Scott Soloff

Three strikes

Strike one

It Saturday morning.

"Hey Picker. What have you got?" John, from the duo John and Fred, wants to know what I'm selling.

Like most Saturday’s, I'm at the flea market.

"Nothing."

The Golden Nugget Antique Market was founded in 1967. Two miles south of Lambertville, New Jersey; dealers buy, sell and trade antiques, collectibles and art Wednesdays and weekends year round.

At four this morning I grabbed a painting from the stables; threw it in the backseat; called the beast and set off to the market.

Popped the trunk; removed and set up an easel; grabbed the painting from the backseat and set it up.

It was early summer. The sun was just starting to come up and it was about 70 degrees. Kenny, who specializes in early twentieth century smalls, asked "How much?"

'Smalls' are what we in the trade call antiques and collectibles that you can carry in your hands.

"It's not for sale."

The painting that I placed on the easel was an Anthony 'Doo Wop' DeAngelo special. Although Anthony was no longer with us, I still had dozens of his paintings in my workshop.

Sherry, short for Sheridan, because she primarily deals in furniture of the same name asked about the artist.

"Turner" I said and turned to leave. With a short whistle, the monster commonly known as Kato, leapt from the car. He fell into step next to me as I meandered through the market.

Joseph Mallord William Turner was born in England in the late 18th century. He was a landscape painter, watercolorist as well as a printmaker. Famous for his oil paintings, Turner was brilliant when it came to watercolors. He is often referred to as 'the painter of light'.

My first stop was the little restaurant that sits in the middle of the market. I grabbed a cup of coffee and slice of cherry pie from the counter. Made my way to a table in the corner; Kato plopped down on the floor.

"Heard Bigfoot stumbled onto a treasure yesterday." Danny Boy Boyle is a young black man that gets his merchandise from doing clean outs in North Philadelphia. He pulled out a chair and sat down; patted Kato on the head and took a sip of his coffee.

I was curious. Fully half of the antique business is conducted through whispers and rumors. Selling is easy, finding the stuff is what keeps us alive. "What did Hari find?"

Hari "Bigfoot" Henderson is a six foot seven inch Asian who also gets his entire stock from cleanouts. Unlike DBB, Hari has arrangements with better than a dozen estate lawyers. When an estate has to be settled one of said lawyers will set Hari up with the deal. For a small consideration, of course.

"Baseball card collection. Came out of a mansion on the Main Line."

Hari's non de plume, Bigfoot comes from both his physical stature and the unfortunate similarity of his name to the Sasquatch featured in a major motion picture.

"And how did you stumble across this lucrative tidbit Danny."

Danny Boy is married to a beautiful Vietnamese woman, Mai. Together they purchase quality merch from retired African American women that once worked as servants for the wealthy on the Main Line. It was a common cultural phenomenon for employers to pass on unwanted furniture, knick-knacks and artwork to their servants.

"I ran into Rebel. You know him, he's part of Hari's crew. Saw him this morning, I did. Told me all about it. Valuable baseball card collection, he says."

"Thanks for the dirt Danny. Got anything good for sale? Something I might be interested in?"

"Sure thing, Pick. Stop by my table when you're done. I stuck it in the van. You get first dibs, man." And with that, Mr. Boyle got up and left.

Outside was a beautiful day. The Golden Nugget is on the Jersey side of the Delaware River. Travel a few miles to the east and you'll come to historic Washington's Crossing. I began to stroll through the tables of dealers to see what I could see. To be more accurate; to see what I could buy.

Hard Knocks, another regular at the flea, came running up to me. "How much you gotta get for the painting Picker?"

HK is somewhere in his mid-sixties and retired, like many dealers. Perhaps four or five inches under my six feet; broken blood vessels on and around his nose. I don't believe that I ever knew his real name.

Why was he interested in my painting? His primary interest is Militaria, especially weapons from World War II.

"Not for sale Knocky." And, I kept walking.

In the course of the next thirty minutes, no less than a dozen dealers inquired about the Turner. My response to one and all; "NOT FOR SALE".

"Eventually Kato and I ended up at Danny Boy's table. Mai was there, dealing with another customer. She stopped what she was doing; came over; kissed my cheek. "How's the infamous antique dealer doing this lovely morning?"

"Never better, Mai."

"Heard about your painting. How much?"

"Not you too. Where's your better half?" At that moment DBB came around from the other side of his van. He reached into the side door and pulled out an object wrapped in cloth. Handed me the bundle.

I unwrapped it slowly. A vase. Less than five inches tall. Ovoid body, irregular. Amber in color; distorted; decorated with thick amber iridescence haphazardly splattered on a deep cobalt textured background. Signed 'L.C. Tiffany — Favrile 6025K'. Early twentieth century, probably 1916 or 1917. Off the top of my head I estimated it to be worth somewhere between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars.

Louis Comfort Tiffany, son of Charles Lewis Tiffany; the founder of Tiffany amp; Co., is famous for designing and manufacturing stained glass windows, lamps, mosaics, blown glass, various works in metal and of course, jewelry.

By the way, if you think for a moment that valuable finds such as this cannot be found at a flea market, think again. It happens every day of the week at some flea market somewhere in the country.

My Uncle Moe appeared suddenly at my side and whispered in my ear. "It be the real deal, sonny."

"Thanks Uncle." Helpful, isn't he?

I looked up and saw Danny's bright white teeth smiling at me. I smiled back. "What do you have to get?"

He hemmed and hawed. Danny's got great instincts, but his weakness is in pricing. "I'm thinking five grand."

I laughed. "Tell you what Danny Boy. I'll give you ten grand, not a penny more." My thinking was that I could flip the vase to a retail art glass dealer and make a quick eight or ten thousand dollars. Everyone would be happy.

Danny stuck out his hand and said, "Deal." Mai came over, stood on her tip-toes and kissed my cheek, again. "Thanks Pick."

"TJ will stop by tomorrow with the cash." I wrapped the vase back up and was on my way.

Thomas Jefferson Smith is my oldest friend. He has dark skin, an athletic build and stands at 5'10". His full time job is that of my runner, despite his extensive education. A runner is someone that sniffs out deals and runs errands. While the description doesn't do it justice, the job requires a great amount of knowledge and skill. To be perfectly honest, I believe that the only reason he does it is to keep a protective eye on me.

Back at my spot dealers of all shapes and sizes, both sexes, are ogling my painting.

A chorus of "Where have you been?" rings from the crowd.

"Okay, okay. Everyone, take a deep breath and calm down. I told you, it is not for sale."

O'Neil, an eclectic dealer, steps forward and places his huge paw on my shoulder. "Com' on Pick. Give us a price so we can do some business and get on with our day."

The particular painting that everyone was making a fuss over was an unusual choice for Doo Wop. His common medium was oil, yet with the Turner he chose to work in watercolor.

"Ten grand, cash, firm." Kato is lying at my feet. Uncle Moe, standing slightly to my left, has a bemused look upon his face.

Part of Doo Wop's genius is that he never copied a known painting. The work of art in question was one that the brilliant Turner at no time painted. But, it could have been. A common theme with Turner was shipwrecks; and this was a beautiful example.

A huge ship; sail extended on a rough sea with sparkling sun light. Anthony DW DeAngelo perfectly captured the master's style. Simply put, it was breath taking.

"Picker, are you out of your mind. The damn thing is a copy. Who in their right mind is going to pay that kind of money for a copy?"

