Day Late, Heartbreak Short

"I don't want to talk to him..." said Dr. Hazel Hunter.....

"Well uh okay...If he comes back by here...We didn't see you..." I said.

"Where are you going to go honey? He's headed over to the M.E.'s office looking for you." said Sissy.

"Oh My God...and Duke and Tyriq are on their way over there too with Younger's widow." said Carlotta.

"I can't see him now...We were married for three years..He was very romantic and attentive before we got married...but after we got married...he began to neglect me and take me for granted..and oh well,long story short...We both realized that we had made a mistake and we ended it...It wasn't a bad break up...He moved to California and did his thing...Even re-married I heard...I can't imagine what he'd want with me now..." she said.

Sissy looked at her...Ed Cantrell was back in the hallway with those Roses!!!....She whispered to Hazel....

"Let's go to lunch girlfriend...Seems like we've both got guys to ditch..I know a nice place...we can eat, talk, have a drink with no worries about running into anyone." she said.

"Oh do you? Thanks so much Sissy." said Dr. Hunter, eyeing Ed Cantrell and smiling sweetly at him...He waved at her..

"Chica..What do you have going on?" asked Sissy...

"I've got some people I want to interview....I'm taking Jimmy and Hop...and Honey Bunny, why don't you come along with me for the ride?" she said.

"Heyy, that sounds like a plan ." I said and smiled.

And so...Sissy and Dr. Hunter took Dr. Hunter's car and took off...And Carlotta, Jimmy, Hop and I got in my car and took off!!

Ed Cantrell looked around and to his dismay...We all were gone or going!..Duke, Tyriq, Jimmy, Hop, Carlotta, Hazel, myself and most of all, Boss Lady....Sissy Van Buren...I had to laugh at the thought of it..We all did!

II-

"I worked with the guy...He taught here at the college...A sexuality class" said Fellow teacher and collegue,
Calvin Sanders....Who kept eyeing my wife a little too much...

"So did he have any problems? Anyone who might like to do him harm?" asked Carlotta...

"Nahhh...There wasn't one person here who disliked the good doc....That book and that infomercial on television made his class one of the most popular classes taught here...He was too well liked if that's possible.." he said.

"I looked at the enrollment lists...He had a lot of female students." said Jimmy...

"That's all he had...If he had any male students , they were gay....Nah, the women loved him....I don't know if they cared about the book, the course materials or what...I think they just wanted to ogle him...He was like a rock star." said Calvin...

"A Rock star?? So he was pretty popular with the ladies huh?" laughed Detective Tony Hopkins.

"Mannn, you don't know the half of it...Between me and you Detectives...I don't know why he even got married..He was bangin quite a few of these little young college girls...black and white and a couple of the female teachers too...The man kept a 24 hour erection...couldn't get enough.." he said ...Then smiled at Carlotta....

"If you had of been a student...Me and him would have had to fight for you mamasita." he said and winked.

"You'd of been fighting a short battle...I'm married." she said showing him her wedding band.

"Oh...No disrespect....I didn't think Wallace sounded like a spanish last name...Your husband is one lucky dude...If I was him...I wouldn't let you out of my sight." he said laughing...

"He didn't" she said and pointed to me...

''Assistant District Attorney Wallace!!!!Keith Wallace....Detective Carlotta Wallace!!.!..This is your wife??? Ohh heyy mannn,I meant no disrespect...I didn't know...Oh lord!!" he suddenly said..

Jimmy and Hop cracked up......

"Relax Calvin...She hears your type of rap everyday .....She's used to it...but I'm not!!! You got anything else that can help us?" I asked.

"Just some film footage of him at our beginning of the year party...Taken last September.." he said.

"It's worth a look." said Carlotta...

We viewed the film footage and just three minutes in...we saw him drunkenly flirting with Kim Scott!!! ,His wife's friend...

"Come here cutie...Give me a kiss..." he said.. She gave him a peck on the lips....then another, then a wet ,sloppy kiss...

"Reese...stopppp.....come on...stopppp!" she cooed.

"Ummmmmm,I'm gonna eat you for dinner baby..." he said as he drunkenly kissed her again...and spilled his drink.

"Interesting..."said my wife Carlotta...."Can we have this footage?" she asked.

