A Feakum Dress

Two nights later...Carlotta drove up to the courthouse to pick me up in my SUV....I looked at my watch.....

"You're late" I said ,smiling...

"It took Tactical longer than we thought to finish detailing it.." she said, smiling sweetly...I couldn't even pretend to be the least bit angry with her and she knew it...

"Well, I just hope we don't have to completely test it." I said.

There was a Cab with tinted windows sitting directly across the street from us...It had just been sitting there for about an hour....I had noticed it about two days before...It would sit there for a couple of hours then leave.

Carlotta opened the door and I got in...I kissed her for a long time before I got in..Then I got in the passenger side and off we went..

We drove slowly...Carlotta used the hands free phone in the car to call Tyriq and Duke...

"Duke...Rico...We are on the move...You got us?" she said.

"We are about a block behind you Top...We have a 2012 Ford Fusion...It's Blue with tinted windows.." said Duke...

"Everything is in place...Just keep cool...We are playin Front and Follow." said Tyriq..

"Okay." said Carlotta as she began to drive a little faster...

''We got company...that cab is on us." I said.

"The important thing is not to let him know that we know he's following us." she said...

I smiled...My wife was so sexy when she was in Detective mode..

"It sure is a good thing that Boss Lady has Lt. Cantrell in her hip pocket...He had Tactical detail your SUV in no time...do you know how long a private contractor would have taken?" she asked trying to make conversation..

"And speaking of  Boss Lady ,did she ever tll you what went on at breakfast with Lt. Cantrell? " I asked laughing..

"Get your mind out of the gutter...They just had breakfast and he drover back to CID..." she said.

''Knowing him...He wanted a little something something for taking her to breakfast.." I said.

"He wanted a kiss...Boss Lady let him hug her and kiss her on her cheek, but he snuck a kiss on the lips...And he was on cloud nine...After that , she asked him for this big favor and he had it done...Didn't even take the money out of her budget...Took it out of his.."said Carlotta...

"Imagine if she had slept with him?" I said.

''Stop it papi...Don't be bad." said Carlotta..

"I thought you liked me when I was bad?" I joked..

"At home papi, when we are alone." she said and winked..

II-

TWO DAYS BEFORE-

Dr. Hazel Hunter sat in the office with Sissy, Carlotta ,FBI Agent Sharon Ferrell and I and broke down our suspect...Eric Lampier...

"What you have is a highly intelligent, highly disturbed individual....He's a bit of a loser, who is Angry at the world...Eric Lampier, 37 was once an Attorney and a high paid lobbyist who fell in love with a young congressional aid...She spurned his advances and wound up marrying another man..Another attorney...Something went wrong with him around this time..He quit his job for reasons unknown...and kind of became a fringe dweller...He appears to be angry at successful and young married couples of any type..." she said.

"Last year around this time...A pretty young attorney and her surgeon husband from Silver Springs  were found in a car in a part of D.C. they didn't live in shot to death...Her blouse was open and the zipper of his trousers were open...They had both been working late... The D.C. police were baffled...They did the same thing your detectives did and couldn't find any enemies...no past spurned lovers ,no nothing...We found a cigarette lighter near the scene that had his fingerprint smudge on it..but nothing more...They brought him down for questioning, but they didn't have enough to hold him on...The case was still open when I left D.C." said Sharon Ferrell....

Duke and Tyriq had found the cab that George Wallace had been assigned too...but it had been washed and bleached down...No fingerprints and No DNA...But Carlotta,Jimmy, Sirena and Hop had taken Sharon's advice and cross checked the DNA and Fingerprint they did have from the Sam Mother's coffee cup found at the scene of the last murder with information the Washington D.C. Police had faxed to us and they got a positive match for Eric Lampier...

FBI VICAP sent a photo of Lampier and through the sophistication of today's technology..using Facial recognition computers ,They matched Lampier's face with the partial face in the photos of the man in a tan jacket and a hoodie fleeing the scene of the second set of murders...

Duke and Tyriq checked out the addresses of all of the George Wallaces and none of them fit the suspect we were looking for...The address he had on his W-4 form for the Cab company was actually a P.O. Box and his phone number was a cell phone...

III-

The next day...I noticed a mysterious cab with tinted windows...Sitting outside the courthouse...I would get in my SUV and go pick Carlotta up...Later on that night...I noticed the same cab sitting outside our house...Then it would pull off...

I told Carlotta about it and she got a strange look on her face...

