2020-06-20 - A Cop By Any Other Name...

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : I saw the paper. What's this shit you have a first name now?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : You mean to tell me your middle name ain't La and your first name ain't De? Now I can't call you Dede anymore. What this shit? Is our whole friendship a lie or what?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Hit me up when you get a chance. We may need to talk about something of a rather mutual interest.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : The fuck are you.. oh.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Well, funny that you say that.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : What are your plans today?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : You know me. Might take up flower arranging and planning retirement.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : I'm looking for an asshole who stuck their goddamn hand down the wrong pants. I have a certain adhesion to people grabbing my shit and taking off with it.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Aversion. Had to look that up in Alexander's goddamn book of shit that can be said simpler.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Whatever.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : This is sounding like one of those conversations we shouldn't be having over the phone.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : I'm feeling the concern. Miss you too.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : I'm at the gym, man. Putting a little fence around it.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Where's the kid today?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : With me. Taking her to the park in a bit cause Jaime's busy.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Kid says hi.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Right. When's he picking her up?

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : And give her a hug for me.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Why we got a date? I thought you'd be too fucking busy running half the city.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : i'm flattered. Really.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Interim. It's fucking interim. Soon as they find a new Chief, I'm fucking out.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : >) See now this doesn't sound like the sell-out you.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : The fuck's that supposed to mean, cabron

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : First off, I'm still tu cabron. Second, Never sell your soul to a suit man. You're better than that.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : It means cops and robbers aside, don't forget I know who you are.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : What makes you think I ever did.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : y siempre serás mi cabron, cabron.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : I read the paper I get concerns man. For you.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Or for you?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : (:kiss face emoji:)

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Why should I be worried? I don't think I've surprised anyone in my life man.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Anyway, when's your brother picking up the kid?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Couple weeks. He's on the road.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Nicole?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : She's doing great. I'll tell her you asked.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : I mean, you think she can keep an eye on the kid. For a little while.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : See, now it sounds like you miss me.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : We should catch up. Right now I got some business needs seeing to.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : (dots, nothing, more dots)

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Yeah, we do need to catch up. What kind of business, Joey?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : The usual sort, Javier.

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : The kind where I'm still a little miffed your first name ain't really De.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : I'm sorry to disappoint you.

(TXT to Joey) Ruiz : Okay. Well, you take care. Catch up soon, yeah?

(TXT to Ruiz) Joey : Well don't be too disappointed if it's not as you expect. Look forward to it

(TXT to Vic) Joey : I need you to find my car. We're gonna have company.

(TXT to Vic) Joey : there will be a brief slow from me as I grab food.

(TXT to Joey) Vic : What happened to your car? Where was it last? How long ago did it decide to wander off?

(TXT to Vic) Joey : well it's been nice out so I've had the bike. Someone's got cajones like baseballs. Probably up to 48 hours.

(TXT to Vic) Joey : More importantly there's shit in the trunk that I would very much like returned.

(TXT to Joey) Vic : Well shit boss. That's not good. Was she at the house or the gym when she went missing?

(TXT to Vic) Joey : Also I just love my goddamn car and There's going to be company in a bit. You see where we may have an issue. See you at the Gym by 3.

(TXT to Joey) Vic : Be right there.

Vic is 15 minutes early to the gym, and she's dressed for work. And by work we don't mean bartending. The tall woman is wearing black BDUs, a black tee, and a black trench coat that falls to mid-thigh. Her hair has been pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, to make it harder to use her long hair against her in a fight.

To the trained eye, the shape of a shoulder rig can be discerned. The rest of the weaponry may be tougher to spot, but there seems to be slight bulk along her spine. Might just be the coat though. Right. Her cold blue eyes are all business and customer service is definitely not in her job description. She scans the gym for Joey.

Joey is exactly where he said he'd be. He's not a ghost in the system and weirdly has too much integrity or chutzpah to lie. Ask him, lies are for the weak, but giving out all of the information is for the stupid. Here in the new head of the Harbor's criminal plateau lives Joey, his gym, the few people that get this close to it, and two dogs.

There is a new back section of the yard fenced off for the dogs, perhaps. That got done. There's the bucket and the left over quick set cement sluice, and inside Joey Kelly looking showered and cleaned up. On his desk in his office is a big fucking hamburger he's about halfway through. It's here he waits.

Vic raps her knuckles on the office doorframe, likely an unnecessary announcement. "Boss," she greets quietly. Her eyes sweep over his state of cleanliness and the state of his burger. "Sorry to interrupt your meal. I might be a little early." She's always a little early. Being one step ahead of everyone is how she stays alive.

