Number Six

A Little before Dawn in Manyunk...Several people were crying and mourning...they had little candles burning....

Several Police Officers had the area cordoned off...CSI people were taking photographs and scouring the area, looking for clues...Any clues..

Duke and Tyriq had on latex gloves and were examining the body.....

Like the others, he had a Smartphone in his mouth.....Same M.O.

Carlotta and Sirena were busy talking to the bystanders who knew the young man...Turns out he was a very popular bartender....who played the guitar and sang ..He was 27 year old Jessie Phigens...When asked about his sexuality....He was said to Bi-Sexual...He had had girlfriends, but was recently dating a man...

Jimmy and Hop were following muddy footprints out to the street....

Angie and Hazel were also looking at the body...

"He's still warm." she said.

"I'd put time of death at just under a few hours, two or three....."she said.

"He was just sitting back here....alone..."said Sissy...

''Check his neck"I said..

"There it is....Just like the others.....a needle mark behind the neck....This is number six." said Carlotta..

''So this means...Reverend Carson is not the killer..." said Jimmy..

"Did you really believe he was Junior?" asked Duke, laughing...

"Tragg is really gonna have egg on his face today!! I wish I could be there to see it."said Tyriq.

"We have all we need here...Can I release the body?" asked Hazel..

"Yeah....release the body..."said Sissy.

The body was removed....Several people wailed as the body was removed...

The Press was there as usual...Snapping photos and asking questions... As usual, we said nothing...But the press and media jumped to their own conclusions...

NUMBER SIX!  GAY SERIAL KILLER STRIKES AGAIN!!!!  CITY IS NOT SAFE!!!! read the headlines!

II-

Back at Cop Land...

"Come and get this...You hard working Crime Fighters" Said Eddie C.  "Duke Sit down,I got this..You guys were up at 3:00 am getting ready for that raid yesterday and then this murder this morning!" he said.

"I'm good man....but thanks for the offer."said Duke...Who was suspicious of Eddie C. when he and Sissy first hooked up...but who had grown to really like him...

 Sharon, who had also been up early helped with the preparation of the meal...
Eddie C. , Duke and Sharon had prepared breakfast for us.... Scrambled Eggs and Omelets to order...Bacon, Hash Browns, Pancakes,Orange Juice and Hot Coffee...

Sharon and Eddie C. had a day off...The rest of us were working...a new murder....We now had six open murders....

"Damn Eddie, Duke....You two are gettin good at this..You two ever think of opening a restaurant?" joked Tyriq...

"Yeah Man...That's a thought...What you think Duke?" asked Eddie C."

"I'm thinkin on it...I'm gettin tired of locking up these killers.."laughed Duke..

 "You have a meeting at the Federal Building don't you Ms. Good Good?" joked Angie..

 "I do....I meet with Stephen September...If he gives me the name of our buyer....We get closer to finding our killer." said Carlotta..

 ''You gonna wear something sexy Lotta?" asked Sirena as she munched on her food..

 Sissy laughed...

"Don't get her husband jealous...You know he'll be there peering over them."said Sissy ,laughing..

"I don't think I have anything to worry about." I laughed...

Carlotta hugged me..

"No you don't papi..." she said... Then she whispered- "Especially After last night...whooooo!" she said.

Jimmy and Hop walked in just then....

''We may have got a break....Our killer got sloppy." said Jimmy as he sat down...and Angie passed him a plate of hot food and coffee...

''We got a photo off of the street cam and a business cam...."said Hop...

They showed us a photo of what looked like a woman walking to the canal with the victim, a little after one in the morning and then leaving the canal alone....

"This is the timeline of the murder...This could very well be our killer."said Angie...

"That's the homeliest looking woman I ever saw....He left the bar with her?" asked Tyriq..

staring at the photo...

''Damn sure is.." said Duke..

''Ouuuu...I just lost my appetite!" said Eddie C.

Hop and Jimmy shook their heads...

Duke, Eddie C.,Hop,Jimmy and I busted out in gales of Laughter...

''Her make up is smeared and she's not walking right in those heels at all...That's a man!" said Hazel.

 Shaking her head....

"Hazel, I think you're right.."said Carlotta.

''Awwwww suki suki now....This is where it gets cute....I think my partner and I are going to check all of the local bars on Main Street...See if our cross dresser was there...See if we can get more video."said Sirena..

"I'll go with you." said Jimmy...

''Ang, lets talk to next of kin ,friends, associates.." said Duke..

"Okay.." said Angie..

"I'll check his financials...Doubt that they'll be any different from the other five."said Tyriq..

"But we can't leave any stone unturned..." said Sissy...

"I'm going in town...today ought to be interesting." I laughed as we finished our food.