"Papi...the other day when Tyriq and Sirena and You and I were in Sam Mothers talking...That creepy guy was at the table behind us listening to our conversation...At first I thought maybe I was imagining it...But that was him!! That's how he picked his victims...He'd listen to the couples talking, making plans, what have you and then he'd follow them, learn their schedule and wait..Wait for them to pull over somewhere quiet to make out and then he'd make his move.." she said.

"You think he's been following us, targeting us?" I asked, now feeling a cold sweat coming on...

"We fit the category...You're a young and might I say very handsome and dashing Black Assistant District Attorney and I am the sexy Brown ,very successful Detective you just married a few months ago." she said laughing and trying to make the mood lighter..

''So we are his next targets?" I said.

''Yes and a good way for us to catch him." she said.

THE NEXT DAY

"Chica...it's dangerous." said Sissy...

"It's the only way to get him....We don't know where he is living...and he could leave town and leave us with six who done its Boss lady...Papi and I will have kevlar and trauma plates on." said Carlotta.

"Carlotta...A vest won't sheild you from a head shot." said Jimmy.

"No...but Tactical could detail his car...replace the body with bullet proof  sides and thick bullet proof glass..They've done it before.." said Sirena..

"Yes...but do you know how much that would cost...?" said Sissy.

Carlotta, Sirena,Jimmy and I looked at Sissy with the side eye...

''You know, you guys aren't right...Chica...If I didn't love you girl...I wouldn't do this...Chica, you and Sirena come on over to my house..Help me pick out a freakum dress." She said.

''A what? What the hell is a Freakum dress?" I asked.

"When we need a big favor from a guy...It's a tight and short curve hugging dress that takes their attention off of what we are asking." laughed Sirena..

"Like my black dress that you like so much." said Carlotta..

"Ohhhh, Got'cha." I said laughing...I knew exactly the dress she was talking about...It hugged every curve..When she wore it, she could have just about anything she wanted from me..

IV-

TONIGHT!

So here we are driving around town, being followed by this cab... We went to the Aqua Bar, had a few drinks and danced...Then we stopped at Jakes and had a few Hot Dogs...I was really on edge..Surprisingly,Carlotta was as cool as a cucumber...

Everything seemed like a normal night on the town... Carlotta and I began driving again and once again..We saw the mysterious cab...

"He's good." I laughed...

"Okay Papi...Showtime.." said Carlotta who pulled into an area not far from the 21st Street Bridge...This was so out of the way that nobody would even hear gun shots...It was made to order for an ambush...It was perfect....

Jimmy , dressed like a drunken Penn or Drexel student was up on the Bridge...

Sirena and Hop , dressed like two lovers arguing were walking down the steps and away from us...

"Baby,I tole you she didn't mean nothin to me...I was drunk...I thought it was you." said Hop,playing the cheating lover to the hilt..

"I'm so sick of you Tyrone...Everytime we go out you got your hands all over some other girls booty." said Sirena as they walked away..

"Okay guys...He just parked his cab on the bridge...He's coming down the steps." said Jimmy.

"This is it...This should be easy for you Papi.." said Carlotta..

She opened her blouse...she was wearing a flaming red and black laced bra....I immediately took my mind off of the danger at hand..

"Oh My God...Where did you buy that?" I asked..

"You like it?" she asked smiling..

"Oh Lord...I love it." I said...Completely serious...

A shadowy figure in a hoody and a tan jacket came up on the passenger side , took aim and fired five shots...

The bullet proof sides and thick bullet proof glass did the trick...The bullets bounced off of the car, I still pushed Carlotta down and placed my body over her...

"Alright ,Lampier ,Let me see your hands..get em up!" shouted Tyriq and Duke and about 18 shotgun and glock toting policemen who came running out of nowhere...

He was stunned....He turned to run, only to feel Sirena's glock against his head...

"Not a chance buddy." she said...

Hop took his gun from him and ordered him down...

"On the ground...Come on , do it!!!..." he yelled and handcuffed him...

Jimmy came running down the steps with his glock drawn as Carlotta and I got out of the car...

"You guys alright?" he asked.

"Yeah..We good!" I said  hugging Carlotta and kissing her on the cheek..She noticed her blouse was still opened and closed it quickly.....

''Stop looking at my top." she said.

Sensing the irony of it all, Duke and Tyriq busted out laughing...as did Carlotta and I.

"Mr. Lampier...At last we meet.." I laughed...Staring at the killer for the first time.

