Just Before They Hurt You

 Monday Morning...My partner,Detective Monica Talbert walked into the squad room...I had bought her breakfast from the diner...Pancakes, Hash Browns,Sausage and a hot steaming tumbler of coffee...

She saw it and smiled at me...

"Awwww Thank you Partner.." she said..

A couple of female uniformed police officers smiled at her...and looked at me with sheepish grins..Talk around the squad room was that I had a "crush" on Monica...Something I felt was amusing...They had no idea that it had gone a lot farther than a mere crush...

But this was what I knew was going to happen...Gossip and then speculation and then one day soon exposure...We weren't even prepared for what we were going to do when we were discovered ..It most certainly meant in the best case scenario that we wouldn't be working as partners anymore...Something we both would regret..We both enjoyed working together..Matching wits and working on a big case...and I had never had a partner more compatible in my entire life...

She looked around to make sure no one was looking and blew me a kiss..

I smiled..

No one had a clue that this past Friday night..Monica and I had taken the Aqua Ferry down to the Undersea cafe,Octopus Gardens where we had had dinner and drinks and had then spent Friday Night and most of Saturday in an expensive hotel room making sweet and passionate love and ordering room service..When we came up for air...

It had been expensive...Both of us were going to spend the next few weekends...at our homes watching a movie and eating popcorn...But it had been so worth it....Best weekend of my life..I was exhausted ,broke and happy....

This partner actually made coming to work fun...

Lieutenant Frankie Cotton Jr. walked past Monica's desk..He looked at her breakfast...

Then he looked at me sheepishly....

"You bring her breakfast quite a bit...Anything I should know about?" he said and winked..

I looked like I'd swallowed a canary...

"Nuh...No...No sir.." I said...

"Monica..I think your partner has a little crush on you..." he said laughing...

Monica was as cool as a cucumber...

"Oh Hush up Lou...He's just nice....that's all...Why don't you ever bring me breakfast?" she joked..

"Because I aint that nice...How come you don't bring my man here some breakfast???...Or somethin...?" he said giving me the side eye and laughing...

"I will...I'll bring him breakfast tomorrow." said Monica..

"That's more like it...I see that that Standish case is still open....You two was on a roll there for a minute..Oh well, you can't win em all." he said.

''We are going over it again sir." I said.

"Well...that's cool...but sometimes a case like this will haunt you, get under your skin and the missing piece just won't be there until maybe years later....Work it hard for a few more days..then turn it over to Cold Case Unit...Ohhh and speaking of that...Your boy,Officer Bryan Brown passed the detective's test...He finally got promoted Monica..Guess where he was assigned?" asked Lieutenant Cotton..

"Please tell me he is not coming to Homicide.." said Monica..

''Don't be ridiculous..You don't come to Homicide until you've made your bones in other units...Homicide is for the elite detectives...Nah..He's in Cold Case Unit..." said Lieutenant Cotton as he laughed and walked down the hall...

Monica looked at me...

''We are definitely going to close this case...The last thing I want to do is turn a case over to Bryan Brown.."said Monica.

''Agreed" I said. She looked around to make sure no one else was in ear shot...
Then smiled weakly...

"I had a great weekend with you..." she said smiling.

"I did with you too...the best." I said.

We both smiled at each other...

II-

 Cara Bailey-Jones was a woman of extravagant tastes....Which would seemingly go against her charactor as the grass roots, people's champion on her television show...

From being a detective , I learned that a lot of things about people went against their basic charactor...

She was born and raised in New York City As Cara Bailey ...Educated in New York Public Schools...Attended New York University and later on Columbia where she got her J.D.

She didn't start out in politics....After becoming an Attorney...She surprisingly became a a partner at venture capital firm Soft Tech Limited, an early backer of successful Black startups like Fit to the bit, Mint Conditions Ltd and Eventbrite. She married Evan Jones, another Black Corporate Attorney....They were married for six years and quietly divorced. She moved to Philadelphia shortly afterwords and bought a tony Condo...Like many New Yorkers, she found it cheaper here..

