Kool Kat's wife Chelsea marveled at the array of seafood...
"Ouuuuuu baby this is perfect...I'll take two trays of scallops....Three Trays of Shrimps and those crab legs over there.." she said.
"Ouuuuuuuuu stop it." she giggled as Kool Kat joined Me and Pink in the back of his seafood shop..
"I'm on it Kev, but how can you be sure he'll bite?" asked Pink..
"Oh he'll bite...He's got to be desperate about now...He can't find Harry...He desperatly wants to get out of Philly...He's got Federal, State and local law enforcement on his trail for a double murder and he needs that jewelry...whoever is paying him will not allow him to return without it..He's in a box, you might say." I said.
"Alright Kev, but you guys be careful...This guy is not known around here..He's off the rails..and he's killed twice..He has shown that he doesn't mind killing.." said Pink.
"WE DON'T MIND KILLING EITHER...If it comes to that!"said Kool Kat.
"Just put that word out...set up a meet..."I said.
"I'm on it Kev." said Pink...
Chelsea had finished making her selections..
"Babyyyyyy, I've finished.. I've made my selections and arrangements for my cousin's fish fry.."said Chelsea..
She passed Kool Kat the bill..
"Let the woman behind the counter keep the change.." he said and smiled.. "You ready Kev?" said Kool Kat..
"Yeah...I'm ready.." I said.. "Thanks Pink." I said.
"Don't mention it Kev." said Pink, who was really worried.
II-
Meanwhile at the C.I.D. Headquarters... Sissy was once again facing off against Lt. Tragg..
"I run my investigations as I see fit.. and I have complete faith in my detectives.." she said..
Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy, Sirena, Hop, Duke and Angie were at their desks, on their phones and leafing through case and evidence files...
''Ohhh by the way, My detectives closed 7 of your open murder cases this week and one of their own...That's what you're really upset about isn't it?"said Sissy.
"And look at this...You've got that Detective from Bayside and the two people from the Insurance Company and isn't that Kevin Morris's wife?? What are you doing , running a hotel here?" he asked.
"They're here for their own protection, except Detective Hutton, who has been helping us with the investigation..and we have a material witness in custody...His name is going to remain a secret until our investigation has concluded....We are very close to cracking this case."said Sissy..
"We do have a suspect...That's how much you know and we are vigorously hunting him..And the two suspects we arrested and the one that was killed were all linked to this case. Now that's all I'm going to say...All you need to know...Good day..."said Sissy..
I walked in just then...
"Let me guess....HE is helping out in this investigation!" snarled Lt. Tragg...
'' He and Mrs. Shay have been very helpful as has been Detective Hutton...Now as I said before..GOOD DAY, WE HAVE A KILLER TO CATCH!!" said Sissy, who turned and went into her office.
"Apparently, she's done with you." I said..
FBI/ATF deputy Special Agent in charge , Sharon Hopkins laughed out loud...She was just entering our floor..
I kissed Sepia, who I had not seen in a few hours..
"Mmmmmmmm best part of my day..." I said.
Sepia giggled...
"Hi Baby!" she said..
I spotted Detective Hutton looking at us kiss and smiling in the background...
Sissy stepped out of her office..,
"Is he gone? Good!" she said.
"Everything is set up...I'm just waiting for a call from Pink or somebody!" I said.
"What makes you so sure this guy will deal?" asked Detective Hutton.
"A box we are going to close."laughed Detective Hutton.
"EXACTLY!" I said.
III-
It didn't take too long for Pink to get back to me through his many underworld contacts that a meet was set with Vladmir Iran, the suspected killer of two women who wanted desperately to get his hands on the jewelry to meet with me..
I met with him at a Russian-American bar in the Little Norway section of the city... I was not surprised he would call for a meeting here..
Here in this section of the city that was mostly populated by East Europeans...he could easily blend in and not be noticed...and a lot of these people would be hesitant to talk to police..
I ordered a few drinks...I was wondering if he planned to show up at all..
Vladmir Iran looked exactly as I imagined him to look, before I saw his Interpol Mug shot..Tall, about six foot four, Bald headed and without hair on his face...He was wearing a very nice suit..He didn't look like a fugitive...He was freshly shaved, smelled good and was well dressed...
He got right to business...He felt me up and down..and made me open my shirt.. I wasn't carrying a gun.I wasn't wearing Kevlar or a Trauma plate and even though I was wearing a wire..It wasn't where he could detect it..
"I get the impresssion you don't trust me.."I laughed.
"I don't.... I know who you are Mr. Morris.. You're a Private Investigator...And you sometimes work with the cops..." he said.
"I'm working for myself now...The man who hired me is now in jail and I can't find Harry Swayzie..but I don't need him... I have the diamonds and I know where the rest is." I said.
I tossed some of the diamonds on the table..
"That's a taste...I can get you the rest..." I said.
