Man In A Fountain

Sometimes I hate Monday Mornings...When I have to go to a crime scene first thing in the morning without eating breakfast...I hate it...When I spent the night before...without Carlotta in my bed I hate it...When it's kind of cold still and I had to rush and get my coffee..I hate it even more...And when the primary isn't Carlotta..I really hate it!!

Don't mind me...I'm just doing some venting...I spent a whole week and a half at Carlotta's apartment as her guest...a total of 11 days...4 days more than I was supposed to...It was great...I hated to leave...but I had to...

Haven't seen her in a week...Miss her of course, but life goes on....Me? I'm Assistant District Attorney ,Keith Porterhouse Wallace..This is one of my stories....

It was Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor's case....and to my surprise...He was working it with Detective Tyriq Pile... Not his usual partner in crime...James "Jimmy" Barlow.

When I got there ,I saw a middle aged white male face down in an outdoor water fountain....Surprisingly, the fountain was on...Water was splashing everywhere and the body was floating...

A crowd of gawkers were being held back by uniformed policemen...A police photographer was snapping photos...Detective Pile had on latex gloves and was leaning down going through the dead man's pockets...

"Who is he?" I asked.

Detectives Pile and Baylor looked at his wallet, which had his drivers licensce and debit cards and credit cards intact..

"His name is Wallace Wheaton...He's 67 according to this...I got uniforms asking people questions...so far, nobody saw anything." said Duke.

"His body is very cold and stiff...Neck's broken...My guess is ...He was killed somewhere else..brought here.." said Detective Pile.

"That's an adequate , though unscientific assumption...but from the looks of the body,I'd say you both are right " came a very soft and surprisingly mellow female voice.

The three of us turned around....She was gorgeous...about five feet, three inches, very shapely and very smartly dressed...

"Hi ,I'm Dr. Hazel Hunter...Crime Scene Investigation....I'm working with Doc Gibbons..." she said.

Duke couldn't take his eyes off of her....He had the look I had when I first saw Carlotta about two years ago...

""Hello...I'm uh the secondary..I-I-I mean...the Primary on this case...I'm Officer Baylor, I-I-I-I mean, Detective..uh, what's my name? Uh oh yeah, Detective Edwin Albert Baylor....This , This is my partner, Detective Jimmy Barlow...Uh, I mean Tyriq Pile." he said...

Detective Pile looked at me and laughed..., I smiled....I knew how he felt...I was the same way when I first met Carlotta...

"I'm Assistant District Attorney , Keith Wallace." I said.

"I'm Detective Tyriq Pile." said Tyriq..

"You sure now?" she said..

We all laughed....

She put on latex gloves and examined the body....

"You were correct Detective Pile...His neck was broken...Killer used a garotte...and from the rigor...he has been dead at least 12 or 13 hours...more than likely killed somewhere else and dumped here." she said.

"Did the cold water from this fountain advance the rigor?" I asked.

She smiled sweetly at me...

"Very good question ADA...I won't know until we get a better look at the body at the M.E.'s office." she said.

Duke signaled to the uniforms...

"Release the body...." he said.

The ambulance workers pulled the body out of the fountain...and wrapped it up, preparing it for release...

"Detective Rodriguez had a case just like this last week...Guy was found in a fountain...neck broken, garotte marks...Daniel Radcliff was his name, 68 years old, married to a woman 29 and Detective Barlow had one also., Melvin Weiner,72 years old, married to a woman 38 years old, neck broken, garotte marks..I was at both scenes....This is my third one." she said.

"Wow...perhaps we can meet and share notes." said Duke, smiling from ear to ear...

Tyriq and I couldn't conceal our glee...

She looked at me, then at Tyriq....

"Oh...well okay...I'll be at the M.E.'s office...but shouldn't you exchange notes with Detective Rodriguez and Detective Barlow?" she asked.

"Well yes...but I'd like to go over the scientifc aspect of these murders with you..You being the expert and all." said Duke...

"Well uh...oh...okay." she said.

"Could I uh...Well would it be too forward if I uh bought you a little dinner afterwords...For your time and trouble?" said Duke...

Tyriq stomped his foot and walked behind me...He was howling with laughter...
I just smiled and turned my head..

"Uhh, well uh...okay." she said.

"Okay..I'll see you then." he said.

She got in her car and pulled off... Tyriq and I stared at Duke...he looked at both of us...

''What?"  he said and shrugged his shoulders...

"Well would it be too forward if I uh bought you a little dinner afterwords...For your time and trouble?" said Tyriq , mocking him and cracking up laughing....I laughed myself...

"Come on guys let's go...Hey where's Jimmy?" I asked.

"He's running down some leads on his case..." said Tyriq.

'Wow...It's like she stepped out of a dream man....Wow...No woman ever had that kind of effect on me that soon....ADA Wallace...This was more than lust man...it was like something electric." said Duke...

Tyriq just shook his head....but I knew exactly what Duke meant and how he felt!

II-

As I headed towards Lt. Sissy Van Buren's office...I heard the sound of female laughter....There was two other women in her office...I caught the gist of the conversation...

''Eddie took me to Atlantic City this past weekend." said Sissy...She had a blissful look on her face....

