DOUBLE DOSE OF BINGO

Somewhere in a deserted alley in New York. Two men saw a bus standing. Their curiosity was woken because they walked to the vehicle.

“Let’s see what we can get”, said James Miller.

His brother Kevin answered, “It is empty anyway.”

James looked inside and saw two bodies lying.

“In your dreams. Here are two bodies lying”, he said.

Kevin looked too and called the police at once.

“What were you doing here?”, asked detective Lennie Briscoe.

“To see if we could find something to sell. But the only thing we found was this bus with those two bodies in it”, answered James.

“And we must believe that?”, Ed Green, the partner of Lennie, asked.

“Parker & Son”, read Lennie.

“Isn’t that well known architect who rides around in a bus?”, asked Ed.

“Yes, but what is that bus doing here?”, his partner asked.

Ed shrug his shoulders.

“Let’s see who lies inside the bus”, he said.

The back doors got opened and the detectives saw the bodies of Dennis and Rita Parker lying.

“Here are they”, said Lennie.

The bodies got carried away and the detectives went back to the 27^e precinct.

At first it was an ordinary day for district attorney Jack McCoy. Suddenly the door of his office went open. It was his boss Nora Lewin.

“Jack, you know that from today on we have trainee. Where is he anyway? He should have been here already”, she said.

“You mean Troy Parker? I haven’t seen him either yet”, answered Jack.

He looked around him and then the telephone rang.

“McCoy”, the DA said.

He heard the story and put then the phone down.

“That was the doorman. Troy waits at the entrance. It seems that the boy is a bit shy. I will go and get him”, said Jack.

He went to the entrance and found by the doorman the boy Jack had to have.

“Troy Parker? I am Jack McCoy”, the DA said.

Troy nodded and gave him a hand. Though he avoided all looks which Jack found strange.

“Are you coming?”, the DA asked.

Troy nodded and followed him.

First thing Jack took Troy along to his boss Nora Lewin.

“Nora, may I introduce you to our trainee Troy Parker? Troy, this is Miss Lewin”, the DA said.

“Hello Troy. Just say Nora”, she said.

They shook hands.

“Jack shall put you to work and keep you at work”, Nora said warning.

She noticed that Jack and Troy would get on with each other very well.

“Thanks for the warning”, said Troy.

Both gentlemen walked out of the office.

“Troy, the first chore of the trainee here is to make the coffee”, said Jack.

“Is that my only chore?”, asked the boy.

“You wish!”, the DA reacted.

He walked to an empty desk and said, “This is your working desk as long as you are here.”

“Alright”, said Troy.

He got a pile of files and got to hear then of Jack, “Sort out these files and put them then at dates. The oldest date first.”

Troy nodded and went to work.

Meanwhile at the precinct lieutenant Anita Van Buren got to hear everything about the found bodies.

“What do we have?”, she asked.

“Architect Dennis Parker and his wife Rita are murdered and abandoned in the bus where Parker drove in”, said Lennie.

“Do they have any children?”, asked Anita.

“A fourteen year old son”, said Lennie.

“Find that lad and bring him the bad news”, she said .

The detectives went away again.

When they arrived at the apartment of the Parker family the detectives got no hearing.

“That boy is at school of course”, Ed said finally.

Then a neighbor came walking by.

“If you are coming for Mr and Mrs Parker; they are away and their son is for a working assignment at the district attorney. Granny is at the bingo”, he said.

“Thanks”, Lennie said sighing.

“Back to the precinct”, answered Ed.

During a coffee break.

“Troy, your parents still have to sign this contract”, Nora said while she gave the boy a contract about the training period.

“That might be difficult because they have been away for 3 weeks already”, answered Troy.

“Away? How do you mean away?”, Nora asked amazed.

Jack and Serena too looked at him with amazing looks.

“Three weeks ago they went to their holiday cottage just outside of New York and since then I have heard nothing of them. Not even a postcard which they normally do”, the boy explained.

“Who is looking after you now then?”, asked Jack.

“My grandma but she doesn’t care about me”, was the answer.

Again Troy got three amazing looks.

“Grandma has the opinion that I never should have been born. For years she is trying to separate my parents but up till now that has failed. She is very dominating and nobody must try to contradict her”, Troy explained.

“A case for the police and we are going to put you up somewhere else”, said Nora.

She grabbed the telephone and called lieutenant Anita Van Buren of homicide.

“Anita, I have a temporary trainee who has a case for you I think. His parent sare missing for 3 weeks already”, said Nora.

“Just send them to us”, said Anita.

