Previously on Vice Cop, Police Lieutenant Isaiah Dante's connections to the Black Panthers became known and nearly cost the lives of Hudson Banach, Detective Mason Holmes and Chief Barry Hiller who were captured. Lexa infiltrated the Panther's headquarters and rescued them as well as NYPD.
This chapter has all the usual 1980's TV cop drama and action adventure elements. For those who love the sex scenes, read SCENE EIGHT and also SCENE FOURTEEN.
ONE
Hudson had made plans to go to Miami. It had been a long time since he saw Miami. His uncle Vitto had called him frequently, inviting him to his oceanfront home. There was a dock outside his home which overlooked the Atlantic waters and where he stationed his sailboat. He had invited Hudson to go sailing with himmany times but Hudson, despite the temptation, had prioritized his duties as a cop. He rarely took vacation time, and there had been at least one full year in which he did not takea single vacation. But now he was contemplating the matter carefully.
Life was short. He had seen friends and loved ones come and go. His best friend Kyle had died in the line of duty, he had the worstluck of any man with regards to finding a mate. There had been so many girls that had slipped through his fingers: Sonya Romandini, his first girlfriend, an Italian girl from his ownneck of the woods in Queens, who left him for the sake of a career that turned into high-class escort work, there was Candy Spears, a beautiful and naughty blonde bombshell who had used him but who he felt sure he could have saved from a life of crime, and the most noble and dear Cherry from China, who loved Chinatown and who lived simply and peacefully and had been his wife briefly. The tragedy of her death at the hands of the Chinese Mafia still haunted him. To the day, he could not go to Chinatown without thinking of her and of that brief and unforgettable marriage. And now he was thirty. He knew that if he didn't seize life like a bull by the horns, he wouldn't get anywhere. So after one more call from his Uncle Vitto, he finally consented to traveling south from New York to Florida to see Miami. He told Chief Barry that he would be gone for quite a while, at least two to three weeks and that he would return to his duties as vice copimmediately upon returning. He had invited Mason and Lexa but their own work at Homicide had kept them from going.
So he decided to make a visit to his old friend, Professor Ezra Goldstein at his quaint walk-up home in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It was not a long drive for Hudson, who was living in another part of Brooklyn, Bensonhurst. It was an entirely different place, with many Italian residentsand although Hudson felt comfortable there, he was getting the feeling that a seedy underbelly was growing under his nose, and for that matter, the NYPD. The Mafia was still a strong and operational entity in the city, and supposedly their territories included Bensonhurst, Middle Village and Little Italy, all of them areas which his family frequented. This made him very concerned.
Here where the Professor lived, quiet reigned and although children frolicked here and there and sometimes teenagers would raise hell, it was still a very pleasant neighborhood. Hudson walked up the stairs and knocked on the Professor's door. He opened the door, almost as if he had been waiting for him. It had been a long time.
"My boy, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" the Professor said, "I was beginning to think that you had forgotten all about me."
"It's not that, Professor," Hudson said, "I've just been too busy as you know. The NYPD is a harsh mistress."
"I suspect she is," he said, smiling," but do come in. I'll fix you something to eat."
The parlor had a new fragrance which to Hudson smelt like roses. On a record player was an album of Beethoven's 9 symphonies conducted by the famed Austrian conductor Herbert Von Karajan, the Professor's favorite. He had recently hired a housekeeper, something he had never done before. Hudson wondered if this was done as a way to make human contact. In his old age, the Professor had become a hermit. He didn't like socializing with the opposite sex or even with other men his age. He had never wanted to live in a retirement home for theelderly. He valued his independence and said he liked living alone. The girl who walked into the living room with tea had black skin spoke with an accent. She was very young, perhaps only twenty one, and she dressed in a very conservative way. Her long skirt had a flower pattern and her dark tresses were caught in a chignon behind her neck. She smiled at Hudson as she poured him his tea.
"I don't believe you know my house maid, Miss Jamira the Professor said, "she's from Jamaica."
"I am very pleased to meet you," she said to Hudson.
"This is Hudson Banach, he's a cop with the NYPD."
"Hello."
They shook hands.
"It is nice to know that the Professor keeps good company," she said, "a cop as a friend is a good thing to have."
She spoke as if she were royalty, which fascinated Hudson, her voice very calm and warm. She excused herself and left the room. Hudson looked at the Professor and sipped his tea. Hudson grinned.
"You think I hired her for company, don't you?" the Professor said, reading him.
"Well didn't you?"
"In part. She is a nice girl. She's new to the country, has a husband. And she's very dedicated to her job. She has taught me to speak a little of her language."
"Professor, I have a motive for coming." "Tell me."
"I'd like to take you away from New York for a while. Would you be interested in joining me on a trip to Miami to visit my Uncle Vitto? He has a home with two guest rooms and he'd be happy to have you visit."
"Oh that would be fine," he said, "very kind of you, my boy. When are you leaving?"
"As soon as I let the NYPD know that I'll be gone for almost a month. The Department has been issuing free therapy sessions for the officers. The incident with Lt. Isaiah Dante hadbeen very traumatizing. The cops were afraid of each other since they didn't know that itwas Dante and his Black Panthers that had killed the officers."
"Yes I heard about that in the paper, how horrible it must have been for you and your fellow officers. And the Panthers kidnapped you and held you hostage! If it hadn't been for the brave Miss Lexa O'Neil -"
"The event made the Department more aware of bad cops from within. So they made everyone take therapy to evaluate them. The purpose is to see if the cops are sane, competent and don'thave any issues like Dante did."
"Did you have a session already?" the Professor said, finishing his tea.
"I haven't."
"I have always been interested in psychology. But I never made it into my profession. Now,then, I shall love very much to accompany you to Miami so please do let me know when wecan get the plane tickets."..............
TWO
Lexa O'Neil stepped into the office of Doctor Anne Ward in Manhattan. Ms. Ward had been appointed therapist for half the cops of the NYPD. The other was a veteran psychiatrist, Dr. Allan Wentworth. Lexa had never imagined she'd be seeing a therapist and she didn't like the idea, finding it uncomfortable to talk to a stranger about intimate and personal things. This was the same attitude everyone in the NYPD shared. The office was simple, two seats facing each other, a desk, a photo of Dr. Anne Ward and her diplomas and certificates as well assome bric-a-brac including glass figurines of animals and a bust of Siegmund Freud.
"Have a seat, Miss O'Neil," she said to her, gesturing with her hand from her desk, "I'll be right with you." She was a tall, thin blonde woman who dressed conservatively in button-up blouses and skirts or long dresses. She had a very professional and industrious appearance, she looked to be middle-aged and possibly of German or Austrian descent.
She approached Lexa and shookher hand. She was already poised to take notes.
"Miss Lexa O'Neil. You've been a police woman with the NYPD since 1982 correct?" "That's correct."
"Your father was also a cop on the NYPD, only he had been active in the 1950's through the mid 1970's. He is retired now?"
"Yes. Although -"
"Yes?" "He's taken an interest in returning to work for the NYPD. I don't wish to discuss it; but I can tell you that it does vex me. He brought many Mafiosi of the Dino family to justice. His aim is to finish what he started back in the 70's. It's very dangerous."
"And it bothers you to see him getting himself into these precarious situations because he is old? The NYPD issues many helping cops to assist him. It would be vice detective work, wouldn't it?"
"I know my father. His brand of justice is individualistic. Even with any help he'd get, he'd still find a way to do things his own way and alone."
"Let's talk about your career. 1982 you began to work as a uniform cop the same year you graduated from the Academy."
"That's right."
