VENTURES: Rabbit Hole

ONE WEEK LATER- The District Attorney's Office Conference Room!!!

As promised we delivered our client to ADA Ron Harper....Two days before the first preliminary hearing was to take place.. Ms. Yvette asked for a special meeting for all of the particulars..

''Alright Yvette...I'm playing ball with you...I'm here...You want to proffer a deal...I'm listening.." he said..

"Look Ron...Let's save both of us a whole lot of nonsense...My client is innocent...I can prove it right here, right now...and what's more...We can point you in the general direction of the real killer.. Lt. Tragg got the wrong guy...Something you should be used to by now...How many cases involving him have you lost? Why go down this rabbit hole with him again?" pleaded Yvette, who was wearing a new dress and had a new hair do today...All of which didn't go un noticed by ADA Ron Harper, who was still enthralled by that peck on the lips he'd gotten from Yvette two weeks ago..

"I'm listening.." said ADA Harper.

"Your entire case is made on the fact that Lt. Tragg was able to trace that last phone call made to Ramos's phone to the switchboard at his office and traced successfully to the office phone of Mr. Tolliver.." I said.

"What he didn't know is that there was another phone call made to that phone, which was erased off of the phone after Mr. Felicidad was murdered...which is why his phone was left where it was where it could be found.. Lt. Tragg didn't mention or think it was strange that the phone had no prints or DNA on it whatsoever... It was wiped down by bleach.."said Bee Bee..

"Pretty weird for a man who jumped off the roof...No prints or DNA on his sunglasses either and why would they be out at midnight?" asked Sofia... We went to his provider...They recorded one last phone call, made after the one our client admits he made...It was from this number...A Burner phone.."said Sofia.

"That number was conveniently erased off of the phone, probably after Mr. Felicidad had been tossed off the roof..He was strangled first..by a man with big hands...Not our client..You can check with Dr. Hazel Baylor for the specifics.."said Kahlil Ahmed.

"I believe the same man who actually killed Mr. Ramos, is the same man who unsuccessfully attacked me in my home, a few nights after we were at that company asking questions."said Jade.

She pulled out a Portal..

"On here I have Street Cam video of our client leaving his place of work on the night Ramos vanished... at 12:08....He stopped at a Gas Station at 12:15...He made another unsuccessful call to Ramos at 12:30... Here he is at Jake's getting some coffee and a Hot Dog at 12:45...

His wife will Testify that he was at Home around 1:00 am...Nowhere near the Ben Franklin Hotel...

Also...We tracked down footage of Ramos after he left home by following his cars GPS and cross referencing with Street and Traffic Cam footage...He was on the expressway....There he is Parking at the Ben Franklin Hotel Parking lot and there is a hulking figure in Black approaching him...We can't make out his face..

But there they both are on the camera from the parking lot..Probably the last known footage of Ramos, alive.." said Jade.

"I've known Mark Tolliver for as long as I've known my husband...If I really thought he did this..I wouldn't be here with these lawyers , who are defending him.."said Mercedes, Ramo's widow..

"You've been down this Rabbit Hole with Lt. Tragg before..Half baked cases, half investigated cases..And you wind up looking like a fool in court..You can precede with this if you want...But this is just the tip of the iceberg of evidence we have in our clients favor...If I was you..I'd drop these charges Ronnie..Seriously...I'm doing you a favor...There won't be many other times I'll do this."said Yvette.

ADA Ron Harper breathed deeply...He thought about all the cases he had lost involving Lt. Tragg..He thought about his half assed investigations that always left key evidence out.. He didn't need the embarrassment of another loss.

"You guys sure you're Attorneys? You all seem like you could be Detectives.." he laughed ,then he looked at Mark Tolliver..

"So Tell me...what's your story?" he asked.

"It's my fault...My fault Ramos is dead...I didn't kill him, but my reckless behavior set him up to be killed."said Mark Tolliver holding his head down...

