The Witness
Chapter 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raven and a bunch of the Latin Lords were sitting in the park across from the hospital. One of his right hand men had just told him that he found out that Cole was in the hospital after the beating from Raven. He also told him that the cops had been trying to talk to him.
"How do you know all this, man?" Raven asked him.
"My sister works there. She was delivering the food trays to the patients and brought him a tray. His face was pretty messed up, but she could tell it was him. And he recognized her too. Got all scared and stuff. She's been watching and she keeps seeing cops and suits going in and out of his room," the other explained.
Raven looked in the direction of the hospital and thought for a moment. "Get me Ronnie. He's the only one that'll be able to get close to him. We gotta make sure he doesn't talk - even if it means killin' him," he said, a smile coming across his face. "It's about time Ronnie got initiated."
The other man nodded to one of the other members and he left to go find Ronnie.
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It had been about a week since Cole was brought into the hospital. The cops and detectives weren't giving up. They kept coming in a couple times a day - even that cop Boscorelli and his girlfriend kept coming to visit him. He kept maintaining his tough exterior, but inside he was terrified. Ever since he'd seen Chenise bring his food tray in that one time. He knew she recognized him and it would just be a matter of time before Raven found out where he was.
He turned as he heard someone entering his room. "Another suit," he thought to himself.
"Cole Taylor?" asked the man in the doorway. "Are you Cole Taylor?"
"Who wants to know?" Cole sneered.
"My name is Anthony Jenkins. I'm a public defender. A Ms. Katy Logan," he said, looking at his notes, "asked me to come and talk to you." Cole just looked at the man with disdain.
"About what?" he finally spit out.
"Well, Mr. Taylor. Apparently, you're gonna be charged in some capacity with the deaths of those two elderly store owners. Now, it's up to you what, if anything, you get charged with. Now, are you ready to talk to me?" asked the attorney, with an attitude that showed Cole he was used to dealing with his kind and wasn't gonna take any crap.
"I already told all them other cops and detectives I didn't have nothin' to do with that," Cole said, not dropping his attitude. It kept him alive this long.
"Well, apparently, the evidence at the scene is proving otherwise. That and the witness that came forward and placed you at the scene at the time of the fire and the gunshots," he said, seeing the change come over Cole's face.
"What witness?" Cole said. "Whoever said that is lying. I told you, I didn't have nothin' to do with it," he said in finality.
The attorney tucked his notebook back into his briefcase and pulled out a business card. "Okay, Cole. You stick with that story. They're gonna move you to the jail ward either today or tomorrow and I'll let you know when your arraignment will be," he said, handing Cole the card. Cole made no move to take the card.
Anthony Jenkins laid his card on the table next to Bosco's and sighed. "Look, Mr. Taylor. Unless you have the means to pay for your own attorney - and from what I know of the case, you don't - you're stuck with me. The more you cooperate, the more chance you have of a short sentence. I get paid by the City whether you help me with your defense or not, so it's no skin off my nose if you go away for a long time. You see, I'm not with a big, Park Avenue law firm. I don't have to keep my partners happy with my success rates. My number's on the card if you need to reach me," he said, turning and walking out of the room.
Anthony Jenkins walked out of Cole's room and nearly collided with a young woman who was standing outside of his room. "Excuse me," he said, stepping around her. Chenise turned to leave. She wanted to let her brother know that he could tell Raven that Cole hadn't talked to anyone so far. She had a soft spot for him. He was only 14, but he had determination.
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"Ronnie. Sources tell me that your buddy, Cole, is in the hospital. What do you know about that?" Raven said to the boy, pacing back and forth in front of him.
Ronnie was scared. He knew that he was at a pivotal point in his relationship with the Latin Lords. This situation could either make or break him - or get him killed. "Raven, I heard that someone found him in the alley outside and called for an ambulance. That's all I know. I swear," Ronnie lied. "I watched the medics take him out and he didn't look good at all. I didn't think he'd make it," he added.