"Fence for the pups?" she asks curiously. She likes the dogs. She gets along with dogs just fine. She's even considered getting one herself and training that motherfucker like Halle Berry's pair of German Shepherds in John Wick Parabellum.

Joey nods without looking up as he's finishing chewing. He has his rituals. This is not usually one of them that Vic would come to know. Usually at this time on a Thursday. "Yeah. Or rude guests. I mean I generally like em inside with me, but can't hurt." Licking the sauce from thumb and middle finger he then wiped his hands off and drops the waded paper napkin on his desk. There's a lot of thoughtfulness to this.

Finally he looks up to Vic and confides, "Something's moving. I can tell you where the car is right now, but I can also tell you there's some shit in the trunk I do strongly feel a need to not publicize. As it so happens our friend is on our way here to catch up. Pretty convenient since he's got a desk load of paperwork. He's at least doing me the grace of giving me time to find a babysitter for my brother's kid." Taking a deep breath he leans back in his chair. "So I need to know who is trying to move in. Find out who touched my fuckin car. You need a mechanic find Itzhak, no one else." Rubbing his fingers with his forehead he tallies, "He owes me a favor. He'll clean it."

"Got a photo of the car? Something that spends a lot of time in it? I can use it to track it." Vic has that thing about her, that shimmer, that is very, very similar to Joey's own. "Is your friend coming with? Do I know them?" she asks. Details Kelly, she needs details. "And what do you want me to do with anyone I find in current possession of your vehicle?"

Joey tilts his head giving Vic a look that reads You won't enjoy the answer. "You know em better than I do." A swipe of his thumb and he kicks off a pic to her phone. He can hear the tires on gravel. Well. Here is nothing. He notes calmly, "No one comes in here without a warrant. They know the rules. They like to forget. Comes with old age." He gets up and makes a point to make a mental note on all things in the room as is. Walking out the safe closes, dial spins, his desk locks, and the office door closes behind him. Taking a deep breath he says, "I'm gonna take the dogs for a walk." It's good to set goals. Keeps the mind steady. With that he starts to head out slowly making sure there's nothing in his pockets he don't intend to be there.

Vic gets the picture on her phone and she concentrates on it. She's seen the car around, working with Joey in his daily routine lately, so she's had first hand knowledge, but being able to see it clearly lets her focus on something simpler, like a single part of it, that may be easier to track. She gets a feel for it as she follows Joey out.

The note that she knows the other person has a frown. "Let me guess. De la Vega." She snorts softly, but that's her only commentary on the interim police Chief.

No-one comes in without a warrant, indeed. And they do sometimes forget. When it's convenient. Today isn't convenient. Today, the bulky profile of that dusty black Charger is hunkered down one hundred feet back from the gym's front doors. Engine running, single occupant in the front seat. Nothing particularly stealthy about that vehicle. Once the pair step onto the street, the ignition's killed, the driver's side door shunts open, and the cop climbs out. He's dressed in plain clothes, of course; battered leather jacket, black tee and snug fitting jeans over heeled boots. Badge clipped to his belt, gun holstered under his jacket, kind of impossible to miss. He shoulder checks across the street before stepping up onto the curb and swinging in to follow the pair, hands shoved into his jacket's pockets.

Joey walks as he always does: expecting a fight. He doesn't like em, especially when Ruiz because that's when that happens the city becomes an unfortunate place. Also it depressed the Yard Boss which means he's then everyone's problem. He's very good at being people's problems. He does murmur to Vic, "Don't care what happens to them so long as he don't have to hear about it and Ms. Simmons don't have to deal with it." Ms. SImmons being his code for the neighbors. Decent folks. Old ladies and their plants and shit.

Joey does a very quick assessment of what Ruiz is kitted out with. The gun is not a surprise. All cops on and off duty are trained to have defense on them at all times. Joey, however, did make a point of being unarmed. Yeah. He's got his number.

As Ruiz drops in behind them, Vic quips a quiet, "Jefe," in deference to Javier's new title. She stuffs her phone into her pocket as she gives Joey a nod of understanding at the rules of the situation, and the boundaries. Best if there is trouble, Javier does the shooting. Then if he doesn't want to do paperwork he can ask nicely for her to ditch the bodies for him.

There's no attempt on the cop's part to close in on the pair just yet. For now? He seems to be in observation mode. See where they're headed, tag along a little. Maybe he just needed some air. His hands stay in the pockets of his jacket, and his gun stays in its shoulder rig. A murmured disculpe as he slides past someone moving in the other direction, dark eyes never straying from the target in his crosshairs, save a brief detour to rake over Vic's frame for signs that she's armed or otherwise unhappy to see him.

