The Eve

Lt. Cotton poured himself a hot cup of coffee....He was getting ready to take a sip when there was a knock on his door...

He smiled broadly....It was Dr. Monique Talbert...His girlfriend....His Sugar baby! As he called her..

"Come in..Come in...You know you don't have to knock."he said as he kissed her softly...

She looked at his cup of coffee..It was black..

"It's black...You don't add cream or sugar?" she asked.

"I was getting around to that...I have cream right here....and now that uh ruh you're here...I have all the sugar I'm ever gonna need." he said ,looking her up and down salaciously and smiling wryly...

She just laughed...

"You are too funny..I just got back with the ballistics report on the nine milimeter that Nate and Monica found in John Miflin's possession....It's definitely the murder weapon...Couldn't find the silencer." she said.

"Doesn't matter..if that is definitely the murder weapon then we got this mope...We just cleared five murders and we can put this to bed...Call your sister and her husband...." he said.

"I did...They have him in the tank now.."said Monique...

"Good...Want to watch your sister and brother in law in action???...Come with me."he said taking her by the hand.

II-

I was already in the tank with John Miflin....I gave him a tumbler of coffee and a bagel with cream cheese...

He looked up at me and smiled gratefully.....

"Thank you detective." he said..

Monica walked into the interrogation room with files...Like we did with Lola Getz...we spread the photos on the table in front of him...Neither of us said anything..

Belt Strappings, the retired Football player..gunshot wound to his left temple and a second gunshot wound to his sternum...

"Oh My god...Belt?? "he said,looking at the photo...

 .Bo Hopkins..Singer....Gunshot wounds to the head,chest and back..

"Jesus....Bo...."he said.

 John E. Carson....The radio talk show host,lying face down in a pool of blood ,with a gunshot wound to the back of the head...

"Damnnnn Is that Johnny?" he recoiled in horror.

 Ralph Gittens, two gunshot wounds to the chest, one through his hand and one to his forehead...

''Ralphie? Geeeez!"he said.

And Samuel Collins.....Two gunshot wounds to the chest...one to the forehead and one straight through the palm of his hand...

"Ohhh good lord! Who would do such a thing?? I heard about it on the news" he exclaimed..

Then he looked at both of us...

"Wait a minute...You don't? Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy... You guys don't think I had anything to do with this do you?  I didn't kill those guys..COME ONNNNNNNNNN!" he said.

 Monica tossed a plastic bag holding a nine millimeter pistol on the table...

"That your gun John?" she asked.

"It looks like it!" he said.

"That's because it is!!!...We got it out of your apartment..It has your prints on it..And it's been tested...It's the murder weapon!!!"I said..

"Nah...NAhhhh..It can't be...I didn't have my gun with me...It was in the apartment the entire weekend...I swear...."

"Cut the crap John...Those were your boys...You drove them back and forth  from Octopus Garden to the surface many times...All that cash they were carrying must have been tempting...They were drunk..throwing cash around...You robbed them at gunpoint...and you killed them so that there would be no witnesses"I said.

"You're off your nut...Kill em on my own bus route so that I would be the main suspect anyway? Yeah that would be real smart...Besides....I didn't drive them back that night anyway." he said.

"Stop lying ..you were the scheduled driver..I said..

"I know...but I didn't make my shift...That's why I got fired..." he said.

Monica stared at him....Then she gave me that look...She had scanned his mind...

"He's telling the truth....He's not our killer." she whispered to me..

She then looked at John...

''What happened that night?" she asked..

"You should ask what happened the night before..."He said... "I  was partying hard with Samuel Collins and Gittens..The night before...They won big at Lola's card game and as they usually did sometimes..They broke me off a stack ($1000.00)...I'm at this bar....Buying a round of drinks and I met a broad...."he said.

"You met a woman?" I asked..

"Yeah....She came over and sat with me after I sent a few drinks her way....After a few hours she comes up and whispers in my ear..."I'm not wearing any panties..." Well you know what happened next, Know what I'm saying? At any rate...by the time I left that girl's room...I had missed my shift..

