Mr. Perfect

 I sat in the squad room going over files when my partner,Detective Monica Talbert walked back in...

"Well Nate..I found out who our mystery man is..." she said with a smile..

"Let me guess...Nester Jefferson.." I said laughing...

"How did you know?" she asked..

"Ran his prints...he had a couple of DUI's....one arrest for drunk and disorderly...He was in the system...How did you know?" I asked.

"I ran his face through facial recognition...Same thing...He was in the system...Why didn't you tell me?" she asked..

"I like to watch you work....I like to watch you period with your fine self.." I whispered..

She blushed...

"Down boy...focus...but thank you for the compliment.." she said smiling...''So our guy lives out in King Of Prussia...in the suburbs...He works at an Investment Banking firm here in the city..." She said.

"Yup and we need to take a trip out there and talk to his boss and some of his co-workers..."I said.

"You took the thoughts out of my mind..." she joked..

"Hey Mo...Is there anyway that I uh...can uh read your thoughts?" I said.

"If there is...I don't know it...Believe me...You don't want this...I hate hearing some of the crazy things people think about around here....I went to Professor Xavier's school for gifted children for awhile and I learned how to tune everybody out." she said.

"Worth pursuing.." I said smiling...

"I need to talk to all of the Alphabet agencies..FBI,DEA,CIA..about our vic" she said.

''What makes you think they'll talk to you even if he is one of theirs?" I asked..

''For one thing...I'm a cop...in law enforcement just like they are...and I'm kind of cute and I'm wearing a mini skirt..." she said laughing...

"Works for me...I'd tell you anything." I said.

"Yes...You already do." she remarked.

Just then..My ex-partner Wally walked into the squadroom..

"Heyyy Nate, what are you doing to me? You're killin me buddy...You told Nyla that your partner is a woman.." he said.

I looked at him incredulously...

"Well Look at her...She obviously is..."I said.

"But what are you doing talking to her?" he asked..

"You're crazy...She's the mother of my child...and she called here...I didn't call her.."I said.

"She won't talk to me..She won't take my calls..Wouldn't answer the door..."he said.

"You do realize how ridiculous you sound don't you?" I said..

He turned to Monica...

"Look...it's obviously over between me and his ex-wife...Why don't you let me clean the slate with you?...Come onnnn, give me a chance."he said.

"Get lost....Never gonna happen." she said.

"Come on...I already talked to that Robbery Detective you used to go with...and he's seein someone else now...He won't mind...and that FBI agent you used to go with is in Los Angelas...You're pretty lonely now of days....You probably need some male company right about now...."he said.

"I'm busy...I have a murder case to solve...and I'm not interested in anybody's sloppy seconds...and you're real sloppy...Sleeping with his wife, busting up his marriage and continuing to sleep with her and then trying to get with me...Oh My God...You are raggedy...Take a hike..." she said and then looked at me.." Nate,you coming??..We got a murder to solve."

"See ya around Wally...Tell Nyla I said Hi...Oh that's right...She's not speaking to you."I said and laughed....

He stomped his foot and stormed out of the office...

Some hours later We were both headed out in my Flying Car...

"That idiot was your partner?  Aren't you glad you're with me.... For other reasons than you're sleeping with me?" she said.

"Actually I am...It's refreshing to have a partner that's intelligent and that I don't have to carry."I said..

"And that you sleep with!" she said and laughed..

''Yes...that too!" I said and we both laughed.

"Did the Alphabet agencies give you any leads?" I asked..

"No...I talked to the FBI, The DEA, The ATF , Homeland Security, Even the IRS...They never heard of this guy...I called Narcotics, Special Investigations,Major Crimes...He wasn't one of theirs either...So we know he's not law enforcement or an agent of any kind...

"Yeah ,but he's leading a double life..." I said.

"Only other thing I can think of is..A woman." said Monica..


II-

We headed to Diamond Investments...We talked to and interviewed 25 of Mr. Jefferson's co-workers....

He appeared to be a very popular guy...Was well liked...and did good work for them...
No one knew about his secret identity or his secret life..and no one had any idea why anyone would have killed him..

