The officers didn't get more than a knock in before Hummer opened the door.

"Hello officer is there anything I can do to help you?" asked Hummer. The dog had been instructed many times by Alex on how to properly deal with the police. Nothing was ever left to chance or misinterpretation by Alex or his crew, and he enforced this with extreme force.

"Good afternoon. Are you the owner of the house," asked Officer Garcia seemingly taking the lead in this visit.

"No, the owner of the house is indisposed at the present time. Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"No we just need to speak with the owner so please let him know that we are looking for him," continued Officer Garcia.

"Well, I'm a resident of the house and I said the owner is not available so you can come back at another time or you can ask me what it is that you need. Otherwise, I will let him know of your visit," insisted Hummer.

"Is the home owner in the house? Where is he?" asked Officer Roberts with perpetual annoyance and no patience regardless of the situation.

"I don't know where the home owner is at this particular time. I do know he is not available to come to the door at this particular moment. But you are more than welcome to wait for him," said Hummer confidently.

"That doesn't answer my question. Is the owner of the house in the house or not?" asked Officer Roberts again.

"As I said earlier, I do not know his present location," stood steady Hummer on his response.

"If you do not tell us where he is, we can charge you with interference of an ongoing investigation," pressed Officer Roberts not satisfied with the answers being offered by Hummer.

"I'm not aware of any open investigation on the owner at this time. Would you care to elaborate on the nature of the investigation so that I may be aware of the premise of your visit?" asked the dog politely of the two officer, careful of his wording.

"Listen can you please check to see if the home owner is on the premises?" asked Officer Garcia clearly playing the good cop in this situation.

"No. I don't think I can without further information as to the case or reason of your visit," further offered the savvy dog.

"When do expect the home owner to be available?" asked Officer Garcia realizing they would not be able to extract any free information from the dog.

"Hmm I really can't say," replied the dog.

"Then you don't mind if we wait inside do you?" asked Officer Roberts as he tried to put his head on the door.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I can't let you come in, but you are more than welcome to wait outside on the curb," replied Hummer.

"You seem kind of edgy in there. Is there something going on that you don't want us to see? Maybe some puff puff that you don't want to be caught with?" continued Officer Roberts attempting to break the dogs guard and guilt him to the Officers will.

"I am not at all on edge and without a warrant, anything going on in this house is out of your jurisdiction," continued to argue Hummer frustrating Officer Roberts more and more.

"Your behavior and lack of cooperation is making me uneasy, and is bordering on probable cause which would allow me to initiate a search of the premises," tried to reason Officer Roberts using the weight of the badge to dispel any impediments to his demands.

"I am merely exercising my civil rights and right to privacy. Having not received any clear reason for your visit and having answered your questions to the best of my knowledge I do not see ground for probable cause. And without a warrant if you attempt to egress these premises I am sure that the courts would be inclined to agree with me," replied the dog, not completely sure if he had any valid points, but still, standing confident in the face of the Officers.

Alex, comfortable with the civic knowledge displayed by his dog and the resistance shown to the cops, decided to comply with the Officers request. No need to make them suspicious. the Officers at this point would know that this household would not be one that would be easily intimidated.

"Hello Officer, I am the home owner. What can I do for you?" Alex said coming to the door and gently pulling his dog back with a nod of approval.

"Well looky who decided to show up?" said Officer Roberts suspicious of the sudden appearance.

"Ohh you said he wasn't home," said Officer Roberts to Hummer mockingly.

"I said I was not aware of his present location. Must have come in through the back door," replied Hummer smirking as he walked away. Office Roberts returned the gesture and cocked his head back, incredulous at the response.

"That's quite a black eye you have there, mind if I ask you how you got it?" asked Officer Garcia.

"Actually I do. Care to tell me if it's pertinent to your visit?" asked Alex, making it clear the interaction would not be any different.

"Broke your arm recently?" observed Officer Garcia.

"You know you are the second person I know of that broke their arm this week? I don't suppose you'll tell me how you got that one too?" asked again Officer Garcia.

"I'm afraid not unless I need to. I can't speak of coincidences with others. It's an unpredictable world out there," said Alex.

"Unpredictable, yes quite," Officer Garcia said.

"And if you are going to ask me how big my teeth, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you either," said Alex.

Officer Garcia smiled at the reference.

"No, no. Can I get your name please," asked the Officer.

"Absolutely, but can I see some identification first?" put forward Alex.

"Of course, would not have expected anything less at this point," said Officer Garcia.

Neither Officer could remember the last time they had been asked to show their I.D.'s during a home visit.

"Officer Joseph Roberts and Officer Sergio Garcia LAPD," identified Officer Garcia.

"Pleasure. Mind if I see your I.D. number?" asked Alex dragging out the visit.

"Of course, you want to write it down as well?" replied Officer Roberts sarcastically.

Alex took a look at them and replied, "No that's not necessary." He did not need to, having memorized the numbers on the spot.

"You don't need to check them against the public records now?" asked Officer Roberts.

"Not now. I'm sure I can trust that these are up to date. I mean if you can't trust the police than who can you trust, am I right?" continued Alex.

"Well if you are satisfied then, can I see your I.D. now?" asked Officer Garcia.

