Cloudy With A Chance Of Homicide

PHILADELPHIA ,2040

Today was a strange one....It was about 91 degrees...Very humid....but cloudy....I could feel that today something was about to happen...Something more than just rain...I stood near the new bridge and peered out at the river and looked up at the overcast sky...For some reason...the sky looked beautiful...foreboding, but beautiful...

I am Detective, Nate Nellis...I work Homicides...

I stood there and looked at the sky for a long time until I smelled the fragrance and saw my beautiful partner and fiance, Detective Monica Talbert behind me..

I smiled at her as she walked up to me...She smelled great, had on a yellow leather mini skirt and blue heels...I was blown away....

"Hey baby." she said and pulled me to her and kissed me passionately.....

"Heyyy girl, how are you doing?" I asked...

"I'd be doing better if the wind hadn't messed my hair up."she said...It was a little windy...

"You still look sexy to me babes!" I said.

"Ohhhh ,you'd just say that anyway." she said..."But at any rate that just earned you another kiss."she said and we stood there kissing...making out like two teenagers for a long while...

"I brought us some lunch...Fried Chicken....Potato Salad, Corn on the Cob..." I said as we sat down on the riverbank under the new bridge and spread a blanket down and divied up the food...

"You are sooo romantic, future husband of mine...I hope you continue to be this romantic after we get married."she said.

"Ohhh just wait...I'm gonna be more romantic." I said and kissed her again...

She smiled..

"You Promise? I look forward to that MISTER TALBERT! " she said laughing at the nickname I gave myself after we began dating...

We were just having a private lunch....We were still on the clock.....but it had been kind of slow the past few days...No new murders to solve and both of us had a 100 percent clearence rate....When you have that kind of clearence rate...Your Lieutenant doesn't mind if you're away from the office for an hour or two...

Still ...I had a feeling today was going to be the day that quiet,that calm, that peacefulness was going to come to an end..

"Haven't seen your sister in about a week...It's almost like she doesn't even live with us anymore.'I said.

"I know right?" said Monica as she munched on her chicken wing...'She's been going over the Lieutenant's place every night...and both of them have been coming to work together ,laughing and giggling like it's nothing."said Monica.

"Well everybody knows that they are seeing each other now...Just like they know about us..."I said..Relieved that Mo-Mo and I no longer had to keep our relationship and subsequent engagement a secret...and that a directive had come down from the deputy of operations loosening up the rules about fraternization.....

An Officer or Supervisor still couldn't date a sub-ordinate...but two cops or two detectives like Mo-Mo and I could date and marry...

Monica's twin sister ,Monique-

Was our Chief Medical Examiner and not a policeman ,so her dating the Lieutenant was not a problem at all...

He did seem happier than usual...Whistling and humming after he had spent a night with her... He had several photos of her in his office...He was...A man in love...

"I told my sister she should cool it a bit...I just don't want her to get hurt or draw any un-needed attention."said Monica.

"Un-needed Attention?" I asked.

"Your ex-partner, detective Wally Becker...I know now that he was the one with the burner phone calling the Lieutenant's old girlfriend everytime the Lieutenant was with my sister and you know ,he still sits outside our place in an unmarked car every night...." said Monica.

"That boy sure needs something to do....I suppose he's been pretty dissappointed...because Monique hasn't been home,she's been at the Lieutenant's place...

"I forgot to tell you this Nate..They haven't been at his place...So that they can have complete privacy they have been staying at one of the Lieutenant's friend's house...He's house sitting while the guy is out of town..."said Monica..

I busted out laughing...

"Hahahahahahahahahaha..I know old Becker is sick right about now...He doesn't know what to do..."I laughed...

Monica looked at me salaciously...

"I just noticed....You are so sexy when you laugh..."she said and leaned over and kissed me ...This time ,I held on to her and rolled over on top of her and kissed her passionately...

"Ohhhhh god girl, you drive me crazy..."I moaned...

"I hope I always do." she said as we continued kissing..

Just then..Her smartphone went off....we stopped kissing and she took the call..

''Uh..ruh...Detective Talbert...Homicide!" she said...She had her desk phone calls forwarded to her cell phone..

"Uh Huh!  Where? Got it..We'll be right there." she said.

''A Homicide?" I said.

"Yup....We'll have to catch up on this tonight..."she said..

I pulled her to me and began kissing her again...

"Can't somebody else take that call?" I asked..

Monica giggled and eased out of my embrace.....

"They could...but we took it...Come on partner...calm down...We gotta go. We have all night for this..." she said smiling...

We began to feel small drops of rain...We would have had to go anyway...

II-

Monica and I headed to a high rise apartment in downtown Philadelphia...Where we came across the crime scene...

A weird one....A shower, with the glass door closed and filled to the top with water....The dead victim, a black male, late twenties, early thirties was floating in the shower with just a pair of black speedos on...with his lifeless eyes staring at us....His skin was blue almost..

