Crazy Harry, Dirty Eddie

"Crazy Harry, Dirty Eddie." Jace recalles a past connection, and an old friend. All while trying to find 50 millon dollar and solve a murder case.

I do not own the song feature in this story: Seal: Kissed By a Rose

        Night falls on the city, and moon beams on an unsuppecting garage in downtown Metro. Another night Edward Franklin spent alone working on the black dodge shadow. Remembering a friend who had passed on, and gave the car to him. Flashing back on that day at the airport, how the Viper made him scared. The car was too fast, too tight, too perfect. But he swore he was a better driver than Jace. The car was undriveable, 'I shouldn't have left him there.'

        "I will never forgive you for this." last words, from his best friend. Then he heard something, outside the poorly lit garage. The words "Where's my money," echoes through his ears. He rushes to a window, to see a man, badly beaten crawling down the alley. Then another, on his feet with a gun is his hand.

        "Now Marty, I will ask you one more time." The young man drops himself on the pavement, and turns over.

        "Hell will frezze over and the city streets will burn, before I tell you." Then man just nods and raises his gun.

        "Then I'll ask your sister." raising his hand to the air, "No!" screamed the young man, the sound of the silencer, dwarfed all others. Eddie winced, turned away, and looked again. To see the young man sprawled, lifeless in the street. The other man, unstunned runs off, leaving the body.

        Eddie runs to the phone, and dials 911. "Hello operator, I just witnessed a murder."

        Chapter One

        Rachel Sloan lifts the stirofoam cup to the lips, taking a sip of the capachino. Steping out of the Viper, then shuts the door. The Street was full of cops, sguad car, and one coroner van. It was then she notices, Jace wasn't half a step behind her like a bodyguard. She turns to see him standing beside the car, looking at the two story garage building like he dreded it.

        Rachel walks back, then stands next to him. "You know, the crime scene won't come to you right?"

        Jace nods gently, "I use to live here."

        "Excuse me?" asked Rachel, Jace turns his eye to her.

        "I use to... Live here." her replies.

        "You sure." she askes, Jace nods.

        Rachel then pushes off the car, "Who the hell would want to live in a garage?"

        "I would." replies Jace, walking forward, towards the crime scene.

        Rachel follows, "Well that explains a lot. You're the type of guy who puts hot sauce on his cheeseburger."

        Jace then stop, "This coming from the woman, who eats peanut butter with her vanilla wafers." he replies, waving his finger at her, "So don't judge..."

        "I'm not judging you," she replies, "I'm teasing you. There's a difference." She then smiles and keep walking.

        Jace just grins, and keeps walking. Crime scene tape blocked off the alley from both ends. Where CSI were taking pictures. Walking around with baggie plastic covering their shoes, and hair. Scanning for samples, and finding very little.

        Rachel stud behind the rubber tape, and kept her distance. "If only we could get in there," she said.

        Jace just nodded, "But we don't have those cool plastic booties." he replied, sarcasticly.

        Rachel see the front door, "I'm going to go see what the witness is saying," she said, "You snoop around here. See if they've found a murder weapon." Jace nodes.

        Rachel then walk to the door beside one of the two massive garage doors. She walked into a well light work bay filled with a Plymouth Duster, and a Dodge Shadow. The work bay was lit with four floresant lights hovering over the car's. Farther back into the building it was dark. She could make out detectives standing in front of an entertainment center. Grilling a person sitting on the couch infront of them.

        "I'm telling you, I don't know who the guy was." said the person.

        "Mr. Franklin, does anyone cross your mind. Maybe you couldn't make out the person."

        "I could make him out just fine." he said, That's when the detectives noticed Rachel coming closer.

        "Excuss me, can we help you ma'am?" asked one of them. Rachel showed her badge.

        "Agent Sloan, special projects I'm taking over from here."

        The detectives look at each other, "Special Projects? This is a Metropol investigation."

