"So any luck locating our loudmouthed thug, Marcus Rothman?" asked Scotty as he and Lilly walked back into the station. On the drive back, they had called Stillman from a cell phone, explaining what they had learned and asking for a records check on Marcus.

"Yep, I got everything we need on him right here, current address included." Said detective Kat Miller from behind a desk. "It was pretty easy".

"Wow that was fast." Commented Lilly. "I'm was wondering if we would ever be able to find him at all."

"Well it's easy when you give me a suspect who's in the U. S. Military." Kat responded

"What? You mean the guy we're looking for is in the service?" Asked Scotty, fairly surprised. "Are you sure you got the right guy here?"

"Quite sure," Answered Kat. Then she handed over a stack of papers to Lilly containing the records on Marcus. The paper on the top had a picture of a middle-aged man in a Navy uniform. "Meet Master Chief Marcus Rothman of the U. S. Navy. He's been in 26 years now, and is currently stationed on a ship in Norfolk, Virginia. According to this, he joined the navy in February of 1981 and has been in ever since. And he's got a spotless record."

"Wow. So this street thug has spent the last 26 years of his life serving our country. Didn't see that one coming." Said Scotty.

"Wait a minute. You said he joined in February of 1981. That's less then a month after Darnell was killed. Sounds like he was trying to get away from something." Lilly pointed out

"Yeah, like responsibility for his actions." Said Stillman, who had walked in on the conversation. "The guy says he's going to have Darnell killed two weeks before the Super Bowl Shootout. Then just a few weeks later, he joins the navy and never returns home. That's one hell of a coincidence."

"Fortunately, because he's in the navy, we've got Rothman's finger prints in the system." Said Kat. "I've already sent them over to the lab to have them compared to the unknown prints we found on Darnell's revolver."

"Meanwhile I sent Vera and Jeffries to Norfolk to interview him." Added Stillman. "With any luck, his statements and prints could be the big break in the case we've been looking for."

After Marcus had received the phone call from Stillman requesting an interview, he had agreed to meet Vera and Jeffries at his off-base house a few miles outside of the navy station in Norfolk.

"Hello Chief Rothman, detectives Vera and Jefferies, it's a pleasure to meet you." Said Vera.

"The pleasure is all mine." Rothman said as he welcomed them into his house. The 46-year old man in the navy uniform standing in front of the two detectives seemed a stark contrast from the Marcus Rothman that Laura Stanton described. "So what brings two detectives from my hometown all the way out here to see me?"

"It's about our investigation into the murder of a police officer in 1981, Darnell Prince." Jeffries explained. "We've got a new lead and we're re-opening the case."

"Oh yeah, I remember that event. He was killed in a major shootout right after the Super Bowl." Marcus recalled. "But what does this have to do with me?"

"Quite a lot actually. We know Darnell arrested you two weeks before he was killed." Said Vera in a slightly more hostile tone then earlier.

Marcus seemed to be getting nervous. "Oh that? That was nothing. I was just picked up after he and his partner broke up a fight involving me and some other guys in the street. I was never even charged with any offense."

"We know that." Said Jeffries. "You weren't charged because Darnell decided to you a little 'street justice' after you started mouthing off."

Now Marcus was getting visibly upset. "Hey! I don't like your tone, detective. And I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't even bother lying to us, Marcus. His old partner already told us how Darnell dragged you down an ally and beat the hell out of you. Made you mad, didn't it? Mad enough to want him dead."

"What? No! You've got it all wrong!" Marcus replied.

But Vera was not convinced. He could tell Marcus was hiding something. "Save it! We know you threatened to have him killed while you in the squad car. And again while he was dragging you down that ally. 'Shot full of holes' was the term you used."

"That was just talk." Marcus claimed. "It didn't mean anything."

"Oh so it's just a coincidence that two weeks later Darnell did get 'shot full of holes' like you said he would?" Asked Jeffries. "And then a few weeks after that you just got up one morning and decided to run off and join the navy because you felt a sudden rush of patriotism? Admit it Marcus! You were so mad at the beating he gave you that you went off and ratted him out to your street gang friends, just like you said you would. And then they arranged to have him killed! Maybe you even pulled the trigger on him yourself! That would certainly explain why you were in such a hurry to leave town."

"Enough!!" shouted Marcus, jumping out of his seat in a fit of rage. Then he managed to calm himself a bit. "Detectives, I know what it looks like, but you've got everything all wrong. Just let me explain."

"Alright Marcus, but you had better give us something useful. Because right now you're the only suspect we've got." Said Jeffries.

Marcus sat back down. "First of all, you gotta understand something. Back then I was an immature 20-year old with delusions of power and a lot of built-up rage. The things I said about knowing people in high places who could kill cops; it was all a bluff. A stupid lie. And Darnell saw right through it. He was right. I was just a small time street punk. And that wasn't the life for me. If I had stayed in it, there's no question I'd be in prison or dead."

"Okay that's a start." Said Vera. "Tell us about what happened after he dragged you down that ally."

