And Now She's Gone...

Sometimes, a case can be dead in the water and then in one day...it can suddenly come to life...Once again...I was in Lt.Sissy Van Buren's office looking for an update on our double murder...We were alone..All of the other detectives were out...Carlotta was with Tyriq Pile, Jimmy Barlow was with Duke ......

Sissy had finally got around to reading my report...which was why she had called me... She placed a file on my desk...

"Who's that?" I asked.

"Recognize him from the other day when we were at Blue Skies?" she asked.

"No...Should I?" I said.

''His name is Daniel...Daniel Blunt." she said.

"Oh yeah...one of the attendents." I said.

"He's a convicted sex offender." she said.

''What? How did he get a job working at a mental health asylum?" I asked.

"That's a good question and one I'd like answered...I think I'm going to take another run out there." she said.

Just then Detective Jimmy Barlow came into the office...

"I thought you were out with Duke" I said.

"I was....I think I got somethin...Think our killer got careless." he said.

"Oh really?" said Sissy...

"Both of our victims are on streets where we have those crime stopper video cameras that the taxpayers paid for...So check this out...I pulled some video of a woman in a scarf, black leggins and sunglasses going into Mary Talbots hotel at 9:30 pm.....Leaving around 11:40 pm..." he said.

We watched the video....and sure enough, it was a woman, but it was very hard to see the face and determine just who it was..

"We can't see the face Jimmy." said Sissy...

''Ahhh, here's the rub...The lab guys can enhance the face eventually...but here is the rub...we don't need the face...I got a pure visual of the car our girl left in....a licensce plate number. That's a 2008 Ford Fusion" he said.

"Good pull Jimmy, but that could be a stolen car..." said Sissy.

"Or she could have ditched it." I said.

"Yeah, Duke thought that..So we went to Auto Theft and checked to see if  that car had been reported stolen...It hadn't!!! Then we got lucky...We got video tape from Sondra Clarke's block on the night of the murder....Look,same mysterious woman ringing the doorbell, Sondra lets her in...She leaves a few hours later and look....same car.. 2008 Ford Fusion ...same plates..." said Jimmy.

"And Guess what Lou?" came the voice of Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor....The car is registered to one Daniel Blunt...an ex con..an ex sex offender who works at a place called Blue Skies Mental Asylum...It's for the Criminally Insane..." he said.


Sissy and I looked at each other....

"Duke, Jimmy...go out to Blue Skies...Pick him up! and Pick up Olivia Rockland also...Suspicion of murder!" she said.

"We're on it Lou..." they said.

I looked at Sissy....

She looked gravely at me.....

"Oh my God...If what I suspect is true...He's letting her out and letting her use his car....That's her on the tape...Oh My God..." said Sissy.

II-

Detective Carlotta Rodriguez walked in just as Sissy was saying that...

"Heyy Boss Lady.." she said with that sunny smile of hers....Perhaps because everyone else was gone and it was only Sissy there, She walked over to me and gave me a long ,soft sensual kiss that nearly sent me in orbit...

"Hi you." she said.

''Heyyy" was all I could manage...

Sissy cracked up...I was blushing...Carlotta even laughed...Sissy looked at me again and shook her head...

"Heyyy Chica...you look like you have some good news to tell me.." said Sissy.

"We may have a break on the store those wedding bands with the engraving came from." she said.

"Really?" said Sissy.

"Yeah...A woman called me from a jewelry store called Regals...It's near Penns Landing...Olde City, Jewelers Row....We've put out feelers and been on TV asking about it and she said she saw it and that she's the one who made the engravings...Her name is Ava Bradley.."

''She called you?" asked Sissy..

"Yeah...Called my cell...I don't know how she got my number...It's been awhile since we rode together Boss Lady..Want to check it out?" she said.

''Sure" She said.

"I'm coming with you." I said.

"I know you are...but I'm riding shotgun..." said Sissy laughing. "You can sit in the back and calm down." she said giving me the side eye and laughing...

Carlotta smiled...

III-

And then again...as soon as a case seems in the bag...you can find out that it's not!

Jewelers Row is in downtown Philadelphia,located in the Center City section of the city, is composed of more than 300 retailers, wholesalers, and craftsmen on Sansom Street, between Seventh and Eighth streets, and on Eighth Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets.


It is the oldest diamond district in America, and second in size only to the one in New York City. Many of the area's retail, jewelry making and appraisal businesses have been owned by the same families for five generations.

