The following story is fictional and does not depict any actual person or event.
November 25, 1999
You didn't tell me these rows would ache, Ma.
Fashion hurts.
Hurts my eyes, Lutheretta.
Lutheretta? You calling me a girl?
It don't look too tough, that's all.
I like it Lu. There we go.
Look at the poster and tell me I don't look like "The answer".
You look like Brandy.
Hey. Cedric,
I saw that. He needs his strength.
And it's Thanksgiving for him, too.
Can I have the wishbone, Vaughn?
Man, what you gonna wish for?
I don't know. Lot's of things.
First we say thanks.
Lord, we are grateful for the meal we're about to receive.
And the blessings of family.
For Vaughn who stepped into his daddy's shoes after his passing,
and for Cedric,
always bringing home his stray mutts and whatnot.
He ain't a mutt.
And for Quincy, my dreamer,
head in the coulds and Luther the handsome
who don't look like Brandy
- much. - Hey.
And finally for our baby Patrick, let him get any wish he wants.
- And for you, too, Ma. - And for me, too.
Amen.
Vaughn Bubley, 1999
Cedric Bubley, 2001
Quincy Bubley, 2003
Yo, if I'm being held, I want a lawyer, you know what I'm saying?
Hey, you wanna talk about the murders just went down and talk.
Otherwise shut up until we get to you.
- Yo, I ain't seen no murders. - You sit on that stoop all day
and you missed these gangsters trading shots?
You know, screw all the cops all right, a thousand times.
That's good attitude, doughboy.
Hey, boss, we're back on the line tonight?
Oh, they got a triple, they need all the help they can get.
- Quiet out here, huh? - Little slice of paradise.
What went down? / 9th Street gang had a shoot out with the O's.
- What's the score? - 3 dead, 1 wounded.
All gangsters, community service workers.
- Anybody talking? - A lot of talk, no help.
No! Luther! Is that Luther? I need to go. That's my boy out there!
Do you understand me?
My boy is out there. That is my son.
- I know her. - Yeah?
Her son died, it was my first homicide.
Practically makes you friends.
Maybe she'll talk to you.
You get out of my face!
Get out of my face!
OK, hey, hey, Mrs. Bubley,
- you remember me? - I gotta get past this tape.
You can't do that right now.
I'm Detective Rush, I worked your son's murder.
Which son?
It was in '99.
- Vaughn. - Right. Vaughn.
And now we lost Luther.
I'm so sorry.
Don't be sorry little girl, just get out of my way.
Any idea who might have done this to him?
- Why you gonna solve this murder? - We're gonna try.
Like you solved Vaughn's? Or Cedric's or Quincy's?
- You lost four sons? - Patrick's all I got left.
And if he gets gunned down, you won't solve his murder either.
- Sutton come? - Took a leave.
- Yeah? She say why? - Just said it was personal.
Four out of five brothers dead.
All shot in Fairhill, all unsolved.
Mother give you any help on who killed them?
Mother gave me crap. Hates cops.
So, the shooting last night.
There's another turf war between the O's and the 9th Streeters?
Looks that way but the gang unit says the leader of the O's
Miguel Maldonado has some kind of running feud with the Bubley family.
What about?
Don't know but Miguel's name
was in every one of these boxes as a person of interest.
So you think he's behind all the murders?
What if Luther didn't just get caught up in a turf war last night,
maybe it was perosnal?
The problem is Miguel's untouchable.
'Cause snitches get stiches.
He is known as a real sadist.
Well there's one brother left. Patrick.
You get anyone to finger Miguel for these jobs we put him away.
Solve one Bubley murder,
solve them all.
And maybe keep Patrick from joining his brothers here.
Ow! What the hell?
Why did Luther Bubley shoot you, Carlos?
I didn't see no one shoot no one.
We got prelimenary ballistics back.
So? / So Luther's gun put that hole in your leg.
Maybe he shot me.
Ain't no thing.
And your boys shot him up outside that market.
Your boss Miguel tell you to kill Luther
over his problem with the Bubley's?
Bubley's ain't nothing to Miguel.
So why is he killin' 'em off?
You're the police,
you can't be gettin' all torture chamber on me.
Sorry, what?
- My leg! - Your what?
OK, OK, OK, damn!
You're a terrible cop, you know that?
Last night, Yin's Market?
How's the shooting start?
I was goofing around on my scooter.
You grab some milk, man, I'm grabbing the flakes, all right?
