Strong Box

City Councilwoman, Glenda Jones sat in her office..It was raining...It had been for the past three days...She got an interesting visitor today...Homicide Lieutenant, Frankie Cotton Jr. ,her ex-boyfriend..

"Hello Glenda.." he said.

"Frankie...Is this business or a social visit?" she asked.

"Cut the crap Glenda...You know damn well why I'm here." he said.

"Of course I know why...to save your little girlfriend..Boy, Marsha is going to rip her a new one today.." said Glenda..

''Not if she's in jail she won't." he said.

"You wouldn't dare.." she said.

"Try me! Now call your pit bull off...I know all about her...She just barely graduated from college...She did a few questionable favors for some of your colleagues and got herself a made up position called Special Investigator for City Council...aka hatchet man...You and your colleagues pull her out when you've got a hair up your ass about someone...You call her in Your so called efficiency expert, who has no expertise in anything really....I know all about how she has forced several of your political enemies to back off or quit their jobs...but I'm investigating a murder this week...and the body is still in the morgue...Now if she gets in the way of that investigation..She's going to jail..Got it?"said Lt. Cotton.

''Don't come in here and threaten me Frankie." said Glenda.

"I don't make threats." he said.

"She is going to do the job I assigned her to do  to the damn fullest!" said Glenda.

''Why are you doing this?..We both know you don't give a damn about the Medical Examiner's Office..It's mostly funded and run by the state...You're just using Tightbottom to get back at me by hurting Dr. Talbert.."said Lt. Cotton..

"That young girl really put it on you...Got your nose so wide open you could drive a mack truck through it.." said Glenda..

"Call her off Glenda.." said Lt. Cotton..

''She has a job to do." said Glenda.

''And I have a job to do." said Lt. Cotton...

"Then I suggest you do it." she said.

"Goodbye Glenda." he said and walked out of the door..

II-

At the medical examiner's office...Dr. Monica Talbert was once again sparing with Marsha Tightbottom...

"Look, you've got to back up off of me and my people...This body has been here four days...I would have released it to the next of kin by now if you weren't here holding up my investigation..."she said.

"Thought you had gotten rid of me didn't you? Calling the Governor huh?  Well our City Council head says that this is her shop....Not the Governor's shop....So your little friend in the governor's office will have to talk to Glenda." said Marsha Tightbottom..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." screamed Monique....

''You can get tight all you want Missy...but until my investigation is through..That body stays here.."said Marsha Tightbottom.

"YOUR INVESTIGATION IS THROUGH AS OF NOW!" came the voice of Lt. Frankie Cotton Jr.

He walked in with four uniformed officers....

''Wellllll...if it isn't your boyfriend...You cuckold!!! She's got you so whipped!" she said.

"Marsha Tightbottom, you're under arrest..Obstruction of Justice....You have the right to remain silent...PLEASE DO...Anything you say can and will be used against you..You have a right to an attorney...If you can not afford one..one will be gotten for you...Do you understand these rights as I am reading them to you?" he asked..

She looked at him like he was crazy...

"You must be crazy ...You can't arrest me...All I have to do is call the Mayor."she said.

"Really? Call Him and when you do..Tell him I said hello and that I have his tickets for the 76ers pre-season game tomorrow night!....How do you think I have the authority to be here..?" said Lt. Cotton..." Cuff her boys.." he said as one of the officers handcuffed her..

"Oh Glenda will rip you a new one .YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!! DO YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL I AM???LET ME GO...LET ME GOOOO. DO YOU KNOW WHO THE HELL I AM???" she said..

"That will be hard for Glenda to do...She'll be in the cell next to yours...I arrested her too!" said Lt. Cotton...

For the first time...Marsha Tightbottom looked shocked...She looked like she'd drank a can of latex paint..

"WHAT?" she said.....

"And for the record....This is my shop baby!!!...Not Glenda's and certainly not yours...Okay guys....let's go....Book her! You good people ,get back to work." he said..And he walked out without even looking at Monique...

''Wow!"said Monique...

She was turned on by the Lieutenant's swagger and commanding presence...

She was so turned on right now...He could have anything from her that he wanted..

She walked into her office, sat down and turned on the small fan on her desk...To cool

herself off!




III-

While that foolishness was going on...My partner, detective Monica Talbert and I were in the basement of an empty building...

"You sure this is the correct address partner...This place is closed..."said Monica who had her flashlight with her...

''Yeah ,look at the paper...This is the spot...but we are in the sub-basement...The safe is in a room on the 15th floor.."I said.