Finding Regal's was no problem.... We parked on a side street... Sissy and Carlotta got out and entered the store ...My phone rang...it was Detective Tyriq Pile..

"Wellll, here's another country  heard from." I said.

"ADA, we got problems.." he said.

''What kind of problems?" I said.

"Lou sent me and some uniforms to watch the model, Tammy Thompson...you know, the third broad that our boy, Rollie was engaged to?" he said.

"Yeah and??" I said.

"And now she's gone!!! Not a sign of her !!!..We got a search warrant and went inside her residence man...We found an undrank cup of coffee and two wedding bands with "r.r. engraved on them...and a list." he said.

"A list? What kind of list?..."I asked

 "It had these names on it... Mary Talbot ,Sondra Clarke, Tammy Thompson, Portia Collins and our own Sissy Van Buren!!! on it..Mary,Sondra and Tammy are crossed out..Sissy and Portia aren't." he said.

"Oh My God...I'm with Sissy and Carlotta...Good pull man..I'll tell them right now." I said.

Just as I was about to get out of the car, Sissy's car phone went off...I answered it..

"Yeah Man, what's up?" I said...It was  Detective Jimmy Barlow...

"Where is Lou?" he asked.

"She's at a jewelry store questioning a lady with Carlotta...I'm outside." I said.

"Duke and I went to Blue Skies...We picked up Blunt...But Olivia Rockland isn't here and neither is Blunt's car, my guess is...she's on the street, with his car!!!" he said.

"Oh My God....Okay...Hold him....I'll call you back.." I said.

I walked into the Jewelry store... Carlotta and Sissy were talking to Mrs. Ava Bradley....They showed her the Wedding bands...Four of them.

"Yes...I did these, I made these about a year ago...An attractive, petite woman named Rachel...Rachel Rollerson had these made." she said.

"Rachel Rollerson....That's Olivia Rockland Rollerson's alter ego...That's what the "R.R." stood for, not Rollie." said Sissy.

"It all makes sense now...but how could she have been in here last year and had these made? she's supposed to have been locked up?" asked Carlotta as she and Sissy headed for the door.

"Sissy That's what I came to tell you " I said as I walked up to them....

''Tell me what?" she asked...but before I could say anything....

Carlotta turned to Mrs. Bradley and said..."Thanks Again for calling us."

Mrs. Bradley looked puzzled and then said- "I never called you."

Funny how a split second can make a difference!!  In a life, In a death...in anything...We all looked stunned..

"GUN!!!" I yelled!

I looked outside and saw a bright shining light coming from a building across the street, I remember Carlotta leaping off of her feet and knocking Sissy to the ground and me diving for the floor with two customers as two shots rang out!!!

One shattered the front window of the jewelry store and the other shattered the window of the door!!, Then there was silence...Mrs. Bradley ducked  down, as did two other customers....

Silence!!!  Luckily, no one was hurt!!!

Sissy looked around...Carlotta rose silently...Then I rose...We hugged each other....Glad to be alive...Then Sissy and Carlotta pulled their glocks and headed out into the streets...

"What's going on?" asked Mrs. Bradley....

"Good Question...I'll let you know when I have the answer." I said.

(CONCLUSION NEXT!)

Shameless

Carlotta packed her cute little overnight bag and put it near the door....She walked back in the bedroom where I was putting on my tie....She put her arms around me...

"It might be awhile before I can spend the night with you again...I'm going to be busy with this case...So are you." she said.

"Aww Carlotta, why don't you just move in with me?" I asked and turned her around so she was facing me...I kissed her neck and under her chin and behind her ears...

"Come on now...I can't do that just yet....Maybe when we know each other a little longer " she said....

I kissed her , long, slow, sensuous....

"You're such a good Catholic girl." I joked...She smiled and we kissed again.

"If we don't cut this out...Neither of us will make it to work..." she whispered.

"I know, we do need to knock this off." I said, kissing her again....She eased out of my embrace and smiled at me sweetly...

"Give me time...I might change my mind and move in with you...but I'm not ready to do that just yet." she said.

"Ohhhh,okay.." I said.

"Don't be like that...After this case is over...If possible...You pack some clothes and come stay with me for a week." she said.

"Serious??" I asked.

"Yes...My place isn't as big and as ultra modern as this...but it's nice and cozy..." she said.

"It is. I like it..I don't have to chase you around the bedroom ." I joked...and grabbed her, hugging her...lifting her off the ground and spinning her around...She laughed like a school girl and playfully punched at my arms....

