eating his meals and talking to girls.. At 5:00 pm on the dot, he gets up and gets in his car and leaves.. He doesn't touch any drugs or guns...but he's definitely the Boss man.

Tyriq and Hop are undercover...They are operating a Food Truck a few blocks from there..that's actually a surveilience truck...It's got re-inforced steel and has several armed officers on it..

as well as modern day surveilliance equipment.. We have Plain clothes guys from Vice and Narcotics all over the area, giving us good intelligence...

Carlotta and Sirena are undercover...They are actually working in the Pizzeria..

Angie is also undercover...She is posing as an accountant from the IRS..she's going over the books.

Jimmy and Duke are just out on the street..."said Sirena..

''Wow , you got a full court press on her brother huh? She has nothing to do with his business does she?" I asked.

"No, nothing at all.. And I have no proof whatsoever that Joey Page had anything to do with him either..but when he's awake and talking, you might want to ask him if he owed her brother any money..His shooting looks like it was a hit and he's still in danger if it was.,..Especially if the shooter decides to double back and finish the job...The shooting is Lt. Tragg's case and even though I suggested he put a man on that hospital room, naturally, he didn't..He's a bonehead..  Right now we are concentrating on her brother and his lucrative drug operation."said Sissy.

"I've got two of my operatives on the room, watching everything..."I said.

''As usual, you're on top of everything.. Look...Since you know what's going on..and I can trust you not to blow anybody's cover..You can talk to Vincent and Mannie... Just walk in there...Nothing wrong with you asking questions, though I doubt either will tell you anything you can use."said Sissy,.

"You're probably right Sis...but I need to try...." I said.

III-

I went to the hospital....Kool Kat was there..

"He was awake Kev...He's weak....but he's going to be okay...The doc's say they expect a full  recovery."said Kool Kat..

"Then maybe he can tell us who shot him...I did learn something of interest.....His brother in law is a gangster...His name is Vincent Callow, he owns a Pizzeria in Fishtown....It is believed that The Russian Mob uses it to launder money and that his package is sold out the back to several drug organizations..The Brother in law owns the joint...No way he doesn't know what's going on..Of course he never touches any drugs or guns... He spends his days eating, drinking and on the phone and then he leaves at 5:00...The store manager, a guy named Mannie Reid runs the entire day to day. I think they are both worth talking to." I said.

''You got all of this from Sissy?" asked Kool Kat.

"Yeah...they got eyes and ears on that Pizza shop...She says it's okay if we talk to them.." I said.

"I'd love o talk to em.."laughed Kool Kat...

"I figured you would ....Come heavy." I said.. That meant to come armed.. I had my .22, my .38 smokeless and my .40 cal with me and tomorrow I've have my kevlar vest and trauma plate on under my clothes..

Kool Kat smiled balefully...

"But of course."said Kool Kat..

I smiled.

IV-

Kool Kat and I went to Josie's for a couple of cold ones.... It was a Tuesday Night, but we were in ned of a drink.

Gus poured us draft beers..

"You guys are in a better mood than your cop friends there." he said and pointed to Duke, Jimmy, Tyriq, Carlotta, Sirena ,Hop and Angie.

"Heyyyyy, I was just talking to their boss this morning.."I said.

"Hmmm, I thought you said they were all undercover.?" asked Kool Kat..

"They have been for weeks.." I said and walked over to my friends.. "Hey Duke, guys..I was at your spot today, talking to your boss..What's up?" I said.

"I'll tell you what's up Kev, that bonehead who calls himself a detective,a Lieutenant at that ruined six weeks worth of undercover work...."said Duke , punching his fist into the palm of his hands..

''We been on this Pizzeria..where the Russian mob has been laundering money and drugs have been sold to the local corner boys...We were trying to put a sting on the boss..Lt. Tragg is investigating a shooting of one of our suspects brother in law."said Jimmy..

"This idiot walks in the joint and blows everybody's cover...He mistakenly thought Carlotta, Angie and Sirena were horning in on his investigation..and he called them out by name, with "detective" at the beginning..

"He could have gotten us killed." said Carlotta, furious..

"The three of us had to leave out of there..in a hurry."said Sirena.

"Thank god he didn't know about me and Rico and the Vice and Narcotics plain clothes guys.."said Hop.

"Oh my god...He made us all look like goofs...Like he usually does....

"I'll bet the Boss Lady was furious!" I said.

"Yessss she was..."said Carlotta.

Just then, Sissy and ADA Keith Wallace walked in..

"Hi guys...Don't worry about Lt. Tragg, he just got an earful from the Deputy Of Operations.., What a butthead!" she snarled.

"Here is the good news...We got enough, more than enough to start making arrests, Russian Mobsters, Local Drug dealers and that damn pizzeria..We stopped short of getting a warrant on Vinnie Carrow..but we got a warrant for Mannie Reid." said Keith Wallace..

I whispered to Kool Kat..

"This changes things greatly.." I said.

"Yeah , those two were our only leads." he said.

TO BE CONTINUED