It's A Shame

Bridget Jones owned two lingerie stores...She had recently moved back to Philadelphia and was doing brisk business...Sissy, Carlotta and I paid her shop a visit the next day...We had the white baby doll , the matching white bra and panties that had been worn by the deceased Juanita James when we found her murdered!

"Heyy Bridget....I hate to be visiting you because of this...but we had a murder victim the week before last that was found in this set..and we traced this set to your store." she said.

Bridget looked at the set and thought a minute then smiled..

"Yeah...This is one of ours..." she said and pointed to a mannequin with the same set on... "I remember this...I sold them to a guy just a few weeks ago." she said.

"A Guy?" I said.

"Yes...half of my customers are men...they buy stuff for their wives and their girlfriends...I take it you don't?" she asked.

Sissy and Carlotta both gave me a side eye and smiled...

"Well..Well I, uh...I-I order stuff on line mostly." I said....

Carlotta cracked up laughing....So did Sissy......I was embarrassed...I couldn't believe it...

"Why are you embarrassed Mr. Wallace...We are all adults...Do you think that I thought all you and Ms. Carlotta did was hold hands?" joked Bridget....

Sissy couldn't hold back her laughter any longer......

"I'm sorry Chica...but your man is priceless..." she said.

"I know ...I know." she said shaking her head and laughing..."That's why we love you boo." said Carlotta laughing.

"It's true." said Sissy, still laughing.

"So about this guy??...How did he pay?/ Cash, Credit Card??" I asked ,quickly changing the subject...

It didn't stop them from laughing at me...

"I think he charged it...It was only two weeks ago...The reason I remembered him was because he was very talkative, very flirtatious and very knowledgable about women's underwear...more so than the average guy." said Bridget...

She went through her records and she found it...

"Here it is...He used a Mastercard....His name was Kenneth...Kenneth Dennard." she said.

"Kenny Dennard, the guy from the bar...The guy who snuck a kiss from Angie." I said.

"Yes ,I remember him!!!....But you know....Jimmy and I interviewed him the first day..." said Carlotta.

"Hmmm, we may need to talk to him again...and get a DNA swab." said Sissy.

"Thanks Bridget." said Carlotta.

"Is he in some kind of trouble?" she asked.

"I don't know yet." said Carlotta as Sissy  and I headed out the door and to Sissy's car.

"This is Lt. Sissy Van Buren....All points bulletin...Pick up Kenneth Denard, bring him in for questioning....He works at the "Low End Theory" club at night...Attends Community College by day and lives  at......." she said on her car radio as we headed back to C.I.D. Headquarters..

Carlotta looked back at me sitting in the back seat....

"We were just teasing with you boo...I like the things you buy for me..I've never complained have I? You have good tastes." she said and winked...

Sissy just glanced back at me and laughed some more....By now, even I was smiling.

II-

"I'm telling you Jimmy....I didn't call Juanita that night in question...I'm certain of it." said Detective Angie Belton to Detective Jimmy Barlow..They were sitting in Sissy's office when we returned..They appeared to be having coffee and a friendly conversation..Sissy,Carlotta and I looked at both of them kind of funny.

He showed her the phone records from Juanita's phone....Her number was circled...

"That's your phone number isn't it?  You made one call...11:07 pm." he said.

"No I didn't...I was at the bar that night...It was pretty loud in there...It was a Thursday night...I distinctly remember that night....Plus ,I wouldn't have called Juanita anyway...I knew she had company...She had told me that her boyfriend was coming over...They were supposed to talk about whether they were going to stay in a relationship or not..." said Detective Belton.

"But this is your phone number?" said Jimmy...

Angie looked at it...

"Yeah, that's my number...but I'm telling you...I didn't talk to her that night." she said.

"Angie, did you lay your phone down on the bar at anytime? Maybe you were dancing and it was on the bar and someone picked it up?" said Carlotta.

"I've done that in Josies and had Gus or Honey Brown watch my purse or my phone." said Sissy.

''Come to think of it... I went to the ladies room once...and I told Kenny , the bartender to watch my purse for me...and my phone was right next to my purse and my drink." she said..."Then this cute guy asked me to dance another time and I asked him to watch it again." she said.

"Would Kenny be ,Kenny Dennard, the horn dog who tried to damn near rape you at the crime scene?" I said, surprised at the rancor in my voice.

Angie was quiet for a minute....

