Rain Check

''Did any of you see Diane yesterday?" asked my partner ,Detective Monica Talbert...

"I saw her briefly last night...She told me that some guy from her job was coming over." said one woman...

" A boyfriend?" asked Monica..

"No..Nothing like that...A guy from the job...Then she was supposed to meet her boyfriend..for a night cap at an after hours joint...This was around 11:00 pm...I didn't see her after that."said the woman..

"Did you see the guy she was supposed to meet? Did you know if he'd been here before?" I asked.

"No..I never saw him..."she said.

"Can somebody let us up to her room?" I asked..

"There's the manager over there." said another woman..

We walked over to the manager and introduced ourselves...

"Homicide Detectives? Who has been murdered?" he asked..

We showed him a photo of the dead Diane Harper lying alongside the river bank...

"Oh My God...I can't imagine who would have done this...She was very well liked amongst the other tenents here...They all often went out for coffee or a pizza and drinks on Friday nights..." he said.

"Can you let us in her apartment?" I asked.

"Sure...Sure..." he said.

"And we'll need a list of all of your tenents.." said Monica..

"And a look at your camera footage.." I said..

He shrugged...

"Uhhhh, that's going to be a problem...Our cameras went out at around 10:30 last night...I guess it was because of all the rain..Damndest thing...I'm waiting for an electrician to get here and fix them.." he said.

This was not going to be an easy case.

He gave us a ledger with a list of all of his tenents...Then he pulled out the keys...We got on the elevator and went up to Diane's apartment.

Diane's apartment was very neat, cozy....Not a dish in the sink....Bed made up..and smelling of incense...

"Reminds me of your apartment the first time I visited you." I said.

"I didn't know that you noticed my apartment then..It seemed like all your thoughts were on me.."she said laughing...

"I notice everything."I said.

"Well,I know that now." she laughed...

I momentarily forgot that Monica is a telepath and can read and hear thoughts, though I don't know how,having been with her this long...I was still checking her out and getting quite turned on...

She turned and smiled at me and whispered in my ear...

"We got to focus on this case partner...We'll have time for anything else when we get home...but I am flattered." she whispered..

I smiled sheepishly...

I looked out the window.....

Monica went in the bathroom...

"Partner...Come here...I found something." she said.

In the bathroom in a tub full of water was a black mini skirt and sandles and a white blouse...

"Want to bet this is what she was wearing last night?" asked Monica...

"And look out the window...The back window....Water...The river runs right behind this complex....She was killed here right here and stripped of her clothing, which was put in that tub of water to destroy DNA,Fingerprint and trace evidence...Smart...Call your sister...Tell her to get a team over here...Take this place apart...I'm betting the killer left something of him or herself  behind.." I said.

"You mean our mermaid or merman?" joked Monica...

"Yeah...right! Somebody had to have seen or heard something." I laughed..

II-

It was a long night...Monica and I interviewed every single tenent in the complex...We had a lot of coffee and did a lot of writing...

One person actually had a photo of Diane , taken with his phone...We were right about the clothes...They were the ones she had been wearing that night..

No one actually saw anything..but one person remembered hearing a man's voice in her apartment and a loud argument around 11:00 pm that lasted until around 11:15..then it was silent..

Another man and two women remembered right after midnight ,hearing a rather loud splash and seeing nothing...

"I heard something that sounded like swimming...but I looked out my window and didn't see anybody...It was raining rather hard last night." said another woman..

Using my tablet....I checked their financials and did preliminary background checks on everybody...They all checked out...

Monique arrived with a C.S.I. team, who took the apartment apart piece by piece...

"This place looks clean.....but if your killer left anything in here...These guys will find it. One thing I can say....Your killer is very smart...He or she didn't leave much to chance...No video footage of  him..All these tenents in here and nobody saw him or her." said Monique...

"It was a "he"...She told one of the women in here that she had a meeting with someone from her job..Then she was supposed to meet with her boyfriend.."said Monica..

''Well I found out what it was she does...She was a Forensic Accountant...A high paid one too..Pulled down big money...was currently a consultant for Carrons Brokerage..." I said..

"How'd you find that out?" asked Monica..

"Her pocketbook is here...I found her drivers license and her photo ID...Then I googled the company and her.."I said smiling..

"Sis, your future husband is a smart one..I'll bet his IQ is off the charts."said Monique..

"That's why I wanted to work with him...I love a smart man...It turns me on. He had the highest clearence record of all the detectives in the department, next to me...Even before I met him,just reading about him turned me on."laughed Monica..

"Stop, you're making him blush.."joked Monique..."Nate,you don't have to blush around us...We are almost family..." she said.

A CSI technician walked over to Monique...

"Dr. Talbert..we found a fingerprint smudge on the window ledge over there..."he said.

"On the window ledge?" she said.

"Yeah over here..." he said.

Monica and I looked..

"So he let himself out by this window..."I said..

"And did what Nate? Repelled down the side ...with a body?  Somebody would have seen him and there's nothing below but dirty river water...No ropes, no climbing equipment.."said Monica.

"Three people said they heard an incredibly loud splash...Didn't they?"I said.