I don't want cereal.
OK well maybe Ma wants some.
She only remember smoke no more.
You gotta feul up before school.
I ain't going to school.
So what you saying?
You dropped out. Quit playing ball.
Yeah, well you ain't me, all right?
I'm not gonna let you waste your talent being stupid.
You wasted yours.
- Yo, go home, Trick. - What?
I said go home, now.
All right, fine. Whatever.
- Yo, man. - This is for Web D.
Fool had no cause to do what he did.
What was he talking about?
Web D?
Find out, you tell me.
Like to know why I was capped.
Thanks, Carlos.
What?
Patrick, this is Detective Jeffries.
We spoke to the guy your brother shot in the market.
But he said you were at the scene. / Nah.
Luther said the shooting was for Web D.
What's that mean? / What happened to Luther don't concern you.
Oh, 'cause you're gonna take care of it?
Someone's got to.
Maeve.
You again?
We're working on your son's murders.
Maeve, my name is Will,
look we need your help here.
I'm clean out of help for the police.
We think Miguel Maldonado's resonsible for killing your boys.
And? / And if we solve Luther's murder from last night,
maybe we can close all your boy's cases.
I don't know nothing about nothing.
- Come on, let's focus here. - Don't you talk to me like that.
You lost kids? Have you?
Then get out of here, I got no use for you.
That's not how you felt back in '99.
When Vaughn died. I was there. Remember?
You wanted my help, then.
Ah, crap.
The critter's got family.
- Should I notify them? - Yeah, go on.
I've just never done it before.
This is the perfect opportunity then
'cause this here ain't nothing but an NHI.
- No humans involved? - Yep.
I don't really believe in that.
Stick around long enough and you're bleeding heart'll run dry real soon.
That can't be my boy.
- It's Vaughn Bubley. - Oh, god, no.
- Vaughn's dead? - I'm afraid so.
Do you have any idea who might have done this?
Any of you?
He wasn't buying and he wasn't banging, if that's what you think.
No, I wasn't.
He was a good boy. He worked hard.
You gotta find out who did this, lady.
He was like a father to his brothers, you understand?
Yes.
- Vaughn's really dead? - I'm sorry.
I ain't gonna make it without him.
That was a long time back.
We know you've had it rough.
You know. Well, you understand my life.
- I'm trying to, Maeve. - Don't.
Don't waste your time doling out your sorry ass pity
like it's gonna do something when everyone knows
it ain't nothing but bull.
White police woman's bull.
- Come one, Maeve. - You know, I got a funeral to plan.
A burial to see to.
Know how much that costs?
You think I got money to pay for another boy dying?
Lay him to rest in any kind of decent way?
Any luck with the Bubley's?
No.
Nothing on Maldonado, Wed D.
A weird thing happened today when I was talking to the mother.
Yeah?
And she was going off on a tear and I was just tuned out.
Like I didn't care.
You're doing a job, Lil.
Sometimes that's all there is.
Ever meet my first partner?
Benny Fulcrum?
Retired now, isn't he?
I keep hearing his voice in my head, NHI.
- Oh, you're not like that. - I was.
- So, tommorrow will be different. - Maybe.
But I'll quit before I look in the mirror
and start seeing Fulcrum's face staring back at me.
I've seen your old partner's face. Nobody wants that.
The Bubleys hate us, boss.
A lot of Fairhill does.
So how do we keep from hating 'em back?
Boss say how long Sutton's on leave?
Nope.
Maybe she ran off with Seargent White?
Gil Sherman told me what really went down in Northeast.
Yeah? Dish.
It was a one way thing.
Guy made her life hell chasing her skirt around.
So they never...
She could have set the records straight.
Didn't think she had to.
That the security tape from the market?
Remember how no one saw nothing?
Interviewed every one of those guys, no help.
Same old same old.
That tall kid with all the bling?
He's in Quincy Bubley's file, too.
Theodore Clauson, Street name Cartier.
- Busted twice for selling rock. - And?
Was questioned as a witness in the Quincy Bubley murder '03.
He talk back then?
Says here, he couldn't recall the tragic events in question.
Guy witnessed two Bubley's get murdered.
That's something.
Lied to our faces the other night. Why's he gonna talk today.
We'll give him some incentive.
Cartier's gotta make a living.
To pay for all that bling.
No drugs today?
Shut him down.
I got a lemon, lemon and lemon.
