Thin Ice (31 page)

“Good morning Deputy English,” Ben greeted the man as he entered the room, folder in hand and took a seat. “You still have nothing to say,” he questioned having gotten the report from the other Agent who’d done the initial interrogation that Giovanni was keeping silent.

The question was met with silence and a sullen look as Ben sighed deeply and tried a new tactic. “Look Giovanni,” Ben was saying as he talked to the man. “We have everything on DVD, the dope, you taking the money, taking it out of the car, and you’ll be in jail for a very long time,” he threw at him, as the man continued to remain mute. “Your loyalty is in the wrong place,” Ben told him frankly, getting right up in his face. “Trust and believe, Henry Collingsworth, the man you sold the two keys to,” he told Giovanni, never losing eye contact. “Doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you or your buddy Carlos,” Ben continued. “He’s been singing like a canary since we picked his ass up 5 miles from the original exchange,” he finished for a moment letting his words sink in. “Henry has provided us names, locations, amounts,” Ben started anew. “He’s even got evidence on tape, on paper, in files for us to use to send you and Carlos away for a long, long, time,” he added chuckling slightly.

Giovanni gave Ben a quizzical look.

“You’re gonna have problems in jail, Giovanni,” Ben told him still somewhat amused. “Can you imagine how many of the fools you’ve put in lockdown are gonna really be looking forward to some up close and personal time with you,” he asked as reality began to dawn for Giovanni in earnest.

Truthfully he was screwed and he knew it. They had the entire sale on DVD, Henry was selling his ass out, his career was already over, and if he went into lockdown with the same brutha’s he had sent there for dealing, his life would be short lived. After a few more moments of silent pondering, Giovanni English finally spoke.

“So what do you want from me, and what do I get outta it,” he asked quietly as Ben sighed lightly, glad he was finally seeing reason.

“For starters,” Ben began. “I want to know everyone who’s working with you from the force,” he threw out as Giovanni nodded slightly.

Ben pressed the intercom button in the room and asked for a tape recorder and a stenographer. He didn’t want any slip-ups or loopholes for Giovanni to slip through once this thing went to court. After both the recorder and the stenographer were in place, Ben began asking questions again.

“What are the names of the other officers involved with Ian “Ice” Bailey’s operation,” he asked calmly as Giovanni sighed deeply and swallowed hard to remove the huge lump from his throat.

Opening his mouth, Giovanni began to name the other six officers involved. Ben listened intently making his own notes as the recorder and stenographer did their job.

“Were there any government officials involved as well, and if so, what are their identities,” Ben asked.

Giovanni again quietly supplied the information requested.

“Mr. English,” Ben began again, gaining and holding eye contact. “Were you present or did you participate in any acts of violence with Mr. Bailey,” he asked calmly.

Giovanni swallowed hard again. “A couple of beat downs, but that’s it,” he iterated.

Even though Ice paid very well, Giovanni had made it clear at the beginning he wouldn’t kill anyone for him. Ben asked Giovanni to elaborate about the beatings, which the now subdued deputy did. The questioning went on for the next three hours as Ben and his team gleaned more and more information to assure the conviction and permanent incarceration of Ian Bailey. Giovanni again asked at the end of the questioning about a deal. Ben told him in exchange for his testimony against Ian at trial, they would waive the state charges and he would plead guilty to only the Federal charges. This would ensure Giovanni’s confinement in a moderate security Federal prison away from the other men he’d sent to prison and possible bodily harm. Ben promised him a sentence of not more than 25 years, with the possibility of parole and early release. Giovanni agreed to the deal, knowing with all the bribery, extortion, drug, and assault charges he could be facing, 25 years would be the minimum he would serve. After the agreement was signed and accepted, Ben had Giovanni escorted back to his cell, while he called DA Angela Saunders and let her know the arrangement. One down, one to go, Ben thought, waiting on his call to connect. Next they had to interrogate Carlos Davis. Ben knew that was going to be a hard nut to crack, but he vowed he would, as Angela’s voice filled his ear and brought his mind back to the present.