"Put me down...Put me down.....My crazy...crazy boyfriend." she joked and she gave me a longgg kiss at the door...

"Okay...That's the last one.....See you later." she said and went to her car....I waved from my window as she pulled off..

There still was the matter of this case...A double homicide...both women formerly engaged to African-American Millionaire -playboy-socialite, Rollie Rollerson.

II-

I headed over to C.I.D. Headquarters....Lt. Sissy Van Buren was briefing her troops.... It appeared that that scary woman, Olivia Rockland/Rachel was not the only woman who could make a transformation....Sissy Van Buren was back to her old self....

"Detective Baylor...You and Jimmy get me the book on both women....I know that they have Rollie Rollerson in common...but I need to know if they have any arrests...If they filed any police reports, you know, domestic violence, whatever...Do they have any other men in common...Get me the book on them, use all the manpower you need, all the resources you can muster." she said.

"I'm on it Lou" said Duke Baylor......


"I'm goin over to Robbery now." said Jimmy Barlow...

"Good" she said.

"You feel better Sissy?" I asked as the two detectives and the uniform policemen left.

"Much better." she said with a sweet smile...."You just missed your girl..She and Detective Pile left early...Still running down those jewelry stores.....Then again..Maybe you didn't miss her, I'm sure you know where she is.." laughed Sissy....

"That's the Sissy I know and love." I said.

"Keith...Do me a favor?" she asked.

"Anything for you." I said.

"Awwww, you are so sweet..Chica better be good to you." said Sissy..

"Oh she is...." I said smiling...

"Get some of your investigators to pull all of the records on the Blue Skies Asylum for the criminally insane, Anything from the past seven years...Work ups on the staff, patients....The works." she said.

"Playing a hunch Lieutenant?" I asked...I couldn't see what this had to do with our murder investigation, but I trusted Sissy's instincts..

"Yeah, I am...something about Olivia's living arrangement yesterday struck me as kind of strange.." she said.

"Okay...I'll put that together....but it'll take a few days to get a final report." I said.

"Well, do what you have to do Keith, but I need that report." she said.

"As your Detectives say...I'm on it." I said and smiled.

"You are so crazy." she laughed.

III-

A week went by, and this double homicide was growing cold....No new leads and Detectives were taking new cases everyday....I came by Sissy's office with  the report she wanted...She put it in her briefcase....

"I'll look at it when we come back." She said.

''Come Back?" Where are we going?" I asked.

"Rollie Rollerson is back in town and I want to question him....I don't want to be alone with him and Chica has been working with Detective Pile for the past week...I miss my chica..." said Sissy.

"Yeah,I miss her too..Haven't seen her in a week." I found myself saying...

Sissy laughed..

"Well I won't be as fun as riding with Chica....You can't kiss me or fondle me while I'm driving, but I guaruntee you it will be an interesting trip." she joked..

"Can't I have just one kiss?" I joked.

"I don't think Chica or Eddie C. would like that." she joked.

We found Rollie Rollerson in a tony coffee shop chatting with one of the waitresses...

"What's your phone number baby??...I think I want to call you and maybe take you out." he said slyly...

"Mr. Rollerson, aren't you engaged to Ms. Portia Collins??" she asked.

"Engagement is only a word...Not a state of being." he giggled...

"Oh Mister Rollerson ,you are so..." said the waitress..

"Shameless" said Sissy as she and I sat down with him...

The waitress walked away....Rollie Rollerson was stunned...

"Sissy!!!" he said.

''This is not a social call Rollie...I suppose you've  heard about the murders of Mary Talbot and Sondra Clarke." she said.

"Yes...A terrible...terrible  twin tragedy...One right after the other...." he said.  "I read about it all the way in California." he added.

"You were engaged to both of them " I said.

He looked at me side eyed...

"Yeah? So what? That was years ago with both of them...It didn't work out....but I didn't have anything to do with them being murdered...I wasn't even in Philly. Hell, I was uh, still sleeping with Sondra ocassionally." he said looking at Sissy guiltily..

Sissy just shook her head...

''Shameless" was all she could muster to say...

''Look man, you're not a suspect.Nobody is accusing you..but is there anything you can tell us??. Anything at all??.Did any of your other women threaten them or you?? I asked.

" No...Not that I know of..I usually kept my women seperated...." he said holding his head down..

