The 'Vice-Canceler' of 'Joizey'

Officer Gwendolyn Becker - a “newbie” - at Newark P. D. down in 'Joizey', was combin’ the streets for a couple o’ thieves who’d been holdin’ up stations and stores... When - back in an alley - she spotted some fellas engaged in what looked like a brawl, and knowin’ the gangs in the turf she was workin’ were constantly fightin’ their wars, She radioed in - “I’m gonna need help...somethin’s about to go down... somethin’ big,” then she turned off her headlights, pulled to the curb, and wriggled the squad car in park. “It looks like there’s twenty, at least, in a circle, surroundin’ some guy in the center! I can’t really say what they’re up to for sure...they’re too far away, and it’s dark. “Ya’ might as well ring up the coroner, Trudy...the dude in the middle is screwed! I’m guessin’ a rumble’s about to break out ‘cause the alley is startin’ to get noisy!” But officer Becker had no way o’ knowin’ the guy on his own in the center was Mickey Lupino - a renegade cop - known as --- ‘The Vice--Canceler of Joisey’! “Don’t interfere,” the desk sergeant barked, “just keep on patrolling the streets. Agent Lupino’s arrestin’ those guys...he’ll bring ‘em in later tonight! None o’ them fools is about to resist...they know how Lupino can be. I’m tellin’ ya’ Becker...leave 'em alone...there ain’t gonna be any fight!” See...Mickey Lupino...who’d worked under cover for goin’ on twenty-five years...was known - in the ghetto - for bringin’ in perps that were seriously mangled - or dead, But Becker was guessin’ the elders were feedin’ the “newbies” with misinformation to put ‘em on edge when Lupino’d walk in...at least...that’s what Gwendolyn said! The guy had a presence like nobody else...a demeanor that Pit Bulls would envy...and in all o’ those years they were claimin’ Lupino had never been seen with a smile! While leery of privately checkin’ the rumors - for fear that he’d learn of her plan - and knowin’ that others had paid a high price for attemptin’ to question his style, Dyin’ to know if the stories were true...when a crime of the nature he’d cover came in to the Sergeant from outta the blue...young Becker decided to tail him! Her plan was to learn for herself if the legend was founded in facts, and, if so, to radio in to “Internal Affairs” for the backup required to nail him! She claimed that her sister was havin’ a baby and needed the afternoon off, then piled in her Rambler and - keepin’ her distance - followed his car off the lot. Shortly thereafter she noticed the journey was taking her deep in the boonies, and the farther she followed the more an’ more vacant the un-patrolled property got! Anxious to witness the unbridled fury a ‘vice-canceling’ agent can wield, she watched as he whipped out his Colt 45 and slid through an old iron door. Nervously parking her car out of view, she sneaked to the building he’d entered, and slipped through the door with a plan to record what she figured would equal a war! With no one in sight, she advanced through the building, worried he’d slipped from her grip, but not far away she could hear people talking, though not clearly hear what they said. Then, all of a sudden, a volley of gunfire shattered the deafening silence, and given the number of shots that were fired - she figured Lupino was dead! She sneaked to the spot near the end of the building where all o’ the shootin’ was done and just caught a glimpse of shadowy figure ejecting itself from the scene. With nobody talking, she naturally figured the guys he’d been after had fled... but stealthily entering the void she discovered more corpses than she’d ever seen, And Gwendolyn realized Mickey Lupino was everything people had said, and those on the force were correct in proclaiming the one thing he isn’t - is….‘NICE’, And Becker discovered - by tailin’ the guy - what a talented ‘Vice-Canceler’ does --- he gets him a badge - and a Colt 45…and runs around --- ‘cancelin’ vice’! PS: I've now got 4 new Audio-CDs - @ 4 1/2 hours each = (62 diversely varied pieces). They’re listed on EBAY - under - “Mark Stellinga Poetry” - or available by simply contacting me at -- mark@writerofbooks.com -- should those of you who enjoy listening to poems as well as reading them - and particularly those of you that travel - care to be so entertained. (We use safe and simple - PayPal) There are a bunch of my pieces on YouTube as well --- Cheers, Mark