We checked his real financials... He had a morgtage.. a nice suburban house in the suburbs and a wife...Rita Jefferson...The couple had no children...He wasn't in debt..His credit cards ,debit cards and bank account seemed to be fine..

His supervisor wasn't in, so we left promising to come back...

"This guy appears to be Mr. Perfect..No debt...minor record of DUI's...but nothing major.. Wife, nice house in the suburbs, good job....Why would someone kill him?" asked Monica aloud.

''Further more...Why was he leading a double life? What was he into?" I asked..

"We need to talk to his supervisor tomorrow and his wife..."said Monica.

"We really should have talked to her today..." I said..

"You're nutty ex partner got me side tracked." she said.

"Yeah..He's good at that!" I said.

III-

Once again, my smartphone rang..

"Hi Nate....The baby is at the sitter's and I'm totally naked...just waiting for you to make sweet love to me." she cooed seductively into the phone..

"I suggest you put some clothes on..It's January.."I said dryly...

"Whoever this new heiffer is...She's got your nose opened wide...."said Nyla..

"Heyy ,here's a thought..Why don't you call up Wally..if you're naked..I'm sure he'd appreciate it?" I said..

"Screw you Nate...Screw you!" she screamed and hung up..

Meanwhile, Wally was back and still trying to talk to Monica..

"Since you are soo protective of your partner...Who is he seeing.??..I know he's seeing somebody?" he asked..

''Why,so you can try to steal them from him too?" she asked..

"Nooo.Nahh,I wouldn't do that..I'm just curious.." he said.

"You mean Nyla wants to know and she won't give you none til you give her a name." said Monica..

He was startled...

"You got a bug in Nyla's apartment don't you??...You tapped her phone.!!!" he said.

"Yeah that's it."said Monica laughing and shaking her head..

"Nah...you cloned my phone didn't you?" he said.

She looked at him...

"Really dude? You really are pathetic.." she said.

"I just want to hit that thing...Damn girl.."he said looking at her salaciously...

"That's the first truthful thing you've said all day." said Monica..

He smiled..

"Yeah? So uh how about it?" he asked..

"Beat it...I'm busy....Nate.!!..We gotta go." she said...

I looked at him as we walked out....

"You're pathetic....Don't come up here bothering me and my partner again..." I said...

IV-

We were flying for awhile when I turned to Monica...

"I have two questions...One ,Where are we going and what did you do with the two GPS tracking devices he put on your car and this one?" I asked..

Monica smiled...Her mouth dropped wide open...

''How did you know??"she said.

"I'm a detective...It's my job to know and I know the kind of snakes I'm dealing with..I know that Nyla shut him out...but I also know that she uses sex to manipulate people and more than anything she wants to know who I'm sleeping with...She told him to find out and she'll give him a shot....I know him from our days as partners that he's a master of using GPS tracking devices and cloning cell phones to track people." I said.

"You're very intuitive....That's what makes you a great detective...Me...I read his mind naturally...Which is how I knew she had told him that and how I knew he was stalling while one of his buddies placed the tracking system on our vehicles....One of the devices is back on his vehicle..so he'll be chasing himself around part of the night and the other is on the Lieutenant's car..." she said.

I looked at her and busted out laughing....

"Ohhh man..that's rich...What about the phones?" I asked...

"Come on Nate...I know you debugged both of our phones..."she said.

''We do make a good team don't we?" I said.

"Ask the ten murderers we've busted since we've been together?" she said..

We both high fived each other...

"So tell me.. How long were you and Nyla married?" she asked me..

''Two years..It wasn't all bad..We had some good times...We used to double date with Wally and some chick he was goin with...We all were very close...Or at least I thought we were...Then Wally and the girl broke up and...He was the third wheel...he was miserable and I gotta admit..I wasn't the most sensitive of guys...Maybe I coulda helped him more...but I uh didn't...And then I caught him and my wife cheating on me..  I followed them to a hotel and I walked in on them....I don't remember if I cried or I laughed...I was just so relieved...Because I had been goin through hell the whole time..Wondering if she was cheating on me..People were whispering...I was never sure...Then I knew..." I said.