Joey isn't armed That'd be illegal. cough. He would never. Ignore that Ruiz was there when he's been packing heat previously, but it was to cover his ass so it's hard to bitch about it. When the Chief of the Fuzz gets offed though and the man that's too busy to breathe makes time for Kelly's punk ass? He's covering his T's and dotting his I's.

He's walking over toward the fenced in bit of the back lot where the rocks have been removed and it's just dirt. For now. He stops and looks over to Ruiz gesturing a hand like are you joining us this year? "Hey. S'good to see you." Squinting and doing a glance over of the street he comes back to Ruiz and waits for him to get closer to ask him question numero dos.

Vic is probably armed. If she is, Ruiz knows she's got the license for it. Felix did well to make sure nothing in her record got her a felony, so she can still carry. Her eyes sweep over the fenced lot, looking for the pups that should be around there somewhere, and also checking to see how defensible it will be in the future. Extra security, even if it just slows an enemy down for a moment or two, is never a bad thing.

Her eyes move to Ruiz, meeting his gaze, two predators of the highest order. There's a strange respect there, as well as a simmering challenge that seems to exist between the two. There is a lot of things in their past that still need to be settled. She knows it. He knows it. Someday, it will happen and it will probably be ugly as shit.

Some day, not today. Because today, he seems to have other business; business that involves Joey Kelly and the curious matter of his missing property. As for Vic, he can't tell whether she's packing heat, but he likely assumes she is. For better or worse, he ain't no Chief Thatchery; he ain't no small town, whitebread, mayor-appointed member of the old guard. He's a filthy little Mexican street urchin raised on a steady diet of murder, drugs and crime. And if he didn't assume the absolute worst of everyone, he'd probably not be alive today.

"Kelly," he greets in a low murmur as he reaches the pair, boots crunching on gravel. His gaze slides to the tall brunette, and he gives her a curt nod before patting himself down for his pack of cigarettes.

There is one pup because the other can't be bothered from moving from the spot he claimed and may never move from again. Such is the life of Harvy the Dog. Ripley, however, is a three-legged little hyper thing having fun learning HOW to manage to dig a hole. Hey, points for trying. That she's afraid of near everything pretty much ensures if she breaks out it'll to be crawling into Joey's lap or under his chair.

he explains to them "Lets her dug up whatever she wants without being hit by people I will have used to like and can't anymore. Also doesn't make me regrade the damn parking lot constantly so.... she's happier." His eyes drive up to Ruiz and he takes a deep breath. "Hey. Condolences on the promotion, man." The hand goes out, his other thumb hanging loose in his back pocket.

Vic pulls a zippo out of her pocket, offering it over to Ruiz to light up. A simple declaration of a truce at the moment. They have similar goals, and no one wants to wind up dead or in jail tonight. Working together is on the table for this.

Once that's passed over, she crouches down to hold out a hand to Ripley to let the hyper little tripod sniff her and recognize her scent. Harvey gets an amused look.

The zippo's accepted, and the cop lights up briskly and without fanfare, with a murmured gracias along with a quick wink for Vic. He tosses the lighter back and drags once, then swaps the cigarette to his left hand so he can grasp Joey's with his right. Weathered, callused fingers decorated in an ex-convict's share of ink wrap the younger man's in a firm grip. "Interim," he reminds him again, corners of his eyes creased in something not quite amusement as he meets Joey's eyes. "Just until they find someone more appropriate." Now it is a smile, but a mean one. He still hasn't released the man's hand. "Heard you lost your car."

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : BOLO. Kelly's car stolen. Asshole tried to drvie me off the road.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : Yeah, I'm well fucking aware. I'm handling it.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : You get a look at the perp?

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Not fucking well enough. Earn your oxygen.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Driver may be wounded. Look for GSW to shoulder or upper torso.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : Right, because the only thing I have to do today is track down the meanie who gave you a boo boo. You want me to bring you a bandaid, too?

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Fuck you. Send Rosy for a tow. ::coordinates::

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : En tus sueños, cariño.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : You have his number. Ask him yourself. I'm fucking busy.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Figured it was faster to just tap him on the top of the head.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Just because we're friends, don't forget who fucking owns you.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : The fuck's that supposed to mean.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Do your fucking job.

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : Go to hell, Cruz.

(TXT to Joey) Cristobal : UR car's been jacked. Asshole tried 2 drive me off the road.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Hand in hand with you, cabron.