*****

Jaleesa was waiting for things to get crazy. She’d reported the things she learned from Vanessa yesterday. This morning Ryan was getting ready to do inventory. He’d made a couple calls last night and this morning, five men she’d never seen arrived. Jaleesa had to admit they made her nervous as hell. These guys had murderous killers written all over them. They’d been very pleasant so far, but Jaleesa knew when it was time for the drama to get thick, they weren’t going to have mercy on anyone set in the line of fire. Big Mike was still upstairs, probably sweating bullets Jaleesa thought, knowing his lies were about to be exposed. She hadn’t seen Vanessa this morning and that worried her.
I hope that damned fool hasn’t done something to the woman
, Jaleesa thought as she sipped her tea.

Big Mike entered the room moments later. Before she could speak to him, Ryan walked in from another direction greeting them both.

“Where’s Vanessa,” Ryan asked. “I was thinking her and Tweety could go to the mall and pick up that shirt and cologne I asked for.”

Jaleesa knew exactly why she and Vanessa were being sent away. Ryan had given her 3K for the woman this morning, an appreciation for telling him the truth about the operation.

“Uh, yeah, I can go get her,” Big Mike offered before Ryan spoke again.

“Nah, Tweety go on up and tell her to get ready,” he said watching Big Mike calmly.

Jaleesa instantly rose and headed up the stairs. She suspected Big Mike wanted to threaten Vanessa or force her to carry something, like money or dope, when they left together. Arriving at their bedroom moments later, Jaleesa knocked lightly. Vanessa opened the door cautiously and smiled slightly seeing Jaleesa.

Jaleesa immediately frowned, ready to go down and put a slug in Big Mike herself, seeing the black eye and bruising on the woman’s face.

“What the fuck,” Jaleesa said shortly as Vanessa began to apply makeup to the marks.

“He interrogated me about our outing yesterday,” Vanessa explained. “Where did we go, who did we see, what did we talk about?”

“What’d you tell him,” she asked casually.

“Not what he wanted to hear,” Vanessa said calmly.

“He didn’t believe me, so he figured he’d beat it out of me,” she finished as Jaleesa sucked her teeth angrily. “When he saw that wasn’t working, he just took some ass and left me alone,” she added as the tears sprang to her eyes at the recollection.

“He is ‘bout one shady ass piece of shit,” Jaleesa said plainly as Vanessa laughed aloud.

“And on that we agree,” she threw back, finally dressed and ready to leave.

Grabbing her purse the two women descended the stairs.

*****

“Remember, I want that new Sean John they just came out with,” Ryan told Jaleesa as the two women arrived back at the sitting room.

“No problem baby,” Jaleesa replied smoothly.

“Hey Vanessa,” Ryan greeted the woman pleasantly.

“Hi Ryan,” she returned amiably. “Did you want anything Mike,” Vanessa asked sweetly.

Looking her over for a few moments, Big Mike finally answered that he didn’t.

“See you guys in a little while,” Vanessa threw out as she and Jaleesa turned walking out of the door and heading to the Navigator.

Once they were inside and down the road, Jaleesa handed Vanessa the envelope Ryan had given her earlier.

“What’s this,” Vanessa asked confused.

“It’s a token of appreciation from Ryan,” Jaleesa told her calmly. “Enough for you to get on a plane and get the hell outta Florida,” she added as Vanessa sighed lightly and smiled.

“Thank you both so much,” she said softly as Jaleesa hit the airport exit.

Arriving at the terminal moments later, Jaleesa hugged the woman gently before letting her out of the truck.

“Go back home to your family and live your life,” Jaleesa told her as Vanessa assured her going home never sounded so good.

Jaleesa watched until she made it inside the terminal and waved once more. She texted Ryan and let him know Vanessa was on her way out of Florida. Jaleesa was pretty sure things were about to get really deadly at Big Mike’s place. Turning back onto the interstate, Jaleesa headed for the same bistro they’d dined at yesterday, pulling out her phone and texting KiKi, hoping her bestfriend could talk.

*****

“Hello Carlos,” Ben addressed the man walking once again into an interrogation room. They’d deliberately kept both Carlos and Giovanni apart, with neither having any idea about the admissions of the other.

“Man why you here,” Carlos threw back nonchalantly. “I told your boy I ain’t got shit to say,” he added as he stopped talking and leaned back in his chair eyeing Ben defiantly.

Gotta be careful with this one
, Ben was thinking, taking his time to leaf through the case file and formulate his thoughts.

“Honestly Carlos,” Ben told him looking up again finally. “It doesn’t matter if you decide to talk or not,” he threw out as Carlos sneered at him. “See, I have more than enough to send you up for at least 30 years with just the dope sale,” Ben told him as Carlos continued to look bored.

