Quantum leap is property of Bellasarius productions. Homicide: Life on the street is property of Baltimore Picture and NBC Productions. All rights reserved
Copyright 2001
Summary combination of Homicide: Life on the street. And Quantum Leap. Where Sam who leaps into Det. Meldrick Lewis and investigates the death of his partner Det. Steve Crosetti.
Suddenly just coming out of a flash of light. Sam was standing on a wooden pier. He looked around to see police boats and cars surrounding the area. There were officers on the boats using tools to lift an object out of the water. When they pull the object out of it and put it on the pier. Sam sees the bloated face of a man dead from an apparent suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. "Oh Boy" he said as he tried to keep himself from vomiting.
March 15,1994
Baltimore, MD Quantum: Life in the leaps
"Meldrick you okay?" a tall lanky man wearing a black suit and thin tie approached him. "I know he was your partner. We'll find out who did this."
Still trying to keep himself from heaving Sam said "thanks". To calm himself down, Sam looked at the calm water. In it he saw his reflection of a black man with a goatee wearing a porkpie hat . He also noticed something hanging around his neck. He turned his eyes away from the water and to the object. It was a silver badge that read "Baltimore Police: Detective" Looking around he saw other cops milling around. First thing to do was to get onto safer ground. Sam walked up to the street. There he saw a Cavalier pull up. Out came was a large black man with a gold badge around his neck. Just as he looked at him. The man with the dark suit and tie came up. "Looks like Gee's coming to help you through this. I would too if I were lieutenant."
So far Sam knew that he was a cop in Baltimore. Unsure of the year. He had a feeling that the body that was pulled out of the water was connected to Meldrick some how.
The lieutenant came up to him and hugged him. It was a crushing bear hug. "You okay" he asked in a deep, tuba-like voice.
"I'm fine" Sam replied
"I know Crosetti was your partner. We'll do everything to find out what happened. Now I can't make you primary on this case because of conflict. But I will keep you posted as to what happens. Bolander will be in charge. Why don't you go home for the day."
Sam thought about it. But decided that he could do more if was working. "That's okay Gee. I think I go back to work."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah I'm sure"
"Okay, see you back at the office then Capice?"
"Capice" Sam then walked to the bank of cars. He was wondering what happened to Al. Him not being here by now wasn't odd. But Sam worried about it. "Where did I put my car?" he asked to himself.
"Right over by the cruiser" a gruff voice said. Sam turned his head and saw Al. Who, this time was wearing a white suit, blue shirt, and red tie. He had a cigar clamped in his mouth and was punching buttons into the handlink.
"Which one there are four of these cars?"
"The closet to the street lamp. Now drive and I'll fill you in." Al punched in some buttons and disappeared. Sam fumbled for the keys until he found them and got in the tiny battered car. After he close the door Al reappeared and sat in the passenger seat. "Drive" he said.
Sam followed and started the car and drove. "Well according to Ziggy its March 15,1994. Your in..."
"Baltimore" Sam interrupted
"Yeah and you're a..."
"Police detective. Sam quipped
"Anyway your name is...."
"Meldrick"
Al gave him a dirty look. "You know it seems you don't need me. Goushie get me out of here."
"Okay, okay I get the point. I should sounding like a know it all. "
"Again your name is Meldrick Lewis. You've been working in the homicide unit for four years now. You grew up in the projects of East Baltimore. Says here you've been a good cop. Not spectacular. But you make detective for six years now."
"Thanks for the history. Now why am I here?"
"Well" Al turned on the handlink and started punching buttons. "According to Ziggy. You're here to find out who murdered your partner Steve Cros...." He hit the handlink which made it whine . "Cros, Crositti.. Who was found bobbing for apples in Chesapeake bay. Ziggy says you have an eighty-six percent chance, that's why you're here. Take a left on this corner." Sam followed his instructions and turned. He came up to the headquarters of the Baltimore Police Department. A large brick building with an arch right in the middle of it. "Ziggy is going to try to dig up everything on Crosetti. Meanwhile, you just try to do your job." Sam pulled into a parking space under the arch. After exiting the car. Al stood up and walked through the door. "Remember that you call your profession and yourself murder police."
"Murder Police?"
"Yup, that's what Lewis says. I get back to you as soon as we have information." Al then punched some buttons and a door opened . Al stepped back punched a few more buttons and the door closed.
Sam walked up the stairs of the station and walked into the office of the Homicide unit. It had the beat up crumbling office furniture. People milled around its offices trying to their jobs. He saw desks in the middle of the room But what his eye was the large white board set against a wall. Curious Sam walked up to the board. He saw the names on top of what must have been the detectives. "Bayliss, Bolander, Felton, Howard, Lewis, Munch, Pembleton." Above that it read "Lt.Griadello". Under the names of the detectives in smaller letters were all kinds of last names in either black or red.
