Something Stupid

Rollie Rollerson knew how to live....And this downtown condo was proof of it...The Millionaire playboy answered the door in a black satin pair of slacks...a Black Satin Bathrobe and matching Black slippers...He had just got out of a hot bath...I could smell the heat of the tub ..he had splashed on an amazing fragrance that I had to ask him about when I got a chance...

The Redding Trial was in recess today and I didn't have to be in court....Carlotta had asked me to come along.....So I did...I loved spending whatever time I could with her...

When he came to the door...He smiled upon seeing Sissy , who he had once been madly in love with..

"Hello Rollie." said Sissy...

His eyes popped out of his head..

"Lieutenant Van Buren...I never imagined you'd ever come to my humble abode...I 've dreamed of it..but I never imagined it would happen...Ohhh and I see you've brought company too..Detective Rodriguez right?" he said smiling salaciously at Carlotta.

"Detective Rodriguez-Wallace" she said smiling and pointing to me.

 Rollie smiled upon seeing me and bowed...

"That's right...you're married to the very,very lucky ADA Keith Wallace." he said smiling...

"And these are my partners....Detectives Tyriq Pile and James Barlow." said Carlotta..pointing to Rico and Jimmy..

They smiled and shook his hand...

"Can I get you guys some coffee?" he asked...

From a distance I could see three Kureigs with an assortment of different coffees...

"Please" said Sissy as we all sat down...

Rollie was an excellent host and he easily made us several different coffees and allowed us to pick..
He also wasn't a fool either..

"It's not everyday that an ADA, The esteemed Lieutenant from Homicide and three of her best detectives comes to visit me..I am either in trouble or about to be...So what is the nature of your business?" he asked.

''Ericka Ford" said Carlotta.

"Ahhh yes..Ericka...she was shot to death a few days ago..damn shame...She was a nice girl..She did good work for me...Look at this place...She designed it..." he said.

"You and Erika were close weren't you Rollie?" asked Sissy..

"Yes...We were lovers...We had been seeing each other for months...but it had kind of uh cooled off...but we were still friends." he said.

"You were still paying the rent on her condo weren't you?" asked Jimmy...

"I said we were friends...Yes I was...." he said.

"You uh called her a number of times the night before she died." said Tyriq..

"I did...I wanted to see her..." he said.

''On the afternoon she died...Where were you? Around 6:00 pm?" asked Carlotta..

"I was in a meeting , A Business meeting at the Penn Club...There were hundreds of eyewitnesses, you can check it out...Then I went to Aqua Bar for a few hours...I saw your girlfriend, Detective Angela Belton and what's the woman who owns the lingerie store?  Bridget..They saw me...and then I came here....There is a record of my keycard that shows when I entered and I didn't leave or call anyone after that...I was here until morning." he said.

''We will check all of this out Rollie...But you understand...We had to question you, just so we could cross you off of the list of suspects..." said Sissy....

"You might want to question Stephen Bristol.....He was seeing her too....He didn't think I knew..But I did...That's why I broke it off with her...He did this to get back at me...for sleeping with his fiance. The last time I was with her...I almost said something stupid to that girl..I almost told her that I loved her." said Rollie...who then realized he'd said too much..

"You just can't keep it in your pants can you Rollie?" laughed Sissy...

"I'd of kept it in yours if you'd of given me another chance."he said to Sissy slyly...

"I'm sure you would have ......for awhile."said Sissy...who looked at her troops...

''Okay guys..let's go...Thanks for the coffee Rollie."she said.

I had wanted to ask him about his fragrance...but it would have to be some other time.

II-

Detectives Sirena Pile and her partner, Detective Tony Hopkins were at Skybar...The plush rooftop bar owned by Gambler and Millionaire socialite, Stephen Bristol...Sirena was star struck looking at all the movers and shakers..She turned to her partner, Hop and said.

"You know partner...I could really learn to like hangin out at a place like this." she said.

"No Doubt." said Hop....

They both sat at the bar and waited a few minutes until Stephen Bristol appeared...

Stephen Bristol...Was a mover and a shaker with a somewhat shaky background...He was one of the wealthiest Black men in Philadelphia...He had made his fortune supposedly from playing the stock market...but the streets told a different story...He had a network of people who gave him information...inside information that he used to make just the right moves...Yes...It was insider trading...but he got out before the SEC or The FBI even knew his name..he got out with a pile of money...He was also a notorious gambler ,who played in a number of high stakes card games and won a pile.....and he had his hand in every hip new thing that came down the pike...

It was said that he had ties to the underworld...but if he did...It was never proven...He had no criminal record whatsoever....but it was known..He was not to be crossed...He was...Tall, thin, brown skinned, well cut hair..manicured nails and was a sharp dresser...Wore tailor made suits, expensive shoes, expensive fresh smelling cologne and drove a mint colored Bently with his name monogramed on it...

