Friday, April 9, 2010

Chapter 41 The Dreamers

Chapter 41

Back in Chicago Sergeant Jenkins was still working on putting his case together with the DA's Office. His only hope was that some witnesses from Beaupre would come forward and finger these thugs and not be gotten to before the trial. He was getting so tired of these guys, like Motown, beating the rap time and again. Bob Lollar would still be alive if the legal system worked, even a little bit.

He was fortunate enough because of the severity of this shooting and the communities' anger to get Judge Monroe to eliminate any potential bail and keep all the shooters and Motown locked up until the pre-trial hearing set for tomorrow. He had no fear that with Monroe, these guys were going no where until after the regular trial was concluded.

Plans for the transporting of the prisoners to the court house were reviewed over what seemed to be a million times to insure there would be no logistical screw-ups. The shooters would go in one wagon, Motown in another.

Two young black men were waiting outside Jenkins office, sitting in an old worn walnut parson’s bench that had to be as old as the precinct. It was Mookie and Marvin. Jenkins motioned for them to come in after the Desk Sergeant announced them by phone and he passed along some other messages, one from the Mayor's office about wanting to meet with Jenkins at 3PM, if it was convenient. Jenkins told him to pass along that he would be there.

"Come on in, Boys," said Jenkins. "What can I do for you?"

"Sergeant," said Mookie, "me and Martin, here, are on the Knights. We want to testify against Motown. Bob was our friend. We've had it with these guys blowin up our hood. We gotta stand up to-um sometime. Put Marvin in the hospital last spring. Should have done somthin then. Cracker might still be here if we had. We feel partly responsible, dig. We kept waiting for someone else to do it. Guess that ain't going to happen, is it?"

"No," said Jenkins. "It is not. You boys know what you're up against. The rest of Motown's boys may not be too happy.

"Word on the street," said Marvin, "is that Motown is finished 'round here. They have grown tired of his sloppy thuggery. Guess they realize this time he really crossed the line. They know you guys gonna come down with both feet on someone's neck. Too much pressure from the town on this one."

"Yes, I think you are right on that," said Jenkins. "You guys will have to help me out, though. We need more witnesses from that night. Can you guys ask around, kinda quietly, and see if any neighbors or businesses down the street saw anything, or heard any thing? We've been asking, but every body’s tight lipped. Too scared I think. They're gonna have to help us if we are going to clean up this mess. We always get their too late."

"Ya, me and Marv can ask around for you," said Mookie. "Least we can do. Check in which ya in a couple, if we hear anything. Thanks man."

"No, thank you boys," smiled Jenkins. "Maybe we'll get some where this time. Thanks, again, for comin in."

Mookie and Marvin left walked out and stood for a moment on the precinct front cement top landing, just kind of looking down the street to see if anybody was spying them. They didn't see anything and started walking home.

Sergeant Jenkins was getting his papers and thoughts together for the Mayor's meeting in an hour. He loaded a few things into his brief case and called the DA's Office. He let them know about the meeting in an hour. They weren't invited, but they appreciated being kept informed. Jenkins said he would let them know what it was about if he thought it remotely involved them.






He headed out the door and went out to his car and started to drive down town to the Mayor's office. Upon arriving he spotted remote news vans from channels 2, 5, 7, and 9. Reporters were all on the outside steps of City Hall doing their normal audio and video checks. Jenkins wondered what this was all about. He hoped he was not to have some press conference sprung on his without some advance notice. That would be most unlike the Mayor and his staff.

He climbed the stairs up to the front doors. No one from the new media paid any attention to him at all.

He went into the Mayor's office reception area and told the receptionist who he was. He took a seat in one of the chairs and waited, fumbling through some old magazines eyeballing just the covers. The mayor came out of his office and greeted him.

"Jim, thanks for coming on such short notice," said the Mayor with a big smile. "Please come on in. Martha, please hold all my calls."

They both went into the Mayor's plush office. Jenkins took a chair in front of the Mayor's large cherry desk, as he motioned.

"Jim, I asked you here to fill me on from your perspective on the case," began the Mayor. "I've talked to Capt. Moss, but he is just too politically correct to really believe even half of what he blows your way. What's happening up to this point?"

Jenkins appreciated the Mayor's respect and honesty. It was nice to know that someone appreciated hard work and dedication.










"Seems like we have a good case against all the shooters and Motown this time," began Jenkins. We have some witnesses we hope we don't lose before the trial, plus a couple of Knight Players who vowed to testify about all of Motown's activities they know about. One of the boys was hospitalized last spring by Motown's thugs. He has a debt to repay it seems. They also volunteered to check around the neighborhood for any other witness who may testify. The DA's ready to go tomorrow with our pretrial motions. We are seeking twenty-seven counts of capital felony murder against each shooter and Motown. Judge Monroe is presiding. Thank God for that."

"Sounds like great new and good work on your precincts part," said the Mayor.

"We also got a search warrant for Motown's pad," added Jenkins. "Our people are over there right now going over ever inch of the place, forensics, photo, everyone. I'm meeting them there after our visit."

"O.K.," said the Mayor. "Is there anything you need at this point from our office?"

"No, Sir, I don't think so," said Jenkins. "I appreciate the offer, though. Sir, there is just one thing. What's with the media outside?"