As memories crept into Sam's mind. He learned what it all meant. Black meant that a suspected had been arrested in a case and it meant it was closed. Red meant the case was open. A couple of names were in blue which meant the case had been open for a year before being closed. The person with the most black names was Howard. Sam looked at Lewis' side. He had a few black names and red names. Not too shabby for murder police.
"Lewis" a deep voice boomed. "In my office." Sam saw it was Giradello. He followed what his Lieutenant said and walked inside the office. "Now Meldrick, I know you want help with the Crosetti investigation."
"Yes sir"
"But Bolander is good police. He'll do his best. Anyway go partner with Bayliss and catch some cases. You need to get your clearnece rates up. Commissioner is going to give out promotions. I want to make Captain before that bastard Gaffney get's it. You understand me, detective?"
"Uh, yes sir" Sam replied
"Good. Bayliss is in the box with Pembleton. He should be out shortly."
"The box sir?"
"Interrogation room"
"Oh I see" Sam said quizzically. He then walked out and looked for his desk in the squad room. It took him about fifteen minutes but he finally found it. Just as he sat down. Two men came out of the box. One of the two was tall and skinny with closely cropped hair. He wore a suit and tie. The second man was shorter than the first. He wore suspenders and a tie. He went to his desk and took out a Marlboro cigarette and started to smoke.
Sam stood up and walked to where the two men were sitting. Their desks across from each other. Sam looked at the nameplates. The suspender man's nameplate read "Det. Francis X. Pembleton." The tall guy's one read "Det Timothy Bayliss." Sam then knew who to talk to.
"Bayliss" Sam said.
"Yeah" he said
"Gee says were going to be partners for a little bit."
"Wait a minute." Pembleton interjected. "Gee just suddenly breaks us up? That ain't like him. What am I supposed to do?"
"Bollander might need help with the Crosetti case."
"Okay Go ahead Tim."
"All right. So Meldrick what do we do."
Sam thought what about what he going to do. Then the more memories came into his mind. "We wait until we get a call." Just then the phone rang on Lewis's desk. "Speak of the devil." Bayliss replied.
Sam ran back to his desk and picked it up. "Homcide, Meldrick, I mean Lewis." He listened and wrote the address down. "Got a call. Guy went down at a software firm a few block from here."
"Let's go" Bayliss said. Both me walked down to the parking lot. "I'll drive" Bayliss said. Sam went along and sat in the passenger seat. "Sorry about Crosetti. I know how it feels to be helpless on a case. Not sure who did it, wanting justice. That sort of thing."
"Thanks" Sam replied
"Just like Gee said Bolander is good police. He'll get to the bottom of this. Besides we got a case to take care of right?"
"Yeah"
"Okay" Bayliss said. No more words were shared as they drove to TechComp computer services. When they approached the low-slung building. A few squad cars were already at the scene. Bayliss parked the Cavalier next to the County Medical Examiner's van. With Sam, infront of Bayliss. Both of them walked inside the brick building. Before doing anything. They put on latex gloves to make sure that they didn't disturb evidence.
Police officers and technicians were crawling all over the place. A photographer was snapping pictures of a body that lay in the hallway. "What do we got" Sam asked.
"White Male 6' 0" , 200 pounds, name Gerald Ford. Age 21"
"You're kidding?" Bayliss asked the M.E.
"Nope"
"Looks like, his parents had an attraction to our only president not elected by the people." Sam said to him. Bayliss looked at him strangely. He never heard Lewis ever say something like that. It was a remark that more came in-line with Munch than with Lewis. "What did him in?" Bayliss asked.
"One .45 slug to the back of the head." the M.E. replied
"Any prints?" Sam asked
"We're picking up some good ones. We should get results in an hour." she said to the detective's.
Sam looked around the room and saw a door opened and Al appear. He had to get away from his partner to find out more about this leap. "I'm going to take a peak around this place. How about you talk to the witnesses. Okay?"
"Yeah, sure" Bayliss replied
Sam signaled Al to follow him. He walked down a hall and entered someone's office. He then closed the door. "Al, what do you have for me on Crosetti?"
"Well Ziggy says that in the original history. They never found out if he killed himself or was murdered."
"What about this Bayliss guy I'm partnered with?"
"Let's see" Al punched in a few commands. "Tim Bayliss went into homicide after working protection on the mayor's detail."
"Do you know what he meant by understanding how I felt about being helpless on a case?"
"Okay, according to police records. Bayliss was the primary on a case about a year ago. Where he investigated the death a child named Adena Wat..." He hit the handlink again. "Watson. Despite interrogated the prime suspect for eight hours. They got bupkis"
"Must be very tough on him."
