The Great Investigation

The body of the young man, identified as Gary Robinson ,29 was removed from the hotel room...I found this incredulous since no homicide detective had shown up!!...Photos had been taken by their version of Crime scene investigators , and the room had been dusted for finger prints...

I hung around and finally I saw a Black man, who looked like he was in his late 50's,Early 60's, walking through the hall,laughing and talking to reporters and sipping a drink!!!!...

"I have no statement guys...No statement at all...After I've cracked the case ,I'll give you the entire story...Let me through...Let me through..." he said.

He saw me standing by the crime scene and he stopped and stared at me...

"Excuse me...Do I know you?" he asked..

"I'm almost certain that you don't...Who are you?" I asked..

"I'm FRANKLIN "FEARLESS " FOSDICK!  Fosdick is my name...HOMICIDE IS MY GAME." he loudly proclaimed.

I looked behind me, My wife, Olivia and her niece, Beverly were cracking up....

"You're the Homicide Detective assigned to this case?" I asked incredulous..

"That's right..."he said.

"You arrived after they removed the body!!! You're supposed to look over the scene and you're supposed to tell them when to release the body! " I said.

"Just who are you sir?" he asked.

"My name is Donnie Ray Alexander...I'm a private investigator...I work for my wife here, Attorney Olivia Bennett-Alexander and her neice, Beverly West...She's also an attorney. They are working for the family."I said.

''Oh I see...Your wife and your niece are beautiful..beautiful women...Private Investigator huh?  Well, I'm a Homicide Detective...You're a little out of your leauge sonny." He said laughing...

"I was a Homicide Detective for 15 years in New Orleans sir...I just recently retired.."I said.

''Oh...Oh..." he said.

I couldn't take this man seriously. If this was the man they had investigating Gary Robinson's murder..The killer didn't have a damn thing to worry about. Fearless Fosdick didn't look like he could find his way around the block,let alone solve a murder.

I pulled out my I-phone...

"I took a photo of the crime scene with my phone....." I said...

He observed it...

"Uhhh Huhhh, Groomsmen, killed with huge knife plunged in his chest..." he said.

"Notice anything else?" I said.

"Yes...the boy had no pants on and no drawers!" he said...

''His pants are over in the corner...The people here bagged them and took them for evidence , I suppose... but you're right...He had on no underwear." I said...

"Hmmmmm.Nasty way to die...Whoever killed him should have left him with a little bit of dignity.." he mused...

I shook my head in disgust....Beverly was laughing so hard, Olivia had to put her hand over her mouth and guide her away...

"Do you have any uniformed cops assigned to you?" I asked.

''Uh...Uh ruh.." he mumbled..

''Never mind! Come on...Let's you and I walk around...We'll do a door to door search and question everybody around here and see what they saw....Then we'll see if anything was caught on the hotel's video cameras that can help us.." I said.

"Good Idea...Good Idea..but remember I'm the Homicide Detective and I am the Primary on this case...I'm FRANKLIN "FEARLESS " FOSDICK  Fosdick is my name...HOMICIDE IS MY GAME."

"At this point, Beverly was beside herself with gales of laughter...Olivia fell up against the wall laughing...Fosdick looked at both of them...

"Your wife and your niece have a great sense of humor...What is so damn funny?" he said.

I shook my head...

"I can't imagine." I said.

II-

Hours later, I stopped by my room...Olivia and Bev were sitting on the bed...They were drinking Mimosas and talking...

"Well, what did the great investigation turn up?" asked my wife,Olivia...

"One, That the lead investigator is an idiot and two, whoever killed your boy's groomsman doesn't have a damn thing to worry about." I said.

Beverly spit her drink out of her mouth....

"D.R., the looks on your face were priceless..." she said.

"Yes...Donnie Ray, You had us both in tears."said Olivia.

"I went down to the police station to see what they had...Apparently, young Robinson was killed sometime around the time we arrived today...So that means he was dead for five hours ,when we met Bev in the lobby.
None of the bridal party or the groomsmen saw anything and everybody except one bridesmaid, an Evelyn Sway is accounted for.."I said.

''She is your killer right?" asked Bev.

"Maybe...maybe not" I said.

"Wow...this is already turning into some vacation.." laughed Olivia..

There was a knock on our door... I answered it... It was Detective Fosdick...

''Mr. Alexander...We've had a break in the case... We found the missing Bridesmaid..Evelyn Sway..." he said.

A young girl in just her half slip and a bra was standing outside our door...Her mascara had run down her face...

"She was tied up and drugged in the room next to the bride....She claims the murder victim,Gary Robinson lured her to the room.." he said.

''What?" I said.

"I'm Close to breaking this case wide open son....I'm FRANKLIN "FEARLESS " FOSDICK..  Fosdick is my name...HOMICIDE IS MY GAME."he said.

Beverly put her index finger on his lips...

"Uh Okay...We get it...You don't have to announce that anymore." she said and smiled flirtatiously at him...

He giggled like a schoolboy...Olivia hung her head down and laughed...

"Excuse me ladies...I'll be back." I said.

III-

Detective Fearless Fosdick and I took the girl down to the monitor room and sat her down...I gave her some cold water and a wet towell...

