Mario walked further into the organized detective’s office.  Emmy remained at the doorway.  She peered in, but made no further advance.

“I don’t think I should go in there.” Emmy whispered. 

A booming voice echoed behind her. “Good choice, young lady.  How may I help you?” 

A startled Emmy spun and faced a tall well-built middle-aged man with slightly balding brown hair.  He was holding several files in one hand and tall a coffee mug labeled ‘Top Cop’.  He sipped his drink.

“Excuse me, sir.  I was looking for Captain Capinelli.”

“At least, you’re looking in the right place.  I am the Captain.”

“I’m…”

Mario stuck his head outside the doorway.  “Uncle! I thought I heard your baritone out here.  Great to see you.”

“What are you doing in my office, Mario?”  He walked in the office and sat at his desk.  He put the files down and opened up the laptop. He ignored his nephew. 

“Waiting for my favorite uncle.  The door was open.  This is the young lady I told you about.” Mario sat down in a plain wooden chair across from his uncle. 

“I told maintenance to fix the lock.”  The detective nodded at Emmy.  “Miss, it is a pleasure.  Have a seat, please.” He turned toward Mario. “I told you I would like to speak to her, sometime.  Not today.  I am swamped with tons of paperwork and reports. Maybe next week.  I am sorry, Miss.”

“Emmy.” Mario interjected. 

She smiled and elbowed her partner. 

“I am sorry, Emmy.” The captain apologized and opened up a file. 

“I understand sir.  No problem.  I am so glad I could meet the hero, who broke up the drug trafficking ring into the City.  I read all about it online.  Great work.  Your family  must be so proud of you.  Thanks again for your time.” Emmy walked to the door.

“You’re welcome, young lady.” He began reading a document.

 “Just one question about that investigation, if you don’t mind?” Emmy asked.

He put down the file. “Shoot.”

“Is it true, your discovery of the shrimp shells in the garbage of one of the boats seized, led to the arrest of the kingpin?”

 The captain smiled, “I guess you aren’t blowing smoke.  Unless..” He looked at Mario. 

“What? I don’t even know what she is talking about?” Mario replied.

Emmy sat back down, “It is only the largest drug bust and trafficking ring dismantling on the East Coast in twenty years.  Your uncle shut it down, on a hunch about the shrimp shells.”

“Really?” Mario looked at his uncle. “When did this happen?”

“Shut up Mario.  Let your girlfriend talk.  Actually Emmy, it was clam and shrimp shells on the official report.  However, we never caught the leader.”

“How did you figure it out from the shrimp and clams?”

“I thought at first, all seafood was the same.  It came from the Atlantic.  At least, imported here in New York.  When I did a little research, I learned the shrimp and clams along the east coast, Florida, and Gulf of Mexico, are different in size, weight, texture, length, width, and taste.  If I saw a clam shell or the remains of a shrimp, it would look the same to me and to most folks.  I brought the first shells to the lab, they thought I was crazy, until the results came back.  The shells from one boat had traveled along the east coast, around Florida to New Orleans.  Once we had the route, we figured out the rest.”

“Fascinating.”  Emmy awed at the story. “ I love this stuff.  So, Captain, technically, their shell of an appetite did them in.”

“Yes.  What the shell were they thinking?” The captain laughed. “You can call me Anthony.”

“Thanks for your time, Anthony.  We have a dance club to find, don’t we, Mario?”

She stood up and pulled Mario out of the chair. 

“Yes.  I gotta keep the little lady happy.  See you Cap.”

She opened the door and Mario followed. “Thanks again, Detective.”

“Emmy.  Come back.” He looked at his watch. “15 minutes.  You are impressive. Some of my superiors don’t even know that detail of the investigation.  You should think about being a detective.  What do you want to talk about?”

Emmy smiled.  She returned and sat down.  Mario closed the door and leaned against it. 

“Thanks, Anthony.  I have some information which may help you in an investigation.”

“Which investigation?  I have a few hundred I am currently…”

“The one to find your missing brother, Joey.”

********

Anthony Capinelli listened to Emmy’s entire story for 45 minutes, but did not say a word.  He only jotted a few notes and drank his coffee.  Mario had moved from the door to the chair, then to a file cabinet, and back to the door.  When Emmy finished, the detective opened up a file on his computer. 

“Miss, I must say,” He looked over the top of his screen, “it is very hard to believe. After twenty years on the force, I thought I heard everything.”

“What if I could prove it?” EC asked.

“Sure, kid, give me something concrete, and you can be my deputy.”