"So our killer took the lifeless body and dove out the window into the river and swam all the way down to the banks near the 23rd street bridge...He'd have to be one hell of a swimmer and a merman..." she laughed...

"What is it with you and mermen?" I laughed....

"I just saw an old Madonna video with these real muscular ones in it...and I thought they were sexy.."laughed Monica..

"Considering that they don't exist...perhaps you'll be interested in Centaurs next week or a unicorn."I joked..

The three of us laughed heartedly...

I looked at my watch...

"It's damn near 4:00 am in the morning...I'm beat....Tomorrow we go talk to the boyfriend and we visit that Brokerage firm.."I said.

"Wow...I'm sorry we got so caught up in this case...I know you uh wanted some tonight...Can you take a rain check? your Mo-Mo is kinda beat." asked Monica, whispering in my ear as everyone began to pack up and leave..

"Sure....I get to sleep next to you...Sometimes that's enough.."I said.

"Awww Nate, that's so sweet...I'm going to do something special for you."said Monica..who kissed me softly for a few more minutes...

"Yeah? What?" I asked..

"It's a surprise...but you'll like it." she said.

Monique stood out on the curb....

I looked at her...

"Guess we ruined your night huh...Sorry?" I said.

"Not really...I uh needed a break....The man has a one track mind...That's all he thinks about..I need a good night's sleep."she said.

''Where is our esteemed Lieutenant tonight?" I asked.

"Probably at his apartment...dreaming about me."she giggled...

"You really like him huh?" I asked..

"Nate,I think it goes beyond like..."she said.

"How does he feel about you? I mean I know he uh obviously loves uh the uh ruh..."I said.

"I know what you mean...I think he's falling in love with me...I'm just waiting for him to say it... but right now...I'm beat...I really,really need a good night's sleep future brother in law.."she said.

"We all do sis..Let's go home." said Monica.

III-

 We all went home and crashed...No freaky sneaky this night...Monica crawled on top of me and dozed off and Monique turned her phones off and went downstairs to her place and dozed off..

The next morning...Monica and I went to Diane's boyfriend's apartment...His name was Barry Rushford...

He was distraught when he got the news...

"Oh My God...Who did this? Whyyy?" he said holding his head in his hands...and crying profusely...

"That's what we are trying to find out..Barry...Do you know of anybody she might have been having problems with?" asked Monica.

"No..No..She was doing good at the job..Though she didn't talk much to me about it.."he said.

"How long had she been working there?" asked Monica..

"About a year...She did good work..but you know what? Now that you mention it..She did tell me that someone there was siphoning money out of one of their accounts and had set up a phony off shore account...She felt bad about finding out because she thought the perpretrator was a friend of hers..." he said..

"You know who this friend was?" I asked.

"No, she never said names.."he said.

"When was the last time you saw Diane?" I asked.

"Yesterday at lunch...We were supposed to meet for a night cap at one of the after hours joints..I called her,told her I was running late...She never answered her phone..
I stopped by at twelve thirty...She was gone and ,and her skirt and blouse was in the tub..and her back window..facing the river was open....Which I thought was weird because she had central air...Maybe she just wanted some fresh air." he said.

Monica and I flew towards the brokerage company next....

"His alibi checked out...He played raquetball until nine...then he had drinks with a client and then he went back to his apartment and he didn't leave until quarter of 11:00..The street and traffic cam verifies that..He lives on the other side of town...He got here after she was killed and abducted...It wasn't him." I said.

"Then it's got to be someone in this company...but it doesn't play..."said Monica.

''What doesn't play?" I asked.

"This guy ,whoever he is would be very athletic...Very strong....I don't see that type of guy working at a Brokerage firm.."said Monica..

"How sexist..So Everybody working at these firms would have to be a nerd huh?" I asked jokingly...

''Don't be mad...You know I like smart guys...Why do you think I'm so turned on by you?" she said and kissed me in the lips...

I smiled...

Monica looked around to make sure no one else was around...We continued kissing very passionately...

I moaned softly...

"Shhhh, we don't want to bring attention to us.." she said..

"We are on the roof!"I said in between soft kisses....

"You're not the only one with a flying car you know."she said as I ran my hand up her dress and began to rub her legs ,while we continued to kiss passionately...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned.."Ouuu Nate...stoppp.." she moaned....

I continued to rub her soft legs...I loved her peach sundress...I kissed her neck and her cheeks....

''We'd better stop..We're on the clock..." she said..

"Uhhh, Yeah, you're right.. Rain check?"I said ,fixing my trousers and shirt ,while she adjusted her skirt....

"Rain Check....I promise I'm going to take care of you."said Monica smiling and rubbing both of my hands together in hers..It always had a calming affect....

"Calm down baby" she said ,rubbing my hands and smiling at me......

We walked downstairs to Carron Brokerage and met with their President...

"I can't imagine anyone doing this to Diane...She was well liked by everybody around here..." said the President of the firm...Jason Worthington...

 "Can we talk to your employees?" I asked...

"Sure...uh my office manager is at lunch...Let me call my VP in here...He'll get you that list.."he said.

