Chapter 09: Unmasking Ramirez

"Here we are"

Angell took a look around, closing the door: "What a nice neighborhood!"

"Elegant, isn't it? It suits our friend's clothing"

The entrance door was broken so they found no obstacles in getting in.

"So hospitable!"

They took the stairs and walked till Ramirez's apartment.

Flack knocked: "Mister Ramirez? NYPD"

No noises came from the inside.

Don tried again, using more strength: "Mister Ramir...", the door, only juxtaposed, opened slightly.

The two detectives glanced at each other and took hold of their Glocks. Then, Flack entered with Jess in toe. The house seemed empty but the duo walked carefully and slowly.

There were two more rooms aside the living room. Flack moved toward the bedroom. The problem was, and he had always known it, the blind side. Hawkes was certainly the best person for a detailed explanation but the result wasn't different: Flack's eyes weren't able to see a little spot and that could be very dangerous. So, when Angell screamed: "Flack!", he exactly knew which way to turn.

Ramirez, standing behind him, hiding in the damn blind side, was swinging a metal bar, aiming at his head. Flack swiftly grabbed his wrist, moving away, and twisted the other man's arm behind his back, forcing him to drop the bar. Few seconds later a quite offended Ramirez was handcuffed.

"You're not well mannered, are you? No, don't say anything, I don't want you to feel I'm violating one of your sacrosanct rights", Flack commented while escorting Ramirez downstairs. Once he was in the car, the detective's phone started ringing.

"Flack"

"We've found the crime scenes. You were right"

He arched his eyebrows, smirking lightly: "Oh, everything has a sense now"

"What?", Danny's voice sounded confused.

"Ramirez waiting for me with a metal bar... that was my prize, right?"

Danny chuckled: "You okay?"

"Yeah. I'm agile, he missed me. You at the lab?"

"No, we're still collecting evidences and – boom! - this is a .50 caliber case. Life is good"

"You own me a drink"

"Once the case is closed", statics disturbed the conversation.

"Hey... I'm losing you... see you later", he hung up.

Jess was looking at him, a question in her eyes.

"We have the primary crime scenes. Let's go", he eyed Ramirez, sulking on the seat, "You ready for a little trip?"

"Is that him?"

"I know, he doesn't look dangerous"

"A metal bar..."

"Good bless his reflexes..."

"So, he was waiting for you"

"Probable. When you have done lots of illegal things you just know someone is going to knock at your door sooner or later", Flack had joined them, holding the pictures from the crime scene. "I go. You stay here watching?"

"You know your interrogations are better than a police movie", snickered Jess.

"And we still don't have anything from the scenes. I've sent Adam home to get some rest, so he'll be ready later"

"Detective Angell, may I ask you the same request?"

She shrugged: "You could. But I won't accept, you know"

Don stared at her: "C'mon! If I were you..."

She laughed: "Don't you dare to lie! Maybe only William hitting you would put you to sleep for a while"

"Okay, guilty... I go to talk to Ramirez. Mac?"

"I'll go with a surprise entrance"

Flack opened the door and, as calmly as possible, strode in the room and sat in front of the man. Ramirez was kind of leaning forward and his little eyes were roaming nervously through the room. The detective waited a little before speaking; he was a tactic to make the perp's tension grew.

"I hate three things: Cockroaches, rotten food and liars. Take a guess: Which is the group you belong to?"

"I am not a mentiroso"

"Good, so you are a cockroach"

Ramirez snorted, annoyed: "Detective, I didn't stepped next to the body"

Don leant forward lowering the voice: "William, let me tell you a secret. The problem is not you, you know? You tell me you didn't do it and I'm inclined to believe you, but... in this same building there are some people who don't trust words. They only trust evidences. Shocking, huh? And evidences are saying that someone wearing a pair of flip-flops, size eight, stood by the victim. And you own those flip-flops, we've found them in you house", Don showed Ramirez a picture with the half bloodied print.

"So what? Tons of people have it!"

At that precise moment Mac stepped in. He nodded almost imperceptibly to Don who let him speak.

"You're right, but yours have the victim's blood on it"

Flack hinted at Taylor: "Here you have one of those scientists who believe only in evidences... guess you're in trouble, amigo"

William huffed, rolling his eyes: "Vale. I went close to the body, so where's the problem?"

"He doesn't see the problem, Mac. He found a corpse, he stepped close, he contaminated the scene, he left unnoticed, he lied but he doesn't see the problem"

Mac shook his head: "Everyone has a different value system"

"What could I do? He was dead!"

"Mhh... I don't know... call 911?", Flack tilted his head, "Of course, than you'd have to explain this...", Flack went trough a couple of pages of the report ha had in front of him, "... you've just ended a short but, I'm sure, happy period of detention in the Connecticut State Prison for drug possession, traffic and weapon smuggling. Very interesting... and adding the guns without serial number found in your apartment we can safely assume that a leopard cannot change its spots"

Ramirez got angry: "How do you dare to search my house?"

"Your warm welcome?", Don sighed.

"So, William", intervened Taylor, "why were you on the crime scene?"

"Just checking if the poor guy was still alive"

Flack started writing on a paper.

"Let's try it again: Which was the real reason why you were on the scene?"

"Why... what is he writing down?"

"Me? Oh, nothing... I'm just listing some probable accusations. You know what? I've already found five of them and I'm not even a DA... William..."

"Okay, I immediately saw he was dead, so I checked his pockets looking for a cell or a wallet. There was nothing and I left. End of the story. Can I go now?"

Flack burst laughing: "You should become a comedian! Of course you can go, officer Smith will show you your brand new room without a view. You're gonna spend a nice stay in there"

"I didn't kill him!"

"It's not the only crime I see there..."

"Not fair!"

Flack stood: "Look, it's not my fault you decided to do the Prison Tour... officer, please, escort mister Ramirez outside"

The detectives met Jess in the corridor: "Wow..."

"He's not our killer but at least he's off the streets"

"You can say it... ah, Buster's sister is here"

"I'll go to talk to her. See you later"

Don put his jacket on. It was almost dawn: 24 hours and we still have no suspects. We have to do something soon.