His eyes got as large as saucers...
"How can you do this?" he asked..
"Follow me to my car..." I said.
He followed me..
He poked me in the back with a pistol..I could feel the silencer..
"If you get the idea of trapping me...I will kill you quick...As you know...I have no trouble at all killing."he said.
"I saw what you did to Harry's two girlfriends....Why did you have to do that? They probably didn't know anything at all about this." I said.
"I kill the first one thinking she knew...The second one, I would have spared, but she tried to fight me, tried to get away..She left me no choice..and I will kill you if you do not turn those diamonds over to me.." he said coldly..
"You got my money?" I asked.
He showed me a briefcase with 250 large in it..
"Nice" , I said.
Bonnie was sitting in the back seat of my car gagged and blind folded...
Kool Kat had his .357 trained at her head..
She looked terrified..
"This is my associate...This lady here works for the Insurance company...Harry gave the merch to her to safe guard...She can lead you to the safe deposit box and hand you over the jewels... You don't need Harry ,wherever he is...You get the Jewels." I said..
'Very good Mr. Morris...So why did you make deal with me? You and your associate could have taken those jewels yourself and made a million...instead of splitting a measly two hundred and fifty thousand.." he snarled...
He put the gun to my head..
"You outsmarted yourself.....Now tell your associate to drop his weapon and kick it over here..or I'll kill you right now instead of later...DO IT!!!" he said.
Kool Kat kicked the gun over to him...He picked it up and put it in his waistband..
He pulled Bonnie's gag out of her mouth and her blindfold and went in her purse and took her .22 out..
He stuffed that in his waistband.
"You three were going to hold me at gunpoint? Nice try.....Now you are my prisoners and after this young lady gets me the diamonds...I promise you three a short, painless death." he said
"Get in the car Mr. Morris..Drive... Your female friend had better have the combination to that safe deposit box and the diamonds or I'll kill you three on the spot instead of later.." he snarled.
"Instead of later right?" I said..
"You get the picture." he said....
We all got in the car....
Kool Kat and Bonnie in the back seat...
and me driving..
of course...
Vladmir Iran sat next to me...
I had to hand it to him...He was a smart one..Smarter than most...but then, I expected him to be.
IV-
We drove to the bank...
Bonnie used her pass key to get in...
Vladmir Iran followed with his gun squarely aimed at us..
"If I see anybody or hear anything...I swear...I will kill the three of you on the spot.." he said..
I believed he could do it..
She surmised the situation and took aim..Firing one shot..It was perfect...The shot hit his firing arm...
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! I'VE BEEN SHOTTTT!" he screamed..
The shot hit his arm, nearly taking it off...He tossed his gun into the air and he crashed to the floor..
"Damn fella, that looked like it hurt.."I laughed..
He lie on the ground in agonizing pain...
"I'll kill youuuu...I'll kill youuuuuuuuu argHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.
"GREAT SHOT TOP!" said Duke..
"I'm so glad this is over.."said Angie, who scooped up his silencer and bagged and tagged that.
"You got your double murderer..you cleared 7 of Lt. Tragg's old open murder cases and one of your old ones..all in one week...Nicccccccce..."I said.
"I couldn't have done it without you Kevin and Babs and Bonnie..It was a group effort ."said Sissy..
At a Press Conference the next morning, Sissy addressed the Press..
"We have captured Vladmir Iran, the killer of the young ladies in Queen Village and South Philadelphia, he's presently in serious condition in the hospital and under police guard..it was a team effort..
"My fabulous detectives worked around the clock on this case and we had great help from the FBI and ATF..
and mostly, good help from Private investigator, Kevin Morris
Insurance Investigator , Bonnie Shay
and Bayside Homicide Detective, Barbara Hutton..
We could not have cracked this case without help from these people, working selflessly and tirelessly with us..It was a group effort.."said Sissy as we all stood and snapped photos with an adoring press.,
There was one person watching it that wasn't happy..
At Curley's Bar, Lt. Tragg was furious..
"She keeps this up she might make Captain..."laughed Curly..
"ARGGGHHHHHHHH!" bellowed Lt. Tragg, who got up and stormed out...
"Artie, you'll never mellow out."laughed Curley.
EPILOUGE-
Vladmir Iran recovered from his injuries....He was convicted of two counts of First Degree Murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection...He was a suspect in at least 15 contract killings in Europe..
Sepia and I had Dinner and Drinks with Barbara Hutton in Bayside a short time afterwords..
"This is soo nice..I've heard from friends of mine about this place."I said.
"Ohhhhhhh forget that Ms. Hutton stuff...Call me Babs...All my friends do...And you guys are definitely friends...We all lived together for about a week didn't we?" she laughed.
"Yes we did...We brought in a good case.."I said.
Our drinks arrived....
And Our steaks...A nice ending to a big case!
FOR SLC