"Thank you sir." I said..

"Warren!  Warren could you come here a minute?" said Jason Worthington on the intercom...

As soon as the Vice president walked in the room, my eyes lit up...

"Warren?? Warren Rivers??" I said. He was a white guy, tall,dark hair ,athletic build...

"Nate?  Nate Nellis...Oh My God...You Old Dog you..What are you doing here? and who is the pretty little dreamboat with you? he asked ,checking Monica out...

"I'm a Detective now Warren..A Homicide Detective!!! And this is my partner...Detective Monica Talbert."I said..

"Wowzers...you a detective and a pretty partner like this...Not a bad life eh?.."he said laughing and practically drooling salaciously...

He was tall, athletic build and dressed immaculately..Not at all the way I remembered him from middle school through 11th grade... There he was the king of nerds...Captain of the math club..a quiet loner who didn't have many friends...

"You're single aren't you?" he laughed leeringly...

Monica laughed...

"Sorry...Nate beat you to it...We are engaged !" she said.

He looked at me in disbelief...

"She's kidding right?" he said.

"No..We are engaged and we are partners...We live in a duplex on the other side of town.."I said.

"Lucky,Lucky man...Such a beautiful fiance...And you got a great guy too.."he added smiling..

"Thank you.....I know..."laughed Monica...

"So you said you are Homicide Detectives..Who got murdered ?" he asked..

"Did you know Diane Harper?" I asked..

He looked genuinely shocked...

"Yeah..Uh Yeah...She's an accountant..Everybody knew her." he said.

 "Somebody choked her to death the night before in her apartment and took her to the 23rd street Bridge area and left her there in her underwear.."said Monica ,staring at him...

He reverted from shock to his cool as a cucumber facade....

''Wowww!  Who could do such a thing?"he asked..

"That's what we are trying to find out...We've interviewed everybody in her apartment..now we need to interview the people she worked with..."said Monica.

"I'll get you our staff list and our client list...I'll be right back." he said.

Monica looked at me...

"Nate ,you know him?" she asked..

"Yeah..We went to school together...Since 7th grade..Funny thing..He was the biggest nerd, squarest guy you ever wanted to meet...Then...in 11th grade, he started growing and working out...Started dressing nicer  and uh joined the swim team...He found something he was good at...Our swim team won the state championship my junior year and our senior year,led by him...He became, well..a different guy...a ladies man..." I said smiling..

"I'll say...you should have heard the things he was thinking about me before I told him we were engaged.."laughed Monica..

"You should hear what I'm thinking about you now.."I said smiling..

"I know what you're thinking smarty..." she said laughing...

He came back with a complete list of employees and clients...

"Here..I hope this can help you...but I don't think anybody here killed her...Like I said..We all liked her.."he said smiling...

Monica kept staring at him...

He smiled... He passed me a card...

"Nate...Monica...This is my address..You have to come by and let me cook dinner for you...I'm a great cook....If I don't say so myself...You're getting married....Wow, that's major..We have to catch up babe!" he said.

"I look forward to that Warren." I said...I shook his hand...

"Nice meeting you Monica..."he said as he walked away...

"Nice looking guy....The girls didn't know what they missed out on.."said Monica..

"He was a late bloomer.."I said.

"His mind went completely blank...I mean ,nothing..When we mentioned the particulars of the murder and he smelled like sea water..Did you notice that?" asked Monica..

"Yeah...I did!! Hope he's not wearing that cologne when we go over his house for dinner.."I said.

"You are too funny Nate!" laughed Monica...

IV-

This was turning into one of our most baffling cases.. For the next three days....Monica and I interviewed and did background checks on all 90 of the employees at Carron Brokerage...We checked their credit cards,debit cards and bank accounts and alibis....At the end of the third day...everybody, including the president's alibi had checked out..

We had laptops and three uniformed policemen with us ,helping us...Two more days went by and we called and interviewed 26 clients of the company also...We did the same thing...We checked their credit cards,debit cards and bank accounts and alibis....At the end of the second day...everybodys alibi checked out...

We met with Lt. Cotton at the end of the week..

''So you guys got nothin?" he said.

''We've interviewed 116 people..they all checked out.."I said.

"And all the tenants in that building?" he asked..

"Yes..same thing...everybody checked out...And there was no DNA,Fingerprint or trace evidence...and nobody saw anything.....We don't have any camera footage..The only thing we know is that at her apartment complex..they reported hearing a large splash that night...and at the crime scene...The homeless man said he heard a large splash..."said Monica.

"So our killer is a merman?" asked Lieutenant Cotton...

Monica and Lt. Cotton cracked up laughing...and high fived each other...

"This case is going to go cold...It's almost like the perfect crime." I said.

"Going to go cold? "Going to go cold? This case is as cold as Wally Becker's bed at night." he said...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu, you bad Lou." laughed Monica and the two of them high fived each other again...

There is no such thing as a perfect crime...This crime may have seemed perfect..but somewhere,somehow..the criminal always makes a mistake...but right now...Whoever killed Diane Harper hadn't made one yet!

(TO BE CONTINUED)