In My Head

We headed out for the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia....Where a homicide had been reported....

I drove my flying car....I looked over at my partner....My first partner in  a long time..

"You're open right now...Which means I can hear your thoughts....I'm just letting you know...So you can ask me to get out of your head again...You are so full of compliments...Do I really look that good to you or has it been awhile since you've had some?" she asked..

"Uhhh both....It must have been hard being your boyfriend wasn't it?" I asked.

"I didn't always let on that I could hear their thoughts....but yeah it was...They couldn't lie to me as easily as they could the next girl....and I found out early on if all they were interested in was sex..." she said.

"So they were soon gone.." I laughed..

"Very Soon...I don't suffer fools lightly no matter how nice and cheery I may seem." she said.

"I gathered.."I said.

"I don't know if you have a shot or not...I just met you...You don't even know me yet." she said.

"You're doing it again...Get out of my head....This is gonna take some getting used to." I said.

"I'm sorry...I'll stay out.." she said.

"I'm just kidding...Not kidding about you reading my mind...But not really mad at you...You are mad cute and I can't help but notice it.."I said.

"You're very close to sexual harrassment buddy...but I'm gonna let you slide..It's your first day.." she said.

"You'd do better with a gay partner." I laughed..

"I had one of those....She liked me too.." she said and we both laughed.

II-

We wound up at a loft....A place much nicer than anything I could afford... The victim,
Kora Shelton was 29 years old...White female...She was found lying on the bed...She had on a black mini skirt...Her blouse was on the floor....Her purple lace bra had been unhooked, but was still on...her shoes were over by the door..

 I put on my latex gloves and examined the body.....

"She was strangled and from the marks on her neck...She was choked from the front....by someone with pretty big hands...I can see pitekeal hemmorghing in her eyes.."I said.

"Her wallet is here in her purse... Her name is Kora Shelton, She's 29....I'm feeling the body temperature and I would estimate that she's been dead about six to eight hours...but I'll let the M.E. determine that."said Monica...

A uniformed officer walked in...

"She didn't live here, but neighbors say they saw her often..She was a guest of one of the owners..." he said.

"Anybody know where the owner is?" asked Monica..

"No..but we got guys canvassing the neighborhood for a five mile radius." he said.

"Anybody see anything?  See anybody come in?" I asked.

"Not that we know of..but we are looking into it."said another uniformed officer.

"Get somebody on ATM cams, Traffic cams and neighborhood watch cameras...See if it shows anybody coming or going...."I said.

"On it sir." said another uniformed officer...

Monica took out her tablet and did a quick search....

"This building is jointly owned by Jay "Jaybird"Savage and Rod Quickmen....Jay Savage is the head of a software programming company and Rod Quickmen is an Actuary...Both of these guys are heavy hitters....Millionaires...And they are married and have children." said Monica.

"And they both jointly own this place and we find a strange woman here dead...What does that say?" I asked..

"That this is a love nest...A place they take their mistresses to." said Monica.

"Exactly...Let's go have a talk with these two guys..." I said.

"Men!" said Monica with disgust..

"Of course ,I would never do that to you...I-I-I mean ,if I was married to you or was your guy...I'm just saying."I said.

"You are really campaigning to be Mister Talbert aren't you?  " she said laughing and shaking her head..."One thing about you...You aren't shy." she said.

"How can I be? You can read my thoughts anyway...Future Mrs. Nellis"I said.

"I'm not reading them now...I'm just listening to you talk... You sure of that? That I'm the future Mrs. Nellis?" she said laughing...I could tell she found me amusing, but wasn't taking me very seriously....I needed to stop trying so hard...It was way too early...and she was right..I didn't know her at all...

"Uhhh let's table this conversation right now...Let's go talk to these guys..." I said.

"Good idea Nate." said Monica...smiling to herself...and shaking her head.

III-

We headed to the downtown offices of James "Jaybird " Savage...in downtown Philadelphia...

He was just finishing a meeting when we arrived at his office...

"Mr. Savage..I'm Detective Monica Talbert and this is my partner, Detective Nate Nellis...We 're from Homicide.." she said.

"Homicide?? There been a murder?" he asked..