II-

" It all started in Chinatown... Me and Ramos had started our brokerage company...We help people with investments.. We started four years ago..We were doing very good...Making money hand over fist...Ramos and I both had small yachts down at the bay...We both bought ourselves new cars...Sports cars...We took our wives on great vacations, Vegas, Cancun, Punta Canta, Hawaii, you name it...So we went down to Chinatown,

"We knew about Eddie Lee and the high stakes Card Game he runs on the top floor of his stylish restaurant..

Lots of heavy guys play...Russians, Asians...We went down and paid to get into his game..It's a grand up front..

We weren't really built for that kind of action.....Ramos lost $2000.00 real quick...I won 500 large..but now when I look back..I think I was being set up...because I talked too much ...About the Yachts, about the vacations, about the nice houses we both had...and how good the business was doing..

The wrong people heard me...Ramos paid his $2000.00 off...but I lost and lost big...750 large...Nearly one million dollars....I was sick!"

"This guy...This guy who was always hanging around...Never played...Just hung around, listening, drinking and laughing...He walked up and paid my whole marker...750 large just like that...I didn't even know him...I fugured he was a loan shark...I told him no thank you...He said , It is already done..
I knew I still owed that 750 large...He said don't worry about it...

He has a package...Heroin...A Hot package he's been selling to all of the drug dealers in Northeast Philly, Kensington, Fishtown and Port Richmond..He laundered his dirty drug money through our company and was looting our company dry...We could barely make payroll...Then he got us involved in a scam...He had us print a phony investment tip for a Russian Company...Tell investors to invest heavily...They did and they lost their shirts...He cleaned up though...

The SEC took us to court...Said we were guilty of advising people to invest in a fraudulent company and investment..."

"He hired an Attorney, Robert Ruffin who successfully defended us in court... Ramos didn't know what was going on at first...but then he began checking the books and he had us audited by an independent Attorney and Forensic Accountant.."

named Lawrence Stephenson...

Ramos went to the lawyer Robert Ruffin about what he had found.....and that's what got him killed...Robert Ruffin was Vladmir Belkoff's hand picked Attorney. I don't know who called him that night..or what spooked him or what was said or why he was at the Ben Franklin Hotel...I just called him and told him to watch his back and that this guy was dangerous..Russian Mob ties..Drug dealer....Ramos was upset with me..He asked me how I could be so stupid..He was very upset...That was the last time I talked to him...I don't know where he went..I swear...That's the truth.." said Mark Tolliver..

''Alright...I've heard and seen enough..I'm dropping murder charges against you Mr. Tolliver, insufficient evidence..Can you tell me who this mysterious man is?...This Heavy you say is draining your company dry?.." asked ADA Ron Harper..

"I can...His name is Vladmir Belkoff... Vladmar Belkoff....He's got a sheet as long as you are tall, Burglary, Larceny, Assault...He did five years as a guest of the state of Pennsylvania..He has ties to the Russian Mafia...He's mostly muscle..but lately, he's attempting to be a player! "

"He does not work for that brokerage firm. He's not a card carrying member of a family...Just somebody trying to make his bones.. He's a suspected Heroin Dealer, selling to drug organizations in Fishtown, Kensington, Port Richmond ,Northern Liberties and Mayfair.. I took it to
the Criminal Investigation Division...said Gary Lockwood, Investigator for the District Attorney's Office.

Lt. Sissy Van Buren, and her detectives, Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace, Tyriq Pile, Jimmy Barlow,Sirena Pile, Tony Hopkins, Angie Belton and Duke Baylor and a team of Tactical squad men arrested 39 associates or buyers of this Vladmir Belkoff....

Regional DEA Special Agent in Charge , Carol Redding

and the DEA arrested an additional 48 associates of Mr. Belkoff and seized a huge shipment of Heroin and other opiates before they could be distributed..

"He's out of business effectively..." said Gary...

"Good Work Gary.....Mr. Tolliver, you're free to go...I'll swear out a warrant for the arrest of Mr. Belkoff, Suspicion of Murder.. He won't be bothering you or your company anymore." said Ron Harper..

"Myyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Hero.." said Ms. Yvette ,looking at Gary..

"Just doing my job.." said Gary...

She placed a very sensual kiss on his lips..

