Sunday, June 30, 2013

Just Like To Have My Way

Hello Girl, it's me..
I was thinking about you again today...
Yeah , I figured you might be busy...
And I don't really have nothin to say...

Don't know what I keep callin
you for...
Can't get around the fact that
we aren't seeing each other anymore..
No,I don't really have anything different
to say...
It's just that I want you back baby...
I just like to have my way../

Do you ever think about me sometimes?
Because I think about you...
Do you ever wish we could get back together?
Oh , no to both??...
Well I know that I sure as hell do...

I've cried over you so much
like a child who has lost a toy...
And I got to tell you,
admitting this to you doesn't bring me any type of joy...
A baby can cry so much
until you do everything it will say...
But unlike a crying child, I see
that my tears won't help me to get my way../


Don't know what I keep callin
you for...
Can't get around the fact that
we aren't seeing each other anymore..
No,I don't really have anything different
to say...
It's just that I want you back baby...
I just like to have my way../

Guess I just like to have my way ...
Maybe that was the problem baby...
Guess I just like to have my way...
Yeah, I guess that was what went wrong with us...
Guess I just like to have my way...
No baby...
Don't hang up!

Friday, June 28, 2013

Steamy

Sepia and I were having coffee at Sam Mother's Diner...Eagerly awaiting the Architect of the Duplex that she and the vacationing Bonita were having refurbished and were preparing to buy...

A young white guy, about my age and my build walked in...He didn't know me, but he knew Sepia...He smiled and joined us at our table...I ordered him a tumbler of coffee...

"Hello Mrs. Morris...I'm Chadd Lincoln Jr.." he said.

"Hi Chadd...This is my Husband, Kevin Morris." she said.

"Pleased to meet you." I said.

He looked at the design of the Duplex and smiled...

"Oh My God...It appears there is a small sub-basement...and it conceivably could be an apartment...In fact..It was designed...By my father to be the quarters for the B-Mechanic...There is a little kitchen down there and a refrigerator...and a sink....and uhhh maybe a cot...but we scrapped the idea...This was supposed to be closed off." he said.

''Why?" I asked.

''Because...it's too hot....There are steam pipes down there...They heat the water in both condos...and it just gets too hot in the summer and too damp...Plus there is no sunlight...Not much fresh air...It would be miserable...." he said.

"But conceivably...two people could hide there temporarily..." I said,

"Yeah, but not much longer than a week...It's unbearably hot..." he said.

I duked him a few dollars and paid for his coffee...

"Thank you...you've been very helpful." I said.

"You're quite welcome...Nice meeting you Mr. Morris...Sepia...always a pleasure." he said and slyly looked her over and then left the establishment.

"Well Lover....That means those people have been in that building the whole time....Hiding out...They're waiting for the uh heat (no pun intended) to die down and then they're going to sky up!" said Sepia.

"Yeah...well..I'm not going to give them that chance." I said.

Sepia and I drove by the duplex again... It was quiet...I looked around... There was no way these two could enter into either unit I thought until I found it!!! A side door in the back...

''You ever see this door before?" I asked.

"Yeah, but I never tried it...I doubt that Bonita did either.." said Sepia.

"Stay here..You got your gun?" I asked.

"Of course...I'm not going to get caught slippin this time lover....I'll bust a cap in someone if they try anything." she said.

I smiled...I leaned over and kissed Sepia...


"Okay...Okay, that's enough...Or we'll wind up back in that bedroom again." she said and smiled..

I went back in and walked up the stairs to the second unit....Floyd Peterson had just finished up...

"I'm done...You like it?" he said.

I smiled...

''You decided to go without the carpets?" I said.

''Yeah..it's too hot...I pulled em up and redid the floors..Looks great don't it? Speakin of hot...You and the missus was hot and steamy the other day....I heard you through the windows...The whole block probably did!!! Damnnnnnnnnnnnnn mannnnnnnnn...I don't blame you though...If my old lady was that hot..I'd be tearin it up every chance I got." he said.

"Okay Mr. Peterson..I just needed to ask you a question...Have you ever been in here workin and heard other people in here...??" I asked.

"Yeah...I been meaning to tell your wife...I think there is a couple squattin in that old steamy sub-basement ." he said.

"What? You know this?" I asked.