"Well if you can think of anything..a threat...anything out of the ordinary that they might have said to you.Could you tell us?" I said.

"You think the same killer is behind this?" He asked.

"Yes and whoever it is is trying to make you look like the suspect..." said Sissy.

"Me? I-I -I had nothing personal against either of those young ladies...I liked them both and they liked me...I hadn't seen Mary in awhile...but like I told you I did see Sondra from time to time..How do you think she got on  Real Housewives of Philadelphia?" he said.

Sissy just smirked!

"Okay Rollie, that's all I got...Just keep in touch." I said as I got up....

He pulled Sissy to the side...

''Sissy, for what it's worth...you were the best I ever had...I still dream about you at night girl...I swear..If you ever gave me just one more chance I'd toss all these girls to the side. I swear..." he said.

"Ohhh Rollie, I'll bet you tell that to all the girls." said Sissy in a mock southern voice...

I tried my best not to laugh...then I remembered some more questions I had..

"Hey Rollie, Where is Portia Collins by the way?" That was the woman he was presently engaged to.

"She's still out in L.A. She doesn't know any of those women..It's not her." he said.

"It was just a question Rollie...Nobody is accusing her of anything...but we have to ask these questions." said Sissy.

"Weren't you engaged to someone else?" I asked.

"Yeah, Tammy Thompson..The supermodel...She's in town." he said.

"We'd better find her and put some people on her." said Sissy...."Goodbye Rollie." she said as she and I left.

"What about me? I could be in danger myself?" said Rollie.

"You're a big boy Rollie...I'm sure you can take care of yourself." said Sissy.

I smiled wryly.

IV-

It had been a long day, We had been working on these two murders and they were growing cold by the minute...

I was hoping that something would break soon....I walked in my door and to my utter surprise...Carlotta was sitting on my couch  watching television!!!!!....

"I missed you." she said.

"I missed you too. Didn't think I'd see you this soon." I said.

"Didn't plan to come over here this soon...I guess I'm just shameless..." she said..

I walked over to her... I Lifted her up, she wrapped her legs around my waist... and  I kissed her.......She smiled at me...I just shook my head...

"Guess I'm shameless too!" I said.


(TO BE CONTINUED...) 

Blue Skies

It was a totally beautiful day...The type of day I'd rather not be working...The type of day I'd like to be in the park with Carlotta, having a private picnic...but it was Philadelphia...We had a double homicide and they appeared to be linked...No time to enjoy the Blue Skies...

Doc Gibbons sat in Sissy's office with Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, Detective Tyriq Pile, Detective Jimmy Barlow , Detective Edwin ''Duke" Baylor and myself and ran down what he had found...

''The coffee had a mild sedative in it...You can get this sedative from any drug store....Both women had enough in them to knock out an army regimen....After they were sedated, then they were strangled..." he said.

"Hmmmm.. Our killer is more than likely a woman and our killer knew both victims." said Carlotta..

"There was no forced entry...so both of these women let whoever killed them into their spaces." said Tyriq Pile.

''I did some research and guess what...Both of these women were engaged to our friend, Millionaire playboy,Rollie Rollerson..." said Detective Jimmy Barlow, who passed us old copies of the society pages..

"Looks like our boy is more of a stud than you ADA Wallace." said Detective Edwin "Duke " Baylor...

Doc Gibbons busted out laughing as did the others....with the exception of Carlotta...Who gave me a side eye, before she began laughing with the others...

''Come on Folks...Focus." I said.

" Duke...You and Jimmy go to all of the local drug stores...Pharmacies, see if a woman matching our artist's description came in and ordered that sedative in the last few days..See how she paid..if she used cash or a credit card...I'm sure hoping it was a credit card." I said.

"Tyriq and I are going to see if we can find out where these gold wedding bands were made and who might have purchased them."said Carlotta...

"By the way ,Where is your fearless leader?" asked Doc Gibbons...

''Sissy? She's running down another lead." I lied... Doc looked at me side eyed...So did Carlotta...If nobody else knew I was lying, She did...She walked over to me..after the other detectives left...

"Tyriq, ,we'll take your car..I'll be right down." she said.

"Okay Top." he said.

"Why does he call you Top?" I asked.

"He's been calling me that since my first day as a rookie under him...It's a private joke between me and him. I'll tell you one day." she said.

"Oh." I said.

''You wanna clue me in on what is going on with boss lady?" she said.