''Yeah...Kenny had a thing for Juanita....Sometimes me too....We mostly paid him no mind...He asked both of us to go out with him on several different occassions...Juanita told him that she had a man, but that didn't stop him...When he heard that she and Chris were having problems...He went into third gear, sending flowers to her apartment, to her job, always trying to talk to her in private....But Nita just laughed him off...I think Christopher Marlow and Kenny had words about it once..." she said.

''What about her ex husband??.." asked Jimmy.

"He was just gettin back in the mix....He thought Kenny was a little creepy and told Nita so...He basically considered him a joke...He used to laugh at him..." she said.

''So Juanita never took Kenny serious?" asked Carlotta.

"Oh heck no...." said Angie.

"How bout you?" asked Sissy.

"You know...I went out with him once...We had some drinks....some laughs..Went To Josies and The Aqua Bar...but that was it...He wanted to come inside...The date wasn't that good...I wasn't feelin him like  that and I told him...We could just be friends." she said.

"Ouchhhhh...what every man hates to hear the most." said Jimmy.

"Damn Shame." I said.

He and I high fived!


II-

Some hours later, Detective Tyriq Pile entered the office with a tall slender brown skinned gentleman and a uniformed police officer....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. Kenneth Denard." he said.

"You heard my radio call?" laughed Sissy...

''Loud and clear Lou....You know I love your voice...It's so melodic." joked Tyriq...

"Flattery will get you everywhere." said Sissy as they both laughed.

Carlotta looked at Jimmy...

''You're up partner...I interviewed the last two." she said.

''Awww come on Carlotta..." he pleaded..

"Get in there..You know the drill." she said.

"Listen at Top...She said that with such authority." laughed Tyriq...

Sissy, Carlotta, Tyriq, Jimmy, Angie and I all burst into laughter.

III-

"Come on Junior, I'll go in with you." said Tyriq...

The room was small....Tyriq went in and sat on the end of the table...Kenny Dennard sat in the middle...

"Want a smoke man?" said Tyriq...

"Yeah." he said.

Tyriq passed him a cigarette from the same pack we found in Juanita's apartment...

''This is my brand too." he said.

"Most Black people smoke Kools." laughed Tyriq, who didn't himself smoke.

"Yeah, I guess we do." said Kenny as he lit the cigarette and took a few puffs..

Detective Jimmy Barlow came in the room with a few folders...he plopped them down on the table and sat down...

Sissy, Angie, Carlotta and I watched from behind a two way window...

"Mr. Dennard, do you know why you're here?" he asked.

"Yeah, you want to ask me about Juanita James." he said.

Jimmy opened a box and spread a pair of white bikini panties, a white bra and a baby doll on the desk..

"Recognize these?" he said.

Kenny smiled..

"Yeah...I bought em for uh Juanita." he said.

''Wow! What was this...A Valentine's Day gift?" asked Tyriq..... From behind the window, Sissy and Angie cracked up laughing...Kenny ignored Tyriq's question.

''Aint that kind of personal?...I mean, you weren't her man, you were just a bartender."  said Jimmy.

"I was her friend...I was talking to her....We talked a lot...I was close to....Well, I thought me and her might have gotten somethin cookin." he said.

"Yeah...if she modeled those for you somethin definitely woulda been cookin." said Tyriq....Now, even Kenny Dennard had to laugh...He looked at Tyriq and just shook his head.

Sissy spit out her coffee, Carlotta shook her head and smiled... Angie smiled too. ,I was hoping they didn't become too much of a side show in there and blow the interview.

"But you still weren't her man...You do know that she had a boyfriend right?   and an ex-husband and both were trying to get back with her." said Jimmy.

"Both bums..." he said.

''And you buyin panties for her?"scoffed Tyriq.  Sissy and Angie both turned their heads at this point, but they were both laughing beyond control.

"Yo man, what is your problem?" said Kenny.

"Man...I don't know no guy that buys panties for a woman that's not his wife or girlfriend...When did you expect to see her in them?" said Tyriq...

"I felt like I had a shot at it." said Kenny...

"Oh you did?  Okay my man...I'll take your word for it... After all, you knew her." said Tyriq.

"That's right...I did.." snapped Kenny.

"It must have killed you that she was still sleeping with both of those bums...Both of those guys who had messed up....Losers....One guy who had had the great fortune to be married to her and messed it up and the other, a professional college student with no ambition and very little money." said Jimmy..

Kenny stopped smoking, and put the cigarette behind his ear.....

"I didn't kill her.." he said dryly...