''Well let's just say, you and the missus weren't the only couple gettin busy in here yesterday..After you guys left..I heard them gettin it on...Couch was just a squeaking...She was moanin...and he was moanin..." he said.

"So it's two people down there?" I said.

"Yeah...a man and a woman...When they aint doin the nasty...they arguing..." he said.

"That door is locked..."I said.

"I got a key!!! I got keys to all these units ." he said.

I looked at him side eyed...

"You're just full of surprises Mr. Peterson." I said.

"That I am." he said.

II-
That afternoon, Sepia and I drove back to the Duplex....Lawd this woman was driving me crazy...She had on some black tights and a large white blouse over it and some matching black flats...I couldn't bring Sepia out with me on a consistant basis like this...She was a bit too sexy...

We quietly walked around on the first floor and it was then that I heard the voices , coming through the vent...

"Damn it William...I can't stay down here much longer...It's too damn hot...Why don't we just make a run for it? Plus the food is running out and I can't risk using this credit card anymore...By now the cops have either frozen it or they're monitoring it."

''Yeah ,let's do that,let's make a run for it and get knocked by the cops...Good thinkin Emma....Look...All we gotta do is chill down here for a few weeks...The cops will give up lookin for us and then we come out..We fence that merch we got in those storage units and we head to Cali...Where the cops don't know us..Far away from here."

"You got it all figured out William...Why'd you have to shoot him?  "

''He said he was going to the cops...I couldn't allow him to do that."

"William...So we could've let him go to the cops...He didn't know our real names...He didn't even have a photo of us...Now we are wanted for murder....And don't forget that guy you shot in AC three years ago!! You gotta watch your temper...You'll mess around and we'll both be on a table getting a needle."

"They can't prove we did nothin...And like you said...No cop here in Philly knows our names...But I still want to chill until the heat is off...Which it will be in a few days...."

"Bill? In a few days? It's as hot as hell down here..."

"Take off some more clothes .."

"You wish...That's not helping me..."

"Well it would sure help me....Heh Heh heh.."

"It's too hot for that....I've sweated my perm out...and I'm down to my panties and bra now...It's too hot...I'm getting out of here or at least going upstairs..."

"You''ll do no such thing....Now pipe down!"

I looked at Sepia and whispered...

"It's them...They killed Mr. Stevens...They've been here, right under our noses the entire time...Go out to the car....Call Sissy...Tell her to get over here...I've got both killers.." I said.

"Where are you going lover?" said Sepia..

"I'm going down there and get em...It's only two of em..a man and a woman!" I said.

"Kevin!!!" said Sepia..

"It's all good...Call Sissy." I said.

Sepia slipped out of the house and walked over to our car... I walked down the back walk way, took out the key that Floyd Peterson gave me and unlocked the door...Then I headed down the stairs into the sub basement.

III-
I eased down the steps into this creepy boiler room.. It looked like something out of a horror movie... I crept  along the path where I had heard voices... I pulled out my .38 smokeless and walked through the steam and the semi darkness...

She wasn't lying....It was hot as hell down here...

I peered around a corner and a saw a very attractive ,shapely woman with brown skin like my wife's in a pair of purple, silk panties and a matching purple bra....Unfortunately she saw me before I could duck back and screamed....

"WILLIAM!!! SOMEBODY IS DOWN HERE!!!" she shreiked...

William  was in his boxers...White with red hearts and angels on them and a wife beater undershirt...Sweating profusely with a .38 smokeless of his own!!!

"Is he a cop?" she yelled....

"Nah..just a newsy somebody that wandered too far." he said and fired a shot at me...I ducked and returned his fire, just missing his head...

"The game is up William, Emma...I know who you are...I know you killed Jack Stevens...The police are on their way...Give it up!" I said.

"He's a cop William." shouted Emma, who took off running...

''No he's not...If he was he would've said so...and at any rate...He's alone..He shouldn't have come down here by himself.." he said and fired again...

I returned his fire!!!

"Man are you crazy...Put that gun away...You'll hit one of these steam pipes.." I yelled...

"Yeah....You put yours away." he yelled and fired again!...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...I DON'T BELIEVE IT...I'VE BEEN SHOT!" yelled Emma, who fell to the ground...She had been hit in the shoulder....

"Look what you made me do....You're a dead man!!" he yelled and fired another shot which hit a pipe...