"I will when I find out...I promise..." I said.. I looked around, nobody was around...I closed the door and pulled Carlotta to me and kissed her passionately...We broke our embrace..

" Stop...you gotta stay focused, remember?" she laughed...

"I am focused." I said..

"Liar." she said and kissed me on the cheek...."I'll see you later." she said as she rushed out!

II-

I drove to Josies....It was early in the day, but there was Sissy, sitting in a booth with two tall glasses of water and one bottle of beer. She hadn't touched the beer...Her hands were shaking...

I sat down with her...

''What are you doing here counselor?" she asked.

"Funny, I should be asking you the same thing." I said.

"I can't be involved in this case." she said.

"You don't have a choice...You're a Lieutenant....You've got some good detectives out there working this case..and they need their leader." I said.

"What did you tell em?" she asked.

"I told em you were running down a lead on this case." I said.

''They believe you?" she asked.

"Everybody except Doc and Carlotta." I said.

Sissy laughed...

"Carlotta is a good detective...She'll make a fine Lieutenant one day. Maybe sooner than she thinks." she said wryly....

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Sissy opened the beer and downed it and drank a glass of water....Then she looked at me....

"You won't like me when I tell you this.." she said.

"Nothing could make me dislike you." I said.

She smiled and rubbed my arm...

" I met Rollie Rollerson at a fund raiser...It was right after my divorce from Robert Foxworth was finalized. He was charming and nice looking and very married. I knew when I met him that I shouldn't have ever gotten involved with him...but he swept me off of my feet...A forced kiss here, finally a surrendered kiss there..groping in his car and eventually hot and wild lovemaking every chance he and I got a chance to sneak away. I never meant to get this involved with him. He told me that his wife was crazy..That she had split personalities and that he was going to leave her...yet he never did..."

  "I broke it off with him....Then he came to my house late one night...Telling me that his wife was cheating on him...He was in tears..I took him inside...He and I made love all night long and he left my bed that next morning. Soon the news came that his wife or one of her personalities had murdered her lover. I covered that up for him. Wrote it up as a suicide when I knew it was a murder....I stopped a  Private Detective  we all know and love named Kevin Morris from writing the story after he figured out just what had really happened...That's how we met...That was one of the first cases he gave me...He's kept my secret all these years....That's why I love him...and he's helped the department out many times as you know." she said.

"You mean to tell me, you think Rollerson's ex-wife is doing this?" I said.

"It's a strong possibility." she said.

''What became of her?" I asked.

"She was put in the hospital for the criminally insane..years ago." she said.

"Well let's go and see if she's there." I said.

"What about what I just told you? About me obstructing justice?" she said.

"You didn't tell me anything about obstructing justice..Did you?" I said.  I looked at her and winked... "Kevin isn't the only one who can keep a secret." I said.

"Awww..." she said and she leaned over and gave me a big warm hug....

"Sissy, over the years you've been nothing but sterling, closing major cases and making this city safer...No way I'd condemn you for one lapse in judgement...make that two....Getting involved with Rollie Rollerson wasn't your best move." I said and laughed.

Sissy smiled...

"Chica has a good man...She is soo lucky...I tell her that all the time." said Sissy.

''Eddie has a good woman too." I said.

Sissy smiled. I was happy to bring a smile to her lovely face.

III-

Sissy and I drove out to Blue Skies Asylum for the criminally insane...It was a spooky and foreboding place just off of the interstate, up on a hill....I didn't want to go inside, but we had to...

Inside...It had pale green walled hallways and it smelled like a combonation of ointment and Pine Sol.... The patients walked around in a drug induced stupor mostly...and the most violent were locked up in the dorm rooms...

The Superintendant...An attractive  white woman in her mid 40's and two huge strapping and muscular Black men met us at the front office.

"I'm Lieutenant Sissy Van Buren...Philadelphia Homicide and this is Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace..  she said.

"I'm Sylvia Ratchet ...I must admit, I was a little confused when you called me Lt. Van Buren...Why would the head of Philadelphia Homicide want to talk to one of our patients?" she said.

"Is Olivia Rockland here?" asked Sissy.

"Yes..Why wouldn't she be?" said the superintendent

''Could we see her?" I asked.

" Sure.Daniel...Take her to Olivia's dorm room..." she said.

"This way." he said. He was a tall, muscular, light skinned Black man.

We walked down the long corridor to Olivia Rockland's room...

