“Jas tells me you are from Tuscaloosa.”
“Jas?” I didn’t know that Coffy’s nickname was Jas. “Yes ma’am, I am from Tuscaloosa.”
“Home of the Alabama Crimson Tide.” She raised her voice. “I hate y'all. LSU baby, all the way,” she cheered.
I had to smile. Mom was hip in a big way to everything today, even sports. I looked at my watch. I needed to get back to the hotel and make that phone call.
“I’m sorry to eat and run, but I need to get back to the hotel. It has been a pleasure Mrs. Coffy. Jas, could you please drop me off back at my hotel?”
Her eyes pierced me for calling her Jas, but she smiled anyway. I didn’t care. I also needed to get back and call Charlotte and check on things back home. On the ride back to the hotel, I still kept her in suspense. My adrenalin was pumping and I need to make that phone call and get me some more answers tonight.
“Ok, look, I’m sorry about the sarcasm,” she said.
I played along. “Oh, what sarcasm?”
“C’mon, did you find anything?”
“What do you mean?”
She looked over at me. “You know what I mean, did you see something at the scene? Because I think you did and you are not sharing with me.”
“Oh that, well, that was nothing, I just noticed that the second scene was a secluded area also,” I said.
She was fuming, but trying to hide it. I didn’t care. I liked having her on edge.
When we pulled in front of the hotel, I jumped out and turned. “I will see you in the morning for breakfast here in the restaurant.”
“You are really not going to tell me, are you?”
“Tell you what?”
She faced forward and put the car in drive and hit the accelerator hard.
I watched her speed off.
When I got to my room, I pulled out the phone directory from the night stand drawer and found the number for Don’s Pizza and Wings. I ordered some wings, even though I really didn’t want any—well, maybe for later, but I needed to see that young man again. I complimented the wings and requested the young man to deliver them for me. I told her I couldn’t remember his name.
“Yes sir, his name is Jason, and your food will be out shortly.”
“Thank you I said and hung up.”
I looked at my watch. It was close to 5:30pm.
I checked my cell phone. There were no messages. I tapped home on the scroll to dial home. Charlotte picked up.
She told me that everything was all right and that Chief Davis and his wife had just left to go back home and check on things there. But before he left he requested two more units to stay present at the house until he returned. I felt good about it all and told Charlotte I believed I was getting a breakthrough on the case, but not to mention anything to Chief Davis just yet.
“Why?” she asked.
There is something going on here and I believe it involves someone on the inside and to keep the chief from maybe accidently spilling the beans on what I’m doing...”
“I got you.”
“Ok, talk to you later,” I said and hung up.
I felt good. Now all I had to do was wait for my food to come.
I kicked off my shoes and stretched out on the bed for a few minutes looking at the ceiling. I was tired and sleepy. The knock on the door woke me. I must have dozed off for a few minutes and didn’t realize it. I jumped out of bed and peeped through the peephole. It was Jason delivering my wings.
“Hey-- what’s up, Jason?”
“I got your wings, Detective.” He passed me the box of wings.
I gave him a $20 bill and told him to keep the change. His face lit up like he appreciated it.
“So-- did that information work out for you?” he asked.
“Yes, it did, but listen-- I need some more information.”
“Okay, sure, what do you need?”
We talked for about another 15 minutes and I gave him a $50 bill for the information. Jason knew the streets well and he told me that Joppy and Shank were running dope throughout the city for some people. He didn’t know who they worked for but he told me that every time they got busted, they were never arrested and that the same cops always busted them with the dope. He also told me where I could find both of them. Joppy would be at his house soon and Shank always hung around the rail yards at night when everybody was gone. My guess was that he meets his runners there to collect his money after every sell. He also told me that Joppy had a photo of all of them taken secretly for his own insurance. I thought that was smart of him. J.P.’s story was becoming more believable to me every second.
I told him that everything he told me must be kept confidential between us. He agreed and went on his way $60 richer.
It was dark a few hours later. I waited until around 9:00pm to walk out the hotel with my leather jacket on and boots. I placed my badge inside the breast pocket of my coat and secured my .45 on my hip. I hope I wouldn’t have to use it tonight but you can never tell about criminals. I walked the six blocks to the address that Jason had given me. It was an old shotgun house that had a kitchen chair on the porch and paint peeling around the door. I knocked on the door. The door was ajar. The place was dark. Fortunately, I learned since the last time-- when I discovered Judge Middlebrooks’ wife dead in the dark-- to buy a light for my muzzle. I shined light on every part of the room. I walked in a few more feet and went toward the kitchen.
I saw a pair of feet sticking out from behind the wall. I knew whoever it was, was dead. I walked closer. There he was, lying there in a puddle of blood with a hole in the center of his head. Joppy appeared to have been around his late 20’s. He was dressed in just a white t-shirt and black jean shirts. His eyes were looking at the doorway where I was standing. I heard a noise behind me coming from the living room. Someone else was in the house with a flash light. I killed my light and flattened myself against the wall. It was quiet. Too quiet, I thought. I wondered who it could be.
“Detective Jackson,” Coffy yelled.
