Flapper Dick Ch. 16

Doesn't argue though, climbs in my breezer and we are getting underway fast. Mostly because there is plenty of traffic and it is going fast. So either we squeeze out in the gap between or wait a while. Luckily there is good pick up in my breezer so there is only one honk at us and a yell of impatient.

Has me giggling for a while, then realize we are going back to the same neighborhood as the victim. Not the same street, end up going two actual cross streets over from the crime scene. Stop in front of a house that is in need of mowing so I am thinking that perhaps he doesn't live here. Still up to the door we go and knock, then I am moving over to look in the window.

Window is open so someone lives here, or moved out recently. Spot a sofa and book case so someone lives here. Also doesn't seem to be here at the moment so back over to John and shake my head. He sighs then pulls me along to the neighbor house to knock there. He pulls out his badge so pull out my license then the door is opening to a skirt.

"Oh heavens, are you here to relate a death?" John shakes his head so she deflates a little.

"We are looking for your neighbor, has he gotten a jalopy recently?" She is nodding.

"Not a nice man. He had one and then one day he came back without it. I would figure on sold it, but then last week he all of a sudden has a jalopy again." John frowns for a moment then asks a good question.

"Has he gone to the store or something else?" She frowns for a moment then shakes her head.

"I don't rightly know on that. I do know that he has been gambling. Before his jalopy disappeared I heard him having a rather loud conversation about dough he owes. I would figure he found one of those gambling halls and lost a goodly amount." John sighs now.

"Blast, I don't know where there is one around here." I just snort and poke him.

"We will go talk to Capone and see if this fella is in one of his places."

John rolls his eyes and she is giggling but we do leave her there and get back in my breezer. I get to drive this time so just take us all the way over to the hotel. Parking is a little hard but I find a spot and it's only a quarter mile. So we ankle it over to the hotel and step inside. I am looking around and wave at Giovanni then notice Capone so head for him.

Capone looks us over as we get over to him and frowns. Suppose he knows that John is a bull, perhaps he thinks we are here to pinch him.

"Not here to pinch you, got a different fella in mind and most likely he is in one of your gambling places." Capone snorts then and looks around before whistling and waving at a different fella.

"What's going on?" Giovanni asks as the other fella gets over and he is nodding so put my hand up and pull out the picture.

"We are after a fella who looks like this with a slightly larger nose and eyes a little closer together. His neighbor overheard him having a loud conversation over dough he owes so we figured he is gambling." Capone and the other fella are nodding.

"He handed over a jalopy, that took care of most of his debt. Promised to come back later with more dough. Took him a week but he did come back with more dough." The fella Capone waved at says.

"What has he done?" Giovanni asks which is a good question that John answers.

"We are pretty sure he offed a fella he knew from his office work to take his jalopy and likely whatever dough he could find."

"Are you arresting or would you rather get the signed confession and the body?" I look at John who sighs.

"Arresting. I think only offer up the signed confession and body when he works for you." Capone and Giovanni snort.

"According to what I heard that was the highlight of the week for a number of fellas." Giovanni says getting everyone to chuckle, I just roll my eyes.

"We need to know if he is in fact gambling right this moment, and then where he is gambling." Capone snorts and looks at the other fella who puts up a hand and goes over to the front desk to use the phone.

"Are we to grab him up and hold for you to get there?" Capone asks getting John to frown, then I open my mouth.

"Only if he is leaving. We only think he is the right fella." John rolls his eyes but does nod.

"Honestly we know he is the one that offed a fella. Do need to search his home, and suppose him since he perhaps carries a gun." Capone snorts then looks at Giovanni.

"You will go with, they will need another fella to pinch this fella and get him to the station." Giovanni is nodding then the other fella comes over.

"He is in fact there and gambling, doing good according to what I was told so not likely to leave soon." Capone nods and waves his hand so the fella shares an address, Giovanni is nodding so I think he knows how to get there.

"Make sure he doesn't leave but otherwise leave him alone." I say getting the fella to check with Capone then walking back to the phone.