        "Yes, well now it's a federal one." she replied, The two detective dropped what they were doing, and walked out. Giving Rachel the evil stare on their way out. Rachel then sat down in a chair beside, and facing the couch.

        Eddie, sat there looking down at the floor. Rachel leaned forward, "Hello, I'm Agent Sloan."

        "Hello Agent Sloan." He looks up, surprised to see an attractive detective. "What kind of agent looks like you?"

        "The kind that likes answers," she replies, "What happened here?"

        "You're going to grill me too?" Rachel shook her head.

        "Nope, I'm going to ask you some questions..."

        Eddie looks questionably at her, "There's a catch, I can feel it coming."

        "No catches, I'm far to tired to force you to tell me. So just tell me what you remember."

        "Vividly?" he asked, Rachel noded.

        "That would help a lot." she replied, sitting back in her seat.

        "Well I was working on the Shadow back there, and I hear a noise outside. I walked over to the window to see the what it was, and this guy was crawling down the ally. He looked as if he was beat up pretty bad. And then I saw the other guy, and he shot him."

        "Did the exchange dialogue?" she asked.

        "Yeah, something about money. And I think I remember him saying something about a sister."

        "Who's sister, the victim's?" Eddie nods, Just then Jace popped his head through the door.

        "Oh, there you are." he said, pushing through the door. Trench coat waving behind him, walking slowly between the cars. His voices sparked a memory in Eddie, he turns to see his friend.

        "Mr. Franklin, this is my partner Agent O'Donald." Jace stuck out his hand, Eddie just looked strangely at him.

        "Nice to meet... You." he replied.

        "Is there a problem?" Rachel askes, Eddie nods.

        "He looks like a person I knew."

        Jace looked confussed, "I don't remember if I did know you."

        "No, you're not him..." he replies "He past on recently."

        Jace turns to Rachel, and a his eye got wide. She shrugged, and arose from her seat.

        "So what do you need, partner?" she asked.

        "They found the murder weapon, a block away from here. Some homeless guy found it. They've given it to us to run a print scan."

        "Isn't that CSI's job?" Rachel asked.

        "Yeah but since this is the first real case the team is on. Metropol feels we should prove ourselves."

        Eddie stands, look at the both of them. "You're a part of a special task force?"

        Rachel nodes, "Very special," she then hand him her card, "If you remember anything, or if someone strange comes around. Please don't hesitate to call me."

        Eddie nods, "You got it." Rachel then grabs Jace, and leads him out. Eddie watches them leave, then reads her card. "Rachel Sloan, why does that name sound so familiar?"

-

        They rolled down Hudson, and 16th Avenue. Rachel looks over to Jace, "You knew him didn't you?"

        "Yeah, I don't remember what relation we had. My memory's still a silent movie without words." Jace the shifted down to stop at a red light. "But something clicked back there."

        "What do you remember about him?"

        "I don't remember him but I do remember something about illigal street racing." then a song comes over the radio, his eyes light up. That song meant something, it meant come home.

        "Jace?" said Rachel, gripping the arm rest. Jace accelerated, "Turn it up."

        Rachel reaches to turn up the music, "I love this song."

        Jace keeping his eyes on the road, "What's the name of this song?" he askes.

        "Kissed by a rose? Why..." Rachel, cocks her head to the side, "Jace?"

        "This song meant something to me."

        Images start to pop into Jace's head, A young girl lying on the cement sidewalk. A flipped blue Ford Probe, 'Jace you can save her later.' the words pop into context.

        "No Eddie, I can save her now." he whispered, Rachel touches her partner. Jace blinks, then recovers reality.

        "We used that song, to call the team back home." he replied, Rachel then leans back in her seat.

        "You wanna tell me about it?"

-

        Bryan Roberts walk into his dark appartment, panting from running from the crime scene. He walk to his fridge, pulls out a beer, and pops the top. Then walks over to the window and looks out towards the dark Metro skyline. He then notices a slender young woman, approched from behind him.

        "Did you do it?" she asked, brushing a dark red hair from her face.

