Nothing effect a person more than his family, and today was a bad day for Frank. His son; Junior who was busted for drugs before was hospitalized with a case of overdose, but the doctor saved his life. Frank took the day off to attend to his son's needs as his wife was no longer with them. I dropped by the Medical to check on the son.
"Frank, how is he?" Frank looked drawn out but I saw the gleam in his eyes; its the same kind you seen on murderers. We were standing out the hospital corridor as the doctors were attending to his son.
"He would be fine, after a period of rehabilitation." Frank replied calmly and then slammed his fist against the wall. "I would get the bastard."
The last dealer that dealt with his son ended up with two broken legs; it was blamed on the other inmates at the cells, but no charges were ever pressed. I assured Frank I would handle just like the previous one.
"No, Jim." Frank stopped me while holding my arm. "This one's mine. They need to know; no one touches my son."
I saw the angry father walked down the corridor. Later I met the Narcotics officers, and asked for names.
"Frank done that, but we don't have a lead. We did give him an informant' name." Sally was a good officer but she can be naive to emotions. I got the same name and rushed to stop Frank. I found him in time to see the informant trying to hold up his legs against the wall in the alley. Frank had his baton and was using it the worse way. I grabbed Frank and pulled him away.
"Cheese it, Frank" I held the man back but the Sargeant was in better shape than me. He elbowed me and tossed me aside but the informant was already running past the corner. Frank wanted to give chase but then when he saw me on the ground, he helped me up.
"Jim, back off or ...." Frank cautioned me.
"Or what. Frank? You going to do me like him" I grabbed my breath and straighten myself up. "Never knew you had it too."
We both laughed. We walked out together and drove to Di Angelo's. The ex-cop there was nice to served us coffee and some knacks, but Frank was still tensed up. He saw Sally coming in and walked towards her. He pulled Sally to the rear of the shop and questioned her. I could see it getting intense so I moved in.
"Sally, take a ride." I told the Narcs officer, while I pulled Frank to the corner table. "Frank, don't be too hard on yourself. Or her. They are already working your case. So ride with it."
"Jim, take over. Like the last one." The last one which I helped Frank got me a week suspension and Internal Affairs breathing over my profile. But Frank is family. I nodded to him but with a word of advise; 'stay out'. It was a lame advise anyway; Frank followed me in my car.
I asked Frank where does his son hang out nowadays. He told me and we went over there. It was the electronic shop at the mall. His son goes there for his electronic parts to fix whatever he was fixing. I met the owner and he referred me to some of friends.
"Yeah, we knew him." Or was it; "he's a cool kid". But when I pressed on, the replies became more impersonal like 'we only knew each other for a while". But there was one answer I liked.
"I seen him go to the Pool Room once or twice." Pool Room as it was named was the place to play pool. It may be in the mall and deemed better furnished, but it still bring in the sleaze and punks. I knew a Deacon there; named but not of the faith. Deacon got a rap sheet but of late, he had been cleaned.
"I swear, Man." I disliked when they swear. "I never do drugs anymore. Your boy was seen here but he was not buying from me."
"Name, Deacon...." I jabbed him in the left ribs. I used to box but my left leg was slow in moving, so I quit. You can take the man out of the fight, but not the fighter in the man.
"He was hanging out with this girl. Irish name. Or was it French...." Another job jolted the memory. "Stella ...Croix ....C R O I X..."
I took Frank back to see his son before driving back to the Precinct. The database hit nothing but when I cross referenced several databases, I got this list.
Stella Cruiz; exchange student, local uni here and address was given when she registered for the car license. Young brunette with a budding body, and an expensive car parked at the porch. I looked at the car parked there before I rang the bell. A young short hair blonde came running to opened the door, clad in a over sized shirt and probably not wearing any shorts. I introduced myself and was asked to wait at the door. I asked why.
"Its a young folks home. We don't encourage older folks in. It spoils the atmosphere."There went my ego but I took it literally. The blonde disappeared and then the side door was heard slamming shut. I may not be as fit, but I could still run. I dashed to the side and saw the figure in pursuit. He was a young man running bare assed on a late afternoon, but he did not get far. Frank was there and he punched the young man in the jaws. He must had tailed me, and tried to sneak in from the back. Then I heard the voice.
"Detective, are you looking for me?" I met Stella Cruiz for the first time, dressed decently in a bath robe. "I was in the shower when you came."
I looked back at the side of the house and saw Frank standing over the poor boy. I don't like how Frank stepped on people. I called him to walked over and meet Stella. The three of us sat in the living room and chat. Blonde came in and glared at Frank.
"I am Swedish and we do not do what you did just now." Blonde must had been the girlfriend.
"Neither do we run bare assed in the yard." Frank replied but Blonde challenged back.
"He's not Swedish. He is from your country."