"Sure " said Calvin...

III-

Jimmy and Hop went to pick up Kim Scott again.....Carlotta and I sat in the now empty office talking....

"Honey Bunny....I want to interview her again..." she said.

"Yeah.. Funny she becomes friends with Reese's wife , while flirting with him and being in his class...Just doesn't add up." I said.

''No, it doesn't...I'm worried about Duke and Hazel..." she said.

''Oh...because her ex husband is here?"I said.

"Yeah...They been happy all this time....Me and you been happy...Tyriq and Serena ,Jimmy and Angie..even Boss Lady and Eddie...I'd hate for our harmony to be broken up."she said.

''Scared?" I asked.

"A little." she said...

" Well Don't be...Come here and sit on my lap.." I said.

She got up..She looked around and she sat on my lap and leaned over and kissed me slowly, softly and soothingly....

"Damn girl...I never get enough of this..."I said in between another kiss just like it...

"Sometimes I can't believe you like me as much as you do.." she said.

"Believe it...."I said.

She giggled and hugged me.

Just then, Jimmy and Hop came in with Kim Scott...Carlotta got up off my lap,straightened out her skirt and sat on the other side of the table...she motioned for Hop to come in and be her second...

Jimmy and I stood outside the fishbowl..

Kim Scott looked at Carlotta...She seemed a bit perturbed...

"Why am I back down here? What have I got to do with this?" she asked.

Carlotta showed her a still of her kissing Reese Younger at his school's pre class party....Her eyes got as large as saucers...

"You can't show Corrie this...Please!!!!!!...That film footage was taken before I even knew her!!!!....I met her in another class we were both taking.." she said.

"But you were having an affair with her husband...Is that why you buddy upped with her?" asked Detective Hopkins...

"Nooooo! ,Noooo!..he was flirting with me and with a lot of girls all night...Yes...he kissed me...but he was drunk...When I met his wife and we became friends and I realized who her husband was...It was a little awkward...but I swear...Neither he nor I ever mentioned it...and he never so much as looked my way again.."she said.

"Anything else??? I mean , you and his wife became friends...and it was not to get closer to Reese?" asked Carlotta...

"Nooo...Noooo...I would never do anything like that..Never..." she said.

"Do you want to leave your prints and a DNA sample?" asked Carlotta...

"Sure...but you'll find my prints in their house...I was over there all the time." she said.

"Just a normal procedure...Helps us eliminate suspects." said Carlotta.

Jimmy took her prints and swabbed her mouth for DNA....

"I'll leave this for Dr. Hunter." he said.

IV-

Just then, Sissy and Dr. Hazel Hunter entered the office....They saw a policeman escorting Kim Scott out of the building....

Carlotta looked at them both...

"I interviewed a teacher that worked with Reese at the college...Reese was a real ladies man...Found some raw footage of him kissing on Kim Scott....It appears she was in his class...before she met his wife and knew who she was...I thought I'd re-interview her...Jimmy left you a DNA swab and a copy of her prints."

Sissy smiled...

''Good work Chica, Jimmy, Hop...Hazel and I had a most relaxing lunch this afternoon."she said.

"Yes we did...No Ed Cantrell and No Harry Gray." said Hazel.

She had spoke too soon...

V-

"Hazel!!! I've been looking for you all day...I was just over the M.E.'s office and Doc Gibbons told me that I'd just missed you...So glad I caught up with you." he said.

Hazel turned to all of us and said...

"Everyone...This is Dr. Harold Gray...My ex-husband..."

Sissy ,Carlotta, Jimmy, Hop and I all smiled weakly and nodded our heads....

''Look Hazel...Why don't we go somewhere and talk...Perhaps have a little dinner?...I've been needing to talk to you for sometime.." he said.

"About what? We've been divorced for close to seven years now...Didn't you remarry and move out to Cali?  I haven't seen or heard from you in all this time and now you want to talk?" she said.

"I'm divorced again...and I'm planning to move back to Philly....All I could think about was you baby." he said.

"Well, you're kind of late Harry as usual...A Day late, a heartbreak short...I'm involved with somebody." she said.

He laughed...