"Hey, guys, I'm selling the painting, not the signature. You don't want it, don't buy it." Any moron worth his or her salt could easily double their investment. What were they pestering me for?

"I'll take it!" Molly Malloy, a dealer that has an art gallery in the town of Lambertville pushed her way through the crowd. At one time, we spent a couple of evenings together. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her checkbook.

"No checks Molly. Take it with you. TJ will stop by today or tomorrow for the cash."

"Thanks Picker. You're a doll."

Meanwhile, the other dealers are shuffling away bellyaching about their misfortune. One thing that antique dealers love to do is complain. I swear that I could hear, “Grumble! Grumble, grumble.”

I threw the easel into the trunk; Uncle Moe hopped into the front seat; Kato into the back. Started my yellow Morgan Plus 8 and took off like a bat out of hell. I caught the first traffic light en route to Interstate 95. The cell phone vibrated in my pocket.

"He's dead." Bigfoot's wife Amy.

"Dead? Tell me what happened."

"This morning, around three o'clock, I wake up. Hari's not in bed, he's nowhere in the apartment. I go downstairs to the workshop behind the store." Harry and Amy have a little antique shop on Bainbridge Street in South Philly. "I can't believe my eyes. Hari's lying on the floor, dead. I called 911."

"And?"

"I thought that he had a heart attack or something. The paramedics and police arrived. They talk in a corner; I can't hear anything. Next thing I know, they drag me down to the Round House. Put me in one of those rooms like you see on TV; you know, for interrogation.

"Turns out that Hari was strangled. Picker, somebody murdered my Hari. I got home five minutes ago. I don't know what to do. Will you help me?"

"I'm on my way."

Ball one

"Tell me what happened."

Penelope Kelly Anne Lane is my long time girlfriend. Going on seven years. We're not engaged or married. Point in fact, we don't live together. She has a loft in town; on the river. My domicile is a carriage house on a twenty acre estate in the burbs. With all that said, Kelly is the woman to whom I am committed.

"I drove straight to Amy's after she called."

Kelly is relatively tall. Five eight or nine. She has long red hair and freckles splatter her nose and cheeks. Quite beautiful, really. Don't know why she stays with me. Perhaps it's my rugged good looks. Light brown hair; brown eyes; lanky build; my great posture? Who the hell knows? Oh, by the way, whatever you do, do not call her Penny Lane. She prefers Kelly.

I continued, "Two days ago Hari did a cleanout in Chestnut Hill. From what Amy said, it was the dregs of an estate. The entire house was empty except for the kitchen, pantry, basement and an extra large garage. Hari told Amy that even the left over’s were worth about ten g's, possibly more."

We were having lunch at La Fourno on South Street between 6th and 7th Streets. It is one of Philly's better kept secrets. Kelly had the Eggplant Parmesan; exquisite. Mine was Vegetarian Lasagna with a side of fresh sauteed spinach. We shared a 2006 Corvo, a white, medium bodied wine. It tasted a little like tangy citrus along with fresh apple.

"Well, Hari talked with the lawyer handling the estate. Yes, go ahead and take the safe. No, we don't have the combination. Damn thing must have weighed four hundred pounds. It took Bigfoot, his two guys and some landscaping guy to load it onto the van. Amy showed it to me. It's sitting in their workshop with the door open."

Kelly cracked a smile. "How did they get it open, tough guy?" She's been calling me 'tough guy' ever since our recent escapade involving international hit men; local, state, federal and international cops; and the sale of a forged Vermeer for a little over $260 million. Probably because we managed to come away from the whole incident relatively unscathed.

"He called Punk." Punk is a sixteen year old street urchin who has gravitated to the antique's trade. In a nutshell, he steals, lies, cheats and runs scams in general. Reminds me a little of myself at that age. Good kid, I like him.

"Punk cracks the thing in about two minutes. H gives him a Franklin for his troubles. Amy said that there was a cigar box with a bunch of very old baseball cards."

"When did this happen?"

"Yesterday. In the morning. She said that Hari took the cigar box and headed down to South Philly to see this guy with the sport's shop. He came home; said he left a few of the cards with the memorabilia guy and they went to see the twelve noon showing of 'Green Lantern' down on Delaware Avenue. Amy said that Hari didn't go to the market because it was raining."

"What else?" All of these questions were good. It helped organize my thoughts.

"This was funny. Hari really enjoyed the movie. He's like a big kid. They stopped at the T-shirt store at 3rd and South on the way home. Bought a Green Lantern shirt. Put it on right then and there. She said that he looked as happy as a pig in shit.

"They returned to the shop. Hari spent the rest of the day restoring some chairs that came out of the Chestnut Hill deal. Tended to customers when they came in; didn't go out the rest of the day.

"So, let me guess." 'Don't call me Penny Lane' is really getting into this. I can see the wheels spinning. "You think that there may be a correlation between the baseball cards and Bigfoot's demise."

"It's possible."

"And you don't think that's a stretch."

"Of course it is. But one has to begin somewhere, don't you think?"

"Here's the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Who knew about the baseball cards?"

"Let's see. There's Hari's crew; Rebel and Chucky Cheese. Punk, of course. Danny Boy, who heard it from Rebel. Possibly someone connected with the estate. And then, there's the sports memorabilia guy over on South Broad Street. What's his name? Oh yeah, Leon Burger."

"What's your next move, big boy?" You know, now that I think about it, Kelly doesn't use my name. I wonder why that is.

"Guess I'll start with Burger. Head over there after lunch. How about you?"

"Going to the museum and work on that Van Gogh exhibit. See you back at your place later."

Miss Lane is a consulting curator. Various institutions hire her to arrange shows revolving around specific themes or artists. It is Kelly's job to deal with logistics; contact the owners; arrange for terms and shipping; handle the insurance; the promotion. In short, whatever is necessary to move from inception to completion on any given job.

We ordered some cappuccino and split a cannoli. Said our goodbyes and went on our way.

I headed down Broad Street near the stadium. Found a legal parking spot in front of Burger's Sports Emporium. Kato jumped from the car and followed me inside.

"Is he friendly?" asked the short man behind the counter. Perhaps five-foot six. What he lacked in height was more than made up in muscle. Arms like Popeye. Large gut but solid. Bald on top with graying black hair on the sides. My guess would be former dock worker.

"No. Mr. Burger, I presume." I knew Leon Burger by reputation only. Personally, we had never met or done business.

"Yes, yes. I'm Burger. How can I help you Mister…"

"Picker, no mister. I believe that my friend Hari Henderson was in to see you yesterday."

"Yes, yes. Nice boy, Hari. Been doing business with for some time now. Yes, yes. Sold me some cards. Very nice, very nice."

"Forgive me for asking, it's really none of my business. What cards, exactly?"

"No problem, no problem. Here, let me show you." The little man turned around; kneeled down next to an ancient floor safe and spun the dial. Swung open the thick black door; reached inside and extracted a metal box. Placed it on the counter. "Here we go, here we go." The repetition was getting old fast. Burger removed a half dozen baseball cards; spread them on the counter.

This is what I saw: vintage baseball cards with names, stats and photos of Mickey Mantle, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson.

"Mr. Burger, if I may ask, what are these worth?"