(TXT to Cristobal) Joey : Yeah bruh. I got someone looking into it. The car is insured but the asshole who took it is now. They hurt you?

(TXT to Cristobal) Ruiz : What part of fuck off don't you understand

(TXT to Joey) Cristobal : Neck is fucked. Car is fucked. I want the first crack at this asshole when he's brought in. Look for someone with a GSW to shoulder/upper torso.

(TXT to Ruiz) Cristobal : Business before pleasure.

Joey looks like it might just haul off and lose it at Ruiz, but somehow he doesn't. A deep breath and his hand drawn back his stubble jaw clinches tight. "Yeah. Been driving my bike and stayed here and Nicole's... I ain't happy man. Not... happy." Jaw set he gives Ruiz a long look and says, "I ain't gonna lie to you. I want this asshole."

(TXT to Cristobal) Joey : No. They come to me. First.

(TXT to Cristobal) Joey : You'll get to have your peace, but they used my fucking car to hurt my fucking guys. We need to have a talk before you express yourself poetically.

(TXT to Joey) Cristobal : Of course, jefe.

Vic catches the Zippo in one hand, and she straightens again, pulling her own cigarettes out of her pocket to light one up, and standing there, listening. This is Joey's show, and she's here to do what needs doing. Not chit chat, even with Javier.

She puts her lighter away, and her smokes, and takes a long drag off the Marlboro. "Time's wasting. We gonna go find this fucker?" she asks.

(TXT to Cristobal) Joey : Heal up. Lemme know what you need.

(TXT to Joey) Cristobal : Just to get my hands dirty.

Joey looks back to Ruiz and watches him for a long time before asking, "You're clean right?" In the sense he's not wearing a wire. Joey doesn't care what people stuff up their nose or whatever. Looking to Vic he asks her, Can you just kick off a message to Duarte for me? I just need Danny to know i'm having people reach out to him if there's a problem." He pauses and looks around and back "Last I knew it was someone in the damn Firefly Forest. Maybe near them cabins? I dunno. I'm too pissed to focus on it right now."

Vic nods and she pulls out her phone, firing off a text to Duarte to let him know what's up. The tall woman let's the cop and the yard boss do their little dance while she smokes quietly.

Ruiz simply chuckles at that; a warm rumble of sound. "You want to check me? Of course I'm fucking clean." He holds his arms out as if to demonstrate, dark eyes riveted on Joey's the entire time. His holstered gun in its shoulder rig is clearly visible, of course, when his jacket's hoisted up like that. And certainly a cursory glance will find no surveillance devices on him. "Look, I'm here to bring you in. Not fuck you around, or join you on some fucking treasure hunt. So are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?" Unsurprisingly, he makes sure to keep Vic in his peripheral vision at all times, and off his six. It wouldn't do to let himself get caught in between the pair.

Vic takes a longer drag on her cigarette as she looks Ruiz over for any devices. "Bring him in? On what charge?" she asks calmly. She knows this routine all too well. "Or is it to report his stolen vehicle?" The vehicle she really needs to find yesterday before the cops do.

Joey glances him over and makes no move to search him. There's a certain trust that's established punctuated by the total lack of guile on Ruiz' total lack of guile. The news though is not winning any awards for 'welcome' or 'joyous'. His eyes narrow slightly. He weighs his options carefully and mutters, "Of course this couldn't wait til after I find my goddamn car." Not that he'd dare report it stolen. (Because, again, something something fuck em he'll do it himself).

"Lemme consult my legal council." Looking over to Vic he asks, "Legal council?" So there's the question of the hour, but they all know how this is going to go down judging by the way Joey squares up with Ruiz, somehow, not just hitting him on principle.

The cop remains like that for as long as Joey needs to figure his shit out. Whether he's going to hit him, pull Vic's gun and shoot him, check him for the wire that isn't there, or simply walk away. When he does none of those things, de la Vega simply drops his arms and gets back to smoking his cigarette while he waits. And for now, he is waiting rather patiently. Dark eyes on the pair, slanted and cautious, like any predator well aware of what it's dealing with in this particular quarry.

"You should probably go in with him, voluntarily. Clearly he has no charges to press, or he'd be reading you your rights. I'll go find your car, Mister Kelly, in the meantime." Vic looks at Joey with a flat expression that clearly reads, divide and conquer. Boss can keep the cops busy playing nice while she takes care of the car, or more importantly, what's in the trunk of the car.