"I understand why you think Darnell beat me up. That's what I thought he was going to do." Marcus continued. "I had never been so scared in my life. But he didn't."

Jeffries looked surprised. "Okay, so if he didn't beat you up, then what did he drag you down the ally for?"

"To do exactly what he said he was going to do." Marcus explained. "Teach me a lesson."

("Hit me with your best shot" by Pat Benatar)

"Hey man! This Bullshit! You can't do this! I swear to god if you don't let me go right now your pig friends are going to have to identify your remains with dental records!" Marcus continued to ramble on as Darnell dragged him down the ally.

After dragging him down the ally far enough where he was sure his partner could no longer hear or see them, Darnell suddenly put a hand around Marcus' throat and slammed him up against a wall. Then he raised his arm and made a first with his other hand.

"That it! I'm sick of you running your goddamn mouth!" Darnell shouted at Marcus. "You're a nobody, Marcus! A pathetic little twirp with a mouth way too big for your own good! Do you have any idea what I could do you right now? I could smash your face in and no one would ever know about it! And no one would ever care!"

Marcus closed his eyes and waited in horror, expecting to start feeling blows on his face and ribs. But nothing happened. After a while, he opened his eyes.

Darnell let go of Marcus' throat. Then he smiled. "You thought I was going to beat you to a bloody pulp, didn't you? Hardly surprising. Because those people I caught you fighting with... those were serious criminals. If they had you in this situation, that's exactly what they would have done. I'm telling you Marcus, if you keep associating with people like them and shooting your mouth off to the wrong crowd, it's a sure way into prison or an early grave."

"Screw you pig!" Marcus shot back. "You're job is to arrest me, not tell me how to live. I know I'm going to jail no matter what you tell me, so why should I give a damn?"

Darnell sighed. "Look Marcus, right now you haven't done anything serious and I'm willing to cut you a break, but only once. Just tell me where you got your drugs and I'll let you go."

Marcus was surprised. "You're bluffing. All you want is more people to throw behind bars so you can feel better about yourself. You'll throw me in jail no matter what."

"Marcus I'm serious." Said Darnell in a stern voice. "This is your last chance. I'm trying to help you. Now tell me where you got the drugs or you're going to jail. End of story."

Marcus was still surprised at Darnell's offer, but it seemed sincere, so he decided it was worth a try. "Alright. I got em from Landis. David Landis. He's been dealing for quite a while now."

Darnell looked shocked. "What?! No way! I know him! He's no drug dealer. He's only 18 years old!"

"Hey I'm telling you the truth man." Marcus insisted. "Landis has been working for Gerald Allen. I'm sure you're familiar with him. The man's a major drug kingpin and he doesn't have an age limit for his dealers."

Darnell started to pace around angrily. "This doesn't make sense. Dave's a good kid, there is no way he could be get into something like this..."

"Look man, I don't give a damn what you think about him. He's the guy who sold me the drugs. Now we had a deal." Said Marcus. He was starting to wonder if Darnell's offer was too good to be true.

Darnell turned Marcus around and took the handcuffs off him. "Alright, just wait here until I drive off. And remember, you better straighten your life out Marcus. I catch you involved with anything illegal again, and I don't care how slight it is. You're going down for it. And don't even think of going back to Landis. I'm going to make sure his drug dealing days are over, permanently."

With that, Darnell left the ally and went back to the waiting police cruiser.

"That was the last time I saw Darnell." Marcus explained. "But I really took what he said to me seriously. You gotta understand detectives, I wasn't used to getting a second chance at something after I screwed up. All that time I was doing everything I could to piss him off and he still was willing to cut me a break. I could tell he really did want to help me. Then a few weeks later I read in the papers that Darnell was killed while breaking up an attempted robbery. That really made me rethink my life. I realized it was time to get my act together and start doing something that really made a positive difference. For me and others."

"So that's what motivated you to run off and join the Navy?" Asked Jeffries.

"Exactly." Marcus responded. "I went straight to the recruiting station and left my old life behind. It was the best choice I ever made and I owed it all to Darnell. Believe me Mr. Jeffries, if I knew anything that could help you catch whoever killed him, I'd tell you."

Vera and Jeffries got up to leave. "Alright Chief Rothman. That's all we have for now. If we need anything else, we'll know where to find you."

"Alright. Good luck detectives. I hope this helped you."

"So it looks like we all wrong about Darnell." Said Vera as he and Jeffries left Rothman's house and started on the long trip back to Philadelphia. "He was just a guy who felt his job involved more then just throwing people behind bars. It sounds like he really wanted to help people."

"But that may be what got him killed." Responded Jeffries. "Maybe Landis wasn't interested in leaving the drug trade and told his boss that some cop was making his job difficult."

"That would certainly give Allen a strong motive to take out Darnell." Vera remarked. "And a drug kingpin would certainly have the finances to set up the hit."

Jeffries sighed. "Yeah I remember Allen. Back in the early 80s he had it all. Money and Power. A very lethal combination."