Hot steamy water sprayed out and splashed on him....

"EEEEEEEEEEEEYOWSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSA!  ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" He screamed and tossed his gun up in the air......."WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  NELLLIEEEEEEEE...ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA...WHOOOOOOO!" he yelled as hot water scorched him...

He leaped up and down and yelled.....


IV-





To my surprise...Emma Short Downy was dead!!...That gunshot had gone through her shoulder and had went downward and pierced her heart! No more grifting for her...

William Downey was arrested, still screaming from the burning hot water that drenched his lower body and back...
I shook Detective Tony Hopkins hand....

"Cracked your first case as a primary....Congratulations young man." I said.

"No, Thank you Kevin..." he said.

"Wow Kevin...Once again you came through for us." said Lt. Sissy Van Buren....

"Your kid did good work...If we had known about the sub-basement the first day...we could have closed this case days ago." I said.

"How did you find out about it If I may ask?" said Sissy...

I pointed to Floyd Peterson , who was standing across the street ogling Sissy...

"He told me this morning." I said shrugging my shoulders....

He walked over to us...

"Hellllloooooooo Ms. Lieutenant." he said..

"Why didn't you tell us about the sub-basement three days ago?" asked Sissy.

"Nobody asked me." he said.

I smiled....

''He's got a point Sissy." I said sheepishly.

"Now look doll...I uh am all done working on this place...I'd like to take you out to dinner...I know a nice place with some good wine and a nice thick New York Strip steak and some good music...How about it?..Because I haven't been able to get you off of my mind since I first laid eyes on you." said Floyd Peterson.

"I'm flattered Mr....What is your name again?" asked Sissy...Who could see me trying hard to contain my laughter....

"Floyd Peterson...I'm a carpenter,plumber and electrician..." he said.

"As I was saying...I'm flattered, but I'm in a serious relationship already..." she said...Which was the truth.

"Wow!!! It figures...Anybody as attractive as you would have to have a man....Oh well...Look, here is my card..If you need any electrical work or plumbing or carpentry done on your place...Just give me a call...I'll charge you half price sugar!" he said and winked...

By now, Sepia had come over and had put her arms around me...

"It's amazing...I was single and dateless for two years...Then, as soon as I get in a decent relationship..Everybody comes out of the woodworks...Rollie Rollerson, Ed Cantrell...Floyd Peterson!! Oh my God!" said Sissy...

"And it's never like, the type of guy you wouldn't mind flirting with you...It's always some crazy guy." said my wife Sepia...

"Okayyyyyyyyyyy." said Sissy who high fived my wife... I just laughed...

V-

Later that night, I drove by Jean Steven's house. I knocked on Jean Stevens door...She came to the door in a black neglige....My eyes almost popped out of my head...she noticed and tried in vain to cover her huge breasts..

"Is this a bad time? I can come back..." I said.

"What is it that you want?" she said. I could have said a lot of things right then, but I didn't.

"One of your father's killers is dead and the other one is in custody.I just thought you'd like to know."I said.

''Wait a minute" she said and closed the door.

She came back to the door...with a white bathrobe on and an envelope...

"Here ,this is two thousand dollars...I hope this is enough....Thank you oh so much...I uh...er have company."she said...

"Jean honey, come on back to bed....I can't wait." came a familiar voice...

''Coming Rollie." she said.

Rollie??? Rollie Rollerson?? Apparently he had gotten over Sissy faster than most would have thought.

"This is fine Jean...I'll be going now." I said and I got back in my car....

It was a warm summer night...Her window was open...I could hear the bed squeaking...headboard ramming against the wall and the moans of good love making..

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...Jeannnnnnnnnnn..."

"Ohhh baby, give it to meeeeee....ummmmmmph..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....ouuuuuuuuuu, more, Jean more... ohhhhhh..."

"Sock it to me Rollie...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gooooddddddd it's soooo goood Jean...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

"Morrre...Morreee....morrre...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu...I love you soooooooooooooo much Rollie...ouuuuuuuuuuuu.."

Apparently Jean was done grieving her late father too, for the moment!

I counted my money in my car and laughed out loud...a good fat belly laugh...What a night this had been!

EPILOUGE-




William Downey was convicted of  the Second Degree Murder of John Stevens and manslaughter in the death of Emma Short Downey..his wife and of identity theft and wire fraud.... He was given the maximum sentence.. Life with no possibility for parole!!!