“Yeah, Coffy, stay where you at okay, I’m turning on a light.”
I turned on the kitchen switch. I could see her dimly but she saw me very well and put her gun away. I put mine away and told her to find a switch on the wall behind her. She found one and flipped it. She gasped when she saw the body.
“I didn’t do it,” I said. “I found him like this a minute ago.”
“I know,” she said. “I followed you.”
She pulled out her phone and called it in. While she did that, I stooped down to look at the body. It was hard to tell so far if this was a result of a vengeful gang member or a cop killer tying up loose ends. I quickly ruled out it being a gang member seeking to score street creds. But I ruled it to be our cop killer and he was desperate now to kill everyone he thinks may lead us to him.
I looked around the house for clues. The house had been ransacked. Every drawer was on the floor and pictures thrown from the walls. I walked slowly making sure I didn’t disturb anything too much.
“Other units will be here in a few. You mind now telling me what is going on?” she insisted.
“I will, but I need to find something. It’s here somewhere. I know it.” I said, looking at the floor as I walked.
“Well what is it? Maybe I can help?”
“Just look for something out of the ordinary.”
“Oh great, the whole house is out of the ordinary.”
She kept grumbling but searching. I zoned her out for a few. I walked into the bathroom. I checked inside the back of the toilet and all around the floor. I was just about to give up when I saw what I was looking for. The roll of tissue had a slight bulge in it. I unrolled it until the photo dropped in my hand. I placed it in my pocket before joining Coffy in the living room.
I pretended that what I was looking for was probably not there and decided we would wait for the other units. I had also told her that I had received a tip while at the hotel, that Joppy might know something and so I
followed up on it.
“Well, why didn’t you call me?” she asked.
“Because you are a cop in this town and you are known. I wouldn’t have been able to talk to him. Of course that doesn’t matter now,” I said looking at the body.
She was pissed but she knew I was right.
We left the scene after we gave our report to the shift commander.
“So where do we go now,” she asked, looking very interested-- as if I was taking her on an adventure.
“Right now, I’m going back to my hotel room.”
“Damn you, Jackson!”
“I can walk,” I said.
“No, I’ll take you, I guess I deserve this for the way I treated you earlier today, Detective, but I said I was sorry.”
“It’s not that, Jas, and by the way, call me Jared.”
“Ok Jared, well what is it then?”
“I honestly can’t tell you right now. I need to go see someone first, so I can be sure about what’s going on myself.” I am sure I know who killed those officers though but I have no proof yet.”
Her eyes lit up.
“Oh my God, you know who it is? Who is it? Please tell me.” She persisted.
“I can’t. I have already told you too much. Just trust me. Drop me back off at the hotel. I have to go somewhere else and I can’t be seen with you. Promise me you will go home and wait by the phone, okay?”
“Okay,” she said. I could tell she was disappointed, and I understood that, but I had to do this my way. The last thing I needed was to be in an unmarked police car where I was going.
I waited until she was gone out of sight. I crossed the street and ran across the park to a Chevron gas station. I walked inside and asked the clerk if she knew a number to a cab company.
I waited outside until the cab came and jumped in. I looked at my watch. It was now after midnight. I asked the driver to drop me off a block away from where I was going. I paid him and promised him $100 bill if he come back here in 30 minutes.
I waited until he left and I walked up the block to the abandoned rail yard. Jason had told me that I could find Shank at the abandoned rail yard at night because nobody suspects him doing drug deals there. I made sure my .45 was cocked and crept my way in the dark rail yard. I crossed over three tracks making sure not to trip and fall. I needed to be very quiet. It was a matter of life or death. But not mine unless I made some noise.
I heard two male voices arguing on the other side of the box-car I was poised against. I lowered myself gently to the ground. A yellow light was flashing on the two men. I pulled out my phone and pressed record and focused it in on the two. Officer Paul Drexler was pointing a gun at Samuel “Shank” Bernard.
“Don’t you shit me, goddammit, don’t you shit me,” yelled Drexler.
I ain’t shittin you man. The old homeless guy, JP, is dead. Now there is nobody to connect you to those cops’ murders,” said Shank. Shank was crying like a baby and pleading for his life. The cop in me wanted to help right away but that would be foolish. I needed to get a confession.
“Good, now there is only one more person left that knows I killed those officers.” He looked at Shank as a lion looking at a bloody antelope.
“Wh-who’s th-that?” a frightened Shank asked.
“You.”
At that moment, I jumped up and yelled, “FREEZE!”
I ducked in time as he shot off a round over my head.
Shank ran behind the building. I squeezed off a couple of shots to put him on the offensive.
Drexler took off running through the rail yard. I followed cautiously, making sure I kept my eyes on him at all times. He turned and fired a few more shots. I returned fire and ducked behind a Box-car.
“It’s all over, Drexler, I got you. You are going down for killing those officers.”
“Fuck you!” he exclaimed and fired two more shots.
I quickly fired a couple of more rounds his way and got lucky and hit him in the shoulder. He spun around grabbing his shoulder and dropping his gun to the ground. I quickly walked up on him with my gun pointed at him. I kicked his gun behind me.
“Go ahead and kill me you bastard.”
