Flapper Dick Ch. 13

"Yes and it is boring, also plenty of hoping for not hearing anything wrong." John says then the raid fella opens his mouth.

"I signed up for special duty just to stop driving around."

"How do I know I will get this deal you offered?" Look at the fella and frown then look at raid fella.

"Did you find his wallet?" Get a nod and he points, it is sitting on the joe table, so grab it up and look inside to get his name. "Mark you will get this deal because I will write you a note and put it in your wallet. Demand a lawyer and tell him about the note, lawyer will demand access to your things and hand the note to the prosecutor assigned. I will also talk to Mr. Crowe and let him know." One of the other raid fellas appears in the sitting room and clears his throat.

"Betty, the other fellas are demanding access to the deal you offered." Frown for a moment then grin and nod.

"Absolutely, I will be right there, perhaps they have more information on the gang you will bother tomorrow and then more gangs."

Follow a grinning fella into the kitchen and there are a bunch of fellas sitting there. All of them are talking at once so put my hands up, then whistle when they don't stop.

"All of you will get two years off the deal you are offered. To earn this at least one of you has to come up with something more than we learned already. Especially handy if one can attest to seeing drugs and stolen items, or know where to go to get the stolen items that does not involve pilfering off the trains." Stop there since John puts his hand on my shoulder.

"If they will admit to pilfering and who they talked to, then I would not be against charging with the pilfering off the trains and only that. We do need to get a little information on who is talking among the switchers."

"What if we haven't been pilfering from the train yards?"

"Then we will ask after who you bought the things like belts and washing machine parts from." I say getting John to groan.

"There is a washing machine store that has been robbed a few times." Look at John and roll my eyes.

"Fellas we are not saying tell us about robbing a store. If you buy things to sell, drugs or belts and so forth then tell us who you buy from." Plenty of nodding and looking around.

One of the fellas is getting stared at by the rest, so either the leader of the gang, or the newest. Whichever he does name two names, they get the items off them. Not all of the items but they do go to those two for a few of the items. I am sure they rob stores also but still this is good to learn. Also told of a third gang, one of the fellas lives closer to where this gang has a house.

Sadly none of them can attest to these gangs selling stolen items or drugs. All are sure on they are, but I'm pretty sure we need a person who can say they sell the illegal things. Takes a little while, and some coaxing but all we can get then John nudges me.

"I'd mention you need to write a note for Mark but they all get the same deal. I'm thinking you should go back to the station with them in the paddy wagon. Do call your boss and tell him, make sure he isn't against a rather sweet deal to the lot." I'd ask why I should go back but I am leaning against the cabinet, suppose knocked up this far along makes standing and jogging before hard on me.

"I can call him up now and talk on it if there is a phone book." John snorts and points, with the gang fellas nodding toward it, it's next to the phone.

Snort and open up the phone book to find the number, it's a listing on the office number but I should get to Mr. Crowe. Also not sure it matters if I can get to him since I am only calling in to alert on what I offered. As John said the lawyers will give whatever deal they feel like. Enter in the numbers to find the rotary on this phone is a little stiff, at least it dials fine and I get answered fast.

"County Attorney's office, how may I help you?"

"This is Betty, I'd like to talk to Mr. Crowe."

"I would put you through to him but he is in a meeting currently." Let out a groan since that isn't good, but then I better make like I am able to hand out deals.

"Blast, I have a report to give him and handed out plenty of good deals."

"Far as I know you are not able to do that."

"I know but the gang fellas gave us good information, have two names to run down that are selling stolen items, and two other gang houses in a general location." He is silent for a moment then snorts.

"That is good information, I am writing all this down and he will see it when the meeting is over."

"Yeah the bulls here with me and the gang fellas are happy with the information. So I said two years off half max sentence for all of the offenses. I don't think we know precisely how many there are yet, still going through everything but I know we have heroin and other drugs here."

"Ah yes the raid in south side, we got alerted to a warrant for one being written. Do you happen to know the warrant number, and then how many pinched?"