- No cherry? - Lemon.
You guys friend of Cartier's?
Family, actually.
You looking to score?
Hook a brother up.
One sec, we'll get him for you.
- Cartier, got another customer. - Oh, yeah, huh?
Where should we send him?
Next villiage over to your competition?
Or a little east, into O town.
Man, ya'll mess with my livelyhood.
Hey, Cartier hook a brother up.
Are you really as stupid as you are? / Huh?
No drugs today, biff.
OK, OK. I'm playing.
Why did Luther Bubley shoot Carlos?
I don't know. For real.
For real? What's Web D?
Ask me a question I can answer,
'cause I cannot afford to have you on my stoop.
Quincy Bubley '03, you were there when he was killed.
What happened.
Quincy messed up. He went out of bounds.
Out of bounds how.
He got desperate to support his family
after Vaughn and Cedric passed.
Hey, don't anyone know what day it is?
Thanksgiving.
That's right. And look what I brought.
You brought chicken for Thanksgiving?
And I got the sides.
Get some plates on the table.
Quincy, you bring me something?
Come on Ma, not now.
All right, no, you're right.
Ma, let me fix you a plate.
Oh, you know, I ain't hungry.
I'll watch you eat.
We should say a blessing like we used to.
- Come on Ma, let's do it. - All right.
Thank god I remember how it's done.
Lord, we thank you for the meal we're about to recieve,
for the blessings of family...
Keep going, Ma. You're doing good.
No. I can't. I'm sorry.
- It's OK. - Yeah, we'll just eat.
Will you wait till next year?
- I'll set me back to my old self. - There you go.
You know get my job at the beauty shop back,
and get you off the streets.
That sounds good.
Next Thanksgiving,
maybe get some of your pumpkin pie?
Ah, now you got me thinking about it.
Or maybe, maybe it ain't too late,
maybe I can still whip one up.
I'll go to the store if you want,
get what you need.
But it's Thanksgiving,
I'm having dinner with.....
Yeah, all right. All right!
I'm coming.
I gotta go, Ma. Sorry.
- We'll save a slice of pie for you. - Maybe.
Come on. We gotta go.
All gonna be different, Quincy.
You see who pulled the trigger?
Flashing lights, screeching tires.
- You got a notion? - Told you,
Quincy was desperate to make bank,
- to do right for his family. - And?
And he branched out.
Started selling on the wrong block.
Whose block?
He's Jesus Maldonado.
Miguel's cousin.
Why didn't Miguel call me?
I guess he's busy.
He's gonna be a daddy.
It's Miguel's girl?
5-0, 5-0!
What are you doing?
- Hey. - Jesus Maldenato?
What do you want?
Let's have a chat.
When's the baby coming?
I don't know.
Be good to see a doctor.
Why do you care?
Ain't like you knocked me up.
I know a clinic near by.
And you're gonna get me in?
I'll take you there.
We'll talk about the daddy to be.
I ain't no snitch.
- Why's he hasslin' my woman? - Your woman?
Thought she was Miguel's.
Whatever.
She's pretty.
- Hanging with bangers though, that could get her in trouble. - Bull
DHS gets word, they take the baby.
Close that up, man.
That mean you gonna talk?
- About what? - Quincy Bubley.
Sold on your corner in '03 when he got shot up for it. / No.
Did Miguell give those orders?
Man, I hate doing this.
Baby should be with their ma.
Oh, come on man, don't twist her up.
Why's Miguel got it out for the Bubley's?
Bubley's bring it on themselves.
Their fault they're dying?
They're defective, man, they got bad genes.
You made a study?
I seen it for myself.
The night Cedric Bubley was killed.
Why are you on me like that when you know I'm Miguel's girl?
He don't care about you Letecia.
He just don't like to show it.
Don't you know he's all wrong for you?
And you're right?
I'll prove it.
I'm with your cousin.
And he's with about 10 other girls, too.
Don't you wanna be special?
I wanna see Miguel.
Probably up there with one of them now.
You shut up, Jesus.
Maeve Bubley was partying with the man who's killing off her kids?
The same night one of them gets dead.
See what I'm saying about bad genes?
That's cold.
Mom like you Maeve,
it's a wonder you have any boys left alive.
You are one tight ass bitch. You know that?
I think I actually felt bad for you.
Cedric's body wasn't even cold yet.
And you're lighting up with his killer.
That's what you think, huh?