"Well it would be for the fact you couldn't put a child killer away."
"What happens to him?"
"He continues to work in homicide for five years. But in 1999 he shoots some pusher Larry Moss dead in self-defense. Later that same year he admits and is convicted of killing Luke Ryland. Who was caught killing two women and a third. Unfortunately a court SNAFU got him put out on the streets."
"Wonderful"
"Yeah, this kid's life is going to be hell."
As Sam and Al continued to talk. A door inside the office opened slightly. Inside a man was trying to figure out what was going on. Why's this cop talking to himself? I know I killed Ford. Well better get it off my chest. The door opened, out came a man who was wearing a blood stained flannel shirt and jeans with his hands in the air. "Sam!" Al yelled out. Sam reacted by pulling out his gun and trained it on the suspect.
"I confess!" The guy yelled out "I shot Gerald Ford!"
"Okay, put your hands behind your back slowly." Sam asked him. Despite only having leaped hours earlier. He knew police procedure.
The flannel man did what he was told. Sam went behind him and produced a pair of handcuffs. "Okay you have the right to remain silent" He continued reading his rights as he led the killer out of the office and down the hall. "Got him, got Gerald Ford's shooter. He was hiding inside a closet."
"Good job Lewis you got a dunker." Bayliss said
"Dunker?" Sam asked
Al responded "Dunker means a case that goes down easily. It's what helps murder police raise their clearance rates."
"Take this guy in will ya." Sam said as he handed the killer to a pair of uniforms. "Well, we just type up a report and we're done."
"So, what should we do now."
"Tell Bayliss that we go to where Crosetti's body was found."
"We go to where they found Crosetti." Sam said
"Why?" Bayliss asked
"Tell him you got a feeling something might be there. That could have been missed"
"There could have been something we might have missed." Sam repeated
"Okay"
They walked back to the Cavalier and drove back to where Crosetti was found floating in the water. Both men walked around the area looking for anything. Also there was Al who was punching in commands for Ziggy to find something that might help Sam. "I don't what you'll find Lewis. Crime scene combed this area hundreds of times." Bayliss said to him.
"I know that but sometimes things fall through the cracks. Or errors are made. Can make a case very difficult. Like the Oj case."
"Oj You mean the Juice?"
"This is March 1994 at least three months away from the murders in Brentwood, California" Al said
"Never mind, Bayliss. Let's continue looking around." Sam said
Both detectives looked closely at the ground, trees, at anything to see if evidence would turn up. Just as Sam squinted at the ground that surrounded the pier. He noticed a gold twinkle coming out of a small mound of dirt and garbage. He got closer and saw what it was. A 22. Caliber bullet casing.
"Bayliss I got something" Sam yelled out
"What"
"A casing . Get me a plastic bag will ya.."
"Sure" He ran to the Cavalier and got something out of the trunk. A plastic bag that had red lines across it marked evidence. Sam took it and with great care put the casing in the plastic bag.
"Looks like we caught a break." Bayliss said to him.
"I don't know. This could belong to someone else's gun." Sam replied "We won't know until we get the results from crime scene."
"Meldrick take a look at this."
"What?"
Bayliss pointed at a window above an abandoned store. A curtain was swaying gently. "Just saw someone look though They, might have seen something when Crosseti died."
"Good idea" Sam said.
The two men walked behind the building by way of an alley. They saw a staircase lead up to a door. "Would you like to do the honors?" Bayliss
"Certainly" Sam said using the Curly Fine way of speech. He walked up and knocked on the door. "Hello Baltimore police we would like to speak to you. Please you might help us." There was silence. Then the door opened. In the doorway stood a small man. About 5'4". He looked ragged, almost hermit like. "You would like my help about the dead cop eh?"
"Do you have something for us?" Sam asked
"I believe I do. Please come in." The short man let the two detectives inside his apartment.
"By the way the name Hershey. Hershey Caldio. Got it from my grandmother who loved the chocolate."
"You like chocolate?" Sam asked
"Can't stand the stuff. Anyway come in here." Caldio led them into what appeared to be a living room. It had the window from where the pier could be seen. Everything looked ratty and old with the exception of the video equipment which looked brand new. "I was looking at a laserdisc copy of Jurassic Park when I heard some screaming outside. I put the movie on pause and looked out. There were two men outside. One who looked that dead cop. The other I couldn't recognize. They were in some argument. It looked interesting. So, I took out my video camera and tapped."
"What happened next?" Bayliss asked.
"Well this guy talking to the cop pulls a gun out. I couldn't tell what it was but when it went off I recognized the sound of it as a .22."
"What do you do after that?" Bayliss asked him
"Well I stopped taping and went back to my movie."
