Haywood

A crisp , early morning...I stopped in center city and bought three large tumblers of coffee...one black, with cream and sugar on the side..and two large with extra cream and extra sugar already in them..

I drove to Philadelphia's Office of Criminal Investigation....Homicide Unit... I walked past the detectives and uniformed cops, all who were working pretty hard....I was barely noticed...

I didn't see Carlotta at her desk... I walked over to Lt. Sissy Van Buren's office..

"For me?" she said as she took her tumbler of coffee.

"Yes..and this one is for uh, Detective Rodriguez." I said.

Sissy smiled...

"But of course....She's interviewing a witness right now." she said.

"In the serial killing case?" I asked.

"Uh no...This guy is telling us about another murder.." she said.

I walked over to the glass window....Detective Carlotta Rodriguez was interviewing a tall reed thin White guy..He looked about 28, 29 roughly....His name was Haywood, Haywood Coley...She had mentioned him to me the day before.

''So Haywood...You don't know any of the dead women I asked you about , but you say you know about another murder?" she asked him..

"Yup...My friend....Well he aint really a friend...His name is George..George Bailey..He sells weed...He told me that he offed this babe..She was 15...She used to buy weed off of him...He said..He came to her place to sell her  some weed and she answered the door in a flimsy night gown and she flashed him the goods...Told him that she couldn't pay...So George said-"Well we can work somethin out..you dig me...??" He said the girl not only wouldn't pay, but wouldn't come up off of no sex..and he choked her...dropped the body out by the zoo...behind the cat house." he said.

"And you're going to take us to where the body is?" asked Carlotta.

"Yeah!" said Haywood.

"When did this happen?" asked Carlotta..

"About a month ago....All I know is that the girl's name is Allison..Allison somethin or other...and she's young." said Haywood.

"Why are you telling us this Haywood?" asked Carlotta.

"Because I don't like the idea that George killed somebody that young." he said.

Carlotta smiled..

''Excuse me." she said and she left the room... I watched Haywood...He sat there all wide eyed and wired...He looked crazy to me..

Carlotta walked over to Sissy Van Buren and I in the hallway...I passed her a tumbler of coffee...

"Oh Thank you." she said.

"I didn't know how you like it, so I put the sugar and cream on the side." I said.

She smiled, but said nothing about my act of kindness..

"Boss Lady, we got any missing person cases of a 15 year old from the past month with the name Allison?" she asked.

"As a matter of fact...we do...A 16 year old named Allison Johnson vanished from her parent's home about a month ago..about a week before we found the body of Wilma Whetstone...She lived at the corner of victim number two's block." said Sissy...

"I think this guy is crazy..I mean ,who rats out the neighborhood weed man? ,but let's take a look see." said Carlotta." 

"Call the Medical examiners office and two police cars...You ladies want to ride with me?" I asked.

Sissy smiled.. "I've got my own car....Carlotta, you ride with ADA Wallace." she said, laughing to herself...Carlotta looked at her and smiled a sly smile...and just shook her head.

II-

Haywood led us to the Philadelphia Zoo...We went behind the "cathouse"  where the Lions, Tigers, Panthers and cougars were kept and we indeed found the body of a young 16 year old female...The body was badly decomposed...Probably too decomposed to get a DNA sample...

She was dressed only in a white flimsy night gown...

 The body was transferred to the M.E.'s office.... Haywood said to Sissy and Carlotta..

"See..I told you guys that there was a body back there.." he said.

"So Haywood...The $10,000.00 reward for her location and the capture of her killer isn't at all a part of the reason you gave us this information?" asked Sissy Van Buren.

Haywood smiled...

"Welllll..I guess you might say that is the reason why, just a little bit." he said.

I smiled and shook my head...Carlotta smirked...

"Haywood, you give me such faith in Humanity." she said. Haywood Shrugged his shoulders..

"Okay guys...Go pick up George Bailey." said Carlotta to two detectives and a uniformed policeman.

III-

Drug Dealer, George Bailey was picked up and brought in two nights later....Sissy and I watched as he was brought into the questioning room.

The body found in the zoo was positively identified as Allison Johnson, aged 16..by her dental records...

I watched as Carlotta grilled him...He kept shaking his head.....His Public Defender, a lawyer named Stanley Howl stood near by. George Bailey was a low level player..Not the boss...A Boss player would have had a private attorney on tap.

"You crazy..I aint kill that girl....I barely knew her." he said.

"You sell her weed?" asked Carlotta.

"Yeah,  just one time...but I never went back.that was months ago..And I never told Haywood Coley that I offed her or that she came to the door naked..He crazy and he's a liar. Everybody in the neighborhood know that he's a habitual liar." said George Bailey..

I didn't believe him when he said that he'd only sold to her once...but never the less my eyes were glued to Carlotta.

"You down for giving a DNA swab to us?" asked Carlotta.

"You don't have to do that."said his public defender, Stanley Howl.

"Nah...I want to..I aint got nothin to hide...and in fact..the day yall say she disappeared,I wasn't even in the neighborhood..." he snarled.

"No? Where were you?" asked Carlotta...

