Lourdes

The next day, Monica and I stopped in a wine bar called Lourdes....Named after the Black writer, Audre Lordes. Not because we wanted to have drinks, but because after checking Skye Blue or Tania Demming's financials...This was a place she frequented quite a lot in the weeks leading up to her death....

"I'm gonna bring you here babes."I said.

"It's nice and quiet and private...I like it.." she said.. Then she looked at me with a side eye..."You tryin to drop a hint....Always wanting to be alone with me...Do you like me or something?" she said and busted out laughing...

I kissed her neck...

"I'm plumb crazy about you.." I joked...

"Good to know.." she said..and rubbed my hands softly...

The bartender , a young, slender blonde walked over to us...She looked about 25...

"Can I help you? Would you like seating?" she said.

Monica and I showed our badges...

''We are Homicide."we both said.

"Oh...I thought you two were a couple....Somebody get killed?" she asked.

''She did",I said showing her a glossy of Tania Demming..."Know her?" I asked..

The Bartender looked at the photo..

"Yeah...That was Skye..Skye Blue...I never believed that that was her real name." she added.

"It wasn't....She was found shot to death two nights ago in the hotel she was staying in.." said Monica..

"Oh My God!!! She didn't look like the type to be in that kind of trouble."said the bartender...

"She meet any guys in here?" asked Monica...

"This is a ...Lesbian Bar.....Didn't know if you two knew that...But guys don't come in here to pick up girls....She did meet a woman in here though..Everytime she came..."said the bartender..

''Did you know the woman?" I asked.

''Actually I did...She was a regular...Lola Baylock..She was a  Private Investigator...They met in here all the time and sat in that corner over there and talked.." she said.

"You ever hear any of their conversation?" asked Monica..

"Just once...I heard Baylock say that she was close to finding whatever it was that Skye had hired her to do..." she said.

''She wrote three checks to a Baylock Investigations firm...That was who she was talking to in here."I said.

''Why would she hire a private investigator? and why was she hacking into a prestigious law firm's accounts?" said Monica...

"We need to visit the P.I. and ask her that ourselves...but before we do let's have a glass of wine.."I said.

I ordered two glasses of wine...

The Bartender looked at us with a side eye...

"You two are cops right?" she said.

"Yes we are."said Monica..

''But you are a couple too?" she said.

"Yes we are..We are engaged..." said Monica.

"Awwww that's so sweet...Your body language is a dead give away...and you work homicides together too? Wow...You two would make a great TV series or mystery novel series....." she said.

"Oh I'm sure somebody is already writing a story about us or a couple like us." I said.

II-

Finding Lola Baylock's office was not a problem...It was a few blocks away and the smell we encountered upon opening the front door which was unlocked was mind deafining...

"Good lord partner...It smells like somebody died in here." said Monica as we bounded the steps...

"You do know how ironic that sounds...Us being Murder police right?" I said.

Monica giggled...

The door to Lola Baylock's office was partially opened at the top of the stairs...I cracked the door open and took one look and immediately knew why the building  smelled so bad..

Lola Baylock was hanging from the ceiling!!!

"OHH hellll..Call your sister partner....It's Lola Baylock...She's dead!!"I exclaimed.

"LAWD have mercy....Whoooooooo, this is the worst smell I've encountered in awhile ."said Monica ,pulling out a flower and taping it on her lapel...and then putting a hankerchief over her nose...and walking out into the hall...

I stared at Lola Baylock's hanging body...the level of decomposition was heavy...She hadn't just died...She'd been dead a few days..."

III-

"She's been dead about three days...judging by decomp,lividity and other things." said Monique ,examining the body...She motioned for one of her assistants to cut the body down..

''Sis ,you said three days? So she was killed before our initial victim...right?" asked Monica..

"Yes...She either died the day before or a few hours before Skye Blue.."said Monique..

"They met in that wine bar just three days before.....and she said she had a break through...Let me look through her files..Maybe there is some mention of it.."I said.

Within ten minutes I was back...

Monica looked at me..

"No files...huh?" she said..She had read my mind...

"None! All of her case files are gone and from the smell of bleach in this office...You aren't going to find any prints or DNA either.."I said.

"Future Brother in law is right sis...In fact..the smell in here is making me sick.."said Monique...

"You? A Coroner?? Sick on your stomach?" said Monica ,smiling..

"I'm human Mo-Mo...Don't tell me this smell isn't bothering you too?" she said.

Monica pointed to the carnation on her blouse...

"When I first got started in Homicide...Lieutenant Cotton told me to wear one to distract the smell of death from me...That's why he wears a fresh flower everyday."she said.

"And I thought he was just fly like that."said Monique...

Just then Lieutenant Frankie Cotton Jr. walked in with two uniformed officers...He passed Monique a carnation....

"Here you go darlin....It'll protect your nose from the smell....And here is a pill...Go get some water...It will settle your stomach." he said and smiled..

"Why thank you Lieutenant..My knight in shining armour..." said Monique ,who was all smiles...