"Well, well, Mr. Picker. These players, if they were the right edition and manufacturer would top a million easily. But, but, they're not. Doesn't mean they're not valuable though. A quick sale would be maybe $20,000.00. If I held onto them, perhaps $30,000, maybe a little more, maybe."

"And the deal that you struck with Hari?"

"Forgive me, Mr. Picker, Mr. Picker. Would you be kind enough to tell me what this is about."

"Sure, we'll get to that in a minute. What was the deal?"

"No problem, no problem. Hari comes in, see. Gives me this cigar box. Tells me to go through it. He walks around the store and looks at the comic books over there. Comes back over here and puts three or four comics on the counter. Green Lantern. I remember because he's wearing that stupid shirt. Full grown man wearing super hero t-shirts. Who would think, think?"

"And…"

"Oh yeah, oh yeah. Sorry. I offered him twelve grand. He wants fifteen. I think about it. Okay, I give him the fifteen. Threw in the comics. Now, now, please tell me. What's this all about?"

"Hari's dead."

Leon Burger stood absolutely still for what must have amounted to a full minute. No shock, no surprise, no nothing. A blank face. Then he said, "How?"

"Murdered. Mr. Burger, I want to thank you for your time. You have been very helpful."

I turned; opened the front door; called my dog and headed for home.

Strike 2

"What's your interest in this matter, Mr. Picker?"

I was sitting in the law offices of 'Sharke, Lawless amp; Cozener, LLC'. Unfortunate surnames for those in the legal profession. Well appointed offices residing on the second floor of a stone building; off of Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill. Amy had provided me with the name of the estate lawyer.

"A very close friend was murdered two days ago. Bigfoot Henderson. Excuse me, Hari Henderson. This was shortly after cleaning out the property on Ardleigh; the one for which you are the executor."

Char Cozener appeared to be in his mid-sixties. Average height, perhaps five-ten, white hair combed back, plastered with Brill Creme, ears which stuck out, no lobes and steely grey eyes. Fifteen or twenty pounds overweight.

"And you believe that there may be a connection."

"Precisely. Maybe you can tell me a little about the deceased. Something about his life."

"To be perfectly honest Mr. Picker, I don't see how it can help. On the other hand, it can't hurt. I liked Hari, done business with him for years. Nice boy.

"Peter Carrington III recently passed away at the age of one-hundred and twelve years. Old family, old money. The original fortune was made by Peter the first; apparently running guns and ammo for the wars going on in the world at that time. That produced the seed money for Peter number two. An industrialist, fingers in everything."

"And our Peter?"

"What may have been referred to in other times as a gentleman, a man of leisure. The fortune left to him was so vast that even I don't know the full extent of it. That family has monies hidden all over the world in accounts that show up nowhere."

I was curious. "What exactly does a man of leisure do with his time?"

"In Peter's case there were two passions. Traveling and collecting. As a matter of fact, the reason for traveling was to collect more stuff. Antiques, art; particularly paintings, pottery, old documents, military stuff. His real passion, however, was sports. Anything to do with sports. Loved baseball from the time he was a lad wearing knickers."

"Mr. Cozener, what happened to his collections? As you are well aware, Hari's job consisted of the kitchen, pantry, the basement and garage."

"Everything of value went to an auction house in New York. All of his collections were extensive, but the baseball card one was staggering. I believe that was the exception. It went to another outfit, also in New York, which specializes in sports memorabilia. I don't recall the name off the top of my head; I can look it up if you wish."

"Not necessary, but thanks." The auction that Cozener was referring to is Gotta Have It! They've been around since 1994 and specialize in authenticated sports, entertainment, Rock amp; Roll and historical memorabilia. Not old by auction house standards, but apparently they get good prices. Which, when it comes down to it, is the only thing that matters.

I thanked Mr. Cozener for his time. He asked me to pass his condolences on to Mrs. Henderson and if I would be so kind to keep him informed.

I walked west for two blocks. Went into a pizza joint and ordered a Sicilian slice with a Mozzarella and Eggplant Parm topping and homemade iced tea. Took it outside to sit at a wrought iron table under an umbrella.

I mentally rehearsed everything that I knew about Hari's death up to this point. Decidedly, it wasn't much. Hari picks up a choice cleanout here in Chestnut Hill. Merely a few rooms, but still very profitable. Apparently, he finds somewhat valuable vintage baseball cards in a locked floor safe. An unaccounted portion of a much larger collection. Valuable, but not valuable enough to kill for, I think.

Literally, a handful of people actually know what was in the steel box from the safe. So far as I'm aware, Hari's crew; Rebel and Chucky, Danny Boy Boyle and the sports dealer Leon Burger. But not Amy. She only seems to know that it was baseball cards, not which specific cards. Did Rebel, Chucky or Danny Boy tell anyone else?

Last evening, over dinner at my place with Kelly and TJ, I had asked TJ to get me the contact info for Hari's crew. I tried both their numbers; neither picked up. The message that I left requested a return call as soon as possible.

Speak of the Devil. At that moment my cell rings. "Mr. Picker, it’s Chucky. You wanted me to call?"

"Sure. When can we meet? The sooner the better."

"Anytime today, Mr. Picker. Boy, I can't believe it. I loved that man like a father." Hari was only a few years older than Cheese. "You tell me when and where, I'll be there. You bet. Anything that I can do to help."

"I'm in Chestnut Hill. Let's say two o'clock. Antiquarian's Delight. You know it?"

"Sure thing, Mr. Picker. Two o'clock it is."

I crossed the street at Bethlehem Pike. Several stores down I picked up some natural, homemade dog biscuits. Put them in my pocket. At West Evergreen I crossed again and started walking towards my car.

A block from the Avenue I heard footsteps behind me. Heavy footsteps.

One hundred feet ahead I could see my parked car.

The next two things appeared to happen at once.

Kato leapt from the Morgan. He came tearing towards me.

Simultaneously, the sound of two men rushing up from behind.

I turn quickly. Tall and thin; short and stocky. T amp;T is raising his arm holding a. 38 caliber Smith amp; Wesson. S amp;S is gripping a blackjack in his left paw.

My black and tan monster springs from his hind legs. Kato’s teeth come down hard on Tall's right wrist; the one holding the gun. I actually hear bones crunching. Tall drops to his knees and screams.

Short raises his hand to strike with the blackjack. My left hand grabs his left wrist; I turn into him; bend my knees and pull. Short ends up on his back.

"Throat," I said. Kato releases Tall's broken wrist; opens his jaws as wide as they can go and grabs Short's neck.

Tall is in so much pain that he has no idea what is going on. I step over and kick the gun out of his reach. Return to Short; lean over; smile and said, "This is important. Pay close attention. Do Not Move or that dog will kill you. If you have any doubts whatsoever, well, you can find out first hand."

I stand back up. Grin from ear to ear. "Well boys. What can I do for you today?"

T amp;T was in too much pain to talk. S amp;S just looked terrified. "Look, son. Talk to me or I'll have him kill you just for giggles. Understand?"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Mr. Santucci. It was Mr. Santucci. He tell's us dis guy's looking for muscle."

"You're fucking kidding me. Uncle Carmine?"

"Yeah, yeah. We call this guy. He say's to rough up this guy, Picker. Ya know, put a scare into him. That's it, honest mister. Not personal, ya get me."

"Who's the guy, shitbrains?" Shitbrains? Did I really say that?

"Don't know. All done over the phone mister, honest. Dat's all I know."