ADA Ron Harper looked away...For a minute he felt as if he had been played...But whether he had or not..Yvette had saved him from a humiliating loss in court...He couldn't be angry about that...She was right..He had been down too many rabbit holes with Lt. Tragg. She had spared him another such rabbit hole.

"He looks almost disappointed...If I didn't know better.." I said.."We saved him an embarrassing loss in court..We might have even have won in the preliminaries.." I said.

"I don't think that's why he's disappointed." said Bee Bee..softly rubbing my hands.

"Ohhh cousin Sofia, thank you guys for clearing this up..I never believed Mark would ever harm Ramos..At least we know who is behind this now." said Mercedes...

"Now you have closure...Go home...Get some rest cousin." said Sofia..

"Yeah...Today Justice was served.." said Kahlil..

"Thank you guys for getting me off." said Mark.

While in his office suite, Attorney Robert Ruffin is on his phone.

"Vlad...It's me...If I were you I'd make myself scarce... A lot of people have been arrested...All of your customers....and the Feds found the ships...Yes...they got everything...To make matters worse..Our friends in Little Norway got arrested too..a lot of em...A lot of people aren't too happy about you...Make yourself scare....You got any relatives or friends out of town,like New York?? If I were you I'd call em...I'll handle business on this end..Some other lawyers got Mark off of that Murder rap...But he'll fall in line...what choice does he have?"

"Yeah, I got everything under control...I'll be in touch.." he said and hung up..

III-

THE NEXT MORNING-

Mark Tolliver walked into his office..Attorney Robert Ruffin was sitting in his chair..

"GET UP...AND GET OUT...YOUR SERVICES ARE NO LONGER NEEDED HERE!" said Mark.

"Now hold in a minute...Don't get ahead of yourself..Do you realize what you're saying? Do you realize what's on the line here?" said the Attorney..

"I believe he just told you to leave...Your services are no longer needed here."said Yvette.

"He just put our law firm, McCluskey/Cozen/Connor and Pratt on retainer this morning.." said Sofia, smiling..

"Considering we just helped him beat a murder rap without a trial...and other attorneys at our firm can assist him with his business matters, like restructuring...I'd say he is in good hands."said Bee Bee.

"Which means...You can go." I said..

"Pack up your bags and get to steppin buddy."said Kahlil..

Jade smiled..

"YOU!!! You can't do this...Mr. Belkoff.."said Attorney Ruffin...

''We uh just did!!...Buh Bye.."said Yvette..

"I don't believe this!!!..Tolliver...You should know better...." he said, looking at Mark.

"Mr. Belkoff had better turn himself in..."said Regional FBI Deputy Special Agent in Charge,
Sharon Hopkins...

"I'm with the FBI...in addition to Suspicion of Murder, He's wanted for a number of federal offenses..
You're his attorney...I suggest you get in contact with him and tell him to turn himself in.. My agents have been to all four of his known addresses and there has been no trace of him.."said Sharon..

Attorney Robert Ruffin was a s red as a beet... He got up, grabbed his briefcase and walked out...

The jig was up...Their hold on Mark's company was relinquished...

IV-

The Next day , we all met in Sam Mother's Diner for lunch...It was a Wednesday Afternoon...

"Sure was nice, not having to go to court for a change.." I said.

''Yes... I for one am a little exhausted...I could use a nice rest..." said Bee Bee...

"Mark is back at his and Ramos's company restructuring..."said Sofia..

"That creepy Russian guy never showed up... I hear the FBI and local police want him bad..." said Kahlil.

"They aren't the only ones who want him bad...With all of the arrests and the seizure of all that Heroin he was running...I imagine he's not on too good standing with his Russian Mob friends..."laughed Jade...

Ms. Yvette and Gary were in a booth in the corner, kissing like two high school students...

You know who walked in...Lt. Tragg and He was not a happy camper...

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!! I JUST HEARD ALL CHARGES WERE DROPPED AGAINST TOLLIVER!! I PUT IN A LOT OF WORK ON THAT CASE!!" he bellowed..

"You had the wrong guy Lieutenant!" said Yvette softly...

"Of course you'd say that, you were repping him.."snarled Lt. Tragg.