I called my son Jarad...He has pitch hit for me some times before...I told him to take my ID and take my shift...That jackass took my shift and didn't return the bus...Got off in the city I guess...That's how the bosses found out I wasn't on shift...They canned me." He said.

 "That's not why they canned you..He left the bus in the middle of the river, with five dead bodies on it."I said.

''What? Nobody told me that..." he said.

''What did you get arrested for in Octopus Gardens John?" asked Monica.

"Turns out that broad I was with the night before...is the girlfriend of some guy....Some high roller! She was down there with him..I didn't know that...He started a fight with me..I'm havin a cup of coffee..I got this massive hangover and he starts talkin junk to me...So I says to him...Listen pallie...If you was doin your job..your girl would have kept her panties on...and he slugs me..." says John Miflin...

"I can't imagine why."said Monica rolling her eyes..

I cracked up laughing...

Monica nodded and whispered to me...

"He's telling the truth..."she said.

''Where is your son Jarad ,John?"I asked.

"He should be here with my bail money soon." he said.

"Nate...Jarad doesn't work!!...Yet he's got money to bail his dad out of jail twice...."said Monica to me...

Just then Jarad walked into the squad room...

"Where is my dad?" he asked..

"I'll take you to him." I said....I looked at Monica and she nodded...

His Father looked at him....

"Thanks for coming down son.."he said.

"Yeah...Try not to get into anymore trouble dad...I'm flyin out to Vegas tonight...."he said.

''I've been meaning to ask you Jarad, How did you get so much dough???....I haven't seen you bring in a paycheck from anywhere?" asked John..

"Yes Jarad...I checked your financials....You have 75K in your bank account...Two weeks ago, you only had $10.63 cents....and your account was about to be closed..."said Monica..

"And I see you've paid off all three of your credit cards and you bought some jewelry,pretty pricey jewelry.."I said.

Jarad looked nervous...

"I-I-I won big at Lola Getz's card game!" he said.

His father busted out laughing......

"Hahahahaha don't make me laugh...YOU?  You can't play Old maid let alone Poker and Lola wouldn't let you anywhere near her game...You gotta be a millionaire...By the way..Where did you get 75K from??" his father asked...

"Yes Jarad...Where did you get 75K from?" asked Monica..

Jarad looked like he'd drank a can of paint...

His father looked at him in horror...

"Jarad WHAT DID YOU DO?? DID YOU KILL THOSE PEOPLE?? YOU JACK ASS!!" said John Miflin..

"DON'T CALL ME A JACKASS!!!....I'M TIRED OF YOU CALLING ME A LOSER AND A JACKASS...I DID SOMETHING!!!...I SAW AN ADVANTAGE AND I TOOK IT!!!! THEY WERE ALL DRUNK, WAVING THEIR MONEY AROUND...IT MADE ME SICK...I PULLED OUT MY ROD AND I BLASTED EM AND I TOOK MY FUTURE!! I TOOK IT..I DID SOMETHING!"yelled Jarad...

"Yes you did Jarad...You just confessed to five murders...You're under arrest, You have the right to remain silent..anything else you say can and will be used against you...You have a right to an attorney,If you can't afford an attorney...One will be provided for you...Do you understand these rights as I've explained them to you?" I asked him..

"Yeah,Yeah,Yeah.." he said and stomped his feet...

...

Monica signaled for the two uniformed officers to take him away......

His father shook his head and walked out behind them.

She then kissed me softly...

"Ummmmm..Another case down husband.." she said.

"Yeah!" I said...as we kissed each other softly.

"Good Job you two...Good Job! I knew you guys would crack this case."said Lt. Cotton...

"Okay guys...Let's go party..." said Monique...

Kylie and Wally Becker walked in just then...

"Hey guys...Mind if we join you?" said Kylie...

"Of course not...Come on..Come on...It's Christmas Eve.." said Monica and Monique...

''The Zigster is having a wing ding down at the Harbor tonight.."I said.

"We are there"said Lt. Cotton...

Another case down...Another holiday looming...It had been a great year!

EPILOUGE-

Jarad Miflin was convicted of five counts of first degree murder and given five life sentences...He will never see the light of day.