"Hang on I need to ask after the warrant number." Turn to John and he holds up the warrant, top of it there is a number so I read that. "Got eight pinches, one is going to hospital."

"Do believe this is the best raid you have done so far in the manner of left dead after." Roll my eyes.

"This is only my second raid with the raid fellas." John and the fellas snort and hold up three fingers. "Hang on, seems to be some disagreement on that over here." Can hear chuckling over the phone but I have put my hand over the talk cone. "Only my second raid, all the other times I have encountered gang houses Fred and I shot them down or I was with a bull."

"The lost boy, three of us were along on that." Just stare at him for a moment and groan, then go back to the phone.

"Apparently my third, the lost boy had some raid fellas on the rescue."

"Ah, I wouldn't have known that either. I think I got everything so let me read it back."

"Please do."

"You have eight pinches you promised two years off half max time for all offenses. To get this they gave up two names of fences and told you of some gangs."

"Yeah, three gang houses and one will be found tomorrow, though I won't be in on that, third house in three days is not happening."

"Not blaming you, you know I think it has been moved to a year off half max for the deal." Frown for a moment since I hadn't know that.

"Dang I hadn't known that, so if it is that then I guess offer that up with the time off I said. They gave up good information so I want to make sure they get the time off promised."

"I am sure he will agree with you on that. It is good information to have gotten, and likely to end up in the newspapers so the rest will talk deals." John waves his hand so pull back from the phone.

"Ambulance is here, why not go there and I will get a bull over to drive you to station." I frown for a moment then realize, I can talk to a doctor and make sure I am fine so nod and smile.

"Yes I like that, will need the key for his bracelet." John nods and points at the phone.

"Hang up with him first." Sigh since I had forgotten I was on the phone for a moment, but do hang up and get handed a keyring, only one key on it.

"Large key ring for the one little key." John is chuckling and shrugs.

"When I was patrol we put our keys on the keyring. It went on the belt and hung there so more keys the better the jangle and made us easy to find. Also walked around more than is done now, half of the patrol walked the beat, the other half had horses to chase down wagons and other horses."

"Not to mention fend off those pesky Indian attacks." Everybody is chuckling now, John rolls his eyes.

"I am not that old. I don't remember the fire even, too small at the time."

"Yet everyone is calling you dad, I am sorry for doing that by the way." John snorts and shakes his head.

"Not complaining, I am the oldest of the detectives. I am older than at least half of the sergeants even. Captain is older so I called him dad once after everyone did it to me, he rolled his eyes and said not grandpa. Before you ask Captain was a corporal when I walked the beat, he had a horse. Go on the ambulance is waiting, and the doctors will tell you how to do the bracelet at the hospital. Patrol will take a little while to get there, and he may hand over his keys."

"So I should park that in the lot with my breezer?"

John snorts and ushers me on, also follows along. Out to the ambulance that is closed up, I am sitting up front with one of them. So get inside and then John is at the window, so roll it down.

"There is one thing, what was the thing you hadn't known?"

"According to office manager the lawyers have been offering half max minus one year. So if they are doing that then they get three years off half the maximum. I only know on half the maximum from when the train yard murderer wanted to talk deal and I had to go in to discuss the case."

"I agree, give them two years off the standard deal offered. Oh we have found washing machine parts, belts, and suspenders along with plenty of drugs."

I am nodding and smile even since it is good to know, sort of really since I am not handling this case anymore. Then we get a move on to the hospital and we don't go all the way up to north side. Instead we go to all things considered a rather small hospital. There are surgery rooms, two so not many but then I don't know how often they have surgeries.

Bracelet part is easy at least, I go in with the gurney. Fella is attached to the gurney so when we get to the doctor and nurses I hand over the key. Bracelet is undone from the gurney and then done again on a bed. Said bed isn't precisely the regular bed, there is a pad, leather I think, on the bed under his shoulder.

Have a nurse standing there with me, so I can find my way around according to what she had said. Fella is looked over and they are cutting his shirt away. Then they are wheeling him to surgery and plenty of yelling of words that I have no idea what the words mean.

