Gifts From The Kasbah by Robert F. Clifton (smart ebook reader txt) 📕

At nine thirty five in the morning Wallace spoke to the city hall telephone operator. “This is Captain Wallace. I want to make a long distance call , person to person. The name of the party is Andrew Cummings. The number in Washington, D.C. Is area code two zero two, six one six nine zero nine zero”.

As he waited Wallace sipped coffee and although tempted ignored the donut waiting to eat it after finishing his conversation with Cummings. After listening to the operator completing the call he heard Cummings voice on the line.

“Robert, what's up?

“Hello Andy. Glad to know that you're still with Interpol”, said Wallace.

90. “Yeah, this is the last hurrah. They stuck me behind a desk in Washington”.

“I know. I heard it from Tim Kelly. Wasn't your last assignment in Europe?”

“ Yeah, England”

“Andy, I have Lieutenant Bill O'Neil sitting here with me. He is in command of the vice squad and since I'm going to ask you a couple of questions about narcotics. Hopefully you'll have the answers and when you answer Bill and I might learn something. If you don't mind I'd like to put you on speaker phone”.

“No problem, Cummings replied.

“Good. OK, here we go. I'm investigating two homicides. Both victims were heroin users. At present I have three suspects, a husband and wife and a young man age about twenty two. The married couple are American citizens, but came from Morocco after World War Two. The husband is reported to be an expert on manufacturing hashish. He also grows flowers for his wife. The wife is versatile in using dry flower petals and Moroccan cuisine where the petals are used as a spice.

Together, they own a Moroccan style supper club which they built in the out of the way woods of Cape May County. Now, I'll get to the point. I believe that they are dealing heroin, marijuana, hashish, and recently hash oil. I think the heroin is stuffed into flower blossoms then boxed appearing as take out food. Here's my first question. Why would they cover the stuffed flower blossoms with flower petals?:”

“It sounds to me that the type of heroin is crude, possibly black tar heroin. Black tar has a vinegar smell caused by the ingredient, acetic anhydride. They are trying to cover the odor of the heroin”, advised Cummings.

“Great, that answers that question. I have information that the husband, Jabar el Himidi could possibly have contacts with the Mexican drug cartel.

I think that's where he's getting his supply. If the New Jersey operation is selling drugs concealed in flower blossoms is it possible that it's shipped to him in the same way?”

“More than likely Bob. I remember a case in England where Dutch dealers in Holland moved a ton of marijuana by hiding it in shipments of tulips and daffodils. With your suspect maybe having ties to Mexico, the Mexican method is to place marijuana with stems, flowers and leaves in with roses. If your man is an expert in making hashish, then that's the way he would want to receive it. Recently, heroin dealers in South America using a front as flower merchants shipped their flowers in cardboard boxes. Those receiving the shipment remove the flowers, tear the boxes into small pieces and then with a solution turn the box into liquid heroin”.

“Hey, what you're telling me backs up my theory. One more question. To your knowledge is anyone, South America or Mexico shipping hash oil?”,

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asked Wallace.

“No. Hash oil is usually made or manufactured on site and sold in the immediate area of the site. Which one of your suspects is using hash oil?”

“The young American”.

“I'm going to take a shot in the dark. Hash oil is not a hot ticket item in Morocco, so I don't think your man Himidi is manufacturing BHO”.

“What's BHO?”, asked Wallace

“Oh, I'm sorry. BHO stands for butane hash oil or butane honey oil,” Cummings answered.

“They use honey?”

“No. What happens is they take a long glass tube and pack it with

marijuana. Then they pour liquid butane into the tube and it flows slowly over the weed. When the solution comes out of the end of the tube it is the color of honey.

Next, they have a bowl of very hot water. The container holding the solution is placed over the bowl of hot water and it more or less crystallizes. When it cools it turns to the color of dark motor oil. The user then uses a dabber. He inserts the end of the dab into the oil, places a drop in a bong, heats it with a torch, inhales and gets a supposedly high greater than smoking in the general way”.

“Then your explanation and description points to the young man supposedly hired as the bouncer”, said Wallace.

“Well, who ever it is probably introduced a new way to make and sell marijuana to the Moroccan couple. In all probability he has joined the operation as some kind of partner. If I were you, I'd start checking for companies filling large orders of butane to him and also his bank account”, Suggested Cummings.

“I'll do that Andy. Thanks for your help. Your information confirms a lot in our investigation. Now I need to figure out how the flowers are arriving and you can bet it's not by UPS or Federal Express. You know if you need anything down here on our end all you have to do is yell.”

“Hey, you take are...Good by”.

Hanging up the telephone Wallace turned to O'Neil. “Well, did you learn anything?”

“Hell yeah”.

“So did I”. Wallace then dialed the number for the outer office.

“Major Crime Squad, Detective Mckenna”.

“I thought I sent you out on the street looking for information?”, said Wallace.

“Right now all of my informants are in bed Cap”.

“Alright, is Myers there?”

92. “Yes sir”.

“Then both of you come in here”.

“On the way”.