EC smiled. “Ok.  On the day of your brother’s disappearance, three thousand dollars was sent to his PayPal account.”

“How did you….” The detective stammered. 

“It was sent from another PayPal account based out of North Carolina.”

The police officer looked at Mario.

“Don’t look at me.  You haven’t told me anything.” Mario said.

“Account number: MCastlehead1200.”

“Where did you get….”

“It’s my account.  I transferred the money to him so he would get a limo for my Between friends.”

The captain sat there for a moment.  He then turned his laptop to Emmy.  He played a security video. “This is the last appearance of my brother.”

 Emmy scanned the video file. 

She said, “This person getting out of the taxi is Sandra Harris, from North Carolina.  She went to NC State.  She is the girlfriend of Dr. David McMasters, formerly of Palatial Acres Sanitarium and Psychiatric Hospital, north of Tarrytown.” 

He wrote down the names and places.  

The captain replied “This is his last stop at JFK.  As you can see, an unidentified blonde woman exits the vehicle and then goes to the front window to pay the cabby.  She walks off but the cab remains.  I’ve watched this a thousand times.  Where did he go?  If Joey drove to JFK, then where is he?”

“Captain, when Joey dropped a passenger off at the airport, would he ever put his ‘off duty’ light on?” Emmy asked.

“Never.  He was always looking for another fare.”

“Look at the roof sign.”

The detective looked at the picture.  No light on.  He then played back the video to show the taxi entering the drop off and paused it. 

“How did I miss that? Nice catch.” 

Emmy asked, “Thanks.  How long was the taxi there until the passenger got out?

“About a minute.” The captain explained.

“Is that normal?” 

Mario chimed in, “It’s anywhere from 10-30 seconds, unless you have a chatty passenger or cabby.  What? I was curious so I timed it a few times.”

“Joey was always chatty, especially with blondes.” Anthony said.

“Can you zoom in on the driver seat as the vehicle pulls in?”

“This isn’t NCIS, but I can try.  It is very grainy, but here goes.”

The picture displayed someone driving into the unloading area.  The person, wearing sunglasses and a fedora, unbuckles and then disappears.  Thirty seconds later, the passenger emerges from the cab and departs.  

“Pull it back and let’s watch it again in slow motion.”  Emmy ordered. 

“Ok.  Give me a sec.  I think this is it.”  Instead of slowing it down he fast-forwarded the video and it followed the saucy blonde as she model-walked into the airport.” 

The junior sleuth asked, “Pause it.  Does it appear the camera is following her too closely?”

Mario replied, “Looks like blondie has a stalker.”

Anthony rewinded it again and played it in slow motion and then in real time. 

“Well I’ll be..”  He picked up the phone. “Officer Jablonski get Airport Authority on the line, particularly, Lt. Jergens.  Buzz me as soon as you get him.”  He got up from his desk and opened a file cabinet.  He pulled out two file folders: one labeled traffic reports and the other missing persons. 

“What’s this?” Emmy questioned.

“Connecting the dots.” Anthony explained. “Every month for the past thirteen months, an abandoned taxi has been found at JFK, Laguardia and Newark.  A few days later a missing person report is then filed by family members.  The taxi is towed and put in the impound, until the driver or company claims it.  When I examined Joey’s taxi, it was spotless, which is not normal for him.  It had been wiped clean.  He also left his favorite straw fedora in the front seat.  He didn’t go anywhere without it.”

 The detective folded up his laptop and kept it in his left hand.  He grabbed his jacket with his right, and headed to the door. 

 The captain paused and looked at Emmy, “Would you like to go on a little field trip?”

EC jumped up, “Sure. Where are we going?”

“To JFK and the NYPD impound.”

Mario sat down and grimaced, “I don’t know, Emmy.”

“I wasn’t asking you.” Anthony interjected. “How about it kid?  Wanna do some real detective work?”

“May I fire up the siren and lights?”  Emmy shyly replied.

“Sure, kid.  Mario, you can sit in the back?”

“You never let me sit in the front or do the siren.”

The captain answered, “You never asked.” 

They walked out the door.  He closed and locked it.

“Can I sit up front and sound the siren and lights?” Mario pleaded. 

“No.” He walked quickly down the hall toward the officer’s garage. “I can give you a nice police sticker.”

“Really?”

“No.”  The detective turned to Emmy.  “Is he always so gullible?”

Emmy giggled, “I’m afraid so.”

“Wait here.  I have to get some vials from the Lab.”  

The detective entered a door and moments later returned with a dozen small vials in a plastic holder and two black lights.  He handed them to Mario. 

“Do something useful and hold these.”