"I want a lawyer." he screamed...

"I'll bet you do.." I said shaking my head...

A car drove up...Sissy, FBI Special Agent,Sharon Ferrell and Lt. Eddie Cantrell got out of the car...The dress Sissy had on was scandalous.....I had never seen her in it before...Certainly nothing she would wear to work...A fact not lost on the male patrolmen and Lt. Eddie Cantrell, who couldn't stop ogling her...Now I understood why Sissy got more requests than any other Lieutenant  in CID to be detailed to her department.

She was saying a taste tonight,I had to admit. Having been my close friend for so long,I could tell she felt uncomfortable ,so I didn't tease her tonight...I didn't look her way at all.

We were all surprised to see Lt. Cantrell there...

"Good job guys." said Sissy...

"I knew if anybody could get this guy...Your Detectives could....After All, how many of you are my students?" said Lt. Cantrell looking like a proud father at Sissy, Duke, Tyriq and Sirena...  He then looked at Carlotta, Jimmy and Hop and smiled..

"I'm sorry I didn't get to train you guys but from what I see, you don't need it...My students have trained you guys well..Good Job, all of you!" he said.

"Hello Mr. Lampier...I've been waiting to meet you for a long time." said Sharon Ferrell..

Eric Lampier looked at her for a minute-.

"I remember you....FBI right? From D.C?" he said.

''Actually I'm from here...but yeah..I was working in D.C. when they brought you in... This time, the charges will stick...and I'm going to make sure the D.C. coppers take another look at you when the Philly P.D. gets finished with you." she said.

''You're all heart" he smirked.

"Aint I though?" she said.

"Well Sissy...I guess that detailed car paid off in spades huh?" said Ed Cantrell, smiling from ear to ear...

"It sure did Eddie..Thank you sooooo much." she said seductively and planted a wet sloppy kiss on his lips...

"Awwww lawdddd!...Lawdddddddddddddddd!" he exclaimed!

His eyes got as wide as saucers and he collapsed!!!!! Sissy shook her head in disgust almost!

''Oh my God!" said Carlotta.

"Relax Chica...He'll be alright." said Sissy..

I smiled...

"Do you feel tingly now?" I asked.

"No..and I don't want to hear another word about it." she said.

I smiled...I waited for her to smile back...but she didn't...

Carlotta and Sirena put their arms around Sissy and walked her to my SUV.... The Detectives and Policemen all hustled Lampier to the paddy wagon and began to disperse...

I stood there staring at the moon and looking at Ed Cantrell, still in shock, lying on the ground.....He'd certainly never forget this night or that dress Sissy was wearing.

EPILOUGE:

Eric Lampier was convicted of six counts of first degree murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection...
He was tried in Washington D.C. on two counts of first degree murder and also sentenced to death...Now it's just a matter of who executes him first...

With him in custody ,lovers all over the city could feel free to make out at ease... A few nights later, Sissy,Carlotta and myself were at Jakes enjoying their great hot dogs...Neither I nor anyone else mentioned the kiss she had planted on Ed Cantrell's lips a few nights before. It was the cost of doing business.

" I had a long talk with Eddie C today...He said he's going to try and come to see me at lunch more...and to stop working so much." she said.

I didn't say it, but it seemed to me that a woman that looked as good as Sissy shouldn't have to ask a guy to spend any time with her...She certainly wouldn't have to ask Ed Cantrell...

''Good for you Boss Lady." said Carlotta.

''Keith, you know..I'm sorry if I snapped at you the other night.." she said holding her head down..."You know you're like a crazy big brother to me." she said and rubbed my hands...

"It's okay Sissy, I know you had to do a lot to get us that protection...More than anybody had a right to ask of you."I said.

"It's okay...I did it for you two...My favorite couple...I tease you a lot but what would I do if something happened to you or my chica?  I aspire to be like you two...Have a man love me like you love her...be the friend and sister that Carlotta is to me...Her and Angie are my best friends...I couldn't bare to lose any of you....and I love everybody in this unit so much.." she said nearly crying..."All of you, Duke, Hazel,Tyriq,Sirena,Jimmy,Hop,Sharon...I'd do anything for you guys." she said.

"Awww,It's okay Boss Lady..We feel the same about you too." said Carlotta rubbing her hands.

And the three of us sat there, holding each others hands...quietly for a good while...I realized then that when I had put this group together...I had put together a family...Carlotta had been right..Love and murder would always keep us together!