home.
Although they talked about what badass gangsters they were, they were just dumb, horny punks. When you pull a gun on someone, you don’t talk about shooting it, you just shoot the person. I kept the snub-nosed .38 to use as a belly gun.
When Mitch and I graduated from the police academy, we were told we could use the Sheriff’s department’s .38 Smith and Wesson revolvers or we could buy our own weapons. We saved money from our first two paychecks and bought 9mm Glocks, which have much higher stopping power. We go to a secluded area on the Russian River once a week to practice.
The day after he had picked me up at the pier, I had Mitch drive me to Sammy’s Motorcycle City to get the bike’s electrical system fixed. Sammy Parker was the Vice President of the local chapter of the Road Devil’s motorcycle club. But he usually kept a low profile. Every time he drove his motorcycle and wore his colors he would get pulled over and searched by the police.
One time he had been arrested and jailed. He was put in a holding cell with members of a rival biker gang. He had used his one phone call to contact his girlfriend, but she had refused to bail him out. The other bikers jumped him and began to beat the crap out of him.
After Mitch had pulled them off Sammy, he asked Mitch to call a bail bondsman for him, which Mitch did. He told Mitch if he ever needed any motorcycle repairs to call him at his shop. Ever since then I had taken my bike to Sammy for repairs and he cut his bill in half for me. I returned the favor once, when I cut my fees to check up on a club pledge.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Port Sonoma
One guy punched me in the face when I showed him a revealing photograph of his fiancée that I had downloaded. When I discovered one woman’s fiancée was an ex-con and a multiple divorcee, she showed me her appreciation with a bonus, a night in her bed.
A few weeks ago, however, things took a more serious turn. After I gave a report about his young girlfriend to an older Chinese guy named Uncle Willie Queen, two husky young Asian men grabbed me at gunpoint the next day at my apartment. Over and over the two guys said I was in big trouble because I had badmouthed their friend Pearl Grafton, Uncle Willie’s girlfriend.
Several times a week Willie would take Pearl out to eat at a Chinese restaurant that he co-owned, and where the two young men worked. She had assisted these guys with immigration forms and helped them to get their green cards.
They took me to a garage behind an old house located on a country lane outside of town. I’m six-foot-one, two-hundred-ten pounds, lift weights and practice Tai Kwan Do daily. When the chubby bastard who held the gun put it down to hit me, I kicked him in the balls. Then I grabbed the other one and slammed his face into a metal work bench. I took the gun and car keys and ran out to their car.
Before I started the car, I shot a hole in the windshield on the driver’s side, a not so subtle warning. I took off and drove to a supermarket about six blocks from where I lived. I parked the car in the rear of the store. After I wiped off the steering wheel and door handle to remove my prints, I pissed on the fabric front seat cover. Then I walked home.
A few weeks ago, however, things took a more serious turn. After I gave a report about his young girlfriend to an older Chinese guy named Uncle Willie Queen, two husky young Asian men grabbed me at gunpoint the next day at my apartment. Over and over the two guys said I was in big trouble because I had badmouthed their friend Pearl Grafton, Uncle Willie’s girlfriend.
Several times a week Willie would take Pearl out to eat at a Chinese restaurant that he co-owned, and where the two young men worked. She had assisted these guys with immigration forms and helped them to get their green cards.
They took me to a garage behind an old house located on a country lane outside of town. I’m six-foot-one, two-hundred-ten pounds, lift weights and practice Tai Kwan Do daily. When the chubby bastard who held the gun put it down to hit me, I kicked him in the balls. Then I grabbed the other one and slammed his face into a metal work bench. I took the gun and car keys and ran out to their car.
Before I started the car, I shot a hole in the windshield on the driver’s side, a not so subtle warning. I took off and drove to a supermarket about six blocks from where I lived. I parked the car in the rear of the store. After I wiped off the steering wheel and door handle to remove my prints, I pissed on the fabric front seat cover. Then I walked home.
Port Sonoma
CHAPTER TWO
As guards, Mitch and I had a lot of opportunities to take home stuff that had fallen off the back of the truck. But we knew we were lucky not to be in prison, and didn’t want to take chances.
I took a couple of computer classes which would help me do research for my P. I. clients. I also took more Administration of Justice classes so I could get my A.A. degree. Most law enforcement agencies now demanded two-year degrees as an employment requirement.
I used an old friend at the Sheriff’s Department to run background checks, mainly on boyfriends. I found that if I checked out local online escort services, some of the girlfriends would appear.
As guards, Mitch and I had a lot of opportunities to take home stuff that had fallen off the back of the truck. But we knew we were lucky not to be in prison, and didn’t want to take chances.
I took a couple of computer classes which would help me do research for my P. I. clients. I also took more Administration of Justice classes so I could get my A.A. degree. Most law enforcement agencies now demanded two-year degrees as an employment requirement.
I used an old friend at the Sheriff’s Department to run background checks, mainly on boyfriends. I found that if I checked out local online escort services, some of the girlfriends would appear.
Port Sonoma
ired me and my life was back on track.
A few months later Mitch and I met Sherry Westlake at the Lazy Eye. She was tall and busty with long black hair and green eyes. She was a knockout and Mitch fell for her right off the bat.
She was a post-graduate student and part-time instructor in Art History at Sonoma State. She moved to San Francisco from Michigan to study at the San Francisco Art Institute. She had bought an old farmhouse on an acre of land about a mile from the Sonoma State campus.
