Fast Eddie Friday.....They say 50 is the new 49.....

Here we go, fast and loose.

Shon ( my wife ran away with a rich stranger) Pernice is being squeezed like fresh orange juice. Tampering with a witness, 250 k bond, Grand Jury Indictment, not good if you are him. Yesterdays news that Shon The Shovel was being held on such a high bond makes me believe he is the recipient of the old " More than one way to skin a cat" routine. The thinking being, if you squeeze hard enough your suspect will crack. Ever since Renee Pernice went missing her husband Shon has been the main suspect. He has also been on a slow melt down. Allegedly stealing a pistol from a neighbor, drunken run ins with neighbors, questionable choices of interviews. Lets face it, the guy is a walking train wreck. Clearly the cops have narrowed the suspect list down to one. The fact that he hasn't been charged isn't a big surprise, murder cases are hard to make with no body, no witnesses, and no declaration of death. Now comes the Grand Jury indictment for witness tampering. Grand jurys usually don't hear cases like this one. I'd say the tampering charge is probably thin as well, otherwise they would have just charged him without a Grand Jury hearing the case.

Back when I was at the top of my criminal career I felt the squeeze. For about an 8 month period I woke many a morning to find an unmarked car out front of my house. Kansas City had formed a unit known as the Career Criminal Unit, at the time they had only been around for a couple of years at best . Detective Bob Guffey was the lead guy, he usually rode around with another Dick whose actual name I don't recall, I just remember they called him Pancho. He was a thin guy with a pock marked face. Guffey was a chunky guy with a mullet, hey it was the late 80's early 90's, what are ya gonna do. The first few months it was a game, cat and mouse, lots of flipping off, plenty of posturing. I had a mobile command center, a rolling forgers office, where I kept the tools of my trade. It was a late 60's AMC Ambassador, stripped down, a big block Chrysler motor, and a hole cut in the floorboard. The car wasn't registered to me, the tags came from a junkyard, it looked plain, ran like a scalded dog, and it had that James Bond ala Joe Dirt trapdoor in the floor.

My favorite place to park the car was in the underground parking at the old Wornall Bank on 79th. I'd drive my regular car in and reappear in my rolling forger mobile. I'd go do my dirt, return the car, then pick it up the next time I needed it. The tricky part was making sure I wasn't being followed before I made the switch. Criminals, especially those who choose fruad as a career path tend to be ego driven. We think we are smarter than your average run of the mill robbers and burglars, and for the most part that's true. We also think we are smarter than the police, which isn't always true. The last time I drove that car I was bringing it back to my spot. I pulled down in the parking area only to find Bob and his pock marked partner laying in wait, a chase ensued. We ended up on Blue River road, every time Id hit a curve and they were out of sight, I'd tear up some evidence, checks, loan papers, etc, and send them through the hole in the floor. We ended up on a back road in Grandview. I got far enough ahead of them to whip into an elks lodge, pull behind the building, and pat myself on the back for shaking my tail and disposing of the evidence. Unfortunately I hadn't shaken shit, Bob Guffey appeared at my drivers window, pistol in my face, game , set , match. I didn't catch a case, not then anyway. I did receive a free ride to jail, about 8 or 10 tickets, and an impromptu ass beating in a gravel parking lot. Note to self, gravel leaves a dust cloud.

My point, the squeeze, I've felt it, and you can bet your ass Shon Pernice is feeling it. Like me Pernice thinks he is smarter than the cops, and that's where all similarities end. I've never been a suspect in a homicide case, or any violent crime for that matter. Prediction time; Pernice isn't a criminal, not in the true sense of the word, he may be a killer, he is clearly a drunken moron, and a sociopath who cares little for his children, his only concern is Shon. His actions over the past couple of months show that he is starting to crack, he is breaking down. if the D.A. is smart they will allow the bond to be lowered, let Pernice get out, and reapply pressure. The guy is ready to crack. when you crack, you make mistakes, you get caught. That's how the game is played.

Now, to end this overly long post. Monday marks 50, count em 50 years I've been on this planet. I'm as surprised as anyone. From the stories I've revealed on this blog, no doubt most readers would concur, it's a miracle I've made it to the half century mark. People are always saying shit like "I don't feel 50", or whatever age they are turning. But how do they know how 50 is supposed to feel? I look back over the years, and I feel every day of those 50 years. I'm glad to be here, not planning on checking out anytime soon. I have moments where I miss the old life, then I recall the downside to that way of life, and I let it go. I'm guessing Bob Guffey and Poncho Pockmark are retired by now, as am I, at least from my former occupation. My life is better than I have any right to expect it to be. I hope Guffey and Poncho are enjoying retirement as well. No doubt they would be as surprised as anyone that I made it this far. Have a safe weekend. Thanks for reading.