John and Giovanni pull me along outside so a fast ankle to my breezer. Then I am driving again so getting directions from Giovanni. This gambling hall is in a sort of manner close to the victim and his murderer. Five miles away from the murderer house so not a bad ankle. On the outside it is a suit store, not a tailor shop but just a shop selling suits.

Being curious I am looking around when we go inside and it is what it says, there are suits all over the place. Nice suits to be sure, but then they are only in three colors so I am not so happy with the selection. Then we are going to of all things, a changing room. Inside the changing room Giovanni rotates one of the hooks getting the wall to open, so in there we go to find a hallway.

Hallway leads to stairs down, about halfway down I am hearing fellas talking. Also hear giggles so they have skirts here, likely working. Which is true, they are in skimpy waitress outfits. Course they are not really waitress outfits, the skirt is poofy and very short, there is something else under the skirt so you don't see all of her.

Likely could from the floor so I may want to ask about that. Then again perhaps not, panties are easy to get for these skirts since the store was funded by Capone in the first place. Giovanni waves at a fella at the bottom of the steps who points so we head for the table pointed at. Easy to find our pinch, he is sitting at the far end of the table from us, and doing good since there is a good sized pile of chips.

Giovanni goes to his right around the table, John goes left. I am unsure on what to do so follow Giovanni. Giovanni pulls his pistol out and points it at the fella getting him to drop his cards, then John is grabbing him. Fella is pulled up then leaned over the table to be frisked and there is a gun. Giovanni is cursing in Italian, at least he is talking loud anyway.

Makes a number of fellas that are not sitting down, and some that are, to turn red. John has pinched the fella proper now, bracelets fitted then I think of one thing.

"We should collect his winnings and cash in for him. If he did the offing he needs dough for a lawyer." John snorts and shakes his head.

"He gets a lawyer anyway, the defense attorneys all have an office because they are not paid much to be defense attorneys." Giovanni snorts and whistles, gets a fella to run over.

"Cash him out, two minutes." Fella snorts and grabs the chips lying there then dashes off.

I am watching that and he is done fast. I mean he sets the chips down and counts them in two shakes and then is getting dough out of a money box. Runs back and hands that to Giovanni who nods and then we are leaving. Outside I think to ask where the fella parked, which leads to getting him in my breezer.

Short drive at least, then John is checking and nodding, says it is the victims jalopy. So the fella is saying that he borrowed it from a friend nothing more. Which is funny since the friend is dead but I don't mention that, just drive us for the station. Reaching the station we march the fella around to the front door then inside where the sergeant hops up and comes over to the corner where the gate is.

"Two pinches or just the one?" John snorts and shakes his head.

"We can't be arresting this one for being a wop, we can't do that anymore." Giovanni rolls his eyes though the other fellas are chuckling.

"I'm going to guess this one is part of the case the court appointed is looking into so murder." John is nodding, I am too, the pinch is shaking his head.

"I didn't off nobody." John snorts and sets the pistol on the desk, it is a revolver.

"Need this tested, Captain has the folder for the case so you can figure out which bullet to test against." Sergeant is nodding, and writing down.

"Do you want to get a line up done for this one?" Takes me a moment to realize Sergeant and John are looking at me so nod.

"Yes, we want to do a line up. Unless he confesses Mr. Crowe will demand a line up so the witnesses can appear in court."

"County Attorney is going to prosecute him? Honestly you had best confess and take a deal, County Attorney prosecuting is a no win situation, you are convicted and given max time." Sergeant says getting my jaw to drop for a moment.

"I didn't off nobody."

John snorts and whistles to get Brian and one of the skirts to come over. Fella is searched then by John, so his wallet is taken along with a money clip, with some dough. Brian and the skirt then take an arm each and pull him along to the stairs down. Sergeant goes through wallet and pulls out the driver license to get the fellas name.

More writing is done until Sergeant puts the driver license back, then Giovanni is setting the winning dough on the desk. That goes into the wallet then that and the money clip goes into a paper bag that is rolled up and stapled. Sergeant is now writing on that when John turns to me, and pokes so I pay attention to him.

"Need to search his house, just to make sure it is only one pistol. Do need to collect his jalopy too, belonged to the dead man so now it goes to his family, or we sell it."