Cara Bailey-Jones,  fell into the VC world by working with the CIA’s nonprofit venture fund out of Columbia, had held positions at Google and Bionic Pandemics, which She co-founded. Bailey-Jones was also creator of the Virtual Goods Summit and Social Gaming Summit, two of the leading conferences in the free-to-play games space. “The best thing about [my job] is the ability to provide hungry, visionary people with the capital that helps them build businesses that really have impact,”She  said.

Somewhere along the way she went sideways and took a complete 360 and ditched corporatism for the world of grass roots politics and activism and took a lucrative job into television journalism that landed her on Point and Counter point...This brilliant woman also switched from Republican to Democrat just like that..
It was hard to tell where her passion really lie...But one thing was for sure...She was never far from a nice payday whatever her true calling was.

After her divorce..She was constantly listed as one of Philly's Sexy Singles..Eligible Bachelorettes, year after year...

She was an interesting study...

Not surprising that Monica and I found her in a downtown Philly boutique..

"Mrs. Jones? , Cara Bailey-Jones?" said Monica....

She turned and looked at us and smiled..

"Yes..that is I." she said.

"Uh , We are Detectives Monica Talbert and Nate Nellis...We would like to know if you wouldn't mind coming downtown and answering a few questions?" I asked..

She smiled..

''What's this about?" she asked.

"The recent death of your co-host..Miles Standish." I said.

I noticed Monica staring at her funny...

Cara Jones smiled..

"That was nearly a month ago...You guys haven't caught anybody yet?" she asked..

"No...and uh we just wanted to ask you some questions ...You were like the only one of his associates that we didn't get around to questioning..." I said.

"Well sure..Let me pay for these things and I'll be right with you." she said..

I looked at Monica..She had a peculiar look on her face...

"You okay?" I asked..

"I'll let you know." she said...Then smiled and rubbed my hand to let me know it was nothing serious..



III-

Cara Bailey -Jones sat in the 'Fishbowl"...Several of the male detectives walked by to catch a glimpse of her...She was wearing a short mini skirt that more than accentuated her shapely pretty legs and her bra and blouse.. looked as if they were losing the battle of containment with her huge breasts..

I tried to keep myself together when I walked in to greet her...

"Can I get you some coffee Mrs. Jones?" I asked..

"Miz Bailey and you wouldn't have Mocha Latte here would you?" she asked, smiling seductively at me...

''Why yes!!!...We have a Keurig machine...You can have whatever you like."I said and I fixed her a tumbler of coffee...

"Ohhhhh, Impressive ...Thank youuuuuu."she said smiling at me...

I have to admit..I giggled like a schoolboy...

She downed three cups of coffee and discarded the cups in the waste recepticle...She didn't notice a uniformed policeman emptying the trash can almost immediately....and replacing it... A half hour went by...We sent the cups ,complete with her fingerprints and DNA to the lab for a match...To neither Monica or my surprise..We got a DNA and fingerprint match...She was the secret girlfriend!

My partner walked in...with several folders and sat down cooly...

"Thank you for coming down Mrs. Jones.." she said.

"That's Ms. Bailey...I'm divorced..I'm dropping the Jones.." she said.

"Okay, How long were you and Mr. Standish seeing each other?" asked Monica..

She looked shocked..

"WHAT?  I wasn't seeing him?" she said..."This is incredible...Oh My GOd...Where is this coming from."said Cara.

"Cara...Cara!!! We both know that that is not true...We have your fingerprints and your DNA in the apartment and we have your clothes...These skirts and blouses are your size...and these are your panties.. Too personal an item to leave behind in some man's apartment you're not involved with." said Monica..

"You talk like you know from experience..." said Cara snidely looking at Monica ,who lost her cool demeaner for the first time...Cara had hit close to home...and whats more..She knew it!