Sepia and I were chilling in our living room the next night...I put a roll of money on the dresser..


"That's two G's Babes...Full payment from Jean Stevens for helping put her father's killer behind bars..."I said.

"Wow...what are we going to do with that?" she asked me...

"Well...I was thinking about having our kitchen and our bathroom redone...." I said.

"That sounds like a good idea..." she said.

"And I know you probably won't have any tenants yet for your new duplex...I was thinking that we could stay there until the work is finished..."I said.

Sepia looked at me and smiled...

"You really liked how that bed felt didn't you?" she said.

"Yes indeed." I said.

"Me too!" she said laughing...

"You know , we should consider getting a bed just like it." I said.

"We could do that now...Why wait?" said Sepia...

"Yeah why wait." I said as I pulled her to me, dimmed the lights and kissed her passionately.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Other Levels

I had two tumblers of coffee on the hood of my car and I stood in front of the storage units in the early morning awaiting Detective Tony Hopkins...I had gotten a tip from a semi -retired fence that the mysterious Marilyn Blake and a unidentified man was trying to fence a lot of goods and that they had them stored here...The owner would not open the units for me...I could have gotten Lockpick Johnson to get me a look inside ,but I didn't want to go that route...the legal way was better..so I called Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace and he got a warrant....
He told me that Detective Hopkins would be out first thing in the morning....I checked my watch...It wasn't long before he drove up...I could see that he had someone else in the car...I wondered if it was the lovely Dr. Hazel Hunter or his foxy fiance from the FBI!! I was wrong on  both counts....Still, it was someone I was glad to see...The lovely Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace.. The wife of ADA Keith Wallace...and my good friend.

They got out of the car and walked over to me...I hadn't known Carlotta was coming...I passed her a tumbler of coffee...She kissed me on the cheek...

"Hola Kevin.." she said.

I hugged her...

''Hola Married Lady!"I said. 'What's going on Detective Hopkins?" I said to him..

"Hey Kev...Thanks for the tip." he said.

"Hop...Most Private Investigators won't share information with you like Kevin does...They try to hog all of the glory until they need us...Kevin is not like that...That's why we love him." she said.

"What brings you out today Detective?" I asked..

"Jimmy and I closed our case last night...and Keith is in court...and I was just sitting around the office bored, so when Hop got a call from you, Boss lady asked me if I didn't mind riding along..So I said yes.." she said.

"And where is Boss Lady this morning?" I asked.

Carlotta smiled...

"Out trying to duck Lt. Cantrell's advances...He comes around almost everyday wanting to talk and stays all afternoon...He's got a thing for Boss Lady...He's got it real bad..So does Rollie Rollerson...but I don't think he'll be coming around anymore." she said. I laughed.

"Oh I know Ed Cantrell....Before I started dealing with Boss Lady...I used to throw him a few bones..He's a good guy." I said.

"But Boss Lady looks better than him right?" said Carlotta giving me the side eye.

"You're a good Detective Carlotta." I said.

We both laughed the type of laugh that only two good friends who know each other very well could laugh.

Another Police car drove up...Two uniformed officers got out with the owner of the storage units...Carlotta passed him the warrant...He read it and he opened up the units and there we found...all kinds of high end merchandise... jewelry, pocketbooks, clothes, tablets, smartphones, ipads.Television screens.Laptops.and more...

"Holy mackeral...Look at this..." said Detective Hopkins...

"This is like the Best Buy clearing house..." I said.

"All this merchandise purchased on Jack Stevens credit cards and debit cards without him knowing it..." said Detective Hopkins...

"The sales receipts are still on some of these items...They haven't been used...Damn Hop, your case is more interesting than the one Jimmy and I just cracked..." said Carlotta...

"The dead man has a daughter..I'm sure once this stuff is sorted out and returned...Some if not all of his stolen assets can be returned and she can at least recoup some of what her dad left behind." I said.

"Most definitely....Hop,I'm going to call a moving van out here to haul this stuff over to property and evidence." said Carlotta...

''Thanks Detective Carlotta...but it doesn't bring me any closer to closing my case." he sighed..