"Nobody said you did...but it did piss you off didn't it?? didn't you stand outside her door in the hallway ,sometimes just listening to her moan.... Ohhhhhh daddy ,put it onnnnnn me...ohhhhh lay that pipe, lay that pipe daddy..ouuuuuuuuuu.."   and one of em goin -"Ummmmmmm...ohhhhh god baby you feel so damn gooood..." and you standing there...standin there wishin it was you..It's a shame." said Jimmy.

Sissy,Carlotta and Angie were hysterical at this point....I admit...I had to laugh myself..but I wanted Jimmy to close this...To nail him...He was close...

"No...Nah...I wasn't standin at no door listenin to nothin....She ...She...was wastin her time with both of em...She never gave me a second thought....I did everything for her!!I...Remembered her birthday, sent her flowers on Valentines day, sent her a Christmas card...Sent her flowers just because...Took care of her bar tab.I even drove her over to her ex-husband's house one night when her car was on the fritz...and she never noticed me...NEVER NOTICED ME AT ALL!!! GAVE THEM LOSERS GOOD LOVIN....Never so much as remembered MY BIRTHDAY!" he said...His hands were shaking...

"I know man...I know...and on this certain night...both of them came over and that was all you could take right? It's a shame the way she played you.You came to see her, you was tryin to get your nerve up and here comes her ex-husband....He leaves and to your surprise...Here comes her Steak and hoagie shop workin bum of a boyfriend..All the while, all that stuff you did for her went un-noticed." said Jimmy..

"YEAH!!!!  YEAH!!  .It made me so .....Nah man.....Nah....I didn't care...I didn't lose no sleep over it.I wasn't even there." he said, regaining his composure.

''You were there Kenny...We got you on videotape going in the building that night..."said Jimmy.

"She aint the only person I know in there....I know plenty of people in that building." he blurted out."

"Who? We talked to everybody in the building...Only one person mentioned seeing you and she said you were standing outside of Ms. James door." said Jimmy.

"I went to talk to Juanita...but she was busy, so I left...That's it...And I aint sayin nothin else unless I have a lawyer present." he said.

"Okay man...Okay....cool...You want a soda?, Bottle of water?" asked Jimmy...

"Nah...I don't think so." he said.

''Here, I'll take that cigarette off of your hands." said Jimmy.

"Nah..I'll keep it...Might smoke it some more." he said.

"Hey man...I believe you...I don't think you killed Juanita....You dug her right? After all, Man buys a pair of panties, a nightie and a bra for a woman...He must care a lot about her" said Tyriq.

"You got jokes right....Easy for you...You got a weddin band on...How long has it been since you had to get up your nerve to ask a girl out.or tell her how you really feel or worse, beg her to notice or care about you?" he snarled at Tyriq...

"Been a long time buddy...Look at me, I'm sexy chocolate baby....I don't beg women." said Tyriq.

Carlotta and Sissy screamed with laughter....Angie clapped her hands...-"Wellllllll." she said and laughed some more.. I just shook my head. I was glad that the two way window was sound proof...If he heard all of us laughing, he might have clammed up!

"I loved her....I did...but try as I might...She ...She just wouldn't..." he said, stopping himself..

''She couldn't see...She couldn't see that you were the best guy for her...She wouldn't give you a chance.." said Jimmy..

"You know don't you?" said Kenny.....Then he got himself together, shook his head and started laughing....

"What are you guys doin, playin good cop, slick cop?  I know you're both tryin to jam me up...Shame on both of you." said Kenny.

I have to admit...I was a little confused myself as to which one was the good cop or the bad cop..

"Nah...Not at all...Why don't you leave us a DNA sample...And we can eliminate you as a suspect, just like we did everybody else. We had both of your uh competitors down here...We grilled em just like we doin you...It's our job man, They didn't take it personally...We don't take it personal either." said Tyriq...

"I don't think I want to do that....You got nothin on me... If you did, I'd already be in handcuffs... You just fishin..and we got nothin else to talk about....Unless like I said, you want to talk to my lawyer." he said.

''Aww it's like that playa?  I thought we was all cool." said Jimmy.

"Yeah right!!..Nice try. We aint that cool. Take your Crockett and Tubbs act somewhere else." said Kenny...''Can I go?" he said.

Jimmy opened the door...

"Yup, I certainly have nothing to hold you on." said Jimmy...

"An officer will give you a ride to where ever you want to go." said Tyriq.

"That's mighty Black of you bruh." said Kenny sarcastically looking at Tyriq.

Kenny Dennard got up and walked out....

Once he was gone....Jimmy and Tyriq walked into Sissy's office...

"You two are insane...I was in stitches out here. Sexy Chocolate Tyriq? Really?" said Sissy.