The telephone got put down.

Nora said to Troy, “You have to stop by the police to report the missing of your parents.”

“Serena and I will go along with you”, said Jack.

Troy nodded.

Anita was very amazed when she heard what the detectives had found out.

“The parents are away? Their son has a working assignment with the district attorney and granny is at the bingo? What is that for a family?”, she asked indignant.

“Well, bingo is really something for the oldies. They like it and it keeps them from the streets”, Lennie defended the bingo feeling.

“Then you are going to play it too when you are retired, aren’t you?”, Ed asked teasing.

Lennie said nothing back but looked a bit indignant at his partner.

“First look up that boy”, said Anita.

Then the telephone rang where by the men had to wait for a moment.

After the telephone call Anita said, “That son is with Jack McCoy. They come here in a second.”

“That lad had a lot to deal with at one morning”, said Lennie.

“And it is only Monday morning”, his partner remarked.

Anita phoned the reception desk that when McCoy came in he had to be send straight to her.

Sometime later Jack, Serena and Troy were by the detectives and Anita. The boy got introduced to the police.

“Troy is temporary with us for a working assignment from his school. But the contract still has to be signed by his parents. Now his parents are away”, said Jack.

“They have been away for 3 weeks already. Usually they to our holiday cottage just outside of New York but I haven’t even received a postcard from them”, Troy told.

“We have been at your apartment and a neighbor said that they are away and granny is at the bingo”, said Lennie.

“She is always to the bingo. It is that my parents hate it or otherwise grandma would held it at our place”, reacted Troy.

“Troy, my detectives have found the bus of your father this morning. There were two dead people in it”, Anita said careful.

“My parents never go anywhere else than in their bus. Those two dead people are not………..?”, the boy asked worried.

“They haven’t been identified yet. You can see them”, she said.

Troy looked at Jack and he nodded. They went to the room where the bodies of Dennis and Rita were lying in state.

“That are my parents”, the boy said slowly.

Lennie and Jack looked at each other and one look was enough to understand each other.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if grandma is behind it”, said Troy.

“Why?”, asked Lennie.

Troy answered, “She has always said that my parents and I were no good and that she never wanted to become a grandma. Then she feels herself so old.”

“How old is she then?”, asked Jack.

“She is just 69”, answered Troy.

“Do you know where she plays bingo now?”, asked Lennie.

“Usually at the old folks centre on Amsterdam Avenue”, the boy told.

“Then we go there. What is her name anyway?”, asked Lennie.

“Sue Wilson. I must warn you that she isn’t a nice grandma but a tough bitch as pa calls her”, answered Troy.

“Troy, that’s why Briscoe and Green may arrest her”, said Jack.

They walked back to the office of Anita Van Buren.

“They are indeed Dennis and Rita Parker. We are going to arrest Mrs Wilson for murder”, said Lennie.

“Gentlemen, good luck with her”, said Jack.

He, Serena and Troy left the police station to back to the office. The DA’s noticed that the young Parker was quite upset.

“Serena, why don’t you go ahead and tell Nora what has happened? Then I take this boy for a cup of coffee”, said Jack.

His assistant nodded. She grabbed a cab and Jack took Troy along to a restaurant.

“That working assignment will to nothing now too”, said the boy.

“We will arrange it with your school”, Jack promised.

They kept silent for a while.

“An uncle will look after me. Pa said that I always could call him when there was something”, Troy said suddenly.

“Where does your uncle live?”, asked the D.A.

“Miami. But he will get the plane at once to live here”, answered the boy.

“What do you want to become later?”, asked Jack.

“Pa always wanted that I would become an architect just like him but I want to become a district attorney just like you ”, was the answer of Troy.

Jack smiled and said, “I think that you will become quite good. For my concern you may come to work at ours later when you have graduated.”

In the meantime the detectives arrived at the old folks centre.

“Ed, remember that you are actually too young to be here”, said Lennie.

“And you old enough. There is probably a chair free for you to play along”, his partner reacted.

Laughing they went inside were they quite soon found the bingo hall.

“Ladies, we have two gentlemen to play along with us”, Claire Miller said surprised.

“Well, not that. We come for Mrs Sue Wilson”, answered Lennie.

“Unfortunately she isn’t here. I got a phone call that she was ill”, said Claire.

“Her grandson said to us that we could find her here”, Ed said amazed.

“Her grandson? I didn’t even knew that she was already a grandma”, Claire answered amazed.

“Thanks. Good luck with the bingo ladies”, Lennie said where after he and Ed left the hall.