"Patience Hop...Patience...These guys are desperately trying to get some cash...We've frozen all but one of Stevens cards...and I'm sure they know that we are tracking the usage of it...My tipster told me that they have been trying to move a lot of this stuff for weeks...They're running out of money and options...They know they're hot and by now they're desperate..Where-ever they are...They've got to come out soon and when they do....We'll get em!" I said.

Carlotta smiled and patted Tony on the back...

"Trust Kevin...He won't steer you wrong.." she said.

''So what do we do now?" asked Detective Hopkins...
''We wait." I said. "I'd have a plain clothes guy on this Storage Unit...And I see you have an unmarked car on the duplex... That was smart ." I said.

''Yeah, I figured if they saw a police car, they 'd get in the wind...I send a different car over there every night." said Detective Hopkins..

I smiled...and looked at Carlotta...

"He's good...Reminds me of you." I said..  She smiled too!

"Be Easy Papi." she said.

''Always!" I said.

II-


Sepia and I drove over to the duplex again later that day...Had nothing to do with the case... I was just accompanying her...

"Oh this is going to be so nice... It's practically finished..."she said as we inspected the layout....

''Wow babes..We need to invest in something like this ourselves..." I said.

"Chris and Chess put me on to the contractor....and the architect...He's done work for them..." said Sepia.

"Yeah...well maybe they can give our house a makeover...Like this..Get an estimate..." I said.

"Ouu really? I've got some ideas." she said.

"I have some ideas too." I said and pulled Sepia to me...

''Ohhhhhh...I can feel your uh ideas..."she said.

Sepia had been wearing some skin tight gray tights that accentuated her every curve...I pulled her to me...I was certain she could feel my erection in my pants...I unbottoned her black blouse and slipped it off...

I turned her to me and we kissed softly at first and then gradually more passionately...


"Wow...what brought this on?" she said...

"I don't know...a certain energy about this place." I said.

Her hands wandered down my trousers and then her eyes got huge....

''Oh Myyyy.I had this certain energy the other day..." she said.

"Yeah,I recall that you did." I said..

''Something about life and death...sudden death just makes you need to make love doesn't it?" she said.

"It's not that deep for me Sepia...You look good in those grey tights and you always smell good and your skin is so soft and I just find you irresistable some times." I found myself saying..

"Like most of the time..." she said with a sly grin...

"Yeah...and since we have this great opportunity." I said.

"It's not really a great opportunity...I'm at work... But.....There's a bedroom right upstairs " she said.

"Lock those doors and kill the lights." I said.

''Are you serious?" she said, giggling like a schoolgirl..

We walked up the stairs and into the bedroom...


I kissed Sepia on the neck...

"Ouuuu, I can't believe we are doing this...I've never done it in a house we were getting ready for sale before." she said..

''Always a first time for everything." I said.

''Shouldn't you be out trying to solve this murder case?" She asked...

"Sex helps me get my thoughts together." I said.

"Oh My God....you are sooo nasty....I can't believe I'm at work getting ready to...ohhh my goddddddddddd....." she said as she helped me out of my trousers and marveled at my raging erection...

I pulled her to me, helped her out of her tights and her top and panties...

"I'm the one who should be saying "Oh My god..." I said.

Sepia smiled...

"You are soo good for my ego." she said.

"Amongst other things." I said.

"Yes....other thinggggggggs..ohhhhhhhhh.." she moaned.

It wasn't long before we were making sweet love in that bedroom....Moaning ,groaning...and rattling the walls....Oblivious to the fact that the windows were open and we could be heard...
There was a waterbed in the bedroom and it moved with the body's movemants...I plunged deeper and deeper into Sepia's warm moist places...and she moaned..tossed pillows off of the bed.. and held me tighter, wrapping her legs around my back and following my every move...

We were both sweating profusely and listening to each other's breaths...
We finished making love some hours later, drenched in sweat....Sepia lying between my legs...

"Wowww, that was something else..." I said.

"Whoooooooooooooweee, It was....Are your thoughts together now?" she asked..

"I think so..."I said.

"We've got to get out of here...and straighten this place up." she said.

"Still can't figure out where those two could possibly be.."I said.

"I bet they're right under our noses." said Sepia....

We got dressed....Sepia used the washer and dryer and washed and dried the sheets...

She had a peculiar look on her face...

"What's with you?" I asked as she folded the now dried sheets and pillow cases..

