Stoleys

 I began my investigation by looking up the two dead people...The girl was 28 year old Amber Renee Blythe.. a party planner and  employee of Stoley's...Her basic facts were..She was born and raised in Philadelphia...Attended Philadelphia Public Schools, Graduated from North Catholic High School...Went to Columbia in New York City for two years, dropped out...Did a little modeling for awhile, got into event planning with a friend and gravitated from New York City to Philly to D.C. with the hip ,jet setting crowd...
Was known to be a groupie...Rappers, Rock Stars, Athletes...anyone up and coming, she was in their circle and in their bed....

I found out that she had an irregular heart beat and had been treated for it throughout her life....she had been told to watch her diet and keep her blood pressure low...She had been known to do a little cocaine and had been seen doing some blow on the last night of her life...

The man...David Blake , was a bartender...also an employee at Stoleys.... Like Amber, he was born and raised in Philadelphia...attended Philadelphia public schools, Graduated from Northeast High, attended Community College, had an Associates degree, Did a short stint in the Navy and then went to bartending school....

Only a few of his friends knew that he was gay....He had actually had a few girlfriends and while some of them suspected that he was a little "awkward" , none knew that he was gay...Apparently, he was closeted...
He was also a club D.J., who had worked a number of clubs...Which is probably how he and Alan XO had come into contact with each other...He knew Amber Renee, because  they both worked at Stoleys, but he didn't know Jamie Mitchell, the football player...  I presented all of this to my wife, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander.

''Wow Husband of mine...The bedroom is obviously not the only place where you don't waste any time..." she said and winked at me...

"I talked to a number of people who knew them both and looked up a few things..." I said.

She kissed me softly...

"I know you were a great homicide detective." she said.

"I was....and I'm better at other things" I said pulling her to me..

She giggled...

"I know...I know...but uh let's go see a friend of mine...Maybe she can tell us more about the contents of their bodies.." said Olivia.

''When do I get to see the content of your body? " I asked jokingly ,pulling her to me and kissing her..

''Ummmmm, Mr. Alexander....I thought you saw it last night and early this morning..." she laughed.

"I'd like to see it again." I joked..

She laughed...

''Come on silly, we've got work to do."

II-

Olivia and I drove over to the Medical Examiner's Office....A nice, shapely brown skinned woman in a white jacket greeted us...Upon seeing my wife she said..."Skeeee.. Weeeeet."

Olivia returned the call- "Skeeeeeeeeeeeeee weeeet. What's up Soror?" she said and hugged her....I knew enough from being around Southern University in Louisiana to know that both were members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

"Olivia....It's been awhile ...I heard you got married..." she said.

"Yes Hazel and I heard you got married too." said Olivia...."Oh excuse me Hazel...This is my husband...Donnie Ray Alexander...He's also a private investigator who works for my firm...Donnie Ray, this is Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor...Forensic Investigator for the Criminal Investigative Division..and my soror." said Olivia.

I shook her hand...."Pleased to meet you." I said.

"How are you?" she said.

"Wow Liv...Looks like the second time is the charm for us both huh?  And we both have something in common,besides being Black females and AKA's...we are both married to detectives.." she said.

''I used to be a Homicide Detective in New Orleans, before I became a Private Investigator."I said.

"My husband is a Homicide Detective on the Philly P.D." said Hazel....

"Small World huh?" said Olivia...

"Indeed it is Livy. You said you needed some information...What kind of information...?" she asked.

''You have the bodies of two people...Amber Blythe and David Blake... They both worked at Stoleys...And uh, one of my clients is an intimate of both of them...My client asked us to look into their deaths.." said Olivia.

III-

"I did Autopsies on both of them....The girl, Amber...died of natural causes...Kinda sort of...she had a heart condition...That she knew about and yet she used cocaine...She did some blow at least three hours before she went back to her place with Mr. Blake and had sex...She died of cardiac arrest ,triggered by the sex and brought on by the cocaine in her system... Her death is listed as "Misadventure." said Hazel....

"So that's not a homicide." asked Olivia.

"Nope" said Dr. Hunter-Baylor...But this guy, David Blake is a whole nother matter..We found a chemical that relaxes your muscles mixed into some vodka that he drank...Probably at the club....He was poisoned to death...His death was definitely a homicide....My husband, Detective Edwin "Duke" Baylor and another detective, Jimmy Barlow are investigating...

Two people at the bar say that he left with a bottle...But we didn't see or find the bottle in his car, which was parked miles away or Amber's apartment where the two of them ironically died the same night or in Amber's car...." she said.

"That's odd." I said.

"We didn't find any semen in Amber or a condom anywhere or any semen on the bedspreads...we are just assuming ,since they both were nude that they had sex..." said Hazel.

"Wow...well thanks for the info....We'll inform our client." I said.

Olivia hugged Hazel...

"Hazel...it was soo nice seeing you again...We've got to go out and have lunch or something and catch up."said Olivia...

''We do girl...Let me give you my number and my new address." said Hazel.

They exchanged numbers and agreed to meet for lunch...

I drove Olivia back to the office... I had some more digging to do...but first I had to catch up with Bev and Josie.

IV-

I picked Bev up from court and then I went back to the office and picked up Josie...I filled them in on the entire deal and then Josie led us to the club called Stoleys..

"D.R. , how come you always get me when some dirty work has to be done?  You know that I'm an attorney?" joked Bev...

"Me and you...We are like Batman and Robin...a team..."I said ..I noticed Josie Smiling..

''So who is Auntay...Alfred?" said Bev..

"A hell of lot better looking than Alfred.." I said.

The three of us laughed.

Beverly wired me up and then followed me inside the club...

V-

Like Aqua Bar...Stoley's was located on the third floor of a warehouse...It was beautiful inside...Like Aqua Bar, the drinks were high...The people, Black,White,Latino,Asian, young, ultra hip...The music...Hip Hop, Trap, Ska, Euro-pop....Not really my type of music...but I could see Bev and Josie liking a place like this..

Upon walking in , a Black Boho type looked at Beverly...

"You have the most beautiful eyes and you got a body like whoaaa..I just gotta sleep with you." he said.

Beverly looked at him...

"Really Playa...Is that how you come on to your girls?" she said.

''Hey, I'm not a romantic type." he said.

"No, really?" laughed Bev...Josie cracked up...

While they were entertaining laughing boy...I walked over to the bar and showed the bartender a photo of
the dead...David Blake...

''Do you know him?" I asked.

"You another cop? I already talked to two detectives yesterday.. Yeah I know him.. He worked here." said the bartender.

"I'm not a cop...I'm a private investigator." I said.

"Wow....What did David do? He's got Homicide Detectives and you coming in here asking about him..." said the bartender...

"Did you know that David was gay?" I asked...

"Uhhh...He said he was Bi-curious." he said.

"You know anybody that would want to hurt him?" I asked.

"Nah...David was a nice guy...He didn't bother anybody..." he said.

"He involved with anybody?..."I asked.

"Yeah...he messed around with a guy named..uh...uh..They called him Cowboy...I don't know his real name.." he said.

"He hang in here?" I asked..

"Some times..." he said.

''He been here lately?" I asked.

''A few nights ago...He might come in tonight.."he said.

"Okay...I'm gonna buy my little lady friends some drinks...When he comes in, you just give me the high sign...Here's a little cash for your troubles." I said and peeled off about five twenties...

When I was a Homicide cop, duking a guy some cash for information was unheard of...It was  a different world for me now...

Beverly, Josie and I sat in a corner and waited for "Cowboy"

(CONCLUSION NEXT)