"You didn't call 911?" Sam asked
"It wasn't my job to get involved But after I learned that this guy was your partner. I went to do something about it. So here is the tape." Caldio handed Sam the tape. "Don't you want to see what on it?"
"Yeah sure" Sam said.
Caldio turned on his video equipment. The room filled with electronic humming and buzzing. "Pop it in here." He said pointing to what looked like a VCR. Sam did and soon the three looked at what was recorded.
The picture was good. The guy had good equipment. On it was a man both Bayliss and Sam recognized as Crosett. "There's your partner" Caldio said. "Now coming up is this other guy. I don't know who is but he's the one who shot him with a 22." Crosetti continued to talk. Then he started to shout and them a small "pop" was heard on the tape. The man who had his back turned to the came showed his face. It was a white man who looked to be in his late forties early fifties. "Stop the tape." Bayliss said
""Why, who was that?"
"Don't you see who it is Meldrick. That's Gaffney."
Sam was shocked. A fellow cop killed Crosetti. The cop that was now going to get promoted over Giradello. He had to get this evidence to his boss. "We bring this to Gee ASAP." Sam said.
"Good thinking Lewis." He turned to Caldio. "Thank you Mr.Caldio for your help the Baltimore Police department appreciate your help."
"Why thank you kid. I figure I redeem myself by handing over this tape."
"I think you did" Sam said. "Let's get back so we get Gaffney."
Bayliss and Sam walked out of the apartment and got back inside the car. With Sam driving they sped back to homicide. He barged into Giradello's office and interrupted his conversation with the Commissioner. "What are you doing here Lewis?"
"I've got the info on Crosetti's killer. An eyewitness taped the whole thing. I think you may want to take a look at it."
"I'll look at it in a minute."
"Gee the killer was a cop."
The commissioner and Giradello looked at Sam. "Who?"
"It was Gaffney sir. In fact we found a 22. Casing in a small pile of debris."
Giradello's jaw dropped. "Gaffney"
"If you look at the tape. You'll see" Bayliss said backing Sam up. He then walked up to a tv and turned it on. He then put the tape in the VCR and pressed play. The Commissioner and Giradello saw what Sam and Bayliss saw. At the end of the tape Sam place the casing on Gee's desk. "Get the crime lab to analyze this. I'm sure this will lead to the gun that killed Crosetti."
Gee rose up from his overstuffed desk chair. "Will you excuse of us detectives." Gee said and walked out. The Commissioner followed but before he walked out of the door. He put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Nice work, Uh, Lewis is it?"
"Yes sir, Meldrick Lewis."
"Well Meldrick, I think the department is going to like you after this is over."
"Thank you sir." Sam said. The Commissioner walked out.
"So what do we down now?" Bayliss asked
"We just wait for the dust to settle" Sam said. Bayliss nodded. Wait a minute I solved the case. Why haven't I leaped yet? Where was AL?" Just as he finished that last thought. Al appeared. Sam nodded to him that Al followed him out of the office. "Talk to me on the phone" Sam whispered. He walked to his desk and picked up the receiver. "So what have you got for me?"
"Well" Al said "Since you caught Crosetti's killer. A lot of things change. Giradello moves up to Captain in a couple of months. In fact he becomes mayor in 2000. Bayliss is partnered again with Pembleton. But he doesn't kill Ryland. In fact he's still working homicide in 2005. But he's the lieutenant now. Gaffney is convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. "
"So why haven't I left yet?"
"Well Ziggy says you leap at the funereal in a week.
"A week?"
"Yeah I know. But you get to spend it in beautiful Baltimore" he said sarcastically
"Great" Sam said into the phone
Well Sam went through the week of working murders in Baltimore pretty well. Except for the occasional vomiting. At the end of the week when the funeral was held. Sam was dressed in full police uniform. Agencies from as far north as Philadelphia and as south as Richmond. Came to pay respect to Detective Steve Crosetti. He received a 21-gun salute. The leader of service: Lieutenant Giradello gave a beautiful eulogy. When it came time to lower the casket. He asked all officers to salute one of their own. "Attention" shouted one of the sergeants. Everyone raised their hands and saluted. Just as the casket was lowered into the grave. Sam started to tingle all over. Just before the casket touched the ground. He leaped
March 14 2005
A man approached the grave of Steve Crosetti. He placed a bouquet of flowers on the grave. "Well here you are bro. A good man and good murder police." Meldrick Lewis stood in front of the grave. He then gave a few good words and said his peace. Lewis walked back to his car. He had to attend a press conference at City Hall. Crime hit a record low in Baltimore and everyone praised the new Commissioner appointed by Mayor Giradello. Commissioner Meldrick Lewis.
