Morning Of The Murder

I drove up just as the Philadelphia Police crime scene unit was removing the body from the house... I just shook my head...another morning, another murder...Philadelphia was on par this year to top last year's rate...We were clearing a lot of them, but just as many as we were clearing, it seemed as though that many more were occurring...

I'm not a cop...My name is Keith Wallace..I'm the Assistant District Attorney...I prosecute Homicides.... This one was particularly troubling...It was the third slaying of a young woman in close to three months....All three homicides had the same M.O.  ,Young Black, mid to late twenties, attractive....alone in their apartment...No sign of breaking and entering!!!

I didn't want to be here, but these murders looked like they might be the work of a serial killer and so by all means, I wanted to supervise this investigation...I'd be lying if I said that that was the only reason I was at this particular scene....The pretty lead detective had given me a call..

Detective Carlotta Rodriguez was the lead detective, the primary in all three cases...I've had the hots for her ever since we "borrowed" her from Special Victims Unit.. So far she has turned out to be a great investigator...She gets high marks from Lt. Sissy Van Buren over at Homicide...and has the highest clearence rate of all of her detectives so far...I'm already in talks with Lt. Tragg over at Special Victims Unit about keeping her full time...  Uh, because of her good work record of course!

"Detective Rodriguez! So nice to see you again...though I'm sorry it's an occassion like this." I said.

"Yeah..I know right  ADA, but that's the business we are in...We are murder police..At least I am for the time being." she said.

''Please..Please Carlotta, can I call you Carlotta?  We don't have to be so formal...You can call me Keith...Keith Wallace." I said.

"I'd prefer we keep it more professional like...at least.......while we are on the clock." she said.

Lawd...She said that and kind of curled her lip in a sensual way...Wow...I really like this woman...the way she carries herself and everything...

"Yes..Y-Yes...of course Detective....You're absolutely right." I found myself saying, embarrassed..She sensed it...I thought I sensed a bit of a smile on her part.

"It's okay...Perhaps we might meet for a drink after hours sometime." she said.

"Yes..Y-Yes..th-that would be a ...that would be a -a great idea...Now about this murder?" I said.

"Same M.O. as the other two....her name is Ruth Ann Richardson...27, single...Attends Temple University during the day...Works at a strip club as an exotic dancer at night...Also works at a 7-eleven part time...No criminal record at all." she said.

"They found her in the bedroom, in just panties and a t-shirt...She had been raped or at least she had had sex and then strangled...The killer then dressed her and departed...No sign of breaking or entering...Just like Wilma Whetstone last month and Jessica Edgely in June." said Carlotta.

"Wow." I said.

"I've got three plain clothes officers assigned to me and six uniforms...I have em canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and interviewing anybody that knew her..." she said.

"You didn't find any DNA or fingerprints on the other two did you?" I asked.

"We found semen in victim one, Jessica Edgerly, none on victim two...and we talked to both victims family members,close friends and business associates.. Wilma Whetstone also attended Temple and like this one was a stripper, though not at the same strip club...Hopefully we'll pull some DNA off of this one that matches the DNA we have from the first case." said Carlotta.

"They know each other?" I asked.

"No.  Jessica Edgely  didn't attend Temple, She went to Penn and unlike the other two, she wasn't a stripper..She was a waitress at Sam Mother's joint a few blocks from here." said Carlotta.

"I think we have a serial killer." I said.

"There does seem to be a link....I hope we can find some DNA or something..." said Carlotta.


"Looks like you've got this under control here...You uh mentioned Sam Mother's place...You hungry?" I asked.

Carlotta shot me a sly look, then smiled...

"Yeah ,I am..Hold Up..Rico?" she said.

A  young Black Detective named Tyriq Pile, who I knew from his days in Robbery-Homicide , walked over to her...

"Keep me abreast on this case...I'm going to breakfast with the ADA."she said.

"Okay Top...I'm on it." he said.

''Well Mr. ADA....I'm all yours." she said with a smile.

I sure wished she was.

II-

Carlotta proved to be my kind of woman... She didn't just order coffee or water..When she said she was hungry, she meant it... Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and a tumbler of coffee was what she ordered...I had the same....

"Our old friend, Big Chicken runs one of the strip clubs that one of the victims worked at.." she said.

"Big Chicken? I thought he was in prison?" I said.

"He got out about a month ago...I don't think he's got anything to do with this..but he knows the girls, who they date, and generally anything there is to know in the neighborhood." she said.

"Wow, you know the playas in the neighborhood don't you?" I asked.

"Have to have somebody to talk to you sir." she said.

''Carlotta...wow...Carlotta is such a beautiful name...We are off the clock now..We're at breakfast...You don't have to call me ADA...It's Keith." I said.

She smiled...but didn't say anything...  I was crossing all kinds of barriers, both professional and personal here...I needed to stop, but I just couldn't help myself...

She was just so sexy and lovely and yet...there was a mass murder to solve..I had to keep my mind on our business.

''So what are you going to do next....As far as the case is concerned?" I asked.

"I'm going to talk to Big Chicken and Rollo Jones tomorrow, hope and pray that some DNA has been found and see if I can locate anybody that these three girls had in common.." she said.

"Sissy said that if anybody can crack this case...It's you." I said.

''Sissy said that?" she asked with a child like smile.

"Yes...she says you are one of her best investigators...She wants you to stay on at Homicide." I laughed.

"Lt. Tragg might have a problem with that." she sighed.

"If you decide to stay in the Homicide unit...I can talk to Lt. Tragg..You just say the word." I said.

She laughed....

"What?" I said.

"You?  You're a trip." she said, still laughing.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Oh nothing..nothing.." she said...

The waitress came back with the bill...Carlotta went in her purse , but I raised my left palm...

"I wouldn't dream of allowing you to pay...I got this." I said.

"Oh..Well thank you ADA Wallace.." she said as she got up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I've got a serial murder to solve" she said and waived..."My car is still parked down the street." she continued and waved as she walked toward the door.

"Keep me posted on this one." I said with a smile.

"I'm sure you'll stay up on this one." she said with a wry smile...

Loved that woman!

(To Be Continued...)