Chapter 3

When Chip took the Krispy Kream box into the coffee room Arty Kelly was in there getting coffee.

"Doughnut, Arty?"

"Yeah, thanks Chip. These people make the best damn doughnuts in the world."

"And this is still the worst damn coffee in the world."

Arthur Kelly was 6'3" and 280 pounds. He had been an all everything 240 pound linebacker coming out of high school. He looked to be on the fast track to the NFL until he blew out his knee one Saturday afternoon in Charlottesville. They performed surgery to repair the knee but there was too much damage for him to play football again. He did the rehab and stayed at The University and got his degree in Criminal Justice which he put into practice thirteen years ago when he joined the River City Police Department. He has been a detective for seven years. Arthur Kelly is the only black detective in this precinct's squad. He is partnered with his best friend, Otis Timmons.

Otis Timmons was 5'7" 135 pounds. He had brown hair and blue eyes. He was born and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi. After his daddy lost his shrimp boat Otis packed up and headed north ending up in River City. He had joined the Police Department thirteen years ago. He had first met, Arty Kelly at the Police Academy. While on the force he had earned an associate degree in criminology at the local community college. He has been a detective for three years and been partnered with Arty Kelly the entire time. He had quite naturally acquired the nickname Mutt every since he was matched up with Arty, who was occasionally referred to as Jeff.

"Any leads on those guys who have been hitting the businesses in Dog Town," Chip asked?

"The only thing we have is that they are black and they come in waving very large guns around and threatening everyone in the place when it is going down. Even the black victims can't give us an ID. Mutt and I have talked with every victim and witness and nothing. There are four of them and they all wear dark clothes and baseball style caps pulled low. The caps don't have an emblem to identify. They have to be coming in from outside the Dog Town area or someone would recognize them. First thing they do is spray paint any cameras. It's like they know where they are located in the buildings."

"They must be checking it out before they go in."

"Yeah, but that's a lot of trouble to go to for so little cash and all but a few of the businesses over there have customers present when this type of robbery would take place. It increases the risk of being identified. The bars would have the money to make it worth it but no one's crazy enough to go in one of those. They would be outgunned big time. It doesn't fit as being a hold up for money to buy drugs. It's just odd for that many guys to be involved."

"Maybe they are just practicing for something bigger."

"Could be, but there's nothing that big in Dog Town," Arty said.

"OK, if we come across anything that might look like it ties in we'll get with you guys," Chip said as he left the coffee room. He headed back to his desk to catch up on some paper work while he waited for Moses to return from court.

A very attractive woman in her late twenties came up the stairs and into the squad area followed by Guinea. "Hey guys this is Mary Ann Abbot. She is going to help us with trying to catch that guy in the park. Mary that's Chip and there is Jap, my partner, and Arty and Mutt."

They all said hi and nodded to her.

"Where is Moses?" asked Guinea.

"He hasn't gotten back from court yet."

"Where are you in from Mary Ann?" asked Jap.

"Just Mary will be fine. I've been working vice. I've been trolling for Johns for the last six months. And I would have volunteered for anything to get out of that."

"Well, it's easy to see why they picked you for that job."

"Thanks, I think."

"Everyone in the squad is helping on these rapes but Jap and me are the primaries so we have the file info over here. You can go through the files first to get up to speed and then we can answer any questions you might have."

"That sounds good to me. Is there some place I can put my things?"

"Yeah, there is an empty desk over there that you can use."

"Arty and I are going over to Dog Town to see if anything is being whispered about concerning our holdups. You never know when somebody's going to start running his mouth about what a big shot he is. Later guys," Mutt said as they left the squad area.