"Well, Ronnie. He DID make it and rumor has it that the COPS are trying to get him to talk," Raven said, still pacing. "So, Ronnie. I have an assignment for you. You're gonna go to Mercy and find him, Ronnie. And, you're gonna make sure he doesn't talk. Even if it means takin' him out of the picture, if you get my meaning," Raven said, making eye contact with the boy. Ronnie felt a sick spot forming in his stomach.
"Raven. I'm sure that Cole wouldn't say anything. He knows he'd be dead if he said anything," Ronnie said, trying to reason with him.
"I'm sure you're right, Ronnie. But, if he does talk and it comes down on ME," he said, walking closer to him, "it's gonna come down on YOU. And I know you get my meaning. Now get going," Raven said, dismissing the boy.
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Bosco was just coming out of the locker room with Faith. They were headed to the roll call room for briefing when the detective on Cole's case, Ray Thompson, called to him. Bosco and Faith stopped and Bosco indicated that Faith could go ahead. Faith went on to roll call and when she rounded the corner, Bosco turned back to the detective.
"What's up, Ray?" Bosco asked, knowing that it was probably about Cole. He'd been to see him numerous times in the hospital. He even had Faith try a few times. The kid was tough, he'd give him that. But, he was gonna tough himself right into prison.
"Just wanted to let you know that the doctors gave me the okay to move the Taylor kid into the jail ward. He's still not talkin' to me. Did you have any luck with him?" the detective asked him.
Bosco shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm not giving up, Ray. I know that kid didn't have involvement to the extent that he should go away for good for," Bosco said.
"Well, I heard that your friend, Katy Logan, got him a public defender. Let's hope he can talk some sense into him," Ray said.
"Who's the P.D.?" Bosco asked, planning on paying him a visit during their shift.
"Uh," Ray thought for a moment. "Tony Jenkins," he said finally. Bosco knew Jenkins. He was an okay guy. Someone that was approachable. He wasn't burned out on the job yet, but he was getting close.
"Okay, keep me posted will you, Ray?" Bosco said, turning to go to briefing.
"Will do. You do the same," Ray said, turning and walking up the hallway.
Bosco walked into the briefing room and took a seat next to Faith. "Everything okay?" she asked him, noticing that his eye was finally starting to look better. There was just some light discoloration left, but she knew that it still hurt quite a bit. There'd been a few times when he'd bumped it during an arrest and she'd seen him flinch from it.
He shrugged a little, "Not great. They're moving the Taylor kid to the jail hospital ward today. Katy got a P.D. assigned. I gotta get this kid to talk to me, Faith," Bosco said in a whisper as the briefing started.
"We'll figure a way to get to him, Bos," Faith whispered back.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
It was about 3:00 a.m. when Bosco's phone rang, waking him from a sound sleep. "This can't be good news," he thought as he reached for the phone.
"Boscorelli," he said into the phone.
"Bosco? It's Katy," he heard, sitting up at the tension in her voice.
"Katy? What's wrong?" he said, standing up and reaching for his sweats on the chair next to the bed.
"It's Cole Taylor. Apparently, the nurse went in to check on him and he's gone," she told him.
"Gone? What d'you mean, gone?" he asked, trying to shake the sleep from his brain. "You mean, like dead?"
"No, I mean like he's not in the hospital anymore. He left sometime during the night," she said.
"Where are you?" he asked her, walking out into the living room with the cordless phone and grabbing his leather jacket and his keys.
"I'm at my place. I just got the call. Do you have any idea where to look for him?" she said.
"Um... not really. Look, I'm leaving right now. I'll pick you up and we can go look for him together, okay?" Bosco said,
"Okay, I'll be ready," she said, hanging up the phone.
Bosco pushed the off button on the phone and set it on the counter in the kitchen. He walked to his front door and opened it. He looked down at the person lying in his doorway and stopped short.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...