Lieutenant Cotton had never been to this many crime scenes since Monica and I began working them...but now that Monique was the coroner...He was at all of them..I smiled..and I understood...Monique is a sexy woman...Just like her sister!

"Cause of death looks like manual strangulation... She was dead before she was hanged..and from the way this rope was tied...this was no professional."said Monique.

Monique looked at the body for any other trace evidence...She found a lone strand of hair....

"This looks like a strand of hair...It's not hers...Maybe she struggled with her killer...
Bag it and tag it...I can get DNA from that.." she said..

"I found one document in the trash balled up....It's got a partial fingerprint on it...Guess somebody didn't clean up as thorougly as they thought..."said Monica..

"Monique..you can release the body....Mo-Mo- Let's pay that Law firm a visit."I said.

"Good idea partner..." she said...She looked at Lieutenant Cotton...

"Anything else Detective?" he said ,trying hard not to smile..

"No sir...my esteemed lieutenant.."she said laughing...

"Nate, take your partner and future wife out of here.." he said smiling..

Monique looked at her sister...

"Mo-Mo-He's so sexy,he's making my panties moist.." she thought...

Monica heard her thoughts and replied..

"Be careful sis...I told you he has a girlfriend." she thought...

Both Sisters smiled and nodded...

I had heard the entire mental conversation.....Only Lieutenant Cotton was in the dark...He had no idea these two sisters could read each others thoughts and that now I could at least hear Monica's thoughts...

Lt. Cotton walked over to Monique..

"There's a wine bar a few blocks from here.. Lourdes, It's a Lesbian joint...but it's quiet and private..Beautiful interior...Brand new wood floors..they practically shine..Incense smell all over the place...You'd love it. How about you and I have a glass of wine...and some private conversation?" he said..

"Ouuu that sounds nice Lieutenant...but I'm working here...If you haven't noticed...I have a fresh body here..."she said.

"Your body is the only one that's fresh in here girl....As for that body in the bag...phewwwww....it's pretty ripe.."he laughed...''Somebody open a window in here."he said..

IV-

So once again...Monica and I headed out ,chasing down another lead in this baffling case...We cracked most of our cases within 48 hours..but we both admitted to each other that we most enjoyed cases like this, that made us think...

"You're kidding...No way our files were hacked.."said the Office Manager at Liscomb and Lyles and Associates, law offices...

"I'm sorry to tell you this....But if they weren't..We wouldn't be here.." I said.

"I'll call my IT person right now!" he said.

Monica and I,the office manager and the IT person looked at their files...

"Oh My God...You're right...She over rid a lot of our files and broke our firewalls down...She's good whoever she is.."he said...

''She's dead!!!...Somebody here found out she had hacked into the system."said Monica.

"Well it OBVIOUSLY wasn't the one we pay to find out about this."said the Office Manager sarcastically ,glaring at the IT person...

"Whoever did this was a professional!" said the IT person in his own defense.

"Which distinguishes whoever this was FROM YOU!" spat the office manager..

"Gentlemen, Gentlemen...Any reason why one of your former attorneys , Tania Demming would hack into your system and why she would be looking up the Flory Summers case?" I asked...

They both looked surprised...

"Flory Summers? That case is closed....The police ruled it an accident...She was drunk at the time of the crash....and alone...Her family sued our client, Brad Nugent..but he was no where near the scene...and he had only a casual relationship with her...I remember the case..."said the Business manager..

"Who is the attorney who handled the case?" asked Monica...

"Oh that would be Winston Stevens..but he won't be able to help you...He died late last year after a short battle with colon cancer..."

"She hacked into his case files too." said the IT person...

"Maybe she should have had your job!" said the Office Manager...glaring at the IT person.

We next went to visit Senator Brad Nugent...He and a lawyer were at a fund-raiser in midtown...

"Thank you for meeting with us Senator."

"Always happy to meet with Philadelphia's finest....I'm a big supporter of the Police...They don't pay you guys enough...I'm always saying that.."

"Senator..Do you remember Flory Summers?" said Monica...

The Senator's entire mood changed...

"Who sent you here?" he asked...suddenly very angry...

"We are Homicide detectives...We are investigating the death of Tania Demming...She had hacked into your law firm's files and was looking into the Flory Summers case..."said Monica.

"I barely knew Ms. Summers...She worked for me last summer..No pun intended...and Ms.Demming and I only briefly were in each other's company..." he spat...

"Well sir we have heard that there was more to it than that.."I said.

"WE ARE DONE HERE!!!...ANY MORE QUESTIONS WILL BE FIELDED TO MY ATTORNEY!" he said and stormed off...

"He was lying partner...and he really got shook up when I asked him about Tania.."said Monica...

"Let's look into Florry Summers life." I said.

V-

"From the surface ,this looks like an open and shut car accident...She was in the car alone...The car careened off the side of the road and crashed...Killing her instantly...It looks like she hit her head on the steering wheel.." said Monique who had opened the original file on Florry Summers case.

"But...Here is where it gets cute...Flory Summers was pregnant at the time of death!!"said Monique..

"Pregnant???Ohhhhhhhhhhh, this is gettin deep!"said Monica.