"What is going on?" Nurse snorts and guides me over to sit on a chair.

"They are taking him to surgery to make sure his shoulder is fine. Once they are finished with that, three or four hours I think, he will be moved to recovery hall and then taken to the station. Is this your first visit to a hospital with an injured?" Shake my head.

"First time I've come to one as the holder of the bracelet keys. I'm unsure on if I need to see a doctor but I am sort of tired. I mean I went up in north side to figure out why the son of a wealthy family would steal the jewelry, then some walking around to talk to the boss of a fella whose dad got offed. After that we found a gang house and bought a suspender then were told of drugs, so off to have lunch and then back to take part in the raid." Her hand has gone to her mouth and stays there for a moment.

"Heavens, how do you manage to do all that in a day?" I am giggling now and she is grinning. "You should be tired after half of that. Honest there is a reason why most skirts get knocked up and stay at home. Not so much in the first few months but last months like you are now, you get tired easier so better for you and the baby to stay home."

"So it's not a problem, just did too much in my condition?" She is nodding and looks around.

"I can have a doctor come over and listen if you want, mostly this is a case of your body has plenty to do so adding more isn't good for you, not so much the baby but you in particular."

"I get around in a breezer so not so good for either of us to get tired." She is nodding now.

"Definitely not, I don't like to drive that much and there are not really that many jalopies in Chicago."

"Yeah Detroit is worse than we are, but it is getting bad. I think worse for me, I go up to the County Attorney offices on Mondays now, lot of traffic."

"I have driven up to Penney and know what you mean. Mostly it is simply the businesses are all in there and plenty of those other businesses deal with for things so there is always traffic up there. I will mention until you get baby in hand you should do less."

"Usually I do, mostly it's just pick up a witness or two and get to court house. Today was a wealthy family and wanted to figure out why the son had the jewelry. So it got sent up the marks and handed to me yesterday. The office to talk to boss of the son of an offed fella was simply because I took a detective along with me to the wealthy family and he demanded I help him out. Good for him since my breezer got us able to spot a gang house and stop to buy things. I stayed in the breezer except to get out to talk at the station and go have a wonderful lunch."

"You ate plenty?" I am nodding and turn red.

"I had hot chocolate with a chocolate malted and a bacon cheeseburger, press wedges and plenty of those. I almost cleaned the plate off, and then for breakfast I had four French toast, with sunny side up eggs and bacon."

"You must be craving sweets." I am nodding and wink.

"I think everyone is hoping for a daughter."

"I am hoping that if I can find a fella that I have a daughter first. I have an older brother and he is annoying, always talked to my dates and made comments about what happens if this happens or that." I am giggling now, she is too.

"I'm sure Dad would have done the same if he had lived long enough. If you are not working on Saturday we have grill parties, plenty of bulls show up and not all are with a skirt." She snorts and smiles.

"Tempting, it's not horror stories of things that happen at their work is it?" I am shaking my head and grin.

"On Sunday, it was raining last Saturday, the fellas cracked funny and us skirts talked fashion, and then scandalous outfits to entice our fella into nookie."

"Far as I know the only place selling things like that is that shop up by the river."

"Yeah, I did the initial design of the suits and most of the wedding night finery. There are three designing for it now, just got a satin line started up and I haven't made anything new."

"You have a lot on your belly." Look down and giggle with her, that is a good way to put it.

"Mostly it's just dealing with things for the county attorney. Soon as school is out another skirt is hiring on to do it so I will have less, I hope."

"You better, you are looking at ending up in hospital to have your baby in two months or so."

"So I should tell my boss I shouldn't do anything but pick up witnesses?" She frowns and shrugs.

"I don't know, let's see if I can find a doctor."

I nod then she goes through the door to the back. Just sit there a little longer and a bull comes in and sits next to me. So I look at him and he grins for a moment.

"Sergeants were saying I am getting nookie now since I came to take you to your breezer." Roll my eyes and hand over the bracelet keys.

