If You Were There You'd Know

I entered Sam Mother's Diner around lunch time the next day...To my surprise...my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace was sitting in a booth with her partner, Detective James "Jimmy" Barlow...

Upon seeing me, She waved me over to where they were sitting..She leaned up and gave me a nice, warm wet and sloppy kiss...

"Hey Honey Bunny, how was court this morning?" she asked...

"Good...I got what I wanted..A continuance...This lawyer I'm up against is good...but I have enough to put his client away and I think he knows it." I said.

Jimmy smiled...Then he said to me...

"Your wife is brilliant ,you know that?" he said.

"Oh yeah...That's why I married her..Her great mind." I laughed...

"Amongst other things." laughed Jimmy...

Carlotta smacked his arm playfully...I just laughed.

"So what's up with your murder case?" I asked..

"I couldn't take my mind off of Kim Scott...Something about her seemed familliar and then it hit me...Remember the Queen Case?? She was one of the patients on his patient list...." said Carlotta.

"We interviewed her...Not at headquarters , but at her home...I interviewed her...Carlotta and Lou and I split up the people on that patient list....She was one of the people I interviewed and cleared." said Jimmy..

"So what is her story?" I asked...

"She was a school teacher...Taught Elementary school... Four years ago...She was raped...The rape was particularly traumatic...She went to Dr. Queen for therapy...He worked with her for three years...In that time, she took a leave of absence from her job and went into serious financial trouble...lost her house, had to declare bankruptcy and basically became a recluse." said Jimmy.

"She also had to stop the sessions with Dr. Queen....But eventually she began working again...Got her finances together and began the sessions again...Then abruptly...Right before Queen was murdered...She ended the sessions...She's renting a new house now and seems to be together.." said Carlotta..

"So that clears her as a suspect right?" I asked.

"No it doesn't...It makes her more interesting...Guess who was her neighbor back then when she was teaching school?? None other than Reese Younger....Meaning these two knew each other long  before she said she did!" said Carlotta.

Just then ,Detective Antonio Hopkins walked into the diner and joined us in the booth....

"Heyy Hop." I said.

"HeyADA Wallace, Jimmy....Detective Carlotta...You were right on it...I just came back from Dr. Hunter's office...Those fingerprints that you and Jimmy took yesterday are a match for the ones we found on the hot tub and on the alarm code...and check this out...Dr. Hunter said that the same finger prints were found in the bathroom, in the bedroom and in the basement on the water heater..." he said.

"See what I mean?  Her fingerprints are everywhere they shouldn't be." said Carlotta.

"I think...She was in that house looking for something...Why would her fingerprints be in the basement??" asked Jimmy...

Carlotta looked at me...Then looked at Jimmy and Hop....

"Hey guys...would you excuse ADA Wallace and me for a minute?" she said...

Carlotta and I got up and we walked outside...We walked around the corner....

"What's up? Why are we walking around the corner?" I asked...

She pulled me to her and kissed me...

"I know you have to go back to court honey bunny, but could you get Judge Freeman to email us a warrant to search that house? Pretty please?"she cooed...

I pulled her to me and kissed her...Nearly grinding her into the wall...

"All you had to do was ask" I said in between kisses...

She smiled... "I know...but this was more fun." she said.

"It's as good as done...Look,I gotta get back to court...Here's my credit card...pay for everybody's lunch....Check your phone...I'll have him email you that warrant...You'll have it before you guys get back to C.I.D." I said.

"Awww thank you baby." she said and gave me another long kiss.

"Thank you! Anything else you need?" I asked.

"Ummmph, that's a loaded question papi!" she said ,giving me the side eye...

We both laughed as I watched her walk away...

II-

I went back to court...I was right...Judging by the information I had on his client...The other attorney decided to make a deal...I excepted Manslaughter 1 and gave his client
5-15 years in prison...

Detective Tyriq Pile was in court with me... The defendent had been someone he had busted...I drove him back over to C.I.D.

As we walked in the Desk Sergeant looked at both of us...

"Hey uh...Lou doesn't want to be disturbed right now... Her door is closed and the shades are drawn.." he said.

"Cantrell??" I asked.

"Nah...He aint been around..." he said.

"Okayyyy." I said.

Sissy's shades were never drawn...and her door was rarely locked...It must be very hush hush....

I sat at Detective Pile's desk....

He looked at me..

"Where are the kids?" he said laughing... He meant Carlotta, Jimmy and Hop...Our younger detectives...

"They're running down a new lead on that Hot Tub murder.." I said.

Just then Lt. Cantrell came into our office...He had hot food with him...It smelled good.

"Hey Tyriq!! , Hey ADA Wallace...Where is everybody today?" he asked...

"Carlotta, Jimmy and Detective Hopkins are out chasing down a lead in that hot tub murder." I said.

"Duke and Dr. Hunter are at lunch." said Tyriq.

"Where is the boss lady?" he asked..Which was who he really wanted to see...

"Uh, she's in her office, but uh she asked not to be disturbed..." said Tyriq..

"Nonsense...I brought us some lunch...Chinese Bob's!!!..Best Chinese food in Philadelphia" he said laughing and knocked on the door...

