FBI Office
Fritz got a fax about the 10k that Stroh had deposited last May. The transaction looked normal except for there were handwritten in comments by the teller. They read: Man acted weird. His money had red stuff on it."
Fritz faxed the report to Major Crimes.
He then went back to his case. He won the bid for the bracelet, and he sent an message to the seller to ask if he could pay cash.
He then looked at his notes on El Torro. The federal prosecutor wanted to meet with him that afternoon about his testimony. He was to testify in El Torro's competency hearing. The DA was hopping to convince the judge that his behavior was rage and defeat, not mental illness.
Major Crimes Squad Room
Sykes grabbed the fax from the machine. "It's the FBI report from Stroh's deposit."
"Anything good." Provenza called.
"Whoever accepted the deposit wrote in the comment box that Stroh acted strangely and the money was red."
"Maybe it's blood," Provenza answered.
"The victim didn't bleed," said Tao.
"Not from the murder." Provenza retorted.
"It's all moot if the money's gone," said Flynn.
"Why don't we find out? Flynn, Provenza go to the bank and see if you can find out what happened to the cash."
They got in Provenza's car and hit the road.
Andy whistled happily.
"Since when are you so chipper," Provenza was suspicious.
"Can't a man have a good day."
"You don't have good days Andy. You're you."
"Well, I am having a good day today."
"What happened last night? Did you get slapped with a happy stick?"
Flynn laughed and turned on the radio. He changed it to jazz.
"Since when do you listen to jazz."
"I like jazz."
"You always want to play old rock and now jazz. Who are you and what did you do with Flynn?"
"I'm the same me I've always been." Flynn lied. He would never be the same.
"You dumbass" Provenza yelled at the bitch who cut him off.
Soon enough, they pulled into the bank's parking lot.
Flynn asked to see the manager. He came out and they showed him the form.
"Oh Connor must have filled this out. Connor," he yelled.
"A young red haired man came out. Yessir.!
"You wrote in the box about a deposit that was made last year."
Connor looked at the form. "Yeah that guy was weird. He came in, looking cold as ice. The money had red stuff on it. I asked him about it, and he said he cut his hand, but his hand didn't look like it had been cut. I switched out a $20 before I made a deposit to see if it was red-dye. I thought he might have robbed a bank or something."
"Was the bill tested?"
"Yeah, I sent it to the fraud department. It was blood."
Provenza smirked. "Do you know what happened to the bill?"
"I can ask." Connor called the fraud department. Luckily, they always keep a bill on the record in case a closed case gets reopened.
Flynn and Provenza took the bill to take to SID.
Sanchez was getting really good at Angry Birds.
"Do you ever work?" Sykes admonished.
"Do you ever have fun?" Sanchez retorted.
"I'm lots of fun."
"Yeah, like a root canal."
Sykes went back to her laptop.
Tao was compiling everything they had on the case for ADA Hobbes.
Raydor was in her office getting ready to check her e-mail when she got a phone call. "Hey, Sharon."
"Brenda, what's up?"
"Just making sure you're still coming on Saturday."
"This case …." Sharon didn't know what to say. They were trying to keep Brenda out of this one,.
"Is wrapping up really soon I bet."
"Yeah it's almost over." That might be true.
"Great, Our day starts at 10AM. I'll text you the address.
"You can text?"
"Yes, I can text. Smartypants, and Andrea and I are going to the mall afterwards if you want to come."
"Shopping too. This will take all day."
"That's what girlfriends are for. Bye Sharon."
Ahh that woman. It didn't take long for Brenda to just take over a situation. Sharon was trying to cancel and somehow she confirmed. Oh boy
Andrea kept staring at her hair. Nothing looked right as she adjusted it in her handheld mirror. This will have to do she thought, giving up and driving to the station.
Flynn and Provenza went to SID to drop off the bill. They then went back to the squad room.
"This case is so over," Provenza announced.
"We found the holy grail." Flynn added.
"Yes Lieutenants." Raydor didn't like it when they smiled so much. It usually meant trouble.
"Well they held onto a bill from Stroh's deposit, and we took it to the lab to match the blood on it." Flynn
"If it's Prescott, and I'm sure it is, game over." Provenza said.
Andrea came into the room. She looked lovely that day, pastel blue shirt to bring out her eyes, black A-line skirt, blazer that managed to hug her breasts just right. Flynn wanted to leave with her just then.
"I compiled a report of our progress for you," Tao told her.
"Thanks Lieutenant Tao." She had been distracted, pretending to look at the board but eyeing Andy from the corner of her eye. He wore a lime green shirt, green tie and dark grey pants and jacket. They looked good on him, and they would look better on her bedroom floor.