Joey arches an eyebrow panning a look to Vic pulling those cold green eyes off Ruiz. So much for the damn dog park. At least the fence got put in. "I got rights now? That's a new one." fucking...typical. He's not even upset anymore but slowly reached back turning so Ruiz can see what he's doing at least (which is pull out his cell phone), and holds up a finger. "Lemme take care of this a sec and we'll road trip." He fingerprint unlocks his phone and kicks off a call without waiting for permission or approval.

"Heeeya sprout. HAving fun? I got good news for ya. You and Ms. Nicole are gonna do a sleepover. Yeah I can't join you. I got my buddy here and we ain't caught up in a bit so we're gonna have one too prolly... Yeah I'll say hi for you. Yes the puppy can stay with you that's a really good idea, sprout. Lemme talk to Nicole please." His eyes roll up and Ruiz does win a small nod which is a thanks for the heads up earlier. "Yeah babe, look I, um, I'm not gonna be able to make it back til tomorrow. De la Vega and I are gonna go talk cars for a while. Yeah." The resigned disappointment is palpable. "Yeah I'm fine. I'll prolly be busy. Vic's got all the information."

That gets hung up and he sends out one text before locking his phone. That done too he nods to Ruiz walking over. "I'll drive. You look tired."

(TXT to Cristobal) Joey : I'm gonna be tied down with BS questions for the next 24 hours. Call Vic. here's her number. Keep me informed.

(TXT to Joey) Cristobal : Will do.

If it were anyone other than Joey fucking Kelly, it's a fair bet that the captain wouldn't be so willing to wait. But he's got a cigarette that ain't gonna smoke itself, and a couple of dogs that need distracting from their dad while he's on the phone. So he takes a drag off the thing, tucks it between his lips, and bends down to fetch the large stick that Ripley the three-legged dervish has dragged over. It's given some good arm, and goes sailing away to the tune of scuffling paws. "Chica inteligente," he murmurs to Vic, with a wink.

A brief glance and nod to Joey in return, but nothing apologetic in his eyes. No remorse. No softness. When the younger man heads over, he's already digging out the handcuffs. "Like fuck you're going to drive," he murmurs with a touch of crow's feet at the corners of his eyes, a glint of amusement. "Hands out, amigo."

"I'll bring the dogs to Nicole's for you," Vic notes to Joey, already moving to gather up leashes and the like for the pups. Her mean ass looking truck is parked nearby. "Make sure he reads you your fucking rights, Joey. And gives you a run down of any and all charges, he can't hold you without them. I'll get a lawyer directed down to the station." A real one, not herself.

Joey looks to his new #2 and tells Vic with appreciation, "Good. Thanks." Unlike his role model he has (shockingly) a less taciturn approach to this whole 'management' thing. What few words he does choose have intent. Wading over he holds Ruiz's glance like it's a fucking playground staring contest to see who gets to be big dog. The gravelly Irishman murmurs, "No dinner first? Shit. My safe word's Your Mom. In case you forgot."

There's a small whine from Riply and he sighs and looks at her and says "Go for walkies." Oh, yeah, that sort of changes everything. He's staying calm though and gives Ruiz a hard look trying to hold his expression and not actually snicker back. Nope. Not going to. God it takes an effort some days, even if getting arrested.

Who's gonna look away first? Well, de la Vega is. Maybe because he's got nothing to actually prove here. Or maybe because he's outnumbered and outgunned. Or maybe, just maybe, because this last week or so has ground him down enough that he doesn't have it in him right now to play this game. "Mi madre está muerta, tu hijo de puta," he snarls softly, hauling Joey in close so he can snap the cuffs on one wrist and then the other. Unless the younger man fights him, of course. He will read him his rights as they march back to his cruiser, and unfortunately for Joey, he's sitting in the back seat. Behind the reinforced, bulletproof glass.

Vic is already tapping away at her phone to get in contact with one of Felix's legal team, even as she gets the leashes on Ripley and Harvey and walks the dogs to her truck. She braces the phone with her shoulder as she opens the back door, letting Harvey hop up and lifting the three-legged pup into the back seat. "This is Grey. Need legal council for Joey Kelly at the GHPD precinct. He hasn't been told any charges yet, he went cooperatively with the Interim Chief. I'll be handling other business in the meantime," she says calmly into the phone.

Joey murmurs to Ruiz, "Well so's mine. What we proving here?" There's no malice in it. Facts. He sighs murmuring to keep himself distracted before space gets small. Too small. "Doesn't keep her nose outta my business much." Talk about the unfortunate commonalities. Looking back to Vic he nods and steels his nerves and gets in the back of the cop car that has that smell of coffee, fast food, and bad life choices.

Man, fuck Thursdays. Well, at least he doesn't have to drive.