A Deal Is A Deal

by Bob Williamson

About the Author: Bob Williamson is the author of the Tom Hudson mystery series, and writing as C.P. Hudson, author of the Royal Summers mysteries. He is past President of the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Excerpt

“I think I figured out how you did it,” I whispered to my partner.

Mark glanced over at me. I was the last student who would attend the Mark Gibbon School of Advanced Detective Studies before its proprietor and sole instructor retired from the City of Miami Police Department.

Nearly forty men and women were standing in the auditorium’s wings waiting to be introduced. The chief called the names of the men and women getting Community Service Awards. CSA’s were like merit badges for helping little old ladies cross the street. The men and women earning them were the desk cops, the public relations types, and the gophers for the brass. They needed something to brighten up their dress blues and look like real cops.

“But, grasshopper, knowing why gets you a gold star.” said Mark, taking his hand from my shoulder and clapping for his brother officers as they walked out onto the stage. But he had a big smile on his face. He was proud to be busted by his rookie detective partner.

I was Mark Gibbon’s partner because Carlos Lacosa had pumped six 9mm slugs into his former partner, Gaylord “Tank” Jefferson. Lacosa’s reputation with the City of Miami PD had not been good before that incident. He was a standard mid-level scumbag who’d been in and out of jail for drugs and armed robbery. Then Mark got something big on Carlos and turned him into the perfect confidential informant, squawking long and loud like the wild parrots who swarm through palm trees all over Miami.

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