Floating Lady

The Philadelphia Night is beautiful....Especially at Penns landing...The Riverfront...but Murder is no respector of beauty...Nor is a respector of time...Time that a man and his wife are off or should be.....

My wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace and I, Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace had returned from a fabulous vacation in Puerto Rico just days before...She wasn't scheduled back to work until the day after tomorrow...Neither was I....We were at our home relaxing when one of her partners...Detective James "Jimmy"Barlow called her..  He had a big case...he wouldn't have called us this time of night unless he had caught one...

So we got in my wife's Mustang and headed to the riverfront, where we saw police cars...a medical examiners wagon and lots of uniform policemen standing around....

"Jimmy...We came as soon as we could.." said Carlotta as she Jimmy and Hazel examining the body of  a young and shapely blonde woman in a party dress with lots of expensive jewelry on her person.....

"Hey guys....We have a white female, about 31 or 32.." said Jimmy...

"She hasn't been in the water that long..I'd say about two to three hours." said Hazel...

Carlotta put on some latex gloves and examined the body further...

"The body isn't bloated...so she didn't drown." she said.

"Correct...She was dead when she was dropped in the water...Cause of death appears to be blunt force trauma to the head...She was hit two times and dropped in the water." said Hazel...

"I got uniforms questioning everybody around here...People that were eating dinner on the Musholu...At the Charter House and all up and down the pier during the last two hours..." said Jimmy...

"Any cruise or party boats out here?" asked Carlotta..

"Yeah...there were two tonight and I got something better than that...I got her purse and her drivers license." came the voice of my wife's other partner...Detective Tyriq Pile..

"Rico...Heyyy, I didn't know you were out here?" said Carlotta..

"You think you're the only one who goes on vacation? Sirena and I just got back from California..." he said.

"Wow...So with us both gone...Boss Lady has probably had it rough." laughed Carlotta..

"Yeah, you see as soon as Junior here gets a tough one...He has to call us out....Hey Keith." he laughed...

"What's up man." I said laughing and shaking his hand..

"The Marine police pulled this out of the water...It's the victims purse...and her drivers license...Her name is Michelle Jordan, she's 31 years old..." said Tyriq...

''Oh My God...Do you know who this is?"said Jimmy..

"I thought I just told you." said Tyriq...Carlotta and Hazel laughed...

"Michelle Jordan....The supermodel....The wife of Paul Jordan...the Millionaire Shipping Magnate!.....he owns ships...Including that one over there in the Bay....The Floating Lady.."said Jimmy.

We all looked at him...He shrugged his shoulders...

''Who are you?"asked my wife, Carlotta.

''What?  I read the society section of the papers." he said.

To my surprise... Tyriq's wife, Detective Sirena Pile and her partner, Detective Antonio Hopkins walked up..

"He's right about the Floating Lady...and that's definitely the boat our victim was partying on...We had uniform cops case every party boat and cruise ship out here...They know her!" said Sirena...

"Yeah...from the statements we took...She vanished around 10:00 pm...That was uh the last time anyone remembers seeing her." said Hop...`

"I just took a statement from the husband's business partner, Tony Blake....He says he saw her at a quarter of ten and then he went with his wife to join the party." came the sensual voice of Lt. Sissy Van Buren...

"Sissy? What are you doing out here?" I said..

"Boss Lady?" said Carlotta.

Sissy smiled and hugged Carlotta...Then hugged Sirena...

"Welcome back girls....That's the kind of leader I am...My guys suffer..I suffer."she laughed..."Plus...It's nice to see all my detectives together again..Not to mention my favorite ADA....You and Chica were gone....Then Rico and Sirena were gone and then Hop and Sharon left...It was just me and Jimmy and Duke holding down the fort..oh yeah and Angie..."said Sissy.

"Angie?" said Carlotta..

"Yeah..She's been on loan to us for a few weeks...She's been partnering with Duke...Young James there has been too distracted by her...He's instead been working with me...Glad you're back Chica and Rico...You two can keep him in line." said Sissy laughing...

"I'm just kidding...He and I cracked a major murder case just last week...with none of your help.And...Duke and Angie cracked a triple murder.." she said.

"I heard...ADA Rios told us...I'm impressed." I said.

II-

As we stood there talking, another car drove up....It was Duke and Angie....

''Whoaaa, look at this..The Gangs all here...The band is back together!"laughed Duke as he got out and shook my hand and gripped Carlotta up spinning her around...She giggled like a school girl..

"Put me down Duke...You're hurting my ribs..." she squealed..

"Top,Top...What it look like baby? Ricooooo, Sirena..What's up!"he said releasing her..

''Heyy Duke" they all said.

''We got a floater from that boat over there..."said Carlotta...

"Yeah well me and my old partner here caught one too tonight..." he said.

"What?" I said.

"A caterer...His name is Floyd White, he was 23 years old....His throat was slit and he was found behind one of the hangers down the pier..We came to get Hazel...And guess what? He was with the catering company that catered the party on that boat...He was supposed to work tonight...So let's all head to that boat." said Angie.

Duke laughed...

"Look at that Lou....She's just been in Homicide a couple pf weeks and already she's taking over a case...Just like she used to do..." he said.

''Somebody's got to keep you on your toes."she said, laughing...

Sissy smiled wryly....but she didn't say anything....

She held back while Carlotta,Jimmy, Tyriq, Sirena and Hop headed for the boat along with uniform policemen to interview people at the party and principals...

Duke , Angie and Hazel left to look at their dead body down the pier...