I think you know why Miguel's killing your boys.
And you're so desperate to get your high on,
you don't even care.
I wanna leave.
That rock in your apartment says you're staying.
I ain't talking about that night.
You wanna stonewall?
Go ahead, stay here and get good and dope sick.
Miguel ever finds out I let a cop take me to the doctors...
He's the one that should be here with you. / Yeah, well.
Too busy, huh? Killing off kids?
I said I ain't a snitch.
You know Maeve Bubley,
lady you saw Miguel smoking crack with at the O's one night? / Yeah, so?
What was she doing there?
Miguel don't tell me nothing.
So he never confided he murdered four of her sons?
Got any feelings about that?
He's bad. I know.
Is he bad to you?
Runs with other girls?
Catch you in this situation, adios?
- Yeah. - So why are you loyal to him?
He ain't to you.
All I know about that woman is one of her sons asked for it.
Which one?
Funny looking one with glasses.
- Cedric? - Yeah.
Same night she was at the party but earlier.
When we was out for dinner.
Miguel Maldonado.
Who's asking?
You killed my brother Vaughn.
Vaughn?
He urkel-looking like you?
It's been two years and my family can't get back.
Two years.
Did you just find your cojones?
We tried getting better but what you took is still missing.
What do you want me to do about it?
This is for Web D. Come on, then!
I know you, you work at the pet store.
You sold me a scratch post.
Come on now bad boy, shoot!
You ruined our family.
Shoulda pulled the trigger when you had a chance!
So what Miguel set after him?
I just know he got shot that night.
Probably not a coincedence.
I know you're right.
Miguel's not good.
But I'm hung up on him.
Bet he'll make a hell of a parent.
So Miguel kills Vaughn in '99.
And Cedric gets killed in '01 trying to get pay back.
Leaving the Bubley's without a bread winner.
Quincy gets desperate, starts selling on the wrong corner.
Get's himself shot by the O's, Thanksgiving '03.
And Luther trades shots with another O at Yin's a couple nights ago.
And says it's for Web D.
Why did Miguel kill Vaughn in the first place?
What's this Web D everyone's dying over?
Where's my Ma?
- I'll bet he knows. - All right, just settle down, son.
It's OK. Come on.
I know you got her here.
Got a hold of your report cards, Patrick.
- From elementery school. - You gonna tell me where she is or not?
You're a gifted student. In Honor's classes.
Then I checked out high school, you're failing out.
I got other things to tend to.
What's Web D?
Why did Miguel kill Vaughn?
I wanna see my mom. Now.
- Think I care what you want? - Yeah that's right.
Show me your true colors now.
Well I'm busy, Patrick.
- You know why I won't talk to you? - Not really.
'Cause you look at people like us and think NHI.
No humans involved.
Think what you want, just get out of my face.
Guess who's crying out for room service.
Twitching pretty bad, huh, Maeve?
I tell you what you want, you let me out of here?
You don't make the deals, we do.
I gotta get what I need.
Then start talking about Miguel.
Why were you at his place the night Cedric was killed?
It wasn't for drugs like you think.
I was clean my whole life before that.
We don't care about your drug history.
Just why were you partying with Miguel?
You can't tell Patrick.
Crack making you deaf?
You talk. We deal.
All right.
I'll tell you.
And I hope you choke on it.
They say my boy Cedric is in a dumpster.
Someplace.
OK.
There's a lot of those in Fairhill.
The same boy who put a gun on my girl?
I gotta find him.
Bury him right.
I feel you.
But ain't nothing free.
I don't got no money.
There are other ways to pay, you know.
Just please
tell me where my son is.
This is my trigger finger.
Wanna start here?
You wanna suck on this first?
Get you warmed up.
He say where Cedric was?
An alley dumpster.
Cast off like trash.
Happy now?
No.
Wanna finish me off?
Go on, tell Patrick.
We won't, Maeve.
Then I can get the hell out of here?
Go get my need?
DA's office say we can charge Miguel?
We can arrest him for sexual assault.
But the case will never make it.
'Cause Maeve won't testify.
But Miguel doesn't know that.
Neither does Jesus.
So let's make a deal with him.
Get him to flip on his cousin.
Well, then he takes over the O's.
We replace one Maldonado for another.
Better than doing nothing.
Patrick Bubley's not gonna care who's running the O's,
he's gonna want revenge either way.
We ain't gonna get 'em both, Lil.