"Really?? A.C.?? was that a ...a.. good idea?"came the unmistakable voice of the only woman who made me stutter as bad as Duke stuttered today...Detective Carlotta Rodriguez..

"He was fine...fine...He walked through the casinos and didn't blink....I was soo proud of Eddie I didn't know what to do...Harry Charles and gamblers Anonymous has really been helping him...We had a fine dinner, saw Babyface at Borgota..and walked along the boardwalk at night....Of course..I bought a few pieces from Victoria's Secret that helped keep his mind off of gambling.." said Sissy slyly...

"Or anything else right???Right??" came the voice of Detective Angie Belton of Internal Affairs..

"Okayyyyyyy" said Carlotta and the two of them high fived each other.  This was surprising..I didn't get the impression that she liked Angie Belton too much...Maybe they had made amends...At any rate I entered the office at this point....

''Man in the office...Man in the office...All gossiping must stop." I said.

They all laughed.....

Detective Belton walked over to me and whispered.....

"I  went to visit Soloman at Stanga this past weekend...He told me to tell you thanks for the money you put on his books and the care package you sent him." she said.

"Oh it was no problem.....Tell him to give me a call." I said.

''I will....Well ladies...it's been real, but I've got to pretend like I have a job." she said.

''So long Angie." said Sissy.

"Bye." said Carlotta....

"So what's up counselor?" asked Sissy..

"Duke and Tyriq caught a murder this morning.. elderly white guy...neck snapped...in a fountain." I said.

"Just like mine last week...That's why I haven't been around or called you...it was nothing personal." said Carlotta.

Sissy smiled and I looked at her....

''Oh ,it's okay...I know you were working." I said.

"Jimmy found out something interesting....His guy  and Carlotta's guy both were insured by the Cyclops Insurance company." said Sissy.

"So is that where he is?" I asked.

"Yeah...he's questioning some people out there."she said.

"Oh Okay....Well, keep me up to speed...This one looks interesting." I said.

''You mean weird...You seem to like the weird ones." said Sissy..who looked at her watch...

"You got something going on?" I asked.

"Yes...Dr. Hunter and I are supposed to meet....She wanted to go over a few things with me....She's working with Doc Gibbons now.." she said.

"Yes...Duke,Tyriq and I met her this morning..She seems nice...Duke was very impressed!" I said with a sly smile.

''Huh?" said Sissy...

''I'll tell you later." I said..

"See you guys later." said Sissy as she rushed out the door...

That left Carlotta and I alone....

"We are alone." I said.

Carlotta smiled...

''I had such a great time at your place ....I really hated to leave." I said.

"I know...You stayed an extra four days...but it was okay....I totally enjoyed it!, " she said.

''It was almost like we were married." I said.

"Yeah...it was...." she laughed shyly..
"Come here." I said...she walked over to me....

I closed the door and locked it and closed the shades....I pulled Carlotta to me...We kissed...long, slow, soft.....

''Damn  girl, everytime I kiss you like this....I get so turned on.." I found myself saying....Carlotta put her index finger on my lip...

"I do too." she said....And we began deep soul kisses...I opened her blouse...She gently removed my hands and buttoned her blouse back up....

"Uh Uhhh...not in boss lady's office.." she said laughing...

"Yeah..you're right......I know you're working a case...but can you come over tonight?" I asked.

"Okay.....I gotta stop by my place first...but while I'm thinking of it...here!" she said and passed me a key..

''What's this?" I asked.

"It's a key to my place....I've had a key to your place for awhile now...It's only fair...I'm always dropping in on you...Now you can drop in on me..." she said.

"But call first right?" I said.

"No...I don't always call you do I?...I trust you and you can trust me." she said.

I hugged her and kissed her forehead..

''Guess that means we are going to stop fooling around huh?"she said with a sly grin...

''At least  until tonight."I said and we both laughed.

III-

As Carlotta and I were leaving the building we saw Detective Jimmy Barlow....He was talking to some uniform patrolmen....

''Heyyy ADA...Carlotta..Get with me tomorrow...I interviewed some people at Cyclops Insurance..."he said.

''Anything solid?" I asked.

"Nahh, but I got a wicked theory." he said.

I smiled...What I liked about him was how he thought abstractly and out of the box...This made him an imaginative and great detective....I respected his theory...

''Okay Jimmy...I'll see you tomorrow..Duke had a floater this morning...Same M.O. as yours and Carlotta." I said.

"Speaking of Duke and floating....He's over at the M.E.'s office on cloud nine....I never seen him like this before...He's mooning over Dr. Hunter..." he said.

I smiled...

Carlotta punched my arm...

"I seem to remember a certain Assistant D.A. who stumbled over every other word when he met me." she said.   She was right...

"Who me?" I laughed.

"Yes You...." she laughed...

''I remember too...but ADA was nowhere near as bad as Duke...She's going to think he's a complete idiot..Lou is over there too and she and Tyriq were laughing so hard we couldn't get anything done...I was the only sane one." he laughed.

"Oh you were the only sane one?" I said sarcastically.  Carlotta giggled...

"Yeah.I got major cool points from Dr. Hunter." he laughed...

We all laughed as we stood there in front of the building....but we still had three puzzling murders in front of us!  Murders that now suddenly seemed linked and had to be solved.

To Be Continued...