 

Sissy looked at me and said-"Something's going on." 

"Yeah I know..Two murders in one night...just blocks apart..go figure."I said.

''Not that..With Angie."she said.

"With Angie?" I said.


"Yes...I know my girl...I've known her since she was a uniform cop...I know her...She asked me if she could do a voluntary stint in Homicide.." said Sissy.

"Yeah? So What?  All of her friends are here...She's always hanging out with us...You and I both have been trying to get her to come back to Homicide for awhile." I said.

"Yes...and that's just it...Keith...Angie was the best Homicide Detective I had...I'd even go as far as to say that she was a step above Duke and Tyriq and that's saying a lot...But she burned out in this unit...And when there was an opening in Internal Affairs...She took it and excelled at it...I told her that she could always come back...But I think she was happy not seeing a dead body, not having to tell someone that their loved one had been murdered...I understood..She used to take some of the cases so personal...She's very sensitive...That's just her...She's a beautiful person. But all of a sudden, she's back and she doesn't seem like she wants to go back to IA...and that is not her!!!" said Sissy...

"So what? I think she fits in quite well with the team...and that's a third detective to mentor Carlotta,Jimmy, Sirena and Hop." I said.

"They don't need mentoring....Those four are at the top of their games...Duke and Tyriq have already said that there is nothing more they need to teach them...Angie is running from something or someone.." said Sissy.

"You think she's about to be investigated?" I asked..

"I don't think so...She's a good cop...She's by the book...But something or someone up in IA has her spooked...I love her....I'd love it if she came back....But I want it to be because she wants to....Not because of something else.." said Sissy..

I hugged Sissy and kissed her forehead..
"You are a great leader, a great person..I'm glad you're my friend....I'm proud to call you my friend."I said.

"I feel the same way about you.." she said and smiled.
III-

Carlotta walked up to us...

 "Jimmy is releasing the body and so is Duke...Everybody we talked to told us the same thing...They saw her on the boat all night long until ten o'clock." she said.

''What did her husband say?" asked Sissy.

"We can't find her husband.." said Hop...

"Witnesses say that he was last seen around 9:00 pm..." said Sirena

"I called his cell phone and his home phone...and he didn't answer either "said Jimmy...

Duke ,Hazel and Angie walked up..

"Our guy has been dead for at least a day...I called the catering Company and they verified his employment...They said when he didn't show up..They replaced him with another waiter who worked tonight..a Tony Maiden...He's gone home now...I'm going to interview him tomorrow."said Duke, hugging his wife,Hazel..

"I think there is a connection between this dead waiter and our dead woman...I'm going to look into that." said Angie..

Carlotta looked into the distance....

"Her Husband left the ship hours before the party ended and one hour before our victim was last seen...He lives in that condo over there....I think we ought to pay him a visit." said Carlotta.

"Carlotta, I called him, he didn't answer any of his numbers...He's not home." said Jimmy...

''Or he's home and occupied." said Tyriq ,who had just walked up.."

"Angie...School your boyfriend." said Carlotta laughing.

Angie pulled Jimmy to her and kissed him....

"Leave my sugar alone." she said...Jimmy blushed like crazy!

We all laughed..

IV-

Sissy ,Carlotta, Tyriq,Duke and Jimmy and five Uniform policemen pulled their glocks and took the elevator to the top floors...

Meanwhile, Sirena, Hop, Angie and four uniformed police officers entered from the rear...They also were armed with glocks...When they got to Paul Jordan's condo we heard the sound of the bed squeaking...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh god lover...put it to me...."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu put it on me mannnnnn."

"I'm about to blow my load...yesssssssssssssssssssssssss."

Carlotta looked at Jimmy..

''Still think he's not home?" she asked.  Everyone snickered...By now...Hazel and I had come upstairs...

"Those voices sound pretty deep..both voices.."mused Jimmy...

"Oh not again" I said.

Hazel snickered...

Sissy knocked on the door...

"Paul Jordan...Philadelphia Police...We need to talk to you...." she said.

"Give me just a minute babe...I'm almost thereeeeeeeeeeeeeeee,ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."came a voice.

Duke and Tyriq snickered and bammed their fists on the wall...Sissy looked at both of them and shook her head....

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh god lover...put it to me...."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...."

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu put it on me mannnnnn."

"I'm about to blow my load...yesssssssssssssssssssssssss."

"Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss, sweet baby yessssssssssssssssss!'

"Oh My God"said Sissy,looking at Carlotta, Sirena and Angie who shrugged their shoulders...

I fell up against the wall laughing..

The bed stopped squeaking...

There was silence...and then the door opened...

A man, six foot, blonde and muscular opened the door...It wasn't Paul Jordan....

''Hi...I'm Brendan Boxley.." he said.. He had a loin cloth wrapped around him..

Sissy looked at Angie ,Carlotta and Sirena and whispered-"What a waste." They smiled and nodded their heads in agreement.

Paul Jordan was lying across the bed in his boxers looking dazed.... Like a woman who had just had some good loving...except that he was a man...He was swooning until he saw us!!

"Oh My God! Brendan ,I'm not dressed.." he said and pulled the cover over him...

He wasn't the only one saying "Oh My God."

Tyriq looked at Duke , Jimmy and Hop...

"Ya Know...This is one time I would have rather waited until morning to check a suspect out."said Duke...They shook their heads in agreement.

Carlotta turned to me and buried her head in my chest....She was laughing so hard!

(TO BE CONTINUED)