Chapter 14
During the same time Joey and Kathy were in the Oklahoma woods and Jesse's GTO was in another part of Oklahoma, Angie was in Chicago and tried to get a lead on Rose, and hopefully, the guy Wally spotted with her.
At a run-down apartment building in the poor side of Chicago, Angie and Detective Benson walked down the filthy and smelly hallway.
"This place is known to house some of Chicago's sleaziest prostitutes," Benson told her.
"Figures," Angie replied while she removed Rose's rap sheet from her purse. She glanced at the rap sheet for Rose's address.
They walked down a little further and stopped at Apartment 618. "I hope that lady downstairs was correct," said Detective Benson then he knocked on the door. "Detective Benson of the Chicago police department," he called out at the door.
A few minutes passed, and the door opened and Sid Freeman, a sixty-year-old balding fat slob, appeared at the door bare-chested with a big beer belly that lapped over his belt. He had more hair on his chest and back than the top of his head.
"What do you want? I'm getting ready to start something sweet," he asked irritated he was interrupted.
"I'm Detective Angie Williams from the Orange County sheriff's department in Orlando, Florida," she told him while she flashed her badge.
"A little out of your jurisdiction detective?" he asked with a smirk.
Detective Benson looked pissed with the manager's smirk. "Listen, pal. Answer the lady's questions and if I find out you're not truthful; I just might bring my buddies around here and check this place out. I can imagine there are tons of illegal activities going on here," Benson said while he glared into the manager's eyes.
"Well then, how may I be of service?" the manager said to make Benson happy.
"I'm looking for Rose Cain in connection with a bank robbery in Orlando," she said.
"She hasn't been here in a couple of months," he said.
"Do you have any idea where I could find her?" Angie asked.
"I wish I knew. She skipped out on last month's rent. She's probably with her boyfriend, Tony Rodman," he told her.
"Tony Rodman?" Angie replied curiously that this could be the lead she needed.
"Yeah. Her scum bag boyfriend who wears a cowboy hat with a tattoo, on his bicep, of a pistol through his nickname, Jesse," he told her.
Angie removed her pad and jotted down that information. "Anything else?" she asked.
"They're probably with Jesse's little brother. The same type of tattoo but through his name, Frankie. Those two are inseparable," the manager stated. "Fucking fags if you ask me."
"Do you know what type of car he drives?" Angie asked him.
He thought for a few seconds. "Nope. Never saw him drive," he replied.
"Thank you. And I want you to call me if they come back," Angie told the manager while he handed him her business card.
The manager looked at the card with a smirk. There was no way in hell he would call the detective. And Benson sensed that.
Then from inside the apartment, a skinny topless woman in a G-string with saggy A-cup breasts around forty-two year old walked up to the manager. She looked bothered. "What's taking you so long, darling?" she asked while she put her arms around his fat belly. "I want to hurry up and discuss this months rent," she said then nibbled on his ear.
The manager looked pissed with the woman.
"Thank you for your assistance," Angie told him as she glanced down and saw his wedding ring.
She walked away, and Detective Benson followed.
The manager closed the apartment door.
Angie and Detective Benson walked down the hallway and then walked down the stairs.
They walked down two flights of stairs when a woman, about fifty-five-year-old with a ring of keys in her hand, walked up to the stairs. She stopped when she reached Angie and Detective Benson.
"Have you seen my husband?" she asked, concerned.
"I don't know him," Angie replied.
"He's the manager of this dump. He's fat and bald," she replied.
Angie and detective looked at each other. He got a smirk on his face.
"He's in Apartment 618. Collecting some rent," Benson said.
The woman looked suspicious, as she often knew what this meant. "Bastard," she said, then rushed up the stairs.
Angie looked at Benson and was surprised he did that.
"He deserves it," he said with a smirk.
Angie smiled back, and they walked down the stairs. "Can I do a search on this Tony and Frankie Rodman at your office," she asked while they walked.
"I don't see why not," he replied as they continued down the stairs.
An hour later, Angie sat at another Detective's desk and searched for information on Tony Rodman.
She typed, then waited.
She smiled when Tony Rodman's rap sheet appeared on the monitor.
She read his rap sheet. It mentioned his tattoo of an old Western pistol thru his nickname "Jesse" on his left bicep. And Jesse was listed as his nickname.
Jesse's arrest record consisted of possession of pot and petty thief ten years ago at the University of Illinois at Chicago. An arrest and conviction for bank robbery in Chicago seven years ago.
She printed out a copy to the printer twenty feet away.
Angie typed on the computer keyboard and searched on Frankie Rodman.
She waited.
Frankie's rap sheet appeared.
It mentioned Frankie's tattoo of an old Western pistol thru his name "Frankie" on his left bicep. His arrests record stated Frankie was arrested pickpocketing eight years ago, car thief six years ago and then bank robbery seven years ago. The same bank robbery his older brother Jesse was arrested for seven years ago.
She hit the print icon and a copy printed out on the printer.