"Did they take DNA?/, Tissue samples??" I asked.

"They did...but since it was just a run of the mill car crash...nobody ever tried to identify the father."said Monique..

"Why?  They would any other time..."said Monica...

"Well some law firm with connections passed some money around ,according to what I heard and that part of the story was never revealed..."said Monique...

"Cover up...If I can get you some DNA....Fresh DNA...Can you check it against what you have here and get a match?" I asked.

"Future Brother in law...Who are you talking to? I'm a Doctor and I'm damn good."laughed Monique..

"And she's humble too."laughed Monica..

"Mo-Mo...you feel like a glass of wine?" I asked..

"Huh?? What?  We are in the middle of the case??" she said.

"I read Brad Nugent's itinerary for today...Which is how I knew where he'd be...I happen to know that in two hours...He'll be meeting with a writer from a magazine who is doing a story on him at Lourdes....The wine bar we were at this morning..Seems like a fine place to get some DNA." I said.

Monica looked at her sister...

"Oh My God!!!...He's got soft kissable lips, he's good in bed and he's smart too....What more can a girl ask for?" she laughed...

"I'll let you know when I find it!"said Monique..."Fancy you mention that place...That's where Lieutenant Cotton is taking me after work she said.

"If his girlfriend finds out...we are going to be standing over you in a chalk outline sis."said Monica.

"That's a chance I'll have to take...Besides...He's coming on to me...It's not me coming on to him."she said..

"Well keep yourself alive until after you make a DNA match."I said smiling...

"Of course I will....Plus I can't miss my only sister's wedding!" said Monique.

Monica and I returned to Lourdes.....We sat at a little table and had a glass a piece of wine...

Senator Brian Nugent walked into the bar with the writer, who would be doing the story on him...

"I picked this place because it's private...Are you two following me?" he said as he passed our table..

"We aren't on duty sir..We are off for the day....Monica showed him her engagement ring..We are celebrating our engagement." she said smiling sweetly...

I smiled too..

The writer ,who was female , who was with him smiled...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh  that's soo nice...You two are getting married and you're partners?" she said.

Senator Brian Nugent's mood mellowed...

"I'm sorry if I was short with you two earlier...Bartender....A bottle of your most expensive wine..For these two here...It's on me! " he said.

"Thank you sir.."I said.

"Oh thank you" said Monica...

We drank our wine and we watched closely as Senator Nugent and the writer drank and talked..

"I'm going to be drunk by the time we leave here partner.."said Monica...

"Try to hold yourself together.."I said.

"Ummmmm, I think you're going to try and take advantage of me.."said Monica laughing...

"The thought did cross my mind."I said smiling...

She leaned forward and gave me a sloppy,wet kiss....I knew she was a little "on" now,because she would have never have done that in public before..

Finally, Senator Nugent and his writer friend paid their bill and got up...

Monica leaned over and kissed me again...This time longer,slower and softer...

As they walked by....The writer looked at us..

"Aww they are soo cute...I wonder if they know this a lesbian bar?" she said.

"Of course they do...That's why they came here...for privacy!" he said and smiled as they walked out into the Philadelphia night.

The Bartender did as instructed...She gathered up the glass Senator Nugent had drank out of and put it in the plastic bag we had given her...

She passed it to Monica..

"Thank you...." said Monica and with that...We left...

Back at the M.E.'s office...we passed the bag to Monique, who was just finishing up...

"You guys are good...This is Nugent's DNA??" she asked..

"Yeah...Can you run a test?"I asked..

"I'll give this to my assistant...I'll have an answer for you in the morning...."she said.

"Don't look now Sis, but your dance card is about to get crowded."said Monica, laughing.

Just then,my former partner...Detective Wally Becker walked in..

"Dr. Talbert...How long has it been?" he said smiling from ear to ear..

"Last night." said Monique dryly....Now even I was laughing..

Wally was undeterred ...

"I know this spot...This Lesbian Bar called Lourdes...Wine joint..real classy place...I think you'd love the ambiance..Nice place to talk quietly ,enjoy some wine..how bout it? Tomorrow night??" he said.

"Lieutenant Cotton is taking me there tonight!!!...Funny you'd mention that.."she said.

His face dropped....

"Yeah, funny...Lieutenant Cotton eh? Lieutenant Cotton....Lieutenant Freakin COTTON!" he muttered!

"You okay Detective?" asked Monique...

"Uh yeah...yeah..Some uh other time..." he said and stomped his foot and walked out...

"I had a very nice time last night."said Monique as Wally Becker stormed out.

"Come on Baby...let's go home." said Monica..trying hard to hold her laughter...She had scanned Monique's thoughts and as she would tell me later, found out that Monique had reluctantly kissed Wally the night before...A kiss that meant way more to him than to her..She truly regretted it...and while her sister was treading dangerous waters...She was not inclined to talk to her about it or get involved.

"Yeah...You will like that place Monique.."I said as we smiled and headed toward my flying car...

Monique smiled and pulled out her compact and fixed her lipstick...

(CONCLUSION NEXT)