"Lover ,I could swear I heard something....Like people talking." she said!!!

"That's Floyd Peterson...The carpet guy upstairs." I said.

"No...it sounds like it's coming from out of this vent." she said.

I listened ,but I heard nothing.

Sepia shrugged her shoulders...

"Maybe it's my imagination.." she said.

I helped her make up the bed and straighten up the bedroom...She lit some jasmine incense and opened all of the windows....

As we were leaving....I listened to that vent again...Nothing!!! I peered across the street at the other Duplex...eerily quiet!

We got in the car and pulled off! 

III-

That afternoon, Sepia and I sat chilling in our living room...

"I don't feel like I've been to work at all..." she said.

"But you did...You got that place ready.." I said.

"I had sex in the bedroom of the Duplex I might try and sell." she said.


"Well think of that as a business retreat." I joked...

"You think of everything dont'cha?" she joked.

"Hey what's that?" I said pointing at what looked like plans for the Duplex.

"Oh..I forgot ..Here is the architect's original plans for that Duplex.....I had em here all the time." she said.

"Let me see those..." I said.


I looked at them...Everything seemed pretty normal and then I saw it...

"Sepia?" I said.

"Yes" she answered...

"You guys are refurbishing the first floor and the second floor right?" I said.

''Yeah..it's a duplex." she said.

"What about the apartment at sub- basement level?" I asked.

''There is no apartment at sub-basement level." she said.

"Yes it is...How did you miss that?" I said.

She looked at the plans....

"That was never mentioned...It's not supposed to be there...In fact, we were told that there was no sub-basement." she said.

"Apparently you were told wrong....We need to have a talk with that architect." I said.

And I needed to have a look in that sub-basement....That might be where my two little killers were holed up!

(CONCLUSION  NEXT)

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Something I Don't Already Know

Early the next morning...I stood on the roof of C.I.D. headquarters....It was cool out...I was drinking a tumbler of hot coffee...So was Sissy....

She looked at me and smiled...

''So Kevin...Tell me something I don't Already know." she said.

"John "Jack Stevens, age 65 's credit cards were all maxed out and his bank account which should have been full was empty." I said.

"I know that." she said.

"I spoke to everybody that was in that phone, well almost everybody and they just gave me basic facts about the man...nothing I could use." I said.

''Yup, know that."she said.

"I talked to his daughter yesterday...Her name is Jean...


"She had been educated in Philadelphia public schools, had gotten a bachelors at Drexel University, majoring in Chemistry and had then gotten a Masters at Howard University....She was  married and lived in D.C. where she gave birth to a son, now 22, attending Howard and a daughter, 21 ,attending Morgan State.

She divorced their father about ten years ago and returned to Philadelphia when her mother died...Her father moved in with her... Her father retired from his government job with a pretty decent pension and had been lucky with the stock market and came into some more money....

Jean, who worked for a Pharmecutical company was making a modest salary..A check of her credit cards and bank account revealed nothing out of the ordinary...She had no insurance policy on her father...and there was no criminal record in her past...She appears to be on the up." I said.

"I know all of that too." said Sissy.

''She's paying me to look into her father's death." I said.

''Okay..I didn't know that...but it doesn't help me..." she said.

"It seems her old man was dating a much younger woman, but had broke it off and was suspicious that he might be getting ripped off by her and that she was possibly seeing someone else." I said.

"Yes, the mysterious and non-existant Marilyn Blake." said Sissy and smiled..

"Wow, young Detective Hopkins is good aint he?...We both checked out the same things."I said.

"He is a damn good investigator...I was trying to see how he matched up to you...I'm impressed with him..." she said.

"Sissy...He's being mentored by you, Carlotta,Duke, Tyriq, Jimmy...All of you are great detectives...How can he not be good?" I said.

"You're a great investigator Kevin...I swear, what I wouldn't give to have you and my guys together.." she said.

"You do!!....You all just don't pay me that's all.." I said and laughed...

Sissy laughed too...

"Sissy, this Marilyn Blake is real...That's just not her real name...She sounds like a grifter....Call a few local police stations, ask if they have any  cases like this.....I'm going out on the streets and see if I can shake up some information...Anything I get..I'll call you." I said.

I went to hug Sissy, but she surprised me...She kissed me on the cheek!!!...