"One last question. Did Carmine know?"

"No, Mr. Santucci knows nothing. He gave us the phone number. We made all the arrangements, honest."

I guess I would have to find out for myself. Two cop cars came racing down the street; lights flashing and sirens blaring. Damn neighbors. One cop in each car. Ever since the budget cuts some bean counter thought this would save taxpayer dollars. How is two cars cheaper than one?

The two police officers hop from their vehicles. One of them actually starts to go for his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Officer One gives me a puzzled look. "Oh you wouldn't, would you?"

"Officer, you see that man there. The one with the broken wrist. The one that's bleeding profusely. My dog did that. Kato here is security trained. He has one mission in life, only one. To protect me. I guarantee, no shit, that if you even touch that gun, you will be dead before it clears the holster. Your buddy there might, and I say might, get off a shot. Doesn't matter. You'll be as dead as a doorknob." What does that even mean?

Officer One lowers his hand. Officer Two examines the scene, looks at me and said, "You're coming with us."

"With all due respect officer, fuck you. I'm the victim here. Look at the gun, look at the blackjack. For God's sake, look at these two morons. I've got things to do."

I slowly reach into my pocket and take out two business cards. "One card is mine, the other my lawyer's. Call him and set up a time for me to give a statement."

I consider giving them Santucci's name but decide against it. Don't need him as an enemy if it can be avoided.

"Kato, guard." The beast is eyeing Officer One. "Remember what I said. There is no need for anyone to get hurt. Don't make any sudden moves until I pull out."

Officer Two, "You're making a mistake mister."

"You know, everyone tells me that." I turn and head for the car. Start it up; pull out and start to cruise down the street. Let out a sharp whistle. Kato comes bounding towards the car; I stop; he jumps in. I reach into my pocket and give him one of those natural biscuits.

"Good boy."

Ball Two

"I don't suppose you ever read that book?"

"And what book might that be?" I asked.

The caller id read Margaret Moore. Moore is an Assistant District Attorney for the City of Philadelphia.

"Why, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People', of course.

"Can't say that I have Maggie."

Margaret Moore is a stunning five-foot seven inches. Mid-thirties, mousy brown hair cut shoulder length, striking green eyes hidden by black rimmed glasses; a wonderful package wrapped in designer clothes.

"Talked to a police Lieutenant in the 14th Precinct. Looks like you pissed off a couple of Philly's finest."

"I suppose that I did at that. Tell me, what else is new?"

"Well, big boy, I pulled your bacon out of the fire. Those lads wanted a warrant for your arrest. I quashed it for you. Have that stooge of a lawyer you use call the district captain."

"Much appreciated. How can I repay the favor?"

"Dinner."

Oh shit. "Sure. Get back to me with a time and place. Talk soon." I cut the connection. A date with Maggie Moore? Jeez. Kelly would kill me.

I was early for my meeting with Chucky.

Decided to make a quick stop. My meeting was for two o'clock. I still had an hour or so. Parked the car in front of an unremarkable building not far from 9th and Washington.

Standing guard at the front door was an overweight bovine wearing a powder blue sweat suit; white t-shirt accessorized with a heavy gold chain. He managed to squeak out a "Yeah".

"Mr. Picker to see Mr. Santucci."

Without muttering a syllable he turned and went inside; leaving Kato and I standing on the sidewalk. Two full minutes passed before he stepped back outside.

"Mr. Santucci says to com' in."

The Italian Social Club is an old brick structure dating to the turn of the previous century. It's basically a long narrow room with an ancient bar running down the left side of the room. On the right are scarred wooden booths and dark wood chairs and tables lining the center of the room. Completing this picturesque motif is a black and white tiled floor along with a pressed tin ceiling sporting old world rotating fans.

The moment we entered Kato sat near the door facing the men in the room. An oaf on a bar stool swiveled his head, saw my beast and said, "Not that damn dog again."

I made my way to the back. Uncle Carmine Santucci rose from the chair behind his desk and offered his hand. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the great antique's dealer himself. Take a seat Mr. Picker." To the bartender, "Due espresso Carlo." To me, "I enjoyed those cigars, Mr. Picker. I must thank you again. Now, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Uncle Carmine is the acting head of the local mob. His territory, so to speak, covers Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey. In the tradition of the legendary Angelo Bruno, many consider Carmine to be The Gentleman Godfather. He does not allow dealing in drugs; is well known for giving back to the community; and never or almost never kills outsiders.

Late sixties, tall and trim, Carmine gives the appearance of a self assured, elegant grandfatherly type businessman.

I pushed the red lacquered box across his desk. An extra box of Gran Habanos that are kept in the trunk. "It pleases me that you enjoyed the cigars. I hope that you enjoy these as well." Hint: Never visit the local mafia don without bringing some sort of tribute, no matter how small.

Carlo placed the espressos on the desk. Without asking, Carmine spooned some sugar into both cups. "Thank you, I'm sure that I will. Now, what is the purpose of this visit?"

"Two men attacked me a short while ago. Your name came up."

Uncle Carmine took a sip of his coffee. I did the same. Good stuff. "I trust that you were not hurt."

Not a word. I sat there and kept my yap shut.

"Dem guys." Despite the fine clothes; the regal bearing and other trappings of success, Uncle Carmine's speech left something to be desired. "Mr. Picker, I apologize for the inconvenience."

Huh? Inconvenience?

"The best that I can do is to tell ya what I know. And, also what I don't know. What I know is dat some guy calls the club here. He's looking for some muscle. Of course, he doesn't say what for. I don't ask. The job, I gives it to Sal and Tony. Two leg breakers. This voice on the phone, it gives a time and a place. I leave the details up to dem two mooks.”

Not a word. Just sitting there; listening.

"What I don't know is who, when, where or why."

"You left out how." I bite my tongue. This is a man that I do not wish to insult.

Uncle Carmine smiles and let's it pass. "My young friend, I truly apologize. If I had known it was you, hand to God, I would not have allowed it. How may I make it up to you?"

I polish off the espresso and pause for a moment; trying to give the appearance of thoughtfulness. "Nothing Mr. Santucci. This was, as you say, a minor inconvenience." Huh? "There must not be any hard feeling among friends." Don't blame me. I have an adult male affliction. Suffer from watching 'The Godfather' too many times.

Uncle Carmine, "Thank you. You are a respectful young man. I trust that you were not hurt?"

"Not a scratch. Although, it did cause a run in with the police. But, that's already been taken care of."

"And the two guys that attacked you?"

"That's a different matter altogether. The taller one, unfortunately, has a broken wrist. My guess is that he'll require corrective surgery. I apologize for the inconvenience." Pretty funny, huh?

For the most fleeting of moments Carmine gives me the bent eye. It passes so quickly one may imagine that it didn't occur at all. I know better. But even in his world, Carmine concedes that I hold the moral high ground. Did I say moral?

"I'll take care of any medical expenses. Mr. Picker, I want to thank you for dropping by. To be honest, I always enjoy our little chats. And, I like you. You are my friend. If you ever need my assistance, for anything, please feel free to call upon me."

I was being dismissed. Uncle Carmine handed me a business sized card. It contained a hand written phone number only. "My personal number Mr. Picker."

"Thank you Mr. Santucci."

"Please, call me Uncle Carmine."

Time out

It was almost three months to the day that Kato adopted me.

The following is what happened.