“No, I’m not going to kill you; the state will do that, Bastard.”
I handcuffed him and picked him up and walked back toward the area where we began shooting. I could see the light on my phone showing that it was still recording. I patted him down real good to make sure he didn’t have anything else on him and slammed him to the ground on his face so I could go get my phone and call for assistance.
Just as I was about to call, I hear sirens in the distance and red and blue lights pulling into the rail yard. I guess somebody must have heard the ruckus, I thought. Then Coffy came from around the building with Shank in handcuffs. He had pissed his pants. Probably from seeing his life pass before him at the hands of Drexler.
I looked at Coffy. “I’m glad you were here.”
She smiled. “Shank here told me everything. I think I am up to speed on this with you now but I still have a couple of questions.”
“No problem, let’s get these birds in the cages first.”
The patrol officers got Drexler and Shank and put them in the back of their patrol cars. A tow truck was called to tow away the white Chevy Impala that Drexler drove out to the rail yard.
Detective Santiago drove Chief Adelaide and the commissioner out to the rail yard when they all heard on the radio that the cop killer was caught.
It took everything in the commissioner to hold him back from probably shooting Drexler.
“Get his ass out of here. Now!” said the commissioner.
He and the chief walked over to where Coffy and I were standing.
“Good Job Detectives, a damn good job.”
I nodded. “Thank you sir. Now I can get back home since this is over.”
“Detective Jackson how did you do it,” he asked.
“Well Commissioner, it was a joint effort. Coffy showed me around town. We made some contacts with people and gathered a little evidence.” I could tell he wanted more but I had to ask something.
“JP a homeless man that usually hang out at the park across from the Best Western is dead, but he was the one who turned me on to the cop killer being a cop.”
I waited for confirmation. They both dropped their heads.
“He was found in an alley under a pile of garbage. Nobody realized he was there because of the odor. He must have been dead for a least a day before he was discovered by some employees taking out the trash,” said Chief Adelaide.
I shook my head and finished up the story.
“Later I made another contact with someone who knew how the hustlers operated and I told Coffy to stay clear because nobody in town knew I was a cop so I could move freely like a tourist. Of course I told Coffy to follow me around at a distance for safety. After we discovered Joppy dead, we searched the house. I found this picture of Drexler, Shank, and Joppy inside the roll of toilet paper at Joppy’s house. This picture connects him to both of these men. Shank was ordered by Drexler to kill JP to keep him from talking. Joppy turned down the order and figured he would protect himself by coming to the police later on with this photo of them with Joppy holding a Key of cocaine and if you notice the two men in the back of the photo are…”
“Officer Jones and Officer Davies!” exclaimed the chief.
The commissioner studied the photo also. “But what about Officer Clements? Was he involved in any of this?”
“I believe Officer Clements died a true hero. He had no connection to them. I believe the traffic stop he made that night was an ambush because of all the riots in Baltimore and the suspects who did it may be connected to the CPDK gang out of Chicago.”
“CPDK?” asked the Commissioner.
“Chicago Police Department Killers.” I said.
He looked at the chief in amazement. “We actually have idiots out there like that?”
“Yes sir--and I believe Clem
ents died as a result of that traffic stop.”
“Okay,” said the commissioner, “so who killed Davies and Jones?”
“Drexler killed them both. I have his confession on video.”
I downloaded the video to the chief’s phone, the Commissioner’s, and Coffy’s so that they could use it as evidence.
“The way I figure, Drexler was using the smoke screen of Clements murder, making you all think that there was some lunatic on the loose killing cops at random but it was him tying up loose ends. They all, except Clements, were in on the distribution of dope in the city and were heavy on the take.
“Plus Shank is going to talk,” said Coffy.
The commissioner looked at us both and extended his hand. “Well I suppose that wraps up everything. You two did a great job!”
We shook hands and he and the chief walked to their car. Santiago gave us both thumbs up.
Chapter 7
The headlines were on every network news channel in New Orleans and also blasting the front page of the newspaper: Cop Killer Caught. The story didn’t go into detail much but I kind of knew why. It would be an embarrassment for sure if the public knew all of the truth. The public couldn’t handle the truth.
My flight was leaving in an hour. I decided to get me something quick from the hot bar in the restaurant.
“Good morning,” said a woman’s voice.
I turned to see Coffy removing her sunglasses and smiling at me.
“Well, good morning to you, too, I was just about to get something quick and be ready when you got here.”
I grabbed a napkin, some French bread, piled on some scrambled eggs and put some Creole sauce on top for a kind of breakfast po-boy.
We talked the whole ride to the airport. Well, she talked, I ate, careful not to get that sauce on my shirt.
“Next time you come back to New Orleans, dinner is on me,” she said.
“We’ll see,” I said. I grabbed my bags and closed her door. “Take care, Jas.”
“You too, Jared. Get home to that lucky wife of yours. God, she is so lucky.”
Nice of her to say, but I wasn’t going to think about that.
The weather in Alabama was sunny, and not quite as hot as New Orleans. I grabbed my bags off the baggage conveyor belt and almost skipped out the door.
Blue Justice Page 9