''What happened to you?"I asked..

"Gary...He met me in the bar...He had been flirting with me the entire time...He asked me if I wouldn't mind going back to the room with him...I think he slipped something in my drink...By the time we got to my room,I had passed out...I don't know why he felt he had to drug me...I would have gave him some..Freely...he didn't have to drug me...Anyway,when I woke up, he was gone and I was locked in my room..He took the pass key." She said.

"Hmmm" I said.

"Hmmmm" said Detective Fosdick.

I had my IPOD mini tablet with me...I did a quick search and looked up Gary Robinson... He was from Philadelphia...Worked as a clerk at the 7-11 and as a night watchmen at an apartment building in Philadelphia...He wasn't part of this money crowd that was here...His only connection was that he had gone to college with most of them...While these people were Doctors,Lawyers, Accountants, Models, et al...He hadn't fared too well...I showed my information to Detective Fosdick...

"So how does a guy like this...Barely getting by afford to come to his friend's wedding and afford a room here?" I asked..

"Hmmm" said Detective Fosdick...

I checked his bank accounts... His credit cards were all maxed out or close to maxed out...and he only had $180.00 in his bank account....

I questioned the hotel about his payments...Apparently, his entire stay was paid for, just like ours by someone using a cashier's check...I called the Airline....His round trip ticket had been paid for by someone who wired the money to their account out of Philadelphia, via an offshore account...I attempted to trace the account, but it had been closed..

"You found all this out with those two thingamabobs...eh? " said Fosdick..

"This is an IPOD mini..a tablet and this is my IPhone...a smartphone...Detectives best friends...eliminates a lot of legwork.I have Apps on this phone from the Police departments of several major cities,New Orleans,Philadelphia PA., New York City,  Miami, Florida, Washington D.C. and Atlanta and The FBI...as well as Homeland Security...They help me look up a lot of information fast." I said.

'' Hmm, Gotta get me one of them things. What's our next move?" He said.

''Let's question the Groomsmen, The bridal party and the bride to be and groom...See if any of them gave him money." I said.

''Good Move...I was getting ready to suggest that myself." he said.

I shook my head...

"We can do that tomorrow..I'm tired detective..." I said.

"As am I...I'm going to the bar and knock back a few....Thanks for your help on this." he said.

"You're welcome Detective." I said.

I smiled and just shook my head as he headed for the bar.

IV-

I glared into the bar and I saw Beverly talking to the Groom to be...Wallace Anderson.

"Wow Bev...So you went to law school huh? You were always so smart in school..I knew you were going to be a lawyer or a politician or something like that." said the groom to be...Wallace Anderson..

''You were brilliant too Wally...You're a Doctor now...right?"she said.

"I'm interning at Pennsylvania Hospital." he said.

''Your wife to be is a Doctor too?" she asked.

''Yeah...We work at the same place.." he said.

"Wow...That was almost us....We would have been a power couple like the Huxtables.." said Beverly...

''Yeah....What went wrong between us Bev...?"He asked.

"We were young Wally...We didn't know what we were doing...I was hella immature..."said Bev.

"Nah,it wasn't you.....I was impatient and full of myself...I was a fool, You were the best I ever..." he said.

''Don't say it Wally...It's water under the bridge..We can't get that time back....It just wasn't in the cards for us..You have a new woman now...and even though I don't have a steady guy..I'm sure...whoever is in the cards for me will make himself known one day." she said.

''You dating?" he asked.

''Here and there...There's this guy...A Lawyer I used to work with in the Public Defenders office who halfway acts like he likes me...but I keep him at arms length." she said.

Wallace laughed-"That's so you Bev...Tough cookie..." he said ..

"I wasn't tough with you Wally." she said quietly...

"No....No you weren't...You were different with me...Tender, gentle...Kind even.." he said and smiled.

"I let my guard down with you...I was a different girl with you...I didn't have to act so tough..."she said.

"I always thought that tough girl act was just that...an act to protect you, to hide your feelings." he said.

"You were right...You saw right through me...You were the only guy who really,really knew me.." she said and smiled.

"Damn Bev...If only we could turn back the hands of time." he mused..

"Yeah...but we can't." she said.

They smiled and looked in each others eyes...

From a distance ,I saw a pretty light skinned woman heading their way...

"Oh Wally...Wally...There you are.. " she said as she walked up to them....

"Ginger...I want you to meet someone....This is Beverly West....She is one of the attorneys representing the family....My Uncle Rollie hired her...but she's an old friend...We went to college together.." said Wallace...
''Bev,this is my fiance...Ginger." he said.

"Pleased to meet you." said Bev..

I had seen and heard enough of their conversation...I headed for the elevator... Olivia was getting off as I waited to get on...

''Hey babes...I was on my way up to see you." I said.

"I was coming down to get a little air..." she said.

I took her hand and we walked outside...It was about 90 degrees...a cool breeze blew by us...as we walked by the hotel pool.

"This is sooooo nice..."I said.

"Yeah ,it is...You seen  Bev?" she asked.

"She's in the bar,talking to the groom.."I said.

"She'd better cut that out...before there is another killing."laughed Olivia..

I laughed too and hugged my new wife.

(TO BE CONTINUED)