"We had so much overwhelming evidence that ADA Harper would have been wiped out in one day of the preliminaries....Rather than go through a lengthy trial...We presented our evidence and proffered a deal.." said Yvette..

''A deal? What kind of deal?" asked Lt. Tragg.

''We pointed ADA Harper in the direction of the real killer.. A drug dealing con man who was blackmailing Mark and Ramos... He took it to Sissy Van Buren and The C.I.D. and after a short investigation, they picked up 39 of his drug contacts and an additional 48 of his associates in the Russian Mob were picked up by the DEA on federal RICO charge, plus a lot of cash and a lot of drugs... The FBI wants him on Suspicion of Murder and RICO Charges as well...He's kind of uh slipped off the grid...He's on the lam...but he'll show up.."said Gary..

Gary didn't tell Lt. Tragg, that it wasn't ADA Harper...It was He, an Investigator for the D.A.'s office who went to Sissy and the Feds..He knew he could trust them to do a thorough investigation and pick up the right people.. He didn't want to take a chance on Lt. Tragg botching things up...

ADA Harper was in full agreement with him and said if asked...He'd take credit for going to Sissy Van Buren and The Feds.

Lt. Tragg looked over at us..

Bee Bee and I were kissing like two high school teenagers..

So was Kahlil and Sofia..

Our Burgers ,fries and Onion Rings arrived and were getting cold..

Jade and Danny Ho hadn't even ordered anything..

They too were kissing passionately...

Lt. Tragg shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the diner..Livid as usual.

EPILOUGE-

Aqua Bar was jumping tonight...

It was packed...

"It's a nice crowd tonight Auntay..I'm so glad we got you and Donnie Ray to come out...I know you don't usually hang out in here."said Beverly..

"It is...I needed to get and do a little dancing tonight.."said Olivia, who was wearing a micro- mini skirt that accentuated her great legs and was turning heads and snapping necks..

Donnie Ray put his arms around Olivia...He rubbed her sexy legs...

"I'm gonna have a good night.." he said..

"Think so, huh?" Olivia laughed..She knew he was talking about after they left the party and returned home..

"Here's a down payment on later..." whispered Olivia as the two of them kissed passionately in the corner..

''Drinks are real cheap tonight.."said Nelson..

"Yeah, they are.."said Paris..

"They ought to have a night like this all the time.." said Josie..

"That's why we picked this night to come out.."said Beverly..

"This is sooo nice.." said Bee Bee..

"Yeah, you can't beat these drink specials.." I said..

"Not at all."said Sofia..

"They got a special Dee Jay from Bayside spinning tonight.."said Kahlil..

''Vettie that dress is giving me thoughts.."said Gary.

Yvette laughed..."I'd give you thoughts if I wore a potato sack.." she laughed..

"Oh Look, there's Jade and Danny, Dabnis and Jazzy and Jessica and Chip." she said waving them over..

"Heyyyyy Everybody..."said Jade.. "The Dee Jay is getting ready to set up...Oh My God..No…"said Jade..

"Yeah, it's Eric Proud ...He's very good... He used to D.J. all of the parties we had at the Precinct, The Beef and Beers, The Christmas Parties.. Remember him?..."said Danny Ho..

"That's the former cop whose wife, Tragg was banging right? Yeah, I remember him from a few months ago.." laughed Dabnis..

"Yeah, he was good!" said Jazzy...

"He was.I'm ready to dance and get my drink on.."added Jessica..

"Okayyyyyyy!"said Jazzy, high fiving Jessica.

"Alright now..He's getting ready to spin.."said Chip..

Former Police Sgt. Eric Proud was setting up his D.J.ing equipment..

and the music was beginning to play...

While we were having fun that night.

A gruesome scene would be playing out at Penns Landing in the morning..

A car was being pulled from the river...

A body was being removed from the trunk of the car...

It was a hulking six foot four man with a beard that had a pony tail in it...

"He was shot twice in the head doc...His drivers license says Vladmir Belkoff.."said a Crime Scene Investigator...

The Russian Mob had made him pay for his goof up!

"The Feds have been looking for this guy for about a week.." said Hazel, examining the body..

She looked up , she saw her husband and his partner getting out of their car..