by Doug Ball
“I’m Chuck, the boss of this office. In other words, most of the time I answer the phone.”
“Don’t believe him, Sylvia. He’s the janitor.” Leon started laughing as Tank and Abdul came out of the conference room.
“What’s all the ruckus out here,” Abdul said.
“My, you’re large,” Sylvia said with her hand over her bosom.
Tank said, “He ain’t large, yet. He’ll reach his full growth in another year or so.”
Tan walked through the door. “Okay, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of this case. I just talked with the Governor and she is not happy at all. Gonna fire us if we don’t bring about an end to terror in our great state. Or, something like that. Bring the donuts and the coffee into the conference room.”
Seeing Sylvia, he added, “You must be the crazy lady that makes donuts and wants to marry Leon. Right?”
“Yes. And, just who are you?”
“I, Ma’am, am the boss around here, or so they tell me, Les Brown. Folks call me, Tan.”
Following Leon being pushed by Sylvia, Tan entered the room last carrying the remains of a box of donuts. He sat the box in front of his chair. “Where’s Lenny?”
“Up north, tying loose ends together. One more man to find that we know of and a couple we don’t have an ID on to fill out the menu from the train robbery.”
“Okay, folks, get comfy, and take notes. We are going to catch the man, today.”
In the outer office a voice yelled, “Anybody home?”
“Chuck, would you escort our newest temporary member from the office to here, please.”
“Sure, Boss.”
“Lady and gentlemen, this charming lady is a cop from Santa Cruz County who has done more for this case than I have. For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure yet, meet Matarese Gravit, cop extraordinaire.”
Matarese bowed to the group as she said, “What a line of bull.”
“I am going to assume that our target has not seen any of us except the charming Miss Sylvia. Stand up and take a bow, Miss Sylvia.”
She did.
“Miss Sylvia walked into the lion’s den and baited the lion for us.”
A round of applause rang in the room with Tank whistling a shrill screech.
“Chuck, get on the phone with the city, county, and utilities. Find out all you can about our target house.” Tan handed him a piece of paper with the address.
Chuck headed for the phone in the other room.
“Abdul, case the Taco Bell and neighborhood north of Northern on Seventh Street. Draw me pictures. Be back by 1030. Go.”
Tan continued until the only ones left were Tan, Matarese, Leon, and Sylvia. “Leon, I cannot take the chance that you also were seen. We know Sylvia was.”
“Boss, I agree. How about Sylvia and I being back up for the takedown? She can push me around so I can come a runnin’ when needed.”
“No. You two will not be on the scene at any time. I don’t want you out of action again. There’s a spot for you, both of you, I just haven’t found it, yet.”
Chuck walked in. “Boss, you need to call Phoenix PD. Gal at the water company just told me that the PD is asking about that address. What do you think’s up with that?”
“Leon, get on it.”
“Yeah, Boss,” He said as Sylvia rolled him to the phone at the far end of the table.
Chuck looked at Tan, “Here’s the dope on the house I got so far.” He handed Tan a half a page of notes.
Tan took a quick glance. “Owned by a woman who has lived there for how many years?”
“Twenty-three. All the utilities are in her name. No record found of a wedding in the past, either. I have a call in checking on the woman’s record.”
“Boss?” said Leon.
“Yeah?”
“Phoenix PD, Lt. Edwards.” Leon handed him the phone.
“Brown.”
“Brown, what’s your office doing asking about this address your man gave my front desk?”
“It is under investigation by my office on suspicion of various things.”
“We need to talk. Can you come to my office, please?”
“Where’s your office?”
“620 W. Washington, second floor, room 232. If you get lost just call, I’ll send someone down to lead the way.”
“On my way.” Tan handed the phone back to Chuck. “I’ll walk over there.”
Chuck asked, “You want me to keep after that address?”
“Yeah. There’s a man in that house we want. I want to know everything about him; his warts, batting average, and love life.”
“That’s getting a bit personal, isn’t it, Mr. Brown?” Sylvia asked.
“Call me Tan, please. Yes, it is, but if we’re gonna take the man, we need all the info we can get on him.”
“Oh.”
Tan left the room with, “Leon, you are in charge of the office. Chuck, keep digging. Miss Gravit, get outta that uniform.”
“You’re kinda sudden, boss,” she replied.
He blushed. “Get into some more appropriate clothes for the take down. You’re a killer’s lover not a cop, today.”
“If you insist, I’ll put on something more sexy, er, appropriate.”
He blushed again.
She laughed and left with, “I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”
Tan followed her to the sidewalk where they turned in opposite directions.
“Have a seat, Brown. What’s up with your investigation?”
“We have serious suspicion that the man at that address is involved with the ambush shootings down south and the train robbery up north, along with various other things.”
“This department is investigating the man in that house. The woman that owns it has not been seen in months. A friend tried to get in to see her and was told she didn’t want any visitors and to never return. She has not been seen by the neighbors in the past three months. The man in that house is under investigation for various charges, all concerning the misappropriation of somebody else’s money, including the woman’s.