"Oh come on Hazel...stop playin...You're involved with someone??? Who?  All you do is work, you come home, put your hair in curlers and watch TV and or go on Facebook...That's all you ever did...You were too timid and scared to date ...I had to do all of the work But that's okay that's what I realized I need, a stable woman like you Hazel....Now come on...Let's talk." he said.

''So I bored you right?" she said.

"Well, I didn't say that, but when I took you around our friends...you never had much to say." he said.

"Our friends? Our friends?/ You mean your uptight, high siddity friends.." she said.

"Whatever Hazel...That's a thing of the past...I don't care about that...Let's just stop playing and get back to where we left off." he said.

"Just like that huh???...Nothing has changed about me right?? I don't see or hear from you for close to seven years and you just come back here and I just up and fall into your arms like nothing happened right?" she said.

"Aww Come on Hazel...Let's not act like you are much different than when I left you...Except for the fact that you no longer are working in an office...I was rather surprised when I heard that you were working with the police in death investigation...It's uh kind of a step up for you." he said with a self pleasing smirk.

"That's your problem...You took me for granted...Made me feel like I was boring, wasn't worth while...Well, I met somebody that doesn't make me feel that way." she said.

"Yeah right..." he said.

"Well if I'm so boring, so ho hum...Why do you want to talk to me?" she asked..

"Because...I like you the way you were...I need someone predictable, someone solid in my life ,someone like you....I realized that I still loved you Hazel...Plus...one place your were never boring was in the bed!" he said.

"Well, you under-estimated me boo...You too late...A Day late, a heartbreak short...In fact...There's my boo now." she said as Duke and Tyriq were checking in...

"Hey Lou...Keith, Top, Jimmy, Hop...What's good?" said Tyriq...

None of us said much.... Hazel walked over to Duke and gave him the kiss of life...Duke returned her passion...

"Hey Babes...I've been missin you...I know you been workin on Top's case..." he said...

"Well, let's take a break ,let's go to Roxys tonight." she said..

"Roxys...??" he said.

"Yeah...I feel like being alone with you." she said.

"Cool!" said Duke.

"Really Hazel, really?" he said.

"Yes Harry...This is my man!!!...He found me more interesting than you ever did and you know what? He's more interesting than you ever were." she said. "Come on Duke" she said.

Duke looked at Sissy...

"Go ahead Duke..You and Rico have the rest of the day off...You just closed two big cases." she said.

''Sissy..are you crying?" I asked...

She tried to fake a smile...

"No....No...something got in my eye." she said.

Carlotta hugged her and rubbed her back...

Tyriq, Jimmy,Hop and I walked out of the office.

VI-

It had been a long day...Hazel's ex husband walked out...He saw me and he turned....

''Is she really dating that guy? That Detective?"he asked..

"Yup...They are getting ready to move in together I hear." I said.

"WHATTT?? Hazel has changed." he said.

"Yeah people do that sometimes." I said.

"She's a Doctor and she's dating a detective." he said.

''Detectives aren't so bad... I'm married to one and I'm a lawyer."I said.


"No kiddin?" he said.

"Yeah...The Puerto Rican Detective is my wife."I said.

"Yeah?  Wow! She's cute!" he said and he got in his car and pulled off...

Carlotta appeared at the car within minutes...

I smiled at her...

"Is Boss Lady okay?" I asked.

"Yeah...she'll be alright.." she said.

"I'm alright right now, with you." I said.

''Awwwwww." she said and smiled.

I pulled Carlotta to me and kissed her softly, gently......She returned my passion and we just stood there and kissed in that garage for a long time!

(TO BE CONTINUED......)

Hello It's Me

The next day, Carlotta, Sissy, Hop ,Jimmy and I visited the home of  the late Reese Younger ,who had been tasered in his jacuzzi the day before....

"I called the alarm company....It seems that on Sunday night...Reese put the alarm on "Stay" around 9:00 pm..That means he was at home , but was not going out...He took the alarm off around 10:15 pm...Which meant that he had a visitor......but here is the kicker...He or someone  put the alarm back on at 10:45pm..which means that either his visitor left or his killer knew the alarm code..." said Carlotta..

"Anybody locate his wife?" asked Sissy.

"Duke and Tyriq are on that....She apparently was in Atlantic City the entire weekend with her girlfriends...a kinda girls night out in AC." said Carlotta..