"Yes...a Kora Shelton...Do you know her?" asked Monica...

He quickly brushed the photo aside..

"No I don't know her.." he said.

"She was found dead in the loft you co-own." I said.

"Really? What was she doing there?" he asked..

"Sir that's a lie..You in fact do know her...You've slept with her a few times..." said Monica.

He was astounded...

"How do you know that? Who told you that?" he asked...

"So you do know her." asked Monica..

He blushed and then gave us a sheepish grin...

"Yes...but please don't say anything about this....." he said.

"Your wife doesn't know you and your boy own this place does she?" I asked.

"Please...Keep my wife out of this...No she doesn't know...And I swear..I didn't kill her....I wasn't even there last night.." he said.

"Where were you?" I asked..

"I was buying last minute Christmas gifts...Returning them I mean and replacing them...Check my financials,,,,They'll prove where I was...Then I went home with my wife and two daughters and I was there all night...I swear..." he said.

"You think your partner was capable of doing this?" asked Monica..

"Well No..Why would he?..She was his girlfriend...I mean look..We both dated several women, but he was serious about her.....I wasn't...We just uh slept together a few times.She and he were serious." said Jay..

"Not That serious...She slept with you after all." said Monica.

"Heyyyyyyy...What are you trying to say?" he said.

"Nothing at all...We are going to check your alibi....I'd advise you not to leave town."said Monica as we left the loft.

IV-

So we headed back to Headquarters.......Some hours later I walked into the dayroom...

"His alibi checked out.. I checked his credit card information and his debit cards...all normal and they put him exactly where he said he was at the time he said he was there...I double checked all of the places too....So it's not him....The alarm company says that he put his alarm on at 9:15 pm and didn't leave his house the entire night."I said.

"I just called Rod Quickman's office.....There was no answer.." said Monica...

"Think he's avoiding us?" I asked...

"If he's guilty he is.." said Monica...

Just then Lieutenant Frankie Cotton Jr. walked in...

"I just read the decks....Just put you two together and already you've caught a case...and at the end of the year..damn!" he said.

''We want to close this one fast Lou." said Monica...

"Got any leads?" he asked..

"We just cleared one person of interest....We are going to talk to the other one in a few minutes..." I said.

He smiled...

"I like it...I like what I'm hearing....Go get em guys...Close this one fast.." he said..

We both smiled and we got in my Flying Car and headed toward Rod Quickman's office....

"I wish you guys had of called...I would have told you that you just missed him...He's headed to Luna City on the Moon...He's going to bring the New Years in." said one of the partners at his firm...Lloyd Latimer...

He was tall, but slightly overweight man, who never the less had a good tailor because his suit fit him in a way that you hardly noticed it...

"Actually, my partner did call , several times..No one answered." I said.

"Well we have more than one number...." he said.

"I guess he and his family are there for the holidays huh?" I asked..

He got as red as a beat...He looked around to make sure no one was listening...Then he motioned me over to him...

"Look if you say I told you this...I'm gonna deny it....He's not with his wife...He told her he's got a business trip on Luna City...and that he couldn't avoid it.." he said..

"But that's not true is it?" asked my partner...

"Nah....He's uh taking this hot super model he met recently...Bambi Givens.." he said.

"Bambi Givens?? The Victoria's Secret model???....Wowww...I'm impressed!" I found myself saying ,then I looked at Monica who gave me the side eye...

"Ignore fanboy over there...You got an address in Luna City?" she asked...

"Only one place....The Luna City Sheraton....He has a suite there...Look it up...."he said.

"Why didn't he just use his loft downtown?" she asked...

"Because Jay bird...I-I uh mean ..His business partner Jay was scheduled to have some hot chick over there the next few days..." he said.

"You know them both well huh?" asked Monica.

"The three of us went to college together...Best buds for life." he said proudly..

"You married?" I asked..

"Me? Nahh..Haven't met the right girl.." he said shyly...

"I take it you're not in on this shared loft deal?" I asked.

"Nahhh, they didn't include me..." he said.

"You have the money...In fact, you have more disposable cash than them both ,since they have families and what not.."I said.

"I know..but uh...they didn't cut me in on it..."he said rather reservedly...