“The interesting thing about him is that there is no record I can find of him more than six years old. He showed up in the woman’s home six years ago and was assumed to be a live in lover due to the woman’s history. He started working at a brokerage house three months later. They took him on her word. This lady has, or had, a lot of money invested with them.
“We have tried to get anything on him. He looks Mexican, talks American with a slight accent, walks military, and always has a beefy looking man at his side. We have tried to get finger prints and finally succeeded last week, a wine bottle in the trash can. We’re sure it’s his as of yesterday afternoon.
“The make came back from the FBI as an Army man named Assat, Kenneth Assat. Medically discharged from the Army as a Corporal for psychological reasons. He went berserk after a tour in the Middle East with Special Forces troops. We have a call in for his record. And, that’s where we are.”
30
Edwards tossed a file across the desk and sat back in his chair, reaching for his coffee cup. “You want a cup?”
“Sure,” said Tan as he thought about what he had just heard. When offered, he reached for coffee and the file at the same time.
Sipping the coffee and scanning the file, he sat back in his own chair and the office was quiet. “Any particulars on the man? Habits, work history, neighborhood relationships, clubs, golf, anything?”
“Yeah. He likes to go the range for gun powder therapy. Check the third page there for other stuff. He went through close to five hundred rounds of 5.56 and 9mm last week at the range. He should be there this morning; it’s his day at the range every week.”
“What if I told you a truck load of weapons was dropped at this house within the past four days?”
Edwards asked, “The U-Haul?”
“Yeah.”
“I’d believe you. We wondered about that.”
They got quiet for th
e duration of Tan’s reading.
“How about a copy of this?” Tan tossed the file back on the desk.
“I’ll give you mine if you give me yours.”
“I don’t have a file yet. We haven’t had time to really put one together. I’ll tell you what I know.”
“Deal.” Edwards hit the intercom. “Got some work for you, Laurette.”
An older woman came through the side door of the office. “Make a copy of everything in this pile and record it as going to the Governor’s office.”
“Sure.” She picked it up and walked out.
“Smiling help is always good.”
“I have seen her smile. Usually around quitting time.”
Tan asked for a refill and began his own narrative on Kenneth Assat, AKA the Colonel.
“And that’s what we know about our little Corporal who promoted himself to Colonel.” Tan ended.
“Sounds like some delusions of grandeur in the man.”
“Yeah, but we’re gonna take those delusions down this afternoon.”
“Need help?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, your file says the woman’s name is, or was Beatrice Morton. What do we know about her?”
“Various men have called that house home for short periods according to the nosy old lady across the street. She used them as escorts to various high faluting parties and such. She never did talk with the snoopy lady except on a face to face meeting where she would only reply when spoken to with ‘nice day isn’t it?’ and keep on walking, ducking into her drive as quick as possible. The paper boy has never seen her. She pays by phone call once a year. All utilities paid automatically based on a credit card in Ms. Morton’s name. He is quite charming in a tux or so I’ve been told.”
“What made you think there was a problem?”
“Got a call from the brokerage house. Mr. Assad was manipulating a lot of money in the wrong directions. Her money is almost gone. Three new accounts have been found that are registered to corporations that do not exist. The CEO down there called us after he was notified by an old client that he was withdrawing his money due to the dwindling value of his portfolio. He checked and found some very suspicious activity, and called the State Attorney’s office for assistance. They put a man in there and are just getting the full report completed for the grand jury.”
“You ready for a take down?”
“On your charges, yeah. Ours are not yet ready. So, when and how?”
Tan filled him in.
Within minutes people from Phoenix PD were moving in various directions to set up a net without holes around the Taco Bell and the house, or so they hoped.
Abdul took one look at the Taco Bell and mumbled under his breath. Wide open all around, except for the apartments to the south. He pulled out a pad of paper and drew the area from the Church to the south all the way around to the car wash across the street from the church. “Lots of places for folks to be comin’ and goin’,” he said. The smells of the Taco Bell just naturally drew him in for a couple of tacos and a soda before he headed back to the office.
Miss Matarese arrived at the office dressed in skin tight yoga pants, a midriff showing tank top, and spiked heels at least a foot long with her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Her makeup was so light you had to get close or know her well to tell she even had any on. She looked like she was on her way to the stage in a gentleman’s club on Scottsdale Road.
Leon took one look at her and whistled, for which he got the back of his head smacked, lovingly of course, by a certain baker woman. “Eyes back in your head, boy. You’re mine.”
“I can at least look, can’t I?”
“You’ve had your look, now go back to work.”
“There is nothing to do right now.”
The phone rang.
“Gov’s boys and girls, Leon.”
It was Abdul letting the office know he was on his way in.
By the time Tan got back everyone was in the office again.
Tan came in with a smile. “Conference room, bring coffee.”
When all were in their favorite positions, he began, “Phoenix PD is setting street troops around the Taco Bell now. They are also putting a ring, a wide ring around the house. A bear will be in the air just for us. They will act as backup for the whole shebang.”
He passed around credit cards.
“Oh, goody, free shopping,” said Matarese as she cocked her body seductively.
