Case 50: The Game

Case 50: The Game(jpater) Inspector J.P. Bullet and Summer Brody entered Conner’s Bar and Grill. They sat down and started looking at the menu. Conner McMaster, the owner, came over to the table. “Look at what I bought online,” said Conner pointing to a Jukebox in the corner. “Does it work?” ask J.P. sarcastically. “Of course it does, let me show you,” said Conner walking over to the juke box and putting a quarter in the machine. The jukebox started playing. “I'll be, it actually works,” said J.P. laughing. “Man, I don’t know why you think everything I buy is not going to work,” said Conner. “Bubba, I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the reasons why,” said J.P.


“Don’t you think you are a little hard on Conner?” asked Summer to J.P. as they were headed back to the precinct. “No, I don’t. We were partners for ten years and he was coming up with a scheme every day to either get rich quick or get something for nothing. Do you know how many of those shenanigans actually worked?” asked J.P.. Summer thought for a moment. “Not many,” said Summer. “Exactly,” said J.P.


J.P. and Summer entered the 169th Precinct. As They walked past the dispatch office, Ola, the day shift dispatcher, stopped them. “Summer, this odd little man that always comes around wanted me to give you this,” said Ola handing her a manila envelope. Summer opened the envelope which contained three 8x12 pictures. Tears ran down Summer’s face as she looked at the pictures. “What’s wrong?” asked J.P.. Summer walked off and did not say a word.


J.P. found Summer sitting on the bench outside of the Precinct crying. J.P. sat down beside her and put his arms around to comfort her. Summer handed J.P. the envelope. J.P. took the pictures out of the envelope. “This looks like two people sabotaging a boat. “That is the Chico, the boat Matt was killed on,” said Summer. “Do You want to tell me what happened?” asked J.P. “Me and Matt used to work as lifeguards for Los Angeles County. The Chico had just left port and the ship’s engine exploded and starting sinking. There was a report that there were still people on the boat, so they requested mutual aid from the L.A. County Lifeguards. Matt boarded the ship and then there was a second explosion. They ruled the explosion was caused by an engine malfunction,” said Summer. “Then who took these pictures and how did they know you are now in New York?” asked J.P. “I don’t know, it may be someone in the cartel, that is after me,” said Summer. “I am going to help you but I need you to tell me what happened, so I have some idea of what we are dealing with," said J.P. “After Matt died, I got lonely and felt like my heart got ripped out of my body,” said Summer as tears started rolling down her face. “I got involved with a guy, who’s father was involved in the cartel,” continued Summer. “Ernesto Hernandez,” said J.P. “Yes, but we arrested him and he was sent back to Mexico,” said Summer. “This may be some of Ernesto’s friends,” said J.P. standing up.


J.P. was walking down the hall towards the detective office. He stopped and looked at the pictures. After carefully examining the pictures he started walking towards the detective office.


“Harvey, I want you to analyze theses photos and see if you can figure out who these people are,” said J.P. handing the photos to Inspector Harvey Lucas. “I am on it boss,” said Harvey. “Rebella, you have connections to the underworld crooks. I want you to see if you can find out anything about any cartel activity in the area,” said J.P. to Inspector Rebella Lucas. Rebella left the detective office. J.P. reached in his pocket and took out his car keys. “Summer, you are with me,” said J.P.


J.P. drove to Harbor Number Twenty-Seven. “What are we doing here?” asked Summer. “Looking for something,” said J.P. “What are we looking for?” asked Summer. “I am not sure yet,” said J.P. looking around the harbor. He saw a dumpster and started looking in it. J.P. took his jacket off and handed it to Summer. He climbed into the dumpster and started digging through the trash. “Found something,” said J.P. pulling out a board with 'Chico' written on it. He threw the board out of the dumpster and climbed out. “Those pictures were not taken in Los Angeles, they were taken here!” said Summer in shock.


Rebella walked into the detective office. “The underworld crooks acted like they did not know anything about cartel activity in the area and I could not get anything out of them,” said Rebella to J.P. “That is because there is not any cartel activity. Someone is playing a sick game,” said J.P. sitting down. Then Harvey entered the detective office. “Boss, I found something! The people in the pictures are: Fred Crane, brother to Alister Crane, and the other one is our good friend Tony B,” said Harvey. “Susie, I want you and Sabrina to go look up our friend Tony B. and bring him to the Precinct,” said J.P. to Inspector Susie Young. Inspectors Susie Young and Sabrina Lackey left the detective office.

J.P entered Conner’s bar and grill. Former Inspector and the previous owner of the bar C.V. Parker was talking to Conner. “J.P. look who is here! C.V. said he could not believe the business that I have,” said Conner excitedly. J.P. put a grin on his face because he knew that C.V. meant that he was surprised that the bar was still in business. J.P. sat down beside C.V. “How is retirement?” asked J.P. “It is boring as watching a banana taking a nap. All Mary Ann wants to do is sit around and sew,” complained C.V.. Conner brought J.P. a cup of coffee and set it down on the bar. “So, where is your girlfriend?” asked Conner. “What are you talking about?” asked J.P. “Summer,” said Conner. “Summer is not my girlfriend,” said J.P. “Come on man, you know you have the hots for her,” said Conner. “I do not have the hots for Summer,” said J.P. bitterly. C.V. could tell by the tone of his voice that J.P. was starting to get mad, so C.V. decided to change the subject. “What kind of case are you working on now?” asked C.V. “Fred Crane, the brother to Alister Crane, is playing some kind of sick game and I am trying to get to the bottom of it,” said J.P. “If you are dealing with the Cranes, you better be careful, those people are dangerous. I spent the last 10 years of my career as a New York City Inspector trying to catch all of those dog-gone Cranes. They are slippery as a dog-gone fish. I don’t know how you managed to outsmart Alister and arrest him,” said C.V. “He just made one mistake and we were ready,” said J.P.