Yeah, we gotta pick our battles, win the ones we can.
It's no win if Maeve loses her last son.
You got a better idea?
You ain't got nothing on me?
Keep walking and shut up.
I didn't do nothing.
I said shut it Miguel.
Ain't no thing.
I ain't sweating, cous.
You will be.
Hey what, you wanna go with him?
Get out. Come on.
You gonna kick my ass now or what?
I wish.
Hey we know Miguel killed those four brothers.
We just can't prove it.
Well that's your problem.
Well let's think for a second here.
You really want Miguel back out on the street?
'Cause it occured to us maybe you want to run the O's yourself.
Well someone's gotta be king.
Maybe now you finally get your queen.
- Letecia? - Don't talk about her.
She's hung up on Miguel right now but how long's that gonna last?
Her man rotting away in a jail cell.
She's gonna move on.
Miguel's my blood.
So's that kid she's having.
He's gonna need a father.
You give us something real, Jesus,
Miguel never steps foot in O town again.
Vaughn Bubley. 1999.
How'd it go down.
Wrong is how it went.
All wrong.
Like I said Trick, all you gotta do is push off and then flow.
Push and flow.
There, that's it little man.
Push and flow.
Check me out V, I'm flying!
He just showed up.
Hey, hey, hey, hey, what's up,
- this is my alley. - Sorry.
Hey, what are you doing?
Taking this.
Go home, Patrick.
- Nah. I ain't leaving you here... - I said go home.
Look that scooter means a lot to my brother.
A lot to me, too.
Scooter ain't his no more.
Look man, I'm asking you with respect
please give me back the scooter.
Come on, cuz, it's only a scooter.
Whoa, tell that to him, bro, what's up?
- What you doing man? - I ain't, man
I ain't letting go man,
Man, out of the jaw.
You win, dawg.
And here's your prize.
Four boys dead.
All over a scooter.
Where we going?
I wanna show you something.
We arrested Miguel Maldonado for killing Vaughn.
So who took over the O's?
Oh, you're going after him huh?
Road you're going down Patrick,
leads right here.
There's a spot open.
next to your brothers.
Maybe this is how it goes.
Patrick, you're 15, you're just beginning your life.
Their death's on my back.
You think they want this for you?
Think your mom wants that?
- You don't understand. - No, I don't.
- But I need to. - Why?
Because it's how I stay human.
You are gonna make it without him.
Tell me what Web D is.
Nothing but dead air.
There's gotta be something.
I don't believe four boys are dead over a scooter.
It wasn't just a scooter.
It stood for something?
Everything.
And now for the winner of the 1999 W.E.B. DuBois essay contest,
Patrick Bubley.
Come over son, and get your brand new scooter.
Now I'm sure all of us would like to hear some of that
winning essay of yours.
You want me to read it, now?
Maybe just the begining.
In our city of Philadelphia, in 1910, W.E.B. DuBois wrote,
there was in this world
no such force as the force of a person determined to rise,
and I wrote about how I think so, too.
You did so good, Patrick.
You know what I'm going to call my scooter?
- What, little man? - Web D, like W.E.B. Dubois.
Web D.
That's good, Trick. I like that.
Teach me how to ride.
Yeah, man. It's easy.
All you gotta do is push off, and then flow.
Push and flow, push and flow.
* PM DawnÀÇ Faith In You *
* I don't kiss the future like the fortune tellers do *
* So I can't dream with you at night *
* Pessimism's hunger changes everything *
* I wish I walked with faith and not by sight but... *
* You know with anything you do *
* there's a hundred people bringing you down *
* No matter who you are *
* Don't let'em make you cause they'll break you *
* Don't let'em love you cause they'll hate you even more *
* So if no one else believes in you *
* I'm completely yours, and I've got so much faith in you *
* No matter what this life puts in front of you *
* You can save this world *
* I've got so much faith in you *
* Anyone who knows you sees the renaissance in you *
* And I have to try and act surprised *
* I'm a "prime demotivator" says my point of view *
* I wish I had some cheer to lead you to but... *
* No matter how much good you do *
* There's a million people wishing you harm *
* (I'm telling you) No matter who you are *
* Don't let'em make you cause they'll break you *
* Don't let'em love you cause they'll hate you even more *
* So if no one else believes in you *
* I'm completely yours, and I've got so much faith in you *
* No matter what this life puts in front of you *
* You can save this world *
* I've got so much faith in you *