"Then we have no diplomacy issues." Frank's reply was not well received as she had stormed off. Later Stella gave us the rundown on her friendship with Junior. They did go out and have some drinks, but no she did sleep with him, nor did she gave him drugs. Junior was one snorting and he got it from elsewhere. That ended up the discussion and Frank was still upset. He actually like Stella; reminded him of Junior's mother.
Then we got a call from the Medical; Junior awake and looking for his father.
"Father, I did not take the drug. I was forced to take it." Junior with tubes plucked into his nose was telling us what happened. "I left Stella' place and walked to the bike. There I was ambushed by some guys and beaten up before they slipped a hood over me. I remembered being carried and taken by a vehicle. Then the injections and until I woke up here."
The case now takes a turn to assault with possible homicide. Junior gave me a lead; one of Stella' ex-friends whom Junior took to a fist fight. I told Frank to stay put or stand to lose a son. He took that threat seriously.
Martin Koenig was the name I dug up after talking to Stella again. Martin does not have a rap sheet; he's Brighton, lawyer for a father and doctor for a mother. Lived in the plush neighborhood of Brighton and drives a flashy car too. Stella said he is a crank case with an affinity for the wild life and more wilder products. He takes experimental drugs to feel the effects. He hangs out with his buddies; they called them the Lordships. I met up with Martin at the club where he hangs out. He was with two friends; both of them are ladies and they looked scored to the hilt with designer drugs but not Martin, he was sober as the judge.
"Martin, can we talk outside?" The club was a rattle hole for loud noise and glaring lights. The young man nodded and walked ahead of me. I should had guessed it but I was also getting old. The arms reached mine and the hood came down. Then I was tasered at the ribs and soon unconscious. They left me in my underwear in the park with my clothes and gun hanging high on the branches. I was rescued by a passing patrol car but ended up as a laughing joke.
"Blimey me." Brian quipped back. "They reckon his pecker needed to covered. That's why they didn;t take it off."
"I thought the Mickey Mouse looks turned them off." Sally had to add in. I was not wearing MM but ...nevermind. Only Frank was not amused as he got me a set of baseball bats to beat the life out of the twerp. I declined the offer and took the longer way. I got a warrant and a team of narcotics officers to raid the place knowing Martin would be there. We went in with the batons and shotguns. While we shouted out our ID, the patrons screamed for bloody murder. Martin escaped but we got his photo at the scene.
"Detective, until you can prove otherwise, my son is innocent." I disliked the father aloof attitude. He even threaten to sue me for harassment but I was not giving up. I checked on the other Lordships,and they are not punks; only mislaid kids with money to spend.
"Frank, I got the confession and evidence." I showed Frank the video clip of the beating and the drugs induction. It showed Micheal's face clearly. "I also know where he is."
The hunt was on and we only found him the next morning. Frank insist of coming along with the SWAT Team, but I told them he was not to be armed. It was Stella place and we got it surrounded at both ends. Micheal was in there with Stella as his hostage. Blonde and non-Swedish boy was at the ambulance getting treatment. Micheal's parents came and tried to coax him to surrender but the young man was adamant to prove a point.
"The Lordships does not bow to the commoner." Micheal shouted out. "We are all above you. Even this slut would lay beneath me."
The young man was getting demented or highly intoxicated. We heard the slaps and screams, but the Captain would not give the go ahead. I could take it anymore as I recalled the sweet girl. I stepped out and walked towards the house.
"Martin, its me. Come on out and we can ....bowed to you." I taunted him, but somehow he bought it. He stepped out with the girl in front of him. She was wearing an over sized shirt and without any shoes. Martin had a gun at her head and one arm around her.
"Hello, Martin." I calmly spoke to him. "Let her go and we can negotiate."
"I am not interested to talk. I want to kill all of you when I am the Grand Lordship." Martin shouted out. "You are all rebels....like her."
His gun moved and I can see the finger tightened but the shot came not from him, but from the side. At that range, the sniper need not had to make much adjustments to the sighting. It was a simple target shoot; one which the shooter shot at the other knee from his view and blew it away. Martin on being shot reached back to hold his wounded leg; thus releasing the girl. When he fell backwards, another shot rang off and hit the wrist holding the gun. Stella ran into my arms and I pulled her back while the other officers rushed forth to arrest wounded suspect. The parents also rushed forth to see their son, but were held back by the officers there.
That afternoon, I went over to see Junior. He was due to discharge and Martin was also admitted there under police custody. I asked Junior if he had seen his father.
"Yeah, he went over to checked on the suspect."
I rushed over just in time to see Frank coming out of the custody area. I glared at him but he said he did not do anything rash. He did however massaged the wounded leg for Martin. I grabbed Frank to lead him out from the Medical High corridor while doctors were rushing to see to the wounded man.
That night, I held up my oversize baseball shirt in my bedroom. I turned to Jenny and asked if she would like to have it on during bedtime.
"Jimmy, if you are thinking that I am putting that on for you; you are moving out of this room." I guessed I would give it to Stella when I see her next. "Can I get rid of those MM briefs? They are getting too small for me."
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