Devil In the Hole (Part 2)

 Club Montreal was a very tony establishment...The kind of club that a bourgie snob like Stephan Bristol would hang out...The type of establishment that the hoi polloi like Rollie Rollerson also occassionally drink and socialize at.

The drinks were over priced...but they were good...It was nice to go to a bar and the bartender knew what he was doing...

Carlotta's cousin, Detective Mercedes Rodriguez had caught the attention of Hector Guillermo, our chief suspect in the grisly slayings of three women...and a suspect in an unsolved murder in San Juan ,Puerto Rico and a long unsolved murder of a young woman  in the city of Madrid in Spain...

He had spotted her in the lobby of the Marriot ,where he had been staying with his uncle...The Spanish Businessman...El Gato...who was in town for a business meeting with both Rollie Rollerson and Stephen Bristol...Ironically enough...both men were in Atlantic City with his uncle, El Gato and probably had no idea his nephew was a suspect in several murders...

"I certainly am liking Philadelphia...It is loaded with gorgeous women...Gorgeous Latina women.." he remarked upon meeting her..She was wearing a tight white mini skirt which showed off her sexy body and her sexy legs...He couldn't take his eyes off of her...

"I'm from the Island(Puerto Rico..) I'm here visiting my cousin. My name is Mercedes" she said.

"Like the car?   Hmmm...I'd certainly like to drive you....I am a visitor too..I'm here with my Uncle...Can I buy you a drink?" he said..

"Why how can I refuse such a handsome man?" she remarked...

"Ummmmm.."he said , smiling.

They had several drinks and laughed and talked for hours....Before he said-

"Mercedes, you are like no other woman I have met ..I know another place...A better place than this..that my uncle takes me to..." he said.

"Well by all means...let's go." she said giggling...

He smiled...

He was driving a rented Lexus...

They wound up at the tony Club Montreal....

Outside in a car....Detectives, Edwin "Duke" Baylor and Tyriq Pile sat in a car....They had been following a GPS tracker they placed in her pocketbook...She had another smaller micro listening device  one placed in her bra...

"Those Federallis really have some great play toys....I'm gettin a perfect signal Rico." said Duke.

"Yeah...me too...We didn't even have to follow them closely...This led us right here." said Tyriq...

''Scared aint you partner? This reminds you of the first time we sent Top undercover..."said Duke..

''Yeah and this is worst...Top was just making a deal with a drug bag man...This is a mad killer..We can't afford to make any slip ups or let her out of our sight..."said Tyriq...

''Relax Rico...Hop is inside the bar..He's got eyes on her...and he has a plain clothes guy with him..Nothin is going to go wrong..." said Duke..

Detective Tony Hopkins was inside Club Montreal...having drinks and keeping an eye on Mercedes..The plain clothes officer was posing as a bartender...He too had his eyes on Mercedes..

Which was not hard work to do....Like Carlotta..Mercedes was a very beautiful woman....It was very difficult for most men to take thier eyes off of her...
II-

 Meanwhile halfway across the city, armed with a  search warrant...my wife, Detective Carlotta Rodriguez, Her partners, Detective James Barlow and Detective Sirena Pile entered the room where Hector Guillermo was staying..They had six uniformed policemen with them helping with the search.

At first look, the room was immacculate...Beds made ,clothes hung.....

Then Carlotta and two female officers found a suitcase filled with surgical knives of all types.....it was in a hidden compartment that had been cut out into the hotel room wall.....It apparently wasn't hidden that well..

"Ouuu look at this.." she said...

Jimmy and three male officers  made the next discovery...in the back of his closet.

"Look, black slacks, black shirt, black shoes and apparently...He hasn't done his laundry...There is blood splatter on all of this stuff.." he said.

''Bag it...and tag it Jimmy." said Carlotta.

Sirena and another officer, however found the smoking gun....or a hacksaw.

"Look Lotta..a hacksaw and this has blood on it...My goodness....I am creeped out...Bag this and tag it." she said.

Jimmy looked under the bed....

He had found another briefcase...

"This is too much , newspaper clippings with stories about all of the murders....This is our guy..." he said.

Sissy and Hazel walked into the room...

"The mobile crime lab is downstairs... If we can get this tested and get a DNA match right away....It's game ,set and match..."said Sissy...

"Carlotta you got all of that stuff bagged and tagged?" asked Hazel..

"Yes..." she said.

"Sharon's downstairs...Let's go." said Hazel..

"This is our guy right?" I asked nervously...I had lied a little bit to get that warrant....

''No doubt in my mind honey bunny."said Carlotta who gave me a sweet kiss.

We took the evidence to Sharon in the FBI Crime lab....We were looking for a DNA match to the saliva on the envelopes and the DNA ,taken from the blood of our slain girls...

It took a little over an hour.....bu we got a DNA match for the blood of Maria Flores, Marisol Dante and Kate Jennings as well as a DNA match for the saliva ,taken from Hector's coffee cup and the envelopes...

We got him cold!


III-

 Mercedes and Hector were drinking and getting very cozy....

''Sooo Hector...Tell me about yourself...I feel soo very close to you." said Mercedes...