Another beautiful morning at the flea market. Looking for something to buy and perhaps turn around for a small profit. Walking up one row; back down another; scanning the tables and occasionally stopping to examine something up close.

Googie Great Horse, some sort of American Indian descendent, is set up at a corner table. Now, if you have never been to an outdoor market, then allow me to briefly fill you in on the set up.

Most fleas, but not all, have the dealer park his or her car, pick-up, van or even truck behind their table or tables. The tables are positioned in a long straight row, back to back. So, if you can picture this, when you set up you'll will have a dealer on your right, one on the left and several to your back.

If you think that this is a little chaotic, you would be correct. Pulling-in in the morning is a major headache. Leaving when you’re finished can be an absolute nightmare.

Back to my story. Googie is set-up on the corner meaning that no dealer is on his right. His tables, he rented two, are catty-corner to one of the co-op buildings. On the back of his pick-up truck is a crate with half a dozen German Shepherd puppies.

"Good morning, Googie. How's business?"

"Hey, Pick. Good, man. Really good. See anything that you can't live without?"

"Not yet. What's with the dogs?"

Picture this: Very early morning, the sun's not quite all the way up. Hundreds of dealers, both men and women, are walking about hunting for the next great treasure. What's garnering the most attention? Dogs! Six German Shepherd puppies.

"My Angel had some pups. Gotta sell them. My old lady won't let me keep 'em. Hey, maybe you'd like one P. What do ya say?"

I step over to the back of the truck and poke my fingers into the cage. One of them, a monster black and tan, begins to lick my fingers. "I'm not in the market. Out of curiosity, how much?"

"A grand."

"Like I said, not in the market." I’m looking at this one pup, I can't believe how big he is. Maybe forty pounds. "Googie, how old are these puppies?"

"Six weeks. That one, the monster licking you, he's forty, forty-five pounds." Just as I thought.

"Do me a favor. Let him out, I want to take a closer look."

My Uncle Moe pops up out of nowhere. "Don't be doing it laddie. That beast gets out of there and it'll be all over."

The old man doesn't know anything. I ignore him. Googie opens the door, wrestles with these hyper active creatures but manages to pull out the monster. The six week old bundle of energy leaps from the tailgate; dashes over to me and jumps up. He presses his front paws into my chest.

This is where it gets interesting. Very quietly I say, "No." Down he jumps; sits and looks up at me expectantly. "Googie, we're going for a walk. Right back."

"No problem, P."

"Come." That's all I say. Go strolling through the market. Dog stays at my left side, quietly, never running off, no barking, nothing. Is that even possible?

Together we circle the entire market. When we return Googie asks, "Well?"

"I'll think on it. Let you know tomorrow. Don't sell him to anyone. Okay?"

"No problem, Pick. For you buddy, anything."

At the restaurant I grab a slice of cherry pie and a mug of coffee. Uncle Moe joins me. "Well, laddie, it looks as though you have a new friend."

"No Uncle. I didn't buy him. Got to think about it."

"Silly, boy. Trust me, it's a done deal."

I walk up the hill to where the Morgan is parked. Sitting in the front seat, with his mouth slightly open and tongue showing is the monster. How did he know which car?

"Come." And he does. We walk back to Googie's table. "What's going on G? I found this beast in my car."

"Not my fault dude. Couple of minutes after you left he takes off like a bat out of hell."

I close my eyes, shake my head and take a moment to think. "TJ will drop off the money in the morning. Come monster."

And that, as they say, was that.

Ball three

"It's yours for ten thousand, P."

Kato and I had arrived at the converted synagogue a few minutes before two o'clock. Antiquarian's Delight is located on S. 6th Street between South and Bainbridge. No sign of Chucky.

"That's a fair price Crystal, but too rich for my blood."

Crystal Ball, yes, that's her real name, was selling a woven wool rug with a linear border design. It included squares, ovals and rectangles. The colors were dark blues and tans; this collection of shapes framing a large circle in the middle on a gray ground. 8' x 11'5", made about 1905, possibly by Otto Prutcher. My best guess, fifteen or sixteen thousand, high retail.

Hint: The secret to success in the antiques game is (a) buying at the right price and (b) having a list of buyers lined up. The second one takes time, however, once accomplished assures that you can always turn a quick profit.

She looked me up and down, glanced at my dog and asked, "What do you have in mind?"

I have to confess. This carpet was very cool. Part of the Wiener Werkstatte or in English, the Vienna Workshops. This was a byproduct of the Vienna Secession movement; which in turn was a cousin to both the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements. The studio was founded in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser. Their mission was to design one-of-a-kind high-quality pieces involving all aspects of the fine arts.

Wiener Werkstatte pieces are very desirable and bring big bucks. "I'm more comfortable at seven."

It was going on a quarter past and still no sign. "Kato, find Chuck." Do not ask me how he does it because I have no idea. Any time I give that command; doesn't matter whether he has met that person or not, Kato always brings them back.

"Seven-five and you've got yourself a deal."

She stood on her toes and pecked my cheek. Back in the day; BK, we used to see each other occasionally.

"TJ will pick it up in the morning. Thanks, Crystal."

Where was that dog? A few minutes later he comes trotting up the stairs from the basement. He's alone. He lets out a moderate yelp. Turns and heads back down the steps. I follow. This cannot be good.

Not all of the spaces in the basement have been rented to dealers. The booth in the back, on the right, is piled with stock. It must be the overflow from dealers that lack space in their own spots. At the very rear sits a black leather sofa nearly pushed up against the wall.

Kato jumps onto the furniture and peers into the area between it and the wall. One quick yelp. I step up and look for myself.

"Oh shit." Residing in that crack is the body formerly know as Chucky. I grab a flash light from the shelf; take a closer look.

"No blood." I'm talking out loud to a dog. In my defense, he appears to understand every word. "Bruise marks on the throat. Strangled."

Crystal comes running down the stairs. "Call 911,” I bark. I turn and head up the stairs.

"Picker, where the hell are you going?"

"I was never here."

Back at the car I grab a cigar from the glove box; clamp it between my teeth and hit the road. No need to be tied up with the cops. I need to think. My gears are turning; there's something crucial there, in the back of my mind. The frustrating aspect is that I can't put my finger on it.

"Thomas Jefferson, one of Bigfoot's guys is dead. Murdered." I was calling TJ from the car. Kato had his head out the window enjoying the scenery. "Find the other one, Rebel. Bring him back to my place."

"Yes sur, Mr. Picker, sur" It was his way of telling me I was an asshole. Most of the time, with his Harvard degree, TJ speaks sounds very much like a New England Brahmin.

I ignored the jibe. "If it's not too much trouble, get Jaw-long for back-up. It would be really nice to keep this one intact." Jaw is TJ's friend and Tai-Chi buddy. Practically every morning at dawn can find them performing this ancient Chinese exercise routine outdoors with dozens if not hundreds of Chinatown residents. I disconnected the call and headed back to my place.

A half hour later Kato and I arrive back at my place. I live in a converted carriage house on a twenty acre estate. The second floor has been knocked out creating twenty foot ceilings. Walk in the front door, the living area is on the left, dining and kitchen in the center and bedrooms to the right. Original hardwood floors, an updated kitchen and two working fireplaces.

Up the driveway around seventy-five yards you'll find the original stables. Nathan Burke; software and gaming magnate; owner of the property; and my second oldest friend converted them into a workshop and storage area for my antiques business. Picker Antiques, that's me.