" Lou...Look at me!  He said laughing himself..."For what it's worth  though,I think it's him." said Tyriq.

"Me too...He's the only one who smoked...He admitted that that was his brand...He bought the panties and he's the only one who refused a DNA test." said Jimmy.

"He's slick too...He didn't take the bait on the drinks and he kept the cigarette...So we wouldn't get his DNA." said Carlotta.

"Yeah...The other two willingly gave us a DNA sample....Sounds like he's got something to hide." said Tyriq.

"Well,I figured he might not give us much....So I called Duke...Duke's in his bar now...He doesn't know Duke.. He's seen the rest of us though. I figure ,he's got to drink or eat something....Duke will get him...We'll get that DNA yet."  said Carlotta.

"That just proves he might have had sex with Juanita, as unlikely as that may sound..." said Angie...

"I don't think he did have sex with her....Not while she was alive!!I think he was standing outside the door, listening to her and her ex husband and then to her and her boyfriend.....That uh explains the semen in the hallway outside the door.....and possibly in the condom in the trash can....He must have been wearing gloves because he left no prints...." I said.

"EWWWWWWWWWWWW...." said Sissy,Angie and Carlotta in unison...

"He went inside somehow after the other two men left and he forced himself on her....he injected the muscle relaxer to subdue her , so she wouldn't fight..and he had his way with her..several times...That's why the condom was full...Later on he injected her with the chemical that stopped her heart  , to kill her...leaving no witness to the rape!....He dressed her and posed her after death and then was still so turned on ...he uh.......relieved himself on the floor, in the bathroom,in the kitchen, where-ever.He couldn't control himself at this point...he was just too turned on." I finished.

"EWWWWWWWWWWWW...." said Sissy,Angie and Carlotta in unison again...

''This case makes me want to take a shower." said Sissy.

"Yesss" said Dr. Hunter...

"Yesssss." said Carlotta.

''Wow Keith, you understand how this might have went down a little too well....Do you carry on like this?"joked Sissy.

Now it was my turn...

"Lieutenant, seriously?  Look at your girl over there.....I don't have to, Believe that!" I said.

Tyriq and Jimmy just laughed hysterically...and high fived me....

"That's my boyyyyy." said Tyriq.

Angie looked at Sissy...

"He's got a point Sissy." she said and laughed...

Sissy, always a good sport, laughed too and high fived me....

"Guess you're right ADA..Chica loves her some you..." she said.

Carlotta blushed something terrible, but laughed too...

"Aww look...you made Top Blush...." said Tyriq who put his arms around his former protoge'..

Dr. Hazel Hunter entered the office just then...

" Hope I'm not breaking up anything...I thought you all might want to hear this..The two lethal drugs that killed Ms. James were among drugs stolen from a pharmecutical company that got robbed a month ago...and guess what??...It's just two blocks from the bar Mr. Dennard works at presently." she said.

I smiled.

"Dr. Hunter, that was a great pull..." I said.

"Oh I can't take credit for that...Duke...or Edwin found that out last night....He told me to make sure I informed you or Ms. Sissy or Detective Rodriguez." she said.

"You two gotta go on some real dates and stop makin your dates police work." said Jimmy.

We all smiled.

IV-

It had been a long day...Sissy ,Tyriq, Angie, Jimmy,Carlotta and I were all going home...we had put in a hard days work.....

"You think Kenny did this?  I'll get some DNA from him...." said Angie.

''How do you plan on doing that?" asked Carlotta.

"I shudder when I think of what I may have to do." she said.

"No Angie...We'll get him some other way....I'm serious." said Sissy.

"Duke will get him." I said.

"And if he doesn't?" she asked.

"I don't know....But I don't want you putting yourself in harms way." I said.

Angie smiled faintly and walked toward her car without saying anything....

"I'm worried about her Keith." said Sissy.

''Me too." I said.

Carlotta put her arms around me...Kissed me on the cheek...

''What's that for?" I said.

"For being the coolest boyfriend a girl could ask for." she said.

"I'm not cool..." I said...

"You are to me." she said and kissed me again.

''Good night Ozzie, Harriet. Get a room!" said Sissy with a smile as she got in her car and pulled off...Jimmy,Angie and Tyriq were gone...

Carlotta pulled me to her again and kissed me slowly and passionately....We stood there like that for a few minutes...

"Hungry?" I asked.

"Yeah...but not for food" she said with a sly wink.

"Word!! My place is closer by." I said.

"Lead the way counselor" she said and tossed me the keys to her car...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)