"Probably should search that, perhaps he stored dough in the trunk or something." I say getting John and Giovanni to nod.

"Definitely, I do the same thing. Not all mind but I do have a stockpile in my trunk." Giovanni says getting John to look up for a moment.

"Sometimes I do wish I had gotten an office job, would be a vice president or something by now." Sergeant is chuckling and nodding.

"I know the feeling, but then most of the businesses don't offer retirement salary, police does and doesn't go down."

"Makes me wonder if I have that, I mean I work for the government." John snorts then frowns.

"I am unsure. Far as I know being a prosecutor doesn't offer retirement, do know that being County Attorney is only a salary while you are there."

"So Mr. Crowe keeps getting elected or needs to get his own office and keep working?" Everybody is nodding.

"Government is iffy on offering up retirement benefits, Armed Forces get retirement, some of the government workers get retirement, but the elected officials don't." Sergeant is nodding.

"Not all of the government workers get retirement. Judges get retirement, clerks and bailiffs don't." Pulls a frown out of me, that isn't terribly wonderful, but then again, what does one do retired?

"Not wonderful, but then again being retired means you don't do anything." Everybody is nodding then John winks.

"Police retirement mostly only happens when the fella is hurt and can't do it anymore." Sergeant snorts.

"Sometimes not even then, remember Jonivovitch?" John snorts and is chuckling.

"Yeah, least that didn't last long. Before you two ask he was a sergeant back when we were young. He got old and turned into a bird, I mean being old really got to him and he would sometimes declare some of the oddest things. He was kept on simply because his wife died first, kids had moved out of town." Sergeant is nodding.

"Mostly he was perfectly fine, but sometimes he would think up some truly bizarre things to say and do. I remember I brought in a pinch that he decided was guilty of fairy slaying. He died one day in my second year." John is nodding.

"Enough of that, nobody is retiring today."

Back out to my breezer we go then off to the house. At the house I am asking how we get in and John pulls the fella's keys out of his pocket. I hadn't seen that but John assures on the sergeant seeing that. So inside with us and a look through the house leads to finding not much of anything really, though there is a briefcase.

Opening that up and we find that it is not the fellas, he likely sold that off already. This briefcase has things that are addressed to the victim, a number of business cards for him even. So this is a rather good find, though doesn't really say he offed the fella either. On the drive to the jalopy John is commenting on if the gun tests as the same he is sunk.

Giovanni ponders on if the fella will simply cop a plea, which is a good question. I mean the comment about how Mr. Crowe will get him convicted had to be a little scary. Course his defense attorney will set him straight on that, maybe anyway. I suppose it depends on how good a case we get together.

Reaching the victim's jalopy we are searching that to find a handkerchief that is bloody. John is happy with that, comments on perhaps can be tested on blood type. Giovanni is saying it would be a help on convicting. Don't find any dough in the jalopy, but then the fella is making money by gambling and not with a job so likely any spare dough is held to gamble on or used to buy food.

Take the jalopy back to the station by having Giovanni drive it. Then we are taking the bloody handkerchief into the station. This goes into a paper bag right away and is collected to get tested with the revolver we found on the fella. Sort of makes one wonder why the revolver is still here, took us over an hour to get to the house and jalopy and coming back.

"Do you want to interrogate him or leave that to his attorney talking to your boss?" John asks getting me to frown.

"I think we will leave that to the lawyers, all I have to do is make sure the case is good or find the right fella." Giovanni snorts.

"I wouldn't mind sitting in on the interrogation, you seem rather good at it." John is nodding though I roll my eyes.

"No, with the revolver and the bloody handkerchief I did enough for this. Get the witnesses you talked to already back in to look at him then let my boss deal with it."

"I'd comment on you don't do much anymore except you did good with this in two days. Most of us take longer." John says getting me to snort.

"You guys don't see the gangs, I get to see those and it's not really better. I'm fairly sure one of them will shoot at me when I try and talk to them." John frowns for a moment then nods.

"I can see that happening at some point, though you haven't been finding gangs all that often either so perhaps not. I mean they know to hand over a murderer or get a raid." Giovanni is nodding.