“First we are going to check if the cause of death is already known”, said Ed.

They rode back to the precinct.

In her apartment Sue Wilson was at home with her other daughter Ann.

“We have finally carried out our plan and well too. That grandson of mine shall never find out that we have destroyed his life”, Sue said triumphant.

“We drink to that”, Ann said smiling.

She opened a bottle of wine and they toasted to their crime.

“Mother, if the police come snooping around, you know of nothing. If Troy may tell you it say that he is lying. I go home and see you tomorrow at the bingo”, said Ann.

She left and Sue cleaned up quickly the bottle of wine and glasses..

Anita van Buren looked up strange when she saw the detectives coming without the arrested person.

“Is she still playing bingo?”, she asked.

“Mrs Wilson is nowhere to be found. Are the results of the section already known?”, Lennie asked on his turn.

“They both been shot dead a .22. Each got 3 bullets”, said Anita.

“Did Parker have a permit for that weapon?”, asked Ed.

“The weapon was registered in his name but I think that his mother-in-law had stolen it from him”, Anita said.

“We will pay McCoy another visit”, said Lennie.

“Ask Troy too if he knows something about that weapon”, reacted Anita.

Jack didn’t know what he was hearing when Lennie and Ed told him that they hadn’t found Sue yet.

“Wasn’t she with that bingo stuff?”, asked the DA.

“They said that she had called that she was ill”, answered Lennie.

“Who is ill?”, Troy asked who had come in unnoticed.

“Your granny”, answered Ed.

“Granny ill? Then she is pretending. She never sees a doctor”, reacted the boy.

“Do you happen to know if your father had a permit for a .22?”, asked Ed.

“Yes, why?”, Troy asked amazed.

“Your parents have been shot dead with it. They each got 3 bullets”, said Lennie.

Troy sat down and looked at the ground.

“Jack, go with the detectives along to arrest Mrs Wilson and then take the boy home to your place. For now he has been through enough for today”, said Nora.

Jack nodded.

At the apartment of the Parker family Troy opened the door carefully. Lennie and Ed stood behind him with drawn revolvers. Jack was there too as witness. When arriving Mrs Sue Wilson attacked her grandson right away.

“What are those folks doing here”, she snapped.

“Grandma, they come here to ask you where my parents are”, answered Troy.

“They are just on vacation to their holiday cottage”, said Sue.

“We found their bodies this morning”, said Lennie.

Sue sat down and began to cry softly. The detectives and Jack looked at each other and they thought the same thing.

“My sweet daughter and son-in-law are murdered and now I am stuck with my miserable grandson”, Sue said sobbing.

“Troy told us that you are trying to separate his parents”, said Jack.

Sue got up and said, “I haven’t killed your parents at all. I shall have to punish you once again for your lies!”

A moment later she gave her grandson a hard smack in his face and she hit him with her walking stick against his wrist. Lennie and Ed stepped in right away.

“Mrs Wilson, here by you have gained access to our old folks home. You have the right to remained silent. You have the right to an attorney If you can’t afford one one will be provided to you. Everything you say can used against you in court”, Lennie said while he handcuffed her.

He and Ed took her along at once while Jack and Troy stayed behind.

“Where must I sleep now? I can hardly stay here alone”, said Troy.

“You can sleep at my place for the time being till your uncle is here. Just pack your bag”, answered Jack.

Troy packed his bag and half an hour later he went along with the DA to his apartment.

In his apartment first Jack gave Troy a glass of whisky.

“I am too young to drink, aren’t I?”, asked the boy.

“Actually yes but I think that you need it for now”, answered Jack.

Troy accepted it and drunk the glass empty at once.

“You are going to take a shower while I order a pizza for us”, the DA suggested.

Troy agreed with that.

Meanwhile Sue was the subject of a questioning at the precinct.

“I am innocent because I have saved the world from 2 bad people. That my grandson has escaped from his death is a pity”, said Sue.

She showed no sense of sorrow at all.

“Can I now go back to my bingo club?”, she asked smiling kindly.

“Mrs Wilson, I am afraid that you don’t quite understand. You just have been arrested for murder at your daughter and son-in-law. Your grandson has identified them”, said Ed.

“Nice for him”, Sue snapped.

“We have heard from him that you didn’t want a grandchild at all. Is that the reason that you have killed his parents?”, asked Lennie.

“That is so. Grandchildren only cost more money and Troy got everything he wanted. From his parents then but not from me. I have never spent a cent on that lad”, said Sue.

“Everything goes to the bingo?”, asked Lennie.

