Paula

"So he's dead huh?" said a surprisingly distraught Cindy Waters as she and I sat in a Dunkin Donuts, drinking tumblers of hot steaming coffee and eating doughnuts and bagels a few days later.

"Yeah...he's dead...He was shot twice in the head...right around the time you last heard from him....The police identified him from dental records and family DNA...but not only that...your private investigator, Ms. Marlie Phillips is a grifter....Who has so many names...I'm not sure who she really is... I checked out that ad that was in the paper and on the internet that so many of you used....It was paid for and put in by a "Yvette Jackson"
,which is one of her many aliases..." I said.

She held her head down and she cried some more......

"You got fleeced....but don't worry...I'm going to find her...and try to get your money back..." I said.

"Oh forget it Kevin....Thanks for finding out about Dwayne....If he hadn't of been a cheating lying dog...He'd be alive." she said.

"You Know that?" I asked...Thinking...but not saying, it was her that put Dwayne in contact with this mystery woman in the first place.  I patted her on her shoulder...

''Cheer up Cindy...I may have some good news for you eventually!" I said and got up and left!

II-

"I'm telling you what I told the Homicide Detectives Mr. Kevin" said Mrs. Mamie Holmes...The widow of Reverend Cecil Holmes... "I suspected that my late husband was seeing other women, but I didn't have any concrete proof of it... When I was at the hairdressers, one of my choir members showed me the ad in the paper for Private Investigator, Marlie Phillips...said that she specialized in finding out if an aquaintence or a spouse was cheating......So I called her up....I gave her ten thousand dollars to find out if something was going on...She called me within two weeks and said that my husband and her were at a bar of all places and that they made out and then they planned on meeting at a hotel in a week and that I should be there..." she said.

She was a pretty and petite woman who looked like she turned quite a few heads when she was younger...I listened intently as she went on...She said she showed up at the hotel, but there was no sign of either of them.
That was the last she heard of Marlie Phillips or Reverend Holmes...until his body and the prostitute's body was found in the vacant.

''Mrs. Holmes ...when was the last time you heard from them?"I asked.

"Three weeks ago." she said.

"Do you have the phone number she gave you to contact her?" I asked.

"Yes...this is it." she said and gave it to me.  She also gave me the adress her "agency" was supposedly located in.

Of course...when I got to the building her office was supposedly located in...it was empty! No surprise there.

The building manager identified the photo I gave him as Marlie Phillips and said that she left two weeks ago.
Once again...I was just a step behind this mystery woman!!! I contacted Robert Foxworth's friend in records and checked on all of the aliases connected to Jennifer West, the only person so far that seemed to be real.
Kim Johnson, Yvette Jackson, Marlie Phillips all appeared to be non-existent persons...and no P.I. license ,drivers license or birth certificate seemed to be connected to any of these people in the tri-state area...
I called the number that Mrs. Holmes gave me....and naturally....it had been disconnected!! Stymied again.

III-

I met my friend, Pakastani Sam at the Camden Aquarium the next day.....He had been a legendary con man back in the day....He was retired now, but he still kept his ear to the streets as the playas said... I showed him a photo of Marlie Phillips.

He smiled and laughed -"Oh my God...That's Paula Prentis!" he laughed and slapped his thigh...

Yet another name? I thought!..

"You know her?" I asked.

"Damn sure do....Yeah, she's a grifter, but I thought she retired...I see she's still in the game and considering you got a good photo of her...she apparently is slipping or you're just that good Kevin." he said.

"So she's not a private investigator?" I asked ,already knowing the answer..

"Just like you're not President Obama." he laughed.

"She was running this scam that she could find out if a woman's boyfriend or spouse was cheating on them..She took her fee upfront." I said.

"A good grifter always does take their money upfront." he laughed.

"She sets the guy up and tells the mark that they are going to meet up at the hotel.." I said.

"And let me guess....Neither she or the perp ever show up." said Pakastani Sam.

"Right...only the perp turns up dead and she makes off with the money..She's already rolled my client and a pastor's wife...and I've got three dead bodies." I said.

"Ohhhh wow...The Paula Prentis I know is no killer....This can't be her." he said.

"Well you've got to tell me where she lays her head...so I can at least talk to her." I said.

"I don't know...a good grifter keeps it movin...they don't stay in one place too long.." he said.

''Don't I know it." I said.

"You might want to talk to Rollo Jones...Back when she made her livin starin at the ceiling, she was one of Big Chicken's girls.." he said.