III-

Carlotta entered the Federal Building..Some hours later...Sissy and Angie had teased her hair...She had on a new low cut dress that accentuated her every curve and a new fragrance..

She showed her badge and turned in her Glock and back up pistol..a .40 caliber...She was then led to the holding cell where drug suspect, Steven September sat....

He smiled when he saw her....

"Detective Rodriguez-Wallace..." he said, lustily checking Carlotta  out.

"Hello Stephen.."said Carlotta.

He smiled...He was a handsome man, a smooth dresser and quite charming...Carlotta thought that if she wasn't a cop, If she wasn't married to me and he wasn't a criminal, she could certainly see herself dating him...

I another world...

"I know you're here because you want something?   I can't imagine what that would be...You guys arrested all of my associates, put me out of business..."he said.


"I do want something and I'm prepared to make you an offer..." said Carlotta..

"I'm listening.." he said.

"You ordered a lethal chemical cocktail off of the black market...You had one customer...One customer we didn't arrest..." said Carlotta....

"You're talking about Mrs or Mr.Jerome Dwyer..."he laughed...

"Yes...You lead us to Mrs or Mr. Dwyer and I'll talk to my husband...He knows Federal Judges and the U.S. Attorney....You're facing 25-Life.....He can put in a good word and get that knocked down to
15- 25 ,with parole...."said Carlotta...

Stephen September Smiled..

"Well,I'll tell you what I know...This Jerome Dwyer person contacted me through a go between...I never talked to him or her directly ,except on the day of sale...He came dressed as a woman, tried to lie and say she was his represenative....but I know a woman when I see one...And I'm looking at a real woman right now.."he said ,looking Carlotta up and down..

She blushed...I looked at her the same way, often....Like I just wanted to take her clothes off and have my way with her...

Stephen September continued...

"The entire transaction was paid for in cash...no credit card or paper trail...We delivered the stash to a P.O. Box...Real smart on her/his part...No return address....The only phone number we had was to a blocked number...a burner phone..  I can give you the Post Office Box number and the phone number...but that's all I got..." he said..

Carlotta smiled..

"That may be enough....I'll talk to my husband.." she said.

"Will he go for the deal?" asked Stephan September...

"If you were getting all of this on a nightly basis...Would you say no?" asked Carlotta, winking..

"HELLLLLL NO!" he laughed....

IV-

And At City Hall, Things were not going well for Lieutenant Tragg, He was bombarded by Reporters, something he usually liked, but not today.....

A sixth murder had occurred and he had announced to the world just two days before that he had captured the killer.. A bombastic Anti-LGBT Minister named Reverend Carson....Now after a sixth victim had been confirmed...He was once again with egg on his face...

The Police had to release Reverend Carson....It was quite obvious, he was not the killer..

"Looks like you arrested the wrong suspect again Lieutenant....This is getting to be a thing with you huh?" asked a female reporter....

''Now look, this is still an on going investigation.."said Lt. Tragg..

''With your track record...you should be on going!"shouted another reporter...

The crowd burst into gales of laughter....

Reverend Carson ,for his part was louder and more bombastic than ever...He appeared with his Attorney, Craig Carson, who was also his nephew by his side..

 "I told that jackass, Lieutenant Tragg that I was not guilty...He insisted on arresting me..He has caused me International embarrassment....I plan to sue the city for false arrest..."he said..

"Unc....Let's not make hasty statements like that...Let's just get out of here..."said his nephew...

"Ohhhh shut up...If you weren't my sister's son....I wouldn't associate with you at all..Get a haircut...You look like a sissy boy."he snarled..

''You called me Uncle...I didn't call you...I'm the only Attorney in this town, who would touch you with a ten foot pole.."said his Nephew..

"That's right throw it in my face..."he snarled..

Reverend Carson, what do you think of this killer who is targeting Gay men....??"asked a reporter...

"I don't advocate murder or violence towards anyone....but I certainly understand whoever this troubled individual is, anger and frustration at their immoral lifestyle" he said...

 ''Come on...Let's get out of here."said his nephew...

A crowd of protesters lustily booed and jeered Reverend Carson....But the booing didn't help Lt. Tragg....

Lt. Tragg was thoroughly humiliated....He was sweating profusely and his once perfect hair was now out of sorts....He had arrested the wrong suspect and another murder had occurred....That wasn't his fault...but he had falsely gave people a sense of safety....

The media was having a field day with him....but worse....His peers on The Philadelphia Police department were laughing their heads off...

Sissy and I stood in the crowd,laughing our heads off!

Meanwhile, a serial killer that had managed to terrorize the city's gay community was still on the loose and we still had to catch him.

(CONCLUSION NEXT)