Excerpt
They wouldn’t let Mick see Jolene or Janet. The doctor said Jolene had been cut pretty bad across the abdomen and stabbed in the neck. She was out of surgery and under sedation, but her chances weren’t very good.
Janet caught a bullet in her shoulder and had one logged in her back. It was pressing on her spine. They were bringing in a specialist from Walter Reed Hospital in D.C. to operate on her. The one in the shoulder was removed with no problem. She was conscious for a while and gave a statement to the police. Hawk had Annette Delahoussaye, a female French Quarter Patrol Officer, working on getting a copy of that report and he had some details.
“Annette snagged a copy of the responding officers’ report for us,” he said. “Two French Quarter Vice Cops were in the area at the time. The perps were three black males. One was BOBO Johnson. He was just released from Angola on that manslaughter rap back in ’67. The other two blacks were identified as Marvin Jones and Pete ‘the hook’ Mason, both small time drug dealers and pimps. Why they were in the house is still unknown. Burglary? Maybe, thinking there was no one home.”
“Doubtful,” Mick said. “Janet was always in the front room watching TV. It doesn’t make sense. Janet had to let them in. She knew them or knew they were coming.”
“Well,” Hawk continued. “The report just says ‘unknown reasons’.” He paused; Mick was silent. “The Officers became aware of the situation when they heard the shots. Maurice Bolin was just coming on duty and was parking his car on St. Louis Street half a block from the house. Detective Marlin Mays was in the little grocery store on the corner at the other end of the street. Both converged on the house when they heard the shots. Janet was in the front yard lying on the ground. She had been shot in the back and in the left shoulder. Two black males were on the front porch with small caliber pistols. The detectives identified themselves and were fired upon. They returned fire killing both men, later identified as Marvin Jones and Pete ‘the hook’ Mason. BOBO Johnson was just coming out of the house. He turned, ran back through the house and out the back. The Officers pursued him through the back door. They caught up with him on Toulouse Street. Bolin shot him twice ending the pursuit and killing Mr. Johnson.”
“In the back?” Mick asked.
“One in the back, one in the front. Bolin’s no fool. They rolled him over. Claimed he stopped and turned on them.”
“He had a gun?”
“Says here he had a bloody knife and a gun,” Hawk grinned.
“Good job,” Mick said. “Saves me the trouble. If they’d just nabbed the son-of-a-bitch I’d have to take him out or have it done. See to it those boys get greased from my funds.”
“How much, Mick?”
“Five grand each ought to do it.” Then added: ”Make it ten for Bolin.
The Doctor came out at 8 p.m. and said there was still no change. Sam Wentworth, the security guard in the ER called Hawk on the radio and said Officer Delahoussaye was there with the information Hawk wanted. Mick and Hawk went to the ER. Hawk left his radio with Dolores so she could relay any news to Sam in the ER.
“Sorry this took so long baby,” Annette said handing Hawk a large brown envelope. “Hi Mick Sweetie. Sorry about Jolene. I hope she gets fixed up here. You hang in there Hon; you hear?”
“Thanks Annette. It’s still touch and go. The Doctor says it will be a while before we know anything.” Mick was nervously tugging his beard.
“How’s Janet?” Annette asked.
“They flew in a specialist from D.C. I think he’s operating now. Our Doc says she has a better than fifty, fifty shot,” Hawk said.
“Well, that’s good news baby. I got to get back to the Quarter. I volunteered to bring a scumbag collar here so I could get the report to ya all. I smacked the sucker a couple on the way over to make sure he was eligible.”
“Knee caps?” Hawk asked.
“You bet honey. He’s a crutch case for sure.”
Mick and Hawk found a lounge and some coffee and sat down to read Janet’s statement. It had obviously been edited from the handwritten copy and neatly typed.
|