“What’s this?” Mario asked.

Emmy responded, “It is a DNA kit.  It helps determine if human DNA is present from a sample.”

“This girl is sharp.  She’s nothing like the bimbos you usually bring around the house.  No offense.  How do you put up with him?”

“Oh, he has his moments.” She smiled at Mario and patted him on the back. “Let’s talk more about these bimbos.” 

“Let’s not.” Mario miffed. “I don’t think this field trip is a…”

“Lolita.” Anthony snapped his fingers remembering a name..

Emmy asked, “You dated a lolita?”

“No, she wasn’t a lolita.  Her name was…”

 Lo. Li. Ta.” Mario’s uncle smirked. “She had the biggest…”

Mario thought of his former girlfriend for a second too long.

EC cleared her throat.

“Eyes! I swear she had the biggest eyes.” Mario stammered.

Anthony finished. “Like lemurs.  Scary.”

They walked down some stairs and entered the garage.  The captain pressed his car fob and unlocked his faded green Caprice Classic across the way with vanity plates: TOPCOP.   They got in.  He started the engine and reversed.  He shifted into drive.  He looked at EC in the front seat. 

“You ready?  Hit that switch.  It really is the best part.”

With childlike enjoyment, Emmy flipped the switch and soaked in the blue lights and shrieking siren as they sped across the darkened city. Within a few minutes, with the help of the blue lights and service tunnels, they were at JFK.  The Captain pulled his weight and got them into JFK’s central command. 

Emmy and Mario had never seen so many wall-unit flat screens showing every entry and exit into the renown airport.  Lt. Jergens met them at the entrance to the center and ushered them into his private office. They sat down on his lumpy visitor chairs from the 1970’s.  The lieutenant  opened his laptop. 

“Tony, what are you doing here,Tony?  I gave the footage out of professional courtesy and you helped me through the Academy.  But I could lose my job.”

“Chris.  Calm down.  This young lady watched this video and…”

“A civilian!?  We are all going to jail.”

“Chris, shut ya trap.” 

He quieted down. 

“She discovered that one of your camera operators has been stalking females entering and leaving the airport.  Just pull up the mainframe video and watch it.”

Lt. Jergens hit a few keys and then went to the footage.  He leaned into the screen. “Inconclusive.”  He reclined back. 

“This is why you got beat up at the Academy.  Keep following the skirt . No offense Emmy.” Anthony replied.

“None taken.” Emmy replied. 

“Interesting camera angles to follow this one person.  Why is he focusing on that?  Oh my.  Oh dear.  Good, he stopped outside the restroom.  No, not the emergency cameras.  Well, he covered his tracks well.”

“Chris?  Do you have a stalker?  Who is it?”

“Good heavens, yes.  Let me check the logs.  Found it.  Officer Jeff Patowski.  He is working tonight.”

“Do you have an interrogation room here?”

“Yes, why?”

“Call the officer for a special meeting and bring him there.”

“I can’t allow you to harass my men.” Jergens spoke forcefully.

“I won’t.  She will.”

“Me?” Emmy protested.

“She’s a civilian.”

“Not anymore.” He raised his right hand and looked at EC. “By the power invested in me, by the state of New York, the Bronx, and Precinct 57, I hereby deputize Emmy….What’s your last name, kid?”

 “Castillo-Zinger.”  

“Really? Castillo-Zinger.  Raise your right hand.  She will serve as my deputy and be held to the same oaths I swore to serve and protect the citizens of New York City and the Constitution.  Do you comply, Deputy?”

“I comply.” She grinned at Mario. “ ‘This is the start of a beautiful friendship.’ ”

He ignored her and protested. “Is this even legal? This isn’t the wild west.” 

“This is highly irregular, but according to the laws of 1857, which are still on the books, perfectly legal.” Jergens said.  He documented the entire ceremony.  He turned to the captain. “Let’s not make this another Inwood.”

“It won’t.” The detective promised

“I wanna be a deputy.” Mario pouted.

 “No.”  All the officers agreed. 

Anthony turned to Emmy.  “Deputy.” 

She replied in a southern accent, “Sheriff.”

“How high can you raise that skirt and still feel comfortable?”

“Way ahead of you.”

 EC unbuttoned three buttons on her sweater and raised her skirt well above the knee.  She removed the ponytail and rubbed her chocolate hair until it fell perfectly around her face and shoulders.  She turned around and faced her dance partner. 

“How do I look Mario?”

“Momma mia.”  He bit his hand. “Like jailbait.”

“Exactly.”  Anthony announced as they left the room together.