"This is a weird one."said Monica...

"Yeah, the kind you like right?  I've never seen anything like this before in my life." I said.

''Detective..How are we going to get him out?" asked a uniformed officer..

"We are not...Not until the M.E. gets here....Who discovered the body?" asked Monica..

"The landlord...He hadn't paid his rent and his mail was piling up and the landlord entered the apartment and found him floating in his shower..." said the uniformed officer...

"Who is he?" I asked..

''His name is Safe....Henry Safe."said the officer.

"Hmmm, he certainly wasn't safe in his own shower."I said.

The officer laughed...Monica playfully punched me..

"That's not funny partner...Stop it." she laughed...

"But you're laughing though.." I said.

Just then...Monica's twin sister, Chief Medical Examiner...Dr. Monique Talbert entered the apartment..

"Heyy guys...Hey sis...That skirt nd those shoes are tight! Whoa..what do we have here?" asked Monique...

"A floater!" I said.

Monique looked at me and busted out laughing...

"You aren't right Nate." she said..

Her twin sister ,Monica, just shook her head..

Lieutenant Cotton walked in just then...

"Damn guys...I should have known you two would catch a case...Who is our vic?" he asked..

"His name is Safe...Henry Safe." said Monica...who looked at the Lieutenant...''Don't say it...Nate already beat you to it." she said..reading his mind and knowing he was getting ready to say the same thing I had just said about him not being safe in his shower..

Lieutenant Cotton laughed...

"You know me so well.." he laughed...

''Well we have to get this water out of here ,so I can examine the body.." said Monique.

Just then ,we heard a stern voice come from out of nowhere...

"Is this what you people do...Stand around cracking jokes at a crime scene?" came the voice of a stern looking white woman, who looked about 50.

"Who are you?, Do you know the deceased?" asked Monica..

"I do not...Detective Talbert.... I am Marsha Tightbottom....Special Investigator for City Council..and I am here to investigate the office of the Medical Examiner.." she said.

''What?" asked Lieutenant Cotton.

"I have been appointed by City Councilwoman Glenda Jones..I believe you know her Lieutenant Cotton to examine the fitness of Dr. Monique Talbert and the efficiency and professionalism of the medical examiner's office and right now I am very disturbed by what I'm seeing..This murder was reported awhile ago...Detectives Talbert and Nellis and the police were here a whole 45 minutes before the Chief Medical Examiner and her team arrived...and then when she gets here, she's laughing and telling jokes....That is UNEXCEPTABLE!!!!  Now get that body out of that shower right now ,so it can be examined.."she said.

"Hold onnnn...Ms or is it Mrs. Tightbottom...My detectives are in charge of this investigation and they decide when and how the body is moved....Not You and not anybody from City Council...Do I make myself clear? Now first thing...Back up off my crime scene...Second thing...Our Chief Medical Examiner is one of the finest M.E.'s I've known and she is very professional....Solving murders is a hard thing to do...so if my detectives or the M.E. make a joke in private it is a coping mechanism...not any disrespect to the deceased.."said Lt. Cotton.

"It's Ms. Tightbottom......I have no jurisdiction over your detectives....but I do have jurisdiction over the M.E. Now open that shower door and get that body out of here." she said and pulled the shower door open...

 "NO!!!! WAIT!!" said Detective Monica Talbert...

It was too late..she pulled the shower door open and the tank of water came gushing out,along with the dead man's body, which landed on Marsha Tightbottom, knocking her to the floor as water splashed on her and ran out into the hallway...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!-OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!GET HIM OFF!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH, GET HIM OFF!!!" she screamed as she was knocked to the floor by the force of the water......

Water was splashing and running everywhere.......

Me and several uniformed officers turned our heads ...We were laughing hysterically....Lt. Cotton however was not in a laughing mood...Neither was the Landlord...

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO WOMAN? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND???...LOOK AT ALL THIS WATER!!!!" he yelled...His pants and shirt soaked ,along with her...

She was still on the ground with the dead body on top of her..soaking wet and screaming..

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!-OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! PLEASE GET THIS DEAD BODY OFF OF MEEEEEEEEEE!!"she wailed in horror..

Lt. Cotton stared at her...

"I don't care who you are...I don't give a merry damn who sent you....GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY CRIME SCENE OR I'LL HAVE YOU ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE...DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" he said...I had never seen him so angry...

"Get this body off of me!!!!...OHHH MY goDDDD!!!...ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she screamed!

Two uniformed officers removed the body and laid it on the floor...Marsha Tightbottom got to her feet..She was soaking wet....She stared at Monique..who couldn't hide her smile..

"Ohhh you think this is funny eh??Dr. Talbert...I'll be back...I'm not through with you.....Lieutenant...You'll be getting a phone call soon!" she said icily and she stormed out of the apartment, still dripping wet....