“Then why the hell are you in here on my ass,” Carlos threw out smartly. “If you got all the bullshit you say you do, then you wouldn’t be in here with me?”

Ben smiled slightly before taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly. “Well, I’m in here because I figured you might not want to be the only asshole sitting in a prison cell, becoming someone’s bitch every night,” he threw out bluntly.

“The bottom line is,” Ben began again, once more gaining eye contact with Carlos. “Even if we don’t nail Bailey,” he continued. “We’ve got your ass, and you will do mad time,” he finished as Carlos sighed impatiently.

“This the part where I’m supposed to crack and say, hey what do you wanna know,” he threw out and began to laugh.

Ben was trying hard not to get angry, knowing it would only serve to stymie their case.

“Again Carlos,” Ben started fresh. “I don’t need shit from you,” he told him evenly opening the file once more. “Let’s see, 50 one ounce baggies, crack cocaine,” Ben began as Carlos watched him, unmoved. “One uncut kilo of cocaine,” he went on. “100 bags, 3 ounces each, marijuana,” Ben read aloud. “4 Luger pistols, 2 AK-47 assault rifles, two .357 magnum pistols, 1 sawed-off shotgun and ammunition for all the weapons found,” Ben said as he chuckled lightly himself. “Hell, we’re already up to about 70 years on the possession and weapons charges,” he told Carlos, the amused looked still on his face. “Bank receipts, bills of sales for the illegal weapons, phone books with contact information,” he continued to read as Carlos squirmed slightly.

“We called a few people in your book too by the way,” Ben told him, gaining eye contact all over again. “One of them in particular was exceptionally helpful,” he told him. “Seems she really wasn’t to happy about having to screw you,” he finished and Carlos knew he was talking about Sherene.

I shoulda killed that chickenhead ass bitch
, Carlos thought venomously as he again said nothing.

“So, like I said Carlos,” Ben told him rising from his chair. “I don’t need jack from you,” he went on. “You go ahead and pat yourself on the back for not being a snitch,” Ben told him, smiling slightly again. “I’m sure that’ll earn you big bitch points in jail right before five or six horny ass, muscle bound morons, welcome you to life at the big house,” Ben finished and turned to leave the room.

“I’ma beat this bullshit,” Carlos threw out arrogantly.

Ben burst into laughter and turned around, looking directly at the man and the smug expression on his face before speaking.

“Not in this lifetime,” he threw out and left the man alone once again, fuming and pondering his next move.

*****

Jaleesa and Kaitlyn were talking about what Jaleesa thought was transpiring at Big Mike’s house right about now.

“Damn, him and Ice must be competing for most kills in a week,” Kaitlyn threw back as Jaleesa chuckled and asked her to elaborate.

Kaitlyn told her about Tyreece and the things Ian had done to him.

“That’s some foul shit,” Jaleesa told her as Kaitlyn described Ian cutting the man’s face and removing two of his fingers.

“What about the blood, he didn’t pass out,” Jaleesa asked as Kaitlyn explained Ian soldering the man’s fingers with the fire from the fireplace lighter.

“Ice is crazy as fuck,” Jaleesa told her as Kaitlyn explained that wasn’t the worst part.

“Girl damn,” Jaleesa threw back. “What the hell else did he do,” she asked as Kaitlyn sighed deeply before answering in vivid details the final phase of Ian’s cruelty.

“He had the man fucked in the ass, literally,” Kaitlyn told her as Jaleesa gasped audibly.

“You are lyin’ KiKi,” Jaleesa said in hushed whisper as the visual came to her mind. “You know that muthafucka did that shit,” Kaitlyn threw back as Jaleesa shook her head still not fully sure she believed it.

“He was screaming for almost 15 minutes after we left that room,” Kaitlyn told her.

“So, they were finished then,” Jaleesa asked.

“No, that’s when Ice told them to shut him up ‘cause we were about to have dancer auditions,” Kaitlyn replied.

“KiKi, are you tellin’ me you and Ice were auditioning dancers, while those guys were banging Tyreece every way but loose,” she asked incredulous.

“That’s what I’m tellin’ you,” Kaitlyn replied dryly. “That was the hardest damned two hours I’ve spent in a long time,” she added as Jaleesa commiserated with her. “Then the four of them walked out after the auditions, like hey, another day at the office,” Kaitlyn began again. “Ice paid them and they got the fuck on.”