"John gave me those and said to hand to the bull that shows up. I didn't know they stuck them on a regular hospital bed to take into surgery."

"Depends on the hospital, the big one up in north side they have a surgery table. There is a bar on both sides so a pinch can be stuck to the table. Not that there is a chance of them getting up once the surgery is going."

"I wouldn't think so, Fred went in when he was shot and didn't wake up until the next morning."

"Yeah, according to the sergeants that makes you bad luck for him. I mean he went to the war and didn't get shot, but one shoot out with you and he does." Roll my eyes and swat at the bull who is chuckling, this is how the nurse and a doctor come in the waiting room.

"Do please not progress to shooting him in here." Doctor says getting me to stop swatting the bull and stare at him.

"He said I am bad luck for Fred, he only got shot once despite going to the war." Doctor and nurse snort.

"Near as I can tell getting shot isn't so much who is around but if the person shot moves or not. Not the discussion I was talked into coming and have with you however so let's move to that."

"What discussion?" Bull asks so I roll my eyes.

"I am tired after doing a few things today and then taking part in a raid. I had problems standing up while we talked to the pinches after the raid." About then realize I didn't bring the Winchester with me so groan. "I also didn't bring the Winchester along, Fred bought that to go in the breezer just in case." Bull is nodding now.

"I was told to tell you that the Winchester will be brought to your house later."

"As for the tired part you are far enough along that you will get tired easier. Another month and you will find it hard to walk besides to the bathroom. Once you get there I will recommend you not go into the office, just stay home until you need the hospital. If you would rather the big hospital will let you come up and stay in a room for the last week or so of your pregnancy."

"I don't think I will want to do that, I like having books and the radio, not to mention I like to cook." Doctor is nodding and winks.

"Most of the pregnant I have seen want the same thing. Maternity rooms have a radio and book shelves, you can bring books and they have a number already. You stay there for a month after, mostly so you can recover from the experience and learn everything you need to know to have a baby in hand." Nurse rolls her eyes with me.

"I'm pretty sure I can learn everything I need to with a baby in an hour." Doctor is nodding and winks.

"Most of us think the same thing, you stay for a month because nobody complains about that except the new mother at the very end." I am giggling now, that is funny.

"There is one thing I am wondering on. How often do my cravings not mean I have what I am thinking?" Doctor frowns for a moment then Nurse leans in and says something to him and he chuckles.

"Ah yes I see, you want a daughter and are thinking you have one since you crave sweets. Most of the time you have what your cravings suggest, roughly ninety percent. That said don't be painting the baby room pink or anything like that. It is impossible to tell when the ten percent where you get the opposite will happen."

"I am wondering if the baby will have your last name or Fred's." I just stare at the bull for a moment and groan since we never discussed that.

"We haven't discussed that." Doctor snorts.

"Do discuss that, I will mention that if you do get manacles fitted best to do it in the next two months."

"Speaking of that, can we assign a last name without manacles?" Doctor is nodding now.

"Absolutely, so long as you name a father the child can be assigned your last name or his. Mostly the government wants there to be a marriage before hand, but there isn't anything in the books on this part."

"So mostly it's just pick a last name if they are different because there isn't a law against it?"

"Yes, there isn't even a law on changing your last name after getting hitched. It's just done and easy but you don't have to. See that in Hollywood some, the stars don't always have the same last name as their husband. Sometimes it is a stage name and otherwise they have a different name."

"Sometimes she gets hitched after becoming famous so keeps that name for movies." Nurse says which is true, I just never thought about it.

"Our plan on manacles was only if the government makes a fuss on not having one. I mean we live together." Everybody is nodding.

"That should be close enough. The push to have a fella with manacles is mostly so kids are raised with a mom and dad. Happens if the dad side of the marriage is killed, car accident or went to war and died there. Moms have reported getting visits from government officials saying they should find a fella."

"Honestly I think that has more to do with fellas can get better paying jobs. I am making three sawbucks to waitress, going to get the same to be a court appointed dick. Mostly that was because I demanded three sawbucks." Bull is nodding.