Chapter 184: in the Box With Jen

"Helen, I'm being held at the police station and the coffee is horrid here. I know this is a terrible imposition, but do you happen to have a few cups laying around that you could get someone to bring here. Before you ask, I don't need a hacksaw blade in it." I said into the cell phone.

"Of course I have coffee, how many people do I bring it for." She asked.

"Just me. Oh yeah and Jen is on the way. Let the rest of these guys drink the crap they have. Well bring one more cup for the Detective in charge. He seems to be okay," I admitted.

"And of course, you always need a friend," she said with a laugh.

"Something like that, but I will never have as good a friend as you," I said.

"Sure you do, Lady Skeeter is always going to be a better friend," she said.

"Not even her," I replied.

"Well let me load your coffee, and I'm on the way," she said.

Not before you call around to tell everyone I'm here, and to get their status, I thought. No, Helen wasn't any kind of operative, she was just the kind of lady who couldn't help being concerned. In so doing, everyone wanted her to know just everything about their lives. God I wished I was like that.

"Well it's another fine mess you've gotten us into," Jen said with a happy grin. She just loved to live vicariously through my misery.

"You are just too kind," I said with a smile. "So how much shit am I into."

"Let's see you are complicit in the death of one James Smiley. Who by the way died with his pants down of all things. If you knew the Chinese gentlemen were planning to kill him, and left him tied up like a Christmas present, you might be in a spot of trouble.

However, if we put Mr Smiley on trial at your trial, you might get some kind of award for community service. He was certainly not a very nice man." she said.

"Well this one is going to wind up a pro bono case, or whatever you call the freebies," I said.

"Now you know better than that. I have already dropped an IRS tip. Also I have a claim filed with the court against his estate. This is going to be so challenging. God I love you girl."

"Now could we concentrate on getting me the hell out of here?" I asked.

"Okay, the cop killing thing is not going to be a problem. They know the guy who did it was a local thug. Well one of those New York kind of thugs down here for reasons yet unknown." Jen said.

"Maybe I can help with that, when I start talking," I said.

"You keep your mouth shut till I negotiate a deal. It might take the rest of the day. You might even spend a night locked up," she said.

"Well Jen sweetie this place is like Mexico, don't drink the coffee. Fortunately for you, the detective is ambitious, so he let me use my cell phone to call Helen. She is on the way with real coffee." I said.

"So what did you have to promise him?" Jen ask suspiciously.

"Nothing yet," I replied.

"So, are we ready to do this?" she asked.

"What's this we shit paleface, ' I said with a smile.

"Okay Tonto, let's do it," Jen said grinning.

Jen went to the door to call Detective Dawson into the room. Once he was inside she began by saying, "You return my clients possessions or you charge her with something."

"Anything that isn't capable of being used as a weapon, I will return first." Dawson said.

"Yeah you keep her emery board just in case she decides to file your nails to death." Jen said laughing at him.

"I had that cutesy little .38 in mind," he said. "And of course her cane."

"Ah the one with the 8" dagger inside?" Jen asked. "You really consider that a weapon. I thought it was there in case she wanted to slice an onion. So yeah keep those, but the rest she gets back, then we talk."

All I really wanted was the hidden microphone. I wanted the conversation on tape. I was sure Earl would be in the parking lot with his recorder and monitoring tools.

"Okay, so let's talk." Jen said, after my personal items were again in my possession. "What do you want to know first?"

"Let's start with why you thought the cop was bad?" Dawson asked.

Jen nodded so I answered, "I saw that his uniform was too big and it was sloppy. The closer I got to him the more wrong he looked. He was way too skinny. Then he spoke and it was pure Ghetto Thug."

"He went for his piece first. He fumbled and I didn't, that's all there was to it. After I had him on the ground and hooked up, I had Lucas call 911 and we all waited for you guys." It is on the surveillance tapes."

"Yes it is and it shows what you said. Actually it shows exactly what you said. Your memory for detail is amazing," he said.

"So that incident is closed?" Jen asked.

"Well Maxine's involvement is, but we have a lot to talk to Mr. Sims about," Dawson suggested.

"If I were you, I would go back to New York and look for a Chinatown connection," I suggested.

"You think he was working for the Chinese smugglers?" he asked.

"You know what happens to dogs who chase cars, and cops who believe in coincidence?" I asked.

"Yeah they don't last long," he admitted.

"So, who are you working for?" he asked me.

"She works for me,"Jen answered for me.

"Okay counselor, who is your client?" he asked.

"Good luck with that," I said. Jen just nodded.

"I think it is safe to assume she is one of his victims," Jen said.

"I found fifteen so far, that won't help you too much," I said.

"Can we get the list?" he asked me.

I looked to Jen who answered, "That's work product. It's covered by client confidentiality. Besides you don't need it for this investigation. His involvement with them had nothing to do with his death." Jen said.