"I was in medical school in Spain....but it ...it was difficult..."he said, nearly in tears...

''So you're studying to be a surgeon?" she said..Her eyes lighting up...

"See ,there you go..You're like all of the others  star struck by fame and position..." he said angrily,growing darker...

"No...No..Nooo..It's just that being a Doctor is a noble position..." she said.

"Noble? Hah...Well anyway...I flunked out...I'm not going to be a doctor or surgeon.." he said.

"Well are you planning to go back to school?" she asked..

"NO!!!! YOU SOUND LIKE HER..SHE WAS A PUNTA..A WHORE..SHE ONLY LOVED ME FOR WHAT SHE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BEEE!!!" he yelled...

Now patrons were turning around and staring...

"You know what? Maybe coming here with you was a mistake..."said Mercedes...

"Don't go....NOOOOO, Don't abandon me....Don't leave me like she did...Please....I have a good job...I work for my uncle.." he said.

"You drive your uncle's car...You carry his bags...How long are you going to do that?  Don't you want something for yourself?" she asked..

He grabbed her arm....

"You sound just like that Punta I was engaged to, who left me after I flunked out of medical school..It was her fault you know...I was in love with her...I spent my every waking hour loving her..." he said.

"You're hurting me...Let me go....Let me go...Is that why you killed a girl in Spain?" asked Mercedes desperately trying to get loose..

"Spain? How do you know about that?  Punta..." he said...

Patrons were looking...

"You killed a girl in Puerto Rico and three here didn't you?" said Mercedes...

"WHAT?  I'll gut you like a fish...just like I did them...You're all alike...all of youuuuu." he grunted...

"Let me go." screamed Mercedes who clocked him and knocked him down...

Hop and the plains clothes officer ran over with their guns drawn and handcuffed him...

Duke and Tyriq came running in with another uniformed police officer who had a shot gun......

"Good work Mercedes...I just got off the phone with your cousin...I told her that we got him ..this is definitely our guy."said Duke...

"You get his confession?" asked Mercedes...

''Every word."said Duke.

"You're just like your cousin...Damn good Police" said Tyriq smiling...

''And you guys were just in the nick of time."said Mercedes..

They all laughed...

IV-

El Gato, the Spanish Businessman stood with Sissy shaking his head as he watched his nephew do the perp walk...He was formally charged with three counts of first degree murder,...as well as murder in Spain and Puerto Rico....

"I am horrified...Your sister asks you to give her loser son a job...What are you gonna do huh?" he said..

"He was deeply troubled...I can't say what will happen to him next." she said.

"I don't care..He has disgraced our family name...He is dead to me..." said El Gato..He pulled out a bottle of wine and passed it to Sissy....He kissed her cheek..

"Here..enjoy this wine..you and your new husband....I hope the next time we meet...It is on different terms." he said as he walked out of the station..

Sissy smiled and looked at her troops...Carlotta,Tyriq,Jimmy,Duke,Sirena,Hop,Hazel and Angie...

"You guys did an excellent job as usual...And the Mayor and the Police Commisioner has medals for all of us...Including you too Mercedes....We couldn't have done this without your help." she said to Mercedes, Carlotta's Cousin..

"It was my pleasure working with such fine detectives and an old friend...Even if she is FBI"...She said laughing and hugging Sharon...who laughed and rubbed her arm...

''So guys..Take the next two days off...That comes from the Deputy of Operations.." said Sissy...

We all clapped..It was indeed a job well done..

''Well Ms. Primary...Your case is down..."

"It is...and I know what you want..." she said..

''A nice rib eye steak.." I joked..

Carlotta pouted...

"I thought you wanted me.." she said..

"I do...I do..." I laughed and kissed her cheek..

EPILOUGE:

Hector Guillermo was convicted of three counts of first degree murder and sentenced to three life sentences without the possibility of parole...He is currently in observation...

Carlotta and I were at the Airport with Mercedes....

Carlotta hugged her cousin tightly...

"Mercedes, you were amazing...Thank you sooo much for everything." said Carlotta.

"Thank you for an enjoyable time...I hope to see you two guys this summer..."said Mercedes....

''We are coming down in May." I said.

''Your sister is involved with a guy...A record producer...It looks serious..."laughed Mercedes...

''Ouuu Why didn't she tell me?" asked Carlotta..

"She is so secretive...You know how Carmen is.." said Mercedes....She smiled...

"Well, I gotta plane to catch...Love you cousin......Love you Handsome."she said and hugged me and then kissed me on the cheek..

We waved and watched as her plane took off.....

Then we walked back through the Airport...

''Wow that was one of our more memorable cases" I said.

"It was...One I'd like to forget..." said Carlotta...

''You push all of the really weird ones out of your mind don't you?" I asked..

"I do...it's a coping mechanism.." she said and turned and kissed me passionately for a few minutes right there in the airport...

"No more shop talk papi...the case is over.." she said..

I lifted Carlotta up and kissed her,spinning her around...

"Ouuuuu put me down, put me down papi." she squealed with delight...

I smiled...

The case was indeed over!