Tyriq looked at me and laughed....

"This ought to be good..."

I nodded and smiled...

To our surprise...Even though the shades had been drawn...The door actually wasn't locked!!

Eddie C. was kissing Sissy passionately in her office... I noted that they made considerably less noise than Carlotta and I in simular situations...We moaned and carried on something terrible, which is why she was reluctant to make out with me over here in C.I.D.

"Oh Eddie, thank you for that wonderful lunch you surprised me with." she said in between a soft kiss...

"Chinese Bob's still has the best chinese food around here." he said and kissed her again...

"I'll say." she said. Eddie C. held Sissy in his arms and just looked at her..Then he smiled...

"I gotta go babes...This was the best lunch hour I've had in a long time..."he said.

"Why don't you have lunch with me more often?" she cooed...

"After that kiss you layed on me today babes...I certainly will be by more often...Damn...I aint gonna be able to concentrate at work." he said.

"Oh hush up silly!" laughed Sissy seductively.

Lt. Eddie Cantrell dropped his food...It splattered all over the floor..He stomped his foot and stormed out of the office in a huff....

Tyriq banged his fists on his desk laughing....

I slapped the wall and laughed until my sides felt like they were going to split...

Sissy and Eddie C. walked out of the office...

"Hey Tyriq..What's happening Keith? Whoa, what happened here?" he said ,looking at the mess on the floor..

"Uh ,one of the officers dropped their food...Damn shame...It smelled good." I lied..
Tyriq was now in hysterics... Eddie C. looked at him and smiled...

"It sure must have been funny...Sorry I missed it." he said laughing..

Two or three police officers began cleaning up the food and mopping the floor...They were smiling...

"Must have been someone yall don't like." said Eddie C smiling.

"Nah...it was just funny, that's all." I said.

Tyriq was still laughing...Sissy looked at him oddly... He looked at her, tears were flowing from his eyes...She looked at him and smiled and put her index finger to her lips....Eddie C. kissed her again...

''Well,I'll see you babes..gotta go.  Bye guys...shame about that chinese food." he said as he left.

I had a funny feeling that I was the only one not in on the joke...

Edwin "Duke Baylor walked into the office just then...He saw Tyriq laughing
..Then he looked at Sissy...

He smiled...

"Aghhhhhhhhhhh...worked like a charm didn't it Lou?" he said and began cracking up!

Sissy laughed..She high fived Tyriq and Duke....

"Like a charm...I only wish Chica was here to see it...It was her idea.." said Sissy.

"Sissy, you should have seen his face...He dropped his food and stormed out like a child...Ohh my Godd...I wish I had filmed that." I said.

Tyriq and Duke pointed to the camera above us...

"It was...When Top,Jimmy and Hop get back, we can show it to them." said Tyriq...

Sissy, Tyriq, Duke,myself and the Desk Sergeant all burst into laughter..

III-

Carlotta returned some time later....She walked into Sissy's office where I was sitting, talking..

"Hey guys." she said.

"Heyy Chica...Got some film footage for you to see." laughed Sissy...

"Really?" she said...

''Not case related.... It's of Cantrell." I said.

"Cantrell??? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.." she said and smiled...

"So what have you got? asked Sissy....

Carlotta was holding a photo album.....

"Jimmy had a theory that Kim Scott or whoever killed Reese Younger was inside that house looking for something...The reason why her fingerprints were found so many places that seemed odd,Like the bedroom, the basement, his hot tub and the alarm system.." said Carlotta..

"Hmmm, really ?" said Sissy...

"Well ,Jimmy was right...She or whoever was looking for something...only she didn't find it...but we did!!!!" said Carlotta who layed the photo album down on Sissy's desk.

Sissy opened the book....

"OH MY GOD!!!!!" she exclaimed...

I looked...

There were photos of Reese Younger having sex with not only Kim Scott, but three other women...All three of the women appeared to be blind folded and he had a loaded weapon next to their heads....

"These women appear to have been raped." said Sissy...

"Yes...and apparently photographed ....Probably as insurance to keep them quiet and for his sick pornographic pleasure...." said Carlotta...

"Look at the dates on the photos...These go back ten years ago." said Sissy.

"Kim Scott was traumatized by her rape...She was in therapy for years..." said Carlotta.

"You think she knew who her rapist was?" I asked.

"Oh I'm certain of it...I don't think it's a co-incidence she moved a few doors from him, enrolled in his class and became friends with his wife..." said Carlotta..

We heard raucous laughter from outside the office....

"Carlotta come with me." I said...Sissy followed us...

Detectives Tony Hopkins and Jimmy Barlow were watching film footage of Lt. Eddie Cantrell walking in on Sissy and Eddie C.. Dropping his chinese food, stomping his foot and storming out...Detectives Tyriq Pile and Duke Baylor were laughing as though they had seen it for the first time...

"Hey look ...Come here Top...Run that back Gil." said Duke as he slapped his thigh...

"Oh My godddddd..." laughed Carlotta as she watched the film footage....

I just looked at my wife and her fellow detectives and smiled...Knowing that this little respite was the calm before the storm!

(CONCLUSION NEXT)