"We know the same thing, we have picked up a new fella because the heat was too high for him in New York."

"You still have a warehouse to put your hooch." Giovanni snorts and shrugs.

"The bulls want to catch us importing that, once it is here they like to enjoy just as much as anyone else." John is nodding getting me to giggle.

"I knew on that part, we never have any martini left after our grill parties." John snorts.

"Most of us fellas are wondering if we can get beer." Giovanni is nodding and winks.

"We do get a stockpile of beer. Usually it is reworked hooch but we get beer imported too so if you have the dough we can run you cases up to your house." John looks at me so roll my eyes.

"I make enough to afford bunches of beer, just I don't like beer. You fellas can pay for the beer."

"Will collect from the fellas, Brian will help I hope. He knows the patrol better than I do. Suppose we are done here so take him back to the hotel and go on home yourself." Snort and shake my head.

"I need to talk to Mr. Crowe then home."

John snorts and makes notes then rips out the paper from his notepad and hands that to me. So off with Giovanni back to my breezer and then driving him to the hotel. On the drive I am asking after his skirt and grinning big since she is knocked up. Took two months of trying, which was often according to him.

My jaw had fallen open, I mean daily bouts of nookie is rather excessive. But then again being young and in love will do that to folk. Not that I wasn't having daily myself, but then it was usually a different fella. I didn't have a regular fella to let into me before Fred. Perhaps good, but then again not all in one since I probably would have caved if a fella had said he wants manacles on me.

I mean if a fella wants to make sure he's my only fella the manacles are a good way to get that. Most fellas seem to pay attention to that, I think. I never really paid attention to that, I don't have manacles on and went out to wiggle and get nookie. I did pay attention to manacles, and not a single fella with manacles on asked me for nookie.

Wiggles did happen, a number did sit up and pay attention too. Luckily for me they didn't ask for nookie, they paid attention and then went elsewhere. I would think back home to his wife, hope really, but they never asked me. Then I am parking and I got an ankle to get to the office so I am walking along for ages.

Suppose I am tired, has been a bunch of walking around today. At least it's only walking around and helping to pinch a fella. Then I am going into Mr. Crowe's office and he is not alone. There is another fella in here so smile at the new fella, I don't know him and go stand by the desk.

"Betty go on and sit in the empty visitor, you look to be on a ship in the surf." Mr. Crowe says after a moment so I go sit, the new fella is chuckling.

"I can wait outside if you would rather." New fella says getting Mr. Crowe to shake his head.

"Betty has good timing, she is one of our court appointed." New fella is nodding but I am lost so put my hand up.

"I seem to have missed part of class." Both of them are chuckling.

"Stanley here is a new hire, he has just moved here from Detroit."

"Do hope you moved to south side, all of you lawyers are north side moneybags and make us south side do all the work." Mr. Crowe rolls his eyes though Stanley looks a little confused.

"Why does that matter?" I am shaking my head and Mr. Crowe puts his hand up.

"Chicago is a little odd. The rivers mark the borders to north side, south side, and west side. Everyone in south side is supposed to be poor and worship the White Socks. North side is wealthy and we all worship the Cubs. West side is the lucky one, they get to like either and nobody calls them a traitor." Snort and put my hand up.

"Mostly the only difference is south side it is hard to find cheeseburgers unless you make them yourself. We also have the good barbecue." Mr. Crowe is nodding, I shared the address with him.

"Not to mention the only speakeasy with blues. It is also safe hooch there so if you want to get a wiggle on, find a skirt for nookie, and enjoy hooch, go there." Stanley is nodding and pats his jacket.

"You gave me the addresses and then the newspapers are good for finding stores I need." I am nodding and poke him.

"Buy blue suits, everyone here wears black or gray and it is boring." Stanley is chuckling now.

"I have an assortment of colors in my suits. Black and gray are just the most popular, best to wear one of those when you are meeting your new boss." He is wearing a black suit, and it does make sense.

"Suppose that makes sense, almost want to demand you make your fellas find tailors and get all of the colors under the rainbow in suits." Mr. Crowe snorts and shakes his head.

"None of us will wear a pink suit." I am giggling now since they all liked me in the pink.