''So why are we down here?" asked Monica..

I laughed...

"Let's take the elevator."

''Elevator??The building is closed...It probably doesn't work...The stairs."she said.

"Up 15 floors? Are you serious?" I asked.

"Come on partner." she said taking my hand.

We walked up 15 flights of stairs...We were good and winded when we got to the top of the stairs..

''Wow...I'm too tired to do anything.." I said.

"I doubt that." she said and gave me a soft kiss...

''Well maybe not that." I said.

''I know...Shhhhh..I hear somebody.." she said and pulled her glock...

I pulled my glock too and we both followed the sound...until we wound up in a room at the end of the hall...

There we saw a young white male dressed in a black turtleneck, Black Skull cap...Black slacks and Black slippers working a combonation to a safe deposit box...

He had a Glock nine in his waist band...

"Joe Chill!!! Back away from that safe deposit box now..."said Monica...who pulled her Glock and aimed at his head...

"You heard the lady...do it and don't even think about pulling that glock in your waist band...If you twitch..I'll blow your brains out." I said. I had my glock aimed at his head too...

He said nothing...He smiled..He quickly worked the last two numbers of the combonation....A Green light flashed...

"MO-MO....It's a bomb!!....Get DOWN!" I said and dove ,knocking her down and into the hallway..

The explosion that occurred ripped his head off of his body as well as both of  his arms and legs...and destroyed everything in the room...

I don't remember much else...after that!

When I woke up....I was laying on a stretcher on the street...I had a bandage on my head....other than that...I was alright...I had no idea how long I'd been out...Firemen and Police Officials were all around...

I looked around...

"Monica"..was all I could utter...

She walked over to me....I was so relieved to see that she was alright...She leaned over and kissed me..

''Hey partner..You're awake..."she said smiling...

"I'm just glad you're alright..." I said...

''Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww."she said and sat down next to me....

Detective Wally Becker was on the scene...

"Nate...My man Nate..You and Monica keep getting the hard cases...and taken em down buddy." he said smiling.....

''What are you doing here?" I asked..

"Kylie..uh Detective White told me that there was a big explosion and that uh Monica and you were involved in it." he said,smiling sheepishly...

"Kylie White huh?  You and Kylie?" I asked...

"Noooooo, nahh, I mean she alright lookin and all..but uh, we are just friends.."he said.

"Kylie talks to you a lot doesn't she?" I asked, giving him the side eye...

"Nooo..Noo not that much." he said..."Seriously Nate...Aint nothin goin on between me and Kylie..We just friends.."he said laughing nervously...

''That guy...Joe Chill was a natural killer...He had 28 confirmed kills when he was in the war and was supposedly a crack shot..You saved my life baby..." said Monica..who had heard our conversation and had scanned Wally Becker's mind...She looked at me and nodded her head.. We were right...She was the one feeding him information on the Lieutenant's whereabouts when he was with Monique and he was the one texting Glenda Jones...but he was right...The two of them, He and Kylie were not an item...And weren't even commuicating on that level anymore...Though he did find her very attractive...

"One of the deadliest killers out there...On the FBI's Terrorist watch list."added Wally Becker.

''A real bad apple huh?" I said giving Wally Becker the serious side eye..He was looking really nervous..He could feel Monica and I looking at him...

"Yeah man...and once again...you guys rid the world of one of the really bad ones.." said Wally Becker.."Uh excuse me..there is your sister in law to be." he said rushing over to Monique ,whose people were loading body parts into bags...

"Heyy baby..how you doin today?" he asked, smiling gingerly..

She ignored him and walked over to Monica and I...She was disgusted at the thought that he might be involved in the conspiracy that had brought so much stress in her life..She wanted nothing to do with him.

"This was a real mess guys...I have feet,legs, hands, a torso, arms and a head...ewwwwww...Glad I have a strong stomach... It's going to take awhile to put this guy back together...That was some bomb...I'm just glad it wasn't you guys.." she said.

 "So am I" laughed Monica...

"Heyy baby..how you doin today?" Wally Becker asked again.....

"I'm fine considering..." Monique said with an icy chill in her voice.

"Hey where is Frankie?" she asked Monica...She did that purposely to annoy Wally...Monica later told me...She could feel her sister's anger and read her thoughts...

"I haven't seen Lou since this morning...He had a meeting with the mayor is all I know."said Monica..

''Pretty Boy? He's probably too weak to stomach this...Get it? Too weak to stomach this" laughed Wally Becker.

Monique ignored him...She was really annoyed by him now....Monica and I could tell, but this ,like most things went right over Wally's head.