        Bryan nodes, "Yeah, your step brother is dead." he replies, then take a swallow of his beverage.

        "Can they trace it to you?" she asked.

        "Nope, it was his gun. I didn't leave prints, an I'm going to destroy my shoes later tonight." he replied.

        "Why destroy your shoes?"

        "Just in case they trace the foot print to me, and I don't like these anyway." He turns, "Now where's the money?"

        "Why should I know?"

        "I thought you, and his real sister were tight?" Bryan, then walk to the couch. Sitting down he turned on the tv.

        The young woman kneels down behind him, then wraps her arm losely around his neck. "She can't find it. And neither can the authorities... So." she then pulls back hard, digging the guitar string into his neck. "You're going to be a good boy, and find out why Marty was going to that old garage."

        Bryan shake's his head, "Good." she replies. She then release him, and walk out the door.

        "What a bitch..." he said, under heavy breaths.

-

        Eddie, look out into the darkness that is the television in from of him. Remembering, flashing back to when he was younger.

        "Jace, You can save her later." he yelled into the CB mic.

        "No, Eddie I can save her now." Jace replied, Eddie remembered throwing the mic, clear to the other side of the street.

        Then a voice from behind him, brought him back to reality. "Eddie?" he turns to see Jace standing there.

        "You a ghost?" he asked, Jace shoke his head.

        "No, I got your call." he replied.

        "What you pulling man?" Eddie asked.

        "Nothing, I just want to know who the girl was?"

        Eddie waves him over, "Sit down." Jace walks over and drops onto the couch. Then but's his head in his hands, "What happened to you?"

        "I got shot, and they took the liberty of killing me. Changing my identity, and putting a chip in my head." Jace replies, "But I've had a small bout of amnesia, and it's slowly coming back to me."

        Eddie leans back, and puts his hands behind his head. "Your partner looked familiar."

        "Rachel?" Jace asked, "What does she have to do with this?"

        "You should know," then Eddie gets up and walk to the shadow, and started the engine.

        Jace closed his eyes, the image of him in the car running. Two other cars behind him; concentrating on the young girl. Then sound accompanied it, 'You got this all tied up man.' Then the image of a rearview mirror poped into his mind. A blue car, locked up it's brakes, it started to understear. The rear right tire hits the side walk. Left side starts to rise, and puts the car into a roll.

        Still roaring the car brought him back. "You would have one if it wasn't for her," Eddie yelled, over the engine.

        "And that song had something to do with it; Rachel her too?" Jace shouted, turning around in his seat. Eddie then turns off the engine, "You should know," he replied, "think harder."

        Jace looked into space, deep in thought. "That song," he then flashed back to that night. 'Jace you can save her later.' the image of himself in his rear view mirror, arose from the back of his mind. Playing in real time.

        "I can save her now." Jace said, "I was stubborn."

        Eddie walks over, "You were nieve," he replied, "You thought hero's existed in this city."

        "They do, have you been keeping up with the news?"

        "You mean the reaccuring mystery car, and the rumors of a Defender of the city?" Jace noded, "Total nonsense, and I wouldn't take you as the type of person to believe that anymore." Eddie sits, then a motor cycle pulled up out front.

        They look at each other, "Friend of yours?" Jace then pull his gun.

        "Don't know," he replied, getting up from his seat. "stay here." He slowly walks to the door, the knob turn and the door slowly opened. Jace raised his gun, as the door slowly moved back. Rachel leaned her head out from behind it.

        "Jace! Put that thing away." he lowered his weapon, and let her in.

        "I could have shot you." Jace said, "What are you doing here?"

        "Ronnie sent me out looking for you, and I knew you wanted info of you own. So here I am."

        Jace nods, then looks at Eddie, "Eddie this is Rachel... Rachel, Eddie."

        "We've meet," replied Eddie, "How's the night treating you, Detective?"

        "Good," she replied.

        Eddie smiles, "Well don't you just stand there. Come, sit down."

-

End of Chapter One