"Have you spoken to the Chief Taylor?" Raydor asked.
"No. Was I supposed to?" Hobbes didn't work for him, luckily.
"He said something about wanting to stay in the loop with the appeal." Sharon had zoned out when he was talking to her.
"Oh! I left that to the appellate team. The DA hired a private firm to prepare the briefs and stuff. He does not want to have to retry him. I can ask them to set up a meeting with him."
"Great. Maybe he'll stop bothering me about it."
"He could have just called the office if he wanted to talk to the DA."
"Taylor, do something himself," Flynn guffawed.
"That's Chief Taylor," Sanchez said with a sneer. All the boys were snickering and making jokes.
Provenza stood up. "The Royal Chief Russell Taylor the 18th will see you now." Provenza did a bow.
They were all in stitches.
"Let's try and do some work, gentlemen."
"Like what, Captain?" Sanchez didn't see anything else for them to do. They're waiting on DNA from the lab, they can't interview their suspect.
"Like see if our witness can identify Stroh by his voice."
"Did we not tell you, Captain?" Provenza forgot. "Thomas picked out Stroh's voice in an audio lineup two days ago."
"And I'm just hearing this now?"
"We didn't actually conduct the lineup. We left it to the audio technician who works with legal to make sure we don't screw it up. They called with the results and I meant to put it on the board, but I got a phone call from my daughter and I forgot. Apparently, some punk boyfriend, well know ex-boyfriend, borrowed money from her and didn't pay her back."
"Did you beat her up, Old Man?" Sanchez taunted him.
"No. I sent him a subpoena saying he either had to repay the money or else he would be sent to debtor's prison."
"The US doesn't have debtor's prison." Sharon sighed.
"I know, but this fool didn't know that. He paid her back right away." Flynn laughed, what a sucker.
"That is totally unethical Lieutenant." Raydor was not very amused, well a little amused, but he couldn't know that.
"You say unethical. I say genius."
Fritz came into the squad room. "Can I borrow Buzz for the afternoon?"
"Doesn't the FBI have a surveillance guy?"
"Yeah, but he's busy on another case."
"Sure. It doesn't look like we're doing much today."
Provenza started to eye the door.
"Don't even think about it Lieutenant."
Provenza sighed.
"Want to catch some con artists?"
Jewelry Dealer's house
Sykes drove the van. Buzz ran the equipment. He had a wire on Fritz and a camera on him. Sharon sat on the inside with Tao. Flynn and Provenza waited in one car down the street. Sanchez waited in another. Agent Howard approached the house alone. The surveillance team wasn't really necessary, but Fritz was the only Agent on the case, and he wanted to make sure he could prove his case. He wanted something in his work day to go right. The ADA was a total bitch to him today for no reason. He told her what happened, and she got mad at him. Said his account made the guy sound crazy. Maybe he was. Maybe he just has a temper. I'm no shrinkFritz thought to himself as she went on and on. If she doesn't want to put me on the stand, don't, but leave me alone already. Eventually, Fritz found a chance to escape and he did. "Blech!" he said as he got out the building.
He knocked. A man came out.
"Who are you?"
"I'm here to buy the bracelet."
The man ushered Fritz inside. Fritz quickly looked around. The place was crappy looking from the outside, but nicely furnished on the inside: nice couches and tables, big tv, all new appliances in the kitchen. counted out the cash and handed the man $400. In exchange, he got a bracelet that retailed for about $1000.
"Do you have any other jewelry for sale?" The man left to another room. This place smells like curry powder and pho. As it happens, the family also runs a food truck without a license. They prepare the fod in the kitchen and take it out in their truck. The smell of the spices got into the wallpaper.
The man came back. Fritz also bought a watch and some earrings. They came with the original boxes.
Fritz thanked the man and left. Fritz left and called in a warrant and a judge issued it right away. Flynn and Provenza got to work. They started arguing loudly in front of the man's house. He was trying to watch Days of Our Lives and did not like the interruption. He came outside to tell them to shut up and Sanchez grabbed him from behind. He got cuffed and taken away for theft by deception. They searched the house and found plenty of jewelry, cash, books on how to melt down gold and remold it, and a bunch of coins. They seized it all.
Bobby got the call from Chuck. He was the new general manager. He had orientation for Friday, Monday and Tuesday and his first full day would be Wednesday. Bobby couldn't wait. He took Hunter for a run. Hunter was going to miss Bobby being home so much. She sighed and got back to running, chasing butterflies, squirrels, anything that dared approach her.
They got back. Bobby hopped in the shower and Hunter found her water dish and Joel sleeping on the couch.