 "Oh Ms. Tightbottom...Might I suggest a dry cleaners.." I said...

The other uniformed officers and Medical examiner unit people exploded in guffaws of laughter.....

She stared at me icily..then stomped her foot and stormed off down the hall...Water still dripping from her clothing...

''Chill out Partner...She sounds serious and she sounds like trouble."said Monica....

''She could be trouble, but nothing you guys have to worry about...I'll handle this." said Lt. Cotton..

''She said she was sent by Glenda Jones...That's your old girlfriend isn't it Frankie?" asked Monique.

''Yes..it is..and I wonder why she's doing this?" asked Lt. Cotton..

"You know why she's doing this...because of me and you!!!...She was sent here by your ex." said Monique...

"Yeah, well I'll put a stop to this..." he assured her..

III-

Monica kneeled down and looked at the body...

"Ouu,look at this gash in his head...he died from blunt force trauma...." she said...

''Yeah, but he obviously was put in that shower and it was  filled up so that he wouldn't bleed out...Whatever clothes he had on were removed so that we wouldn't find any trace evidence....Guys...dust for prints and look around, see if you find his clothes or a possible murder weapon...''I said.

''We're on it detective" said the uniforms..

 Monique felt the body....

"He's cold and stiff...Rigor is setting in..I can't tell how long he's been dead...Maybe when I get him back to the office..I can do more.."she said.

''As usual...I'll put a team on the traffic cams, street cams and atm cams for a five mile radius and I'll have unis do a house to house search for the area,interviewing everybody...."I said.

"Anybody find a wallet or anything around here..Credit Cards,Debit Cards....Smart Phone, Drivers License"asked Monica..

"Here's a wallet detective....No money is in it..There are three credit cards and a debit card and his drivers license..."said a uniformed officer...

C.S.I. people were dusting for prints and checking for DNA...

The landlord said-

"I didn't know much about him except his name was Hank Safe, that's all...He didn't talk much...Kept to himself...I don't even know what line of work he was in." he said...But he was good for paying his rent on time....He was late...then his utility bills came in and he hadn't paid them and I got worried."he said.

 ''When is the last time you saw him alive?" I asked.

''About two weeks ago...A Friday night.." said the landlord..

"He have any visitors?" I asked.

"Yeah , a broad....A Black chick...a real looker...I don't know her name..." he said.

''You think you could give the police sketch artist an idea of what she looked like?" asked Monica.

''Yeah sure." he said.

"You ready to release the body Mo-Mo....Nate?" asked Monique...

"Yeah..release it..."said Monica ,who looked at her sister....

"Don't you worry about a thing sis....Lou will take care of this..."she said.

"Yeah ,I hope he does." she said.

"I will baby...don't you worry." he said.

IV-

When Monique got back to the M.E.'s office , she found several men she didn't know going through her files and examining her lab...

''Who are you guys? What are you doing looking at these files...They are confidential.."she said.

''They work for me Dr. Talbert...and if they are confidential, then they should be locked up...That's a write up....."she said.

"A Write Up? Wait! What are you doing here?" asked Monique...

"I am evaluating this lab and so far...I am not liking the way you are running it..You've got confidential files unsecured....You were late to the crime scene today and frankly..I don't like your attitude...That's two write ups....The way I see things going...This may not be the right place for you missy....Oh and your boyfriend...Lieutenant Cotton...He just got a call from the President of City Council and The Mayor...There is nothing he can do to help you....For the next two weeks...I'm going to be shadowing your every move..I'm going to be evaluating and giving you tips on how to get this lab up to speed...And at the end...if I see fit..I may recommend your dismissal..  You thought this was going to be fun didn't you? Working with your sister and banging the Lieutenant...Going out to late three hour lunches...Huh? Well that is going to end."she said.

"My personal life is none of your business..How do you know how long I'm out to lunch...Not that that is any of your business."said Monique...

"OHHHH BUT IT IS ,WHEN IT AFFECTS THIS OFFICE AND THE PEOPLE OF PHILADELPHIA!! We have our sources that have given us ample information on your activities." she yelled..

V-

While that was going on...Monica and I were back at headquarters talking about the case...

''We have to find out where this guy is working...Who he is.."said Monica..

''Yeah..What is his story?  I'm going to run his financials and find out just what is going on with him...Looks like we got another crafty killer."I said.

''We got a killer that thinks he or she is crafty...We'll get whoever it is."said Monica.

"It's late partner...Let's go home...Look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow.."I said.

''Yeah."she said.

We took my flying car....We flew by the new bridge ,where our day had seemingly begun...

"Oh Wow..This is beautiful...You like it here don't you partner?" asked Monica..

I smiled..she laid her head on my shoulder....

"I like us here." I said smiling softly....

"Yeah...Me too!" she said.....

A light downpour of rain began as we headed home.........

(TO BE CONTINUED)