When I pulled the car up to the door, Kato hopped out and began to spin in circles. I quickly deduced that someone was in the house, but not an enemy. I stepped inside.

Sonofabitch. Sitting with his feet on my desk; smoking one of my cigars is my brother. Half brother if you must know. Connor Jones.

Same Dad, different Mums. He stands, walks over with saying a word and gives me a bear hug. Steps back and gives me the once over.

"How you doin' brother. God, you look good. Where's that beautiful woman of yours? I'm hungry, can I take you both out to dinner?"

He's more or less my height and weight. Older by a couple of years. Like me, his eyes are brown. His hair, however, is dark, almost black. Lanky build, but a wee bit broader in the chest and shoulders. Head is square-ish and his nose better sculpted than mine. Women consider him handsome.

"Good, thanks, not here and yes, when I track Kelly down."

"Whhhat?"

"I doing well; thanks, I feel great; I don't know where Kelly is at the moment; and finally yes, we'll be happy to join you for dinner. My turn. I'm very happy to see you, but what are you doing here? Why didn't you call?"

Connor Jones is a con man extraordinaire. A Robin Hood complex. Steals from the rich and gives to the poor, literally. He once told me that he only steals from godless people. When a job is complete he pays his expenses, keeps ten percent for himself and distributes the rest to those in need.

Pretty cool, huh?

"I'm here to enlist your aid. Involved in a little job back home. Want you and the lovely Miss Lane to join me. All expense paid, obviously. What do you say? Oh, and I wanted to surprise you."

I really like Connor. We're like brothers. I realize that sounds odd, but we didn't grow up together. His existence came as a complete surprise ten, close to eleven years ago. Since then we’ve forged an incredible bond. To the best of my knowledge, he is the only living family that I have.

"I'll be glad to come. You'll have to ask Kelly if she can get away. Give me a couple of days. I have to straighten some things up here first."

For the next twenty or thirty minutes I described the entire situation to Connor.

"There's something missing here, P. Not enough money involved for one murder, let alone two. Find the missing link and you'll be very close to resolving this entire matter."

Wouldn't you know, at that very moment TJ and Jaw show up towing Rebel along with them.

Everyone settles in. I ask Rebel to fill me in on the events of the last few days.

"No problemo, Mr. Picker. We do the clean out in Chestnut Hill. Took the trash to the dump. Got back to Mr. Hari's place and unloaded the stuff in the back. He sends for that kid, Punk to open the safe. The kid comes over and cracks that thing like it was a child's toy."

"Rebel, who was in the room when Punk opened the safe."

"Me, Mr. Hari and the kid, Punk. That's it."

"Now, Rebel, think carefully. What did you find in the safe?"

"There was a few hundred in cash. Some coins. Mr. Hari said they was valuable. Then he pulled out one of those metal fire boxes. It was locked. Mr. Hari popped it with a screwdriver."

"Where was Punk?"

"Oh. He was gone. Mr. Hari paid him and he left. Only me and Mr. Hari."

"The metal box. What did you see?"

"Mr. Hari pulled out a bunch of old baseball cards. He goes through them one at a time. Nodding his head and saying "This one is very good; Oh, this one is so cool; Shit, can you believe it, a Babe Ruth." Then he gets to this one card and says "Holy shit, I can't believe it."

"Rebel, what was the holy shit card."

"Gee, Mr. Picker, I don't know nothing about baseball cards. Mr. Hari said it was a Wagner something or a something Wagner. Honest Mr. Picker, I don't remember too good."

Between 1909 and 1911 the American Tobacco Company inserted 2.5" x 1.5" baseball cards in their cigarette packs. I suspect that Bigfoot discovered a rare Honus Wagner. One of the best players of his time, Wagner is a Hall of Famer. His nickname was “The Flying Dutchman" and he spent most of his long twenty-one year career with the Pirates. He won eight batting titles and had a career batting average of 327. If this is the card in question it could fetch anywhere from $1 to $1.5 million dollars at auction. Maybe worth killing for?

Connor piped up. "There's your missing piece Picker."

What makes this card rare is that it was pulled from production after 200, give or take, were issued. Enthusiasts speculate that somewhere in the vicinity of sixty of the 1909 Wagner edition still exist. It is commonly believed that many of the remaining cards are in poor condition.

"Rebel, thanks a bunch buddy. You've been very helpful. See me next week; I'll have something for you when this is all over." I turned to Jaw-lone. "Do me favor, take Rebel home." The two men got up and left.

"I know what happened."

I explained my thinking to my Connor and TJ. Both of them sat there nodding their heads in agreement. Neither of them was able to poke a hole in my theory. Finally, when all was said and done, I looked at them both and asked,

"Who wants to go to work?"

Ball 4 — Man on base

The squad car drove slowly down the alley. The spot light roamed the walls and sidewalk. It settled on three men and three dogs. Two Rottweiler’s and a Shepherd.

The officer observed Connor picking the lock to the back door. He shouted, "Hey you!"

My brother handed me the picks and said, "I've got this."

He took his time as he approached the cop. Connor offered his hand in an unthreatening manner. The cop, from ingrained habit, shook hands. I realize looking back that it's hard to believe, but you don't know Connor. Unbelievably charming; class wrapped in a five thousand dollar suit; it is not uncommon for ones' defenses to dissipate when he turns on the charm.

Here's the hard part to believe: he introduces himself as Connor Jones. Actually uses his real name. My brother is either a criminal genius or certifiably insane. But get this. The cop introduces himself as well. James O’Donnell. “Call me Jimmy.”

Connor reaches into his suit pocket and removes a white envelope. Hands it to the police officer. He says, "Officer, while it is true that we are breaking and entering, our intentions are neither to steal anything nor harm anyone." Suggestion: Imagine this being spoken with a posh British accent.

I suppose that is technically correct. I mean, you're not really stealing something if it has already been stolen. Are you?

Connor spreads his coat and pirouettes for Jimmy. “No weapons Jimmy. No gloves to conceal our identities. What do you think?” Balls, real balls. The honest straightforward approach. Who would have thought?

The officer peers into the envelope and sees five-thousand in brand new, crisp hundred dollar bills. "How long do you boys need?" We lucked out; thank God this guy is a veteran and not some idealistic rookie.

"Half hour will do it Jimmy."

"In that case Connor, I’ll see that you are not disturbed." He backs out of the alley and parks his car; blocking the alley. Kills his lights and sits there. This Philly police officer is now on our payroll as a sentry. Un-fucking-believable.

Connor walked back to the door, gave me this huge grin and finished picking the lock. Once inside he bypassed the alarm. Note: This is not the same as disabling the alarm. By doing the former he is tricking the system into thinking that nothing has occurred. Doing the latter would probably send a silent signal to some monitoring company or even the police department.

The two Rotties are Zena and Zeus; Nathan's dogs. I point at the rear stairs and tell them, "Search." Up they go. This is risky on my part. If they discover someone upstairs, unarmed, they'll simply detain them. However, it they discover someone holding a gun, well, that's a different matter. The possible outcomes are: the dogs may disarm them; injure them slightly; injure severely or even kill them. Depends on how they perceive the threat. The truth is I really don't care. As much as harming another human being disturbs me, it's much better than us being shot.

"What now?" TJ asks.