Chapter 8
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Raven and a bunch of the Latin Lords were sitting in the park across from the hospital. One of his right hand men had just told him that he found out that Cole was in the hospital after the beating from Raven. He also told him that the cops had been trying to talk to him.
"How do you know all this, man?" Raven asked him.
"My sister works there. She was delivering the food trays to the patients and brought him a tray. His face was pretty messed up, but she could tell it was him. And he recognized her too. Got all scared and stuff. She's been watching and she keeps seeing cops and suits going in and out of his room," the other explained.
Raven looked in the direction of the hospital and thought for a moment. "Get me Ronnie. He's the only one that'll be able to get close to him. We gotta make sure he doesn't talk - even if it means killin' him," he said, a smile coming across his face. "It's about time Ronnie got initiated."
The other man nodded to one of the other members and he left to go find Ronnie.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
It had been about a week since Cole was brought into the hospital. The cops and detectives weren't giving up. They kept coming in a couple times a day - even that cop Boscorelli and his girlfriend kept coming to visit him. He kept maintaining his tough exterior, but inside he was terrified. Ever since he'd seen Chenise bring his food tray in that one time. He knew she recognized him and it would just be a matter of time before Raven found out where he was.
He turned as he heard someone entering his room. "Another suit," he thought to himself.
"Cole Taylor?" asked the man in the doorway. "Are you Cole Taylor?"
"Who wants to know?" Cole sneered.
"My name is Anthony Jenkins. I'm a public defender. A Ms. Katy Logan," he said, looking at his notes, "asked me to come and talk to you." Cole just looked at the man with disdain.
"About what?" he finally spit out.
"Well, Mr. Taylor. Apparently, you're gonna be charged in some capacity with the deaths of those two elderly store owners. Now, it's up to you what, if anything, you get charged with. Now, are you ready to talk to me?" asked the attorney, with an attitude that showed Cole he was used to dealing with his kind and wasn't gonna take any crap.
"I already told all them other cops and detectives I didn't have nothin' to do with that," Cole said, not dropping his attitude. It kept him alive this long.
"Well, apparently, the evidence at the scene is proving otherwise. That and the witness that came forward and placed you at the scene at the time of the fire and the gunshots," he said, seeing the change come over Cole's face.
"What witness?" Cole said. "Whoever said that is lying. I told you, I didn't have nothin' to do with it," he said in finality.
The attorney tucked his notebook back into his briefcase and pulled out a business card. "Okay, Cole. You stick with that story. They're gonna move you to the jail ward either today or tomorrow and I'll let you know when your arraignment will be," he said, handing Cole the card. Cole made no move to take the card.
Anthony Jenkins laid his card on the table next to Bosco's and sighed. "Look, Mr. Taylor. Unless you have the means to pay for your own attorney - and from what I know of the case, you don't - you're stuck with me. The more you cooperate, the more chance you have of a short sentence. I get paid by the City whether you help me with your defense or not, so it's no skin off my nose if you go away for a long time. You see, I'm not with a big, Park Avenue law firm. I don't have to keep my partners happy with my success rates. My number's on the card if you need to reach me," he said, turning and walking out of the room.
Anthony Jenkins walked out of Cole's room and nearly collided with a young woman who was standing outside of his room. "Excuse me," he said, stepping around her. Chenise turned to leave. She wanted to let her brother know that he could tell Raven that Cole hadn't talked to anyone so far. She had a soft spot for him. He was only 14, but he had determination.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
"Ronnie. Sources tell me that your buddy, Cole, is in the hospital. What do you know about that?" Raven said to the boy, pacing back and forth in front of him.
Ronnie was scared. He knew that he was at a pivotal point in his relationship with the Latin Lords. This situation could either make or break him - or get him killed. "Raven, I heard that someone found him in the alley outside and called for an ambulance. That's all I know. I swear," Ronnie lied. "I watched the medics take him out and he didn't look good at all. I didn't think he'd make it," he added.
