On Friday's, Ladies Free!

Three days later found me holding my wife Carlotta in the parking lot and kissing her passionately....

In between kisses, she looked at me and smiled...

"If we don't stop this...We are going to get caught..."she said.

''And if we do, so what? Everybody knows I'm crazy about you." I said.

"I knowwwwww."she said slowly in between kisses..."but people think that all we do is ,you know...do it...and I don't want them thinking that.." she said and laughed..

"Okay...You want me to stop?" I asked..

"No..Not really.."she said in between more kisses...We both laughed...

Eventually, we broke our embrace...

"We'd better stop...before we start something we can't finish..."I said and gently eased out of our embrace..

As she turned to get on the elevator she asked me..

"Aren't you coming up?"

"Uhhh yeah...give me a few minutes."I said.

She put her hand over her mouth and smiled...Then waved at me as she got on the elevator.

II-

When I arrived upstairs in the C.I.D. dayroom...in addition to Carlotta, I saw Sissy and her detectives...Tyriq Pile, Edwin "Duke"Baylor, James "Jimmy" Barlow, Sirena Pile and Antonio "Hop" Hopkins... They had been working this double murder hard...The media was already sensationalizing it..Calling our killer -"The Joanie Killer"...

Technically...He wasn't a serial killer per se until we found a third body and hopefully we could get this guy before there was a third body!!!...The fact that our number one suspect was believed to be long dead made this case even more baffling...

"We got footage of the lingerie store boss lady...Jimmy, Hop and I have been pouring through film trying to see if there were any men in the store when both victims were there....We narrowed it down to three...We interviewed two of them and cleared them."said my wife Carlotta.

"What about the car wash?" asked Sissy.

''Same thing...We are looking at film footage"said Tyriq..."They had a promotion...on Friday's ladies got a free car wash...The FBI sent us a photo of our supposed dead guy and Duke pulled our file...If our guy worked there..He wasn't at work Friday."said Tyriq.

"Hop and I interviewed the owner of the car wash and all of it's employees...A guy that looks a lot like our dead guy was working there and was let go a week ago...He was going by the name David Newman...and get this....The manager who fired him is a blonde...She has huge boobies and her name is Joan Cartledge.." said Sirena...

Hop laughed.....So Did Jimmy.....

"He apparently had a thing for his boss according to some of the employees and despite repeated warnings..he got too touchy feely...and she fired him..."said Duke..

"This is our guy....According to a psychological profile I got from Sharon...He was fixated on certain women and when rebuffed...He usually resorted to strong arming them sexually...Thus the assault charges."said Sissy...

"Here is the problem boss lady.....We can't find a David Newman anywhere..He listed three addresses...All of them phony....He received his pay electronically...We traced the IP address, but he wasn't there either...He gets his mail from a P.O. Box at the post office...We have three plain clothes guys staking the place out."said Carlotta.

''Well I've got a surprise ...I found the case detective who handled the original case...He's retired now ,working as an insurance company investigator...But he agreed to come in..He should be here shortly."I said.

Sirena got strangely aggitated at the mention of his name again!!!...

"Do you mean Norris Clayton?" she said.

''Yes..You know him?" I asked.

Tyriq and I looked at her...tears were running down her face....

"Babes, what's the matter?" asked her husband, Tyriq..

"Hey partner, talk to me, what's wrong!" asked Hop..

"Lieutenant...May I request that I not be here when he arrives." she said and got up abruptly and ran out of the room...Tyriq went to run after her, but Duke stopped him..

Sissy looked shocked...So did Carlotta....Sissy and Carlotta were tough as nails detectives themselves...Well so was Sirena...If she wasn't cracking a joke...She was usually like a poker player, never showing any emotion, with the exception of the love and affection she had for her husband Tyriq and the almost motherly concern she had for her partner, Hop...

"Hey guys...Leave her be...Let her get herself together...I know the story....Before she met you Tyriq...She and I and Norris worked in Special Investigations.....You remember when I was on loan to them Lou?" he asked..

"I sure do...Angie was the only good detective I had that year...I was pissed with Lt. Cantrell." said Sissy..

''Well Sirena and Norris were partners.. They were good...Just like Rico and Top or Jimmy and Top ...They knew each others rythems...They had a high clearence rate ...You couldn't ask for two more in sync detectives...I was in awe of them...Problem was...She was in love with him!!!   He knew it..and at first he ignored it.. Then , he used it to his advantage...I told him he was wrong...In fact..he and I almost came to blows over that...

She waited for him for close to a year..When it became apparent that he was only interested in her sexually...She broke it off..She stopped chasing him,stopped pining for him....She got involved with.....Don't throw up yall...ADA Soloman Foster..."said Duke..