Detective Benson walked up to Angie with two cups of coffee.
He handed Angie a cup.
"Thanks," she said, then sipped her coffee.
She got up and walked over to the printer.
She removed Jesse and Frankie's rap sheet.
She read the sheets while she walked back to the desk.
"Got what you needed?" Detective Benson asked.
"Yeah. I think I found this mystery, man," she said.
"So, tell me what's going on?" Detective Benson asked curiously.
"I think this Rose Cain used my suspect, Joey Austin, to unknowingly rob a bank for her and Jesse and Frankie Rodman," she told him.
"Unknowingly rob a bank? How can that be possible?" he asked, as his detective skills never heard of that.
"When a guy thinks with the wrong head, anything is possible," she said. "Plus it appears these guys don't have much luck with woman, so along comes a sexy woman who appears to have an interest in them and they're in heaven. With a hard-on," she said then sipped her coffee. "She asked for a ride to the bank and claims she has a migraine. She asks them to put her deposit slip into the drive-thru. She lies down, and the money comes back," she said.
"Interesting theory with the hitching a ride to the bank. But you said them and these guys. What did you mean by that?" he asked.
"Besides my guy, Austin, I think this plan also worked on his friend in Columbus, another friend in Little Rock and I bet it also happened to Sidney Watson here in Chicago," she said.
"Okay, this sounds plausible," he replied.
"Therefore, I need one more favor?" she asked Detective Benson.
"What's that?" he asked.
"I need to talk with Sidney Watson. You have him somewhere in a Chicago jail waiting for his bank robbery trial."
"That'll have to wait until the morning," he said.
"That's okay," she said.
"I thought you wanted to get back to Orlando?" he asked.
"I know, but I have a job to do first," she replied.
"I'll find a reasonable hotel for you to spend the night," he offered.
"Thanks," she replied, then worried how Wayne would take this.
It was later that night in Chicago.
Angie settled in her hotel room.
She finished her shower and exited the bathroom in the hotel provided robe.
She picked up her cell phone and hesitated.
This would be difficult. She made the call.
"Hello," Lane said groggily as she woke him up.
"Lane, Angie here," she said.
"Why did you wake me?" he said a little upset.
"Sorry. But I need to stay in Chicago overnight," she told him over the phone.
"Where are you?" Lane yelled from her cell phone.
"I'm staying in a hotel. I need to speak to a suspect in jail for bank robbery here in Chicago. But I can't see him until tomorrow morning," Angie told him.
"Why a suspect in Chicago?" Lanes asked.
"He's another friend of Austin, and I bet I'll learn that he went through the same events that the kids in Columbus and Little Rock went through," she said.
A minute of silence as Angie knew he had to agree – she was already in the hotel room.
"Okay. The budget guys will be all over me, but if you think this is the right thing to do, then I'm behind you. Just be home tomorrow evening," Lane said.
"Thank you," she said, then disconnected her call.
Angie looked at her cell phone. This would be the hardest call to make.
She made the call while pacing around her hotel room.
"Hey honey, are you at the Orlando airport?" Wayne asked from her cell phone, excited she was on her way home.
Angie hesitated for a few seconds while she thought of how to break the news to him.
"Listen," she said.
"I know where this is headed," Wayne interrupted her.
"I'm sorry baby. But I need to speak to this bank robbery suspect up here in Chicago," she told him.
"Why in Chicago?" Wayne asked.
"There's a connection with my suspect from the Sun Trust bank robbery, who I believe to be innocent," Angie told him.
"Isn't that for the courts to decide?" Wayne asked.
"I want to make sure the courts have all the evidence to make the proper decision," Angie said.
"Hold on a second, someone is still up," Wayne told her.
Angie walked over to the bed, sat down, and didn't want to have this follow on conservation.
"Mommy," Lela said from her cell phone.
Angie didn't like that sound. "Hey baby," Angie said to Lela.
"Are you coming home?" Lela asked.
Angie hesitated for a second to figure out how to answer it without making her cry.
"I'm sorry honey. But Mommy has to talk to someone tomorrow. It's extremely important that I stay until tomorrow morning," Angie told her.
"Will you promise to be home tomorrow?" Lela asked.
"Yes, baby," Angie promised.
"Good. Because I miss you, mommy," Lela said which almost made Angie's eyes well up.
"I miss you, baby. Now go back to sleep," Angie told her.
"Yes, mommy," Lela replied.
"Goodnight Angie," Wayne said from her cell phone.
"Goodnight. I'll call tomorrow afternoon," she told Wayne then disconnected her call.
Angie threw her cell phone on the bed.
Someone knocked on her room door.
She walked over and peeked through the peephole on the door. She opened the door.
A hotel employee stood out in the hallway with Angie's clothes from the dry cleaners.
She grabbed the clothes.
"Thank you," she said, then closed the door.
She walked to the closet and hung up her clothes.
She walked back to the bed and lowered the sheets and got into bed.
She turned off the light and closed her eyes.