Mink's Room

Some hours later.... Sissy and I pulled up in front of the Apartment complex rented to a "Thor Blake." It wasn't hard to locate...Carlotta used her Ipod mini and did a residence search for "Thor Blake" and his name came right up....I can't believe how easy it was to find him..

Carlotta was armed with her shotgun....Duke and Tyriq had their glocks and five uniformed policemen had shotguns with them...They immediately ran around the back of the complex and took the back stairs....

Tyriq's wife, Detective Sirena Pile, Detective Antonio Hopkins  and Detective James Barlow entered through the front door with glocks drawn and another five uniformed
policemen at their back, all armed with Shotguns...

Last but not least, Lt. Sissy Van Buren, FBI special agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell and I, Assistant District Attorney, Keith Wallace brought up the rear, following behind them in the front...

Jimmy got to the door first...He knocked and rang the bell....

"Thor...Thor Blake...Philadelphia Police...Open Up...We have a warrant for your arrest!" he yelled...

People were starting to open their doors and pour into the hallway...

"Knock it down" he said...

Two burley policemen used a battering ram and knocked the door off the hinges...

Jimmy,Sirena, Hop and five policemen rushed in... "CLEAR!!" They yelled...

Carlotta cocked her shotgun and filed in with Duke and Tyriq at her back...They ran into the bedroom...

''Oh My God."said my wife...

"Lou..We got another one!" said Duke....

By the time Sissy and I got to the bedroom door we found a young woman lying on the bedroom floor...a pillow next to her head....!!! She was clad in panties and bra with a babydoll....Her panties were slightly ripped and a loaded condom was on the floor next to her and another one was in the waste basket...

"I don't believe this...Another body?" said Sissy, shaking her head...

"I found her wallet...Look...Here's a driver's license...It says her name is Crystal Whitman...she's 25..."said Tyriq.

Carlotta and Sirena leaned down and felt the body....

"She's still a little warm...She hasn't been dead that long...." said Carlotta.

"Apparently, she recently had sex...The panties are slightly ripped, like the last girls and that condom is full." said Sirena who put the condom in a plastic bag...

"So is this one in the waste basket." said Hop.

 Duke and Jimmy looked around the room....

"He must feel that we can't ID him...He left a half dozen fingerprints in here...On the wall,on this bottle of champaigne and on the wall." said Jimmy.

"I think he wants us to ID him." said Duke..."He's not even trying to clean up his crime scenes.." he said.

"Duke..You're absolutely right...This spree killer is angry, but he also wants recognition...He's probably reading his exploits in the newspaper and watching the TV news every night." said Sharon Ferrell.

"And he's making a fool out of us..We are always a step behind." I said.

"Maybe not....Jimmy..You said he had relatives in Oklahoma right?" asked Sissy.

"Yeah..I called them, but they haven't seen him or heard from him." said Jimmy.

"Let's put a trace on all of their numbers..He's going to need money wired to him soon...I imagine he's destitute or close to it...Any call out of Philly to those people in Oklahoma will give us a location and a hit on where he might be. You want to get on that?" she asked.

"I'm on it Lou." said Jimmy..

"I'll go with him." said Carlotta.

"Duke...You and Rico get back down to that TV station and see if they know  Crystal Whitman or Veronica  Hall...We never did ask about these two..." said Sissy.

''Say no more...We are on it." They said and they left...

I smiled...

''Wow, no wonder they call you the Boss Lady...You handled that like a true Boss." I said. I was at that moment immensely proud just to know Sissy..

She smiled...

"It's my job." she said softly...blushing a bit.

"The rest of us...Just hang loose and wait for Dr. Hunter and the CSI guys to get here." she said.

II-

Within the next hour...CSI people, Crime scene photographers and other policemen reviewed the scene... Dr. Hazel Hunter came down, reviewed the body...and made her assessment..

"This killer is really keeping me busy....This is five bodies...in just a few days." she said.

"He's on a time table...Thing is...We don't want him to cool off.." said FBI Special agent in charge , Sharon Ferrell..

"We don't?" asked Hop.

"No boo...If he cools off or stops...He could very well drop completely out of sight and you might never hear from him for a year or so..or worse he might relocate and start up again...You want to catch him here and now...You gotta interrupt his timetable somehow." she said.