There she was... A very attractive woman...Looking very peaceful and serene, sitting in her room watching the Steve Harvey show on Television...She took one look at Sissy and said-

"Welll, if it isn't the woman that is screwing my husband..."

"Nice to see you Olivia." said Sissy.

"Olivia isn't here...I'm Rachel!" she said.

Sissy looked at me and said-"Rachel is her alter ego, the one who killed her lover."

"Don't talk about me like I'm not here..." she said.

"Come on Keith...Let's get out of here." said Sissy...

Then just as frightening as could possibly be...I heard another voice come out of this woman...

"Sissy...How you been girl? You're looking good...How's Rollie doing?"

''Hello Olivia. He's fine I guess." said Sissy.

"Heyy girl...Is that your man??..He's cute."she said.

"No Olivia...just a good friend." said Sissy..

''A good friend worth keeping honey." she said and laughed.

"How you been doin up here?" asked Sissy.

"I've been fine...Got all the comforts of home...Rollie has seen to that."she said.

"That's good...I'll let him know that we saw you." said Sissy.

''You do that Missy...Tell him I'm going to cut his penis off when I see him since he can't keep it in his pants." came a more sinister voice.

''Goodbye Rachel."said Sissy.

"Goodbye bitch!" she said.  "Daniellll...come in here and get some of this good lovin..." she cooed.

The guard looked at us...he shrugged his shoulders..ignoring Rachel/Olivia...

"She didn't used to be this bad..She'd be Olivia for a month and then be Rachel for about a week...but now,she switches from one personality to another so fast, it's frightening...Gotta get her stronger meds." he said.

The transformation was frightening.... Sissy and I just looked at him.

Rachel had now stripped down to just her panties and bra...She was a good looking woman...Hard to believe she was so young and stricken with a split personality...I didn't want Sissy to see me checking out Rachel/Olivia's body...but I was..and I'm sure that Daniel was too...I should've come up here with Duke,Jimmy or Tyriq!

"Oh dear...where are my clothes? Oh My God....Turn your heads...I'm so sorry." came the voice of Olivia.

Sissy and I left...

On the way home Sissy seemed to be her old self again....

"Well we know that she's not our perp...She's as crazy as a loon." I said.

"Well, if she's there, then who could be doing this?" she asked.

''Somebody else from out of Rollie's past...another angry female....By the way, where were you when all of these murders were committed?" I joked.

''Please...I wouldn't jeopordize my career a second time for Rollie Rollerson." she said.

IV-

That night, Carlotta lay across my bed.....

''Any luck today?" I asked.

"Duke and Jimmy are still chasing down that sedative....They haven't found anything yet..Same here..Me and Tyriq can't find a shop that made those rings..." she said.

"Sissy and I ran down a lead...We drove out to the mental hospital...Blue Skies...She thought Rollie's crazy ex-wife might be doing this...She's got two personalities....It's frightening to watch....but she's there,locked safely away..." I said.

"Sissy ,Kevin Morris and I had a case like that once...Guy dressed up like his mother..Killed several people...He's probably out there at Blue Skies too." she said.

"What a name for a place..A place like that...Blue Skies." I laughed.

"Yeah ,how about that?" she laughed....

She leaned over and kissed me...I eased her panties down and slipped her bra off...I kissed her neck and behind her ears....She kissed my chest...I entered her slowly again...In and out...softly, steadily...slow sweet lovemaking...

She was on top, riding me, her long hair flinging into my face....I cupped her buttocks and moved her up and down....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuu papi...ohhhhhhh that feels good..." she said...

"Yesss lorddd.." I said...

We kept at it just like this for close to an hour and a half....I sat up and began kissing her deeply,slower...

"Let's take the day off tomorrow, say that we were hunting down another lead." I said jokingly in between kisses...

''Where? In bed??" she said.

"Yeah...in bed...ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.." I moaned as we both began to climax...

"You are soo...silly." she said laughing and holding me tighter...

Funny what you think about at a time like this...My mind wandered to Sissy and then to crazy Olivia/Rachel...

Then back to Carlotta.... Yes...Carlotta!!

(To Be Continued...)

Band Of Gold

It was midnight...Usually not an hour that I, Assistant District Attorney ,Keith Porterhouse Wallace would normally be working...In fact...I had been at a Sixers Game at the Wells Fargo Center with Attorney Robert Foxworth, my good friend and his assistant, Chance Howard...Kind of like a boys night out...When I got a call that a wealthy African-American socialite had been found dead in a tony Center City hotel room...