THE END
This has been a NewtonLangly production. Please let me know what you think? I would greatly accept it.
Copyright 2001
Summary combination of Homicide: Life on the street. And Quantum Leap. Where Sam who leaps into Det. Meldrick Lewis and investigates the death of his partner Det. Steve Crosetti.
Suddenly just coming out of a flash of light. Sam was standing on a wooden pier. He looked around to see police boats and cars surrounding the area. There were officers on the boats using tools to lift an object out of the water. When they pull the object out of it and put it on the pier. Sam sees the bloated face of a man dead from an apparent suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. "Oh Boy" he said as he tried to keep himself from vomiting.
March 15,1994
Baltimore, MD Quantum: Life in the leaps
"Meldrick you okay?" a tall lanky man wearing a black suit and thin tie approached him. "I know he was your partner. We'll find out who did this."
Still trying to keep himself from heaving Sam said "thanks". To calm himself down, Sam looked at the calm water. In it he saw his reflection of a black man with a goatee wearing a porkpie hat . He also noticed something hanging around his neck. He turned his eyes away from the water and to the object. It was a silver badge that read "Baltimore Police: Detective" Looking around he saw other cops milling around. First thing to do was to get onto safer ground. Sam walked up to the street. There he saw a Cavalier pull up. Out came was a large black man with a gold badge around his neck. Just as he looked at him. The man with the dark suit and tie came up. "Looks like Gee's coming to help you through this. I would too if I were lieutenant."
So far Sam knew that he was a cop in Baltimore. Unsure of the year. He had a feeling that the body that was pulled out of the water was connected to Meldrick some how.
The lieutenant came up to him and hugged him. It was a crushing bear hug. "You okay" he asked in a deep, tuba-like voice.
"I'm fine" Sam replied
"I know Crosetti was your partner. We'll do everything to find out what happened. Now I can't make you primary on this case because of conflict. But I will keep you posted as to what happens. Bolander will be in charge. Why don't you go home for the day."
Sam thought about it. But decided that he could do more if was working. "That's okay Gee. I think I go back to work."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yeah I'm sure"
"Okay, see you back at the office then Capice?"
"Capice" Sam then walked to the bank of cars. He was wondering what happened to Al. Him not being here by now wasn't odd. But Sam worried about it. "Where did I put my car?" he asked to himself.
"Right over by the cruiser" a gruff voice said. Sam turned his head and saw Al. Who, this time was wearing a white suit, blue shirt, and red tie. He had a cigar clamped in his mouth and was punching buttons into the handlink.
"Which one there are four of these cars?"
"The closet to the street lamp. Now drive and I'll fill you in." Al punched in some buttons and disappeared. Sam fumbled for the keys until he found them and got in the tiny battered car. After he close the door Al reappeared and sat in the passenger seat. "Drive" he said.
Sam followed and started the car and drove. "Well according to Ziggy its March 15,1994. Your in..."
"Baltimore" Sam interrupted
"Yeah and you're a..."
"Police detective. Sam quipped
"Anyway your name is...."
"Meldrick"
Al gave him a dirty look. "You know it seems you don't need me. Goushie get me out of here."
"Okay, okay I get the point. I should sounding like a know it all. "
"Again your name is Meldrick Lewis. You've been working in the homicide unit for four years now. You grew up in the projects of East Baltimore. Says here you've been a good cop. Not spectacular. But you make detective for six years now."
"Thanks for the history. Now why am I here?"
"Well" Al turned on the handlink and started punching buttons. "According to Ziggy. You're here to find out who murdered your partner Steve Cros...." He hit the handlink which made it whine . "Cros, Crositti.. Who was found bobbing for apples in Chesapeake bay. Ziggy says you have an eighty-six percent chance, that's why you're here. Take a left on this corner." Sam followed his instructions and turned. He came up to the headquarters of the Baltimore Police Department. A large brick building with an arch right in the middle of it. "Ziggy is going to try to dig up everything on Crosetti. Meanwhile, you just try to do your job." Sam pulled into a parking space under the arch. After exiting the car. Al stood up and walked through the door. "Remember that you call your profession and yourself murder police."
"Murder Police?"
"Yup, that's what Lewis says. I get back to you as soon as we have information." Al then punched some buttons and a door opened . Al stepped back punched a few more buttons and the door closed.
Sam walked up the stairs of the station and walked into the office of the Homicide unit. It had the beat up crumbling office furniture. People milled around its offices trying to their jobs. He saw desks in the middle of the room But what his eye was the large white board set against a wall. Curious Sam walked up to the board. He saw the names on top of what must have been the detectives. "Bayliss, Bolander, Felton, Howard, Lewis, Munch, Pembleton." Above that it read "Lt.Griadello". Under the names of the detectives in smaller letters were all kinds of last names in either black or red.