"Oh Godd..Kill me now."said Tyriq...

"This was a year before she ever laid eyes on you Rico."said Duke.. "Anyway...You know Soloman wasn't about much...but Norris felt wounded..because she was dating him...Then Soloman discovered Top and went after her full speed..."said Duke...

''Ayye Caramba...Why? Why?" laughed Carlotta...

Duke continued...

"Sirena kind of went back to Norris...but it was too late...Within months...He was engaged to a patrol officer..who eventually became a detective...It broke Sirena's heart...She never wanted another partner again...And until she joined this unit..She always worked alone..." said Duke..

"I'm going and get my wife."said Tyriq..

No One attempted to stop him....

"Rico,I'm sorry...I -I didn't know."I said.

"Hell, I didn't know.."he said with a half smile...He put his hand on my shoulder...

"Don't sweat it...It's not your fault..Me and her will talk." he said.

"Rico, go easy okay?"said a very concerned Sissy...

He looked at Carlotta...

"Top...I need a favor...Could you uh come with me?" he asked.

"Of course...You didn't have to ask..." said my wife...

III-

Former Detective Norris Clayton was tall, well dressed , urbane and handsome... He walked into our conference room and looked around... The only ones he recognized was Sissy and Duke...

''Sissy Van Buren, How long has it been? You were a Sergeant the last time I saw you..Now you're a Lieutenant and running Homicide...Duke Baylor..You old hound dog, you still on the beat huh?" he said.

"Hello Norris"said Sissy who smiled weakly and shook his hand..

''What's up Norris?"said Duke..

"I've been following the news stories...I swear this sounds like my guy Threadgill...I can't believe he might still be alive!!!...I don't know how he survived that fall, plus the gun shots...I shot him point blank and he fell over the side...The fall alone should have killed him..We searched the river for weeks..Never found his body..I'll help in whatever way I can."he said.

He looked around...

"I don't think I know these guys..."he said.

"I'm Detective Jimmy Barlow." said Jimmy...

"Pleased to meet you." he said.

"I'm Detective Antonio Hopkins." said Hop..

"Pleased to meet you." he said...shaking his hand..

My wife Carlotta walked in the room just then...His eyes brightened...

"My...My Myyy..Who is this?" he said...all teeth..

"This is Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace....ADA Wallace's wife" said Duke.

He looked a little disappointed..but he smiled...He looked at me a little sheepishly...
I said nothing..

Then , Tyriq ,who he did know..walked in the office with his arms around Sirena...

"TYRIQ?? You're over here too? wow...and Sirena??? You're in this unit?" he asked.

"This is my wife....and Detective Hopkins's partner.."said Tyriq...

"Oh wow...You two are married?" he said.

"Yes..and with three children."she said...

"Ohhhh...I have been gone a long time...."he said and held his head down...

His eyes lit up again when FBI Special Agent Sharon Hopkins and Forensic Investigator, Hazel Baylor walked into the office...

"This is Special Agent Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins."said Duke...

"MY MY MY...I remember when FBI Agents were White guys with wing tipped shoes..They certainly have ROUNDED OUT well and gotten prettier..." he said eyeing Sharon up and Down...

"This is Forensic Investigator, Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor."said Sissy...

"My lord...Girl, you could wake the dead, you look so good...Ummmmph." he moaned.

"Now that they're here..Our entire team is rounded out."said Sissy...

"Yeah..Yeah...Yeah. I'll say.." he said,oblivious to what Sissy was saying...

"Uh, this is FBI Special Agent Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins...She's married to Detective Hopkins over there and this is our Forensic Investigator and Duke's wife, Dr. Hazel Hunter-Baylor "continued Sissy...

Again he looked disapointed...

"Sissy you got a great looking unit...I don't know how you guys get any work done..all these good lookin women here... but...I guess that's why you married them huh?" he joked...

Hop,Jimmy, Duke and I smiled...Tyriq didn't crack a smile...but stared daggers at Norris...

''Norris aren't you married?"asked Sirena..

"I uh am seperated..."he said.

Sensing the tension...I changed the subject....

"Well now that we got that out of the way...Let's get down to cases...We've got two murders...We've got semen at both scenes and a shoe print...a size 13..."I said.

"You're on it...If you read my case files...He left semen at the scene of his rapes....He apparently had a problem with control....premature ejaculation...which fueled his frustration and rage...He also did this at the sights of his breaking and entering... I read the psychological profile you did Mrs. Baylor....and it's on point...Exactly a match for my own." he said smiling...

"Any place in particular this guy would hang out?" asked Carlotta..

"His grandmother had a house up in Little Norway...but she's been dead for years now...He's been known to frequent South Street and Penns Landing...I have no idea where he may be living now." he said.