That night, Christmas Eve...We really hung one on at the Harbor...

"Thanks for coming down guys..."said Ziggy...

 The girls looked great tonight...Lt. Cotton and Monique were kissing under the mistletoe...

''Damn girl....Can you get any sexier?" asked Lt.Cotton as he kissed Monique...She was wearing another form fitting mini skirt and he was finding it harder than usual to keep his hands off of her...

"I could show you...but we'd have to leave here and go home.."whispered Monique....

Lt.Cotton's eyes got as wide as a saucer ....

Monique cracked up laughing....

"You are soooo obvious and sooo horny." she said..

"I'm not trying to hide that."he whispered in her ear..

"I knowwwww.."she laughed.

 Kylie and Wally Becker danced slow in the corner....in between kisses..

''Wallyyy, you keep kissing me like this and we are going to have to...." she said before he stopped her..

"Go back to my place or yours...No More sneaking around ,No More quick screws in the restroom...You're a lady Kylie and from now on...I'm going to treat you like one."he said in between more kisses...

''Awww Wally, that's sooo sweet.." she said and gave him a slow sensuous kiss....

"But ahhhh, we could uh slip off and have uh one nasty lightweight screw in the restroom for old times sake..You know...uh one last time." he said raising his eyebrow...

"Ahhh and there's the Wally I've come to know and love."said Kylie..

"So you do love me right? It's not just me, that's in love with you.??" he asked.

"You're in love with me Wally? Seems kind of weird for you huh?  When someone else loves you too? Yesss Wally..I love you..I'm your girlfriend now."she said..

"I like how that sounds." he said.

She kissed him some more..

"Good to know...So take me home..My place and screw my brains out..."she said laughing...

"Yesssssssssss mam!" he laughed...

She laughed and kissed him passionately once again..

  Monica and I sat outside holding hands and watching the water...

 "It's beautiful isn't it partner?" said Monica...

"Wow...You still call me that." I laughed.

"Well you are my partner...In Homicide and in life, aren't you?" she asked and kissed me on the cheek..

"Yeah...I suppose I am." I said..

I looked at the water..it was beautiful....It was surprisingly warm....it being Christmas Eve and all..

Monica looked out at the water too..Normally it would be too cold this time of year for her to have on a backless mini skirt like the one she was wearing tonight....that was driving me crazy...Me and a few other men at this party I might add...but I was glad she could wear it..

"Wow! It's been quite a year for us huh Partner? ,Partners on the force.. Friends with benefits, Secret lovers and now we are married and have a home..." she said..

"Yeah....It's making my head spin just thinking about it...Everything happened so fast...Your Sister and The Lieutenant...???Wow!  At the rate they are going ...They're going to be married this time next year....or have twins!" I said.

"Stopppppppppppp!" she laughed..."  Or Kylie and Wally...He's crazy about her...and it goes way beyond what he felt for me and my sister.. At any rate tonight...A lot of bedsprings are going to be squeaking.."said Monica looking at me and winking... I knew and she knew that ours were.

 "No Doubt" I said ,rubbing her hand...

"Come on Sugar baby..let's blow this pop stand!"said Lt.Cotton.

 "You sure Frankie?....Of course you're sure." laughed Monique.

The Lieutenant and Monique walked out...They were holding hands...

"Well Folks...Merry Christmas...We are turning in..." they said..

Kylie and Wally walked out...

"We are leaving...We had a great time you guys......You're all invited to my house tomorrow."said Kylie.."For Christmas Brunch..."she added.

"She's a fantastic cook...She makes a mean western omelette" said Wally..

"And you know this how Detective?" said Lt. Cotton sternly....Then he laughed..."I'm just joshin with you  Becker...So you two uh are a couple huh? Nice! She's uh fixed you pancakes in the morning?" he said smiling..."We'll be over...but not too early.."he laughed..

"Oh Hush up smarty....We'll be over Kylie..laughed Monique.

''He's tellin the truth..None of us are going to be up early, right partner?" she said smiling at me....

"You're the boss."I said and smiled salaciously....

And to all a good night!