Sissy looked at me and smiled...

"You know...That would be nice...Me, Chica, Angie, Hazel, Sharon and Bridget all take a weekend in AC...but you'd lose your mind wouldn't you?" she laughed...

"Come on Sissy ,give me a little more credit than that...I'm not that whipped." I said...

Sissy, Jimmy and Carlotta all gave me the side eye and then busted out laughing..

"You guys are sooo wrong." I said.

"I had some uniforms canvass the neighborhood Lou and we found two people who said that a woman stopped by here at a little after 10:00 pm last night...She was described as five foot five, with sunglasses on and a scarf, dark tights, dark turtleneck, dark flats and carrying a dark pocketbook." said Jimmy.

"Anybody get a visual?" asked Carlotta.

"Yeah, we got a visual on the camera outside of this woman coming in at around 10:00 and exiting at around quarter to 11:00, but it's not a very good picture of the face.." said Detective Tony Hopkins..

"We'll take it to the lab and see if they can enlarge it....It seems that this woman's comings and goings all match what the alarm company says." said Carlotta.

"What about fingerprints?" I asked.

"We eliminated all of the usual suspects...him, his wife et al and came up with one set that doesn't match either of them....It was on the alarm system and it was on the heating control of the jacuzzi...It's slim, but this could be his killer...Also the fact that a taser was used and that mostly females carry them for security is another reason why I think his killer might be a female." said Carlotta.

"Well, there is nothing more to be seen here...Let's go back to the office." said Sissy...

"You sure you want to go back to the office?" I asked Sissy ,giving her the side eye....

"Yes....I have an excuse...I'm with you guys, working on a high profile case." said Sissy with a smile..

"Okay, if you say so Lieutenant." I laughed...

She smacked my arm playfully......"Smarty" she said and we both laughed.

II-

When we returned to C.I.D....We saw a tall handsome Black man standing in the hallway outside of Sissy's door...

"Hmmm, I wonder who that is?" asked Sissy..smiling seductively...

"At any rate, it's not Ed Cantrell ." said Carlotta.

"Okayyyyyyyyy?" said Sissy as the two of them high fived each other...I just shook my head and smiled and laughed to myself...

"May I help you sir...I'm Lieutenant Sissy Van Buren, Homicide." said Sissy....

"Hello...I'm looking for Forensic Investigator, Hazel Hunter....I was told that she was assigned to you guys." said the man...

"She is...She's probably over at the M.E.'s office today...She's doing an autopsy for us in an important case. I don't know when or if she'll be by this office." said Sissy.

"Oh...well...I've already been over at the M.E.'s office and I was told that I'd just missed her...Perhaps I'll catch her tomorrow....I'm staying at the Marriot in Center City and I'll be in town the rest of the week...If you see her, could you give her my business card and ask her to call me?" he said.

"I certainly will..Uh who may I say is inquiring?" asked Sissy...

"Oh..I'm Dr. Harold Gray...She knows me. She knows me quite well." he said.

"Okay...I'll be sure to tell her." said Sissy..

"Thank you for your time." he said and smiled and left the building...

Sissy and Carlotta smiled at each other...

"Whoa..Hazel has more to her than meets the eye." laughed Carlotta..

"Chica...you aint never lied...Wait til I see Dr. Hunter,always acting so bashful and shy...And got hotness like that looking for her." laughed Sissy.

"Don't laugh...but here comes your hotness right now...." I said as Lt. Eddie Cantrell came strolling down the hall with a bouquet of roses....

"Ohhh hell." said Sissy...

Carlotta, Jimmy, Hop and I couldn't conceal our laughter as we began to file out...Poor Sissy...but just as he was about to pounce...Help came in the names of Detectives Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Tyriq Pile...They had two women with them...Reese Younger's wife..or widow, Corrine Younger and another woman, her friend, Kim Scott...both very attractive black women....

"Hey Lou, Top...We located Younger's wife in AC...and upon coming back, we stopped by and picked up his wife's friend....She was collecting the mail in front of the house...You might want to talk to them..." they said as they brought the two women into the fishbowl...

Sissy hugged and kissed both Duke and Tyriq on the cheek....