"First set up the screen." Burger's safe is set up behind the counter at the front of the store. That means anyone passing the front window would observe us breaking into the safe. TJ stopped at Hocus Pocus, a magic supply shop, on S. 4th between Lombard and South Streets. There he purchased a black back-drop with a light frame for quick assembly and easy breakdown. An impromptu stage curtain for magicians and other performers.

"TJ, after that come back here to the office. Go through Burger's paperwork; let's see what we can learn."

Connor and I stand around for three whole minutes twiddling our thumbs. TJ returns and goes to work on the desk. There is enough light from the street lamps out front to navigate to the safe. Once in position, Connor places a small maglite between his teeth. One minute later the floor safe is open. I often wonder where this boy picked up his skills.

The first thing that Connor does is to take pictures of the contents in situ with his smart phone. When he gives the word we empty the safe and go through everything; one piece at a time.

There's twenty or thirty thousand in cash. I see the cards that Burger said he bought from Hari. What I do not see is a 1909 Honus Wagner.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I close my eyes and think. Could I be wrong? No. I’m not wrong. I can feel it in my bones.

I tell Connor, "Put it all back. Lock it up."

I return to the office. "Look what I found." TJ's holding up a piece of paper. It's too dark for me to read.

The Rotties have returned and are sitting in front of the desk. Kato is still out front guarding my brother. "What is it TJ?"

"Bank statement. Mr. Burger has a safety deposit box. Bingo."

Connor, carrying the broken down backdrop under his arm, and the beast step into the office.

"Did you hear that brother? Safety deposit box. How the hell are we going to break into that?"

That gentlemanly crook, aka my brother Connor Jones, smiles that beautiful smile.

"I've got a plan."

Base hit

Connor disappeared.

The next morning when I awoke there was no sign of my brother. Fortunately, Kelly's mane of red hair was spread out on the pillow next to me. Without disturbing her, I made my way to the kitchen to start the coffee.

"Mindin' your own business still is the best way to stay out of trouble." My dear Uncle Moe. He's sitting at the kitchen table.

"And this would be advice that you yourself have followed, is it?"

A brief chuckle. "No laddie. But bein' that your dear father is no longer with us, I felt it my duty to impart the wisdom of my experience upon you."

"No offense Uncle, but you're full of shit."

"None taken, boyo."

Kelly came padding into the kitchen and sits. To me, "Coffee." To Moses, "Good morning Uncle Moe."

"Aye, and a lovely day it is."

I deliver the cups to the table. "Want to take a trip to London." Kelly tilts her head ever so slightly; looks up to me and said, "Sure. I can get away for a couple of days. What's this all about?"

"Connor needs some help."

"You know what, tough guy. I suspect that deep down inside you're committed to dragging me into a life of crime." Penelope Kelly Anne Lane is about as straight an arrow as the Good Lord ever created. My little acts of stepping over the line were a great source of consternation to her. Truth be told, it nearly destroyed our relationship. Today, while not thrilled with these transgressions, Kelly appears to have accepted me, blemishes and all.

She asked, "Where's Connor?"

Last evening, upon our return, Connor repeated that he had a plan; that he would be gone for the better part of the day and to leave matters in his hands. My response was, "Whatever you say." He was off to bed and I haven't seen him since.

"What are you up to today, sweetheart? I'll be at the museum."

"Kill some time until I hear from my brother. Run up to New Hope."

Kelly rose, kissed me sweetly on the mouth and went off to shower. I loaded the Morgan, told the beast to hop in and took off. An hour and a half later I was parked in the courtyard of 96 E. Bridge Street in New Hope.

"What have you got today Picker?"

H amp; K Incorporated specializes in period garden accessories including urns, statues, fountains, fencing, and benches. Larry also carries fine Oriental rugs and antiques.

"I picked this up the other day." I pulled the 8' x 11'5" carpet from the car and laid it out on the ground. "Wiener Werkstatte," I said. "Probably Otto Prutcher. What do you think."

Larry walked around the carpet studying it with a trained eye. Turned it over to check out the back. "Nice. Very nice. How much?"

"I've got seventy-five in it. I'd be happy with… let's call it eleven five." Warning: Telling another dealer what you’ve paid is a definite no-no. In this instance, however, I wanted to communicate that I wasn't being a pig. What I wanted was a fair mark-up. Larry is one of those rare breed of antique dealer; he's honest.

"Sounds fair. I'll cut you a check." He went into the back door of his shop. I popped the trunk and pulled out a box of cigars. Went inside; he handed me a check for $11,500.00 and I passed him the cigars. "Hope you enjoy these."

Kato was waiting patiently when I returned to the car. The cell rang. "Where are you?" Connor.

"New Hope. You?"

"Center City. How long?"

"An hour-fifteen."

"The Ritz." He cut the connection. I cranked up the Plus 8, the lightest V8 passenger car on earth. Maximum power of 367 horse power from the BMW engine.

I let her rip.

Bases loaded

"Give it to me."

We're having lunch in the Bistro at the Ritz-Carlton.

Opened in the year 2000 in a turn of the century bank, the hotel features grand marble columns both on the exterior and in its spectacular lobby.

"I spent the morning buying the most expensive baseball cards at three local shops."

"What was the spend?"

"Sixty grand, give or take."

"Connor, are you crazy?"

Connor ignores my crack. "I assumed that when anybody farts in this business everyone knows about it. By the time I arrived at Burger's the grapevine had informed him that I was a mooch." A 'mooch' in our business is anyone that buys blindly and spends money like a drunk.

"I drop an additional twenty thousand with Leon on the cards from Mr. Bigfoot."

"And your strategy, exactly…"

"I hint that I'm in the market for high end stuff. That money is no object."

"Did he bite?"

"Are you kidding? He suggests that he may be able to lay his hands on something special. How high am I willing to go? I reiterate no limit. A large number will take less than a day to put together. Honestly Picker, you can practically see the dumb bastard drool. Leon tells me to meet him back at the store at eight this evening."

"When the store’s closed."

"You got it."

"Perfect."

The hotel manager walked over and politely inquired about 'the dog' lying at my feet. Next, he politely informed me that any animal that is not a 'helper animal' is not permitted. Connor stood and guided the man into a quiet corner. He returned a few minutes later.

"No problem."

"Connor, what did you say to him?"

"You don't want to know." Maybe he was right.

We finish lunch; indulge in dessert and coffee. Connor headed to a local branch of an American bank that he deals with to put the money together. I head home to put the final touches on our plan for this evening.

I heading west on Route 76, the Schuylkill Expressway when my phone rings. TJ. I asked him to make a second stop at Hocus Pocus and pick up some additional equipment for tonight. We agree to rendezvous at my place to eat and outline the plan.

I stop at the Trader Joe's in the quaint town of Wayne. Pick up some pasta, sauce, a baguette and the makings of a salad. Standard bachelor fare. Head east on Lancaster Avenue back to my house.

Kato and I have the place to ourselves for the time being. I get to work preparing dinner. By the time everything is on the table Connor and TJ have showed up. Even Uncle Moe managed to make an appearance.

"Very simple gentlemen," I said as I twirled spaghetti onto the fork. "Connor, you're up first. Enter the Sport's Emporium through the front door alone."

“I’ll need a gun.” This is where Connor and I are different.

“No guns.”

“Whatever you say little brother. You’re the boss.”

After dinner we grab some coffee and light up our cigars. We spent the next hour going over the details and any contingencies we may encounter.