"Not sure, yet" said the Mayor. "My staff is checking into it right now. What I don't need is for them to get the community more riled up than they are already. A good day in court tomorrow will diffuse that, I think," concluded the Mayor.

"Well, thanks Sir," finished Jenkins. "Think I'll head over to Motown’s and see how we're making out."

The Mayor smiled, rose, and shook Sergeant Jenkins hand. Jenkins left, passing by the reporters on his way and sped over to Motown's condo on the north side. Amazing the nice places drug dealers can afford he thought. Fancy homes, fancy cars, plenty of booze and women, but what a mess they leave behind for everyone else to clean up.

Sergeant Jenkins entered Motown's condo; the door had been left open by his people. Four Police cars and two City Vehicles were parks out front.

Sergeant Riccio was in charge and met Jenkins at the door. He held a black address book of some kind in his hand.

"Sarge," said Riccio, as he motioned for Jenkins to come into the unoccupied kitchen. "You won't believe this," he added, handing the book to him.

"Look in the back," he said to Jenkins. "Names, dates, and dollar amounts. Look who some of the names are," he added.

Jenkins scanned down the list. Some appeared to be nick-names; others were just last names, three he spotted immediately.

"Oh, no," said Jenkins. "I don't believe it, or maybe I do. This does change things, doesn't it Ric."

"Yes Sir, I think it does," said Riccio with a glint of a smirk. Thought we were all supposed to be on the same team?"

"So did I," said Jenkins. "Guess we're not."

Two names in the book were attorneys in the DA's office. The other was Judge McElroy. Jenkins thought back how often he remembered he sat on Motown's cases. How convenient Jenkins thought.

Dollar amounts next to each of the prosecutors totaled over twenty thousand dollars, with four separate dated entries. Seven dated entries followed the Judge's name totaling over fifty thousand dollars. This was a ton of money Motown was dishing around. Jenkins wondered if this was all of it?





"We're looking for other books or files right now," added Riccio. "We've taken his computer downtown already to our computer people to check all his old files. He made have deleted some he didn't want anybody to find. Our guys are good. If they are there our guys can retrieve them. I'll keep you posted."

"Good," said Jenkins. "Where's the phone?"

Riccio pointed over to the wall. He placed a call over to the DA's office.

He told the DA he was on his way over and to have attorneys Mason and Martin in the DA's office in ten minutes. He said he would.

When Jenkins arrived all the players were seated in the office. Jenkins was mad, but he did his best to keep his composure. DA Johnson was getting a little uneasy.

"What's up," asked Johnson? "Something to do with Mason and Martin, here?"

"Yes Sir, it does," said Jenkins matter of factly. "Seems your boys have been doing some possible moonlighting."

"What kind of moonlighting," he inquired?

Jenkins handed his the book and pointed to the entries by their names. Johnson stood motionless, just starring into the ledger.

"Where did this book come from," asked Johnson?

"I just picked it up from Motown Matthew's Condo just an hour ago," said Jenkins. "Look at this other name," pointed Jenkins.

"Oh my God," said the DA. "Judge McElroy, too?"

"Looks like it," said Jenkins.

"Gentlemen," began Johnson, "if that is appropriate at this point. This ledger Sergeant Jenkins brought over here contains your names with some dated entries. How much money we talking about here, Jenkins," he asked?

"Over twenty a piece," he answered.

Johnson walked over to both attorneys and pointed to the entries. Neither of them blinked.

"Want to explain how your names got in this hood," Johnson asked?

Mason and Martin looked at each other. Mason spoke.

"We both needed the money, plain and simple. Student loans, little children, you know the pay is not enough. We never worked on any of Motown's cases, you can check. We just took the money and kept quiet. We just thought it would go away. The last entry was eight months ago. We thought it was over and easily forgotten. We didn't know he kept a book."

"You guys have your resignations on my desk by five today," said Johnson angrily. I will get each of you a month’s severance pay. It is only for your families that I am doing this. You guys make me sick. If you guys had financial problems you could have come to see me first. Now get out of here."

"Oh, by the way," asked Johnson, "do you know why Judge McElroy's name is in this book, too?"

"Have no idea on that," said Martin. "Remember his seven your old son was kidnapped, for about two weeks wasn't it, a little over a year ago. Maybe Motown had something to do with that. Maybe the kidnapping was just a warning of what might happen if the Judge didn't cooperate."

Jenkins looked at the DA, both had forgotten about the kidnapping. Very few end up with happy ending like that one. Maybe it wasn't such good police work, after all.

Mason and Martin left the office. Jenkins, somehow felt sorry for them. Their legal careers were over. All that education, all that talent. What a waste he thought.

Johnson went out to his receptionist and told her to call Judge Menter who was in charge of all the Judges. He said he wanted to have a meeting as soon as possible with him and Judge McElroy. He wanted a call back immediately.

She made the call. Fifteen minutes later Judge Menter's office called back. The meeting was set for 6PM in the Superior Court building. Jenkins called his office and told them were he could be reached. He and Johnson decided to go to dinner before the meeting. They had much to talk about. Court tomorrow, Judge McElroy today.

Jenkins wondered how much more stress either of them could deal with. He knew that when this was over he and his wife were taking a real vacation. They hadn't had one in over five years. When this was all over, it was going to be THE time.

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