The game had long been over..and we were just knocking back some beers and wings and talking about Basketball when I got the call....I excused myself and got in my car and rushed to the scene....The first detective I saw was the present love of my life, apple of my eye, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez...This was a murder, yes...and a serious matter, but I was secretly glad that she was the primary.....

I wondered how I could think of that at a time like this... never the less..I decided to at least pretend to be professional.

''What have you got Detective Rodriguez?" I said as I waded past uniformed policemen........

"Her name is Mary Talbot...She was discovered by the maid." she said.

"Maid...what was she doing in a hotel room?? She lives here in Philly...." I said.

"She wasn't staying here...This room was registered to Rollie Rollerson." she said.

"Rollie Rollerson?? He lives here too." I said.

"It was a ruse..ADA, Rollerson isn't in town...He and his fiance ,Portia Collins are in L.A." said Detective Tyriq Pile..

"In Los Angelas?" I asked.

"Yeah...They were at the BET Honors....It's been in the papers... The guy at the desk said that a woman in a scarf and dark glasses paid cash...Said she worked for Rollie Rollerson and to book the room in his name." he said.

"Well, let's get a look at some film footage." I said.

"Not going to happen Keith...Somebody knocked out the video cameras....Two or three hours of footage is missing." came the voice of Lt. Sissy Van Buren who walked in with Detective Jimmy Barlow...

"What??? Wow...We got a sophisticated one here..." I said.

"Look what I found!!!  " said Detective  Jimmy Barlow...

It was a set of wedding bands.....

Sissy and Carlotta looked at the rings.....

"Nice...These are pure gold...nothing fake here....I wonder what this is about?..." said Carlotta...

"Look at the initials on the bands..R.R." said Detective Tyriq Pile...

Sissy had a peculiar look on her face...Like she'd seen a ghost...

"Oh My God....Noooooo.." she kind of whispered.

"You alright Sissy?" I asked.

"Uhhh yeah...yeah , I'm...I'm ,I'm alright.." she said.

Carlotta called a couple of uniforms and  said- ''Cut her down"...They did and she examined the body....she was wearing latex gloves.....

"She's been strangled...but something is strange about the look on her face...and it's a bluish saliva on the side of her mouth." she said.

" This coffee cup is half full.." said Sissy....She still had a strange look on her face again..Like she'd seen a ghost..

"Sissy?...Sissy? You alright baby?? " I asked.

"Uh...yeah...Uh no...I'm not." she said.

''What is it? Something about this case seem familiar, you see a pattern?" I asked.

"No...No... nothing familiar..it's just...it's just ...this job never gets easier." she said and walked away.

I thought her saying all of that seemed peculiar...So did Carlotta...She looked at me, but I didn't say anything.

Sissy looked as pale as a ghost!

II-

The EMT guys came and removed the body....Detective Tyriq Pile, Detective Jimmy Barlow and several other detectives and uniformed police began a door to door search of the hotel, questioning everybody...

"Well we won't know anything until Doc Gibbons does an autopsy." said Sissy..

''Wow..Seems like we have been having a rash of weird cases lately haven't we?" said Carlotta...

Sissy said nothing...

I pulled her to the side ...

''Sissy what's wrong?" I asked...

"Nothing..." she said.

"You' re as bad a liar as you say that I am..You can't fool me." I said.

"I'm okay Keith.." she said sounding surprisingly exasperated.

"When you feel like talking about it...I'll listen." I said. "You know my number."

She smiled at me..She rubbed my arm  gently.

"Okay...we've done all we can do here...Let's go home, get some sleep...I'll see you guys in the morning ." she said  and headed for her car...She turned to me and whispered..."I'm sorry for kind of snapping at you...I-I-I just don't feel like myself...." she said.   I had never seen Sissy like this before.

Carlotta walked over to me...

"What's wrong with Boss Lady?" she asked...

"I don't know..she wouldn't tell me.." I said.

"She wasn't herself tonight...Maybe she'll tell me in the morning." said Carlotta....

I turned and looked at her..She always looked good and smelled good despite what she did...investigate homicides...I hadn't seen her in awhile, despite talking to her by phone every day....

"I guess you're going to your place tonight?" I said.

Carlotta looked at me and smiled...

"If you want me to come and stay with you, just ask." she said.

"Okay...I'm askin." I said with a smile.

"I'll be by after I finish up here with Tyriq and Jimmy." she said and kissed me on the cheek.