"Well, Ronnie. He DID make it and rumor has it that the COPS are trying to get him to talk," Raven said, still pacing. "So, Ronnie. I have an assignment for you. You're gonna go to Mercy and find him, Ronnie. And, you're gonna make sure he doesn't talk. Even if it means takin' him out of the picture, if you get my meaning," Raven said, making eye contact with the boy. Ronnie felt a sick spot forming in his stomach.
"Raven. I'm sure that Cole wouldn't say anything. He knows he'd be dead if he said anything," Ronnie said, trying to reason with him.
"I'm sure you're right, Ronnie. But, if he does talk and it comes down on ME," he said, walking closer to him, "it's gonna come down on YOU. And I know you get my meaning. Now get going," Raven said, dismissing the boy.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Bosco was just coming out of the locker room with Faith. They were headed to the roll call room for briefing when the detective on Cole's case, Ray Thompson, called to him. Bosco and Faith stopped and Bosco indicated that Faith could go ahead. Faith went on to roll call and when she rounded the corner, Bosco turned back to the detective.
"What's up, Ray?" Bosco asked, knowing that it was probably about Cole. He'd been to see him numerous times in the hospital. He even had Faith try a few times. The kid was tough, he'd give him that. But, he was gonna tough himself right into prison.
"Just wanted to let you know that the doctors gave me the okay to move the Taylor kid into the jail ward. He's still not talkin' to me. Did you have any luck with him?" the detective asked him.
Bosco shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm not giving up, Ray. I know that kid didn't have involvement to the extent that he should go away for good for," Bosco said.
"Well, I heard that your friend, Katy Logan, got him a public defender. Let's hope he can talk some sense into him," Ray said.
"Who's the P.D.?" Bosco asked, planning on paying him a visit during their shift.
"Uh," Ray thought for a moment. "Tony Jenkins," he said finally. Bosco knew Jenkins. He was an okay guy. Someone that was approachable. He wasn't burned out on the job yet, but he was getting close.
"Okay, keep me posted will you, Ray?" Bosco said, turning to go to briefing.
"Will do. You do the same," Ray said, turning and walking up the hallway.
Bosco walked into the briefing room and took a seat next to Faith. "Everything okay?" she asked him, noticing that his eye was finally starting to look better. There was just some light discoloration left, but she knew that it still hurt quite a bit. There'd been a few times when he'd bumped it during an arrest and she'd seen him flinch from it.
He shrugged a little, "Not great. They're moving the Taylor kid to the jail hospital ward today. Katy got a P.D. assigned. I gotta get this kid to talk to me, Faith," Bosco said in a whisper as the briefing started.
"We'll figure a way to get to him, Bos," Faith whispered back.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
It was about 3:00 a.m. when Bosco's phone rang, waking him from a sound sleep. "This can't be good news," he thought as he reached for the phone.
"Boscorelli," he said into the phone.
"Bosco? It's Katy," he heard, sitting up at the tension in her voice.
"Katy? What's wrong?" he said, standing up and reaching for his sweats on the chair next to the bed.
"It's Cole Taylor. Apparently, the nurse went in to check on him and he's gone," she told him.
"Gone? What d'you mean, gone?" he asked, trying to shake the sleep from his brain. "You mean, like dead?"
"No, I mean like he's not in the hospital anymore. He left sometime during the night," she said.
"Where are you?" he asked her, walking out into the living room with the cordless phone and grabbing his leather jacket and his keys.
"I'm at my place. I just got the call. Do you have any idea where to look for him?" she said.
"Um... not really. Look, I'm leaving right now. I'll pick you up and we can go look for him together, okay?" Bosco said,
"Okay, I'll be ready," she said, hanging up the phone.
Bosco pushed the off button on the phone and set it on the counter in the kitchen. He walked to his front door and opened it. He looked down at the person lying in his doorway and stopped short.
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TBC...