J.P.’s cell phone started ringing, he reached in his pocket, took it out, and answered it. “I bet it is Summer trying to arrange a date,” said Conner to C.V. with a grin on his face. J.P. hung up the phone. “That was Summer, she went home and her door was unlocked. She is at the neighbor’s house. She wants me to come make sure they are not still in the house,” said J.P. getting up to leave. “Boy, she is a sly fox,” said Conner. “This is not a game, Conner! She may be in trouble,” said C.V. getting up and leaving the bar.


J.P. pulled up to Summer's neighbor’s house. Summer came out of the house when she saw J.P. “I had locked the door this morning when I left for work. I came home and I noticed that the lock had been picked and it was unlocked. I was afraid they were still in the house so I came over here to call you,” said Summer trembling with fear.


C.V. pulled in behind J.P. and got out of his truck with his single barrel shotgun. “I thought you might need some back-up,” said C.V. walking up to where J.P. and Summer was. “Summer, I want you to go back inside and wait. Me and C.V. will check and make sure everything is ok at your house. Summer went back into her neighbor’s house as J.P. and C.V. went over to her house.


J.P. got on the left side of the door and C.V. got on the right. J.P. pulled out his service revolver. “Are you ready?” whispered J.P. C.V. nodded yes. J.P. opened the door and made entry. “Police, Freeze!” shouted J.P.. They did a room to room search, there was nobody in the house but it had been ransacked. “These people are starting to peeve me off,” said J.P. as he was putting his service revolver back into the holster.


Inspector Susie Young and Sabrina Lackey had been watching Tony B.'s grandmother’s house. “There has not been any activity, do you think he is in there?” asked Sabrina. “I don’t know but I called Rebella in case he was in there and decided to run when we made entry,” said Susie. Rebella pulled up behind them. Susie and Sabrina got out of the car they were in, as Rebella was getting out of hers. “I am not sure he is in there but I wanted to have backup in case he was and decided to make a run for it,” said Susie. “Sabrina, go to the back of the house and be ready in case he runs out the back door,” said Rebella.


Rebella and Susie went to the front door. Rebella rang the doorbell. No one came to the door. “You ready?” asked Rebella as she was drawing her service revolver. “Ready,” said Susie as she drew her service revolver. Rebella kicked the door open. They found Tony B. tied up and gagged. “We had a few questions for you, but I see you are tied up at the moment,” said Rebella making fun of the situation.


J.P. entered Interrogation Room One. He unhandcuffed Tony. “You are free to go,” said J.P.. Tony sat there with a confused look on his face. “What are you waiting on? You are free to go. There is nothing we can charge you with,” said J.P.. “I can’t go out there, he will get me,” said Tony. “Who will get you?” asked J.P. “That crazy Fred Crane. He told me he was from Hollywood and was doing a shoot for a movie and needed me to take some boards and make a backdrop of a boat’s aft, and I was going to get paid well. Then after I helped him the lunatic tied me up,” said Tony. J.P. laughed at his story. “Now, it is time to get serious. Where is Fred Crane?” asked J.P. “After he tied me up, he called someone and told them to get the plane ready, that he would be there in ten minutes,” said Tony. J.P. got up and left the interrogation room.


J.P. and Summer went to a privately owned airport. All the hangers were locked. “We are too late. He is already gone,” said Summer. “He is only toying with us, he will be back,” said J.P.


It was 2:00 A.M. in the morning and J.P.’s doorbell rang. “What the heck” moaned J.P. as he went to the door with his pistol. It was Summer. “Summer, what are you doing here at 2 in the morning?” asked J.P. “I could not sleep,” said Summer. “Don’t tell me you are following Conner’s advice" said J.P. setting his pistol on the lamp stamp beside the couch. “You always tell me never to listen to Conner’s advice because it always turns into a disaster. I am not paranoid, I was just a little scared,” said Summer. J.P. went and got a pillow and a blanket and stayed up until Summer went to sleep on the couch.


J.P. and Summer went into Conner’s bar and grill and sat down at the table. Conner came over to take their order and he had a big grin on his face. “What was it like?” asked Conner. “What are you talking about?” asked J.P. “You and Summer,” said Conner. “What is he talking about?” asked J.P. to Summer. “Come on man, you know, you sleeping with Summer,” said Conner. “I did not sleep with Summer and how did you know she was at my house?” asked J.P. Conner wiped the grin off of his face. “I was um-um-um concerned about Summer’s safety after someone broke into her house and I um-um-um,” said Conner. “Just spit it out, I don’t have all day,” said J.P. “Well, I followed Summer,” said Conner. J.P. patted him on the back. “Bubba, you need to find a new hobby,” said J.P..