Devil In The Hole (Part 1)

The worst thing that could possibly happen happened.. Another young girl was found...opened up and with all of her organs removed....and blood everywhere...

It was incredibly gory...

She was deposited in  Frankford.....And she wasn't picked up off of the strip...Unlike the others ,she wasn't Latina..she was white...

I arrived on the scene with Sissy, Sharon and Hazel..

''Oh My God...How could this of happened?" said Sissy...

''Could be a copycat...Nothin fits our pattern, our M.O." I said.

''Maybe our killer just changed up...He's probably figured out that we are looking for him."said Hazel.

"That sounds about right...There's Duke and Carlotta up front..." said Sharon as we got out and waded through the cops to the scene...

"I know you're probably thinking that this is a copycat...but it's not..It's our boy...for sure...He left another letter." said Duke..

"It says the same thing....If you hadn't of sinned so spectacularly, God wouldn't have sent a punishment like me to smite you." Signed El Diablo." said Carlotta.

Tyriq and Jimmy had on latex gloves and were looking at the body...

"This one isn't a workin girl Siss...She's a hospitality hostess at the Marriott where we have been the past two days..Her name is Katherine Jennings..We say her just yesterday.." said Tyriq...

"We interviewed her...I think we have a suspect or at least a person of interest." said Jimmy.

''Don't look now Sissy, her comes Lt. Tragg." I said.

"Oh Hell..Why now?"asked Sissy to no one in particular...

"Sissy , this doesn't look good..We are paying all this overtime for your task force and instead of catching this guy, here another murder has occurred....The Deputy Ops and The Commissioner are going to call for your head tomorrow at COMSTAT." he said almost gleefully...

He could see the pure hatred, the total disdain for him coming from Detective Tyriq Pile's eyes..

"Yeah and I guess YOU will take over the investigation then huh?" said Tyriq, not trying to hide his hatred for the man...

Lt. Tragg looked at him and smiled..

"Excuse me DETECTIVE...Last I checked...I am still a Lieutenant and this doesn't concern you...because if and when I take over this investigation...Rest assured..You won't be involved .."he said.

He noticed Detective Edwin"Duke" Baylor...Another one who was not a fan of his...

"If you're involved...We wouldn't want to be part of it."snarled Duke..

"Rico, Duke...Stand down...Go over there and help Chica,Jimmy and Hazel...." said Sissy....She was trying to keep them out of harms way....They knew that...

''We may have a suspect..."said Sissy..

''Oh"he said smiling..."Well why isn't he in custody?" said Lt. Tragg...

"In Time.."said Sissy...

Lt. Tragg looked at his watch...

"Tick Tock Lt. Van Buren...the clock is ticking..." he said..

"Don't you have a crime to solve?  Oh that's right...You don't have time for real police work now of days...What with politics and all..." I said sarcastically...

"ADA Wallace...You have a lovely wife...Damn good detective...Used to be one of mine...She may yet be again if you guys drop the ball on this one..heh,heh,heh..." he laughed...

"They have yet to drop the ball on anything..They have the highest clearence record in the department..When is the last time you've personally made an arrest??" I asked..

He looked sour...Then he turned to Sissy..

"You're very well loved Sissy...So I'm going to walk away and pretend the air wasn't so acrimonious." he said pompusly...

Sharon looked at him and grimaced a bit...Working for the Federal Government...I'm sure she'd seen his type many times before...Even dealing with local police departments in Washington D.C. , Atlanta and New Orleans...where she had previously lived and been assigned.

"Oh My God...The nerve of that guy.....I've worked with assholes like him quite a few times....."said FBI Deputy SAC,Sharon Hopkins..

II-

Carlotta walked over to Sissy...

"The good news is that we have a suspect....His name is Hector Guillermo....He is the nephew of a Spanish businessman known as El Gato..."said Carlotta.

"I know who El Gato is...He's a friend of our good friend, Rollie Rollerson....He has been to Philadelphia numerous times...He wanted to date me at one time."said Sissy.

Carlotta, Sharon,Hazel and I looked at her astonished..

Sissy frowned...

"It was a long time ago..Nothing became of it... We never went out...I-I was trying to make Rollie jealous if you can believe that...but anyway...what about El Gato?" she said.

"I can fill you in...El Gato is here to seal some big business deal with Rollie Rollerson and Stephen Bristol....His nephew, Hector flunked out of med school in Spain and began working for him as a driver and go for right around the time the first murder occurred in Madrid..

"That's right....and he was with his uncle in San Juan for some kind of distribution meeting with his North American distributors....Guess when?? The same weekend the murder of the second girl occurred.." said Tyriq...

"He and His uncle are here until next Saturday....He's currently staying at the Marriott and he recently applied for a U.S. student Visa...as well as put in an application for Penn Medicine...that was rejected..."said Duke..

"We are talking about a guy with deep anxiety....Sexual and professional frustration...That's what these murders show me...A very angry man....But it's something more than the professional failure that drives him..Something or someone set him off."said Hazel..

"I'll get a warrant ready" I said.

''He is a person of interest...Angie is on her way to pick him up as we speak...We didn't know about this."said Carlotta.

Sissy smiled..

"Best news I've heard all night." said Sissy...

III-

Meanwhile at the Food Truck...Hop relayed the message he had gotten from the rest of us to Sirena and Mercedes...

"Sirena..I just talked to Carlotta...There was another murder...Same M.O. in Frankford!!." said Hop..

''What? How could that be?"asked Sirena...

"They think they got a suspect....They're takin him downtown...Mercedes...If you see him...you think you can ID him?" asked Hop..

"Oh Most definitely.." she said...

''Okay..Then we'll have an officer take you there." said Hop.