Monica was silent.

"They could be anybody's panties."  said Cara.

"But they are yours...We got a DNA and a fingerprint match..."I said..."You want to take your key card to his apartment out of your pocketbook? The building management company traced it...It led us straight to you... He's dead..You won't need it anymore. Panties,Bras,Skirts,Blouses and a building keycard....That sounds like things a girlfriend would have." I said knowing that my partner needed a save...

"Hmmmph...Does your girlfriend have her things in your apartment detective?" she asked and stared deep into my eyes...

I wasn't rattled..

"Yes, she does..That's how I know.."I said.

"Oh that's how YOU know huh?" she said.

"Yeah, that's how I know...I don't have to hide her from anyone...I want her to feel at home at my place."I said softly and despite trying not to..I stole a loving glance at Monica....Cara caught it and smiled wryly...

Monica could sense what I was doing and gave me such a loving smile..I nearly melted...

Cara was watching the two of us intently...She smiled...as if she knew..

"You let yourself in through the back entrance ,where you knew the camera was disabled...Disabled because you disabled it..." said Monica...

"Ohhh this is just crazy...." said Cara..

"Your fingerprints are on the camera..."I said."We found it ,of all places..In the dumpster behind your apartment!" I said,

She got quiet......

She looked at Monica...

"Yes...I was his girlfriend...I was more than that...I was his lover....His secret lover for years...Nobody knew...You have to understand...If people in our circles knew...It would be....Uncomfortable...He was a white Republican...I was a Black female Democrat...Strange Bedfellows...So we uh had to keep it a secret...I never wanted to get involved with him...It just happened and when we were together and sneaking around...I never felt so alive in my entire life...He said he felt the same way...Sneaking off to weekends on the Moon or at Octopus Gardens under the sea.....and staying at that hotel there on the seafront..." she said her eyes getting dreamy....

Monica and I looked at each other longingly...

Cara continued...but she gave both of us the serious side eye...

"I was tired of living a lie...Hiding,sneaking around...I wanted to go public...He didn't...Everything was going along good until a few months ago..He started acting different...A woman can tell...I confronted him about another woman....He told me..
"Cara, I don't want to hurt you...Which is what men always say to you....Just before they hurt you...'but I've found somebody new..somebody that fits where I want to go with my life and my career.'..Ohhh he was sooo full of crap...I had devoted four long years to this man...Was partially responsible for his fortune...and fame...and he was dumping me for this white chick..." she said and held her head down...The tears were flowing now...I offered her a tissue..

"Thank You." she said.

"So is that when you decided to kill him?" I asked..

"You have no proof that I killed him." she said.

"Cara...Stop playing...The toaster you tossed into the bathtub had a fingerprint smudge on it...It was yours..Despite the water...it was found on the top of the toaster..."said Monica.

Cara smiled...

"I was with him the night before...I guess we were having break up sex....You know, one last time...and I saw the expensive shoes in the closet...My closet where I kept my things...I couldn't believe it...He was already replacing me...Later when he was in the tub...I plugged in the toaster....and before I knew what I was doing...I hurled it into the tub with him and left out the back...."she said...  She looked at the two of us....and whispered...

"You two are uh....Doing each other aren't you??"she asked...

Neither one of us said a word....

"It's cool...but I can tell..I could tell ever since we got in here and got to talking..Body language is something...You two are different..You two  are not us if that's what you were thinking...Miles and I..We were both actors..playing a role for the public and each other...and we both kind of knew it..You two are soo real...You're going to be good together..Just be careful...Keep what you have amongst yourselves as long as you can." she said and smiled weakly.

I passed her a tablet and she wrote a full confession down...An officer came in...She stood up....Monica read her her rights and the officer handcuffed her and walked her out...

She looked at Monica... and whispered..

"He loves you girlfriend...you got nothin to worry about!"