“Stop that, Officer Gravit, that’s unbecoming of you,” Chuck was smiling as he thought of his reunion with bride-to-be that was one day away.
“These are not credit cards. They are locators. Put it in your wallet, pocket, or purse,” he smiled at the ladies, “or tuck it in your bra if you want. The rest of us and you will be able to pinpoint your location on your cell phones with this app.” He wrote the app name on the board.
Everyone dug out their phone and started tapping.
“If necessary, you can even charge something, up to a $100, but only if you have to. Don’t lose them.”
He paused for a few minutes until the eyes got back on him instead of the phones. When Tank said, “Cool,” he began again.
“The only real problem with these is, we don’t know who is who, just that someone amongst us is at that spot.”
Tan looked at some scribbles on the white board. “These your doodles, Abdul.”
“Yeah, Boss.”
“Tank, I want you in this Taco Bell, which is also a Long John Silvers, eating to your hearts content by 1:45. No later. Drive your bomb.”
“Bruce, you will be in this donut shop across the street.”
“Talk about character actors.” Bruce shook his head and everyone laughed.
“Abdul, you work on a car in the parking lot of this auto parts place. Be ready to roll if needed. In other words, don’t take the car apart.”
“Man, I don’t know one end of a car from the other, that’s why my man Tank do the driving.” Another chuckle from the group.
“I will be behind the building on the northwest corner.”
“Chuck, you go to the house. Park where you can keep an eye on it. Follow any car that leaves the place. PPD will be there somewhere doing the same thing. Watch for them.”
“Yes, boss. How am I going to know the PD guys?”
“They’re the ones drawing overtime.”
“Notice, we have the place surrounded. Just act normal for the place you are in.” He reached behind him and brought up a brief case. “Each one of us will wear one of these.” He passed out cell phone blue tooth speakers shaped like horseshoes that hang around the neck. “They are voice activated. Say a word and then start your message. When you talk, it will arrive here in the office,” he pulled out a box with a couple of cords hanging from it. “Chuck, plug this between the phone on the desk there and the jack in the wall.”
“Each of us will call the office phone number, when it starts ringing, hit two stars in a row. Nothing will come over the line until someone talks. These speakers around your neck are also mikes. You will hear everyone and everyone will hear you. Call sign etiquette will make it work. ID self and then person called. Questions?” He looked around the room.
“So, you will have pinpoint positions and constant communications.”
He paused again to allow everyone to get hooked up. “Don’t call in, yet. When we break up here, do it before you leave the office just in case there’s a glitch.”
“Miss Gravit, I have jewelry for you.” He reached in the case again, bringing out a necklace with a lot of bling and large pendants. “Try this on.”
“It isn’t me, Tan. I don’t wear that stuff. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t even wear earrings.”
“That’s gonna change right now.” He handed it to her.
She put it on. “Too much.” She started to take it off.
“Stop. One of those dodads is a locator, just in case you lose the card. The red stone near your neck on the r
ight is a microphone. They are both off. I will remotely activate the locator if needed. The mike is up to you. Go in with it off. If you need to communicate, squeeze the red stone until it buzzes enough for you to feel it, kinda like a cell phone only much lighter buzz.”
“Try it.”
She gave the stone a squeeze. “Wow. That is a light buzz. I couldn’t hear it, but felt it.”
“Good. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Our target may scan you for bugs. This way all the doodads are off until you feel safe in turning them on, or have to in a tight spot. Do the same to turn it off. The real problem is, we cannot talk to you and you will not know if we heard you.”
“I like,” she said as she rubbed the necklace.
“Don’t lose that. It will cost you a couple years pay if you do.”
“I will sign nothing. You signed it out.”
“I borrowed it from a friend.”
“Oh.”
He looked her over and said, “Where’s your gun?”
“Wanna find it?”
Tan blushed.
Murmurs around the room said it was time for questions.
“The floor is now open to questions and suggestions.”
“That’s all. It’s almost 1 PM. Time to put it all in action.” Tan stopped and took a drink from his coffee cup. “One thing to remember, and remember well, Matarese is putting everything on the line. We must do the same. Her safety is as important as our own. Take calculated risks and let’s all come out alive and well.”
He looked at Leon, “I said the same when we went after you.”
“And, I appreciate it,” was Leon’s response. He looked up at Sylvia, “See what I’ve been telling you, this guy’s a bleeding heart.”
Matarese added, “Tender, too.”
Tan turned away, but everyone saw his ears turn red.
Tan met the Chief of Police behind the buildings on the northwest corner. He had his green hotrod truck with him. The Chief was driving a silver/gray late model Toyota Camry. “I figured there’s no other make and model that is more popular on the road. Blend in by being a copycat.”
Tan stared at his phone and watched everyone get in place before the show began. Abdul pulled into the auto parts store and went inside. Bruce looked at ease as he climbed out of his Mazda and went into the donut shop. Tank’s bomb rolled in to the Taco Bell/Long John Silver’s parking lot with enough noise to draw everybody’s attention. He got out of the car, cussed loudly, and kicked the rear fender, before walking in and ordering a dozen crunchy tacos and then sitting dead center in the place.