"Of course, anything for the police," said Alex as he handed over his I.D. to the Officer.

"Mr. Alex Mata. You are a very famous man around these parts, but you know what we have no idea why? I mean we have no track record of you. Spot clean, no parking tickets, jaywalking or anything. Not even littering citation and come on I mean it's LA everyone litters," said Officer Garcia.

"Is that bad? Isn't that what we want from our citizens? Law-abiding, god fearing people?" asked Alex.

"I mean, even I didn't have a clear record. I have some speeding tickets when I was younger. How about you Officer Roberts? You had a record on you?" asked Officer Garcia.

"Really? But how fast could you have been going on your big red wheel?" asked Alex who was older than Officer Garcia who smiled at the comment.

"Ha, yes. You'd be surprised actually," replied the Officer.

"Anyway, it's very interesting when we run across someone like you. Especially someone who is so well known and I can't figure out why that is?" asked again Officer Garcia.

"I can't say why that would be," replied Alex.

"Must be your winning personality," said Officer Roberts, coldly without any emotion.

"Is there something I can help you with then?" asked Alex again tired of running around in circles.

"Yes actually. You see, a few days ago there was a very exciting night for us. There was a fight at a Quinceañera a few blocks from here and wouldn't you now it that your name came up. And not long after that, there was a beating and a shooting reported not too far from the scene. So seeing as you are such a model of citizen we were wondering if you had any insight into these events," said Officer Garcia.

"Hmm, really? My name came up? My full name with the address and an accurate description. I mean did my social security number come up too? I find that highly unlikely," replied Alex surprised.

"No, just your first name," replied Officer Garcia.

"So the name 'Alex' came up. Because I'm sure there are plenty of Alex's. It's a very popular name. Heck I'd even bet there are plenty of pets named Alex just on this block," said Alex mockingly.

"That's true, I don't know about the pets, but yes, Alex is a very popular name...Especially around this area because it keeps coming up and this address specifically that we wouldn't be very good cops if we didn't at least check it out," said Officer Garcia.

"Well, please tell me you are not going around every household where an Alex resides on the off chance that one of them will confess to their involvement in these incidents. And without any solid evidence or case? It sounds like border line profiling, which would not be very good police work also, in my humble opinion. But I am no expert. Like my record shows, I don't have too much experience dealing with the police," said Alex, playing up the well-rehearsed part.

Both Officers didn't have much more to do than look at each other and acknowledge the great performance of stone walling they had just been witness too.

"Yes, you are right. We don't have any evidence and we are not going after every Alex. And you are dead on with the police work for not having dealt with them on the past. But you know there is such a thing as a gut feeling and I think there is more to this incident so don't be surprised if you see us patrolling these area and investigating these incidents more. You know for your safety," said Officer Garcia.

"I'm sure having grown up on these streets and this being your first year on the force that you would want to be ambitious and feel like you understand the underground element. But isn't that an investigators job?" questioned Alex.

"Ohh so you have looked up my file?" said Officer Garcia surprised at the insight from Alex.

"Like I said, I don't need to look you up," inferred Alex, putting the Officers on notice.

"That being the case. You'll understand if I'm ambitious and want to make sure I cover everything on my route," said Officer Garcia.

"Ehh. First year rush to prove yourself and go all Hollywood procedural on your first case can lead you down a path you never recover from. A'marite Officer Roberts?" asked Alex presumably intimate of Officer Roberts file too.

"Careful. You are walking on thin ice now," responded Officer Roberts in a stone, no joke face which was his specialty.

"I know. It's always a thin line with you. And I am always careful," replied Alex.

"Anything else?" asked Alex confident he had tied things up neatly for the Officers.

"No, that's all. For now," said Officer Garcia, stressing the later.

"If there is anything else please do let me know. I'll always be here," said Alex as the Officers headed off the walkway.

"Ohh one more thing. You wouldn't happen to know where T.J. and his friends are do you? He is mysteriously out of town after he and two of his friends where identified on the fight. He also happened to be the one who named you so I figured you might know since he is known to frequent this house and a known associate of yours," asked Officer Garcia.

"T.J.? No Officer I can't say I know of his whereabouts," is all Alex was willing to offer up.

"Why does it feel we've just been through this? Nobody ever seems to know where anybody is around here. I don't suppose he is in the house?" asked Officer Roberts.

"I can guarantee you he is not inside this house," said Alex with absolute certainty.

"You wouldn't mind us looking then would you?" asked Officer Roberts.

"I'm afraid not without that warrant," replied Alex.

"I thought as much. It's Okay, we'll be back. Have a good day," said Officer Garcia as they left.

Alex locked the door behind him while Q-ball awaited him.

"I have a feeling we are going to have issues with this boy-scout. Lay low on the soldier and the creeper. We don't need more heat on this matter. Let it cool down and then we'll pick up on it. We may need to move phase 2 up though," said Alex.

"The soldiers little sister keeps trying to get into on T.J.'s crew," offered Q-ball.

"Hmmm, maybe it's time to give her a shot. Keeping enemies close and shit. I expect T.J. to handle his end. I have to see the Don and I don't intend to present low figures to him," said Alex.

1>~