“Yes. I am even president of the local bingo club in Manhattan”, she said proud.

“Perhaps they also play bingo at Riker’s”, Lennie remarked.

When Ann heard that her mother had been arrested she stepped in. She just walked into the office of Jack and looked at him angry.

“I am Ann Wilson, the daughter of Sue Wilson. I had to stand bail for her but I do that out of love for her. Why has my sweet mother been arrested for murder?”, she asked.

“Because she has murdered her daughter and son-in-law”, answered the district attorney.

“Nonsense. She has saved the world from evil”, said Ann.

“You don’t seem to mourn for the loss of your sister and brother-in-law”, said Jack.

“Why should I? They were no good anyway and that kid of theirs neither”, answered Ann.

Then Sue and her lawyer Glen Banks came in.

“Mr McCoy, my mother might not have long to live. Now you put her behind bars for the rest of her life. She hasn’t deserved this”, said Ann.

“Troy has deserved it for sure that he has to live on without his parents for the rest of his life, hasn’t he?”, asked Jack.

“Mijn mother didn’t want to have grandchildren but my sister needed to have a child”, reacted Ann.

“Give Mrs Wilson a warning and then we forget the whole case”, said Glen Banks.

“She had murdered two people and then she should only get a warning? No way. I do have 25 to life for offer”, reacted Jack.

“Just let me go to prison. I will start a bingo club there”, said Sue.

“Mother, I won’t let you go to prison just like that. That lad will pay the price for being a member of our family”, answered Ann.

“How do you mean?”, Serena asked amazed.

Jack too didn’t trust it.

“My daughter means that the same thing will happen to Troy as what has happened to his parents”, Sue made clear.

“Jack, this is my final offer: a warning or else we go to court”, said Glen.

“See you in court”, Jack said calm.

“Mother, we go”, said Ann.

They got up and left the office.

Once outside Sue said, “Glen, you are not longer needed.”

“Mrs Wilson, you are the defended and you have the right to have an attorney”, Glen said amazed.

The ladies left him alone and got into their car. They drove away at once.

“Jack, where is Troy?”, Nora asked who just came in.

“I just have sent him on an errand to get something. Why?”, Jack asked on his turn.

“I have a chore for him but that can wait till he is back”, she said.

Sometime later the telephone rang.

“McCoy”, said Jack.

The conservation was short because Jack put the phone quite quickly. Serena looked at him questionable.

“Troy has been hit and lies in the hospital .Three guesses by whom he got hit”, he said.

“The Wilson ladies”, said Serena.

“Jack, you go to the hospital, and Serena goes to the police”, said Nora.

So said, so done.

Lennie and Ed were already at the crime scene and they had questioned the witnesses.

“Who are the victims?”, asked Serena.

“Mrs Sue Wilson and her daughter Ann. Hopefully for Sue Wilson they play bingo in heaven because that’s where they are heading to”, answered Lennie.

“Or otherwise she will start a club”, reacted Ed.

“Has Troy been hurt seriously?”, asked Serena.

“Not seriously but he got hit quite well. He has already been taken to the hospital”, said Lennie.

“Well, he won’t be bothered by them anymore”, Ed remarked.

At the hospital Jack got brought by Troy. The boy had a shattered left arm but was awake.

“Hi Jack. Nice that you come to visit me”, he said.

“I had to because Nora sent me”, the DA answered.

“Who has me?”, asked Troy.

“Your aunt and your grandma. I don’t know nothing further but Serena is there gone and after that she would come here”, answered Jack.

Then the door went open and Miles Parker came in.

“Uncle Miles! Nice to see you again”, said Troy.

“May I introduce myself? I am Miles Parker, the favorite uncle of that lad. I guess you must be Jack McCoy?”, asked Miles.

“Indeed”, said Jack.

“How did you come here?”, Troy asked amazed Miles.

“When you were already sleeping I phoned your uncle and he came right away”, Jack explained.

“From now on I look after you”, Miles promised.

“And as soon as you are graduated you call me for a job”, Jack arranged with the boy.

“I want to become a district attorney later. That’s why I wanted to do that working assignment at his work”, said Troy.

“It will become alright with that working assignment. Just make sure first that you get well again”, answered Jack.

Again the door went open and this time Lennie, Ed and Serena came in.

“Troy, you don’t have to worry about your granny and her bingo anymore because now she plays it in heaven. Together with your aunt Ann”, said Lennie.

A very clear bother had fallen off the shoulders of the boy and a new future was in prospect. Jack knew that too and had all faith in him.