"No dates?"  asked Monica...

"I get plenty of...Nah...I don't see nearly as much action as those guys." he said.

"That's okay....Maybe you're a better man than both of them." said Monica..

He smiled at her...

She checked her Smartwatch....

"The next Shuttle Flight to the moon is at 7:00 am....and there is one coming back at 3:00 in the afternoon.." she said.

"You live near the Skyport don't you?" I asked.

"Yes I do..."she said.

"Look...I live halfway across town...I'd have to get up at 5:00 am to be able to wash and dress and make it to your place in time for that flight...How bout I stay at your place tonight and-" I said..

"Whoa, Whoa,Whoa...Partner....We just met today..and you are trying to get into my apartment?? Wow?? You are something.."she said laughing and shaking her head in disbelief...

"Well..You could always go by yourself....I could stay here and do some more investigating." I said.

She thought a minute then sighed..

"Alright...this is crazy...but you're sleeping on the couch and let me remind you...Don't get any ideas about sneaking into my bedroom...I sleep with a gun."she said.

"Come on..We are all adults." I said.

"Yeah, well that's debatable." she said and gave me the serious side eye...

Lloyd Latimer looked at us...

"Really? You two just met today?" he said.

"Yeah..Today is my first day in the Homicide unit."I said.

"Wow...You two sound like a married couple..an old married couple..." he said.

"We aint together yet." I said laughing..

"Yet?" said Monica....looking totally amazed....

"Wait a minute...Homicide?? Did you guys say you were from Homicide?/ Who is dead?" he said.

I showed him a photo of Kora Shelton...

His eyes got as wide as saucers...

"Kora....Oh My God...She's dead??" he said. "And you think Rod or Jaybird did this...Nah man, aint neither one of them killers.." he said.

"Well we know Jaybird isn't." said Monica.

"Rod isn't either...He'll tell you." he said.

"Hope so." said Monica.

V-

Monica's place was very nice..Very modern...She had nice furniture and like me a 60 inch monitor that was hooked to her computer...

"Nice digs...I'll have to show you mine one day..."I said.

"You said it would take you awhile to get from your spot to mine...You seemed to have gotten here pretty quick." she said.

"I flew..remember?" I said..

"I'm not going to sleep with you tonight."she said.

"Heyyyyy, who said anything about that? I didn't even think it."I said.

"I wasn't reading your thoughts...I'm just saying...I'm going in my room when I get tired and you're going to sleep out here." she said.

"You know what? Maybe this isn't going to work out..Me and you..You've read my mind...and you know how I was thinking...I can't hide anything from you...I'm not used to dealing with women like that who know my every move...before I make it.."

''We haven't cracked the case yet." she said.

"Okay..After we crack this case...I'll talk to Lieutenant and see if I can get a new partner...Maybe a male..That would work for me...Aren't there any female detectives who aren't lesbian in the unit?" I asked.

"You'll make the fifth partner that has bailed on me..." she said sitting down.

"He doesn't know you're a mutant does he?" I asked..

"I don't think so and none of them gave that as the reason they were ditching me...but it was the same reason...They weren't comfortable.." she said.

"Wou;d you be comfortable if someone could read your thoughts?" I asked...

"I don't do it on purpose....but I can't help what I hear..." she said.

"Then Why do you tell people you can read minds? Why don't you keep it to yourself?" I asked.

"Cause I'm stupid.."she said and hung her head.

"Monica...Can you read my thoughts now?" I said.

"I'm not in your head..."she said.

"I'm not going to leave you....I'm not going to ask lou to transfer me...I'm gone stick with you....I uh just got divorced....I kind of need a friend right now.." I said.

She sat next to me..

"I can be your friend."she said...

"Good...and I won't look at your booty or think dirty thoughts about you anymore.."I said.

"Liar, you'll be thinking dirty thoughts about me all night tonight...I'm gone lock my door.." she laughed..

"Good idea." I said.

We both laughed...

We watched two movies and ate popcorn and drank wine.....She fell asleep..She was so petite..

I picked her up and laid her across her bed..I closed the door and walked out to the living room and fell asleep on the couch!

(TO BE CONTINUED)