He took one look at Sirena and smiled a very toothy grin....

''Sirena Harris is that you?" he said.

"You know him partner?" asked Hop..

''I knew him...back in West Philly.. a long time ago...before he was who he now is."said Sirena who then turned to Stephen Bristol-

"And it's Sirena Pile now...Detective Sirena Pile....I'm married now!" she said.

He looked dissapointed..

"Married...huh...That makes two women I really wanted...that are off the market.."he said.

"Didn't you used to date Olivia Bennett-Alexander, the attorney?" asked Sirena..

''Sure did...for about a minute when we were in high school...She's married now and I thought about you, but now you're married.."he said..

"Oh well..there are other girls out there....but uh the reason We are here is one of your girlfriend's ,Ericka Ford...She managed to get herself shot to death a few nights ago..I know you heard."said Sirena...

He frowned...

"Yes..I heard...I was in love with Ericka..I hadn't got around to telling her yet....In a way she would have believed me.. She was here with me just a few nights ago..We were dancing..

Her perfume was filling my head...I was feeling light headed and I was close to telling her how I felt...I wanted to build up to it..but I wound up saying something stupid like..."I love you." he said.

''What did she say?" asked Sirena, forgetting why they were there.

"She didn't say anything..We kept dancing and she acted like I hadn't said a word...Story of my life..."he said.

"Mr. Bristol...on the afternoon she died...Where were you?"asked Hop...

"I was at Stoleys with a business associate..I'll give you his name and number..I was there until closing..Then I went to Jakes..had one of  his hot dogs and I came back here..Was here all night."he said.

"Our records show that you made seveeral late night calls to her a few nights ago." asked Hop..

"I did...I wanted her to come and see me..I wanted to talk about what I had said the night before..She never picked up and I never saw her again..Now she's dead."he said..He genuinely looked remorseful.

''Sorry Bristol.." said Sirena...

"Sirena...You're Homicide right?" he said.

"Yes."she said.

"Get whoever did this...please....She shouldn't have died like that..." he said.

"No she shouldn't have....Come on partner." said Sirena to Hop.

III-

We all wound up back at the Apartment complex that had become our base of operations.. Sissy's husband, Eddie C was fixing Hot Links...

Duke was whipping up his world famous chilli

And Hazel ,Sharon and Angie were preparing plates and opening up bags of chips and dip...

"Hi guys.." they said... It was no secret...This was like a paid vacation for us...Even though we were working...

We all met in Duke and Hazel's room as usual...Sissy and my wife Carlotta sat on the bed and took their shoes off....Eddie C. handed them both beers and passed me one too..

Jimmy and Tyriq fixed themselves some Hot Links and talked..

''Rollie's Alibi checked out..He was at the Penn Club and Aqua Bar." said Jimmy...

''Bridget and I saw him there."said Angie.

''Yeah and Top and I checked his key card...He entered when he said and was there all night.."said Tyriq...

''And he didn't make any other calls or withdraw any money from his accounts either..It's not him."said Carlotta.

''I told you that." said Tyriq,laughing..

Carlotta stuck her tongue out at him and they both busted out laughing..

"Maybe Sirena and Hop had better luck." I said as they were just entering ,making them the last two to arrive...

"We struck out...We got goose eggs...Stephen Bristol is a love sick puppy." said Sirena as her husband, Tyriq pulled her to him and kissed her passionately...

"His alibi checked out...He was at Stoley's  and with a business associate...The associate confirmed it..He was at Jakes and he was at his condo the rest of the night..Wasn't him." said Hop..

"This was personal...Has to have been someone else in her life..Someone we've missed..."said Carlotta.

"Enough about our murder...How did you guys fare in the great panty investigation?" I asked looking at Sharon and Hazel and Duke..

"Well, we got a match...Hazel pulled DNA from the saliva on the letters and DNA from the panties...It's the same person and we did a handwriting analysis...We know it's a woman with deep self esteem issues..."said Sharon...

"We ran the DNA through the system, but we got nothing...We found a slight fingerprint on one of the boxes...Nothing...This person has no record.." said Hazel....

"I called up a couple of my ex-girlfriends..just for GQ...It wasn't any of them...I am stumped...This is probably someone I've never met." said Duke..

"But whoever it is..knows you are a detective...They know where you work..They know you were in court."said Sissy...

''Probably knows where you live...But we've upset the timetable..Duke wasn't in court today and not at work and not on the street..."I said...

"Okay...Okay...Enough shop talk...Let's eat and play some cards."said Carlotta...

Everybody agreed ...That was a good idea.


(TO BE CONTINUED)