Monica rubbed my hand....

"You don't have to talk about this anymore...I see that it's disturbing you..." she said.

"It's okay...We were divorced officially and two months after the divorce,She tells me she's pregnant...I was sure it was Wally's baby..but we took a paternity test.....It's my boy...born 11months after we were divorced..I thought about going back...Trying to make it work, but I realized I couldn't...Nyla will never change...Always be the manipulating liar she always has been...Still sleeping with Wally...And he wasn't the only one...She was sleeping with another guy while we were going together...I forgave her that."I said.

''You weren't Mr. Perfect either...You kind of stepped out on her too." said Monica..

"I did...but it was because she cheated on me...I never cheated on her during the marriage..but you're right..I wasn't Mr. Perfect...nobody is" I said.

We were quiet for awhile...She held my hand, rubbing it softly...She had discovered that when she did that..It calmed me..soothed me...I liked it.

''So...Where are we going?" I asked..changing the subject.

''To A Chinese Bistro...I checked his credit card....It seems he went to this place at least three nights a week." she said.

''So? Maybe he likes the food?" I said.

"Apparently he did...and he either bought double helpings every night or he ate with someone..."said Monica..

''I like how you think.." I said.

"You like everything about me." she said jokingly...Which was true...I kinda did...

V-

"Yes...He did dine here with a blonde haired woman...Very nice looking...Three nights a week..."said the proprieter of Happy Endings Chinese Bistro and Motel....

"How did he pay?" I asked..

''Sometimes cash,sometimes credit card...Sometimes she pay ,then they take a room upstairs.." he said.

"He tell us his name Haley Boggs and that she was Mrs. Boggs...but his credit card reads Nestor Jefferson..We always thought that that was odd, but we no ask questions as long as they pay." said his wife.

"I'm guessing our very married mystery man was with a very married woman...Tell me ..Do you have film footage of the two of them here?" asked Monica..

"Uhhh unfortunately no...The cameras have been on the fritz for months now..We are getting new cameras...Digital." he said.

"Dang...I really would like to know who his lady friend was.." I said..

"Hmmm..Looks like Mr. Perfect was not leading a perfect life after all..." she said..

"It's near quittin time..Let's get back to this tomorrow." I said.

"Yeah....hey, there is this hot new spot in Camden I'd love to eat at...Want to go over the bridge and then we can go back to my spot?" she asked...

"Sure...." I said and pulled her to me once we were outside and kissed her passionately...

She giggled..

"This is kind of fun, this secret thing we are doing." she said.

"It's fun because it's edgy and dangerous...but I'd be enjoying myself even if we weren't sneaking....I like you."I said.

"I like you too.." she said in between kisses..."Now let's cool it before we wind up taking a room in that place." She said.

And as we headed to Camden..Our Lieutenant was standing outside his girlfriend's house reaming out Detective Wally Becker..

''What are you doing lookin in my lady's window Detective?" he asked.. And then he pulled the GPS tracking device from under his car...

"AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO WITH THESE THINGS THAN TO TRACK ME AND MY LADY?" he screamed....

'I didn't put this on your car....I swear...I-I-I told them to.." he sttutered..

"To put it on Detective Talbert's car ,which was parked next to mine...Man these are used to track suspects,not for your horse shit...The girl don't dig you, get that through your head man....and I better not see you on my floor again unless it's official police business is that understood?  If I do...I'm going to tell your Lieutenant about this and I'm sure he won't be pleased...now GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" said Lieutenant Frankie Cotton Jr...

"Yes sir..Yess Sirrrrr Sir!" he said.

"I imagine by now Lou is ripping your boy Wally a new one." laughed Monica..

 I smiled and looked over at her...

"I wish I could see that." I said.

She rubbed my hand softly......

"Don't worry about him...He's an idiot.." she said.

I was liking her more and more...

(TO BE CONTINUED)