Red lights flashed in my mind when I heard this. I asked Mitch how she could afford to buy property on a part-time salary. He said her parents helped her and I let it go. I had become as paranoid as my clients.
A few months later Mitch and I met Sherry Westlake at the Lazy Eye. She was tall and busty with long black hair and green eyes. She was a knockout and Mitch fell for her right off the bat.
She was a post-graduate student and part-time instructor in Art History at Sonoma State. She moved to San Francisco from Michigan to study at the San Francisco Art Institute. She had bought an old farmhouse on an acre of land about a mile from the Sonoma State campus.
Red lights flashed in my mind when I heard this. I asked Mitch how she could afford to buy property on a part-time salary. He said her parents helped her and I let it go. I had become as paranoid as my clients.
Port Sonoma
it again. Except for one slip, I was a thorough and conscientious cop and I enjoyed police work.
Francis cashed out his pension and bought a private security company that was almost bankrupt. With the business contacts he had developed over the years as a Deputy Sheriff, the company became successful within a year.
Soon after I was let go from the Sheriff’s Department, I asked Francis for a job. But he didn’t have enough guard contracts yet to afford to hire me. Instead, he said I should become a private investigator. He told me I could support myself and develop investigative skills that would help me when I returned to law enforcement.
“Handy, I know a couple of attorneys who need someone to follow cheating spouses and develop evidence for divorce cases.” Francis said. “You can set your own hours, and you have clients, not bosses. If you get enough clients, the money can be real good.”
I took his advice and referrals. I had enough law enforcement college credits and time as a Sheriff’s Deputy to qualify for a private investigator’s license without the need to take the required test. I paid my fee and got my license. This worked out fine for a year, then California changed its divorce laws and adultery was no longer grounds for a divorce.
That’s when I moved into pre-nuptial investigations. When I got too much competition from other P.I.’s I went back to Francis and asked for a part time job. He hired me and my life was back on track.
Francis cashed out his pension and bought a private security company that was almost bankrupt. With the business contacts he had developed over the years as a Deputy Sheriff, the company became successful within a year.
Soon after I was let go from the Sheriff’s Department, I asked Francis for a job. But he didn’t have enough guard contracts yet to afford to hire me. Instead, he said I should become a private investigator. He told me I could support myself and develop investigative skills that would help me when I returned to law enforcement.
“Handy, I know a couple of attorneys who need someone to follow cheating spouses and develop evidence for divorce cases.” Francis said. “You can set your own hours, and you have clients, not bosses. If you get enough clients, the money can be real good.”
I took his advice and referrals. I had enough law enforcement college credits and time as a Sheriff’s Deputy to qualify for a private investigator’s license without the need to take the required test. I paid my fee and got my license. This worked out fine for a year, then California changed its divorce laws and adultery was no longer grounds for a divorce.
That’s when I moved into pre-nuptial investigations. When I got too much competition from other P.I.’s I went back to Francis and asked for a part time job. He hired me and my life was back on track.
Port Sonoma
Mitch and I didn’t buy fancy clothes, jewelry or cars, so there was no tangible proof we took bribes. We denied everything and the charges were dropped. Our supervisor, Sergeant Francis believed us because we had never been in trouble before.
After we were re-instated and went back to Vice, another grower offered us a bribe to look the other way when we busted him. We knew it was a trap, and refused the money. We reported to Francis that the grower had tried to bribe us.
Even though the arrest had been wiped from our records, it left a stain. The next year, the Supervisors voted a ten percent cutback in the Sheriff’s Department’s funding while they increased health benefits for themselves. This meant six deputy positions had to be cut.
The most recent hires took the first three cuts. Mitch and I were the next two, and they also ‘retired’ Francis. He had worked so many overtime hours that he was one of the County’s highest paid employees. While he was only two years away from his mandatory retirement age, the Supervisors figured they could save a little money if they eliminated his sergeant’s position.
I began to apply to police and sheriff’s departments throughout California. A lot of cops had been accused of bribery. It had become standard operating procedure for defense attorneys to paint arresting officers in a bad light to jurors. Most of the officers’ charges were dropped for lack of evidence, like mine had been. But for some reason I couldn’t get past the initial application and schedule an interview. I knew I had made a mistake, but I had learned my lesson and would never do
After we were re-instated and went back to Vice, another grower offered us a bribe to look the other way when we busted him. We knew it was a trap, and refused the money. We reported to Francis that the grower had tried to bribe us.
Even though the arrest had been wiped from our records, it left a stain. The next year, the Supervisors voted a ten percent cutback in the Sheriff’s Department’s funding while they increased health benefits for themselves. This meant six deputy positions had to be cut.
The most recent hires took the first three cuts. Mitch and I were the next two, and they also ‘retired’ Francis. He had worked so many overtime hours that he was one of the County’s highest paid employees. While he was only two years away from his mandatory retirement age, the Supervisors figured they could save a little money if they eliminated his sergeant’s position.
I began to apply to police and sheriff’s departments throughout California. A lot of cops had been accused of bribery. It had become standard operating procedure for defense attorneys to paint arresting officers in a bad light to jurors. Most of the officers’ charges were dropped for lack of evidence, like mine had been. But for some reason I couldn’t get past the initial application and schedule an interview. I knew I had made a mistake, but I had learned my lesson and would never do
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