"You guys, don't realize how glad I am to see the both of you...You're my favorite detectives." she said...

"Hey..I thought I was your favorite detective?" laughed Carlotta with a fake pout...

"You were yesterday Chica." she laughed....

''Man Hop, that means that me and you are still on the bottom of the totem pole." joked Jimmy..We all laughed...

III-

With so many detectives scuffling around...Ed Cantrell had to stand outside the Fishbowl with me  as Sissy,Carlotta and Jimmy sat down with the two women....

Duke and Tyriq joined me outside of the fishbowl watching the intterogation and Hop went to watch the videotape....

Both women were distraught at hearing that Reese Younger had been murdered in his hot tub....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my goddddddddddd...He loved that hot tub....after a whole day of  work...He and I would take our clothes off and just relax in that jacuzzi and sip champaigne...Oh my goddd...That jacuzzi was a gift to us from Rollie Rollerson....Reese  had spoke at one of his charitable fund raisers and he had it installed for us just last Christmas... Reese couldn't get enough of it...He found it relaxing.." she said fighting back the tears and crying profusely....Sissy comforted her...

Carlotta looked at the other woman ,Kim Scott and asked...

''What was your relationship to Reese Younger?"

"Oh I was really Corrine's friend..We took a class together at community...We found out that I was renting a house down the street from her and so we hung out from time to time..." she said.

"So you have been in their house from time to time?" she asked.

"Oh yes...many times...Corrine and I go shopping together almost every Saturday...Except the past weekend..She and some of her friends went to AC." she said.

"Do you have a key to their house?" asked Carlotta.

"Oh no..nooo.." she said.

''Well why were you collecting the mail?"asked Carlotta...

"I didn't know if Corrine was back and I figured Reese must have forgotten to pick it up and it had been two days ,so I was collecting it and going to give it to whichever one I saw first..." she explained..

"You didn't see the police out there all yesterday?? You didn't hear on the news that Reese had been murdered?" asked Sissy.

"No...I'm afraid I'm not a TV news person...I was away this weekend myself with a male friend.."she said.

"He have a name and address?" asked Carlotta.

"Uh, he's from out of town...I'm afraid he's gone." she said.

"Oh my God...Can I see the body?" asked his widow, Corrine Younger....

"Yes...We don't have any more questions for now.." said Carlotta...


Sissy asked Duke and Tyriq to take her over to the M.E.'s office.

"Your favorite detectives are on it. Lou" they said in unison and laughed at Carlotta who laughed and stuck her tongue out at both of them...

IV-

Dr. Hazel Hunter arrived at our office soon after Duke and Tyriq left....Surprisingly enough, Ed Cantrell was still hanging around...Sissy clung to Carlotta like glue...looking over case files and what not...

''Hi ADA Wallace...Hello Lieutenant Cantrell." she said as she walked in with her briefcase...

"Hey girl...You just missed Duke...he and Tyriq are taking Reese Younger's widow over to the M.E.'s office to view the body." I said.

"Doc Gibbons can release the body...We've finished our examination....He died from a taser induced heart attack." she said.

"That's the laymen's terms right?" I laughed..

She smiled.."Would you really want me to lay it out in medical terms ADA?" she asked smiling devilishly...

"No more than I'd lay out the legalese to you good Doctor." I said and we both laughed...

Ed Cantrell finally got tired of waiting and appeared to have left the office.

Carlotta emerged from Sissy's office....With Sissy not too far behind her...They both smiled at Hazel and gave her the side eye...

"Hazel...they say it's the quiet ones you have to watch....You had a handsome visitor here today for you." laughed Carlotta...

"Yes Hazel....Anything you want to tell us?" joked Sissy ,winking...

"I don't know what you're talking about?" she said.

Sissy gave her the business card...

"Just joking girl....He came by here about an hour ago...Said he wants you to call him....He's at the Marriot, says he'll be in town all week..Looks like Duke has a little competition doesn't he?" joked Sissy...

Hazel however looked like she'd seen a ghost.....

"Hey..Dr. Hunter...Everything alright?" I asked.

"This guy...Dr. Harry Gray??" she said...

"That was he!" said Carlotta....

"He's my ex-husband!" she said...

(Definitely To Be Continued)