And at the Marriott-

 Detective Angela Barlow and four uniformed police officers knocked on the door of Hector Guillermo.

He was tall, athletically built and actually quite handsome...Angie was impressed when he answered the door in only his jeans, no top, no undershirt...

''Hector  Guillermo?" she said.

He smiled...

"And who might you be? Damnnnnn, you are something else...chica?" he said marveling at her curves...

Angie felt herself blushing...

"I'm Detective Angela Barlow...Would you mind coming down to police headquarters to answer a few questions?" she said.

"I would not mind going anywhere with you baby.."he said laughing....Let me uh put on some clothes..."he said...Looking at her salaciously....

"You're married girl, remember that" Angie thought to herself..

IV-

When we got there..Hector was already in the "fishbowl" as the detectives called the interrogation room, sleeping away...

Carlotta walked in by herself with folders...

He awoke...Upon seeing Carlotta, his eyes nearly came out of his sockets...

"Aye Mios dios...You are gorgeous...There is nothing but gorgeous police women in this unit." he said in Spanish...

"Hola...Thank you." said Carlotta smiling...

''You are Puerto Rican no?" he asked...

"My accent is that thick?" said Carlotta blushing a bit...

"Yes...but your voice is beautiful..." he said...

"Would you like a soda or coffee?" asked Carlotta...

"Coffee is fine.." he said....

A uniformed officer brought him a styrofoamed tumbler of coffee...

"Cream? , Sugar?/" asked Carlotta...

"How about you?" he joked...

He was a charmer...I admit,I was getting a little jealous...

Carlotta pulled out photos of Maria Flores, Marisol Dante and the third girl ,Katherine Jennings.

"Do you know these women?" she asked...as he sipped his coffee...

"Can't say that I do." he said in spanish.

"I have at least seven women who say that you do know them or that you did..." she said in spanish...

He didn't flinch....He smiled though...

''Oh you do do you?" he said.

Carlotta then showed him a photo of the women's gutted remains...

"I can't believe that someone as handsome and charming as you would do something like this...  Is this the car that you stole too?" she asked ,still speaking in Spanish.

Again he smiled and said-

"No..I didn't steal a car...and I don't associate with prostitutes..." he said.

"Who said anything about prostitutes?  I didn't?" said Carlotta...

Now he stopped smiling and for the first time he spoke in English..

"If that is all you have...Then you have next to nothing...And unless you have charges....I'm going to get up and go now." he said as he finished his coffee and tossed the cup in the trash recepticle..

"Good Bye lovely senorita...I wished we could have met under different circumstances...You and your friend are very beautiful women....I will have naughty dreams tonight of you both." he laughed...as he walked out...

Sissy smiled...

"Chica...I think you got this guy..." she said.

Mercedes walked out....

"That's him!!! That's the guy I saw...in San Juan...That's the guy I've been following..." she said.

Angie picked up the trash can....

"This cup he drank out of  has his saliva on it... I'm going to get this to Hazel...She gets a match...He's our guy!" said Angie...

"Good work everybody....I'll prepare a warrant for his arrest...Uh Oh...Here comes trouble." I said.

Lt. Tragg and two uniformed officers walked into our office...

Sissy was prepared for him..

''Sissy, What is this I hear about you having a suspect in custody and releasing him?" he asked...

"We had a person of interest...After we check some evidence...A warrant will be drawn up and he'll be formally charged..." she said..

"I don't know...This doesn't sound good....Oh excuse me...My phone...It's probably the Deputy of Operations...He'll need an update.....Heh,heh, Heh...He and I are pretty tight...Ohh...It's the Commissioner...wonder What HE wants?" he said...Soon his smile turned to one of pure surprise and fear...

We looked at each other..

"Yes Sir....Uhh no sir...I was in no way impeding her investigation...Who told you that?  Nooo sir...I know I don't need to know sir......Yess....I really should mind my damn business...You are absolutely right about that sir...Heh Heh..Heh...Yesss.. Lt. Van Buren and her detectives have done a sterling job...I have always said so sir...Yesss.. I understand that......Nooo,No No...I was just...I was just...Sirrr..I was merely asking for an update on the progress of her case...No- No- Sir..I- Yes sir....Uh yes sir...I -I do indeed have paperwork that needs to be done...I'll get it right to you...Yesss sir....Yes.....I understand.... I understand...Yes sirrrr, sirrrrrr." he said and hung up...

He was as red as a beat...

"Lt. Tragg are you okay?" asked Carlotta...

"Uhhh, Uhhh Yes Carlotta...I-I-I-I'm fine..." he said...He looked shook up...He glared at Sissy..

"Was there anything more Lt. Tragg?" asked Sissy ,smiling wryly...

"No..Nothing at all!!..."he said...and stormed out of the office....Sissy smiled wryly...She looked so sexy when she smiled like that...

"I'm not going to even ask you what you did. He looked like whatever ass he had, just got chewed off of him.."said Angie laughing and hugging her good friend...

"What can I say...People love me..He's not the only one who has a friend in high places." laughed Sissy.

''Would that be a certain recently promoted Captain ,who also plays poker with The Commissioner and the Mayor? And who's head still turns when you happen to walk by?" I asked..

Sissy smiled with that sexy pouty lip of hers.....

"A girl can't tell all of her secrets." she said.

"Let me get that warrant written up." I said.

"Wow...and I was having so much fun hanging out with you guys...Looks like the great Serial Killer task force is over huh?"  said my wife,Carlotta.

I put my arms around her and nibbled on her neck...

"That means we can hang out... make love in our own bed again.." I said...

"Ummm yes..." she said...Then she peered at Mercedes...

''Oh yeah...We have house guest.." I said.

Mercedes smiled and waved at us...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)