"That makes sense...We gotta find out where he is." said Sirena..

"Easier said than done." I mused.

III-

Some hours later, my wife, Carlotta and I drove up in front of a stylish bar called "Minks"...She smiled and looked at me...

"I told you about this place...This is where Mickey Lolo and I used to meet when he had information for me...Nobody knew about this place." she said with a sly grin.

"I knew about it...I knew about it before I knew you..before I was an attorney." I said.

Carlotta looked at me side eyed...

"You had this whole other life, this whole other person you were before I met you...And I must say, it is getting me very excited." she said.

"Sexually?" I asked...

She looked at me and shook her head...

''Yes..." she sighed and laughed...

We walked in and one of the bouncers walked over to me...

"They're all upstairs Mr. Wallace.." he said.

"Thanks pal." I said and I duked him a few dollars...

I had called and rented the suite upstairs earlier...My guys had been working around the clock trying to catch this serial killer...I felt as though they needed a little break..Even if nobody else thought so...

Carlotta walked up the stairs to the private suite...Where to her surprise...Sissy,Eddie C., Duke, Hazel,Tyriq, Sirena, Jimmy,Angie, Hop and Sharon were already sitting and relaxing and enjoying drinks...Eddie C. was the only one present who was not law enforcement...But he mixed well with everyone just the same..

When Carlotta and I arrived , Duke lifted his glass-

"To The man of the hour and the best damn ADA I have ever worked with...Keith Wallace , babyyyyy!" he said..

They all lifted their glasses and cheered.....I could tell that my wife Carlotta felt the same way...She kissed me on the cheek....

''I love you baby.You're the best ADA I ever worked with too." she said and laughed.

I looked at her and laughed myself.

"I suppose we should have come here to celebrate after we catch this monster...but I felt like you guys needed a break...You've all been working your butts off...Not just on this case, but other cases...and if nobody else tells you...I'm telling you...It is appreciated..You guys make my job so much easier and so much more pleasurable." I said...

They all clapped...

"I'm not going tot talk all night...but I do have some announcements to make...One...
Detective Antonio Hopkins..who we all know affectionately as "Hop"...Congratulations are in order...Your transfer is complete...you are now officially and permanantly a part of Homicide" I said...

There was big applause...Sissy hugged him and Tyriq,Duke and Jimmy high fived him... Sharon gave him a big kiss and Sirena ,Carlotta,Hazel and Angie took turns hugging him...

"Not only that...This young man is engaged to our new friend, FBI Special Agent in charge and our new liason, who will be working out of our office now..Sharon Ferrell.." I said...

There was more applause....Carlotta and Angie high fived her...Hazel and Sissy hugged her...

"Not to be forgotten....Tyriq...I don't know how you're going to manage to concentrate on your work....but your beautiful wife, Detective Sirena Pile's transfer also came through and she is now an official and permanent member of our squad.." I said..The room broke into applause...Tyriq kissed her for what seemed like five minutes...

Sirena was elated, she burst into tears as Sissy,Carlotta, Angie, Hazel and Sharon hugged her...

"Last but not least...Our favorite Forensic Investigator, Dr. Hazel Hunter will be moving into that other empty office..with a staff of five assistants in a few weeks..and that will bring us all together....leaving us with only one empty office." I said.

Tyriq,Sirena Duke, Hazel,Carlotta and I all smiled sheepishly...We knew what that meant...Very little making out in the office anymore...I was glad only we knew what that joke was about...Everyone applauded...Sissy,Carlotta,Angie,Sirena and I hugged her...

Duke stood up and tapped his glass...

"Hey guys...I have an announcement to make tonight....ADA Wallace is the only other person who knew this...Guys...Dr. Hazel Hunter and I got engaged a few nights ago!"

He said...

There was a round of cheers...Carlotta and Sissy hugged him and Hazel...So did Sirena,Angie and Sharon...

Tyriq, Hop, Jimmy and I all gave him dap...

"Okay guys...Enough shop talk as my wife always tells me...Let's drink and enjoy the night." I said...

Champaigne was brought out and we all drank and toasted...

What a great bunch of people to work with ,I thought...Tonight we celebrated...Tomorrow we went back to the grisly task of catching a serial killer.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)