They both laughed that conspiratorial laugh that women laugh between themselves...

All in all she seemed like a nice person..Monica and I both hated that we had to arrest her for murder.

Lt. Frankie Cotton Jr. walked by as Cara Bailey-Jones was being escorted out...

"The Standish Case?" he said...

Monica handed him the tablet with her full confession on it....

"I wouldn't have cracked this one if not for my partner's ability to think way out of the box...The credit for this collar goes to him." she said.

Lt. Cotton looked at me and smiled...

"Outstanding....Your partner ought to buy you breakfast for the rest of the week for that Nate..." he said looking at me and winking at Monica.

"She's way too kind sir..She did the legwork that broke this case open.." I said.

"Listen at you two....You sound like lovers.  Mo, I think the guy has a crush on you...."he said and laughed at his own speculation..."Carry on.." he said and walked off laughing at his observation....

"He's right you know....I do have a crush on you." I said.

''A crush? Ohhh I think it's more than that...Wayyy more." she said laughing...

"You were right too Mo-Mo...You said that if you ever gave me some I'd fall in love and you wouldn't be able to get rid of me..It's true..."I said.

She smiled...

"You think I didn't know that? Difference is...I'm in love with you too!.....I hadn't figured on that happening so soon...If at all...But it did."she said and softly rubbed my hands...

"So...I'll see you tonight?" I asked..

"Yup....My place." she said.

I smiled at her warmly...She looked around once again to make sure no one was looking and blew me a kiss..

Again,I giggled like a schoolboy.

EPILOUGE-

Cara Bailey-Jones was convicted of 2nd Degree Murder and sentenced to 25 years...
I don't expect her to do more than 9 or 10 years.

I sat in Monica's apartment in my boxers and a grey Philadelphia POLICE Department T-Shirt eating popcorn and sipping wine...

She stepped out of the shower wrapped up in only a body length towel.  I was once again stunned at how beautiful she was...

"Oh My goddddd..." was all I could say...

"I hope I can always keep that look on your face..." she said..

"I hope so too..damnnn" I said..

She plopped on my lap....

"Ohhh hush up freshie..." she said..

I put my arms around her and hugged her..She smiled...

"Ummmmm...somebody is happy to see me.." she joked..

"I was thinkin about Cara....She and Miles had a lot more to lose than you and me..you know.." I said.

"Maybe..."said Monica..

"One day our secret is going to come out...but it's not going to make a difference to me..I'm not goin anywhere.."I said.

"Me neither..."she said and rubbed my hand...

"What movie is on tonight?" I asked..

She looked at me...then she fondled my now raging erection....My boxer shorts had been standing out like a tent...

I opened her towel and gently began sucking on her breasts..

"Ummmmm,You're really interested in what movie is showing?" she asked in between wet, sloppy kisses..

"Nahhhh just makin conversation.." I said as I rolled over on top of her...and began kissing her passionately...

"Ummmmm, well we don't need to talk..." she said in between more kisses...

"Nooo, not at all.." I said..and flicked the remote controlling the 50 inch television screen on her wall off.

Soon the legs on her couch were rocking as we made sweet love on the couch...I stared down into those gorgeous brown doe like eyes of hers and I entered her slowly and gently..I wanted to savor this experience, I entered her softly and gently and began to stroke her softly and slowly....

She moaned and put her arms around my neck and drew me closer to her..She wrapped her legs around my waste and we began to move in a slow, yet deliberate rhythm for quite some time...She matched me thrust for thrust and began blowing softly into my ear....then she began kissing me, soft,short kisses...She was so soft...so moist and smelled so good...I was losing my mind slowly....while continuing to stroke her masterfully....

Monica's apartment was dark...Only her soft moans and cooing was heard...Four and a half hours passed by as we continued to make love on that couch...I hoped this would never end..

Outside a beautiful Harvest Moon shone a soft light over our glistening bodies..