We talked and compared notes all morning....Except for comparing psychological profiles...He had nothing new to offer...

Finally around three in the afternoon .he got up to leave...

"Here is my cell number and my address....If you guys need anything...Just let me know..." he said...He looked at Sirena..."Sirena...Nice seeing you again...Congratulations Tyriq...You've got a great girl there." he said as he left...

"I know.."said Tyriq as he kissed Sirena's forehead and hugged her..

He looked at her again and then he left....

She looked at Hop and Sissy and said- "I'm sorry every one..."she said.

''We good Partner...I've been there." he said.

"You have nothing to apologize for...It's okay."said Sissy, who rubbed her back softly...

Carlotta hugged her...but said nothing..

With that said...We had to get back to the business of catching this guy...I didn't want a third death...Unfortunately a third one was coming...
IV-

This case was already going cold...The media was still talking about it ad nauseum..and while I said that we were looking at a person of interest...That person hadn't yet shown up...

The Mayor and The D.A. wanted this case closed and as soon as possible...They were aware at how hard the detectives were working on it...and even asked if we needed more detectives...I told them no...I had confidence in the six that we had and our forensics person....Plus I added..We were getting help from the FBI...Too many cooks spoiled the broth..

I got a call from Duke... Sissy,Hazel and I drove to the scene...A vacant house...a recently vacant property...

There I saw Duke and my wife, Carlotta and Sirena...

"What you guys got?" I asked...

"Go Inside...Take a look for yourself"said Duke, shaking his head....

Inside...Tyriq ,Jimmy and Hop and several uniforms were going over the bedroom with a fine tooth comb...There was a shapely and attractive Black woman, late thirties, early forties lying in the bed...in just black panties and a  black bra....next to her was a typed note that read "Joanie"  She too had on a Blonde wig and lipstick all over her lips...

Crime Scene Photographers and investigators were already processing the body...Hazel took the temperature and examined the body....

Carlotta and Duke walked in...They looked at the body...She looked at Duke....

''Something about this one doesn't feel right...It dosn't fit" she said.

''What do you see Top?"asked Duke..

"It's not what I see...It's what I don't see." she said...

"Very good Top..."he said.

"You always taught me to look for patterns...Well, there is no semen on the floor or anywhere...Rico and Boss lady taught me that serial killers usually work in patterns and kill the same type of victim....This woman is black...the other two were white and she's a little older than them...She's not wearing a baby doll...And the print on the letter is written differently...plus she's not posed the same way as the others."said Carlotta.

Sissy and Tyriq looked at her and smiled....Duke beamed like a proud parent..

"Rico...You and Duke told me she was special...You weren't lying." whispered Sissy to Tyriq...He smiled like a proud parent..

''She's been dead for six hours...Manual strangulation...but like Carlotta said..This is different...sloppy....Look how the body is staged...posed, I mean...and the lack of semen...This guy got very excited and exploded at just the sight of a naked woman or a woman undressing..." She said..

Carlotta nibbled on my ear and I whispered into hers...

"If you don't stop, some of mine is going to be on the floor here..." I said.

She giggled.

Sirena walked into the building...

"I know this woman.." she said.

"You do?" said Sissy...

"That's Beverly Clayton...Norris Clayton's estranged wife...She used to be a cop."said Sirena..

"Now that you mention it ,I vaguely remember her when she was a patrol cop."said Jimmy...

''She was a detective for a minute...Then she quit the force...Went into insurance or something."said Tyriq.

Just then, Norris Clayton and another man broke through the police line.....

"OH MY GODDD NOOOOOOOOOO!! BEV!! BEVV..NOOOOO NOT LIKE THIS!!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"he screamed....

Duke and Hop went over to him....

"It's okay man...It's okay..."said Duke..

"Sorry for your loss...We'll do everything we can do to get this guy."said Hop..

I stood there as stoic as I could be...I looked at Hazel...

"Copycat?" I whispered...

"That would be my guess...but I can't really say...I want to get this body back to the M.E.'s office and process it.." she said..

"OH MY GODDD NOOOOOOOOOO!! BEV!! BEVV..NOOOOO NOT LIKE THIS!!NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" screamed Norris.....

Sirena walked over to Carlotta...

"Lotta are you the primary on this case?" she asked.

"Yes, Unfortunately..."she said, half joking...

"Let me work this one with you..Something doesn't feel right about this one." she said.

"Sure...You and I work well together...We ought to trade partners one week...Let Hop work with Rico and Jimmy and you and I team up..."said Carlotta...

Sirena smiled and hugged her good friend...

"Yeah girl...That would be so cool."she said.

(DEFINITELY TO BE CONTINUED)