III-

Carlotta was true to her word...She stopped by my loft an hour later with an over night bag....We lie across the bed just talking..

"What is the deal with Boss lady and Rollie Rollerson?" she asked.

"After her divorce, she and Rollie were an uh item...Like you and me." I said.

''Oh that's what we are huh? An item!" she said with a laugh.

"Yes indeed!" I laughed and kissed her ,slow and long..

"I knew they were an item...I can tell by how irritated she gets whenever his name comes up...Remember when we raided that bar in Little Norway and he was in there with the prostitutes?" she said.

"Yeah,I remember and the time when Kevin Morris helped you and Sissy nab those two killers who were killing everybody in that investment group that Rollie was involved in...She was pretty angry then too." I said.

"Yeah...he must have done a number on her..." said Carlotta.

"It's a shame...My friend, Robert Foxworth really hurt her when they were married...He was a womanizer then...and then she gets involved with Rollerson and he was no better." I said.

"I feel for Boss lady, but at least she found somebody for her...Eddie is a good guy." said Carlotta..

I kissed her again, slow and began to rub her breasts....

"I'm a good guy too." I said..

"Yes, I know...You're a horny guy too." she said and winked...

"You make me that way." I whispered in her ear...She giggled...

I kissed her and rolled over on her....I eased her panties down and slowly entered into her...She moaned softly as I slowly, yet deliberately moved inside of her and out of her....We continued to kiss long and slowly and make slow, easy , yet sweet love well into the night...and early into the morning...

When we both came, it was intense...

"Ouuuuuuuuu...baby...that was just what I needed.." said Carlotta..

"Just what I needed too...It's been a week and two days." I said.

''You count the days?" she asked laughing.

"Yes I do...and the hours too." I said.

"Go to sleep silly" she said laughing.

Carlotta and I went to sleep in each others arms..

IV-

The next Morning, Carlotta and I, driving our own cars showed up at yet another murder scene... Detectives Tyriq Pile, and Jimmy Barlow were already at the scene as was Lt.Sissy Van Buren...

"Who's the primary?" I asked..

"Duke" she said. She wasn't her usual joking self...She made no smart remarks about Carlotta and I driving our own cars ,when she knew that we had spent the night together....She just stared as Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor had other detectives and uniformed policemen do a house to house search and had CSI people canvas the scene...

Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor was a good investigator....and like Carlotta, thorough...I was glad to have him back on my squad. He recovered a couple of gold wedding bands..

"Keith, check it out....I read Carlotta's report from last night....She found two...and I found two at this scene...look at the initials.."R.R." and like her crime scene...I found a half drank cup of coffee..." he said.

"Who is the victim?" I asked.

"Her name is Sondra...Sondra "Cookie" Clark...Hot little number...Used to dance in rap videos for awhile, then she dated a couple of Football players and most recently she was on that reality show-"The Real Housewives of Philadelphia." he said.

''Why does this look like somebody is trying to frame Rollie Rollerson?" said Carlotta.

"Or send him a message" said Detective Jimmy Barlow...

''We know that he isn't in town...We know that he didn't rent that room in that hotel last night..." said Jimmy.

Detective Tyriq Pile walked over to us...

"What;cha got Tyriq?" I said.

''One woman said that she saw a  brown skinned woman, with dark shades on and a scarf and black leggings stop by this house late last night." he said.

"Take her downtown, show her some mug shots, see if it's anybody we know." said Carlotta..

''We're on it Top" he said.  "Top" was his pet name for Carlotta...She always laughed when he called her that...

I walked over to Sissy...

"Lieutenant...Why don't you and I go and have some coffee....and talk." I said.

Sissy smiled at me...

''Keith, Don't you feel like taking Chica behind one of these buildings and making out with her while nobody is looking?" she said.

I laughed but Sissy didn't laugh......She sensed that I was somewhat taken aback and she grabbed my arm gently...

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'll tell you everything soon, I promise...You and Chica...I just gotta go..Gotta be by myself." she said....and she headed to her car...

"Boss Lady!!!" said Carlotta , who was about to run after her...

"Let her go Carlotta...She'll be alright." I said.

"We got two murders and they look like they're linked..." said Carlotta..

"We'll work it out...The Lieutenant will join us when she can." I said...Hoping what I said was true...

Carlotta stood and looked at me...like a child needing to know more...I looked at her and kissed her on her forehead...There was two mysteries going on here..

(Definitely To Be Continued....)