Chapter 24: Another Meeting

At breakfast the next morning Angela's father asked Percy to attend a meeting in his office that afternoon.

"Percy I am having a very special guest who you should meet."

That afternoon when I walked up to Ray's office I had a distinct impression that there was a bodyguard convention going on outside his door. My old cop instincts kicked in. While these were very well dressed individuals, I spotted the bulges of concealed weapons. While they all talked and laughed with each other, their eyes were dark and cold. These men never relaxed.

Ray's men gestured to the others and I was allowed to enter Ray's office. Once inside I found Ray sitting with two other men. I was introduced, "Johnny this is my grandson's father-in-law, Retired Philadelphia Detective Percy Holmes. Percy this is Don Giovanni Cassini, a friend from Palermo Italy."

I noticed I was not introduced to the third man in the room. "Detective Holmes, it is a pleasure to meet you. Doctor Fritz speaks very highly of you. Please call me Johnny. We have a common interest," he said with a soft Italian accent.

Percy guessed it must have been the puzzled expression on his face because the Don said, "Mrs. Kathy Cooper. I would like to see her completely recover as well as protect other women from suffering the same fate."

"I also hope she recovers and I'm working with her husband to assure he's ready to help her. But I thought that the Arabs who had her were ... er ... dealt with."

"Percy, the owners of this woman have been sent to meet their god. But they were not the beast who did these terrible things to her. A man known as the Creator is. We are looking for him and believe he lives near you."

Percy sat down quickly before he fell down.

Ray said, "I felt the same way when I first heard that, too,"

The three men spent the rest of the afternoon locked in conference. Jobs were assigned and duties determined. As the afternoon progressed Percy gained respect for Don Johnny and Ray. They thought things out before making hasty decisions.

At some point Percy realized he was helping make plans that would probably result in the death of a human being. That fact shook Percy up. Percy had arrested men and collected evidence that ultimately resulted in their convictions and executions.

Before he presented that information to a judge and jury who passed sentence on the criminal. The system decided whether or not the criminal lived or died.

In Ray's office the same scene played out this time only two men were judge and jury, and the criminal had no chance to defend himself. His fate was already decided before anyone knew who he was.