Both young detectives walked into Captain Wallace's office and stood in front of his desk looking at him. Wallace looked up at the two and said, “Time to make yourselves useful. Tom, I want you to find every butane supplier in New Jersey. Make a list and list them alphabetically. Carol, find me a map of New Jersey, one that I can write and draw on”.

“How about suppliers in Philadelphia Cap? Philly is closer than North Jersey”, said McKenna.

“Good thinking, list Philly suppliers also”.

“Yes sir”.

Twenty five minutes later Officer Myers handed Captain Wallace a folded map. He looked at it and read, “Map of New Jersey showing Delaware and Parts of Pennsylvania”. He then unfolded the map and spread it out on top of his desk. Running his forefinger over the delineation he stopped when he got to the words, “Reeds Beach”. He then looked at what was designated as “U.S.95” and following the red line with his eyes until he came to the words , Delaware Memorial Bridge. Looking up at Myers he said. “That's too damn far. Too many weighing stations, and highway patrols. Let's look again. They say the shortest distance is in a straight line.”. He returned to the words, Reeds Beach and held his finger there as his eyes scanned the map. “Wallace, you dumb ass! It's as plain as the nose on your face.

You wanted to know why Himidi built out in the woods near Reeds beach? Well here's your answer, the Cape May, Lews Delaware Ferry. The flowers come up from either Florida or Texas. As soon as they can the drivers get off of the main highway and use the old routes like U.S. 1. In the case of delivery to the Kasbah they pull their tractor and trailer on to the ferry, float across Delaware Bay and enter Cape May County. In less than an hour they unload in Greenfield at the supper club”.

Looking up from the map and at Carol Myers Wallace said. “Go back to your desk and get the telephone number for Cape May Court House. Then, call the number and ask for the trash collection schedule for Greenfield. Let me know what they tell you”.

“Yes sir”.

Just as Detective Myers was leaving the office the telephone on the Captain's desk rang. Wallace answered, “Major Crime Squad, Captain Wallace”.

“Robert?, Manny here”.

“Doc?, kind of early for you to call. What's on your mind?”

“I'm calling from the University of Pennsylvania”.

“What the hell are you doing there?”

93. “I had my friend run a test on samples I took from the Esposito girl. The samples were subject to the Abott TDX Analyzer. Guess what? I was right. We found neriin”.

“That's nice. I hope your friend doesn’t mind testifying in court”.

“He doesn't mind. I advised him of that possibility before he ran the test”.

“Well, thank him for me and doc?”

“What?”

“Thank you “.

After hanging up the phone, Wallace made written notes and placed them in the file. As he did Carol Myers came back into the office. “Captain? I called Cape May Court House. There is no trash or garbage pick up by the county in Greenfield. Residents and business people either contract with private companies, or take care of their trash themselves”.

“Interesting, thanks Carol”.

“You're welcome. Do you mind if I help McKenna? There are many, many butane suppliers between New Jersey and Philadelphia”.

“Actually, you can tell him to stop looking. I have something else in mind. When you go back tell him I want to see him”.

“Yes sir”.

“Five minutes later Tom McKenna walked into the Captain's office. “You wanted to see me?” he asked.

“Yeah Tom. With your visit to the Kasbah, did you happen to notice if they had dumpsters for their trash?”

“No sir. I think they burn their waste material. When I was in the parking lot I smelled a mixture of garbage and smoke. Actually it reminded me of the city incinerator outside of town”.

“OK. Anything on Emma Prescott?”

“Yes sir. I just got off of the telephone with the security officer for Iberia Airlines. That's the last of all the airlines I checked with. None of them have a Emma Prescott flying to Spain during the past year and six months”.

Wallace wrote the information on a lined yellow tablet. “Thanks Tom. Don't make any plans for tonight and if you did change them. And, by the way wear old clothes, preferably, black. Meet me here in the office at midnight. By the way did you see or hear any watchdogs at the Kasbah?”

“No sir”

“Good, good”.

Near midnight, Wallace stood at his desk and opened the black, nylon back pack and examined the interior. He didn't know exactly what evidence he

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would find, but he was sure that he would find something. He closed the pack then tested the black, pen light. Seeing that it cast a straight, steady stream of light he shut it off, then instinctively reached into his trouser pocket making sure the extra batteries were there. He looked up to see Tom McKenna standing in the doorway. McKenna was attired completely in black.

“All set”, said the young detective'.

OK, let's get going. We've got a way to go and might have to wait until well after the place closes. I'm betting that since they're closed on Sunday` that it's the day they burn their trash. If I'm right, then what I'm looking for will be there”.

“What are we looking for Captain?”

“Used butane canisters, shipping invoices and cardboard boxes”.

95. Chapter Twelve

At nine o'clock in the morning Wallace and Mckenna sat in the Captain's office drinking coffee. As they did a crime scene investigator dusted three, empty butane canisters for fingerprints. “Let me know if you find anything”, said Wallace to the technician.

“Do you think those papers I found are anything we can use?”, asked McKenna.

Wallace picked up a dirty white sheet of paper and looked at it.

“To me it appears to be either an invoice or a shipping slip. I forgot most of the Spanish I learned in high school, but I think the words, “Libre Transporte” mean Jack Rabbit Transport. The words, Matamoros, Tamaulipus are probably where the trucking firm is