"You sure that you lads know what you're doing?" Uncle Moe making his contribution.

Connor attempts a steely glare at our Uncle, but you can still see the smile sneak onto his face. "Uncle Moe, we're not virgins."

"Aye, laddie. You must be remembering, though, that the best plans fall apart with the first encounter of the enemy."

We all laugh. The old man's right. "In that case Uncle Moe, perhaps you'd come along to give us a hand."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world boys."

I looked at Connor and TJ. Brave boys with big hearts. Putting themselves in danger to right a wrong not leveled at them. I took a deep breath, turned up the wattage on my smile and said,

"Let's saddle up."

Grand slam

Connor knocked.

The sign in the window said 'Closed'. However, the lights were on. Leon Burger turned the knob on the deadbolt; opened the door.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Connor smiled.

Meanwhile, behind the store, Uncle Moe whispered, "He's in."

This was not, strictly speaking, necessary. Earlier TJ had picked up three sets of 'Dr. X Outdone' from the magic shop. I imagine that most people have never heard of this product. Well, it's used by professional magicians and mentalists in their mind reading acts. This state of the art two-way communication consists of a powerful transmitter/receiver. The unit is a tiny ear plug radio which is nearly imperceptible. I'm sure that you've seen them used by spies and elite cops on television shows.

TJ had configured them to all work on the same frequency. In this manner, whenever one of us spoke, the other two would be able to hear. Anything that was transmitted within 200 feet that is.

Connor popped the suit case. Burger's eyes bulged at the million in cash. "You're turn. Show me yours." My brother was having entirely too much fun.

I stepped into the back room after picking the lock. "TJ, you and the pooch wait outside. Call the Calvary if you hear trouble."

“Who’s the Calvary?” he asked.

“You are.”

I heard Connor's voice in my head. "So, Mr. Burger, you have a 1909 Honus Wagner." Damn, I knew it! "Brilliant. It looks to be mint. How much money are we talking about?"

"Million five."

"Don't be ridiculous Mr. Burger. Sure, that's what it will bring at auction. But after commission and taxes you won't even clear a million bucks. I've got a million cash, tax free, right here. Do we have a deal?"

I stepped from the back room before he could answer.

"You again!" Quicker than you would think possible, Burger's hand jolts into the display case. And, equally fast comes out with a big ass gun. Pointed at me, I might add. "I should of have known. This is a set up. Well, you boys aren't going to steal from me."

"Don't be ridiculous Mr. Burger," echoing what my brother had said. "You can't sell something that doesn't belong to you."

"We'll see about that. Now tell me Mr. Picker, how did you get on to me?"

"No mister, just Picker." What am I, an idiot? This moron's pointing this huge revolver at me and I'm cracking wise.

"Com' on funny guy. Tell me."

"Sure, my pleasure. Here's what happened… Hari returns to his store with the floor safe. Hires a kid to crack it. Hari brings the box of cards to you. He sells you a handful, good cards, but not the best one. Not the Wagner. I figure he wants to max out, so he keeps it for himself."

"Yeah, so. How'd you tumble to me?"

"Simple Leon. You told me that it was stupid for a full grown man to wear a comic book t-shirt. You specifically referred to the Green Lantern shirt. But Hari wasn't wearing that when he came to see you. Hari didn't buy that shirt until he saw the movie, early that afternoon, after he saw you. The only way that you could've known about it was to see it when you murdered him and stole the card.

"Then you tracked down Chucky. You figured that his new about the 1909 Honus. That put a kink in your plans. So you killed him, too."

"Don't matter none Picker. There's no proof. No way this even goes to court."

This is where my brother decides to step in. "No need Mr. Burger. I have no intention of calling the constables."

Burger lifts his head ever so slightly. "Why's that?"

Connor snorts. "Because I'm going to take care of you myself." What is wrong with my brother?

"Yeah, we'll see about that. Move, both of you."

Burger herded us to the back room; up the staircase and onto the roof.

Picture this: The Sport's Emporium is in the middle of the block of continuous stores on South Broad Street. Therefore, all of the roofs are connected. The length from front to back is thirty feet. Width runs twenty feet. Located equidistant from the front and rear is the door to the roof. An alley runs behind the store. Empty buildings in the process of rehab back the stores fronting on Broad.

Burger positions Connor and me at the rear of the roof with our backs towards the alley. LB is standing very close to the edge of the roof with his back towards Broad Street. His right arm is extended straight out holding a Smith amp; Wesson Model 29.

"No more talk." Burger is so far away that I can hardly hear what he said. Doesn't matter. The gun in his hand could easily make the shot. Made famous by 'Dirty Harry', the Model 29 is a six shot revolver chambered for the. 44 Magnum cartridge. This one had a barrel length of 10 5/8".

Now here's the thing: Lactic acid is building up and causing fatigue in Burger's right arm, even with arms like ham hocks. That gun weighs just over three pounds; and that's empty. He's moving that pistol from left to right, alternating between me and Connor.

I heard the monster's nails scratch the tar paper when he walked through the door to the roof.

Burger pointed that canon at my head. I wouldn't believe what happened next if I didn't witness it with my own eyes. Kato, who is a full twenty feet away, took a running start of two steps. I don't know if he's the bionic six million dollar dog or a mystic temple creature from the Far East.

But what I do know is that he defied the law of physics and launched himself nearly twenty feet through the air. By the time Leon changed the degree of his shooting arm Kato had struck him square in the chest with his massive front paws.

To this day I can still hear the screams of Leon Burger as he fell three stories from the roof to meet his earthly demise.

Connor lifted his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "C'est la vie."

"I was wrong brother. Sorry I didn't let you bring a gun."

"No worries. Let's boogie."

Game over

Connor left for London the morning following the Burger affair. I stuck around to clean up a few loose ends.

Oddly, there was no blow back from Leon's 'accident'. The Philadelphia Inquirer led with the headline "Sports Memorabilia Dealer Plummets To Death". No mention in the article about the gun in his hand.

After Kato knocked that bastard off the roof he pivoted a full 180 degrees in mid-air, hit the ground running, threw his paws on my chest and gave me a whopping kiss. I didn't tell him to get down.

Making a quick exit from the Emporium, we grabbed the briefcase with a million bucks and the Honus Wagner.

The following morning I made my way down to Bainbridge Street. Amy was grateful to get the valuable baseball card. She listened to the entire tale of mayhem and greed. After, she sobbed for what seemed an eternity. Asked how she could repay me, I said, "Cover our expenses. No rush, wait until the card is sold."

We stuck around one more day to attend the funeral. There was a nice turnout, Hari was well liked.

TJ would take care of Kato and the house while we were gone. The next morning we boarded a plane at JFK for London. With Connor picking up the tab we flew first class.

We landed at Heathrow.

Connor is waiting at the luggage area decked out in a hand tailored suit; sporting a chauffer's cap. A cardboard sign with Picker written in black marker. Reminiscent of our first meeting.

Kelly gave him a peck on the cheek. The first words out of here mouth were, "Exactly what do you need Picker for?"

"We going to take an evil man for every penny that he's worth. Then we're going to destroy his life."

Content

Scott Soloff
Three strikes

Strike one

Ball one

Strike 2

Ball Two

Time out

Ball three

Ball 4 — Man on base

Base hit

Bases loaded

Grand slam

Game over