"I was locked up!" he sneered.

''Locked Up?" asked Carlotta.

"Yeah...I was in CFC on a drug charge for close to six weeks..in fact,I just got out a few days ago and you got me up here on some nonsense." he snarled.

He gave us blood, urine and saliva samples.... His DNA was not a match for the DNA we found on the two women who had been murdered and raped.

He was telling the truth about being in Jail....He had been in Curran-Fromhold Correctional center on unrelated drug charges the entire month of September...He had just got out only a few days ago...Allison had vanished after George Bailey had been locked up just as he had said...He couldn't have been responsible.

Carlotta threw her hands up....

"Let him go....Sorry Mr.Bailey." she said as he was released...

"Yall have a nice day!" said George Bailey sarcastically as he strutted out of the police station.

I looked at Carlotta....

"What do you think?" I said.

"I think we are right back where we started...No where...and I think I want to take another look at Haywood Coley." she said.

"How about the DNA you do have...Did you run it through decks?" I said.

"Ran it through the state and federal VICAP data banks and came up with goose eggs...Our killer does not have an arrest record! His DNA is not on file anywhere." said Carlotta.

''Check local hospitals and blood banks." I said.

Carlotta looked at me and smiled the biggest smile I had since seen....

"I never thought of that....It'll take awhile...but I'll put somebody on that tomorrow." she said.

"Glad I could be of help." I said.   Sissy was right behind me, beaming...

"Counselor...would it be too forward of you ,if you bought a girl a drink?" Carlotta asked..

I nearly fainted...For the first time in a long time...I was speechless.

"He'll buy" said Sissy.

"Ugh yeah...sure." I said. ''You comin Sissy?" I asked..

"Ughh no...Not tonight...got to wrap a few things up in another case.. Two of my other detectives have to testify in court tomorrow in two seperate , but high profile cases." she said.

I was relieved ...I love Sissy dearly, but I wanted to be alone with Carlotta.

IV-

Carlotta took me to Josies....I was surprised...

"I didn't know that you hung out here." I said.

"I didn't...I came here with Sissy and Kevin Morris a few times and I like the place...Hi Gus." she said.

"Hey Carlotta.....Oh my God...Is that Mr. Big shot, Keith Wallace with you?" laughed Gus, the bartender and owner of Josies Bar and Grill.

''Alright Gus, don't start ...I was here last week when Downtown Rob Brown was setting in with that Saxophonist from New York." I laughed.

"He's from here...he just lives in New York for awhile....Okay...it was packed in here...I didn't see you..You get a pass then..What are you havin darlin?" asked Gus.

''A Corona" said Carlotta...

"Make that two Coronas" I said.

"Coming right up" said Gus.

"You really think that goofy guy Haywood is worth looking at?" I asked Carlotta.

"Right now, everybody is worth looking at." she said.

"I suppose." I said.

"He ratted out the neighborhood drug dealer...He had to know we'd find out that he was lying...If Haywood is not our serial killer...He definitely is my prime suspect in the murder of Allison...  I'm going to bring him in..
, get his DNA and go over his history..." she said.

"I'll get a warrant for his arrest written up...Making a false statement to police!" I said.

"Okay ADA...enough shop talk." she said.  She smiled that disarming sweet smile of hers again.

"Okay." I said.

There was a good band playing tonight...They were from out of town...For the next two hours , we listened to the music...during the break between sets we talked...About our lives, our families, sports (believe it or not) and music...We even talked about food..

We kept ordering Coronas throughout the entire night...Finally, it was two o'clock...Time to go...We walked into the parking lot...I had my car and she had hers..So there was no chance of me trying to get to her apartment tonight...

I was parked two cars behind her.

''Well..this was nice." I said.

"Yes it was.." she said.

"Any chance we can do this some other time?" I asked.

"ADA...I-I mean Keith...This is our third date!" she said with a grin...

"I suppose it is...Maybe you might...uh ruh let me take you on a real date sometime." I said.

"Are you asking me?"she asked.

I was hesitant for a moment...then I got my courage up...

"Y-Yes..I'd like to take you someplace nice...You know, a nice dinner...Maybe some music, dancing.." I said.

"That would be nice...Maybe after we crack this case." she said.

"You sound really confident." I said.

"Oh I'm certain we'll crack this case." she said.

"Glad to hear that." I said..

She leaned over and kissed me lightly on the lips.... I pulled her to me and kissed her passionately....I couldn't believe this was happening...she didn't pull away though........Then she broke our embrace.

''Damn girl, you got the softest lips." I said

"Ouuuuu,Good Night Keith." she said. ''I'm sorry..I-I didn't mean that...I've had a little too much to drink." she said softly.

"Good Night Carlotta." I said. "You have nothing to be sorry about ,nothing at all." I said.

''Guess that made your night huh?"she said.

"Hell, that made my year." I said. She cracked up laughing.

"Well....I-I-I'd better be going." she said.

''Drive safely." I said.

''Sweet Dreams" she said and smiled....

I watched as she got in her car and drove off into the Philadelphia night...I was going to have dreams...and sweet might not be the correct word for them!

(To Be Continued..)