As memories crept into Sam's mind. He learned what it all meant. Black meant that a suspected had been arrested in a case and it meant it was closed. Red meant the case was open. A couple of names were in blue which meant the case had been open for a year before being closed. The person with the most black names was Howard. Sam looked at Lewis' side. He had a few black names and red names. Not too shabby for murder police.
"Lewis" a deep voice boomed. "In my office." Sam saw it was Giradello. He followed what his Lieutenant said and walked inside the office. "Now Meldrick, I know you want help with the Crosetti investigation."
"Yes sir"
"But Bolander is good police. He'll do his best. Anyway go partner with Bayliss and catch some cases. You need to get your clearnece rates up. Commissioner is going to give out promotions. I want to make Captain before that bastard Gaffney get's it. You understand me, detective?"
"Uh, yes sir" Sam replied
"Good. Bayliss is in the box with Pembleton. He should be out shortly."
"The box sir?"
"Interrogation room"
"Oh I see" Sam said quizzically. He then walked out and looked for his desk in the squad room. It took him about fifteen minutes but he finally found it. Just as he sat down. Two men came out of the box. One of the two was tall and skinny with closely cropped hair. He wore a suit and tie. The second man was shorter than the first. He wore suspenders and a tie. He went to his desk and took out a Marlboro cigarette and started to smoke.
Sam stood up and walked to where the two men were sitting. Their desks across from each other. Sam looked at the nameplates. The suspender man's nameplate read "Det. Francis X. Pembleton." The tall guy's one read "Det Timothy Bayliss." Sam then knew who to talk to.
"Bayliss" Sam said.
"Yeah" he said
"Gee says were going to be partners for a little bit."
"Wait a minute." Pembleton interjected. "Gee just suddenly breaks us up? That ain't like him. What am I supposed to do?"
"Bollander might need help with the Crosetti case."
"Okay Go ahead Tim."
"All right. So Meldrick what do we do."
Sam thought what about what he going to do. Then the more memories came into his mind. "We wait until we get a call." Just then the phone rang on Lewis's desk. "Speak of the devil." Bayliss replied.
Sam ran back to his desk and picked it up. "Homcide, Meldrick, I mean Lewis." He listened and wrote the address down. "Got a call. Guy went down at a software firm a few block from here."
"Let's go" Bayliss said. Both me walked down to the parking lot. "I'll drive" Bayliss said. Sam went along and sat in the passenger seat. "Sorry about Crosetti. I know how it feels to be helpless on a case. Not sure who did it, wanting justice. That sort of thing."
"Thanks" Sam replied
"Just like Gee said Bolander is good police. He'll get to the bottom of this. Besides we got a case to take care of right?"
"Yeah"
"Okay" Bayliss said. No more words were shared as they drove to TechComp computer services. When they approached the low-slung building. A few squad cars were already at the scene. Bayliss parked the Cavalier next to the County Medical Examiner's van. With Sam, infront of Bayliss. Both of them walked inside the brick building. Before doing anything. They put on latex gloves to make sure that they didn't disturb evidence.
Police officers and technicians were crawling all over the place. A photographer was snapping pictures of a body that lay in the hallway. "What do we got" Sam asked.
"White Male 6' 0" , 200 pounds, name Gerald Ford. Age 21"
"You're kidding?" Bayliss asked the M.E.
"Nope"
"Looks like, his parents had an attraction to our only president not elected by the people." Sam said to him. Bayliss looked at him strangely. He never heard Lewis ever say something like that. It was a remark that more came in-line with Munch than with Lewis. "What did him in?" Bayliss asked.
"One .45 slug to the back of the head." the M.E. replied
"Any prints?" Sam asked
"We're picking up some good ones. We should get results in an hour." she said to the detective's.
Sam looked around the room and saw a door opened and Al appear. He had to get away from his partner to find out more about this leap. "I'm going to take a peak around this place. How about you talk to the witnesses. Okay?"
"Yeah, sure" Bayliss replied
Sam signaled Al to follow him. He walked down a hall and entered someone's office. He then closed the door. "Al, what do you have for me on Crosetti?"
"Well Ziggy says that in the original history. They never found out if he killed himself or was murdered."
"What about this Bayliss guy I'm partnered with?"
"Let's see" Al punched in a few commands. "Tim Bayliss went into homicide after working protection on the mayor's detail."
"Do you know what he meant by understanding how I felt about being helpless on a case?"
"Okay, according to police records. Bayliss was the primary on a case about a year ago. Where he investigated the death a child named Adena Wat..." He hit the handlink again. "Watson. Despite interrogated the prime suspect for eight hours. They got bupkis"
"Must be very tough on him."