I smiled, peeled off a couple of twenties and pushed them into the old man's pockets...

"Thanks Sam, you've been a great help." I said.

"Always my pleasure Kev." he said.

That night...before I went home...I stopped off at the Mermaid Club , Joe Neptune's joint and had a few beers and some conversation with both Rollo Jones and Marco Jervay...They indeed knew Paula Prentis .

"She was one of my best girls at one time...I uh ,er I mean Big Chicken's best girls...Pretty, tight body...babyish voice...She used to really hook guys...have em fallin in love with her...She was a top earner..Then she got pinched...Did a year or two in the slams and came out and got into the con game..From what I hear...it's worked out pretty good for her." said Rollo Jones..

''Where does she live?" I asked.

''A good grifter never stays any one place too long and they rarely if ever use their real name Kev...Don't know where she's stayin, but she does get her hair done at Bernadette's like clockwork every two weeks." said Marco Jervay.

''Thanks...that's good to know." I said.

''You already know more about her than most Kev..She must be slippin or you're just that good." laughed Rollo Jones.

"Yeah ..I heard that once already today...Good Night gents and thanks for the info." I said.

"Thanks for the beers." they both said in unison as I left.

IV-

I had been running the streets for a few days...I was tired...I went home....I needed to give my wife some attention..if you know what I mean and I know you do!

I watched attentively as my wife undressed....which as I said was always a pleasure...

I grabbed her from behind and held her for awhile, then I turned her toward me and began to kiss her passionately and yet gently....She rubbed my back and then jumped back a minute a bit startled..she looked down at my raging erection and smiled...She looked at it and her mouth just opened...''Oh My God Kevin...Oh My goodness...you are huge!!...Ohhhhh myyy" she gasps. I love the way she looks naked..every last curve... I love the way she smells.  I kissed her and lifted her up....and then I eased her panties off of her and unhooked her bra...I mounted her while holding her up against the wall...

"Ouuuuuuuuu...ohhhhhhhhhhhh Kevinnnnn,Ohhhhhh baby that feels soooo goooooodd.." Sepia Moaned..

We kissed some more..and I layed her down on the bed... She kisses me, deeply,passionately wrapping me in her arms tightly. I move my hands up and down her sexy body as if I am remembering something , reconnecting. I pull her close... She is already wet. I'm as hard as a rock...I enter her nice warm and wetness and began to thrust slowly ,yet deliberately....

"Ummmmm, you've been so good at getting me out of my clothes and into bed ever since I met you...seems like that was your plan all along." laughed Sepia..

"It was." I said.

"Ummmmmmm..you are sooooo nastyyy..." she said.

There is no more moaning...we are just staring into each others eyes..We quickly get a nice deliberate rhythm going. I just want to go hard and fast, but she slows us down. I can barely stand it. I slow it way down with deep, long strokes that make me feel like I'm losing my mind...She wraps her legs over my back and I just thrust deeper..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuu babyyyyyyy...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu." she finally moans softly, which turns me on more!

This goes on like this for hours.....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH KEVINNNNNNNNNNNNNN...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..." she moans...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." I moan myself...

We both explode nearly simultaneously!!! I roll off of her ,nearly exhausted!!

 While we lay in each others arms..Sepia asks me about my case....

'You haven't talked much about this one lover.." she said.

"Well, when I was first hired, I was just supposed to find someone who promised to see if someone's boyfriend was cheating on her..."I said.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"My client gave this woman a huge sum of money to set her boyfriend up to see if he'd go for the bait...It's called a "honeytrap."  The boyfriend went for it...they were supposed to meet up at a hotel...Only my client went to the hotel and neither her boyfriend or the lady private eye was there." I said.

"It was a con huh?" asked Sepia.

"More than a con....The boyfriend is dead...shot to death and no sign of the lady private eye." I said.

''What is this lady private eye's name?" asked Sepia.

''Marlie Phillips, only that's not her real name"I said.

"Oh this is a different woman." said Sepia.

''Different woman?? What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I was at Bernadette's gettin my hair done yesterday and Rollie Rollerson's fiance said she hired a private detective named Paula something or other....Paula Prentis to see if Rollie is cheating on her!" she said.

''WHAT???" I asked , suddenly sitting upright...

"Huh? That's not the same woman you're lookin for." said Sepia...

"Yes it is...this could be the break I need." I exclaimed ,kissing her fully in the lips..

''Sepia...you may have helped me get closer to cracking my case." I laughed.

(To Be Continued....)