"Be Easy Kevin..You're the best." she said.
"Always Sissy." I said and I left.

II-



I went to the Mermaid Club and talked to a number of the guys that hung in there...Nobody knew much of anything..I paid Big Chicken and Rollo Jones a visit...This was always interesting...

"Kev, Sounds like a girl named Betty Smith...her and a guy... uh,Bobby Smith used to scam in New Jersey...She'd hook an old dude...Usually some cat that just retired...Have him  fall in love and get access to his bank accounts, his credit cards, the whole deal and then vanish...leaving the guy broke and heartbroken...They were a team...Used to Work Atlantic City a lot." he said.

''Chicken, you know what this babe looked like?" I asked.

''Kev, baby...Grifters, Identity thieves..they don't get their photos taken." he laughed.

He was right...I thanked him and left...

I next called Atlantic City and talked to my old friend, Eric ''Sharkdollars " Redding...If anybody knew..He knew.

''Yeah Kev...I knew a couple that fit that description....They ran a number of scams here in AC like that....but they got careless...killed an old dude...That was three years ago...They haven't been seen since." he said.

"Thanks Man." I said.


Sepia and I drove to the office of Wallace Binghampton...The man she and Bonita were buying the Duplex from...

I showed him a photo of the now deceased John Stevens....

"Oh yeah..yeah...That's Jack...One of my best tenants..." he said.

"He lived in that Duplex?" I asked.


''No...He lived in the one across the street...Directly across the street with his wife." said Mr. Binghampton.

''His wife? He wasn't married sir."I said.

"That's what the Homicide Detective who is over there now told me...You know I thought Marilyn looked a bit young for him...Guess she was just a girlfriend. She used to write all of the checks for the rent." he said.

"Do you have one?" I asked.

''I gave one to the Homicide Detective...but I do have one." he said.  He passed it to me..I gave it to Sepia..

"When did they move out?" I said.

"Oh she didn't!  He did.!..Said he was moving back with his daughter about three days ago...I haven't seen her since then." he said.

''Mind if I take a look?" I said.

"Go ahead...The Detective is still up there." he said.

Sepia and I walked across the Street...

"Hey Detective Hopkins." I said.

"Hey Kev...Ms. Sepia." he said.

The apartment was bare, completely empty....

"She's a grifter man....Fleeced this man dry and then moved out...Her name is still on the lease." he said.

"I heard she was working with a man." I said.

"Yeah...but I couldn't find out much about who he is.." he said.

I looked around, then decided to leave...

''Well man,If I find out anything...I'll be in touch." I said.

"Thanks Kev." he said.

III-

I went back to Jean's house....

"Do you have any photos of your father and this girl?" I said.

"You know...that's funny...She never liked getting her picture taken...She was so camera shy....But I have one photo...It's a good photo of her and my dad, taken here on New Years Eve, the year before last." she said.

"Can I see it?" I said.

''See it, you can have it..This bitch probably killed my father...or at any rate, stole his identity and robbed him blind." she said.

The photo was of a very shapely and attractive young woman...A woman younger than Jean , the type of woman that could spellbound a man his age as well as an older man...I looked at this photo of Marilyn Blake or whoever she was and I got the idea that I could perfectly see how she trapped this man, enthralled him in bed and totally took over his life...but why kill him? I wondered.

"Thank you Jean...I'll be in touch " I said.

I got the thought to check his credit cards for any activity after we found Jack Steven's body.... There was one entry...Somebody had bought a lot of food...The kind that is non-perishable from the local market...
Paper towells, TV Dinners, Toilet paper, Sliced Ham and Cheese, Chips, Dip...et al...I went to the Market and asked if I could check the video of the days before and after Jack Stevens death and there she was...The mysterious Marilyn Blake!!!!  I now at least had a face..  Time to call Sissy!


I showed Sissy and Detective Hopkins the two photos I had of "Marilyn Blake" and I told her about a Betty Smith in New Jersey...A suspected Grifter...

Sissy showed me something...

"Amazing you got that photo, the same time we got our information." she said.