"Well it would be for the fact you couldn't put a child killer away."
"What happens to him?"
"He continues to work in homicide for five years. But in 1999 he shoots some pusher Larry Moss dead in self-defense. Later that same year he admits and is convicted of killing Luke Ryland. Who was caught killing two women and a third. Unfortunately a court SNAFU got him put out on the streets."
"Wonderful"
"Yeah, this kid's life is going to be hell."
As Sam and Al continued to talk. A door inside the office opened slightly. Inside a man was trying to figure out what was going on. Why's this cop talking to himself? I know I killed Ford. Well better get it off my chest. The door opened, out came a man who was wearing a blood stained flannel shirt and jeans with his hands in the air. "Sam!" Al yelled out. Sam reacted by pulling out his gun and trained it on the suspect.
"I confess!" The guy yelled out "I shot Gerald Ford!"
"Okay, put your hands behind your back slowly." Sam asked him. Despite only having leaped hours earlier. He knew police procedure.
The flannel man did what he was told. Sam went behind him and produced a pair of handcuffs. "Okay you have the right to remain silent" He continued reading his rights as he led the killer out of the office and down the hall. "Got him, got Gerald Ford's shooter. He was hiding inside a closet."
"Good job Lewis you got a dunker." Bayliss said
"Dunker?" Sam asked
Al responded "Dunker means a case that goes down easily. It's what helps murder police raise their clearance rates."
"Take this guy in will ya." Sam said as he handed the killer to a pair of uniforms. "Well, we just type up a report and we're done."
"So, what should we do now."
"Tell Bayliss that we go to where Crosetti's body was found."
"We go to where they found Crosetti." Sam said
"Why?" Bayliss asked
"Tell him you got a feeling something might be there. That could have been missed"
"There could have been something we might have missed." Sam repeated
"Okay"
They walked back to the Cavalier and drove back to where Crosetti was found floating in the water. Both men walked around the area looking for anything. Also there was Al who was punching in commands for Ziggy to find something that might help Sam. "I don't what you'll find Lewis. Crime scene combed this area hundreds of times." Bayliss said to him.
"I know that but sometimes things fall through the cracks. Or errors are made. Can make a case very difficult. Like the Oj case."
"Oj You mean the Juice?"
"This is March 1994 at least three months away from the murders in Brentwood, California" Al said
"Never mind, Bayliss. Let's continue looking around." Sam said
Both detectives looked closely at the ground, trees, at anything to see if evidence would turn up. Just as Sam squinted at the ground that surrounded the pier. He noticed a gold twinkle coming out of a small mound of dirt and garbage. He got closer and saw what it was. A 22. Caliber bullet casing.
"Bayliss I got something" Sam yelled out
"What"
"A casing . Get me a plastic bag will ya.."
"Sure" He ran to the Cavalier and got something out of the trunk. A plastic bag that had red lines across it marked evidence. Sam took it and with great care put the casing in the plastic bag.
"Looks like we caught a break." Bayliss said to him.
"I don't know. This could belong to someone else's gun." Sam replied "We won't know until we get the results from crime scene."
"Meldrick take a look at this."
"What?"
Bayliss pointed at a window above an abandoned store. A curtain was swaying gently. "Just saw someone look though They, might have seen something when Crosseti died."
"Good idea" Sam said.
The two men walked behind the building by way of an alley. They saw a staircase lead up to a door. "Would you like to do the honors?" Bayliss
"Certainly" Sam said using the Curly Fine way of speech. He walked up and knocked on the door. "Hello Baltimore police we would like to speak to you. Please you might help us." There was silence. Then the door opened. In the doorway stood a small man. About 5'4". He looked ragged, almost hermit like. "You would like my help about the dead cop eh?"
"Do you have something for us?" Sam asked
"I believe I do. Please come in." The short man let the two detectives inside his apartment.
"By the way the name Hershey. Hershey Caldio. Got it from my grandmother who loved the chocolate."
"You like chocolate?" Sam asked
"Can't stand the stuff. Anyway come in here." Caldio led them into what appeared to be a living room. It had the window from where the pier could be seen. Everything looked ratty and old with the exception of the video equipment which looked brand new. "I was looking at a laserdisc copy of Jurassic Park when I heard some screaming outside. I put the movie on pause and looked out. There were two men outside. One who looked that dead cop. The other I couldn't recognize. They were in some argument. It looked interesting. So, I took out my video camera and tapped."
"What happened next?" Bayliss asked.
"Well this guy talking to the cop pulls a gun out. I couldn't tell what it was but when it went off I recognized the sound of it as a .22."
"What do you do after that?" Bayliss asked him
"Well I stopped taping and went back to my movie."