"We are no closer to closing this case than we were before...That was the last zip drive...now it's blown to bits..." I mused..

"Oh No baby!!!...In all the confusion,I forgot to tell you...The firemen rescued the contents of the blown safe...This strong box...I opened it....The Zip drive is in here and intact...And with ole boy there a little beside himself...Whoever hired him probably thinks they are in the clear...How about getting some popcorn and a couple of Cokes and watching this at home tonight.?" asked Monica.

"Why Partner...I'd love it." I laughed.

Wally  smiled and walked over to Monique and put his arms around her..

"Hey babes... how about you and me getting some popcorn and a little wine and chilling out at your spot tonight huh???...It just occurred to me that I've never seen your bedroom heh,heh, heh.." he said laughing...

Monique took his arm from around her...

''How bout we not?  I'm working detective...You're in the middle of my crime scene!" she said icily....

He finally began to realize that she was a bit cross with him.

Just then Lt. Cotton drove up...

Monique's eyes lit up!!!!

He looked at Detective Becker  and smiled..

"Moonlighting again Detective?" he quipped..

Wally Becker was furious..He said nothing...

"Frankie..Want to come over tonight and have some popcorn and some cokes and watch a movie with me?" she asked..smiling cheek to cheek...

"I'd like nothin better baby girl...I was planning to take you out dancing and maybe dinner."he said..''Excuse me...Let me talk to my detectives...I'll be right back."He said and walked over to us..

"The dead guy is or rather was our chief suspect in our murder Lieutenant."I said.

"We need a warrant to go and search his last known address." said Monica..

"You got it...First thing tomorrow...Now go home you two...get some rest...REST!..No freaky sneaky." he joked and laughed...

''Lieutenant...We got a strongbox full of evidence that was salvaged from the explosion..We were going to watch that tonight...at home!" said Monica.

"Yeah? Wonder how long you two will be watching that before it will be watching you? ...Get some rest..you two deserve it."he said laughing..

"You heard the man.." I laughed...

From the corner of my eye...I spotted Wally Becker making a phone call..I could clearly see the number with my cyber eye..He was calling Glenda Jones...The Lieutenant's girlfriend...My hunch about him was right...He was responsible for all of this...This business with Marsha Tightbottom..

Monica walked over to me..

"Lou arrested Marsha Tightbottom and Glenda Jones...Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy charges....My sister just told me.." she said..

I busted out laughing...

"This explains a lot." I said...

Monique walked over to Lt.Cotton and gave him a kiss so sensual..that I got excited myself just watching it...Wally Becker was mortified!!!! He turned his head and stomped his foot...He kicked a trashcan....Several uniformed officers looked at him and just shook their heads...

"My Hero." she said...

"Wow!..How bout we skip dinner and dancing?" he joked..He was blushing...

"That's fine with me Frankie." she said.

"I was kidding.."he said.

"I'm not!" she said seductively.....

"You're not?" he asked...

She ran her fingers along the crotch of his trousers...

"I'm not..In fact...we could uh skip the popcorn and the movie too..."she said seductively.......

"OH ...Ohhhh...Oh...Myyy!Uhhh, er..ruh......My place?" he asked..blushing.....

"Mine!" she said and kissed him softly and slowly......

Lt. Cotton pointed towards his car...

"After you.."he said....

Monique  got in his car  and he took the wheel as the crowds dissapated and drove off....

"Ohhh boy...that bed is going to be squeaking tonight."I laughed..

Detective Wally Becker was within earshot...I hadn't meant for him to hear that...He stomped his foot in anger and kicked the door of a police car...

"HEYYY MAN!!! What's wrong with you?" said a patrolman....

Wally just stormed away....

"That guy seriously needs to get laid." said the Patrolman...

"Interesting observation."I said and smiled..

Monica playfully slapped my arms..

"Hush up smarty." she said and put her arms around me..

In the corner..Detective Becker kept calling and calling Glenda Jones..but her phone was going to voicemail...She was in jail unknown to him...

He was furious,kicking his car door now...and stomping his foot...

Curses...Foiled again! I imagined him thinking...

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Monica....

"Eventually ,I suppose...Let's go home baby.."I said...

"Ouuu,I like it when you say it like that."said Monica,smiling...

Detective Becker was still kicking his car and screaming....Several uniformed cops were staring at him and scratching their heads as they packed up and pulled off..

I put my arms around Monica and walked her to my flying car...Soon we were in the air and on our way home..

(TO BE CONTINUED)