''Kevin ,I called the Bunco squad here and in Camden ,Atlantic City and New York like you said and I got a hit ,not on Marilyn Blake, but on ''Betty Smith" in Camden and Atlantic City...She has a rap sheet...Prostitution, Grifting,Wire Fraud,Check Fraud, Identity Theft...Look at her police photo and now look at your photo...They are one in the same...But here is where it get's interesting...She was arrested on Wire Fraud and Identity theft in New York City.....Same woman...Look at the name...''Paula Jones" said Sissy.

"There's more.."Paula Jones", like "Betty Smith" and even "Marilyn Blake" are recently deceased elderly people whose social security numbers and identity was stolen. So I ran her name through decks and her name comes up again....and look where...In London...." said Detective Hopkins...

"London? ,The U.K.?" I said...

"Yes.. Her name there was "Sarah Cooper"...Sarah Cooper was a recently deceased woman...27 years old who died in an auto accident.." said Sissy,
Just then...a very pretty woman walked in...I could tell by the way Detective Hopkins eyes lit up when she walked in that she meant something to him..

"Kevin, This is acting FBI Special Agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell...She is filling in for Frank Cotton until he returns...." said Sissy.

"Pleased to meet you." I said.

"I'm pleased to meet you...So you're the legendary Kevin Morris huh? Wow!  That was a great tip you gave us in that Bank Robbery case...Helped us get the money....Thank you..I've heard so much about you.." she said.

I smiled...but said nothing....

"Anyway...I ran that photo through decks Sissy...Our girl's real name is Emma Short-Downey...She was born in Atlanta, she's 32 years old and has a trail of arrests for Prostitution, Fraud, Wire Fraud..Identity theft, writing bad checks, you name it.. She has close to 20 arrests in Pennsylvania, Deleware Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Georgia,Florida and even overseas in London.,various alias's and  three convictions,  and two short stays in the big house... One was in the Women's Prison in New Jersey and the other was in Deleware. She's married to this cool gentleman...William Downey...Convictions for writing bad checks, identity theft, wire fraud, et al..Did a three year stint in federal prison for violating the Mann act...Taking a minor across state lines for prostitution. This was out in California before he married Emma Short. Looks like these two psychopaths have teamed up...They're suspects in the death of an eldery Atlantic City man. Three years ago...Both vanished before they could be charged with anything.Haven't been seen since."she said.

Eric "Shark dollars" Redding was on the money! I thought.

''Wow! But all of these are non-violent crimes...How did they escalate to murder??" I asked.

"We'll have to ask them that when we catch them." said Sissy.

''If they're even still in town." said Detective Hopkins.

''I think they are still in town."I said.

"I'm going to check and see if any cars were rented under the name of Marilyn Blake or with any of Steven's credit cards...Only one card was missing."said Detective Hopkins...

''What about Stevens new car?"I asked.

''We have it!..We impounded it for evidence."said Sissy.

"Good deal.."I said.

"Thank you baby." said Detective Hopkins to FBI Agent Ferrell and kissed her in the lips....


''You're welcome boo."she said as she prepared to go..."Nice meeting you Kevin." she said.

''Same here."I said.

Sissy looked at me...

"His fiance...They live together..." she said. "I'm surrounded by so much love Kevin...Keith and Chica, Duke and Dr. Hunter, Jimmy and my girlfriend, Angie Belton and now my rookie and his FBI agent." she laughed...

''And Detective Pile?" I asked.

''He's married to another detective ..She works in the fugitive squad."

"That's why you guys are so good Sissy, surrounded by love." I said and laughed...

"Oh is that what it is?" laughed Sissy.

"Good for him" I said and smiled.

"You said you think they're still in town?" asked Sissy.

"Yeah....Judging by the types of things they bought...They're someplace close by...Not far....I'm almost certain of it. Keep a patrol car in that neighborhood on that house.." I said.

"Will do." she said.

"Hey..it's been two days and I haven't seen your other detectives...What did you do lay them off?" I asked.

"No...Nooo. Carlotta and Jimmy are working a murder....Tyriq and Duke are working another murder..and ADA Wallace is trying a big case...

I'm just co-ordinating and watching over Detective Hopkins , who seems to be holding his own." she said with the pride of a mother who is rooting for it's youngest child...

I put my arm around Sissy and hugged her...

"Just a matter of time....We'll get em." I said.

"Be Easy Kevin." she said.

"Always." I said as I left her office.

I couldn't put my finger on it...but I knew these two were still in town, somewhere close.



(TO BE CONTINUED...)