"You didn't call 911?" Sam asked
"It wasn't my job to get involved But after I learned that this guy was your partner. I went to do something about it. So here is the tape." Caldio handed Sam the tape. "Don't you want to see what on it?"
"Yeah sure" Sam said.
Caldio turned on his video equipment. The room filled with electronic humming and buzzing. "Pop it in here." He said pointing to what looked like a VCR. Sam did and soon the three looked at what was recorded.
The picture was good. The guy had good equipment. On it was a man both Bayliss and Sam recognized as Crosett. "There's your partner" Caldio said. "Now coming up is this other guy. I don't know who is but he's the one who shot him with a 22." Crosetti continued to talk. Then he started to shout and them a small "pop" was heard on the tape. The man who had his back turned to the came showed his face. It was a white man who looked to be in his late forties early fifties. "Stop the tape." Bayliss said
""Why, who was that?"
"Don't you see who it is Meldrick. That's Gaffney."
Sam was shocked. A fellow cop killed Crosetti. The cop that was now going to get promoted over Giradello. He had to get this evidence to his boss. "We bring this to Gee ASAP." Sam said.
"Good thinking Lewis." He turned to Caldio. "Thank you Mr.Caldio for your help the Baltimore Police department appreciate your help."
"Why thank you kid. I figure I redeem myself by handing over this tape."
"I think you did" Sam said. "Let's get back so we get Gaffney."
Bayliss and Sam walked out of the apartment and got back inside the car. With Sam driving they sped back to homicide. He barged into Giradello's office and interrupted his conversation with the Commissioner. "What are you doing here Lewis?"
"I've got the info on Crosetti's killer. An eyewitness taped the whole thing. I think you may want to take a look at it."
"I'll look at it in a minute."
"Gee the killer was a cop."
The commissioner and Giradello looked at Sam. "Who?"
"It was Gaffney sir. In fact we found a 22. Casing in a small pile of debris."
Giradello's jaw dropped. "Gaffney"
"If you look at the tape. You'll see" Bayliss said backing Sam up. He then walked up to a tv and turned it on. He then put the tape in the VCR and pressed play. The Commissioner and Giradello saw what Sam and Bayliss saw. At the end of the tape Sam place the casing on Gee's desk. "Get the crime lab to analyze this. I'm sure this will lead to the gun that killed Crosetti."
Gee rose up from his overstuffed desk chair. "Will you excuse of us detectives." Gee said and walked out. The Commissioner followed but before he walked out of the door. He put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "Nice work, Uh, Lewis is it?"
"Yes sir, Meldrick Lewis."
"Well Meldrick, I think the department is going to like you after this is over."
"Thank you sir." Sam said. The Commissioner walked out.
"So what do we down now?" Bayliss asked
"We just wait for the dust to settle" Sam said. Bayliss nodded. Wait a minute I solved the case. Why haven't I leaped yet? Where was AL?" Just as he finished that last thought. Al appeared. Sam nodded to him that Al followed him out of the office. "Talk to me on the phone" Sam whispered. He walked to his desk and picked up the receiver. "So what have you got for me?"
"Well" Al said "Since you caught Crosetti's killer. A lot of things change. Giradello moves up to Captain in a couple of months. In fact he becomes mayor in 2000. Bayliss is partnered again with Pembleton. But he doesn't kill Ryland. In fact he's still working homicide in 2005. But he's the lieutenant now. Gaffney is convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. "
"So why haven't I left yet?"
"Well Ziggy says you leap at the funereal in a week.
"A week?"
"Yeah I know. But you get to spend it in beautiful Baltimore" he said sarcastically
"Great" Sam said into the phone
Well Sam went through the week of working murders in Baltimore pretty well. Except for the occasional vomiting. At the end of the week when the funeral was held. Sam was dressed in full police uniform. Agencies from as far north as Philadelphia and as south as Richmond. Came to pay respect to Detective Steve Crosetti. He received a 21-gun salute. The leader of service: Lieutenant Giradello gave a beautiful eulogy. When it came time to lower the casket. He asked all officers to salute one of their own. "Attention" shouted one of the sergeants. Everyone raised their hands and saluted. Just as the casket was lowered into the grave. Sam started to tingle all over. Just before the casket touched the ground. He leaped
March 14 2005
A man approached the grave of Steve Crosetti. He placed a bouquet of flowers on the grave. "Well here you are bro. A good man and good murder police." Meldrick Lewis stood in front of the grave. He then gave a few good words and said his peace. Lewis walked back to his car. He had to attend a press conference at City Hall. Crime hit a record low in Baltimore and everyone praised the new Commissioner appointed by Mayor Giradello. Commissioner Meldrick Lewis.
THE END
This has been a NewtonLangly production. Please let me know what you think? I would greatly accept it.